US1088246A - Railway signaling system. - Google Patents

Description

.J B. STRUBLE. RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION nun JULY 24, 1909.

Patented Feb. 24,1914.

l v vlm uzooeo QI imrrnn STATES PATENT oFF oE.

JACOB B. STRUBLE, OF WILKIN SBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AS SIGNOB TO THE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANJ IA.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM. I

- Patented Feb.24, 1914.

Application filed m 24, 1909. Serial No. 509,396.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JACOB B. STRUBLE, a citizen of the United States, 'residing l at Vilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signaling Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates-to automatic block signaling systems and is particularly adapted, though not necessarily limited, to alternating current signaling systems.

a type of relay which is particularly adapted for use in a signaling system embodying my invention is set forthand claimed in my Patent No. 988,955, dated April 4, 1911, which is a division of the present application.

I will describe a'railway signaling system embodying my invention, and then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic representation of a railway having applied thereto a signaling system. embodying my invention.

Referrin to the drawing, A designates a:

portion of a railway track, which portion is divided by any suitable means into block sections X, Y and Z, etc. As here shown,

the division is accomplished oy means of insulations a in both lines of rails, although I do not wish to limit myself. to this particular means. For each block section I provide a signal or signals adapted to indicate danger, caution and here shown, I provide for each section a home signal S and a distant signal S, which signals are controlled by a relay for the corresponding block section in a manner hereinafter. explained.

For each block section I provide a track.

circuit comprising asusual the rails of the block section (or portions of them), a source of signaling current, and a relay M. As here shown the source of signaling current is a ing being connected with a suitable source.

of alternating current and the armature clear as winding being connected with the track rails of the block section. Inthe system illus trated, the field windings of the relays are supplied with current from transformers Q and Q whose primary windings are connected with the signaling mains p and 7')". Each relay should respond only to signaling current in its control of signals, and in the event of propulsion current being also emplojved, the relays may be protected it necessary by suitable apparatus which will prevent their operation, by propulsion current g to control signals.

The armature r of each relay is capable of assuming three controlling positions.

When one or both of the windings of the relay are. deenergized, the armature assumes a middle position and when both of'the windings are energized thearmature moves to an extreme position in one direction or z the other from the middle position, depending on the polarity of the current in the track circuit. Operativelv connected with the winding of armature 1" to be'o-scillated thereby is a contact operating member in the form of a bar 34 which controls two contacts 18 and 21for the control of the circuits of signals S and S respectivel for the corresponding block section. The control of these contacts is such that both contacts are open when the armature is in its middle or denergiz'ed, position; that contact 21 is held closed when the armature moves in one direction from its middle position, andis held open when the armature moves in the other direction from its middle position; and that contact 18 is held closed when the armature moves in either direction from its middle position. y

In the form of relay illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing, the contact 21 is secured directly to/the contact operating member 34, and contact 18 is carried by a member 25 pivoted independently I of the armature and biased to such position transformer Q or Q the secondar of which I that contact 18 is open. This member 23 has two lugs 26 and 27 on opposite sides of its pivotal point, which'lugs are adapted to be engaged by member 34, the arrangement being such that when the armature is in an extreme position in either direction from the middle position, the member 25 is rocked by the engagement of arm 28 with one or the other of the lugs 26 or 27 into position to close conta'ct 18; and when the armature is in its middle position, the member 25 is permitted to rock into position, to open contact 18. "As here shown, the? operating cursignal S is rom the transformer: secondary through wires 11 and 15., signal S, wire 20, contact 21, wires 22 and. 12 to the secondary. As stated hereinbefore, the. direction of movement of the armature 'r of reach relay from its middle position depends on the polarity of the current in the track circuit.

The polarity of each track circuit is con- -trolled by a pole changin device G included in the track circuit an operated by the home signal of the next succeeding block section.

The operation of the signaling system illustrated in the accompanying drawing will now be readily understood. When a car or train enters block section Z, it shortcircuits the signaling current from the an mature 1' of the relay for that block section, causing the--armature to assume its middle position. The circuits'for signals S and S" v of block section Z are thereby opened and thesev signals are placed in danger and caution positions respectively. As the car or train proceeds into block section Y, the home and distant signals S and S for this block section are placed in danger and cantion positions respectively-in a similar manner. The passing of the car or train out of block section -Z allows the armature a" of the relay for that block section to be again energized, and the movement of signal S of block placed in clear section Y to danger position places polechanger G- connected therewith in such position that the armature r of the relay for block section 'Z is moved to the position in which contact 21 is held open. Contact 18 of this relay is however closed, and signal S of block section-Z therefore is placed in clear position and signalS of the same block section remains in the caution position. When the car or train passes out of block section Y, the home signal S of that block section moves to the clear position, op-

erating pole-changer G connected therewith to reverse the polarity of current in the track circuit of block section. Z, thereby causing the armature 1' of the relay for block section Z to move to its opposite position. Contact 21 is then closed, and distant signal S for block section Z is thereby position.

It will be evldent that in the system as thus far described, the movement of the armature 1" of-each relay from one'of its ex- -tween the pole-pieces of a magnet 31. The

treme positions to theother, when the polarity of the current in the track circuit is reversed, would allow contact 18 to open for an instant, thereby openin the circuit of the home signal'controlle by that relay;

and unless auxiliary means were provided,

magnet 31 may be a permanent magnet, or it may be an electro-magnet energized from any suitable source of current. As here shown, it is an electro-ma net, energized from the same transformer 1 or Q which supplies current to the signals of the corre- I spending block section. As is wellunderstood, the movement of the vane 30 through the magnetic field will be resisted owing to the eddy currents induced in the vane by the magnetic flux. I employ this'resistance to the movement of the vane, to retard the movement of the member 25 and contact 18, and to thereby hold these parts in such position that contact 18 remains closed during the short period of time required for the movement of the armature r from one extreme position to the other when the polarity of the track circuit is reversed. By this means I am enabled to hold closed the controlling circuit for the home signal during the reversal of polarity of the track circuit, thereby avoiding the necessity for special apparatus exterior to the track relay for accomplishing this purpose, or the necessity for a signal specially constructed to remain in the clear position during a momentary opening of its controlling circuit.

Although a vform of relay embodying my invention is only diagrammatically illus- 1 5 trated and briefly described in the present application, the specific structure of this relay is illustrated and described and claimed in my Patent No. 988,955 hereinbefore referred to.

A railway signaling system embodying my invention is adapted for use on a railway on which motive power of any character is employed, but it is particularly applicable to an electric railway the track rails of which are included in the circuit for the propulsion current. In the illustrated embodiment of my invention I have shown diagrammatically an electric railway both lines of rails of which are divided by insulation to form block sections, and both of which lines of rails are also included in the circuit for the propulsion current.

Referring to the drawing, P designates a generator of propulsion current, which may be either direct or alternating current. Then the propulsion current is alternating, it differs from the signaling current preferably in frequency.

T is a trolley wire or third rail connected with one pole of the generator P and extending along the railway in a usual and well-known manner. The other pole of the generator P is connected by means of a conductor p'with the middle point of an inductive winding 6 connected across the two rails of the railway. Means must be provided for conducting the propulsion current from the rails of one block section'to the railsof each adjacent block section around the insulations 00, and as here shown, this means comprises inductive bonds 6, b, etc., which bonds are preferably of the type shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 838,916 granted to L. H. Thullen on December 18, 1906. Briefly described, each of these bonds comprises a soft iron core upon which are wound several turns of an electrical conductor. The ends of the winding of each bond are connected with the two rails of a block section adjacent the ends of the block section, and the middle point of the winding of each bond is connected with the middle point of the winding of the adjacent bond by means of a conductor b. It will be evi- V dent that the propulsion current in its passage through the winding of each bond flows in at the ends and out-at the middlepoint, or in at the middle point and out at the, ends, and that therefore if the flow of propulsion current is equal in the two lines, of rails, the iron core of the bond will not be magnetized. Hence the bond will not be inductive to the propulsion current when the propulsion currentis alternating. But since the alternating signaling current tends to flow through the winding of'each bond from end to end, the bonds will be inductive, to this current and will therefor impede the flow of signaling current from one line of rails to the other. Y

Although I have herein illustrated and de-' scribed only onesignalin system embodying my invention, it is un erstood that various modifications and changes may be made in this system without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. e

Having thus described my invention, what I claimis:

1. In combination, a section of railway track, a source of signaling current, means for reversibly connecting said source with the rails of the section; a relay comprising a winding energized from the rails of said section, a contact operatingmember adapted to occupy one position or another according to the polarity of the current supplied to 1 the rails from said source, a contact, means controlled by said member for holding the contact closed when the member occupies either of said positions, and means for holding the contact closed while the member is moving from one of said positions to the other due to reversal of the connection of g said source with the rails; and a signal controlled by said contact. a

2. Inv combination, a section of railway track; a source of alternating signaling current; means for reversibly connecting said source with the rails of the section; a re ay comprising a winding energized from the rails of said section and another winding I energized from said source independently of said rails, a contact operating member adapted to occupy one position or another according to the polarity of the current in the track winding relative to that in the other winding, a contact, means controlled by said member for holding. the contact closed when the-member occupies either of said positions, and means, for holding the contact closed while the member is moving from one ofsaid positions to the other due to a reversalof the connection of said source with the rails; and a signal controlled by said contact.

3. In combination, a section of railway track; a source of signaling current; means for reversibly connecting saidsource with therails of the section; a relay comprising a winding energized from the rails of said section, a contact operating member adapted.

to occupy one position or another according to the polarity of the current supplied to the railsfrom said source, a contact, means controlled by said member for holding the contact closed when the member occupies either of said positions, a magnet, and avane of Y section, a'contact operatingmember adapted i to occupy one position or another according to the polarity of the current supplied to the rails from said source, a contact, means controlled by said member for holding the contact closed when the member occupies either of said positions, an electromagnet whose winding is energized from said source, and a vane of non-magnetic electroconductive material operatively connected with the contact and movable in the field of the magnet for holding the contact closed while the member is moving from one of.

' the rear; a relay for each block section and said contact closed while comprising a Winding energized from the rails of the section, a contact operating member adapted to occupy one position or another according to the polarity of current in the winding, a contact biased to the open position, means controlled by said member for closing said contact when the member occupies either of said ositions, a second contact controlled by said member and closed when the member occupies one only of said positions, and means for holding the first-mentioned contact closed while the member is moving from one of said positions to the other due toa reversahof the connection of the source with the rails of the section; a caution indication circuit for each signal and controlled by the first-mentioned contact of the relay for the corresponding section, and a clear indication circuit for each signal and controlled by the second-mentioned contact of the relay for the corresponding section.

'6; In combination,.a plurality of successive block sections, signals for the sections each adapted to indicate danger, caution and clear, sources of signaling current for the sections, means controlled by the signal for each section for reversibly connecting the source with the rails of the section next in the rear; a relay for each block section and comprising a winding energized from the rails of the section, a contact operating member biased to a middle position and adapted when the said winding is energized to move in one direction or the other from said middle position according to the polarity of current in the winding, acontact biased to the open position, means controlled by said member for closing said contact when the member moves in either direction from the middle position, means for holding the member moves from one extreme position to the other due to a reversal of connection of the source with the rails of the section, a second confact controlled by said member and closed when the member moves in one direction only from the middle position; a caution indication circuit .for each signal and consource with the rails of the section next in the rear; a relay for each block section and comprising an armature energlzed from the rails of the section and biased to a middle position and adapted when energized to move in one direction or the other from said middle position according to the polarity of the current in the rails, a contact biased to the open position, means interposed between the armature and the contact for closing the contact when the armature moves in either direction from said middle position, means for holding said cont-act closed while the armature moves from one extreme position to the other due to a reversal of connection of the source with the rails, a second contact controlled by said armature and closed when the armature moves in one direction only from said middle position; a caution indication circuit for each signal and controlled by the first-mentioned contact of the relay for the corresponding section, and a clear indication circuit for each signal and controlled by the second-mentioned contact of i the relay for the corresponding section.

8. In combination, a plurality of successive block sections of a railway track, signals for the sections. each adapted to indicate danger, caution and clear, a source of alternating signaling current, means controlled by the signal for each section for reversibly connecting said source with the rails of the section next in the rear; a relay for each section comprising a field energized from the said source, and an armature energized from the rails of the section, said armature being biased o a middle position and adapted to move in one direction or the other from said middle position according to the polarity of the current in the armature. relative to that in the field, a contact biased to the open position, means interposed between the armature and the contact for closing the contact when the armature moves in either direction from its middle position,

means for holding said contact closed while' controlled by the first-mentioned contact of the relay for the corresponding block section and a clear indication circuit for each signal and controlled by the second-mentioned contact of the relay for the corresponding section. v

9. In combination, a section of railway track; a source of alternating signaling current; means for reversibly connecting said source with the rails of the section; a relay comprising a winding energized from the rails of the section, a contact operating member adapted to occupy one position or another according to the connection of the source with the rails, a contact means controlled by said member for closing the contact, when the member occupies either of said positions, an electromagnet whose winding is energized from said source, and a vane of non-magnetic electro-conductive material operatively connected with the contact and movable in the field of the magnet for holding the contact closed while the member is moving from one of said positions to the other due to a reversal of the connection of the said source with the rails; and a signal controlled by said contact.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribed witnesses.

JACOB B. STRUBLE.

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