US893053A - Safety device. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JULY 14, 1.908, ITT.

' E. J. GLARKB' & P. DEW

SAFETY DEVIGE. A'PPLIOATION FILED JULY 1e, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. PATENTED JULY 14, 1908. E. J. CLARKE & P. DEWITT.

SAFETY. DEVICE. A-PPLIOATION FILED JULY 16, 1907.

a SHEETS-SHEET a.

,v w w q vwankozs ratusor app the ea UNITED STATES PATENT orrron."

EDWARD J CLARKE AND PHILIP DEWITT, OF SGRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY DEVICE. 1

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .Tuly 14, 1903.

Application filed July 16, 1907. Serial No. 384,058.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be'it known that we, EDWARD J. CLARKE and I'HILIP Dnwrr'r, citizens of the United- States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania,

have invented certain newand useful Imrovements in Safet Devices, of which the ollowin is a 'speci cation, reference being had to t e accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to improvements in automatic safety a pliances for railways, and more articulary to-the one, set forth in Patent 0. 845,727, granted to us February 26, 1907.

a The principal object of the resent invention is to im rove and 'simplil y such appaiances and render them more durable, reliable and economical in operation. w

, Another object of the invention is to provide in a fluid pressure safety ap liance of this character which applies the rakes by opening the 'train pipe' of the -air brake system, means whereby the pressure in the train pipe will be only slightly reduced when the systemto be quickly restored to its normal condition so that the brakes may be released and the .train started in a much shorter time than if the pressure in the train ipe wasentirely-reduced'.

A urther object of the invention is to provide asafety appliance of this character which may be set. to obtain the .-service,

the '-emergency, or other application of the air brakes, and which is so arranged that when it is set to obtain any other application of the air brakes except the emergency a plication, the latter will be obtained when t e' engineers. brake valve is operated to produce a further reduction of pressure in the train pipe.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consistsin the combination of devices and'the novel features of construction hereinafter described and clalmed, and illustrated in the accompanylng drawings,

. -in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of ourimproved safety apparatus; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section: through the main operating cylinder; Fig. 3 is a section through the pressure reducing valve; Figs. '4 and ,5 are lever which is pivoted at 2 and ety appliance is operated, thus enabling sectional views taken in planes at right angles, through the double cook or valve; Fig. 6 is .a sectional view through the controlling valve; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through the throttle lever; Fig. 8 is a detail view of the trip device, and Fig. 9 is a detail view of a modified form of the invention'.

- The present embodiment of our invention is especially designed for use upon a steam locomotive and is ada ted to automatically jsto the train by closing the throttle valve an actuating the air brakes,'when the train passes a signal set to indicate danger or a switch that is lmproperly set or whenever it is desired to stop the train at a certain point either regularly 'or in case of emergency.

In the drawings 1 denotes the throttle connected to the throttle valve asat 3. Thislever is adapted to be locked to a rack segment 4 by a spring ressed dog or pawl 5 mounted upon the from engagement from the rack in. the usual manner by a rod 6 connected to a hand piece on the free end of the lever.

The throttle lever is adapted to be unlocked and actuated in a directibn to close the throttle -by the movement of a piston 7 in the main operating cylinder 8. The rod 9 of said piston passes through a suitable stuffing box in one end of the cylinder and is ivotally connected to one end of a rod or lin 10 having at its other end a wedge shaped head or dog 11. The rod 10 and its head rollers 12, 13 arranged upon the throttle lever.

or ivot while the ivot or axle of the other 'rol er 13 is carried y a sliding bar 14 which is attached to the locking dog or' pawl 5,,"as

for the purpose of clearly shown in Fig. 7. I

Fluid under pressure actuating the piston 7 may be admitted into the cylinder 8 from any suitable source but we preferably employ compressed air and take it from the air brake system, as shown in the drawings. The inlet pipe 15 for the cylinder preferably leads from the pipe 16 between the main reservoir 17 and the enever and adapted to be retracted The roller 12 has a stationary axle 11 are'adapted to work between two gineers brake valve 18 of'the air brake system. This inlet or supply pipe 15 has arranged in it a controlling valve 19-.preferably 35 inder 34' is provided in the form'of a rotary plug valve, as more clearly shown in Fig. 6. The casing of the valve has a small relief or discharge ort 20 and the rotary body or plug of the Va ve has 5 a main transverse ort 21 adapted to co-act with the bore of tl ie casin and a small radially arranged port 22. T hese ports 20, 21,

22 are so arranged that when the valve is in its normal position, shown in Fig.- 6, the branch of the pipe leading from the pipe or conductor .16 is closed while the other branch leading from'the cylinder 8 is in communication with the atmosphere through the ports 22,21, 20. The valve 19 has upon its 15 outer end a lever 23 which upon a s lidable operating rod or element 24. The inlet ipe 15 leads to the forward end of the cylin er 8 and at the point where it connects with .the same itais provided with two branches 25', 26 in the latter of which is arranged a check 'valve 27 the urpose of which will be presently explained At the opposite or rear end of the cylinder 8 is arranged a small needle valve 29 adapted to 25 cushion the movement of the piston 7 and also a pipe or conductor 30 having two branches 31, 32 similar to the'branches 25, 2601? the pipe 15. In thebranch 32 is arranged a check valve 33, the' urpos'e of 30 which will presently appear. T e pipe 30 has its other end in communication'with a cylinder 34 eontainin a piston 35 having its red 36 connected to aTiracket or arm 37 upon the operating'rod or element 24. This cylfor the purpose ofresetting or returning the controlling valve 19 to its normal position, as hereinafter described. Y

In order to notify the engineer or other attendants of the train that there is danger and that the a paratus has'been operated we provide an alarm device preferably in the form of a whistle 38 of ordinary construction and arrange it upon the cylinder 8 in communication with its forward end so that it will be operated when the com ressed air enters said cylinder through the in ct pipe 15.

Themovementof the piston serves to successively unlock the throttle lever and move it in a direction to close the throttle valve, but also to apply the air brakes, the latter being accomplished in the following manne A conductor or pipe 39 is arranged between the train pipe 40 of the air brake system and a pressure reducing valve 41, and a double valve orcock 42 is arranged tocontrol the passage of com pressed air through the two pipes or conductors 16,

3!). The valve 42, as clearly shown in Figs.

4 and 5comprises a casing 43 having a coin trally' arranged valve seat 44 for a rotary plug 45 and two transverse passages or ports q 46, 47 which. intersect the valve seat or bore 44 in planes at right angles to each other.

1 The ends of the is loosely pivoted 7 not only.

passage or port 46 are connected to the branches of the pipe 39 and the two ends of the port or assage 47 are connected to the two brancies of the pipe 16. The valve plug or body 45 is formed with two transverse ports 48', 49 the former of which is adapted to eo-act with the passage 46 and the latter of which with the passage 47. The ports 48, 49 are arranged in. the same transverse plane so that when the port 49 alines with the passage 47, the port 48 is out of alinement with the passage 46 and vice 'versa, hence it will be seen that when the hand lever 50 attached'to the valve plug 45 is turned through an arc of 90 the )lpes 16, 39 'will be alternately o ened and closed. he normal position of tie body 45 of the double valve 42 is such that the pipe 16 is open so that the main reservoir is in communlcation with the engineers brake valve and the pipe 39 is closed in order to maintain the usual pressure of seventy pounds in the train Ipipe 40. The valve handle 50 is connected y'a chain or other flexible element 51 to the rod 9 of the piston 7 so that when the latter is actuated the double valve 42 will be moved to close the pipe 16 and open the pipe 3.), the latter permitting the air in the train pipe 40 to exhaust through the pressure regulator 41 which may be set to close when the pressure in the train pipe has been reduced to any desired extent. The flexible chain or connection 51 also permits the resetting of the iston 7, without returning the handle of the ouble valve or cock 42, which latter operation would release the brakes owing to the feed of air through the engineers brake valve 18, unless the latter was set at a point other than where it should he, namely, running.

While any suitable form of pressure regulating or reducing valve may be employed at the outlet end of the pipe 39 we preferably use the one illustratedin Fig. 3 of the drawings. This device comprises a cylindrical casing 52 having at one end an inlet 53 and an outlet 54 with a valve seat 55 arranged about the latter and adapted to receive a valve 56 on the stem 57 of which is arranged a piston or plunger 58 to slide in the cylinder 52. The upper portion of the stem of the valve 56 slides through an adjusting nut 59 arranged in a threaded opening in one end or head of the cylinder 52 and adapted to have its inner end engage a washer 60 arranged on one end of a coil spring 61 which surrounds the valve stem and has its other end engaged with the washer 62 which bears upon the plunger 58. it Wlll be seen that when the pipe 39 is opened the air from the train pipe enters the cylinder 52 through the inlet 53, and forces the piston 58 in the direction to unseat the valve 57 and permit of the escape of the air through the outlet 54. When the pressure has been suiliciently reduced the spring 61 closes the valve 57 so thatthe pressure in the train pipe will be maintained in such reduced state.

While the pressure reducer or regulator is i usually set to close when the ressure is about extent. It will be noted that the provision of this pressure regulator or reducer prevents the air in the train pipe from being entirely exhausted from the same, and hence enables the air brake, system to be more quickly re-' stored to its normal condition so that the brakes may be released and the train started ina very short time after the apparatus has been actuated to stop the train. While the operating rod or element 24 may be actuated by any suitable means we preferably employ that shown'i'n thedrawing, said means comprising a suitable trip 63 arranged upon'the track or road bed and adapted to contact a swinging dog 64 carried by the locomotive and in the form of a lever pivoted at 65 adjacent to one of its ends so that its long end will swing downwardly and maintain it normally in a vertical position Rollers are arranged at the opposite ends of .the leveror dog 64 and the upper one is adapted to support a latch 66 pivotally connected to one end of a weighted lever or crank arm 67 arranged on a rock shaft 68 to which latter is also connect:

ed a lever or crank arm 69 that connects with the operating rod or element 24. When the parts of this operating device are in their normal position, the do 64 supports the latch 66 and the latter hol s the weighted lever 67' elevated, and as the train passes the trip 63 the latter strikes the dog 64\ and swings it from beneath the latch 66 so that the weight.- ed lever 67 drops and swings the rock shaft 68 and the lever 69.

the controlling valve 19 to admit air into the cylinder 8. 1

The preferred form of the trip device 63 is shown in Fig. 8 and comprises a base 70 adapted to be arrangedupon the road bed centrally between the tracks and having arranged above it two trip levers or arms 71 72. The latter have their pivots arranged for a sliding movement in slots or openings 73 in the base andthey are each actuated by coil springs 74 arranged upon their pivots.

These levers are connected as at 75 and are actuated by a link or rod 76 having-a slotted lower end to receive a pin upon a crank arm 77 the shaft or pivot of which latter is journaled upon the base 70. A second crank a rm 7 8 is arranged upon the shaft or pivot of tiigr-rauk 77 and isconneeted by a link 79 to a bell'erank 80. This'bell crank is also connevted at 81 to a switch point 82. When the The movement of the latter actuates the rod 24 which in turn opens I switch is in its proper position, the trip levers 1 are held down in an inoperative position, that is out of the path of the dog 64 on the locomotive or train, but when the switch is improperly set, the parts of the device will assume the position shown .in Fig. 1 and one of the trip levers will engage and actuate the dog 64 to set in operation the apparatus upon the locomotive: By constructing the trip de vice in this manner and providing the springs 74 it will'beseen that should the connectionbetween the switch or other device and the trip levers break the latter will be moved by said springs to their operative position. The springs further serves to reduce the shock and strain upon the levers when they are struck by the dog or any other part of a rapidly moving train. It will be' understood that the trip device instead of being connected to a switch, as shown in Fig.1, may be connected to a semaphore or other signaling device, a drawbridge or the like.

The operation and advantages ofthe invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the following brief statement. Assuming, the parts of the apparatus to be in the normal position, and t e locomotive to be moving in ,the direction of the arrow in said fi ure, it

will be seen that when the 'dog 64 stri es the trip 63 it will release the latch 65 and the weighted lever will dro and rock the shaft- 68 which through the ever 69 will actuate the operating rod or element 24 in a downward direction. The rod 24 opens the valve 19 and the air from the pipe 16 enters the cylinder 8 and forces the' piston 7 from the 'front to the rear end of the cylinder. As said piston is actuated the wedge 11 on the rod or link 10 se arates the rollers 12, 13 and hence retracts t e dog 5 from the rack 4 to unlock the throttle lever and then swings said lever inga direction to close the throttle valve. Said movement of the piston also causes the flexible element 5-1 to swing the lever 50 of the double valve 42Iso that the' pressure in the train pipe 40 a is released through the pressure regulator 41 for the purpose of applying the air brakes. When the'com ressed' air is admitted into the cylinder 8 tliewhistle or signal 33 is also sounded tonotify the engineer or others of the operation of the ap aratus. When the piston 7 reaches the end of its stroke the compressed air enters the branch '32 of the pipe 30, passes through the check valve 33 and then passes from the pipe 30 into the c linder 34 to actuate its piston 35 and hence t 10 operating rod 24 whlch latter it restores to its normal position to close the controlling valve 19 and to restore the parts 64,66, 67 ol' the a paratus to their normal positions 'As t e valve 19 is closed the supply of compressed therefore,

air is cut off and the pressure of that contained in the cylinder 34 will return the piston 7 to its original position. Said air in the *ylinder 34 expands through the pipe 30 and its branch 31 into the piston 8 and then es capes from the latter through the branch 26 the check valve 27'and the pipe 15 to the valve 19 from which latter it escapes through the port 20. Thus it will be seen that all of the parts of the apparatus excepting the valve 42 will be automatically,returned to their normal positions. The valve 42 is restored to its normal position by hand, whereupon all parts of the a paratus will be in their normal positions and ready for automatic operation. The reason for not returning the double valve 42 to its normal osition automatically is that when that is (one the air brakes are released owing to the passage of air through the engineers brake valve; and it will be readily seen that should the air brakes be automatically released while the train is on a grade or in any other dangerous osition there would be more or less likelil0()(l of a collision or other accident. I refer to control the double valve 42 manuall y. reducing or regulating valve may be set to obtain the service, emer ency or other application of the air bra y es, but I preferably set it to secure theservice app ication since there is always more or less danger attending the emergency application-and because the latter ap )lication Wlll be secured when the engineer s brake valve is operated to produce a further reduction of pressure in the train pi )c. It will be further noted that the use of this appliance npon'the train does not interfere in any way with thc'ordinary operation of the air-brakc system.

()ur improved safety appliance may be used upon an electric ocomotive or-car by substitutinglor the throttle lever and its coacting parts, an electric switch St) arralwed in the motive )oser circuit. 81 and suitably connected .to tie piston-rod 9, as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings. The circuit breaker 81 is here shown in'the form of a knife switch having its levcr connected by a chain or flexible element 82 to the piston rod 9. But, it will be understood that any other circuit breaker and operating connections may be substituted.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

I. In an automatic train controlling apparatus, the combination with the train pipe of the'air brake system and a pressure reducing means, of a valve for controlling'con1- mnnication between said train pipe and said pressure reducing means, means for conmotivepower, and a single,

trolling 'thc fluid-pressure operating means for simultancously actuating said valve and said As above stated the pressure means for controlling the motive power, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic train controlling apparatus, the combination with the train pipe of the air brake system and a pressure rcducing means, of a valve for controlling communication between saidtrain pipe and said pressure reducin means, a throttle lever, a fluid pressure cylinder, a piston therein, an operative connection between said valve and said piston and an operative connection between said piston and said throttle lever, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic train controlling apparatus, the combination with the train pipe of the air brake system. and a pressure reducing means, of a valve for controlling the communication between said train pipe aml said pressure reducing means, means for controlling the motive power and means actuated by the last mentioned means for actuating said valve, substantially as described.

4. In an automatic train controllim apparatus, the combination of the train pipe of the air brake system, a pressure regulator, the throttle lever, a lock for the latter, means for controlling said look, a valve for controlling communicationbetween the train ipe and the pressure regulator and means fbr-operating said lock controlling means, said throttle lever and said valve, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic train controlling apparatns, the combination of the train pi pe of the'air brake system, a pressure regulator, the throttle lever, a lock for the latter, means for controlling said lock, a valve for controlling eommunlcatimis between the train pipe and the pressure regulator and llnid rcssure means for actuating said lock contrdlling means, said throttle lever and said valve, substantially as described.

6. In an automatic train controlling apparatus, the combination of the train pipe of the air brake system, a pressure regulator, a valve for the latter, means for successively releasing said lock and actuating said lever to cut oll the motive power, a cylinder, a piston theren in and connected to said valve and said meansfor operating the throttle lcvc and its lock and means for admitting fluid under pressure into said cylinder, substantially as described.

7. In an automatic train controlling apparatus, the combination of the train pipeol' the air brake system, a pressure regulator, a valve for .controlling communication between the two, the throttle lever, a lock for the latter, .mcans for successively releasing said lock-and actuating said lever to cut oil the motive power. means for actuating said valve and said lcvcri and lock operating means, and means for resetting the last mencontrolling communication between the'two, the throttle lover, a lock for pipe and the pressure re I pipe of the air .tor, a rotary va ve in said ca two transverse ports or openings arranged in :the casing, fluid pressure cylinder, a piston therein and a" tioned operating means, substantially as described. t p

8. In an automatic train controlling apparatus, the combination of the train pipe of the air brake system, a pressure regulator, a valve for controlling communication be tween the two, the throttle lever, a lockfor the latter, means for successively releasing said lock and actuating said lever to cut ofl the motive power, a fluid pressure means for operating said valve and said lever and lock operatin means, a valve for admitting a fluid un er pressure into said fluid pressure operatingmeans, means for actuating the last mentioned valve and means for returning the last mentioned valve to its normal position, substantially as described.

9 In an automatic train controlling apparatus, the combination with the engineers brake valve, the main reservoir and the train pipe of the air brake system, of a pressure regulator, a double rotary plug valve arranged between the main reservoir and the englneers brake valve and between the train ulator and fluid pressure operating means or'actuating said plug valve.

10. In an automatic train controllingaparatus, the combination with the engineers rake valve, the main reservoir and the train pipe of the air brake system, of; a pressure regulator, a double rotary plug valve arranged between the mainreservoir and the engineers brake valve and between the train pipe and the )ressure regulator, a crank for rotating-said p ug valve, a fluid )ressure cylinder, a piston therein and a flexi le connection between the rod of said piston and the crank of the valve.

11. In an automatic train controlling aparatus, the combination with the engineers lirakc valve, the main reservoir and the train brake system, of a pressure regulator, a valve casing having two sets of opposing ports arranged. .in different planes, the ports of one set being connected to" the main reservoir and the engineers brake valve and the ports of the other set being connected to the train ipe and the pressure regulasing and having different planes to co-act with the ports in a crank upon said rotary valve, a

connection between the rod of said piston and said crank, substantially as described.

12. In an automatic train controlling aparatus, the combination with the engineers iirake valve, the main reservoir and the train e of the air brake system, of a pressure regulator a valve for simultaneously closing communication betwcer'i the enginecflsbrake valve and the main reservoir and opening communication between the train pipe and 55 the pressure regulator, motive power con trolling means, and fluid ressure operatin means for simultaneous y operating sai valve and said motive power controlling means, substantially as described.

13. In an automatic train controlling apparatus, the combination with the engineers rake valve, the main reservoir and the train.

pipe of the air brake system, of a ressure regulator, a valve for simultaneously closing communication between the engineers brake valve and the main reservoir and opening communication between the train pipe and the pressure regulator, a crank for operating said valve, the throttle lever, a lock for the latter, a fluid pressure operatin means, a flexible connection between the atter and the crank ofsaid valve, and means for sue cessively unlockin and actuating the throttle lever connecte to said fluid pressure operatin means, substantially as described.

14. n an automatic train controlling apparatus, the combination with means for con trolling the motive power and the air brakes, of a fluid pressure operating means for the same comprising a cy inder, a piston therein, a fluid inlet conductor having two branches opening into-one end of said cylinder a check valve in one of said branches, a valve for controlling the passage of fluid through said con- I ductor, an operating element for said valve, a second cylinder, a piston therein connected to said operating element, -a conductor between said second cylinder and theopposite end of the first mentioned one, the last mentioned conductor having two branches opening into the-first mentioned cylinder and a check valve in one of said branches, substantially as described.

15. A trip device of the character described comprising a base, toggle levers arranged above the same, .a hinge connecting one of said levers to the-base, a spring for ele vating said hinged lever, a crank sha t a slotted link connecting the latter to the hinged connection between said toggle levers, and means for actuating said crank, substantially as described.

16. In an automatic train controlling apparatus, the combination ofv means for controlling the air brake system, valve controlling communication between the train pipe and said pres'sure regulator,

the motive power, the train ipe ofa pressure regu ator, a

and means for simultaneously actuating said valve and the controlling means for the mo tive power, substantially as described 17. In an automatic train controlling ap-J aratus, the combination with the en 'ineers rake valve, themain reservoir and t e train pipe of the air brake system, of a pressure regulator, a valve for controlling communication between the main reservoir and the engineers brake valve and between the train pipe and the pressure regulator, means for automatically operating 'said valve to open communication between the train pipe and the pressure regulator and to close communication between the main reservoir and the engineers brake valve, and. means for automatically resetting said operating means, said valve being ada ted to manually reset, {substantially as enc l for the purpose set V ort 1.

i In testimony wliereol we llmcunlo ailix our signatures in the J' !s011('0 01' twu witl0 nesses.

EDWA Rl J. OllAlx h. It. PHILIP DEWITL. Witnesses:

GEO. W. BUGKNAM, OTTO C. EPP.

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