Improvements in Railway Signals.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1889-Accepted, 6th July, 1889
COMI LEIE DI MOITICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signals.
I, CHARLES BARRY, Inventor, of Corning, in the county of Steuben, and State
of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS and in what manner the same. is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention pertains to certain new and useful improvements in railway time
signals, having for its object the provision of simple and efficient means for
denoting to a limited (desired) extent the time of passage of a train, to enable
the engineer of a subsequent train to readily read or note the time of passage of
the preceding train.
The invention therefore consists of the detail construction, combination and
arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly
pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1, is a view in perspective showing my
invention in use, Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the clock mechanism,
showing my invention applied thereto, the front cover of the inclosing casing being
removed.
Figure 3, is an enlarged detail perspective of the lever frame. Figure 4 is a
similar view of one index hand and its shaft, also showing a portion of the rear
dial and index hand, the latter being in dotted lines; and Figure 5 is a view
showing two index hands for traveling in opposite directions and the respective dials
thereof.
Referring to the drawings, A designates the ordinary time or clock mechanism
secured within its inclosing casing a, disposed upon the upper end of a supporting
post a¹, placed in practice, a little to one side of the track rails i as shown.
B, is a lever frame composed of two parallel plates 61 b¹, loosely pivoted on the
shaft 3, of the minute wheel 62, of the clock mechanism, one of said plates being
on each side of the wheel rotating between them.
To the extreme upper end of the lever frame B is connected one end of a curved
or hooked arm C.
D is a wheel journaled between the outer ends of the plates 61 61, between which
it is designed to rotate, said wheel gears with the minute wheel 62, of which it
is a counterpart. A downwardly curved or bent arm d, is connected at its upper
end to the plate b¹, of the lever frame, and at its extreme lower end is provided with a
projecting pin d¹.
To the lever frame B is connected one end of a coil spring d³, the opposite end
of which is connected to the stud d³, projecting from the case a. The office of
said spring is to hold the lever frame in the position shown in full lines Figure 2, the
movement of said frame being limited by a projecting pin d', with which it comes
in contact.
E is a spring actuated arm pivoted at one end of a short post e, of the frame of the
clock work and around this post is a coil spring e¹, connected at one end to said arm.
This arm is provided with a shoulder e³, an outer curved portion of which is always in
contact with the pin d¹.
F is a wheel rigidly secured upon or keyed to a shaft f, supported by a suitable two
arm bracket,attached to the case a, and upon the end of this shaft is secured the
large index hand f, upon the end of the short arm of which bracket is a small weight
as shown. To a drum on this shaft is secured one end of a coil spring f³, the
outer end of which is connected to a post f, of the clock frame. The wheel F
has a segment of its toothed surface removed as at f, and is provided with a pin or
stud f. as shown.

page_text: :
In practice, the hand wheel F is normally in engagement with the outer minute
wheel D and is moved thereby, save when the segmental portion is opposite the
teeth of said minute wheel, when the former wheel ceases to revolve.
G is a rod projecting through the bottom of the casing and through an aperture
in the outer end of a right angular bracket g, within said casing, said rod being
held from passing entirely from said bracket by a projecting screw g¹, of said rod.
A circular groove G¹ having beveled or inclined ends, is formed in that part of the
rod G with which the curved or hooked end of the arm C is in contact.
one end
The lower end of the rod G is connected to a short lever H in practice, so as
to regulate the extent of its movement, said lever being pivoted to
preferably as shown, that is, to an offset bar or cleat a³, fastened to the post a¹. From
the opposite end of the lever H depends a pivoted stirrup or loop H¹, within which
rests one end of a lever I. The lever I is pivoted at its opposite end preferably as
shown, between two short posts or pieces planted in the ground between the rails
of the track. It extends beneath and rests against the under side of one of the
track rails i.
A rod I is connected at its lower end to the lever H intermediately of its
fulcrum or pivotal point and the point of connection of the rod G with said lever.
The upper portion of this rod extends up through ears or lugs, suitably spaced
apart and secured to the post a¹. Upon this rod is arranged a coiled or other
spring I, one end of which is connected to said rod while its other end rests or bears
against one of the ears or lugs .. The effect of this spring is to hold the lever
normally in a horizontal position, and consequently the lever I up in contact with the
rail. If desired however, the spring I may be disposed beneath the lever I, thus
forming an elastic cushion or support therefor.
JJ are the dials or the faces of the signal, each of which is marked preferably with
the Roman characters from XII to V, but they may have a greater or less number
of like characters thereon if desired.
One dial is secured at one end of the shaft f, while the other dial is secured
upon the opposite end of said shaft. The purpose of duplicating the dials is more
especially to enable the engineer after his train has passed the signal, to readily
view the same upon turning his head and looking back, which in practice is found
to be the most advantageous way of viewing the dial or dials. It also of course,
enables him to view the signal either in approaching or leaving it, as also to see
whether the index hand is reset. It will be understood that an index band is
provided for each dial or face, said hands to travel in the same direction, as previously
described.
The operation of my invention is as follows:
Supposing the index hands f2, to be at the top of the dial when the clock is
wound, the motion transmitted through the two minute wheels will effect the
movement of the wheel F and consequently the index hands will move over the dial or
face until the segmental portion of said wheel reaches the outer minute wheel, at
which time the hands will have reached the bottom number of the dial.
When a train or engine passes over the rails the rail i, will be depressed,
lowering the lever I as also that end of the lever H, linked or coupled to lever I
and will distend the spring I¹ and consequently pull downward upon the rod G.
The downward pull upon the rod G will cause it to bear or act similarly upon the
upper or hooked end of the arm C. This movement of the arm C will carry the outer
or that end of the lever frame B bearing the wheel D upward in the arc of a circle,
taking said wheel out of engagement with the index wheel F.
The index hands will immediately under the action of the spring f³, and their
weighted ends, traverse the face of the dial.
When said hands reach the top of the dial, the pin or stud f", of the wheel F,
will be simultaneously engaged by the shoulder of the spring actuated arm E, which
is now permitted to slightly raise the curved arm d, with its pin d', which rests upon
said arm having been moved upward with the elevation of the outer end of the
lever frame B, as previously stated.

page_text: The lever frame is caused to return under the action of its spring d², to its normal
position after the passage of the train and the elevation or raising of the rod G which
is effected by the action of the spring I' through the rod I² and lever H.
The minute or index hands having been returned to their starting point at the
top of the dial, will be acted upon by the clock mechanism by reason of the
intermeshing of the outer minute wheel D and the wheel F, and thus exactly
indicate to the engineer of the subsequent train the time of passage of the preceding
train, provided said subsequent train passes that point before the index hands have
reached the full extent of their movement.
This operation is repeated as each train passes the signal, the index hands being
returned to their starting point every time the lever I is depressed, and upon the
elevation of said lever, the index hands again start on their movement.
If desired, two signals can be employed by having dials on each side and hands
moving in opposite directions the auxiliary hand L being operated by the same
mechanism as the hand f². Its shaft (, is provided with a pinion i, gearing with a
similar pinion, on the shaft f, so as to give said shaft the opposite movement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. In railroad signals, of the indicated nature the combination of the pivoted lever
frame B, minute wheel 63, a curved or hooked arm C, the index shaft f, the
wheels D, F, the spring f³, encompassing said shaft f, and the vertical rod G engaging
said curved or hooked arm C, substantially as shown and described.
2nd. The combination of the pivoted lever frame B, the curved arm d, provided
with a projecting pin d', the index shaft f, and the index wheel F having a pin or
stud f, and the spring actuated arın E, substantially as shown and described.
3rd. The combination of the clock mechanism A, the lever frame B, the outer
minute wheel D, carried thereby, the index shaft f, carrying the index hands f", the
wheel F having a segment of its teeth removed and the curved arm d, connected to
said lever frame B, substantially as shown and described.
4th. The combination of the lever frame B, a minute wheel 62, the curved or hooked
arm C secured to said frame B, the index shaft f, the wheel F, the vertical rod G
having a circular groove G¹ and the track lever I having connection with said rod G,
substantially as shown and described.
5th. The combination of the clock mechanism A, the lever frame B, the hooked
arm C, the index hand f, the shaft f, the wheel F, the vertical rod G having a
grooved portion G¹, in contact with said lever frame B, the rod I lever H connected
to said rods G 12, the spring I¹ connected to said rod 12 lever I and the track rail i
and said lever I, extending under the track rail i, substantially as shown and
described.
6th. In an improvement in railroad signals the combination of the signals having
a front and rear dial J, the shaft f, carrying the dials J, the index hands f³, secured
on the ends of said shaft f, and traveling over said dials J, in the same direction and
operated substantially as shown and described.
7th. In an improvement in railroad signals the combination of the signal having
two faces or dials J J, the index hands f, traveling over the dials J, in the same
direction thereof and operated substantially as described.
8th. The combination of the signal having two faces J J, the shafts fl, the index
hands fL secured upon the outer ends of said shafts fl, cog wheel arranged on
said shafts fl, and gearing with each other, and the wheel F, secured on one of said
shafts and the clock mechanism A, said wheel F, gearing with said clock mechanism
whereby said index hands will move in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.
1000
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester, Agents.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester, Agents.