Patent GB-189809494-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Railway Signalling Systems and Apparatus.
Inventor: BEZER HENRY
Filed: 1898-04-25
Granted: 1899-04-08
Abstract: 9494. Bezer, H. April 25. Semaphore &c. signals; lamp signals ; controlling and locking signals; signalling and communicating between trains.-The semaphore arm A, Figs. 1 and 2, is mounted centrally on a shaft A', which is journalled in the box B carried by the narrow arm or bracket A<3> on the signal post A'. For a line clear' signal, the arm is continuously rotated by the electric or other motor M, through the spur gearing M', C, or through worm gearing, the clutch C', C<3>, which connects up the gearing, being actuated by the armature C' of the electromagnet E when the magnet is energized. The arm is normally at rest and horizontal, for a 'danger' signal, but, should the arm, through any failure of the mechanism &c., come to rest in any other position, it is also regarded as showing ' danger.' For night signalling, the lamp L shows a flashing light, caused by the rotation of the arm A, for ' safety,' and a steady light for ' danger.' The lamp may also be connected by bevel gearing to the shaft A' so as to rotate with the arm, and may have a coloured bull's-eye. To effect the return of the arm to its normal position of 'danger,' the shaft A<1> is geared through the pinion D to the pinion F' on the shaft F, which is connected to the dash-pot G<1>. A part of the periphery of the pinion F<1> is toothless, and a spring tooth is mounted in the blank space, the spring tooth and the discs D<1>, F<2> permitting the continued rotation of the shaft D after the shaft F<1> has stopped. When the magnet E is de-energized and the clutch disengaged, the dashpot weight returns the mechanism to the normal position. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 10 and 11, a commutator K', preferably mounted on the shaft A<1>, is employed to control the circuits of the motor M. In Fig. 10, two movable brushes 1, 2, controlled by the electromagnet H in the line circuit, and two fixed brushes 3, 4 are employed, while in Fig. 11 an additional fixed brush 5 is provided. The track relays I, I' are normally closed, and are short-circuited by the passage of a train from one block to the next. When the line circuit is broken, the magnet H is de-energized and the motor circuit through the brushes 1, 2 broken, but the motor circuit is continued through the fixed brushes 3, 4 until the brush 4 comes on the insulated section K<2> of the commutator, on which the signal stops at its normal position. The brush 5, Fig. 11, provides for the signal arm being moved at a slower speed prior to stopping, the motor circuit which effects the final movement passing through the resistance R. In another arrangement, the signal arm has three positiuns of rest, viz., horizontal, inclined, and vertical, respectively representing `danger,' 'caution' or one block clear, and safety' or two blocks clear, the lantern having three bull's-eyes of different colours, such as red, green, and white, and being rotated in conjunction with the semaphore arm. The commutator for this arrangement is constructed so that the signal arm is stopped in a horizontal or inclined position according to whether the section in advance is blocked or clear. Two arrangements are also described for automatically switching in a reserve battery in case of failure of a main battery.