Improvements in Railway Danger Signals.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
. Improvements in Railway Danger Signals.
We ARTHUR WELLESLEY BERNE of 840 Broadway, New York, in the
County and State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical
Engineer, and WILLIAM HENRY WALSH of 400 Bleecker Street, New York,
in the County and State of New York, United States of America, Clerk, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in railway danger signals in which a
signal on a locomotive is in electrical connection with conductors along the track,
and said conductors are so connected with the switch rails, draw-bridge, or the
circuit on another locomotive, that when the locomotive comes upon a block upon
which a switch or bridge is open or another locomotive located, such information
will be forthwith communicated to the engineer, and warn him to slow down or
stop, to avoid accident.
A practical embodiment of our invention is represented in the accompanying
drawings, in which,—
Figures 1 and 2 represent parts of a single track, it being understood that the
right hand end of Figure 2 may, for purposes of illustration, be considered as
adjacent to the left hand end of Figure 1, the two forming a continuous section of
track, and showing in connection therewith a signal tower, a draw bridge, a switch
track, and two locomotives.
The rails of the track are represented by A, A', the tower by B, the draw-bridge
by C, the rails of the switch track by D, D', and the locomotives by E E¹.
Along the track rails there are located electric conductors F F¹, said conductors
being insulated from the ground and from surrounding objects. The said
conductors F, F' are connected by branch wires G, G¹ with the posts of a circuit
closer at the tower B, so that whenever it is desired, the operator in the tower B
may, by closing the circuit closer g, establish electrical communication between the
conductors F, F¹.
'
The draw bridge is provided at its opposite ends with arms c c', which, when the
bridge is closed, are adapted to separate two pairs of circuit-closing jaws. The
one set of circuit closing jaws are represented by hh, the former in electric com-
munication with the conductor F through a branch wire H, and the latter in electric
communication with the conductor F, through a branch wire H'; the other pair
of circuit closing jaws, are represented by i and i', the former connected with the
conductor F. by a branch wire I, and the latter connected with the conductor F¹
by a branch wire 1. The members of each pair of jaws, hand i, are
constructed to normally rest in contact, and establish an electric circuit between,
the conductors F and F¹.
The arms c c², or such portion of said arms as is adapted to enter between
the pairs of circuit closing jaws, are of some suitable insulating material, so that
when the bridge is closed and the track in condition for the passage of the train,
there will be no electric communication between the conductors F, F1, because said
jaws will then be held apart by the insulating pieces between them.
When, however, the bridge is swung open, the insulating pieces will be carried
by it out from between the circuit-closing jaws, and the latter will spring together,
and so complete the electric connection between the conductors F, Fi and the track
adjacent to the opposite ends of the bridge.
The switch rail D' has fixed thereto an arm d carrying an electric conducting
piece d¹

page_text: The piece d is insulated from surrounding objects, and is located in such
position relatively to a pair of circuit closing jaws kk', that when the switch
rail D' is moved in position to open the main track and direct the train into the
switch track, it will move the conducting piece, d¹ between the circuit-closing
pieces k k¹, and into contact therewith, so as to establish electric communication
between the conductors F, F' through branch K & K¹.
Each locomotive is provided with a signal adapted to be operated by an electric
current; in the present instance an electric bell L is indicated; and said signal
is in circuit with a battery M, also carried by the locomotive, and through said
battery with a brush N¹ so located as to move along the conductor F'in electric
contact therewith.
The other pole of the signal L is connected by means of a wire with a brush N,
adapted to move along the conductor F, and in electric contact therewith.
From the above construction and arrangement of parts, it follows, that when the
operator in the tower B desires to notify an approaching engineer of danger, or
for other reason wishes to bring the train to a stop, he simply closes the circuit
closer which brings the conductors F and F¹ into electric communication, and
therefore, as soon as the locomotive E comes upon the block, the circuit will be
complete through the brushes N, N', the battery M and the signal L, and the
engineer will be notified to stop. The signal will continue to sound so long as the
circuit is left complete, and whenever the operator in the tower desires the train to
move on, he may simply break the circuit by opening the circuit g, when the signal
in the engine will stop.
If, from any cause, the bridge C be thrown open, there will be electric com-
munication established between the conductors F and F¹ by the withdrawal of the
insulating pieces carried by the arms cand c', and whenever the locomotive
approaches the bridge from either direction, the signal therein will be sounded in
the same manner as above described, as soon as the locomotive enters upon the block
in which the bridge is located.
In the same manner, when the switch is turned to shunt trains from the main to
the side track, it will positively close communication between the conductors F and F',
and a warning will be given to the engineer as above described.
If, finally, two locomotives enter upon the same block at the same time, there
will be electric communication established between the signals in each of them, and
each will be, at the same moment, notified of danger, and warned to slow down
or stop.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In combination, insulated electric conductors located along a railway track,
a part of an electric circuit on a motor, and in electric connection with the insulated
conductor, said partial circuit including a signal and a battery, and a circuit closer
in connection with the aforesaid insulated conductors, whereby a complete circuit
is made through the signal on the motor, whenever the motor enters upon a block
where the insulated conductors are in closed electric connection at another point than
through the signal, substantially as set forth.
2. In combination, insulated electric conductors located along a railway track, a
part of an electric circuit on a locomotive and in electric connection with the
insulated conductors, said partial circuit including a signal and a battery, a movable
rail forming a part of the railway track, contact pieces, one in electrical communi-
cation with one of the insulated conductors, and the other with the other of the
insulated conductors, and a circuit closer insulated from surrounding objects, and
connected with the movable rail, to move with it into and out of engagement with
the contact pieces, to make a second electric connection between the insulated
conductors, substantially as set forth.
3. In combination, a railway track, a swinging bridge forming a support for the

page_text: rails of a portion of the track, contact pieces having a normal tendency to rest in
electrical contact, insulated conductors located along the track, and connected, the
one with one of the contact pieces, and the other with the other contact piece, an
insulating piece carried by the bridge, and adapted to separate the contact pieces
when the bridge is closed, and permit them to close when the bridge is open, and
partial electric circuit carried by a motor, and including a battery and a signal, said
partial circuit being in constant electrical contact with the insulated conductors,
substantially as set forth.
1
1009
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants