United labor bulletin., 1913-09-06
SETS BRAKES ON TRAIN
PERFECTION is CLAIMED FOR
NEW SAFETY DEVICE.
II Signal Is Disresarded the Throttle
Is Automatically Disconnected
From the Steam Valve and
Stop Is Made Certain.

L. W. Horne, who is a testing engl-
neer for the Brooklyn Interborough
lines, has invented an automatic
train-stopping device which he will en-
ter in the competition for the $4,000
prize offered by New England line.
This competition requires that:
Every essential part of the stopping
and controlling mechanism must be SO
constructed that its removal or fall
ure will cause an application Of the
train brakes.
The apparatus applied must not con-
stitute a source of danger to passen-
gers or employees.
The apparatus applied must with
stand snow. ice, sleet and tempera-
lures below freezing.
The device must operate only In the
normal direction of traffic; train
backing up or running in the reverse
direction must not be interfered with
by track devices which would cause
an application of the train brakes
we're the train running in the normal
direction of traffic.
A speed control device must be SO
designed that a train may pass a dis
tance signal tby which is meant eau
ton signal which indicates to the engi-
neer that the section still preceding
the one he is about to enter is occu-
pied by a train) or a signal which in
dicates that train is to cross another
track. without causing the air-brakes
to be applied, providing its speed is
less than a predetermined limit But
should the speed Of the train exceed
the limit when approaching a eau
| tionary point. the air-brakes must De
automatically applied; and then after
the train speed has been sufficiently
reduced. the brakes are to be auto
matically released, permitting the en-
gineer to proceed
Mr. Horne says his device is very
simple to construct and when applied
to a locomotive can hardly be OBJ
served
Consider yourself riding in a luxu-
rious parlor car. the landscape rush
ing by at 20 miles an hour. perhaps
faster; an experienced engineer is at
the throttle and he has never been
guilty of carelessness. Engineers rare
ly are dangerously careless more than
once The train approaches section
where a detour to another track is to
be made to avoid a stalled freight or
road repair gang. and the block sig
nails indicate the course the engineer
| is to take. II he reduces his train to
safe rate as he approaches the little
trip finger that guards the crossoyer
sticking up from the roadbed. the de
pending actuating handle of our de
vice on the locomotive simply clicks
against the trip finger and nothing
happens. However. should the engi-
neer absentmindedly disregard the
| caution Indication OF the semaphore
and fail to reduce the great speed
with which his heavy train is bearing
I down on the little guardant trip finger,
the depending handle OF our device
bangs against the trip finger. the i'm
pact transmitting a high kinetic ener-
gy to the air-valve mechanism, and by
the hiss of compressed air and. the
failing OF his pressure gauge, the en-
gineer realizes what has happened.
simultaneously with the exhaust of
the brake pipe pressure. the device
has automatically disconnected his
throttle lever from the steam valve.
He can only release his train brakes
after the speed of the train has been
sufficiently reduced.
Had the engineer been asleep or
dead and. therefore. no hand at the
brake valve to release the brakes. the
train would have gradually come to q
stop and the train crew would investi-
gate"