US1700019A - Cab signal - Google Patents

Description

Jan.

C. E. BLANKENSHIP Filed Feb. 17, 1928 3 1 53 IIIIIII- 11 CAB S I GNAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 22, 1929; I 1,700,019

c E. BLANKENSHIP v 0 CAB SIGNAL Filed Feb. 17, 1928 :s Sheets-Sheet 2 II// I ATTOR N EY Jail. 22, 1929.

C. E. BLANKENSHIP GAB SIGNAL Filed Feb. 17, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

UNITED. STATES" CASPER E. BLANKEINSHIP, OF WILLIAMSON, WEST VIRGINIA.

CAB SIGNAL.

Application filed February 17, 1928. Serial No. 255,120.

The general object ofthis invention is to provide means for applying the brakes of a train, sounding an alarm and actuating a signal in the cab when the front wheels of a locomotive leave the rails, thereby stopping the train and notifying the engineer that the wheels have left the rails.

Another object of the invention is toso form the major portion of the device that it can be placed on the pilot frame of the locomotive so that the connection between said major portion and the axle of the pilot wheels I is comparatively short.

A still further object of the invention is to so arrange the parts that the alarm is sounded by the air escaping from the main air line.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the parts that some of the air in the main air line is utilized to hold the device in inoperative position and to provide a hand operated valve for closing the air line after it has been opened by the operation of the device.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout-the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a view showing the invention installed on the front part of a locomotive.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front view showing how the device is connected with parts of the locomotive.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the major part of the device.

Figure 4 is a plan View with parts in section.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of F igure 3.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a section on line 77 of Figure 4, but showing the relief valve open and the piston retracted.

Figure 8 is a sectional View showing the parts in operative position with the air draining from the air line.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit to the cab signal.

Figure 10 is a view of the axle engaging member with the ring member thereon.

Figure 11 is a section on line 1111 of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a view partly in section, showing the connection between the cable and the rod carried by the ring member.

In these views, 1 indicates a cylinder which is mounted on a base 2 placed on the pilot frame of a locomotive and 3 indicates a piston in said cylinder, the rod 4 of which extends through a packing gland at the front end of the cylinder. A slide valve 5 is arranged in a guideway 6 formed in a Wall of the cylinder, said valve controlling the inlet port 7 of the cylinder which is connected by a valve casing 8 with the air line 9 of the frame, said casing 8 containing a valve 10 provided with a handlell so that the valve can be operated by hand to open or close the connection between the cylinder and the air line. The stem 12 of the valve 5 is connected, with the piston rod 4 by the arms 13 and 14 so that the valve is caused to move with the piston. WVhen the valve 5 is in closed position, the piston 3 is also in a position covering the port 7, butwhen the piston is moved for wa-rdly, the valve also moves forwardly and thus the air in the line 9 will pass into the rear part of the cylinder and will escape therefrom through the pipe 15 to which is attached a whistle 16 and thus the 'whistle will be operated by the air escaping from tne air line.

A switch block 17 is slidably mounted in the guideways 18 attached to the cylinder and a rod 19 connects theblock with the arm a 14 so that the blockis reciprocated by the movement of the piston. A long contact strip 20 is arranged in the guideways so that it will always be in engagement with the switch block and a short strip 21 is arranged on the opposite side of the guideways so that it will be engaged by the switch block when the block. moves forwardly a certain distance, it being understood that these parts are suitably insulated from the'other parts, A circuit A, including a battery B and a signal S, is connected with the two strips so that when the switch block moves forwardly and engages the short strip 21, the circuit will be completed and the signal operated, the signal being arranged in the cab of the locomotive.

A cable 22 has one end connected with theouter end of the piston rod and said cable is wound around a drum 23 supported by the brackets 24 on the pilot frame and the other end of the cable is connected to an elongated link 25 which receives an elongated link 26 on the upper end of a rod 27 which has its lower end connected with a two-part ring 27 which is seated for rotary movement in a groove in a two-part ring 28 which encircles the axle of the pilot wheels of the locomotive. A double hook member 29 is carried by the upper end of the rod 27 and a pair of springs 30 have their lower ends connected with the two hooks ofsaid member and their upper ends connected to a part of the pilot frame. A part of the cable may be connected with the drum, as shown at 3 The springs 30 tend to holdthe .rod in its upward position and the two links 25 and 26 permit the rod 27 to move with the axle, due to irregularities in the track, without affecting the cable.

Abrancli pipe 82 connects the air line 9, be low the valve casing 8, with the forward end of the cylinder, so that some: of theair from said line will-enter the cylinder and act to hold the piston in its rearward position covering the port 7, it being, of course, understood that the valve 5 is also held in a position covering thepor't. A relief valve 33 is also connected with the forward end of the cylinder, with its piston 34 normally covering the ports 35 in the valve casing, due to the action of the spring 86 in said casing, this spring being strong enough toprevent the air line pressure from moving the piston 3a rearwardly to uncover the ports 35.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the parts are normally in a position with the port 7 cl0sed,so that air cannot escapefrom the air line through the cylinder, but if the pilot wheels should leave the rails; the cable. would be pulled downwardly by the lowering of the pilot wheel a de and thus the pull of the cable would pull the piston 3 and the valve 5 forwardly, thus uncovering the port 7, so that the air in the air line would escape through tlie cylinder, the pipe 15 and the whistle, thus applying the brakes of the train and sounding the alarm. At the same time, the circuit A would be closed by the switch block 17'' Gon tactin'g with the strip 21 so that the signal in the cab would be lighted and thus notify the engineer that the wlieelshave left the track. Thus it will be seen that the train will be stopped by the application of the brakes and the whistle sounded and the signal in the cab lighted.

By providing the hand operated valve IO, the air line can be closed to build up the air therein to remove the brakes after the device has operated to drain the line and apply the brakes.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that I may make changes in the construtcion and in the combination and arrangementof the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

. l/Vhat I claim is 1. In combination with a train, a signal in the cab of the locomotive thereof, a. second signal and means connected with the axles of the pilotcwlreels of the locomotive for aetuating the cab signal and for causing the air in the air line of the train to drain through the second signalai id sound the same when the pilot wheels leave the track.

'2. In combination with a: train, a cylinder carried by the pilot of the locomotive thereof, said cylinder having a port therein, means for connecting the port with the air line of the train',a piston in the cylinder, a valve for controlling the' port, means for connecting the valve with the piston rod, said valve and piston normally covering the port, a whistle connected with the cylinder and means connecting the piston rod with the axle of the pilot wheels of the locomotive so that when the wheels leave the track, the piston and valve will move forwardly to permit the air in the air line to pass through the whistle to apply the brakes and operate the Whistle.

3. In combination with a train, a cylinder carried by the pilot of thelocomotivethereof, said cylinder having a port therein, means for connecting the port with the air line of the train, a. piston in the cylinder, a valve for controlling the port, means for connecting the valve with the piston rod, said valve and piston normally covering the port, a Whistle connected with the cylinder, means connecting the piston rod with the axle of the pilot wheels of the locomotive so that when the wheels-leave the track, the piston and valve will move forwardly top'erlnit the air inthe airline to pass through the whistle to apply the brakes and operate the whistle, a signal in the cab, a circuit for the same and means operated by the forward movement of the piston rod for closing the circuit.

4. In combination with a train, a cylinder on the pilot frame thereof,sa'id cylinder having a port therein, means for connecting the port with the air line of the" train, a valve for cont-rolling the port, a piston in the cylinder normally covering the-port, a piston rod connected with the piston and passing" through the forward end of the cylinder, a stem connected with the valve, means for connecting the stem with the piston rod, a switch member connected with the piston rod, a circuit including signal in the cab, terminals for the circuit bridged by theswitch' member when the piston rod moves forwardly, a cable connected with the piston rod, a drum rotatably supported 011 the pilot frame and around which the cable is wound, a rod,means for loosely connecting the upper end of the rod with the cable, means for connecting the rod with a part of the axle of the pilot wheels, a whistle connected with the rear end of the cylinder, the cable moving the piston, the valve and the switch member forwardly when the pilot wheels leave the track to drain the air line and apply the brakes and sound the whistle by the air from the train line and enclosing the circuit of the signal in the cab.

5. In combination with a train, a cylinder on the pilot frame thereof, said cylinder having a port therein, means for connecting the port with the air line of the train, a valve for controlling the port, a piston in the cylinder normally covering the port, a piston rod connected with the piston and passing through the forward end of the cylinder, a stem connected with the valve, means for connecting the stem with the piston rod, a switch member connected with the piston rod, a circuit including a signal in the cab, terminals for the circuit bridged by the switch member when the piston rod moves forwardly, a cable connected with the piston rod, a drum rotatably supported on the pilot frame and around which the cable is wound, a rod, means for loosely connecting the upper end of the rod with the cable, means for connecting the rod with a part of the axle of the pilot wheels, a whistle connected with the rear end of the cylinder, the cable moving the piston, the valve and the switch member forwardly when the pilot wheels leave the track to drain the air line and apply the brakes and sound the whistle by the air from the train line and enclosing the circuit of the signal in the cab, and a hand operated valve for closing the air line after it has been drained by the opening of the port.

6. In combination with a train, a cylinder on the pilot frame thereof, said cylinder having a port therein, means for connecting the port with the air line of the train, a valve for controlling the port, a piston in the cylinder normally covering the port, a piston rod connected with the piston and passing through the forward end of the cylinder, a stem connected with the valve, means for connecting the stem with the piston rod, a switch member connected with the piston rod, a circuit including a signal in the cab, terminals for the circuit bridged by the switch member when the piston rod moves forwardly, a cable connected with the piston rod, a drum rotatably supported on the pilot frame and around which the cable is wound, a rod, means for loosely connecting the upper end of the rod with the cable, means for connecting the rod with a part of the aXle of the pilot wheels, a whistle connected with the rear end of the cylinder, the cable moving the piston, the valve and the switch member forwardly when the pilot wheels leave the track to drain the air line and apply the brakes and sound the whistle by the air from the train line and enclosing the circuit of the signal in the cab, a hand operated valve for closing the air line after it has been drained by the opening of the port, a branch connecting the air line with the forward end of the cylinder and a relief valve connected with the forward end of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature.

CASPER E. BLANKENSHIP.

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