Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I, EDWARD DYER DOUGHERTY of 1432 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, Penn-
sylvania, U.S.A. Manufacturer, 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:—
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My invention relates to Automatic Signals for Railroads, the object of the same
being to provide devices for automatically setting the danger signals by a passing
train and for locking the danger signal against accidental movement.
A further object is to provide devices within the office for indicating to the
operator the condition of his signal.
A further object is to provide means within the station or operators office for
releasing the signals.
With these ends in view, my invention consists in the parts and combinations of
parts, as will more fully described and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1. is a view in elevation, partly in section,
of a double track showing my mechanism applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the devices located longside of the track for
operating the signal setting mechanism,
Fig. 3 is a plan view.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the same.
Fig. 5 a detached view of a section of the signal standard.
Fig. 6 is a similar view of the signal slides and guides.
Figs. 7 and 8 are views of the indicators located inside of the operator's room.
A represents a rail-road track and A¹ a box located alongside of one of the rails
at a point opposite the signal standard 26.
This box is secured to the ties and provided with an open or slotted top, through
which the lug B2 formed on the upper face of the semi-elliptic spring B projects.
This spring B is provided with straight ends having elongated slots D therein and
is secured to the bottom of the box by bolts C. The elongated slots permit the
spring to expand freely and consequently operate or depress the pin E, which
latter rests against the under face of the spring B.

page_text: This pin E is guided in its vertical movement and actuates by actual contact,
with the upper surface of the lever, or through the intervention of a lever or
bar B', the lever 3 pivoted on the post 6 within the box F located alongside of the
track and at the base of the hollow standard 26.
The lever 3 is provided on its upper surface with the lugs 8 and 9, the former
being located a slight distance outside of the post 6 and the latter on the extreme
inner end of the lever. The upper surface of the lever between lugs 8 and 9 is
grooved or channeled to form a guide way for the weighted roller 5, which latter
is mounted on said lever 3 and adapted to travel thereon between the lugs 8 and 9.
When the roller rests against the lug 9, the lever is held in the position shown in
Fig. 1, and when the lever is drawn down to a horizontal position, the roller is
moved along the same, until it strikes the lug 8. When the parts are in this
position, the centre of the roller is beyond the post 6, and the weight of said roller
is sufficient to hold the lever 3 in a horizontal position, with the end thereof
under, or in contact with, the pin E or in contact with devices operated by
the pin.
When a train passes the signal standard, the flange of the first wheel passing
over the spring B compresses the same and consequently depresses the pin E. The
pin or the mechanism connecting the pin and lever 3 causes the lever to slant
slightly. This inclination of the lever is sufficient to cause the roller 5 to start
toward the lug 9, and after the roller passes over the post 6, the lever is moved
down to the position shown in Fig. 1 and remains in such position until moved by
the operator.
The lever is held in a horizontal position by the stop '10.
While I have described the mechanism preferred by me for operating the lever 3,
I would have it understood, that I do not confine myself to such mechanism as it
is evident, that electricity could be the agent employed for tilting the lever, or a
spring rail could be employed for the same purpose.
The outer end of the lever 3 is connected to the rod 12, which latter is located
within the hollow standard 26, to the top of which latter the lantern case is
secured. This rod 12 is connected to danger signal slide 24 and the side
curtain 25, which latter move in the grooved ways 20 located within the lantern
case.
The standard 26 is provided near its upper end with an elongated slot 19,
through which a wrist pin secured to the lever 12 projects. This pin is connected
to the rod 14, to the upper end of which is pivotically secured one end of the
pivoted lever 17 carrying the disc or day signal 18.
From the foregoing it will be seen, that the upward movement of the outer eud
of the lever 3 throws both night and day signals into view, while a reverse
movement of said lever carries the slides down out of sight and elevates the disc,
until it rests in a line with the lantern case I prefer to secure å bell 16 to the
outer face of the lantern case in a position to be operated by a lug secured to the
lever 17.
When the lever 17 falls, the bell rings and notifies the engineer that the signal
has operated properly.
28 is a wire secured at one end to the lever 3 and extending downwardly and
passing through the pipe or trough 43 to the office of the operator where it is
secured to the slide 33 mounted on the base 32. This base is provided with
guides 34, in which the slide moves with the automatic catch 37 for locking the
slide, when the pointer 35 is opposite the danger signal 39, with the bell 38, which
is rung by contact with a projection on the slide, when the latter is drawn
upwardly and with the danger and safety signals 39 and 40 respectively. The
slide is provided with a handle 36, by which the same is drawn down. From the
foregoing it will be seen, that when a train operates the signal, the condition of
the signal, that is, the position of the slides and disc is indicated in the office by
the pointer 35, which moves simultaneously with the slide, and the operator, if he
be asleep is notified by the ringing of the bell 38.-

page_text: After the signals are set, they can only be released by the operator, and the
danger signals being set, brings all trains to a stop and prevents accident.
When the operator receives word that the train has passed out of his block, he
simply unlocks the slide 33 and pulls the same down until the pointer thereon is
opposite the safety signal 40. This operation moves the lever 3 to a horizontal
position which causes the roller 5 to move up to the lug 8 and hold the lever in
said horizontal position.
The device shown on the right hand of Fig. 2 is employed on the track B nearer
the operators office, and when there is but a single tract, this device alone is
employed. The lever 3 and rod A³ are precisely like the corresponding parts
previously described. The upper end of this rod A³ is pivotally secured to the
lever B³ which latter is in turn pivotally secured to the upper end of the post C³.
This lever is connected with a signal slide shown in dotted lines in the figure and
extends into the operators room and is connected to the upper end of the rod G³.
The danger slide, instead of moving up to the operative position, falls down and
covers the openings in the lantern case. The rod G is provided with a pointer
similar to the slide 33, and the block 32 is provided with the danger- and safety-
signals. In this latter device, the rod G³ moves down to set the danger signal, and.
hence the danger signal on the base 32 connected with the track B would be below
the safety signal, and not above it as previously described in connection with the
mechanism of track A.
The standard 26 is provided with a door 27, by means of which access can be
bad to the rod 12 for operating the same in case the other parts should for any
cause become inoperative.
By this improved device, the passage of a train automatically set the danger
signals, and the latter are held in a locked position until released by the operator.
It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to without departing from
the spirit and scope of my invention, hence I would have it understood, that I do
not limit myself strictly to the construction herein set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim, is:
1st) In a railroad signal, the combination with a signal slide or disc and devices
located alongside of one of the rails of the track and adapted to be engaged by
the wheels of a passing train for automatically operating the slide or disc of an
indicator and devices connecting the slide and indicator, whereby the position of
the former is indicated on the latter, substantially as set forth.
2nd) In a railroad signal, the combination with a signal slide or disc and devices
for operating the same, of an indicator, a bell and devices for connecting the slide
and indicator for indicating on the latter the position of the former and for
sounding the bell as the danger signal is set, substantially as set forth.
3rd) In a railroad signal, the combination with a slide, a lever located alongside
of the track and adapted to be moved by the passage of a train over the same, and
devices connecting the lever and slide, of an indicator, and devices connecting the
lever and indicator, substantially as set forth.
4th) The combination with a slide or disc, a lever and a movable weight adapted
to travel on said lever, of an indicator and devices connecting the lever and
indicator..
5th) The combination with a slide or disc, a lever and a roller adapted to move
on said lever, of an indicator having an alarm bell thereon, and devices connecting
the lever and indicator, substantially as set forth.
6th) The combination with a standard, a lamp case, a disc secured to a lever and
a bell secured to the lamp case and adapted to be operated by the movement of
said lever, of a weight adapted to move thereon and a rod connecting the pivoted
lever and the lever carrying the disc.
7th) The combination with a slide or disc and a rod connected thereto, of a
pivoted lever having a groove or channel therein, the lugs formed on said levør at

page_text: the ends of said groove or channel. and a roller mounted on the lever and adapted
to travel between the lugs.
+
* 8th) The combination with a slide or disc, a pivoted lever and a movable device
mounted on said lever, of a semi-elliptic spring located in a position to be
engaged by the wheel of a passing train and a pin connected with said spring for
operating the lever.
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