Improvements in or relating to signalling or indicating apparatus

Description

PATENT SPE CIFICATION

Application Date': Oct. 7, 1919. No. 24,423/19.

Complete Accepted: Jan. 7, 1921.

COMPLE TE SPECIFICATION.

ERRATUM.

156,331 SPECIFICATION No. 156,331.

Page 2, line 65, aci.dl "Patent Nos. 139,255, 144,370, 145,219 and 145,220."

PATEINT OFFICE, Mr?.16th, 1921.

conitact dlevice on thei track, a. fresh operation ef said circu,.it closer by an impact or contact device being required for each.

30]epetitionl of said sequence of inovemients of the drivingr mechanism, the conibiniation with the circuait closer of a mechlaniciallys-operating. buat electrically releastirl lock,. to hold it, mechanically andl 335 irrespective of any flow of. electric current, cl1osed thriough,.louit the said sequence of.

movements o-f t11e driving Mechanism, and a swtcioperated by the. (rivilig lnechaiiisil at thie ecad of. each sai(1 sequencee of moenasto releAse the, said lock. Thu-ls if is, Plisuicid thiat the operatng (ii(. i for the iiic giclai will rmin(iixl closed mithi the (lesilrod sequence of iiloveniieniis [Price 11-1 (59,850). (G2310. 125. 3/21. Gp.164. A.EWY.

Invention tliere is proviueu a eiJi or indicating apparatus (for eanpl a station indicaqtor) step-bys-step peatn mechanism comprising in comibination (a4) an electrical contact makder adapted to be mechanically moved into position 75 agist mechanicawthi alfreo close the operating circuit of the ste]?-bystep mechanism by the passage of a vehicle past a memiber onl the, track (fcc example, a. stop which co-operates with a, spring-balanced lever to operate the,onltact m]akler), (b) a miecb aniica,,lly-olpelatiin, but ce ectrically released lock to miainltainl the conltact maker mnccli anicahlv inl such circuit- & c.losing, position iiitil the- desired step in PATENT SPECIFICATION

Application Date. Oct. 7, 1919. No. 24,423/19, 156331 Complete Accepted: Jan. 7, 1927.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.

Improvements in or relating to Signalling or Indicating Apparatus.

I, PAUL HIENRY WALLER, of 41, Wilson Iload, Camberwell, London, S.E. 5, Engineer, do. hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: -

This invention is for improvements in or relating to signalling 'or indicating apparatus such as station indicators, and has for one of its objects to provide a construction of niechanism which can be' cheaply installed and which will be efficient in its working.

According to one feature of the present invention there is provided in signalling or indicating apparatus (for example a station indicator) of the type comprising an electrical drivingo mechanism for the signalling or indicating device, which driving mechanism operates by carrying through a specified sequence of movements which it can repeat as often as required, and a circuit c] oser for such driving mechanism operated by a member on a vehicle engaging with a ramp for other impact or contact device on the track, a fresh operation 'of said circuit closer by an impact or contact device being required for each repetition of said sequence of movements of the driving mechanism, the combination with the circuit closer of a mechanically-operating but electrically released lock to hold it, mechanically and irrespective of anv flow of electric current, closed tlhrougblouit the said seqsaence of movements of the driving mechanism, and a switch operated by the' driving mechanism at the end of each said sequence of movements to release the said lock. Thus il is ensured that the operating circuit for the driving mechanism will remain closed until the desired sequence of movements [Price li-] has beqn carried through by the' driving mechanism. By having the lock 45 mechanically-operating, this desired result is obtained with certainty. If electrical means were employed to maintain the circuit closer in position, as has been proposed, both with a special and 50 independent circuit employed for that purpose which circuit is completed before the said circuit closer moves into circuitclosing position, and with an electromagnet included in the circuit of the f5 driving mechanism which latter is adapted to operate for a constant determinate period of times at each operation and is arranged to' unlock a mechanical lock for the circuit closer thro'ugh said magnet 60 before the cvele of operations of the driving mechanism is completed and to' maintain the circuit closer in circuitclosing position by said magnet until said cycle is completed, the efficiency of the 65 system will be entirely destroyed if the current maintaining the' circuit closer in circuit-closing position should fail.

According to another feature of- the invention there is provided a signalling 70 or indicating apparatus (for example a station indicator) step-by-step operating mechanism comprising in combination:(a) an electrical contact maker adapted to be mechanically moved into position 75 against mechanical withdrawal force to close the operating circuit of the step-bystep mechanism by the passage of a vehicle past a member on the track (for example a stop which co-operates with a 80 spring-balanced lever to operate the contact maker), (b) a mechanically-operating but electrically released lock to' maintain the contact maker mechanically in such circuitclosiig position until the desired step in 156,331 its operation has been imparted to the step-by-step mechanism, and (c) means automatically operated by the step-by-step mechanism at the completion of each step in its operation to operate the said electrical release and permit the mechanical withdrawal of the contact maker from circuit-closing position.

Other features of the invention relate to the provision of means for enabling the apparatus to operate for either direction of travel of the vehicle, and for permitting temporary reversals in the direction of travel to take place without destroying the correctness of the signals or other indications given by the apparatus.

For a more complete understanding of the invention there-will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings certain constructional forms of mechanism according to the present invention.

It is to be understood, however, that. the invention is not limited to, the precise constructional details enumerated.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of certain parts of the mechanism according to the invention, together with certain electrical circuits therefor.

Figure 2 is an illustration, on a scale larger than that of Figure 1, of certain parts of the mechanism some only of which parts are illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view, on a scale larger than - that of Figure 1, illustrating a modification of the apparatus which will operate for either direction of travel of the vehicle. - Figure 4 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrow 44 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view corresponding somewhat to -Figure 2 but showing the apparatus modified to permit temporary reversals in the direction of travel to occur without destroying the correctness of the signals or other indications given by the apparatus. - - Figure 6 is an end view of the parts shown in Figure 5 showing them in one of the positions which they occupy, and Figure 7 is a view- corresponding to Figure 6 showing the parts in another position which they occupy. Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

The mechanism may be used in connecB0 tion with various types of_ signalling and indicating apparatus but is particularly applicable to the station indicators illustrated in my prior Patent Specifications iNos. 1023 ot 1919, 5618 of 1919, 12,294 of 1919 and 12,295 of 1919. 65 Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an operating shaft of a step-by-step mechanism for driving the apparatus is irndicated at 1 and this is provided with a toothed driving wheel Z which may, if 70 desired, be prevented from return movement by a pawl, not illustrated. It will be understood that any convenient type of signalling or indicating apparatus can be operatively attached to the shaft 1 to 75 be driven thereby.

The shaft 1 is intended to receive a partial rotation whenever a vehicle passes a station. For this purpose! the track over which the vehicle runs is provided 80 with a stationary stop 3 so placed as to be struck by one end of a. lever 4 carried by the vehicle. In Figure 2 the arrow 5 illustrates the direction of travel of the vehicle. The lever 4 is pivoted at 6 and 85 is slotted at 7 to receive a pin 8 on a bar 9. This bar 9 is mounted to slide in suitable guides 10, 11 and is provided with collars 12, 13 and springs 14, 15 appropriated respectively to the collars 90 12 and 13. The springs 14 and 15 each bear at one end against a collar and at the other end against a stationary abutment such as the guides 10, 11 and by this means the bar 9 and consequently 95 the lever 4 are resiliently pressed towards a median position. It. will be appreciated, however, that longitudinal movement of the bar 9 and consequential rotational movement of the lever 4 will 100 be permitted, one or other of the springs 14, 15 being compressed during such movement.

The end of the lever 4 which is remote from the stop 3 is adapted to engage the 105 end of a bar 16 which serves as a contact maker and circuit closer for the operating circuit of the step by step mechanism as will now be described. The bar 16 is mounted to slide in guides 17 and is provided with a. collar 18 between which and 110 one of the guides. 17 is mounted a spring 19 which tends to withdraw the bar 16 from circuit-cilosing position. The contact with which the end of the bar 16 engages to. complete the circuit is indicated at 20 in Figure 1, and to retain the bar 16 in its circuit-closing position it is slotted at 21 to receive, the end 22 of a.

pivoted catch 23 to which is attached a rod 24 pressed by a. spring 25 in the 120 direction to tend to force the end 22 of the catch 23 into the slot 21 in the bar 16. The rod 24 constitutes the core, of an 156,331 electromagnet 26 which when energised moves the rod 24 against the pressure of the spring 25 in the direction to release the catch 23 from engagement with the bar 16.

The operating circuit for the step by step mechanism comprises a battery or other source of current 27 whereof one lead 28 is connected to the bar 16 and the other lead 29 is connected to the coil of an electromagnet for operating the step-bv-step mechanism, and proceeds thence to the contact piece 20. Thus it will be seen that when the, bar 16 makes contact with the contact piece 20 the.

circuit will be closed and the electromagnet included in it, namely the' coil energised. The coil 30 surrounds a core 31 moving in guides 32 and pressed downwards by a spring 33 working in conjunction with a collar 34 on the core 31.

Connected to the end of the core 31 is a pivoted pawl 35 having a tooth 36 which engages the teeth on the wheel 2. When the coil 30 is energised it draws the core 31 upwards against the pressure-of the spring 33 and thus moves the wheel 2 through one step, corresponding to the pitch of its teeth. Then when the operatE0 ing circuit is broken the spring 33 returns the core to its lower position and resets the pawl 35 in position to engage aniother tooth on the wheel 2.

As described above, when the bar 16 moves into circuit-closing position, the catch 23 engages the slot 21 in the bar 16 and locks the latter in circuit-closing position. It is intended that this lock should be released as soon as the desired partial rotation has been imparted to, the wheel 2. Tio effect this release automatically, a sliding contact 37 is provided which co-operates with another contact 38.

The sliding contact 37 moves in guides 39 and is normally pressed downwards by a spring 40 co-operating with a collar 41 on the contact 37. As the core 31 approaches the upward limit of its travel it engages the sliding contact 37 and pushes it against the contact 38. The contact 37 is connected to a lead 42 of a.

source of current, say the battery 27 and the contact 38 is connected to another lead 43 from that source'of current. The lead 43 includes the coil 26 of the electromagnet controlling the, catch 23, thus when the core 31 reaches the' upward limit of its travel it will close the contact 37 upon the contact 38 and energise the coil 26 to withdraw the catch 23 and permit the spring 19 to move the bar 16 out of the position in which it closes the operating circuit of the step by step mechanism. From the foregoing it will be seen that the operating circuit for the 65 step-by-step mechanism will remain closed until the desired step in rotation has been imparted to the wheel 2, when the circuit will be automatically broken by the electrical withdrawal of the locking catch 70 23.

In operation, as the vehicle carrying the lever 4 passes' the stop 3 in the direction of the arrow 5 the latter will move the contact maker 16 into' operative 75 position, in which position it will be retained by the catch 23. The lever 4, however, will under the influence of the springs 14, 15 return to mid-position.

The operation of the step-by-step mechanism and the automatic return of the contact maker 16 to inoperative position have already been described in detail and need not be further explained. By having the lever 4 separate from the contact maker 16 it will be seen that movement of the vehicle in the direction opposite to that of the arrow 5 will not cause operation of thei step-by-step mechanism. 90 The apparatus has been described above as being carried upon the vehicles but it will be appreciated that- this is not essential since the apparatus could be placed adjacent the track and the vehicle 95 carry a member, say something similar to the part 3 above described, to co-operate therewith.

The apparatus described above is only operative for one direction 'of travel of 100 the vehicle. To enable it to be operative for both directions of travel, the shaft 1 may, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, be provided with two oppositely-toothed driving wheels 2 and 45. Co-operating 105 with these wheels 2 and 45 are two sets of operating mechanism whereof only the pawls 35, 36 and 46, 47 and cores 31, 48 are shown. These sets of operating mechanism are similar to' the mechanism 110 already described in connection with Figures 1 and 2 and are appropriated one to one, direction of travel of the vehicle and the other to the opposite/ direction of travel of the' vehicle and are' operative 115 accordingly. They are intended to' be placed with their contact makers one on each side of the lever 4, which latter will not be duplicated, and it will be seen that they are coupled to the' shaft 1 in such 120 manner that one, set of mechanism will drive the shaft in one direction and the other set. will drive it in the opposite direction. Thus when the vehicle is travelling in one direction - thei shaft 1 125 will be rotated in one direction and when 156,331 the vehicle is travelling in the opposite direction the shaft 1 will be rotated in the opposite direction.

Intermediate of the wheels 2 and 45 the shaft 1 is shown provided with a toothed member 49 which participates in the movement of the shaft and with which there co-operates a restraining catch 50 on one end of a spring 51 which at its other end is mounted upon a suitable bracket 52 upon some stationary portion of the apparatus. The catch 50 will co-operate with the toothed member 49 to prevent undesired rotation of the shaft 1 but it will be understood that the catch 50 will be forced out of operative position when either of the pawls 35 and 46 positively rotate the shaft 1.

It is to be understood that the broad idea of a- duplicated operating mechanism is not claimed herein as novel per se.

Instead of duplicating the operating mechanism as just described with reference'to Figures- 3 and 4, an arrangement similar to that shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 can be adopted. This arrangement of apparatus is intended to render the operating mechanism inoperative for one.

step in its operation consequent upon the backward movement of the vehicle past the member on the track and to reset the operating mechanism in operative position or condition consequent upon the next ensuing passage forward of the vehicle past such member on the tra]ck.

In the constructiton; illustrated this is effected by -moving the contact maker 16 out of operative alignment with the lever 4 when the said backward movement of the vehicle takes place, and returning it into operative alignment when the next - ensuing forward movement of the vehicle takes place. F'or this purpose there is provided a slide 53 mounted tot move in guides 54 and slotted or -recessed at 55 to house the lever 4. The proportions of the - slot or recess 55 are such that whein the parts are in the position illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the slide 5.3 will not be moved by displacement of the lever 4 consequent upon contact with the member 3 during travel of the vehicle in the direction indicated by the arrow 5.

The slide 53 is provided with an extension 56 the end of which reaches towards a cam 57 upon the bar 16. This - bar 16 in the construction illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7 is supported in guides 17 in wide slots 58. These slots 58 permit the bar 16 to occupv two; distinct positions, namely as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, in one of which, Figure 6, the bar is in operative alignment with the lever 4, and in the other, Figure 7, the bar is out of operative alignment with the C lever 4. The bar 16 is pressed into operative alignment with the lever 4 by springs 59 and is brought out of this position by engagement between the extension 56 and the cam 57, 7 as illustrated in Figure, 7. Backward movement of the, train will move the lever 4 in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow 5 and cause thei extension 56 to slide upon the cam 57 and press 7 the bar 16 into the position shown in Figure 7. Ensuing forward movement of the vehicle past the stop 3 will move the slide 53 to, bring its extension 56 off the cam 57 and to permit the springs 59 8 to return the bar 16 in alignment with She lever 4 so that at the next forward movement of the lever 4, consequent upon the passage of the vehicle past another stop '3, the bar 16 will be, operated by the 8 lever 4. By this means the, effect of the backward movement of the, vehicle past the stop 3 is cancelled and the eorrect working of the signalling or indicating apparatus is not interfered with. It will 9 be appreciated that the slot.55 will permit normal working of the lever 4 to proceed without operating the slide 53.

Obviously the apparatus' illustrated in Figures -3 and 4 and Figures 5 to 7 may 9 either be' carried upon the' vehicle or be placed adjacent the track as found most desirable.

As has already been stated the invention is not limited to, the' precise mechanical and electrical details shown and described since these may be modified in certain respects. without departing from the spirit and scope' of thei invention.

Having now particularly described and l 0 ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is.: 1. In signalling or indicating iii apparatus (for example a station indicator) of the type' comprising an electrical driving mechanism, for the signalling or indicating device, which driving mechanism op erates by carry- 11 ing through a specified sequence of movements which it can repeat as often as required, and a circuit closer for such driving mechanism operated by a member 'on a vehicle engag- 124 in(g with a ramp or other impact or contact device on the track, a fresh operation of said circuit closer by an impact or contact device being requirced for each repetition of said sequence of movements 122 156,331 of the driving mechanism, the combination with the circuit closer of a mechanically-operating but electrically released lock to hold it, mechanically and irrespective, of any flow of electric current, closed throughout Ithe said sequence of movements of thei driving mechanism, and a switch operated by the driving mechanism at the end of each said sequence of movements to release, the' said lock, for the! purpose) specified.

2. A signalling or indicating apparatus! (for example a station indicator) step-by-step operating mechanism comprising in combination:(a) An electrical contact maker (for example the member 16 carried on a train or other vehicle) adapted to be mechanically moved into position againstl mechanical withadrawaIR force to, close the- operating circuit of the step-by-step mechanism by the passage of a vehicle past a member on the track (for example the stop 3 adapted to engage the spring-balanced lever 4).

(b) A mechanically-operating but electrically released lock (for example 23) to' maintain the contact member mechanically in such circuit-closing 30. position until the desired step in its operation has been imparted to the step-by-step mechanism, and (c) Means (for example 37) automatically operated by the step-by-step mechanism at the completion of each step in its operation to operate the said electrical release and permit the mechanical withdrawal of the contact member from circuit-closing position.

3. A signalling or indicating apparatus comprising in combination a driving member (for example, the shaft 1 with two oppositely-toolthed driving wheels such as 2 and 45 thereon, with or without a movement-restraining device 45 for the shaft such as 50, 51, 52) for the apparatus and two sets of operating mech-