Patent GB-191106630-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
Inventor: VAHEY HERBERT LOWRY
IPC: B61L25/02
Filed: 1911-03-16
Granted: 1911-09-28
Abstract: 6630. Vahey, H. L. March 16. Miniature signals; recording signals; track apparatus actuating signals on trains and other than on trains.-Means are provided in the signal cabin for informing the signalman of the distance of trains on his section, at successive intervals, for informing him of the speed of the trains over successive portions of the section, and for enabling him to signal to the driver. At successive intervals of say a mile from the cabin a, Fig. 6, are contacts b consisting of pivoted arms f, Fig. 11, adapted to be depressed by the wheel flanges. The cams f carry conducting pins k in non-conducting mounts i, the pins k when depressed, contacting with cupped pins o mounted in non-conducting cases p, both mounts i, p having resilient supports h, q. A contact is thus completed in a cabin circuit containing a battery and two electro-magnets t, Fig. 1, placed on either side of a casing s which contains an indicator board u corresponding in numbering to the distance of its contact b. The board is normally held up by springs x carrying the armatures z of the magnets t, but falls into view when the latter are energized. In the lower part of each indicator casing except the first, is a chronograph instrument the axle of which carries a finger moving over a dial graduated to show speed. The ' stop,' ' start,' and ' fly-back ' mechanisms are operated by different pushes, the last being operated on the re-setting of the board u by pulling the cord v. The ' stop ' and ' start ' mechanisms are operated by the fall of the board through two pivoted levers 3 in its path, these levers operating through cords 5 and bell-crank levers 6, to depress the buttons 9. The first indicator has one lever 3 to depress the ' start ' button 9 of the next, while in the other indicators the levers 3 act on the next ' start ' and their own ' stop ' buttons. The chronograph spindle also carries a pinion 14 engaging a sector 16 carrying an arm 17 which moves a pencil 18 over a rotating drum or over paper intermittently fed between two rollers on the raising of the board u. To enable the signalman to signal to the driver, two contact plates 22, 23 are arranged on the track near each contact b, and are connected to a battery circuit through a three-way switch 31. These plates are adapted to contact with a wheel 24 mounted in slots in a non-conducting bracket 25 on the engine, and normally depressed by springs surrounding pins attached to the axle. Lamp or bell signals are arranged in circuit on the engine. With the switch 31 in the position shown in Fig. 6, a circuit will be completed through the contact 23 and a ' slow ' signal given. When the switch 31 is moved over to the middle contact, the piece 33 and the spring 34 maintain the first contact so that a double signal is given on the engine to order the driver to stop with his contact roller on a third contact 30, in which position he may receive a starting signal by further movement of the switch 31; or he may communicate with the driver by means of telephonic or signal arrangements.