Improvements in Railway Signals.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application. 2nd July, 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signals.
I WALTER THOMPSON of Orange County of Essex State of New Jersey United
States of America Mechanical Engineer, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to reduce the cost of constructing and maintaining
an electric signal, to reduce the number of parts thereof and to secure increased
duribility and general efficiency.
It consists in the improved electric signal and in the arrangments and combination
of parts substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embodied in the
clauses of the claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings which represents in general plan the
improved electric signal and the circuits controlling the same a represents the signal
adapted to indicate the approach of a train to a crossing either by audible sound such
as the ringing of a bell or by a visual sign such as the passage of a red disc into
prominent view at the crossing.
•
b indicates what may be termed a track circuit which is normally open and has on
it, circuit closers, adapted to be operated upon by the train in its passage over the
track. On said track circuit may be arranged the battery d which controlls the
operations of all the working parts.
e represents one of the railway rails and f f₁ are levers serving as circuit
closers for the track circuit, those latter are, in practice, arranged a hundred feet
more or less from the crossing. 9' is a similar circuit closer arranged at the railway
crossing in connection with what I have called a replacing or resetting circuit 6¹¹.
In connection with said circuit b is an electro magnet g and its armature h
which controlls a bell or signal circuit 6 having thereon a signal a. When the
railway train is coming say from the right towards the crossing, and the wheel
thereof engages the lever closing the circuit 6 by causing said lever to connect
the terminals at the electro magnet g is magnitized so that it attracts the
armature said armature serves as a support or stay for an armature joperating in
connection with an electro magnet k and stationed on the said signal circuit 6'.
When said magnet g is magnetized by the closing of the circuit and the
supporting armature which is preferably a lever fulcrumed at h¹ is attracted, the
said armature is withdrawn from supporting relation to the lever j and the latter is
allowed to drop by gravity into connection with terminals l, m, closing the signal
circuit b¹ and causing the signal to operate either by a continuous ringing after the
manner of ordinary electric bells or by some visual action of the signal or in any
other way or manner common in electrical signalling.
Should the train come from the left hand the circuit 6 is closed by means of the
circuit closer f¹ and the same effect is accomplished.
After the passage of the train the levers ff' are immediatly returned to their
normal positions by means of suitable springs o, o or other suitable means imme-
diatly opening the circuit b. The electric current then passes over the bell
circuit 61.
When the train arrives at the crossing it engages the lever g¹ and closes the
resetting or replacing circuit 6". When thus closed the electro magnet k is mag-
netized and the armature j attracted so that it is raised from the contact points or
terminals I m to a point above the path of the stay opening the signal circuit so
that the signal ceases to act as such and allowing said stay to gravitate or turn on its
fulcrum so that it passes beneath the armature away from contact with the terminals
and ready for action when the train again closes the circuit b.

page_text: The stay is preferably provided with a branch p held in place by a spring q.
The backward movement of the lever his limited by a stop r which is preferably
a screw and thus adjustable.
The terminal is also adjustable so as to provide for a more perfect contact.
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
First-The improved electric signal combined with a suitable signalling mechanism,
a signal circuit, a track circuit controlling the action of the signal circuit and adapted
to be controlled by the train and a replacing or resetting circuit, the said circuits
being controlled by a signal battery substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Second-In combination with a railway and signal a circuit b adapted to be closed
by the passage of the train, an electro-magnet g a stay armature h arranged in
connection with the magnet g and adapted to hold a signal circuit normally open and
a replacing or resetting circuit adapted to operate to bring the apparatus to a normal
position substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third In combination with a railway rail, a circuit closer f arranged on the
circuit near said rail an electro-magnet g also on said circuit 6 an armature han
armature adapted to connect the terminals of a signal circuit and to be held dis-
connected from said circuits by said armature h an electro-magnet k arranged on a
replacing or resetting circuit 611 a circuit closer g¹ and a signal circuit and signal and
a battery all said parts being arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
E. GARDNER COLTON,
Agent for the Applicant.