WILLIAM ROBINSON A.M.; L £/ M.E.. Original Inventor and Patentee of the Robinson Automatic :Electrlc and i^lectro-Pneumatic Signal Systems for Railroads, As now installed by the Union Switch and Signal Company and the Hall Signal Company, under the fraudulent pseudonyms, respectively, of the ' ‘Westinghouse Electro-Pneumatic Block Signal System,” and the ‘‘Hall Signal System.” t) History of Automatic Electric and Electrically Controlled Fluid Pressure Signal Systems for Railroads BY WILLIAM ROBINSON, A. M. ; E. & M. E. Inventor of the Automatic Systems now in general use on the leading rail- roads in the United States and Foreign countries ILLUSTRATED. ANNOUNCEMENT. AN A ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE NEW ROBINSON ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM, FOLLOWED BY BRIEF HISTORY OF AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SIGNALING IN THE UNITED STATES, WILL BE FOUND ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES. 1906 CRIST, SCOTT & PARSHALL, Cooperstown, N. Y. PREFACE. Signal engineers and others have found it almost iinpossihle to get authentic information or to find correct-historical data on toe subject of Automatic Electric Railroad Signaling in the United States, and it is found that even men high up in tlie signal companies are equally without authentic information on the subject. The reason for this anomalous condition is that the heads of these signal companies are systematically supressing tlm facts of history and putting ont the signal systems fraudulently under their own ]>seudonyms for the ]mfpose of appropriating to them- s(‘lves credit and reputation beldhging not to them but to an- other. For the same purpose the technical journals have been hooded with s]3urious literature and advertisements by these unscrupu- lous burglars of other men’s reputations. To illustrate: the Union Switch and Signal Company, of which George Westing- honse is President, puts out an automatic signal system under the ])seiidonym of the ‘ AVestinghouse Automatic Electro-Pneu- matic Block Signal System,” although the records show that George Westinghouse'^never invented an automatic signal sys- tem of any kind controlled by moving trains and never contri- Imted anything whatever, as an inventor, to advance the art of such automatic signaling, also tliat the system imt out under his pseudonym, as above, was invented and specifically ])atented by the author, in foreign countries, more than thirty years ago, all of which will be demonstrated hereinafter. To further illustrate: The Hall Signal Com])anv, another i)i- I'ate craft sailing under the l)lack flag in search of annoying reputations which it may destroy with impunity in order to sul)- stitute its own tarnished name and fame therefor, is putting out an automatic signal system, invented and patented many vears 5 /k 54089 ■ ago by the author, under the spurious designation of the “Hall Signal System.” In a suit in which the Hall Signal Company was defendant, Counsel for that company, in a most eloquent plea before the Court of Appeals says of this system “Defendant's operation is, in every part and parcel, on every foot of every section, and over every signal, a Robinson operation, pure and simple. * * * Every characteristic Robinson feature is retained. Every sig- nal taken by itself is a pure Robinson signal. The whole taken together is a mere assemblage of Robinson signals.” (A more complete quotation is given under the heading. “Federal Courts Decisions.”) It may be here plainly stated that the author is the original inventor and patentee of the automatic electric-electro'-pneuma- tic, and electrically controlled fluid pressure signal system, now in general use on the leading railroads in the United States, and wherever automatic electric signals are used on railroads throughout the world as hereinafter fully demonstrated. In view of this fact, and the difficulty or impossibility of ob- taining authentic information on the subject, elsewhere, and the systematic efforts of interested parties to bury the truth in muck and supplant it by satanic falsehood, engineering friends and others have urged the author to write an authentic histoiy^ of Automatic Electric Railroad Signaling. On looking back over the field for thirty years, therefore, he has concluded that as he is better equipped for the work than any one else, the vindication of his own reputation as an epoch making inventor, the verity of outraged history which is being daily perverted by audacious “grafters” of his reputation, de- sire for accurate knowledge on the subject on the part of tens of thousands of interested railroad and signal engineers, the duty of exposing the thieving jackals and rapacious gray wolves of graft that beset the footsteps of every creator of a valuable in- vention, and the interests of that great army of honest, able and often oppressed and defrauded inventors on whose work the advance of civilization chiefly depends, in the interest of truth honesty, honor and fair dealing; in the interest of all these he 6 has deemed it a. pressing duty to write this brief liistory at the present time. This work is intended as a plain statement of facts, with every essential statement snpi)orted by reference to official re- cords or other indisputable evidence, so that any one disposed to investigate may be able to confirm the statements for him- self. It does not however pretend to be exhaustive. Names are plainly used and their owners characterized. This is a painful necessity; but it is pointed out that this work is in- tended for plain authentic history and therefore sentiment must give way to indisputable demonstrated facts. The author, however, distinctly disclaims any feeling of per- sonal animosity toward any of the persons named herein. He uses the knife as the surgeon uses it, to eradicate a moral lep- rosy which is all too prevalent. A wise man has too much regard for his own ecpianimity of mind to cherish enmity against anyone. 7 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates https://archive.org/details/historyofautomatOOrobi ANNOUNCEMENT. The New Robinson Electric Railway System. For many years Mr. AViliiain Robinson lias been working on tlie lia.ffling problem of prodneing an Plleetric Railway System by which the Third Rail may be made safe for running high. S])eed trains through the 0])en country, that is, substituting elec- tric for steam trains. This ]vrobleni he believes he has solved in a simple, efficient and reliable manner, whether trains are driven by a direct or an alternating current. What this system will accomplish: 1. The Third Rail, made in sections of any desired length, is normally dead. AVlien a train enters upon a section that sec- tion only becomes alive, furnishing working current, and be- comes dead again the instant the train leaves the section. 2. AVhen a train enters ui)on a section it takes control, not only of that section, but also of the section in its rear in such a way that a train entering u])on that rear section finds its cur- rent cut off and cannot proceed. 3. A train entering upon said rear section not only loses cur- rent but has brakes a^iplied with a powder pro])ortional to its s]:)eed, thus preventing possibly dangerous coasting. 4. A train thus stalled takes ])ossession of the section back of it in the manner above described. Thus each train, whether running or stalled protects itself from rear end collision by automatical ly keei)ing the lengfh of a dead block between itself and a following train. 5. Switches and drawbridges: The first movement to nnhx^k a switch or drawbridge embodied in a section cuts off the ])ossi- bility of working current reacliing the block located at either end of said section; thus a train ap])roaching from either direction is arrested when a mile more or less from the section embodying 9 said switch or drawbridge and has brakes applied as described. 6. Alternating Current: When the alternating current is used for motive power its potential can be reduced to a much lower voltage than heretofore found possible for this class of work. 7. Signals; This system may be used with or without a sig- nal system. Where the Robinson Closed Rail Circuit System of automatic signals is used, which means practically everywhere that auto- matic signals are installed, this system may be installed with- out changing the signals or signal sections. Interference with the correct operation of the signals by the propulsion current is rendered impossible. The above is intended merely as a foreword. This s^^stem will be fully described hereafter at the proper time. The pre- caution of properly ])rotecting it throughout the world neces- sarily causes delay in publication. I therefore reserve the right to withhold further information until I deem it prudent to pub- lish it. 10 THE ROBINSON AUTOMATIC RAILROAD-SIGNAL SYSTEMS. About 1867 Mr. William Robinson, then a recent graduate from college, entered actively upon the development of an auto- matic signal system for preventing accidents of various kinds on railroads. His attention was called to the subject by the con- sideration of certain railroad accidents which had occurred, and for the prevention of which there were no adequate means known. From this starting point he developed such a system, and in 1869, constructed an elaborate model illustrating the same, which he exhibited at the American Institute Fair in New York city, in 1870. This system was what is now known in the art as a “wire” or “open circuit” system; that is, there were circuit-instruments in proximity to the track which were actuated by the wheels of a car. The action of the wheels on a lever at one point closed the circuit through a relay, whose magnet was so arranged that the instant it was magnetized it attracted its armature and ke]jt its own circuit closed. The circuit of the magnet which di- rectly actuated or controlled the signal was under control of the relay, which operated to open and close the signal circuit directly. When the train or car proceeded to the proper point beyond it actuated a reversing lever, thus opening the relay circuit, and reversing the signal. In the model described the reversing lever operated to 0 ]:)en the relay circuit by cutting oft the battery therefrom by short circuiting. This model was in continuous and perfect operation through- out the duration of the fair. At the close of the fair Mr. Robinson had some of his des- criptive circulars left over. These he immediately sent out to railroad companies at random. 11 One of these cireiilars at least, was as seed sown in good ground, it eiieited an iiuniediate response froin ALr. William A. Baldwin, General Su])t. of the Pliiladel})hia and ilrie Kailroad, Avith tlie result that Mr. BaldAAun, who Avas an old telegraph o])erator and a very able and progressiA^e railroad man, on looking into the system Avas so impressed AAuth its practicability and importance that he at once arranged Avith Mr. liohinson to make an installation of the system on his road. This Avas in 1870 . ‘ ' At that time Mr. Theodore N. ihy, noAV C hief of Alotive PoAver of the Pennsylvania Pail road, Avas Assistant Sn])erin rendent of the Phi la. & Erie K. IP, and, under direction of Mr. BaldAvin, furnished Mr. Pobinson Avith all the facilities and ma- terial necessary for })i'Osecuting the Avork of installation. ddiis installation aauis made at Kinzna, Pa., and after a little experimenting was soon in ])erfect Avorking order, })eriorming all claimed for it, and considered satisfactorv l)y the railroad eom])any. This. AAns a normally open-circuit Avire system, hoAvover, con- tinued by track levers, as aboAm described, in connection Avith the model. As soon as it Avas found to be Avorking perfectly and acccAin- plishing all claimed for it, Mr. Pobinson, who aims to be his (.AAui most severe critic of his own work, entered systematically into a deepei* study of the system, from the stand])oint of a rail- I'oad man, Avith a view of finding the Aveak points in it, if any existed. He soon discovered the following serious defects, which are inherent in all normally open circuit or Avire systems of auto- matic signaling, Avithout excex)tion. Such systems are extremely limited- in their functions, and vau//, under cert din circumstances, shoAv a safety signal when the danger actually exists Avhicdi they are designed to aA^ert, as in the following cases: First: A train enters regularly upon the. section and sets the signal at dangei*; the train breaks in two, the forward part [masses’ off the section, rcAmrses the signal and shows all clear beliind that iiortion of the train remaining on, the section; and 12 cl following train, Inred on by tlie false signal Ai.n clear dashes into the stalled portion of the jireeeding train left standing on the section. This is extremely lialile to liapiien on shar]) curves cind grades, wliere breaks are not of nnconnnon occurrence. Second : A train may enter within the section from the o])])os- ite end or from a siding thus blocking tlie track, while the sig- nal, not having been affected, shows all clear as before, a false signal again. Third: If a line wire lireak or other connection be inter- fered with accidentally or maliciously, or the battery fail froin any cause, the signal will invariably show all clear, under every train passing over the section, a false signal again. i\[r. liobinson at this early date recogTiized the above serious objections as inseparable from open circuit system, of sigrial- iag, apparently, before these defects were recognized by any one else, and at once entered upon the solution of the problem I)resented, of eliminating these objections by x)i‘(>t^ucing a sig- nal system which would meet all the requirements of safe and effici ent rai 1 reading. He reasoned that to accomplish this result every car and every l^air of wheels in the train must have controlling yyower over the signal thronghont every inch of the block section, and sec- ondly, 11ie signal should go to danger by gravity, the electric current being used to hold it at safety. (k)nid these two results be accomplished? Could the rails be used in any way to carry the |)rimary current in a reliable man- ner? Manifestly not by any o])en circuit means, for the reason tliat sections of rails of even moderate lengtli, on 0])e7i circuit, would form a good ground, especially in danu) or wet weather, thus kee])ing the circuit (hosed continuously and ])reventing any o])eration of any kind. He at once cast aside this open rail circuit idea as fruitless, and having ])reviously, in 1869-70, used the short (arcuiting ]u-in- ciple in his model, as above stated, he ('onclnded that, this prin- ci])le x)resented the only ])ossible solution of the problem. He then made drawings of the closed rail circuit system snb- 13 stantially as it is used today, and in 1871 applied for a patent thereon, broadly covering the closed rail circuit system. In 1872 he made an exhibition of this system at the State Fair, held at Erie, Pa. Here he placed a large gong on the end of one of the buildings, on the outside, and inside he had a track made in sections placed in a long water tank made for the pur- pose. The track was covered several inches deep with water and the running gear of the car model was similarly immersed^ The system was connected on the short circuit principle through the rails. Wires connected the gong with the back con- tact of the track relay. The water had no perceptible effect on the operation of the apparatus, and when the car was run on the signal section it short circuited the current from the relay, which, releasing its armature, closed circuit through its back contact and thus through the magnet of the gong circuit, thus setting the gong linging loud enough to be heard all over the grounds. On running the car otf the section the current returned to the relay energizing the same and thus opening the gong circuit at the back contact of the relay, thereby causing the gong to cease ringing. The whole operation was perfect, demonstrating the success- ful operation of the closed circuit system, and attracted great crowds of people as well as the marked attention of practical railroad men. It will be understood, of course, that the local circuit may be ncoinally open as above described and used, or normally closed as now commonly used, according to the exigencies or require- ments, or ])references of the parties using the same, and when desired a visual- signal may be substituted for the audible sig- Jial above described. These are all minor details not involving separate invention. Mr. Robinson had previously explained the new closed rail circuit system to Mr. Baldwin who was greatly interested and expressed his confidence in it and requested Mr. Robinson to install the system at Kinzua, where he had already installed the open circuit wire system. As all the signal apparatus, relays, batteries, office switches 14 and overlapping devices were already in operation there it took but a short time to convert this open circuit system into a closed rail circuit system. The first experiments proved conclusively that the system would wmrk. The track however w^as in a fearfully unsuitable condition for the purpose. The light rails were fisiied together by a four foot wooden bar on the outside, and a twelve inch fisTi plate on the inside. There were two holes through the iron fish plate, allowing one bolt for each rail and four holes through the wooden bar, twm for each rail. How^ever, with a little care we managed to get the current working through the whole length of the section about a mile and a (quarter in length. r was evident however that on such a section as this a rail bond of some kind would be necessary for reliable, continuous service, and here, at this time, in 1872 Mr. Itobinson conceived the invention of the bond wire method of electrically connecting the rails, now in universal use, or its equivalent, on every elec- tric railway, throughout the world, using the rails for a return. Fig. 1. Robinson’s Closed Rail Circuit System. Philadelphia & [Erie Railroad, 1872. As it had been determined to lay new rails at Kinzua another installation of the closed rail circuit system w-as ordered and 15 iiiiiiiediately made at Irviueton, Pa. This signal is illustrated in Figure 1. It will he observed that the above installation, like tliat at Kinziia, not only displays a visual block signal, but also oper- ates in connection therewith a loud gong which has been easily heard at a distance of a half mile, and was really heard hy passengers in trains passing, with closed windows. An engi- neer could not possibly pass without hearing it. A wire is seen at the upper part of the signal box, running out to the right. This is an overlai)ping signal wire. A tell-tale bell was also placed in the station, indicating the a.ctual position of the signal, and also a manual switch, whereby the agent could at any time cut off or short circuit the track battery and expose the danger signal against a train and in- stantly receive a return signal when the danger signal was ac- tually exposed. The Irviueton installation worked ])erfectly from the first never failing. The locomotive engineers were delighted with it and soon gave it the name of '‘The old reliable.’’ We will now describe ! TllF ROBINSON OLOSED RAIL CIRCUIT. Wm. Robinson 1871, Patented in France iFeb’y 29, 1872 and United States August 20th, 1872 Re- | issued July 7th, 1874. No. 5958. j The Robinson closed rail circuit, which now forms the basis, according to the best information, of every efficient automatic electric, electro-pneumatic and electrically controlled fluid pres- sure system throughout the world, is illustrated in its simplest form, in figure 2. 16 This figure shows the railroad track divided into sections, a mile more or less in length, the section rails being insulated from adjacent sections. A light battery has its terminals con- nected to the opposite rails at one end of the section and at the other end a relay magnet has its terminals connected to the o])posite rails. Thus the current passes through the whole length of the section, keeping the relay on continuously closed circuit and magnetized as its normal condition. The relay thus keeps the secondary circuit, which directly controls the sig- nal, normally closed, whereby the signal is normally held in a position indicating safety. When a train enters upon the section the wheels and axles, connecting the opposite rails thereof, short circuit the current from the relay, which instantly releases its armature, thus open- ing the signal circuit. The signal is then instantly thrown to tl:-e danger position by means of a counterbalance. The signal may be of the enclosed disk type, electro-mechan- ical, electro pneumatic, electrically controlled gas, or of any other kind. The Robinson patented system is broad, basic and a generic creation; it is not limited to any specific construction or arrangement of signal but covers all kinds. An automatic signal system by whomsoever installed, using the closed rail cir- cuit, is the Robinson system, and no company or individual has miy right to attach any other individual name or designation tlian that of Robinson to such system in a manner indicating that* the system is the invention of any other party than Robinson. Such appropriation of Robinson’s credit and reputation as a creative and generic inventor, and original discoverer and ap- plier of a new and previously unknown principle of immense importance and value, is undoubtedly actionable. In exi)Ounding the early history of the art of automatic sig- naling the following photographic rei)roductions from some of Robinson’s early circulars and patents, will be of interest. The following sections on Oukvp], Tunneu, Station, Switch and Dkaw-Bridge Signals are a photographic reproduction from a circular issued by Mr. Robinson in 1870 : 17 CURVE AND TUNNEL SIGNALS. A train approaching a curve will throw up a red signal around the curve as a warning to trains from the opposite directionj and will also exhibit a signal in its rear. Thus, collisions from front or rear are guarded against. These signals may be used throughout the whole extent of a road. In entering a tunnel a train will exhibit a signal at the other end to indicate its entry, and when it gets through it will lower the signal and ring a boll at the opposite end to indicate its exit. STATION SIGNALS. A train w'hen it leaves a station, and at various points as it passes, will indicate to the stations along the line, its Location, Direction, Rapidity and Length. Thus all necessary information regarding moving trains will be automatically announced every few minutes at the stations. SWITCH AND DRAW-BRIDGE SIGNALS. If a switch or draw-bridge is mi.splaced an approaching train will set an alarm ringing at the station and will also exhibit a red signal ahead of the train as a warning to the engineer that the switch is misplaced. The folloYfing heading and sections are photographic repro- ductions of parts of a circular issued by Mr. Robinson at the lime of its date, ‘‘September, 1872.” It will be observed that certain of these sections are the same as above reproduced from the circular of 1870. It will be noted also that the description of the system begun rfter the heading is not here completed, for the reason that a full description is found elsewhere in this history. RCIBmSOW’'S IMPROVKD SYSTEMS OF For Switches, Draw-bridges, Crossings, Curves, Cuts, .and Tunnels; also, to indicate the Location, Direction, Rapidity, and Length of Trains. IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS.— ELECTRIC SIGNALING WITHOUT TRACK IN- STRUMENTS, OR LINE WIRES. TME NEW SYSTEM. The opei'ation of this system is asfolloWs: A railroad track is divided iuto sections of any desired length, say one mile, more or less, by separating the abutting rails from metallic contact with the adjacent sections, bat pre- seizing metallic continuity throughout the length of the section. The insulation of the abutting rails is accomplished 18 CURVE AND TUNNEL SIGNALS. A train approaching a curve tlirovvs up a red signal around the curve, as a warning to trains t’roiu (he opposite direction, and also exhibits a signal in its rear. Thus, collisions from front or rgar are guarded against. These sig- nals may be used throughout the whole extent of a road. In entering a tunnel a train exhibits .a signal at (be other end to indicate its entry, and when it gets through it exhibits a signal at the opposite end to indicate its exit. STATION SIGNALS. A train wlien it leaves a station, and at various j)oin(s as it passes, indicates to the stations along the liiie, its Location, Direction, Rapidity, and Length. Thus all necessary information regarding moving trains is automaticallv announced every few minutes at the stations. The })atteries for operating the signajs will la.st for months without attention, and one man can readily attend to all the signals and batteries throughout the whole extent of a road. In all cases, where practirable, the-eignal wire should be carried through the coils of a bell-magnet in the nearest office. By this means the operator is informed when the battery power is decreasing, and warned that it rcfpures renewing. Office connections can be made, when desired, so that the signals may be o])eratcd by a telegraph key from the office, as well as by passing trains. The signal wires may be tapped at intervals all along the line, and led into small cast iron boxes placed con- veniently on the telegraph poles. Conductors of all trains, furnished with keys to these boxes, can, in case of special accident, go to the nearest box, touch a key within the same, and thus set danger signals at some distance in front and rear of their trains. The telegraph keys in these boxes not only set the danger signals as described, but they iso place the said signals, for the time being, entirely out of coiitrol of moving trains. THE CLOSED CIRCUIT. The new system, as described, with closed circuit, is the best ever devised for “block-signaling,” since the fail- ure of the battery through neglect or otherwise, cannot possibly be productive of disastrous results to the train, however implicitly the signals may be relied on. From ~the French of Feb. IS’lTS [ Translation']. 88th claim. “ Connecting a battery 85, and a magnet M5 with the rails nO, &9, of a section of railroad track C5 in such a manner that when said rails are joined by a metallic bridge, the elecuic current wi'l be diverted from the magnet M5, but so that wnen sard bridging device is removed from said section C5 the electric current will be free to pass through and charge the magnet M5.” 93d. “A signal or signals audible or visual in combination with the battery Bo and the rails of a railroad track, the whole being arranged to actuate the signal or signals, substantially as described.” St. Petersi’.uk(;, Clarion County, Pa., September, 1872 . Tt will be observed that soirie of the foregoing sections refer to the open circuit system, some specifically to the closed circuit system and some are applicable to either or both. The following is a photographic reproduction of a postal card issued and distributed broadcast by Mr. Eobinson at the time of its date, ^^May 1873.” It needs no comments. 19 WIRELESS ELECTRIC SIGNALS, THE SIMPLEST, CHEAPEST, and Oi AlsoMely SAFE Electric Sipils ii Eileteice, ^OW IN SUCCESSFUL OPERATION ON THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO, PHILA., WILMINOTON Sc BALTIMORE, PHILADELPHIA AND ERIE, AND OTHER RAIL ROADS. They work as automatic blocks with tell-tale alarms, officb, station, road cbossino and SWITCH signals, and BROKEN RAIL DETECTORS. These signals have worked uninterruptedly through last winter regardless of rain, snow, slush or sunshine. Descriptive circulars on application. Mat 1873. WM. ROBINSON, St* Peterslaiirg, Pa.« The following cut, Figure 3, is a pliotograpliic reproduction from an illustrafion on a circular dated ‘‘January, 1874” and issued by Mr. Robinson at that time. Pig. 3. Illustration from Robinson’s Circular of “January, IS74,” showing the Closed Rail Circuit, Relay and Overlapping System. It is pointed out that the above illustration of Jan’y, 1874, shows the Robinson closed track circuit, as heretofore described, the relay R and the track battery I forming a part thereof, the signal actuating magnet E, the signal C operated thereby, the circuit wires of said magnet E connected to, and controlled by, the relay R, and the overlapping or distant signal L, with its circuit H controlled absolutely by the position of the signal 0, the whole showing a complete closed track circuit overlai)])ing system, with home and distant signals. The following sections are from this circular of Januai\y, 1874: “When it is desired to operate a secondary signal thrown forward or back of the primary, a line wire H is used, attached to the primary signal C in such a way that the secondary signal cannot possibly operate unless the |)rimary signal C is first ex- posed, thus closing circuit on the wire H. The primary signal battery K is used also to operate the secondary signal.” “To set the signal from an intermediate station a wire from each 'rail of the section A is run into the station. When these wires are connected by a key, the current from the battery I is placed on short circuit, and the signal exposed as before.” (See fig. 7.) ’“The following functions may be embraced in the signals of a single section. BLOCK SIGNALING, both automatic and manipulated, SWITCH, DRAWBRIDGE, ROAD-CROSSING, mid STATION-APPROACH SIGNALING, and BROKEN RAIL DETECTING.” “In this system it will be obseiwed that, since the signal is exposed mechanically, any tampering with the rails or connec- tions, or failure of the battery, will invariably result in exposing the signal; any error therefore which may occur from any cause will be in behalf of safety. It is impossible to shoiv safety when the danger exists which the signal is designed to avert During the early seventies Mr. Robinson made other closed rail circuit installations on the Philadelphia &: Erie and other railroads in Pennsylvania and Maryland. 21 Visit of the Pennsylvania R. R. Officials. On October 24, 1873, a special inspection train of the Penn- sylvania Kailroad passed over the Pliila & Erie Kailroad, west- ward. The Penna K. R. officials aboard were: Mr. A. J. Cas- satt, at that time General Manager, Mr. Gardner, General Supt., Mr. Lewis, Controller, Mr. Robert Pitcairn, Supt. W. D., and Mr. Frank Thomson, Supt. M. P Mr. Win. A. Baldwin, Gen. Supt. of the P. & E. road was of the party^ and Mr. Robinson joined the party on the latter road, and continued with it through to Erie, which was reached in the evening. Stops were made at Ridgway on the Middle Division and at Irvineton on the Western Division to examine the Robinson closed circuit rail system of signals which were in full operation at those points. A thorough examination and various tests were made to all of which the signals responded promptly and per- fectly. I find in my possession a letter which I wrote to my brother on Ocf. 25, 1873, the day after the above trip, giving some ac- count of it. While it is a private letter from one brother to another, with- out any thought of its being preserved even, I do not think there is any impropriety in giving the following brief interesting ex- tracts from it, at this distance of time : ^‘Mr. Baldwin could not say enough in favor of the signals” j remained in the background, except, as to giving explanations. After a while Cassatt, Pitcairn and Thom- son got into a discussion of the battery and other points, and called me into the ring to enter into the discussion, and it was (piite animated for some time. Pitcairn proceeded to give his ideal of wliat a signal should be, and Mr. Baldwin and the rest proceeded to show him that this then, was exactly his ideal.” ^‘Mt*. Gardner, after learning modus operandi from diagrams arty his system. At Elm street a large visual signal is placed which is controlled by the current from a single cell of a battery con- nected with the rail sections at North Avenue, no line wires whatever being used. While the Emperor watched the signal at Elm Street trains were run over the wdiole length of the sig- nal section in both directions. As soon as the train entered u])on the section at either end the signal, without a moment’s delay, showmd the track ‘‘blocked,” and when the train passed off the section it instantly changed the signal to “all clear.” Then a rail was torn u]), and almost instantly thereafter the signal denoted “danger” and remained so until the rail was restored and ])roi)erly coupled up, wdien it as (juickly changed to “all right.” Mr. Robinson gave various other demonstra- tions illustrating the wmrking of the system. To all the tests the signal instantly responded. His Majesy wms much inter- ested, and entered into a somewhat lengthy discussion with Professor Robinson in regard to the operations which he had wdtnessed. The Emperor’s questions displayed i)rofound scien- tific knowledge, and he fully conqu'eliended the system. At the conclusion of the experiment Doni Pedro tlianked Professor Robinson for his kindness in explaining and illustrating his sys- tem, and invited him to communicate with the Brazilian Govern- ment wdtli a view^ to introducing the system in Brazil. On the return of the |)arty to the Lowell depot in Boston, the Empero]* was received with great applause, which he ])olitely acknowd- edged by waving his hat.” It will be interesting to note that on June 11, 1876, the day the Emperor inspected the Robinson Signal System at West Somerville, the battery had been in operation exactly 180 days without any attention whatever except that on two occasions a 24 little water liad been added to make u}) for evaporation, the signal working perfectly all that time and the ])atter} with full strength. The following is from a report on the above signal by the Station Agent at Kim St., dated dime 2 , 1877, eighteen months after it had been installed. ‘‘liohinson’s Electric Signal at this place has been working iminteiTuptedly since it was first pnt in operation. * * * The sig- nal is entirely reliable.’^ The above signal continued to work perfectly for a ninnher of years until the signal post, v/hich was of wood, rotted down. The signal mechanism used on the Eohinson signal at Kim street was of the electro-mechanical type. Kigure 4 is a half tone of the identical signal mechanism in o])eration there when tlie Kmperor of Brazil examined the sys- tem with Mr. Robinson, on dime 14, 1876. Fig. 4a. Robinson’s i^lectro Mechanical Signal in Operation at West Somerville when Inspected by the l^mperor of Braijil in. 1876. It is ])ointed out that the above signal mechanism Kig 4, shows a battery or pole changing attachment which is more 25 clearly shown in Fig 4a, reproduced from Robinson’s British jjatent No. 3479 of Aug. 29, 1879. In this device the movement of the cam not only changes the battery but changes the polarity through the magnet which may be placed anywhere and used for any puryjose. A special device for the same purpose was used not only in connection with the relay on the West Somerville signal, but on many others installed by Mr. Robinson. This battery and ])ole changing device is more fully described in Robinson’s IT. S. patent, August 25, 1874, No. 154,520, Auto- matic Commutator; Application filed July 18, 1873. ddie following extract therefrom, and claim, may be interest- ing: A ‘it will be observed also, tliat while the actual change of battery may be caused to take place when the magnet attracts its armature, yet I prefer to arrange it so that no cliange of connections shall take place when the armature is attracted, the actual change taking place only during the reverse move- ment of the armature, caused by the retractile force of the spring. Furthermore, when desired, the batteries may be so connected in circuit that reverse currents shall be passed through the magnets every time the batteries are changed.’^ Claim 2. ‘Mn combination with the electro-indgnetic commu- tator having the described circuit connections, the rail sections A 'A*, the one closing the circuit through the commutator, and thereby determining the battery to be connected to the other rail section, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.” It must be admitted that there does not seem to be a very long step between the disclosures of this ] latent and the present method of operating a distant signal by reversing current through a rail section. Tt will he observed that in this patent one rail is used as a return for a ])lurality of batteries connected to independent o])posite rail sections. In an autograph letter addressed to the author hy Professor Henry, Sec’y. of the Smithsonian Institution, under date of Oct. 14, 1875, the Professor discusses Robinson’s peculiar method of using batteries in signaling by which he obtained 26 the above wonderful durability of 180 days or more without renewal, and pronounced the results obtained “very remark- able.” His discussion of the subject is somewbat suggestive of the principles of the storage battery. Switches. In 1876, 7 and 8 Mr. Kobiusou made a number of installatioiis on the Boston and Providence, Old Colony and the Boston, Lowell and Nashua Railroads. On the latter road, at the Wilmington Junction, be equipped two parallel sections of the double track, including six switches in this short space, five of them connected with one of the blocks. These sections were arranged as regular closed circuit blocks, operative under the moving trains. The switches were also connected up in such a way that every switch had to be closed and locked for the main line or the danger signal would be ex- posed against approaching trains. This installation was made in 1876. The switch connection applied to these switches is shown in Pig. 5 and a general plan of the same is illustrated in Pig. 6. Both of these figures are rei)roductions from Robinson’s afore- said British j)atent of 1879. It will be obseved that when the switch is on the main line tlie wires 7, 8 are connected by the ping 6 on the swit(*li (*on- iiection, thus com])leting a working circuit thi-ongli the rails 27 and around tlie switch, but when the switch is placed for a sid- ing the wires 7 and 9 are connected by the plug 5, thus short circuiting the current from tlie magnet M, thus producing the same effect as would the ])resence of a train on the section. It is always better to short circuit the current rather than trust to the mere opening of circuit since short circuiting is sure to produce instantaneous results. It will be observed however that in the above case the move- jnent of the switch connection both opens the rail circuit and short circuits the current from tlie relay. It may be here stated that Mr. Robinson equipped three switches in one closed circuit block, in the manner described above, on the Ihiiladelphia and Erie Railroad in 1873. 1 '. "JR. 2 i T 1 f — Fig. 7. Pig. 7, from Robinson’s English Patent of 1879, aforesaid, shows the switch G arranged to operate the signal by hand from an office, station or telegraph jiost by the roadside, as hereto- fore described. Drawbridges. About the time he made the A¥ilmington installations above described Mr. Robinson made an installation of his system also on the Old Colony Rail Road, in which one block signal section at Somerset included a drawbridge. He included the track rails of the drawbridge in the track circuit in such a way that Hie withdrawing or loosening of any one of the bridge lock- bolts would dis})lay the danger signal, which remained exposed until the bridge and its lock-bolts were all restored to their nor- mal condition insuring safety. 28 Tunnels. Long wet tunnels present peculiar difficulties to the reliable operation of the rail circuit; and yet these difficulties are readily overcome by including one or more additional relays in the signal section, as shown in Fig. 8, which illustrates the appli- cation of the Eohinson track circuit system as applied to the T’ehuantepec Tunnel in California. Mr. Eohinson forwarded the signals and necessary instruc- tions, and the installation was made by Mr. Steihien I). Field, Sec’y. of the Electrical Construction and Maintenance Co. of San Francisco. Fig 8 is a photograx)h from a sketch made by Mr. Field in a letter dated San Francisco, March 21st, 1877, addressed to Mr. Eohinson : In this letter Mr. Field says: am just in the receipt of yours of the 12th. I had anticix)ated your diagram and have the signals arranged as you show. use the system connected ipj as follows: ‘Mn the tunnel the rails are buried in wet mud; outside no moisture touches them for six months of the year.” It will he noted that in the above case the signal section is two miles long, the tunnel being one mile long, with its rails 29 ''buried in wet mud,” and the seetion extending one-lialf mile at either end of the tunnel. An extra relay and battery are placed in the center of the section connected u]) as shown. Thus, where conditions recjuire, a signal section may be divided up into a number of sub-sections. Later advices showed that the above signals worked per- fectly and gave entire satisfaction. Insulated Joints. In l(S7l^ and early seventies Mr. Robinson insulated the rail joints to form the sections by wooden bars, substantially as shown in Pig. 9. Fig. 9. Fig. 10. In 1876 and later he usually insulated the joints as shown in Figure 10, using the Fisher & Norris Trussed Joint as a basis. Vulcanized fiber is placed between the bottom of the rail ends and the base plate, and fiber is placed between the flanges of the rails and the forelocks, and fiber, the shape of the rail sec- tion is placed between the ends of the adjacent rails, all as shown in Pig. 10. This makes an excellent insulated joint, both me- 'chanically and electrically. Rail Bonding. lliw rust forming between the fish plates and the rails of 'the track, at the joints, makes a poor conductor, and hence the low 30 current, from only one or two cells of 1)attery used in the rail circuit for signaling is very lial)le to find sufficient resistance at the joints from this cause to ])revent the continuous passage of the current throngli the rails to tlie relay. j\lr. llobinson discovered this difficulty in his first ext)erinients in rail signaling in 1872 and the necessity for making a reliable electrical connection from rail to rail in order to insure the reliability of his closed circuit signal system. As heretofore stated, therefore, lie af that time conceived the invention of the bond wire Fig. 11, for this ])ur|)ose, the (*on- nection to be made by drilling holes in the adjacent rails, driv- ing the ends of the wires tightly into these holes, and making the connectiou so close that there would be no room for moisture to penetrate or rust to form. And as an alternative form he pro- posed to secure the ends of the wii'e, or of a plate, to the ad- jacent rails by soldering, as shown in Fig. 12. In those early days there were serious technical objections to both of these methods. First: The difficulty and expense of boring holes in all the rails of the section and connecting them up, and the difficulty of getting the railroad company to consent to such an innova- tion to test what at that time might be regarded as an experi- ment, and Sexond: Soldering seemed impiracticable on account of the difficulty of lieating up the rail (piickly enough at the required point. Mr. Eobinson therefore, post]mned the application of the bond wire until he could secure better facilities for applying and using it. He, meantime, experimented along other lines however for the purpose of securing good electrical connection l)etween ad- jacent rails without boring holes tlierein. One of these methods was very successful. It (‘onsisted in the use of elastic split springs having; their ends resting on the flanges of the adjacent rails, and held in place by small blocks secured to the ties. The 31 passing of a train depressing tlie rails sliglitly (aiused a sliglit frictional movement between tlie rails and the si)rings, thus l)reserving good electrical contact. In the West Somerville installation, near Boston, made in January, 1876, as heretofore described, Mr. Robinson, used the bond wire shown in Fig. 11. In applying this holes were bored in the rails, and the wire, fitting the holes as closely as possible, were forced in. A semi-circular punch was then carefully used to set the metal up close around the wire. There has been no better bond wire devised since then except in mechanical construction. Bonds of various designs have been made heavier, and with heavier end plugs for mechanical con- nection to tlie rails. These are good features as they render the bond less liable to breakage, and, as is well known, for electric railroading they should be much heavier than required in signaling, for the sake of conductivity. A bond wire, to get best results, should'be homogeneous, made of a single piece of metal, or if made of several pieces, all the pieces should be welded, or at least, soldered together. They should be of sufficient length to insure flexibility without dis- turbing the connection if the rails vshould move relatively to each other, and the whole circumferential surface of the plug end, or its equivalent, when ])ossible, should be in the closest possible direct contact with the rail, that is, the bond plug should make connection with the rail as nearly as possible^ — homogene- ous. Welding would be the ideal connection ])ut it is not always practicable. The reason for the above is obvious: that there should be no room left between the bond and rail for rust to form. It fol- lows then that a bond held in position by an independent plug which renders it necessary for the current to pass from the bond to the intermediate plug and from that plug to the rail, is not the best form of bond, for the reason that it presents a double surface on which rust may form. 32 Figs. 11 and 12 show Robinson’s bond wires and strips of 1roposed for using the rails as conductors. The design of the invention is to communicate between trains on the same line, and between trains and stations, for which purpose it is pro- })Osed to use long sections of rails. The unpractical part of this system is that to make it operate it is necessary, as the invent- ors say, to insulate the opposite wheels of all the carriages from each other, in order that electrical connection may not be es- tablished between the op])osite rail lines by the wheels and axle. Imagine one of our gigantic locomotives having its op})osite drivers electrically insulated from one another! Jn the following diagram M re|)resents magnet and B battery. Fig. 18. William Bull’s British Patent, October 31st, 1860, and Frank I/. Pope’s Experiment at Charles- town, Mass., in 1871. Figure 18 represents the signal system described in William Bull’s English ])atent of October 31, 18b(). In this system, it will be observed, the rail sections used are short, ‘‘twenty feet, more or less,” and are the terminals of line wires which connect with the battery and magnet at tlie station. Tlie signal at t'le station is visual and consists in an indicator operated by wdieel work actuated or controlled by the electro-magnef M sliown in the diagram. The signal as described, moved in one direction only, l)y a step-by-ste]) movement. Mr. Bull says: “At the stations at which it is required that the ])rogress of the train shall be indicated, a battery is fixed and in connection therewith a dial or indicator, both of which 37 are also connected with the line permanent way wire, the ter- minals of wiiicli are the pairs of insulated rails, as before de- scribed. ******** ^“^Wlien the train arrives at the contact points on the line, the electric circuit would be completed by the wheels of the engine connecting the two insulated rails, when the current would flow and actuate the electro-magnetic armature,” &c. The mode of insulating the rails from each other is described by Bull as follows: — ” Between the end of the rails, and also between the joint ])lates and rail ends, I insert a thin piece of leather, mill-board, gutta percha, or other suitable substance, suitable for cutting otf metallic contact, and thereby insulate , one rail of twenty feet, more or less, as may be necessary.” In Pope, in a descri})tion of his experiment at Charlestown, in a i)aper read by him before the New York Society of Prac- tical Engineers — of which, by the way, Mr. Robinson was a charter member — and subsequently published, admits that he did not use the “rail circuit” at all in any proper sense of the term. On the contrary, he used line wires forming his main circuit terminating in short sections of rails, forty-two feet in length according to my recollection, that is, the length of one rail. The train passing over the short rail section at one point closed the circuit through the line wires, thus exposing the signal, which was held in place by a “detent.” The train, having reached a distant point, passed over another similar short sec- tion of rails, closing circuit through another magnet which re- leased the “detent” and reversed the signal. It will be observed that the essential features of the device nsed in Pope’s experiment, on which he laid great stress, and described in Bull’s patent, are identical, that is, die circuit closer consists, in the one case of a section of rails “twenty feet long, more or less,” on open circuit, and the other identically the same, but with a rail section 43 feet long, both using line wires. Pope and his friends heralded this experiment — a revival of Bull’s device — as demonstrating a wonderful invention on the jiart of Pope. 38 It will be noted, however, that if the Pope and Bull devices- were admitted to be i)ractically operative, they are still simply normally open circuit systems, and open to all tlie objections of open circuit systems, as heretofore pointed out. Fig. 19. F. I/. Pope, United States, July 16th, 1872; and Fred Barnes and David Hancock, British, Feb- ruary 10th, 1868. No. 447. We now come to the more full consideration of rail systems, properly so called — that is, systems in which the main circuit consists of long sections of rails. Figure 19 represents a system, patented in the United States, by F. L. Po})e, July Kith, 1872. This system is a forcible illus- tration of the fact that invention repeats itself from year to year; thus while the above is an exact representation of the cir- cuit, involving a long section of rails, shown in Pope’s patent', the following description of the same is a verbatim extract from the records of the British Patent Office, where it was tiled by Frederick Barnes and David Hancock, dated February lOth, 1868, more than four years prior to the date of Pope’s re-inven- tion of the same thing. Barnes & Hancock’s description of Pope’s(?) system, FIGURE 19. ‘‘The first part of our invention consists in connecting the two jioles of a battery with the two rails, the junction of the two being only completed at the time the wheels of a carriage, united by their axles, pass over the two rails; so that at all times except when a carriage or carriages is or are on the line of rails, the circuit will not be complete, but so long as a carriage remains on them the battery will work. Between one wire uniting the rail and the battery, we ])lace a magnet, which acts against, or 39 wliieli is capable of acting on, a lever, (of course wlien the cir- cuit is complete,) and this lever is connected with a rod leading to the senia})liore arms, or other signal on a post. ‘^As soon as the wheels of an engine, truck, or carriage place the battery in action by com})leting the circuit, the magnet at- tracts the lever, which throws the signal to danger. So long as the carriage remains on the line the circuit will be maintained; hut as soon as the circuit is broken the battery will cease to act, and a weighted lever throws the signal to clear or caution, as desired. ' “At a post, or a short distance in advance thereof, if pre- ferred, we disconnect one rail from the other; we divide, as it were, the two rails, leaving a space between them no matter how small that s])ace may be. As an engine for example, approaches tlie junction, the signal is at clear (the battery not being in action) ; but the instant the wheels cross the space dividing the 1‘ails, the circuit is completed, the magnet acts, and the signal is thrown to danger. So long as the engine or train remains on these rails so long will the signal continue at danger, but as soon as the last wheels of the last carriage have passed over the next division in the- rails, the circuit is broken, and the weighted lever is free to throw the signal to clear. Of course the dis- tance between the divisions in the rails may be regulated accord- ing to the distance it is desired to ])lace the signals apart, the signals acting equally well whether the distance be a quarter of a mile or ten miles.” To whomsoever the credit of the above system may belong, it is a scientific absurdity of the most glaring nature, and never did, and cannot be made to, work over rail sections of any con- sirable length. Prior, it is believed, to its re-invention by Mr. Pope Mr. Robinson considered the system in principle and detail, and at once dropped it as too wdldly absurd for serious consideration. The objection to it is, that the circuit being left open between long sections of rails, the ties and earth conqhete the circuit perfectly in wet weather, whereby the magnet is con- tinuously magnetized, without the i^resence of the train. This is not merely theory, it is demonstrated fact. Although fully convinced of the absurdity of the method, Mr. Robinson deter- 40 mined to demonstrate its absurdity; he, therefore, performed a series of a dozen experiments on rail sections, ranging in length from one thousand feet to two miles, in weather snowy, rainy, damj) and dry, on sections partly in contact wdth the earth, and on others wholly free from contact with anything hut the ties, and with batteries arranged to secure the best results. In every case, without exception, the rails formed a perfect ground, keeping the circuit closed and the magnet magnetized. — demonstrating the fact that the presence of a train on the sec- tion would not aifect the magnet or signal in the slightest degree, one way or the other. The system in princi])ie and detail is absolutely worthless. Publications in the Iron Age. On January 8, 1874, the Iron Age published an Illustrated description of tiie liohinson Closed Kail Circuit System of Pilectric Signals. Til is article seems to have grieved Mr. Frank L. Pope very much, and he sent a letter to tliat ])aper, wliich was ])uhlished in the Iron Age on .lanuary 29, 1874, commenting on said article. The gist of his comments was that in view of his revival of tlie Pull device of 1860 in his exjjeriment at Cdiarlestown, Mass., in Vvdiich he used circuit closers com]]osed of rail sections 42 feet long on o])en circuit; and of his patent of July 16, 1872. embody- ing long sections of rails on open circuit, fully described veyhaihn in the foregoing pages from Barnes and Hancock, Brilisli of 1868 — both of which devices Po])e no doubt imagined lie had invented, and in view of these alleged inventions of his he thought that these o])en rail circuit devices entitled him to nrd-re a claim on the Rol)inson closed circuit system. The fol- lowing is a (piotation from his letter: ‘‘Mr. Robinson also applied for a ])atent on the rail circuit, differing from mine only in the arrangement of connections, so that the magnet would be unmade instead of made by the |)as- sage of the train. The above is a clear concession by Mr. Pope that he had never thought of the closed rail circuit. It may be here remarked that in Electrics everything de])ends on the connections. Tie your wire to a tree and liitch a horse 41 to it and the wire is inert arid the horse rests (quietly; but con- nect the wire to a dynamo, and the horse becomes instantly as dead as Pope’s circuits. “Only a difference in the arrange- ment of ('onnections,” forsooth! Mr. Kohinson’s i*e])ly to Mi\ Pope was })ub]ished in the Iron ^Vge of February 1874. The following (juotations thei’efrom are deemed sufficient. “ In your issue of January 29th a letter ai)pears over the sig- nature of Frank L. Poi)e on electric railway signaling, which, l.y stating too little falsifies truth, belies science, and is gener- ally calcinated to deceive your readers, scientific and general.” * * * * * * * “lie [Pope] has already disclaimed my system over his own signature, and under oath, as I will show. On June 11, 1873, ?vir. Pope applied for a iiatent which was granted October 7, 1873, on a device which was merely a modification of that shown in his original ])atent. In tliis application [filed, it will be noted, a year after the issue of my closed rail circuit patent] he also showed my system, giving the connections in dotted outline merely, and attempting to disguise the whole by complications, and calling it a Onodification’ of what he showed as his inven- tion. This he was conpielled to disclaim, however, which he did in the body of the specification as follows: “I do not claim, by itself, the method of o])erating a signal by means of a constant circuit, which is shunted out of the o])erating magnet by means of a connection formed by the Avheels and axles of a locomotive or car as shown in Fig 2, except irlien coinhined irifli the denials and arrangemoits herein shoirn and descrihedd The devices, and arrangements are the complications referred to; these are of no value to Mr. Pope, as I will not permit him to use the ‘con- stant circuit’ with ‘shunting’ connections.” While Po])e and his associates kept their hands off thg gobin- son system they were alloAved free rein. But when their efforts to use the old Bull, and the old Bames-Hancock systems, which ])roved in their hands a total failure, as a matter of course, and then thought it would lie safe to take a hitch on the Eobinson system without the flimsiest shadow of right, it was deemed time to call a halt. 42 Accordingly Robinson served an infringement notice on Pope and his associates under date of July ‘28tli, 1874, calling their attention to the fact that they were infringing specifically seven claims of Robinson’s patents, and, it was thought, six more claims, and demanding an immediate discontinuance of the in- fringements under penalty of an immediate suit for infringe- ment. This notice to Po])e and Company was immediate fy printed in circular form and sent out broadcast to the railroads of this country. After that we never heard of Pope & Co. doing anotlier thing in the railway signal line. In 1873 a general superintendent on whose road Po])e placed several signals for testing, on being asked by the writer ‘‘How did Pope’s automatic signal’s work on your road!” replied: “They did not work at all.” A Division Superintendent of the same road, who was present, said: “Pope’s signal is not worth fighCng for; it is not worth a baubee.” The superintendent of another road said: “Their signal is not giving us satisfaction.” We never succeeded in finding a single instance where Pope put up a signal that worked satisfactorily. Mr. Pope has a well deserved fame as an electrician, as an ingenious inventor and as a fine and interesting writer — all along telegraphic channels. When, however, he turned his “pren- tice hand” to automatic railway signaling, it must be confessed that he made a total failure. He developed nothing new or ori- ginal, but used only the inventions of others in his efforts to develop a signal system. He did not even show correct theore- tical or practical knowledge of the principles involved in rail circuit signaling, which he was attempting to use. Nature and science were against him, and now, looking back over the field for thirty years it must be admitted that Mr. Pope never added or contributed anything whatever to advance the art of auto- matic railroad signaling. I regret to feel obliged to write in this way of Mr. Pope, for whom personally I had a high esteem, but T am writing for the verity of history, and not sentiment. 43 Fiirthennore, \ am giving more space to Mr. Pope than his work along the lines of signaling would seem to demand, for me reason that for tliirty years his friends have been systematically imhlishing fraudulent claims as to the im])ortaiice of his work in signaling even since his lamented and tragic deatli. If any of these friends who have done so much to exTiaust the ink vats of tlie i)rinters feel aggrieved at anything written above, there is doubtless some ink still left in those useful receptacles. But the facts will stand, and may be ])roved by anyone disposed to investigate along the lines indicated. The Robinson Automatic Blectro Pneumatic Signal System. As installed by the Union Switch and Signal Comany on all the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad between Jersey City and Philadel])hia, and beyond, under the fraudulent pseudonym of the ‘ AUestinghouse Automatic Flectro-Pneumatic System.” The above is a Robinson System pure and simple. 44 The records show that Westiiighoiise never invented an auto- matic electric signal system of any kind for control by moving trains^ and the use of Ids name in the above connection is a high-handed piratical api)ro])riation of Robinson’s well earned (U'edit and fame as the creator of an epoch making invention. THE Ur^lOI^ ELECTRIC SIGNAL COMPANY. Robinson’s Organization. In 1878 Mr. Robinson organized and owned the Union Elec- tric Signal Com})any, based exclusively on his United States ] intents, at that time nine in number, which lie assigned to the company on the com}>]etion of its organization. Tie received an ('quivalent for every share of stock in this company whicli passed out of his hands. The CooneGtion of George Westinghouse with Automatic Electric Signaling. About 1880 George AVestinghouse and his associates bought a controlling interest in the Union Electric Signal Comjiany, thus gaining control of the Robinson Systems. They immediately reorganized the company under the name of the Union Switch and Signal Gompany, wliich latter com])any has been installing the Robinson automatic electric and electro-pneumatic signal systems ever since, and is now doing an immense business based on tlie Robinson systems. Among the ])rominent installations of the Robinson Automatic Electro Pneumatic System is the complete e(iuipment of the four tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad between Jersey City and Philadelphia, and on to Paoli on the main line and Wilmington on the Washington line. The Pittsburg division of the Penn- sylvania Railroad is also thus e(iuip]ied. The system is also in- stalled extensively elsewhere on the Pennsylvania Railroads. The Robinson Automatic Electro-Pneumatic Signal System al- so embodies the complete signal e(pii])nient Avhich controls and makes ])ossilhe the fre(|uent headway in the New York Subway, in which it is installed, and Avithout this system the subAvay could 45 iu)t run with safety half the trains it is now running, or carry half its present number of passengers. Without this signal e(piii)nient collisions in the subway would be the regular ^rder of the day. The liobinson automatic signal system is also installed on the Boston Elevated Raihvay. and controls the traffic of that road. In short, the automatic signal systems now in general use on the leading railroads in the United States and in various for- eign countries are the Robinson systems, pure and simple, all based on the closed rail circuit, an invention ‘‘created by Robin- son,” as the United States Court of Appeals, Third District, put ii, and patented by him broadly in 1872. Over thirty years suc- cessful operation has proven this to be the only system that ('an meet the re(iuirements of safe and efficient railroading, hence its extensive use. The Union Switch and Signal Company, of which Oeorge Westinghouse is President, a reorganization, as stated above, of the original Union Electric Signal Company organized and owned by Robinson, made all the above named installations, des- cribing and publishing them under the misleading and fraud- ulent pseudonym of “The Westinghouse Electro-Pneumatic System,” with the deliberate purpose of conveying to the pub- lic and others the false and fraudulent information and impres- sion that Westinghouse w^as the inventor of the system, well knowing that Robinson, and not Westinghouse, was the real in- ventor, and that in ])ublishing Westinghouse as the inventor of the system, the Union Switch & Signal Company was, knowingly vrillfully, fraudulently and of malice aforethought committing a ])iratical and criminal depredation upon Robinson’s credit and reputation, as an original discoverer and creator of an invention of untold value to the world in the saving of human life and ])roperty. Now for the cold documentary evidence: As heretofore stated, on August 20, 1872, Robinson received a broad, basic, pioneer United States patent covering the closed rail circuit system of signaling. This of itself would preclude the right of Westinghouse or any one else from attaching his name to the system in a manner indicating that he was the in- 46 ventor of the same even if he had made some improvement in signal mechanism mechanieal or otherwise. But this is not all; Robinson is speeiheally tlie original inven- tor and patentee of the antomatie eleetro-pnenmatic signal sys- tem as now extensively installed on many leading railroads, by the Union Switch and Signal (bmi)any. In proof of tliis: British Patent No. 2280 was granted to Rob- inson under date of August 80, 1871, on ‘U^]lectric Gate and Signal Apparatus for Railroads.” This ])atent covered several different systems of railroad sig- nnling, among them the E'ectro Pneumatic System sn])stantially as now extensively installed by the Union Switch and Signal Gompnny. The system therein described sliows all tlie essential features of the system as now installed by that company. The follo\ving are some of the claims from this British patent, which proclaim the above facts with no uncertain sound: 31. ‘‘Operating a gate or signal by means of mechanism ac- tuated by compressed air and controlled as regards the action of the mechanism or of the compressed air by means of elec- tricity, as specified.” 32. “A gate or signal oi)erating apparatus consisting of me- chanism actuated by means of com])ressed air and governed in its action by electricity when tlie currents of the latter are under the control of a moving vehicle or train, as specified.” 33. “The magnet A2 so related to the piston rod 02 as to con- trol or limit the movements of the same, substantially as speci- fied.” 31. “The magnet A2 with its armature lever P>2 so related to the value p5 as to control the same throngh the agemw of suit- able intervening mechanism, as specified.” 11. “The air tank S in combination with the cylinder T of a gate or signal operafing apparatus, as s|)ecified.” 18. “A bell, alarm or signal operating by means of clock work N2, which is controlled in its action by an electro-magnet or magnets, and combined with an electric circuit or circuits ac- tuated by a moving train or vehicle, as specified.” Other claims on the subject from that ])atent might be quoted, but these will suffice. 47 Kobinson also received a French Patent dated Felj’y 29, 1872, No. 94 298. This French ])atent disclosed the same subject matter as the British ])atent above described, witli some addi- tions. The French patent embodied, among other things, the closed rail circuit. Its claims, corresponding in number to those quot- ed tTom the British patent are an exact translation of the same. The following is a translation of other claims of the French patent, relating specifically to the closed rail circuit: Claim 88. ‘‘Connecting a batteiy B5 and a magnet M5 with the rails u9, h9 of a section of railroad track C'5 in such a man- ner that when said rails are joined by a metallic bridge the elec- tric current will be diverted from the magnet M5, but so that when said bridging device is removed from said section C5 the electric current will be free to pass through and change the mag- net M5.’^ 98. “A signal or signals audible or visual, in combination with the battery B5 and the rails of a railroad track, the whole being arranged to actuate the signal or signals, substantially as des- cribed.” The following claims also have a direct bearing on electro- pneumatic signaling, from Robinson’s United States patent. No. 297,259, dated Nov. 7, 1882 Electro-Pneumatic Gate and- Signal Apparatus; assigned to the Union Switch and Signal Co.: Claim ”7. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a motor automatically controlled by a moving vehicle and driven by fluid pressure for actuating or changing the posi- tion of a gate or signal, and a weight operating under the force of gravity to reverse at times the action of said motor, and thereby restore said gate or signal to its original position. In a gate or signal operating mechanism, the combina- tion, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a piston moved to and fro within a cylinder by fluid-pressure and by the action of a weight, a valve to govern the movements of said piston by controlling the admission and exit of the fluid to and from said cylinder, and means for automatically operating said valve through the movements of a moving vehicle. ”5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, 48 of a gute or signal actuating nieclianisni, a valve by the oj)en- ing and closing of wliicli the operations of said ineclianisni may be governed, an electro-magnet and armature, and an escape- ment device whereby the alternate opening and closing of said valve is made to depend upon the movements of said armature.’’ In connection with the above described patents of Eobinson of 1871 and 1872, both United States and Foreign, it is to be noted that George Westinghouse had no connection with auto- matic railroad signaling until about 1880, at least nine years after the patenting of the described electric and electro pnen- matic systems by Robinson, and that when Westinghouse did be- come interested in automatic signaling it was only by the actual purchase of stock in the Union Electric Signal Company, or- ganized and owned by Robinson, as described, and not by means of any invention made by Westinghonse. It is scarcely necessary to say that such purchase did not give AVestinghouse the right to appropriate to himself Robinson’s credit and reputation, or the right to fraudulently and piratically advertise himself as the inventor of tlie system, to the great damage of Robinson and corresponding profit and advantage of Westinghouse. George Westinghouse’s Reputation as an Invehtor. Mr. George AFestinghouse is an able business man, a suc- cessful promotor and an ingenious inventor, especially in the matter of making improvements in details based on other men’s inventions, and withal, a notoriously unscrupulous appropriator to himself of the credit and reputation of making inventions actually made and even patented, by other men, and fraudulent- ly promulgating the same as his own inventions. The pedestal on which his reputation as an inventor stands is composed of the work of perhaps five hundred actual inven- tors, every block in the pedestal emblazoned with the pseudonym “Westinghouse,” the combined work of the suppressed and im- prisoned geniuses within radiating a glorious effulgence upon the complacent monument above. In justification however it may be explained that it is the cus- 49 tom in some of the large manufaeturing eoiieeriis to recjuire all employes to assign to the com])any all inventions and improve- ments they may make in their iiarticular line of work. The Westinghouse companies have large numbers of the ablest and most ingenious men in their various lines of work. Idiese men naturally make many inventions and improvements. These are patented, at the expense of the comx)any no doubt, and the men receive their ordinary wages. The reputation and credit due them are thrown into the Westinghouse hopper; the crank is turned and the grist comes out stamped in ever^^ in- stance with the pseudonym ^^Westinghouse.” But this is not the most reprehensible way in which Westing- house acquires a spurious reputation as an inventor. He be- comes interested in an invention by purchase. Immediately the inventor ^s name is obliterated and the invention is published as a Westinghouse” invention, without the inventor’s permis- sion. This is rank piracy, the work of an unscrupulous bucca- neer, a fraud upon the inventor, a stealing and appropriation of his reputation, his own private property, and an imposition and deception practiced upon the public. In this connection it is extremely difficult to find language sufficiently forcible in which to properly characterize and de- nounce George Westinghouse ’s most unjust, unwarrantable, un- scrupulous and criminal piracy in his appropriation of Robin- son’s credit and reputation as the creator of an epoch making invention, of which Westinghouse is guilty in publishing the Robinson Automatic Electro Pneumatic Signal System under the fraudulent and spurious title of the Westinghouse electro- pneumatic system. In order that I might not by any possibility do Mr. Westing- house an injustice I had a careful search made of the Patent Office records covering a period from 1880, the time when West- inghouse first became connected with automatic signaling, down to the present time, to ascertain if Westinghouse had received any j^atents on improvements in automatic signaling. Several patents were found taken out by him or interlocking, switch operating from cabins, and such matters, which have nothing to do with automatic signaling. 50 Two patents liowever were found taken out by Westingliouse on aiitomatic electric signaling-, tlie first dated January 16, 1883, No. 270,867. This patent describes the Robinson system, pure and simple, including liis overlapping system, as installed by liim in 1872 and subsequent years. Its subject matter is described herein in ex- tracts from Robinson’s circular of 1872, and is also described, and illustrated in Fig. 3, from his circular of 1874. ■ This patent was a monstrosity. It was born eleven years too late, and bore the birthmark of illegitimacy. It was found to be void for want of novelty by the United States Courts. More of this later. The other patent referred to is dated April 5, 1887, No. 360,- 638. The invention embodied in this patent is stated to be an improvement on that covered by the above named voided pat- ent; that is, it is an ‘‘improvement” on a thing that does not exist. It is a Westinghouse patch on nothing, — the material of which the Westinghouse “system” is made. This patent shows and describes by name the Robinson closed circuit and is the Robinson system, with a slight modification in the detail of a local circuit closer. It could not give the patentee any right to use the system, to say nothing about his right to attach his name to it. This patent illustrates, but does not describe, the Robinson electro-pneumatic system. Note also that this patent is dated sixteen years later than Robinson’s British Electro Pneumatic Signal patent of 1871. So far as we have been able to ascertain, George Westing- house never invented an automatic electric or electro-pneumatic railway signal system of any kind whatever controlled by pass- ing trains, and never made any material improvement, even in the details, of any such system. He appears, therefore to have added absolutely nothing to the art of automatic signaling in the line of advancing it beyond the condition to which Robinson bad developed it more than thirty years ago. Westinghouse struts under stolen plumage, and when this is torn off he appears as a vulgar bird of prey ravenously seiz- 51 mg, (ievouring, digesting, assimilating and growing fat, arro- gant and wealthy upon otlier men’s reputation and work. If any one will inform the author of any important invention origiated, developed and reduced to practical o})eration by (Jeorge Westinghouse personally, referring to documentary evi- dence that would i)ass muster in a court of law, that Westing- liouse was the originator of such invention, the author will feel under great obligations. This invitation is not limtied as to ])ersons. In a forest of parasitical and fungus growth it would be very gratifying to find even one noble tree towering high above the surrounding noxious weeds and raising its lofty head toward lieaven without feeling that it must veil its face to hide a blush of shame because of its own doubtful lineage and sus])icious surroundings. The Robinson Automatic ^Electric Signal System. As installed by the Hall JSignal Comt)any on the K. Y. Cen- tral and Hudson River Railroad, under the fraudulent i)sendo- nym of the ‘‘Hall Signal System.” The above system was broadly patented by Robinson in 1S72. 52 Tlie Hall Signal Company adopted the Robinson system on the expiration of his basic patents, but unjustly, dishonestly and ])iratically put the Robinson system forward under the fraud- ulent pseudonym of the ‘‘Hall Signal System” although the real l lall System, so called, had died of iimnition years before. This bold theft and underhanded attack on Robinson’s reputation as an epoch making inventor is actionable in law and renders its perpetrators liable to heavy damages.. The Hall Signal Company. About 1867 Mr. Thomas S. Hall put in operation experimen- tally at Stamford, Conn, an electrically operated visual switch signal. This was connected up in such a way that the throwing of the switch from the main line to a siding closed an electric circuit and brought a danger signal into view. The return of 11m switch to the main line opened the circuit and the signal disappeared. This was all. It was a normally open circuit de- vice, and of course possessed the inherent objections to sudi de- vices as already pointed out. It was not until several years later, according to authentic records and information, that Mr. Hall commenced experiment- ing on automatic signals controlled by passing trains. After much experimenting and many failures he finally deve- loped what has heretofore been coimnonly known as the Hall System of Signaling. It was a normally open circuit system. The signals were brought into the danger position by the direct action of the electric current and passed to the “safety” posi- tion by the weight of the signal itself or by a counterweight, when the electric circuit was opened. The circuit was closed by the impact of the wheels of the cars upon a lever placed at right angles to a rail of the track block, and opened by wheel contact with a similar lever at the other end of the block. This system was open to all the objections inherent in all open circuit systems, as heretofore pointed out, and they need not, therefore be here repeated. About 1870-71 Robinson and Hall were both experimenting on automatic o])en circuit systems, along tlie same genei'al lines; 53 that is, each used the open circuit and track levers to close and open circuit. The systems differed in details of construction. Robinson always believed that the Hall system, as above des- cribed, was an infringement of some of his earlier patents of 1870, — applications filed earlier. After Hall had put several signals in operation on the N. Y. N. H. & H. R. R. Robinson called on President Bishop of that road and informally notified him that the Hall signals were an infringement of his patents. Mr. Bishop said he was not familiar with the sigmals, to which Mr. Robinson replied: ‘^That may he; but you have been Com- misisoner of Patents and are undoubtedly familiar with the scope of patent claims ; will you have the kindness to look over these! Mr. Bishop looked carefully over the Robinson patents pre- sented to him and then said: ‘^Well, if you are going to contest this matter we will take the signals off. ’ ’ Further investigation showed, however, that the Hall signals were not working properly or satisfactorily on this or any other road, and Robinson concluded it was not worth while to make a contest over a spavined horse. He therefore allowed Hall to go on his way without interfer- ence. The more so, as he, Robinson, had abandoned the open circuit system as soon as he had invented, and demonstrated the utility of his closed rail circuit system, now in universal use. Mr. Thomas S. Hall was very persevering, but unfortunately, could never see a weak point in his own work. If it was the work of Thomas S. Hall it must be correct, seemed to be his principle. Furthermore, he seemed anxious to put out signals as rapidly as possible without first having tested one or two installations sufficiently to develop the best results possible in an impossible system. As a result, so far as I have been able to ascertain, the Hall Signal Company never met with any substantial success or suc- ceeded in installing equipments that gave satisfaction to the users, and certainly never succeeded in making an installation that met the imperative requirements of an efficient block sig- 54 nal system, as that was impossible with an open cirenit system, such as the Hall. The Hall Signal Company succeeded in maintaining a pre- carious existence, through various vicisitudes for a number of years, and at the time of the expiration of the Robinson basic patents, about 1889, had arrived at the blissfull condition of innocuous desuetude. Meantime Mr. W. P. Hall, the youngest son of Thomas S., and the i)resent President of the Hall Signal Company had been making a careful study and investigation of the Robinson closed rail circuit system, and concluded that this was the only force available that could pull the Hall Signal Company out of the slough of despond into which it had ‘sunk, and start it on a career of success and prosperity. The Hall Signal Company Reorganizes. The Hall Signal Company immediately reorganized and adopted the Robinson System instead of the defunct Hall sys- tem, which, like any other member of the public, it had a right to do, in view of the expiration of the Robinson basic patents, v/hich had become public property. The Hall Signal Company, however, put forward and installed the Robinson Signal system and published it to the world under the false, fraudulent and misleading pseudonym of ^^The Hall Signal System.” This crime against Robinson’s credit and reputation as the author and creator of a great and valuable original invention the Hall Signal Company committed delib- erately, knowingly, falsely, fraudulently and of malice afore- 1 bought, and for this it is responsible. It deliberately stole the panoply of Robinson in which it wrapped its own attenuated form and thought to deceive by attaching the name ‘‘Hall” in large characters to the effigy. It stole the lion’s skin, in which it wrapi^ed itself, and would |)ass for a lion, but the long ears could not be concealed, and while the hoofs may have become cloven and the tail perha])s somewhat spearlike, yet the whole foul combination was there and when it o])ened its brazen 55 throat and exclaimed ‘‘Am not I a lion!” even the blind heard the well known voice and langhed in derision. Perhai^s the first prominent installation of the Robinson track circuit system made by the Hall Signal Company, under the fraudulent and ]:)iratical pseudonym of “The Hall Signal Sys- tem” was made on the Illinois Central Railroad in connection with tlie World’s Pair in Chicago in 1893. This Robinson Auto- matic System was used to control the movements of trains to and from the fair grounds, running on a headway of a fraction of a minute. In an annual report of the Railroad and Warehouse Com- missioners of Illinois, published in the Railway Review of Au- gust 18, 1894, in referring to the operation of these signals dur- ing the last half of 1893, they say : “We are informed by the management of the Illinois Central that not a single accident occurred on that part of their line pro- tected by the block signals during the World’s fair traffic, which could in any way be attributed to defects in the block system; the average number of daily trains handled was between seven and eight hundred, and the number of passengers carried during the period of the fair was nine million six hundred thousand, exclusive of through passenger business.” This marvelous record of the efficiency of the Robinson signal system could not have been made, probably, with similar free- dom from accidents, by three times the number of trains on three times the number of tracks without this signal system. That the above described installation is confessedly an em- bodiment of the Robinson automatic system, pure and simple, installed on the Illinois Central Railroad by the Hall Signal Company, under the fraudulent pseudonym of the “Haul Sigiial System” is demonstrated by the following description of that installation from the Railway Review of January 28, 1893: “The sgnaJ apparatus used is the Hall system.” * * * Then follows the following excellent description of the Robin- son system, as used by the Hall Signal Company, without any modification whatever: “At this point the track circuit is introduced. The operation of this circuit is generally understood. The track is divided into 56 insulated sections not exceeding 20()() feet in length. Adjacent rail ends are bonded together with two wires. At the end of the insulated section farthest away from the signal is located the track battery consisting of two cells of ordinary gravity bat- tery, connected in multiple. One side of this battery is con- nected to one rail of the section, and the other side to the other. That end of the section nearest the signal is connected to a relay in the same manner — one rail to one side of the relay and the other to the other side. ‘^The normal flow of the current is from one side of the bat- tery through one rail and the relay to the other rail and back to opposite side of battery. This current holds up the armature of the relay and in so doing closes a local circuit which passes through the signal and holds it clear. The entrance of a pair of wheels on the insulated section furnishes a path for the cur- lent through the wheels and axles having less resistance than that through the relay. The current takes this path and cuts out the relay. The armature drops, breaking the local circuit and the signal goes to danger.” Comi)are the above with the description of the Robinson sys- tem as described and illustrated heretofore in connection with figures 2 and 3, then sweep the horizon with the highest power telescope and search diligently, though in vain, for the uncreated infinitesimal atom in vacuity, of honor, honesty, and fair-minded- ness of the party putting forward the K'obinson System of Auto- matic Electric Signals bodily, as above described, under the spurious and grossly fraudulent appellation of the ^^Hall” Sig- nal system. The Hall Signal Company relies upon carbonic acid gas as the medium for mechanically actuating the signal, by fluid pressure, and the action of this gas in performing its work is controlled l)y the Robinson closed track circuit with which it is connected. But even this method of operating a signal by electrically controlled gas pressure is broadly anticipated by Robinson ’s IT. S. patent No. 267,259, dated Nov. 7, 1882, Electro-Pneumatic Cate and Signal Apparatus, by the following claims: ‘H. The combination, substantially as bereinbefoi*e set forth, of a motor automatically conti'olled by a moving vehicle and driv- 57 en by fluid-i)ressure for actuating or clianging tlie position of a gate or signal, and a weight operating under the force of gravity to reverse at times the action of said motor, and thereby restore said gate or signal to its original ][)osition. ” In a gate or signal-operating mechanism the combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a piston moved to and fro within a cylinder by fluid-pressure and by the action of a weight, a valve to govern the jnovements of said piston by con- trolling the admission and exit of the fluid to and from said cylinder, and means for automatically operating said valve through the movements of a moving vehicle.” Again, the Hall Signal Company is putting forward as some- thing new what it is pleased to call the normal danger” signal system. That is, the Robinson closed rail circuit is used in the usual way; but the local circuit including the signal-controlling magnet under control of the relay is normally an open circuit and conseqeuntly the signal, overbalanced by its counterweight, is normally in an exposed or danger position against an ap- proaching train. When the train, however, enters upon the sec- tion with which the signal is connected the relay is demagnetized by short circuiting in the usual way. The armature, thus re- leased, closes circuit on the back contact of the relay thus closing the local circuit through the signal controlling magnet. The danger signal is thus thrown to the safety position in the face of the approaching engineer by the vitalizing of the local or signal-controlling magnet. Mr. Robinson used this x^entical arrangement and oiieration of circuits in 1872, and later. (See description of Robinson’s exhibit at State Fair, Erie, Pa., 1872.) In an ap])lication which he made in 1872, as above described, the demagnetization of the relay by short circuiting closed the local circuit at the back contact of the relay including the signal controlling magnet tlius controlling the movement and actuation of the signal mechanism. When the relay magnet was energized the local circuit through the signal controlling magnet was 0 ])ened and the signal was thus normally quiescent or ‘Mead.” AVlieu a ^‘ong is placed in the local circuit it is silent when 58 the section is clear and the relay vitalized, but when a train enters upon the section thus de-energizing the relay the local circuit is closed and the bell rings. On the other hand when a visual signal is used and the relay vitalized the local circuit is opened and the signal is thus kept in a quiescent state by its counterbalance, and reversed by the closing of the local circuit when the relay is demagnetized. This arrangement of circuits is also shown, substantially, in Pig. 3, herein, reproduced from Robinson’s circular of 1874, in which the de-energizing of the relay R closes the local circuit through its back contact, the wire G, the line wire H and gong L. In this circuit however, an additional function is introduced, inasmuch as the circuit through the line H is not completely closed until the signal C is in its exposed or changed position. In this case the de-energizing of the relay opens the circuit of the home signal and, closing circuit on its back contact, actuates the distant signal and thus proves the danger position of the home signal. The substitution of one form of signal tor another, whether visual or audible, does not involve patentable invention, and the trifling modification of using the local circuit on normally open or normally closed circuit Mr. Robinson regarded as op- tional with him under his patents and not involving any patent- able difference. At any rate he put both methods in actual operation, according to his convenience and purposes, in 1872 and subseqeunt years. In view of the foregoing the pretensions of the Hall Signal Company to possessing anything original in the so-called No'r- mal Danger Signal System” seems to have no better sup])ort than a broken reed and a staff of pretension. Federal Court’s Decision on Robinson’s Invention. Some years ago the Union Switch and Signal Company brought suit against the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Com- ])any and the Hall Signal Company for infringement of five patents, two granted to Oscar Gassett, one to Gassett & Pisher one to George Westinghouse, Jr. and the other was on a small de- 59 tail having no bearing on the art and was decided not infringed. The case was tried before the Circuit Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Penna. The Court decided that the Hall Signal Company was using the Robinson Signal System covered by Robinson’s exjhred pat- ents, which had becoine public property, and therefore there was no infringement. The case was appealed to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, Tnird Circuit, which affirmed the decision of the lower Court. The following is from the Court’s discussion of the Gassett patents : ‘‘Long before October, 1880, wliicli is the date of granting pat- ent No. 233,746 ( Gassett ’s) William Robinson obtained in the United States, patent No. 130,661, dated iVngnst 20, 1872, the object of which was to operate electric signals by means of mov- ing trains, using the rails of the track as conductors of the elec- tric current. He divided the track into sections insulated at the ends and created a circuit normally closed which held the danger signal at safety. When the train entered upon the sec- tion the electric current short circuited through the wheels and axles of the cars and thereby demagnetized the electro magnet which held the signal at safety and caused it to change to danger. The specification of this patent also set out the means by which any desired number of signals could be operated at different points from a single section of track. Robinson in his British patent dated August 29, 1879, also says: ‘One or more lines of wire may also be used to operate additional signals, for in- stance to indicate when the block signal has changed.’ ” “The expressed objects of both inventions [Gassett ’s] are to supplement an old device and one well known in the art. It will be seen that tlie division of the track into insulated signal sec- tions having a normally closed circuit holding the signal at safe- ty, together with the breaking of this circuit by the passing of the electric current through the wheels and axles of the mov- ing train, and thereby placing the signal at danger, was but the Robinson device hereinbefore referred to, while the means em- j)loyed for the continuation of the exhibition of the danger sig- 60 iial (luring the time oc^mpied by tiie train in traversing a deter- minate ])ortion of the next siuH'eeding signal sc^etion alone luul the semblance of novelty. Tliis continuation of the danger sig- nal has been presliadowed by Robinson.” The Westinghonse patent of record describes the Kol)inson system specifically and refers to it as “the well known Robin- son closed track circuit system,” * * * .^nd says: “This, also, is common to the Robinson system referred to; but instead of using these magnets to actuate signals I employ them as relays.” Robinson put in operation in 1872, everything, substantially, embodied in the subject-matter of the above described Westing- house patent, and embodied the same in every signal installation which he made subsequently thereto. Furthermore he described the same in a circular issued by him in 1872, and illustrated the same in a circular issued by him in Sept., 1874, a reproduction of said illustration is found in figure 3 of this paper. Thus Westinghouse, in taking out the above patent in 1883, was just eleven years behind Robinson’s actual invention and reduction to practice of the same thing. As to this Westinghouse patent the Court says: “We are of opinion that the patent No. 270,867 is void for want of novelty.” As to the Hall installations the Court says: “An examination of the defendant’s device shows that he has embodied the Rob- inson principle which was free to the world.” Again the Court says: “Both complainants and defendants operate upon the Robinson principle.” Thus, while Robinson had no personal interest in the above suit the Federal Courts have vindicated his reputation as the “creator” of the closed rail circuit of signaling as against both of the freebooting pirates, Westinghouse and Hall. Concession by Counsel for the Hall Signal Company. Counsel for the Hall Signal Company, in his argument before the Court of Appeals in the above suit made the following re- markable concession: “Defendant’s operation is, in everj^ part and parcel, on every 61 foot of every se(‘tioii, and over every signal, a Robinson opera- tion pure and simple, * * * * the track magnet always, and for every purpose, acting as a relay, as prescribed by Robinson, to (jpen a secondary circuit containing the signal; in fact con- taining two signals, as also prescribed by Robinson, and each section in that way controlling, through an ordinary" double relay, three signals, as Robinson says may be done — namely, one home and two distant signals (a near one on the same post with the home and a distant one a mile to the rear). Even^ characteristic Rohinson feature is retained. Every signal taken by itself is a pure Robinson signal. The whole taken together is a mere assemblage of Robinson signals.” How does the above voluntary statement made by Counsel for the Hall Signal Company, hefore the Court of Appeals, com- port with tlie fact that for years the Hall Signal Company has been deliberately installing the above described system under the pseudonym of the ^MTall Signal System!” The following further extract from the above named argai- ment will doubtless be of interest to signal engineers: ‘‘But the ‘real protection’ here spoken of was given to the art by Robinson. * * * That is to say, the idea of, and the means for, holding a signal completely under the control of the train after that train had passed the entrance to the portion of track which that signal is designed to guard came from Robinson, and came wholly from Rohinson. That is a question of the method of train control over signals^ and has nothing to do with the pres- ence or absence of an overlapping arrangement of the so-con- B'olled signals. Robinson fully disclosed the closed track circuit niethod of train control over signals and generically disclosed it, and tlie entire credit for the continuous and complete control of the train over the signal thereby secured is due to Robinson, whether one use or application or another be made of that method, and whether it be exercised from one portion of the track or another, and whether it be extended to one length of track or to another, and whether those lengths of track so con- trolling adjacent signals overlap each other or not, and whether one or more signals are simultaneously so controlled from a giv- en section of track.” 62 Oscar Gassett's Connection With Automatic Signaling. In December, 1875, as heretofore stated, Robinson went to Boston and took nj) bis residence tliere. At that time Gassett Fisher had a small slio}) in Boston for manufacturing electrical apparatus, — jobbing. Fisher was the mechanic, and a very good and reliable workman. Gassett was a clerk in the. Boston post- office, and spent much of his ofl‘ time at the shop tinkering over something. He never showed any signs of mechanical ability or originality. Mr. Robinson engaged this firm to manufacture most of the signal apparatus which he used in installing his signal system on various roads in Massachusetts, as heretofore described, during the years 1876-7-8. Gassett took a great interest in the Robinson signal system and became intensely anxious to become personally interested in it in some way. Robinson, however, considered him a rather light weight and did not at first regard him seriously. Gassett, however, had the excellent (luality of being very persevering. It transpired also that he had some wealthy and influential friends and relatives. Mr. Wendell Phillips was his uncle, and it was only at the personal suggestion of Mr. Phillips that Robinson consented to give Gassett a chance to connect himself with the Robinson automatic signal system — as a pro- moter only, his interest and connection with the system being entirely contingent on his success as a promoter. In line with this determination Robinson authorized Gassett to equip ten miles of the Fitchburg Railroad with the Robinson automatic signal system. This was in 1878. I may now here introduce a matter of some importance be- cause of its bearing on coming disclosures : Some time before going to Boston Robinson prepared a specification and drawings preparatory to applying for a patent on his rail bond wire. The specification was verified and ready for filing, and the drawing was completed and ready for inking. Idiese papers he loaned to Gassett, in December, 1875, or Jan- uary, 1876, and Gassett and Fisher both became familiar with the bond wire from these pax)ers and Robinson’s exj)lanations of 63 tlie necessity for using' tliein and tlie necessary ])oints to be observed in applying thein. Some time afterwards Kobinson asked for the return of these pa})ers but Gassett professed not to be able to find them. Rob- inson often repeated his demand for the return of these j)apers during months and even years afterwards, but the papers were never returned. Meanwhile i^reparations were going on for the equipment of the Fitchburg railroad, as above described. Gassett seemed to have a pretty poor opinion of the Robinson rail bond. He tliought he could do better. He therefore got up a device, by courtesy called a rail bond, each bond consisting of five detach- able ])ieces including two cast iron clamps for clamping the device to the flanges of the rails. It proved an utter failure both electrically and mechanically, and had to be taken off almost immediately and the Robinson bond wire substituted. 1 have recently had in my hand a clipping from a Boston p.-iper giving an account of a visit made by certain gentlemen to see the operation of the installation of the Robinson auto- matic signal system just after it was put in operation on the Fitchburg Railroad. That slip stated that the system was the ^Gnvention of Gassett it Fisher and Robinson.” Observe the sequence of the names! As a matter of fact, however, Gassett and Fisher had not at that time invented any ])art or improvement whatever in con- nection with the system, not even what might be covered by the shadow of a finger tip at midnight. The above, however, is merely a straw. The fact seems to be that Gassett was developing an almost insane desire to be known in some way. as an inventor in connection with the Robinson system, as will appear from what follows : Mr. Robinson went abroad in March, 1879, and was gone fifteen months returning in June, 1880. While he was gone, on May 4, 1880, Gassett & Fisher took out a United States patent on the Robinson bond wire described and illustrated in the papers which Robinson loaned to Gassett nearly five years before and which were never returned. The above patent seems to explain why those papes were never returned. On returning from abroad, 1 asked Mr. Fisher 64 to explain why he joined Gassett in taking out a patent on the liohinson hond wire. He explained that the attorney for the eonii)any told him that it would he all right, and so he thought it must he, liohinson being out of the country. Mr. Fisher as 1 have intimated, was an ingenious and skilled mechanic, and, I believe, a thoroughly honest man but knew nothing about patents or patent law and I cheerfully acquitted him of any intentional wrong doing in the above matter. In tlie suit between the Union Switch & Signal Company and the Hall Signal Company, above described, Gassett was a wit- ness and on being questioned admitted that he had received from Robinson the papers on the bond wire as above described. While Mr. Robinson was abroad a very full illustrated de- scription of the Robinson automatic signal system, in its var- ious phases and applications, was published in the Railroad Gazette, covering six and a half pages. The article was pre- pared by Mr. Thomas F. Krajewski. In introducing the description of the system the article says : ‘‘Mr. Oscar Gassett is its principal inventor.’^ Robinson’s name is not mentioned at all, nor is that of any one but Gassett. The above unclarified falsehood is doubtless explained by the fact that in Robinson’s absence J. Gardiner Sanderson, Gas- sett’s cousin, was Manager of the company and Oscar Gassett Superintendent. They thus had the best possible opportunity to impose upon Mr. Krajewski and lead him to unwittingly publish a base falsehood to the world, while Gassett could hide behind Robinson’s absence, and congratulate himself on the fugitive fame he had acquired by an insane plunge into the fountain of Mendacity, a palpably short sighted plunge which seems to justify a suspicion as to his mental responsibility. The system described in the paper is the Robinson system pure and simple. A careful review of all the facts fails to show that Gassett ever added anything to the art of automatic signaling. He got the subject-matter for the spurious patents which he secured from disclosures made to him by Robinson, as illustrated by his conduct in respect to Robinson’s bond wire, as above described, for instance. 65 Infringements. In tlie NeAV York Subway the alternating current from a step- down transformer, is used to magnetize the track relays for signaling purposes in order the more readily to prevent inter- ference between the propulsion and the signal controlling cur- rents. When the subway was opened in 1904, this application of the alternating current was heralded as a most wonderful improvement. It was said to open up a field in some respects revolutionary and is considered essential to the successful opera- tion of the subway system. This discovery however, like some others of the Union Switch and Signal Company, was rather belated in making its advent into the world. Mr. Robinson took out a patent on an Electric Railway System, dated Sept. 1, 1896, No. 566,801, application filed Dec. 19, 1894, generically covering the same invention, as will appear from the following: Claim 11. ‘‘The combination, substantially as described, of a continuously closed circuit, a magnet included in said circuit and operated or controlled without actually opening the circuit of said magnet, a transformer arranged to energize said circuit with a current of low voltage derived from a current of higher voltage and means for demagnetizing said magnet by short circuiting. ’ ’ Again, in the signal installations made by the Union Switch & Signal Company on the Boston Elevated Railway, and the Pennsylvania Railroad, and presumably on many other roads, the sectional conductors are furnished with current from a single generator connected in multiple to various sections. This construction and arrangement are anticipated generic- alU by claim I of Robinson’s patent No. 580,057, dated April 6, 1897, application filed January 21, 1895. The following is Claim /. “The combination, 'substantially as described, of a plurality of electro-magnets included in a continuously-closed circuit formed in part of two parallel lines of sectional contact conductors, said magnets being operated or controlled without 66 opening the circuit of the same, an electric generator furnishing current to said magnets through said parallel sections of con- tact conductors, and means for demagnetizing each of said magnets in succession, independently of the others, by making short circuiting contact between said respective parallel sec- tions of contact conductors.” It will be seen from the foregoing that the Boston Elevated Kailway Company, the Interborough Railway Company, operaC ing the New York Subway, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and probably many others, are all infringing the above patents, which are the exclusive property of Mr. Robinson and that the Union Switch and Signal Company is a general infringer of the same. Reputation as an Asset. Mr. Robinson’s life work has been devoted chiefly to improve- ments in connection with railroads. It will be understood therefore that the credit and reputation of having, at the beginning of his career, created an epoch-mak- ing invention of incalculable value to the human race in the wholesale saving of life, limb and property on railroads, must be an asset of well nigh incalculable pecuniary value, to say uothing of its sentimental interest, in the course of twenty-five or thirty of the best years of his life. The value of such an asset must, in this case run up very high into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and as dollars are counted in these days, doubtless into the millions. This is a rough estimate of the tangible inherent property rights of which George Westinghouse, President of, and in con- spiracy with, the Union Switch & Signal Com])any, and William \\ Mall, President of and in combination with, the Hall Sigiial (’ompany, have deliberately robbed Robinson, as criminally as if they had waylaid him in a dark wood and stolen this pro))erty by force of arms; and as to cons^heiu'e or remorse! Bnt why discuss a nonentity f Moral paresis obliterates conscience. 67 It has heretofore been pointed out that the Federal Courts have already decided that tlie Union Switch & Signal Comjjany and the Hall Signal Company^ are both using the system ^‘cre- ated by Kobinson.” This is a Court of Appeals decision that Robinson, and nobody else, is entitled to the credit and reputa- tion of having ‘'created’’ this invention. Under the circumstances an injunction can doubtless be ob- tained against these reputation-pirates on application, and exemplary damages by due process. It may be here pointed out that the great business success of the Hall Signal Company is based exclusively on its use of Rob- inson’s inventions, and the phenominal success of the Union Switch & Signal Company is based chiefly on the Robinson in- ventions, and the inverted-pyramid reputation of Gleorge West- inghouse as an inventor has been immensely expanded, — not to say rendered top heavy to its fail — by the grand larceny and adding thereto, by George Westinghouse, of Robinson’s credit, work and reputation as a creative and epoch making inventor. What Robinson Has Done in Automatic Electric Signaling. 1. He has created an epoch making invention of incalculable value to the human race in the wholesale saving of life and prop- erty on railroads, an invention of increasing importance and efficiency as time passes and its use is extended. It is an invention sc unique and profoundly philosophical that those best skilled in the electrical art at the time it was made, declared that it was contrary to all known laws of electrical action and could not possibly work. It took years after it was in full and perfect operation to educate some of these wiseacres up to it. 2. Robinson’s invention was not an improvement on some- thing that preceded it. It had no precedent. It was an entirely new creation involving principles and methods of operation never before known or used by anybody. 8. His invention was almost unique in this: It was a basic 68 invention conceived, tested, put in practical operation in many installations, and perfected, as a system, in all its details, by its original inventor. He reduced it to its lowest terms and its highest efficiency, a perfection and efficiency of o])eration which have not been exceeded since it left his hands many years ago. 4. His invention has made possible, with safety, the high speed railroading of to-day. Without this automatic signal system of lightning expresses now running could not average half their present speed with safety. A PRACTICAL. ILLUSTRATION I 5. As already stated, the automatic signal system used in and controlling tlie operation of traffic of the New York Subway is purely and exclusively a Robinson system. The magnitude, importance and value to humanity of this Robinson invention may be understood at a glance, as follows: Suppose that all the automatic electric signals in the subway were removed and the present high speed and frequent headway schedule of trains were maintained, it would not be an hour before the subway would be filled with wrecks from end to end; it would be a charnel house entombing thousands of dead, while the roof would be rent asunder by the shriekings and wailings of the imprisoned, maimed and dying victims of wrecks and burning. 6. Robinson’s automatic signal system has increased the traffic capacity of the New York Subway at least three-fold, and ])robably twice that. Without it the subway equipment could not transport with safety, one-fourth the number of passengers now carried. 7. This invention has created a practically new industry, giv- ing em])loyment to many thousands of men, in various capacities, skilled and unskilled. 8. It is enriching the railroads by enabling them to carry on twice the traffic, with a given equipment, that they could ever do before, and also by saving their ecjiiipment from destruction 69 by collisions and other destructive means, and in saving them from being mulcted in damages for killing and maiming the traveling public. 9. The Robinson automatic system is admittedly the only signal system ever produced that meets all the reciuirements of safe and rapid railroading. 10. Robinson’s subsidiary invention of the rail bond, made more than thirty years ago in connection with his automatic system of signaling, and now in universal use on all electric roads using the track return, throughout the world, has made possible electric railroading as practiced today. Without this Robinson bond or its equivalent those electric roads using the track return could not be operated. 11. The Riobinson automatic system is a humanitarian inven- tion of the very highest order, to which thousands of travelers by rail are indebted for the preservation of life and limb.