US277569A - Railway telegraphic signal - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

B. M. HUNTER.

RAILWAY TELBGRAPHIG SIGNAL.

No. 277,569. Patented May 15,1883.

- UNITED- STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

tUDOLPH M. HUNTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAlLWAY TELEGRAPH'IC SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,569, dated May 15, 18183.

Application filed October 16, 1882.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an improvement in Telegraphic Signals for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to electric signal and telegraphic devices for railways; and it consists in providing the road-bed of the railway with contact or circuit-closing blocks an ranged at uniform intervals and electrically connected together by a line-circuit, at either end of which is a line-battery arranged to oppose or counterbalance each other; further, in providingthe locomotive or car with a contact-shoe which is electrically connected with the ground, the said shoe being adapted to discharge the balanced circuit when it comes in contact with a circuit-closing block; further, iii'providing the stations along the lineeircuit with registering devices, which register the number of escapements of electricity from the line due to the action of 'the moving shoe and stationary blocks, and in details of construction, all of which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accom panyingdra wings, which form part thereof.

The patent to Goodwin, No. 150,150, dated April28, 1874, shows a closed circuitlilte any ordinary telegraphic circuit, and his cars open the circuit, but do not telegraph messages over it. From the nature of hisco-nstruction the electric current is always passing, and when not used is going to waste. Now, with my circuit there is no passage of current until the circuit is grounded between the two linebatteries 5 hence there is no waste. \Vhen Goodwin signals his circuit is open, while when I signal my circuit is closed.

The object of l r invention is to provide railroads with suita e automatic registering devices, whereby the tation-Inaster may know theexact location of the train, and whetherit is stopped or running, and at what speed itis traveling; also, that, if desired, an operator in the train may telegraph to the station, or vice versa, either when the train is at rest or moving.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a railroad and locomotive O is the locomotive or car, and is provided with a metallic shoe, 1), provided with a. wearingpiece, D, secured thereon by bolts d, both ends of said shoe being preferably curved up, as at (1 This shoe is pivoted to the locomotive at d, and may be provided with a spring, E, to force it down toward the track, and an adjustingrod,F,to limit its downward motion.

Secured upon the ties B, and preferably be tween the rails, are contact-blocks P, arranged, say, half a mile apart. They may be arranged closer or farther apart, if desired, as it isimmaterial so long as their separation isuniform'. These contacts may be constructed as shown in Fig. 4, in which a cast-iron bed-plat H, is secured to the ties by bolts or nails H, and are provided with flanges, h, made dovetailed to hold the insulating-bock G, which may be provided with projection g, and over which tits the contact metallic piece P, made curved on each end, as atp. The top of piece P is provided with a depression or recess, 1), into which the head of bolt I rests, the boltpassing through the said piece and insulator-block to hold them together. loosely into a depression, h, in the bed-plate H. If desired, the nut of bolt I may be up in Fig. 3 is an en The nut of said bolt fits depression 1), so as to allow easy removal of 8 with the ground,it should be insulated. Each 5 end of the main-line circuit K is provided with a battery, L, so arranged that they countec balance and render neutral their effects.

X are stations, and are provided with any suitable recordiug-instrument, M, in circuit TOO with the main line K, so that upon every pul sation of the electric current which passes through the line the recorder will automatically record the fact. If desired, a relay, N, may be arranged in the line at the stations, which may control the usual local circuit, 0, in which a sounder, R, is located, and may be operated by a key, S, when the shoeD is resting on a contact-block, P, and, if desired, the current which passes through the shoe may be directed through correspondingtelegraphic instruments in the cab of engine or car, and then put to ground by wheels. By this means telegraphic communications could be had 'should an accident occur.

The operation is as follows: The effects of the batteriesLbeingcounterbalanced,thetrain is made to move in either direction, and as it passes over the contact-blocks P the shoe D completes the double circuit through the engine or car-wheels to ground, this causing a discharge from both batteries to line, and ind ucingallof therecordiug-instruments M to record the fa'ct, and as every discharge indicates the passage of the train over a contact-block, the number of discharges multiplied into the distance the contacts are apart will give the distance the train is from the station in its rear. By this means it is easy to ascertain the exactlocation of the train, to know whether it is moving or at rest, and to enable an operator to carry on telegraphic communications with the stations should an accident make it necessary.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a railway with contact-blocks arranged along the same and at equal distances apart, a main-line circuit-wire in circuit with said contact-blocks and a linebatteryateach end of same, said batteries being arranged with similar poles to line, and means attached to a car or locomotive and arranged to strike said contacts and ground the linewire between the batteries, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of a railway with con- I tact-blocks arranged along the same and at equal distances apart, a line-wire provided on each end with'a line-battery having similar poles to line and in circuit with said contactblocks, recording devices arranged in said linecircuit and at the stations, and means attached to the locomotive or car to strike said contact-blocks and ground the line-circuit between said batteries, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a railway with contact-blocks arranged along the same and at equal distances apart, a line-wire provided on each end with a line-battery having similar poles to line and in circuit with said contactblocks, recording devices, arranged in said linecircuit, telegraphic apparatus also arranged in train, and meansattached to the locomotive or line-circuit through the telegraphic apparatus and at a point between said line-batteries,-substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. Thecombinationot'rails A,contact-blocks P, linewire K, wires k, batteries L L, recording-instruments M, locomotive or car 0, and

tially as and for the purpose specified.

5. Thecombination of rails A,contact-blocks P, line-wire K, wires 7.", batteries L L, recording -instruments M, locomotive 0, shoe 1), spring E, and adjusting-link F, or its equivalent, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. ThecombinationofrailsA,contact blocks P, insulating-blocks Gr, line-wire K, wires 7;, batteries L L, recording-iustruments M, locomotive O, shoeD,having wearing-piece D, and means to electrically connect said shoe with the ground, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

. In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER.

Witnesses:

1%. S. CHILD, Jr., R. A. GAVIN.

said line-circuit and at the stations and on the car to strike the contact-blocks and ground the shoe 1), in circuit with the ground, substan-

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