Signals and for similar Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Signals and for similar Purposes.
We, ALBERT ELIPHALET MITCHELL of 247 Division Street, Paterson, New Jersey
and WILLIAM NORTON STEVENS, of 175 Park Place, Brooklyn, New York, both in the
United States of America, Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS in COMPENSATORS FOR THE OPERATING WIRES OF RAILWAY
SIGNALS AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES 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 our invention is to provide a compensator for double wires that will
be positive in its action at all times, and which, in case of the rupture of either wire,
will permit the signal to go at once to danger.
In the drawings, Fig. I is a side elevation of our improved compensator, attached
to a signal post. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4 is a diagram
showing the signal, the operating lever, and the compensator, the latter being
connected to the ends of the wires at the signal post. Fig. 5 is a similar view,
showing the compensator attached to the ends of the wires near the operating lever.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.
A is a plate of iron, or other material, provided with guide rollers a a, which run
on the tracks B B. These tracks are rigidly secured to the signal post C by means of
the angle bars 6 b, and braces b¹ b'. D is a bar rigidly bolted to the plate A; and
from the upper end of said bar a chain d leads over a pulley E, mounted on a
standard F, bolted to a base support, and to the tracks B B. A suitable weight X is
attached to the chain d to maintain the desired tension upon the operating wires.
Secured to the plate A, are two pins or journals g and h, on which are mounted
respectively the T-crank G and bell crank H. A strap I connects the arms 2, 2, of
the cranks G and H, whereby they are given joint movement. Fastened to the end
of each arm I of said cranks and moving with them, is a journal J, each projecting

page_text: through the plate A, which is cut away as shown. The journals carry a bar K,
which, when the cranks are turned on the pins gh, moves vertically, up or down, but
which will always remain parallel to the line of centres of the pins gh; and, inasmuch
as the cranks are mounted on the plate A, and move with it, the bar K will also move
with said plate. L is a bar moving vertically in fixed guides secured to the signal
post. The bar L is provided with friction rollers which engage with the bar K,
so that when the bar K rises or falls the bar L will move with it. The bar Lis
connected at its upper end to the signal rod L.
Each
At the outer ends of the arms 2 and 3 of the T-crank G, are secured two
posts M M and near the ends of these posts grooves m are cut into each of which the
safety attachment N fits freely, without being allowed much lateral motion.
end of the safety attachment N has notches n as shown, of such depth that the centre of
the ring or wire resting in any of said notches will be in front of the centres of the
posts M M, thus holding the safety attachment securely in place, and preventing it
from tilting by tension of the wires. The distance between the centres of any pair of
notches should be sufficient, in case of a rupture of either wire to cause the safety
attachment to rotate about the post M nearest the unbroken wire until this latter wire
disengages from the safety attachment, or the safety attachment disengages from the
T-crank, in either of which cases the signal will at once go to danger and the
weight X will pull the compensator towards it until the bar K. is released from
the bar L.
00' are the operating wires, and P is the operating lever.
From the foregoing it will be seen that a constant tension will be maintained on the
wires irrespective of their contraction or expansion. For as the wires expand the
weight X will draw the plate A, and the mechanism mounted thereon towards it and
thus take up the expansion; and in case of contraction the plate A will be moved by
the wires away from the weight, the latter being lifted.
The bar K is of such a length that the extreme movement of the plate A, and
consequently the plate K, by the expansion or contraction of the wires will not be
sufficient to move it out of contact with the friction rolls on the vertical bar L. As.
the bar K constantly preserves its parallelism to the line through the centres g
and h,
it will be seen that it is immaterial what point in its length is in contact with the
friction rolls on the bar L, and that its longitudinal movement in nowise interferes
with the proper working of the bar I, and the signal.
Referring to Fig. 4, which shows all the parts in position when the signal is at
danger, in order to change the signal to safety the lever P is pulled in the direction
of the arrow,
thus causing the wire O to draw the upper end of the safety attachment
towards the lever the wire O' and the lower end of the safety attachment at the same
time moving in an opposite direction, whereby cranks G and H are made to turn on
the pins g and h, lifting the horizontal bar Kand consequently the vertical bar L. The
position of the signal is thus changed to safety, as shown in dotted lines in said
Figure.
In Fig. 5, the compensator is shown attached to the ends of the wires O O' near the
operating lever. In this Figure, the parts are in the position occupied when the
signal is set at safety. To change the signal to danger, the lever P must be pulled in
the direction of the arrow. This will lift the bar L, and with it the bar K, thus
causing the cranks G and H to turn on the pins g and h, and so pull the wire O
towards the compensator and thereby move the T-crank R on the signal post. The
signal is thus set to danger as shown in dotted lines.
While we have specially illustrated and described our compensator as applied to
wires for operating a railway signal, it is equally applicable wherever a positive and
constant movement must be made at some distance from the operator, through the
medium of wires connecting the movable object with a motor.
We do not limit ourselves to the exact mechanical devices shown for imparting
motion to any of the parts, as they may be varied in many ways by a skilled mechanic
without departing from the essentials of our invention.

page_text: 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 two movable bodies located at a distance from each other,
and wires for transmitting motion from one to the other, of a plate sliding on ways,"
mechanism mounted on said plate and to which the wires are connected so as to move
simultaneously therewith, a weight attached to the sliding plate, and a horizontal bar
connecting the mechanism on the plate with one of the movable bodies, and adapted
to have a movement in a direction at a right angle to, and simultaneously with the
movement of the wires, substantially as specified.
2. In a compensator, a bar L capable only of end reciprocating movement, a plate
having end reciprocating movement in a plane at a right angle to the movement of
the bar L, combined with connected cranks pivoted in said plate, to one of which
cranks the operating wires are attached, and a bar K carried by said cranks and
engaging with the bar L, substantially as set forth.
3. In a compensator, a bar L capable only of end reciprocating movement, a plate
having end reciprocating movement in a plane at a right angle to that of the bar L, a
bar K carried by said plate and engaging said bar L by a sliding connection, and
means, also carried by said plate, for giving movement to said bar K, substantially as
set forth.
4. In a compensator, a bar L capable only of vertical reciprocal movement, a
plate A, sliding on ways and capable only of horizontal reciprocating movement,
combined with the connected cranks G and H pivoted to said plate, a bar K carried
by said cranks and engaging the bar L by a sliding connection, and the safety
attachment N mounted on one of the cranks and to which the operating wires are
attached, substantially as set forth.
5. The plate A having end reciprocating movement in tracks B, and carrying the
connected cranks G and H, bar K and safety attachment N, combined with the
wires 0 0¹, bar ), chain d, pulley E, and weight X, substantially as set forth.
6. In a compensator, the plate A and crank G having the grooved posts M, combined
with the safety attachment Ñ, substantially as set forth.
7. In a compensator, the crank G and grooved posts M, combined with the safety
attachment N having the notches n in front of the centre of the said posts M, sub-
stantially as set forth.
8. In a compensator, a sliding plate, a T-crank pivoted on said plate, posts attached
to the ends of said T-crank, said posts having grooves, combined with a safety attach-
ment which rests in said grooves, and to which the operating wires are attached, and
a weight connected to said sliding plate, substantially as set forth.
Dated this fith dow of Danaiban 130
ALBERT ELIPHALET MITCHELL.
WILLIAM NORTON STEVENS.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicants.