IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH RAILWAY SIGNALLING APPARATUS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward James Chabrel at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th April 1882.
EDWARD JAMES CHABREL of Shepherds Bush in the County of Middlesex
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH RAILWAY SIGNALLING APPARATUS
My Invention relates to improved apparatus for signalling on railways, and
consists 1st in apparatus for causing an audible signal upon the engine to be,
sounded at required times and places, such apparatus being worked by the'
signalmen in the ordinary way of working the semaphore signals now employed.
This apparatus consists of a double inclined plane placed longitudinally between
the rails and which may or may not be fixed in position and when movable is
supported upon a carriage capable of being traversed between the rails so as to
bring the inclined plane into line with a pendent rod on the engine by which the
gong is sounded. This inclined plane may be capable of slight movement in the
vertical direction and be supported upon springs which permit it to yield when
struck by the device on the engine and prevent shock which might otherwise
damage the apparatus. The carriage supporting the incline is carried by rollers
running on cross rails fixed to the sleepers or otherwise and is traversed thereon
between the rails of the permanent way by means of cranks, rods, and other
connections such as now used for operating semaphore signals, and worked from
the signal box in the ordinary way.
In applying this part of the Invention to a railway the line would be divided
into sections and one or more of such movable inclined planes together with a
fixed inclined plane would be placed at the commencement of each section for the
purpose of sounding the engine gong one or more times as may be required. In
order to ensure certainty of action the apparatus on the engine is carried upon a
support fixed to the axle box or other part in connection with the axle so as to be
always at a uniform height above the permanent way and independent of the load
in the shape of coals and water upon the engine. The gong would be sounded by
the upward motion of a sliding pendent rod meeting the inclined plane before
described.
The Invention consists secondly in apparatus whereby one or two of these
inclined planes may be operated or set by the same signal hand lever and by the

page_text: same movement thereof, as may be required. The signal lever is of the ordinary
description and works over a quadrant in the usual way and the one of the two
inclines is connected with the lover itself and the other incline is worked by a
drum or wheel which may or may not be made to gear with the lever as required.
For this purpose the lever is provided with a longitudinal bolt in addition to and
resembling the sliding bolt or catch rod which locks the lever to its quadrant, and
worked in the same way, this bolt being adapted to engage, when the lever is in
the forward position, with a segment of a drum in gear with the drum above
mentioned whereby the latter drum is moved and the second incline is set
simultaneously with the first; or by disengaging the bolt the second one may be
rendered inoperative and the first one may be set alone. The bolt by which the
two are thus geared together is retained in the locked position by a detent upon
the handle of the catch bolt engaging with the lever quadrant so that the action of
releasing the latter bolt from the notch in the quadrant also releases the former
bolt from the drum segment and disconnects the two portions of the apparatus.
The various inclines when depressed by the engine passing over them are made to
-open-or-close_electric_circuits in connection with them, and thus to operate
indicating and signalling apparatus in the different-signal-boxes_whereby the
progress of a train may be recorded by its passage over the different inclines.
corresponding to the various indexes of the indicator. Electric bell signalling
apparatus is also provided for starting a train again after it has been stopped.
One form of indicator used to denote the number of times a given inclined plane
has been set, consists-of-an-ordinary counter having a propelment applied to the
units index operated by an electro magnet.
The Invention consists, 3rdly in improved semaphore signalling apparatus which
-consists of a movable arm or disc working up and down in front of a fixed arm or
disc so that either one may be exhibited at an-aperture-in-the-case which contains
them, the one indicating "danger" and the other "safety" or "caution," and in
the combination therewith of colored spectacles and lamps also contained within
the casing and visible through apertures in the arms or discs. The movable arm
or disc receives a parallel motion up and down by cranks on a rock shaft which is
operated by the ordinary signal lever and connections, and which is also connected
with and operates another rock shaft on which the spectacles are carried.
The casing is also provided with an aperture at its back, in front of which a
colored glass is brought so as to warn the engine driver in case he should be
travelling in the wrong direction on the line.