US1374936A - Danger-signal for railway-cars - Google Patents

Description

D. H. MCGOGY.

DANGER SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY CARSv APPLICATIQN F-|LED.ocT. 3, 1919.

1,374,936. Patented Apr. 19, 1921..

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DANGER SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLxcATroN FILED ocT. 3, 1919.

1,374,936. Patented Apr. 19, 1

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DONALD H. MGGOGY, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

DANGER-SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

' Application filed October 3, 1919.

To all whom t may concern:

Be 1t known that l, DONALD l-l. McGocr, a citizen of theA United States, residing at Portland, in the county of li/lultnomah andy State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Danger- Signals for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toV an improved danger signal for railway cars, being par ticularly designed for use upon street cars.

The invention has as one of its principal objects to provide a signal whereby a pedestrian having alighted from a car headed in onel direction will be effectively warned against passing behind the car in front of a car moving in the opposite direction.

The invention has as a further object to provide a signal which will be under control of the motorman so that the signal will be actuated only when another car is approaching from the opposite direction and danger is actually present.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a signal employinga signal obstruction which may be moved to active position projecting from the rear of the car, wherein a display warning signal will also be provided, and wherein an audible signal will further be employed, the display signal and audiblesignal beingbrought into use coincidentwith the projection of the signaling obstruction so that the possibility of a pedestrian passing in therear of the car in front of a car approaching in the opposite direction will be reduced to a minimum.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter z In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a conventional type of street car equipped with my improved car signal,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, parts being broken away and shown in section, this view showing the signaling ob struction extended to active position,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the visible signal employed,

Fig. 4f is a rear elevationof the signal,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the control valve employed for actuating the signal as well as the locking mechanism for said valve, and

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the valve and associated parts.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

Serial No. 328,236.

w Referring now more particularly to the drawings, l have, in order that the construction, mounting and operation of my improved signal may be accurately understood, shown the signal in connection with a conventional type of street car 10 having the usual air storage tank l1. The car is further provided at each' end with a control box, one of which is indicated at 12 and, as 1s usual, a control handle 13 is provided for selective use in connection with each boX.

Coming now more particularly to the subject of the present invention it should be initially stated that one of my improved signals is employed at each end of the car. However, since the signals are, of course, identical and operated in a similar manner, a signal at one end of the car only will be described in detail. An upright housing 14 is employed. This housing may be formed of sheet metal or other approved material and is suitably secured to the adjacent end of the car. As particularly brought out in Fig. 3, the housing is open at its rear edge and the side walls are formed with reduced lower end portions the free margins of which are, throughout the major portion of their length iiared laterally outward. Projectible from the housing is an extensible arm 15 of the lazy tong type. The crossed elements of this arm at the inner end thereof are pivotally connected at their points of intersection by a pivot bolt or other suitable fastening device 1G which extends through an arcuate slot 17 formed in the inner side wall of the housing. Securing one of such elements at its inner end to said side wall is a pivot bolt or other suitable fastening device 18 while the other of said elements carries, at its inner end, a stud or bolt 19 freely received through a vertical slot 2O in the inner side wall of the housing, In this connection it will, of course, be understood that the slot 17 is struck on an arcconcentric to the pivot bolt 18. suitably connected to the arm 15 is a plurality of streamers or other approved flexible elements 21 depending from the arm and forming in connection therewith a signaling obstruction. At their lower ends the streamers preferably carry suitable warning plates.

Secured to the inner side wall of the housing 14 in alinement with the slot 20 is an air cylinder 22 .in which is mounted to re- J will readily enter the housing.

ciprocate a piston 23 having a piston rod 24 extending through the upper end of the cylinder and suitably connected to the stud 19. Surrounding the piston rod above the piston head is a retracting spring 25 for the piston and as will now-` be understood in view of the preceding description, this spring will normally act to orce the piston downwardly within the cylinder for shifting the stud 19 downwardly within the slot 20 to accordingly retract the arm 15 with its streamers 21 within the housing, the flared portions of the side walls being provided so that the Jfree ends of the streamers On the other hand, when air is admitted into the cylinder 22 below the piston, the piston will be forced upwardly for projecting the arm 15 and moving the signaling obstruction to active position extending in the rear of tho car.

ln connection with the signaling obstruction I provide a display signal which includes a casing 26 suitably secured to the rear of the car adjacent the lower end of the housing 14. This casing is provided with inner and outer lront panes 27. The inner pane may be translucent and preferably bears the words Danger*llyes Right. The outer pane may be transparent. Suitably mounted upon the top of the casing is a spring actuated curtain roller 28 carrying a curtain 29 movable between the panes` Secured at one end toi the free end of the curtain is a cord or other suitable flexible element 30 which is, as particularly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, passed around suitable pulleys and is connected at its opposite end to the stud 19. Thus, when this stud is shifted upwardly for projecting the signaling obstruction, the curtain will be released to be taken up by the roller 28 so that the signal sign carried by the innermost od' the panes 27 will be exposed to view. 0n the other hand, when the signaling obstruction is retracted and the stud 19 is shifted downwardly, the curtain will. be drawn down between the panes 27 for obscuring the signal sign. Mounted within the display signal casing is an electric lamp conventionally shown at 31. This lamp ,may be included in the usual lighting circuit of the car so that at night the signal sign may be illuminatcd.

l further employ in connection with the signaling obstruction and display signal, an audible signal as conventionally shown at 32. This audible signal may be of any approved type such, for instance, as a whistle and is operated in a suitable manner by air coincident with the actuation of the signaling obstruction and the uncovering of the signal sign. As best shown in Fig. 2, the audible signal is preferably secured to the bottom wall of the display signal casing 26 but may, of course, be mounted at any other approved point.

Mounted adjacent each of the control boxes 12 at opposite ends or" the car is, as particularly shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a valve casing 33 in which is rotatably itted a valve plug 34 provided at its outer end with a suitable socket in which is removably engaged the inner endola foot lever 35. The plug 34 is formed with a stem 36 upon the outer end of which is removably lixed a collar 37. Connected at one end to this collar is a spring 38 surrounding the stem and connected at its opposite end to the valve casing, the spring acting to return and normally hold the valve plug in closed position. rlhe valve casing is provided with suitable inlet and outlet ports and communicating with the inlet port is a pipe 39 leading from the storage tank 11 of the car while a pipe 4() is in communication with the outlet port of the casing and is connected to a train line signal pipe 41 suitably mounted beneath the car. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, the valve plug is provided with a passage 42 adapted t0 establish communication between the inlet and outlet ports and is further provided with a passage 43 in com munication with the passage 42 and adapted to register with avent passage 44 through the casing. lnterposed in the pipe 41 is a three-way valve 45 and leading from this valve is a pipe 46 communicating with the air cylinder 22, a suitable branch pipe being employed between the pipe 46 and the audible signal 32 for supplying air to said signal. The pipe 41 is provided so that a car may be coupled in a train when the pipes 1 of thecars of the train will all be suitably connected. Under such contingency, it will be seen that all of the valves 45 of the several cars may, with the exception of the valve at the rear ot the rearmost car, be closed, so that only the signal at the rear of the train will` be operated when air is admitted. to the pipe 41 at the front of the train. Furthermore7 by employing the valve 45 the signal at the liront of a car, when only one car is being used, may be cut oil'.

Mounted in spaced relation to the control valve oi the signal is, as particularly shown in Fig. 5, a bracket 47 provided at its upper end with a lug 48 and slidable through this lug is a locking rod 49 carried by suitable guides connected to the adjacent end of the car. Journaled through the bracket 4'? and secured to the valve stem 36 is an extension rod 50 and fixed upon this rod is a segment 51 with which the lower end of the locking rod 49 is arranged to cooperate, the rod normally riding upon the upper edge of the segment and being engageable in a notch 52 Jformed therein for locking the control valve open. As will be seen, when the foot lever 35 is depressed for opening the control valve the rod i9 will drop intor the notch 52 when the control valve will be held open until the rod is againl raised. Fivotally mountedr upon the control box l2 at its upper end is a cam lever 53. adapted to coperate at one end with the handle 13 and beingpivotally connectedat its opposite end to theupper end of the rod 49, Thus, when the handle 13 yis swung for starting the car, the free yend of the cam lever will ibe depressed by ysaid handle for elevating the locking rod e9 and accordingly releasing the control valve, the spring Stlien immediately acting to close the valve.

It is believed, ,in view of the precedingl description, that the operation of my improved signal will be readily 'understood Since it is necessary to operate'only the signal at the rear of thecar, the three-way valve l5 at the front of the car is adjusted accordingly. As previously explained, the signaling obstruction of the signal at the rear of the car will normally be retracted while `the display signal will also be obscured. Consequently, after a car headed in one direction is stopped and the motorman of the car sees another car coming from the opposite direction, he may press the foot lever of the control valve at the front of the car when air will be admitted from the supply tank: 1l through the valve and through the pipes 40, ll and 46, to the air cylinder 22. rilhe signaling obstruction will then, as also previously described, be immediately projected to active position while the signal sign will be exposed to view. Furthermore, the audible signal will also be sounded. As will be seen, the possibilitiy of a pedestrian passing around the rear end of the car at rest in front of the car approaching` from the opposite direction, will be reduced to a minimum. Should the pedestrian attempt to go around the signaling obstruction, such pedestrian will then be a suilicient distance from the rear of the car as to be in view of the motorman of the car approaching. `When the motorman depresses the foot lever 35 of the forward control valve the locking rod 49 associated with said valve will immediately function, as previously described, for locking the valve open, so that the signal at the rear of the car will be maintained active until the motorman swings his control box handle for releasing` the Valve when the signal will be immediately rendered inactive. By this arrangement it will be seen that a signal will be given only when danger is actually present. To prevent unauthorized actuation of the control valve, the Jfoot lever may simply be removed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A signal of the character described including in combination with a railway car and control element therefor, an extensible signaling obstruction carried by the car,

means for retracting said obstruction, fluid pressure operated means for extending said obstructicn, a valve for controlling flow" of-` `li pressure to such means, means for locking the valve' open, andymeans operable by' and control element therefor, an extensiblev `signaling obstruction, a signal sign, fluidA pressure,operated means for extending said obstruction and'exposing the sign, means for retracting the obstruction and obscuring 'thek sign, a valvecontrollingl flow of fluidv pressure to saidv first mentioned means, means for lockingsaid valve open, andmea'ns operable bysaid controlelement for 'releasing' said locking means and freeing the'valve. 'l

I 3. Asignal of the character described including a housing, an arm carried by the housing and extensible therefrom, streamers carried by the arm and forming in `connection therewith a. signaling obstruction normally collapsed within the housing, and means for extending said obstruction from the housing.

, 4. A signal of the character described including an extensible signaling obstruction, a casing, a signal sign carried by the casing, a curtain for obscuring said sign, means normally tending to retract the curtain for exposing the sign, fluid pressure operated means for projecting said obstruction and freeing the curtain to expose the sign, and means for retracting the obstruction and moving the curtain to obscure the sign.

5. A signal of the character described including an extensible signaling obstruction normally retracted, 'Huid pressure operated means for extending said obstruction, a valve controlling the flow of fluid pressure to said means and including a valve plug spring pressed to closed position, an extension rod engaged with the plug, a segment carried by said rod, and a locking rod enacting with the segment and movable into locking engagement therewith for locking the valve open.

6. A signal of the character described including in combination withfa railway car and control element therefor, an extensible signaling obstruction normally retracted, Huid pressure operated means for extending said obstruction, a valve controlling flow of fluid pressure to said means and including a valve plug spring pressed to closed position, an extension rod engaged with the plug, asegment carried by said rod, a locking rod gravitating to coact with the segment for lockingthe valve open, and a cam lever engaged with the locking rod and adapted to coact with said element to be shifted thereby when the element is moved for starting the car wherebyv the locking rod will be raised and the valve plug released for movement to close the valve.

7. A signal of the character described including a lineally extensible arm formed of crossed pivotally connected members, ay fluid pressure operated piston connected tothe inner end of one of said members for ex tending the arm, andy yieldable means associated with said'piston for retracting the arm.

8. In a signal of the character described, the combination ofa lineally extensible arm, streamers carried by the arm and forming in connection therewith a signaling obstruction, a casing normally supporting the arm and said streamers housed therein, and meansfor extending the obstruction from the casing. e

9. A signal ofthe character described including in combination with a railway car and control element therefor, an extensible signaling obstructiennormally retracted, fluid pressure operated means for extending said obstruction, a normally closed Valye controlling flow of fluid pressure vto said means, means for locking the valve open, and means operable by said element for releasing the valve. y

l0. A signal of the character described including in combination ywith a railway ear and power control element therefor, signaling means upon the ear normally disposed in inactive position, means for shifting said means to active position, means cony trolling the second means, and means operable by said element and coacting with the third means whereby when the element is moved the signaling means will be returned 40 to inactiye position.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

DONALD H. MCGOGY.

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