Improvements relating to Electric Semaphores for Railways.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 13th Dec., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Electric Semaphores for Railways.
We FREDERICK STITZEL Electrician, CHARLES WEINEDEL, JOHN HENRY EGELHOFF,
MOSES SCHWARTZ, ADOLPH REUTLINGER and JACOB KRIEGER Gentlemen all of
Louisville, Jefferson County, and State of Kentucky, United States of America 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:-
This invention relates to an improvement in system of electric circuits and devices
for the automatic manipulation of electric semaphores, and is designed more
particularly for use in connection with what is known as "block signaling."
The object of this invention is to produce a simple and efficient system of electrical
circuits for electric railroad signals, by means of which the signals at opposite ends
of a block will be simultaneously set to indicate different signals when a train enters
the block from either direction.
.
A further object is to so construct and arrange the circuits that small battery power
will be required.
A further object is to produce a system of electric circuits for the operation of
electrical railroad signals and to construct and arrange the devices for manipulating
said circuits that they shall be simple, comprising but few working parts, and sure
and effectual in operation.
A further object is to so construct the circuits and devices that said circuits shall
not be liable to conflict with each other, should one of them get out of order, and to
so arrange the circuits and devices that the semaphores at opposite ends of a block
will be normally set to indicate safety; when the train enters from either direction,
one semaphore will be set to indicate caution and the other danger; and when trains
enter both ends of the block at or near the same time from both directions, on the
track, circuits or apparatus become deranged, and both signals will be set to indicate
"danger."
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a diagrametrical view illustrating the circuits in their normal positions
for indicating "safety" at both ends of a block of railroad.
Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the condition of the circuits when a train
enters the block from the right.
Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the condition of the circuits, when a train
enters a block from the left.
.
Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the condition of the circuits when the trains enter
both ends of the block at or near the same time.
A represents a block of railroad and B B', the rails thereof,- -one of which rails
is electrically separated at its centre and the poles of a battery C of suitable size,
electrically connected to the inner terminals of said separated rail. At each end of
the block each rail is electrically connected with a terminal of the helix of relay
magnets D, D', which are normally energized by the battery C.
At the right hand end of the block the rear end of the armature lever D² of
relay D is adapted to engage the end of a pivoted lever E, which latter is provided
with a cross
arm E to form contact points. The cross arm. El is maintained
normally in contact with a contact plate F, but when the relay magnet D is demagnetized
and its armature released, the arm E¹ will break contact with the plate F and. make
contact with a plate F¹. At the other end of the block, the armature. lever D³ is
adapted to engage a pivoted lever G having a contact point G₁ and normally maintain
said, contact point elevated and out of contact with a contact plate G².
The pole of a battery H of suitable size is electrically connected with the pivoted
lever E at the right hand end of the block, and when the contacts are in their
דן.

page_text: normal positions the current passes through this lever to the armature lever D².
From the armature lever the current flows, by wire 1, to the helix of the main
semaphore magnet I of the semaphore at the right hand end of the block, and from
thence by wire 2, to the main semaphore magnet 1 of the semaphore at the opposite
end of the block, thence by wire 3 to armature lever D³ to the lever G and thence by
wire 4, back to the battery. Thus it will be seen that both the track circuits and
the main semaphore circuit will be normally closed and the signals at both ends of
the block maintained at "safety."
The plate F is connected by a wire 5 with a normally open circuit closer J. in
the signal apparatus, said closer being also connected, by a wire 6, with the helix of
a magnet K in the semaphore at the opposite end of the block said magnet being
adapted to control à cautionary signal. The other end of the helix of magnet K
is connected by a wire 7 with the contact plate G2 at the left hand end of the
block. The lever G is connected by the wire 4 with the battery at the other end
of the block.
There is also a caution magnet K¹ in the semaphore apparatus at the right
hand end of the block, one end of the helix of which is connected, by a wire 9,
with the plate F while the other end of said helix is connected by a wire 10. with
a circuit closer J¹ in the apparatus at the other end of the block, said circuit closer J¹
being also connected by a wire 11, with the armature lever D³ at the left hand end
of the block.
The circuit closers J J' are identical with each other and consist simply of a rotary
dise or sleeve with which the terminals of the conducting wires are electrically
connected said sleeves or discs being provided with notches in their edges for the
reception of a piece of insulating material. Thus it will be seen that when the
terminals of the conductors are in contact with the disc or sleeve the circuit will be
closed and the current will pass through the disc or sleeve, but when said disc or
sleeve is rotated so that one of the terminals will engage the insulating block the
circuit will be opened and the magnets K or K¹ will be demagnetized.
The circuits and devices being thus arranged with the relay magnets and said
semaphore magnets in normally closed circuits to maintain the signals normally at
safety, we will suppose first that a train enters the block from the right as indicated
in Fig. 2. The wheels and axles of the cars will short circuit the battery C and the
relay magnet D will be demagnetized.
The armature lever D² will separate itself from the pivoted lever E and thus break
the circuit through the main semaphore magnets and the signal blades at both ends
of the block will begin to leave the "safety" position. In the meantime however,
the contact points E¹ of the pivoted lever E has made contact with the contact
plate F and the circuit closer J¹ has connected the wires 10 and 11, whereby the
current from the battery H, will be shifted from its course through the main sema-
phore magnets, through the circuit which included the cautionary magnet K¹ at the
right hand end of the block A, thus energizing this magnet and causing it to retain
the signal blade at the entrance end of the block at caution, while the signal blade
at the exit end of the block has continued its movements to " danger." When a
train enters the block from the left hand end of the block, the circuits will be just
the reverse to that just described, which reverse arrangement is shown in Fig. 3..
Should trains enter both ends of the block at or near the same time the battery C
would be short circuited from both ends of the block and the relays of the semaphore
at both ends of the block would be cut out of circuit, thus all the circuits would
be opened and the signals at both ends of the block would fall to danger. The same
effect would be produced if either the track or the main semaphore circuits be broken
accidentally or otherwise.
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. The combination with the tracks of a railroad block, of a closed electrical

page_text: circuit including said tracks and a relay at each end of said block, a main normally
closed circuit through both semaphores and a battery, a normally open cautionary
circuit through each semaphore, and circuit shifters for automatically shifting
said battery out of the main circuit into a cautionary circuit, substantially as set
forth.
"
2. The combination with the tracks of a railroad block, of a closed electrical circuit
including said tracks and a relay at each end of said block, a main normally closed
circuit through both semaphores and a battery, a normally open cautionary circuit,
through each semaphore including a contact plate in each semaphore and a pivoted
lever in each semaphore, said levers being held normally out of contact with said
contact plate by the armature levers of the relays, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the tracks of a railroad block, one of which is divided at
a point between its ends, a battery having its poles connected at the inner ends of
the divided track, and a relay at each end of the block included in the track circuit,
of a main normally closed circuit through both semaphores and a battery, a normally
open cautionary circuit through each semaphore, and circuit shifters adapted to be
controlled by the relays, for automatically shifting said battery out of the main circuit
into the cautionary circuit, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the tracks of a railroad block, and a semaphore at each
end thereof, each semaphore being provided with a main magnet, a cautionary
magnet, and a relay, of a normally closed circuit including the track, a battery, and
both relay magnets, a normally closed circuit including a battery, the relay levers
and main semaphore magnets, two normally open circuits including the cautionary
magnets, and shifting devices for shifting the current from the last mentioned
battery to the circuits including the cautionary magnets, one at a time, substantially
as set forth.
Dated the och 1
1900
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, Agents to Applicants.