The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-23
PREVENTS RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Device for Automatically ArrestinB On"
Speed Of Trains.

WARRINGTON, Sept. 22.-Consul John L.
crinth. at Liverpool, has reported to the
Bureau OF Manufacturers q remarkA bic
dsvioe for automatically arTesting d
.need Of railroad trains in cases Of sudden
danger, The plan has, been tried on q por-
ZION OF the line Of the North stanordAhire
Railway Company, and It has proved 90
uooessiul that q further test will be given
an a more congested part Of their lines.
sThs system Ia remarkable for is in
r.puity and its simplicity" says Consul
Griffith. For q long time a system OF
EsualGng has been almost universally In
uss which repeats In the signal cabin the
condition OF the signals which are con-
troled from that cabin. so many slsnAis
are not visible from the cabins from which
thew are operated that tho value OF this
safeguard b quite obvious. The inyen.
ton carries this principle q furtner st@ES
and achieves an wen more notable and
imporant ~preoaution by repeating the
STATE Of the signals, not only y the signal
box hut also in the cab OF tho locomotive,
and 10 insures that the driver b at all
tines have a clear view OF the condition
Of the signals governing 2 ROAD 9
which his engine is TO III b v accom-
b ished by means OF pneumahcaily oper-
ted miniature semaphores Atted up In the
cab OF the locomotive. Opposite eaon
line signal q set OF trippeFe in duplicate
Is placed in the four foot way. Tho trip
pes are mechanically n elooST1cauy
connected with the ordinary signaling
apparatus and stand erect or lie rat accord
ing a. the signals h danger or line clear.
Beneath the locomotive there are Two
striking levers moving e!ther VayL which
project such a distance a. to meet the trip
pers when they are erect and to pass over
them altogether when they are IoWereu'
When danger is signalled, therefore, the
striking lever is thrown back by the up.
Standing tTippers, with the instant eject
that the s~emaphores in the cab OF the en-,
gine faithfully reproduce the signal, ana
the levers, after striking the trippers, re-
main securely locked until released by the
driver. but that is not all. Should tne
driver for any reason disregard the signal
bic train Is automatically pulled up quite
Independently of his own operations, ana
simultaneously a warning note IL sounded
BY a horn on the locomotive, 80 that he ie
warned Of his position both by visual and
audible signals. At the same moment the
signal man is warned of the ~lrregularlty
by means of a special repeater fitted in the
signal box, and an alarm bell - sat g9lne
and continues ringing until he aoknowledges
hby pressing 3 p!unScT Ia the FspoaSoT
10 actual operation all this 10 very mucn
simpler than perhaps appears from the
description, So easily M with sucn
prompt response does every part OF he
apparatus work that the probability 81
any Portion % IL being thrown out OF geai
7, % say the least Of il, exceedingly remote
But in the event Of such a contingency
oeclrrng, either from accidental breakagt
Or deliberate tampering, the mtshap car
scarcely he attended with any element o
dalge-, C0rTlete provision is made for
cntretemps Of that sort. The immediate
eject Of the failure Of any pAft OF the appa
ratns TO fuHil its appointed task would q
mat 10th the driver and signal man wouk
De warned, and the line upon whlch TN
accident occurred would he blocked.
II the tripper mechanism, for instanoe
we're % be put out of action the signal maj
would he given instant vaTnin8--a dis
would fall O n the repeater in front OF mn
d~lsc;sing tho words out Of order, and a
me same tine an alarm Dell would rlng
Moreover. II anyhreakage should take plac
Ms rect,icafion would e a matter OF yer,
Ettle tine ard very little trouble, as a
Sarte Of the system are ~interchange cable
breakaces indeed, would be very rart
!udre iy the working of the system a
V TIE present. For nearly two years IN
Fhllllrs syndicate has had a locomotiV
nued up with it's apparatus, and althoug
u has cen in constant use there has bee
70 occasion 10 replace a striking lev
hnd every Fart Of the mechanism IL sti
IN hrst class order