The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-25
An Important Device Discovered
to Prevent Collisions.
Born Invention Will Revolu-
tiOnize Operation of Trains.
AUTOMATIC ENGINEER
Will Flash Danger Signals and
Set Brakes If Necessary.
Gossip and Matters OF Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Operation of railroad trains is to be
revolutionized by the use of a device
owned by Kansas City men to prevent
head-on or rear end collisions. It is the
most important and far reaching inven-
ton brought to light in years, and ev-
cry engine equipped with it will carry in
its cab what amounts to an automatic
engineer that will have the power of de-
tecting danger miles ahead and which,
should the regular engineer fail to do,
will put on the brakes and shut off the
steam just as if animated with human
life.
The device is known as the Born in
venr1on 20 prevent railroad accidents,
and American Signal company owns the
patents. This company is controlled by
Kansas City men, a syndicate having
peen formed some weeks ago for that
purpose, of which NJ. H. Hudson is pres
ident and W. B. Doddridge, formerly
general manager of the Missouri Pacific
railroad is manager.
And more, too, the patent also covers
a device to enable passengers on
moving train to telegraph or telephone
to any given point or to any other NOV
ing train. This has been done under
actual service conditions and the con-
versation carried on with the same de-
gree of ease and comfort as if the tele-
phone were in an Office or home.
The Born device consists of a one
quarter horse power dynamo placed on
the tender. and run by steam from the
engine, a rheoStat placed in the cab,
series of warning lights and bell be-
fore the engineers eyes and metal
grip, actuated by a magnet, which will
let the air into the pipes and stop the
train, if all the previous signals have
been ignored. The Born device is said
to be the only one in existence which
does not depend upon the human ele-
ment 1t is as automatic as a mouse
trap. You set the device and the me-
chanism does the rest. The engineer
and fireman may be asleep or dead, dis
patchers may send out wrong orders,
conductors may interpret directions err
roneously. Any one OF these causes
might cause head-on or rear-end col
lisions under ordinary conditions, but
with the Born device properly set disas-
ters will be impossible.
The current generated by the dynamo
runs on one hand into the rails and on the
other to the rheostat, which is a device
used to regulate the volume OF an elecLrlc
eurrent-a sort of a safety valve me
not of sufficient power to pass it under or
binary conditions. Two locomotives cleo
trifying the rails before and behind them
approach each other on the same track.
When they get within a certain distance
which is regulated by the trainmen-the
rails will be carrying twice the current Tor
which the device is set. AS a result the
electricity will force it's way through the
rheostat on both locomotives and set into
action the safety signals. The incandes-
cent light before the engineers eyes Will
glow dirnly and as the trains draw nearer
to one another begin to blaze brilliantly;
the electric bell begins to tinkle and then
to sound furiously. If none of these warn
ings is needed the separate storage battery
is drawn into action, energies a magnet
and the metal grip plungeS out, engages
with the air lever and automatically turns
on the brakes. This happeSn on both trains
and both will be brought to dead stop.
Actual tests were made on the Chesa-
peake Beach railway out of Washington
and engines heading for each other at full
speed on the same track were stopped one
mile apart and at other distances down to
$50 feet. Full crews and expert railway
men and electrical engineers were on the
locomotives and the engines could have
been stopped by the engineers as soon as
the warning signals began to make them
selves felt to the eye or ear. but the de-
vice was allowed to show all it could do
and met all expectations entirely by stop
ping both trains at the distance deSignat-
ed. These tests were made many times
covering several weeks of time, and under
all kinds of weather conditions.
Since these tests were made an apDa-
ratus by which the return wire for the
device which runs between two sets of
tracks or alongside one set, can be used for
telegraphing or telephoning. Special in
struments are used, which obviate COM
pletely all the difficulties which might
reasonably be expected in telephoning
from noisy, moving train.