Improvements in Safety Appliances for Railway Traffic.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th. Nov., 1893
(omplete Specification Left, 23rd Jan., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Appliances for Railway Traffic.
I, CORNELIUS BOK, of the Hague, Holland, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to certain improvements in safety appliances for railway
traffic, and has for its object the attainment of a perfectly automatic check, so that
collisions may be, to a great extent avoided, the regulation of said traffic being
automatic.
In carrying my invention into effect, I use a pressure contact, preferably placed
upon the locomotive or guard's van or any other suitable part of the train, so that
said contact may actuate the steam whistle or other steam sounder and also open
the valves of the Westinghouse or other brake fitted upon the train, or any part
thereof.
Said pressure contact consists of a roller, carried by a suitable fork or other
bearing in front of the locomotive or in any other part of the train that may be
convenient for its operation. A slotted lever is connected to the carrier or furcated
bearing of the roller, so that its movement upwards or downwards may cause the
valves, taps, or cocks, of the steam whistle and break, and also of the regulator or
throttle valve in some cases of application. A suitable rod, chain; or the like is
fixed to the several valve attachments, so that the engine driver or other attendant
may by a simple movement restore these to their normal position.
The roller, or as hereinafter termed, the contact, being thus fixed in front of the
locomotive, or other part of the train, in such a manner that a vertical movement
may operate the vacuum or other brake, the whistle or like sounder, and in some
cases the regulator or steam pressure controller, it is obvious that if any projecting
arrangement be placed so as to coincide with the aforesaid roller, so that the latter
is raised the speed of the train may be checked, automatically by the application
of the brake, and the driver or others may be advised by the whistle or other aural
signal.
The projections upon the track are arranged so that they may be worked upon
a pivot, or upon a slide in connection with, or independently of the ordinary signal
arrangements or switches for cross or other roads. The pivotted projecting slip
upon one line of rails automatically protects the opposite line, since the locomotive
is at once checked within a predetermined distance, and the two slips upon the two
different sets of rails are so arranged that they cannot both be operative, that is to
say, the movement of a switch, signal, or an independent mechanism, which clears
one set of rails automatically closes the other, so that if a goods train, or other train
be switched upon a siding or the like it is impossible that another train upon the
main line could collide, since the clearing switch upon the oue side is so coupled to
that upon the other side as to render it impossible for both to be open. In some
cases
may dispense with signals, and operate the switches independently, and in
the case of the adoption of my invention on a single line, with turn off sidings or
switches, I shall prefer to do so.
I may connect the projecting contacts with wires, rods, or the like, so that they
may be operative with minimum degree of friction, and so couple them them that it is
impossible for a siding or turn out, to be open when a main line is also
that the train may be stopped as herein before mentioned.
open
and
I may adopt, in various cases of application to single, double or other lines of
railway any variation of the device so that the essential features thereof are
preserved, which are in the construction and use of a sliding or pivotted contact bar

page_text: or switch placed between the rails of a railway track so that they may be caused
to move, to make or avoid contact, in connection with each other as aforesaid, so
that a suitable roller or contact upon the locomotive or other part of the train may,
when required, make contact, the effect being to mechanically operate the vacuum
or other brake, the whistle or other audible signal, and in some cases the steam
regulator.
I do not confine myself to the particular arrangement of each part of the
apparatus according to my invention, but may alter the construction and means for
operation to suit the requirements if individual cases of adoption, preserving the
essential features constituting the invention as herein set forth.
Dated this 7th day of November 1893.
FREDK. WALKER,
73, St. Stephen's Road, Upton Park, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Appliances for Railway Traffic.
I, CORNELIUS BOк, of The Hague, Holland, Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to certain improvements in railway traffic, and has for its
object the attainment of a perfectly automatic check, so that collisions may be, to
a great extent avoided, the regulation being automatic.
In order that my said invention may be the better understood, I have appendel
the accompanying four sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1, Sheet 1 is a plau
view of a contact piece, Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on line A B, and
Figure 3 an end elevation forms A, Figure 1, Figure 4 shews an alternative
device. Figure 5 is a diagram shewing application to a steam locomotive. Figure 6
is an elevation of a roller device attached to a locomotive drawn to a larger scale,
and Figure 7 is a general diagram and elevation of the same, shewing attachment
to cocks, valves, etc. Figure 8 is a plan view of a striking lever, and Figures 9
and 10 are respectively front elevational and plan views of a striking iron for
operating said lever, and also its mode of attachment to a locomotive. Figure 11
Sheet 2, shews the invention applied to a four cross, or eight cross railway.
Figures 12, 13, and 14 Sheet 3 are diagrammatic views shewing various cases of
application, as are also Figures 15, 16 and 17 Sheet 4, each of which are fully
described hereinafter.
In carrying my invention into effect, I use contact bar, shewn in plan by
Figure 1 Sheet 1, sectional elevation by Figure 2 and end elevation by Figure 3.
Said contact bar A is pivotted at B, and operated upon either side by means
of connecting rods, wires, or chains, which may or may not be in connection with
any part of the signalling or switching apparatus of the railway, or may be
automatically operated by what is hereinafter called a "striking lever." The
position in which the contact bar A is shewn, is that herein termed the " contact-
making position," relatively to the rails r, and the dotted outline shews the
position when "off contact." Referring to Figure 2 (the reference letters and
figures indicating corresponding parts throughout the drawings, where practicable)
the surface of A marked b, is raised to a certain distance above the rails r, as
shewn by the rail line or levely and the contact level a on Figure 3 and 5, said level
surface 6 being approached on both sides by a slope, so that in the case of requiring a
b
very long contact bar A, the raised surface will be clear of the rail level y, at
the "off contact" position, presuming the required contact to be central. In order
to minimise friction, and, as much as possible, to avoid blocking by snow or
frozen rain, I provide a roller a which may, since the arc of the travel of A is

page_text: small, be so arranged as to roll upon the surface of one of the sleepers or upon
a suitable circular track attached thereto. As an alternative device, shewn by
Figure 4, instead of fixing the contact bar a between the rails r by means of a
pivot, I
may cause it to slide by means of parallel bars, rods, chains or the
like CC from the "contactmaking" position to that of "off contact is shewn
by the dotted outline, and may in such a case use rollers or other friction reducing
devices to facilitate the operation. Upon the locomotive or any other part of the
train I affix a rolling contact D shewn in its general position relatively to the
rails and rail level y, so that in its lowest position it is clear of said rails and
is not disturbed by passing over crossings, etc., and only raised vertically by passing
over the contact bar A, Figures 1, 2, and 3 or 4, hereinabove described, by
Figure 5, and the general arrangement thereof drawn to an enlarged scale by
Figures. 6 and 7 upon the same sheets. A roller D is mounted with a suitable
bearing within the fork of a link-E which is pivotted to a cross lever or beam G
at R, said beam G being suspended from a hanger F attached to the boiler, bogie
frame, or other part of the locomotive, or other part of the train of vehicles. In
its normal position the roller D is clear of the rail level y, and the lever or beam G
being connected to a rod J beyond its fulcrum at F holds the valve L, (which is
a throttle valve, arranged in the steam pipe independently of the ordinary
locomotive regulator), in its open position and also holds open the valve M, which
may be that of a vacuum or air brake, but in the case of the latter, the position
shewn would be, of course, that closing the pressure.
The whistle, or other
audible alarm may be connected to the rod J, and, in carrying out my invention
I preferably use all of these, but may use and one singly and independently.
When the roller D is caused by the motion of the train to come in contact with a
contact bar A as shewn by Figures 1, 2, and 3 in its "contact making" position,
it is raised to the position shewn by the dotted line, and by the action of the
lever G and rod, J closes the cock or valve L in the steam pipe, and operates the
cocks or valves of the brake and whistle at the same time. The danger being thus
averted, the engine driver may restore the cocks or valves to their normal positions,
also the roller D is pivotted at R to the lever G, it is necessary to provide a
means for preserving its vertical suspension, both in its highest and lowest positions.
This is effected by means of a parallel bar H, jointed to an extension I of the
suspensory bracket F. Although I have shewn and described this method of attaching
a roller contact to a locomotive or other part of a train, I do not confine myself to it
especially, nor to the means for attachment to, and operation of the various valves and
cocks, since the essential feature of my said invention is in the stopping of a train by
raising a contact permanently fixed thereto, by means of a contact bar or bars upon
the permanent way, which are capable of adjustment automatically or otherwise,
the arrangement and details of which may be varied in the case of different
locomotives in which the said cocks and valves may be constructed and operated in
a different manner. Thus, as herein before described, a train may be stopped by
the roller D coming in contact with a bar A when in "contactmaking" position,
and may pass clearly over it when in "off contact" position, and said position may
be varied by the rod or the like C, operated by the signals, switches or any
excentric, lever, or other device, or may be effected by means of a striking lever,"
shewn by Figure 8 Sheet 1, which, when in the position indicated by the dotted
outline may be struck, or moved aside to the position shewn on the drawing by
means of a striking iron affixed to the locomotive or other part of the train, shewn
by Figures 9 and 10, Sheet 1. This iron P, of angular or other irregular cross
section works freely in a vertical direction within a guide box O, attached to a
flange N, by means of which it is fixed to the locomotive or the like. The lowest
point is determined by the pin Q and its shape allows it to clear all obstacles by its
upward vertical movement, and at the sanie time move aside any "striking lever"
placed transversely, thereby operating the contact bar or bars of any set, auto-
matically. In applying my invention to a four or eight cross road or railway as shewn
by Figure 11 Sheet 2, it is evident that if the traffic lines 1, 2, 3, and 4 are open
66

page_text: "
for traffic, it is unsafe for trains to travel open any of the lines 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Therefore the contact levers A', A', A, and A are in the contactmaking position,
and therefore will check trains upon the up or down lines of traffic 5,.6, 7 and 8,
before reaching the crossing. The contact levers A, A, A', and A³, are in the
position of "off contact so that the lines 1, 2, 3 and 4 are open for traffic. All the
contact pieces are connected by lines, wires, chains or the like to a single switch or
windlass, one movement of which in the direction indicated by the dotted outline
clears lines 5, 6, 7 and 8, and checks trains upon lines 1, 2, 3, and 4, thus rendering
a collision impossible by inadvertance, even if the signal or switch attendant
neglected his duties. Figure 12, Sheet 3, represents diagrammatically two sets of
rails, 1 and 2, over which runs a third set 3, a tunnel being supposed at U, the
object being to clear said tunnel before continuing the rails 3. In this case the
contact bar A' checks a train on line 3 by being in contact making position, while
the up and down lines 1 and 2 through the tunnel are quite clear, since contact
bars A and A³ are in "off contact" position. Therefore, as these contact are all
connected to a switch or the like T, it follows that when the latter is placed in the
position indicated by the dotted lines, the movement of A¹ clears line 3, and A'
and A at the same time close lines 1 and 2, thus preventing a collision in any case,
independently of the case of the switchman or attendant. Figure 13 Sheet 3,
represents a line 1, with a swing bridge Y, with the usual safety locking device,.in
this case illustrated by a toothed segment, operated by a lever or the like, and a
rack 9, the latter being connected to the contact bar A in such a manner that the
line is only clear when the bridge is open as shewn, by reason of said contact bar
being in "off contact position." When said bridge is closed, as shewn by the dotted
outline, the contact bar A is in contactmaking position, and closes the line 1. Two
or more sets of lines may be worked upon this plan, and I do not confine myself to
any special form of locking device g, but may use a simple spring bolt, which is
pressed in when the bridge is open, and released when closed, operating the bar A
as aforesaid. Figure 14, Sheet 3 represents a single line with an automatic
arrangement. In the position shewn, the line is clear from 1, but Figure 15,
Sheet 4 is a continuation, shewing a turnout track or line Z which may or may not
be a station. Now presuming a train travelling from 1 to 1 (which joins Fig. 15
at 1) the contact bar A is clear and allows it to pass, also the striking bar S.
The striking iron on the locomotive strikes S¹ and moves the contact bar A¹ from
contact making to off contact position, putting at the same time the bar A into
contactmaking position, preventing another following train from passing, and also
placing the striking the lever S in position shewn by the dotted lines so that a train
from 1 to 1 may be cleared when the lever is moved aside by the striking bar.
When the train has passed from 1* Figure 14 to 1 Figure 15 Sheet 4, the striking
bar S will be in the position of the dotted outline thus clearing it to pass the turn
out track Z, the contact bar A' being then in position to check a train coming from
1 to 1. The striking lever S clears A' when the train has passed on Z. If
however a train has passed S at 1', rendering the turnout track unsafe from 1*, a
train thereon stopped by the contact bar A'. Referring to m-m', Figure 14,
which are switches, or levers, these are not necessary if an equal number of trains
pass on both sides. If two trains follow from 1 the switch-man has to move m¹ to
let the second train pass. If two trains pass from 1", he has to turn m, and if
another train comes from I he must await orders from the nearest station to 1* and
if another be due from 1 he must receive orders from 1. Now it is evident that a
train from on Z going to 1 is stopped by the contact bar A', until a train
from 1 passing the striking lever S which is in its clear position moves the striking
lever S which releases contact bar A' and allows the train on Z to pass, which,
striking the striking bar S³ restores A' and S to their normal positions.
Figure 16, Sheet 4 shews two sets of rails 1 and 2, 1 partly running on 2 by a
turnout 3. Now, a train coming from 1 will touch the striking lever S', putting
the contact bar A into contact making position, thus preventing a train from 2
colliding at 3. When the train from 1 has passed the turnout 3, and moved the

page_text: striking lever S into its normal position the line 2 from 2 is again clear, because
the contact bar A is moved. If, before a train has entered 1, another train has
entered 2 in an opposite direction rendering the turnout 3 unsafe, the movement of
the striking lever S³ puts A' into contact making position, and prevents the train
from 1 entering 3, until the train from 2 has moved A' by moving the lever St
restoring also S3 to its normal position.
Figure 17, Sheet 4, shews two sets of rails, 1 and 2, upon which a slow goods
train may run from 1, passing the contact pieces A and A', A being in contact-
making position. The distance between A and A' should exceed 1000 yards, and
a switchman should be stationed at D, at any suitable point between them. When
the goods train has passed A' the switchman operates the switch D in the direction
of the dotted lines, placing contact bars A and A' in contactinaking position, and-A*
and A in off contact position. If the switchman omits to turn the switch D, the
train will stop at A' which of course will remain in contactmaking position, a state
of affairs which will clearly indicate his neglect without causing an accident. The
track 1 is now (after the switch D is moved) clear from collision, and the contact
bar A is also off contact, so that trains may come from 1" while trains from 2 are
checked by the contact bar A being then in contactmaking position. Presuming
that on track 2 there is a traffic of goods and fast trains, from 2 to 2", and A³ is off
contact as shewn by the dotted outline, the first train will move the striking
lever S' closing the line after it by putting A³ in contactmaking position, and is
only put on off contact by the train moving S', a considerable distance away. In
carrying out my invention I do not confine myself to the exact details as herein-
before set forth, since these may be modified to suit the requirements of various
lines of traffic, so that the essential features of my said invention are preserved, viz.
the use of a pivotted or sliding contact bar between the rails of a track, operated
by ordinary switches or automatically by means of striking levers, and a roller to
make contact therewith and so stop an engine or train by closing or opening valves,
also giving an audible alarm.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The combination of a pivotted or sliding contact bar between the rails of
a railway track, with a contact roller fixed to the locomotive or other part of the
train, which by its movement checks the speed by the control of certain valves,
also giving an audible alarm, substantially as herein described and shewn by the
appended drawings.
Second. In an automatic safety appliance for railways, the combination of
contact bars with moveable switches or windlasses, substantially as herein described
with reference to the drawings hereto appended.
Third. In an automatic safety appliance for railways, the combination of contact
bars with striking levers, operated by the contact roller or by striking bars sub-
stantially as herein described with especial reference to Figures 8, 9, and 10 Sheet 1
of the appended drawings.
Fourth. In a railway safety appliance the combination of two or more contact
bars with two or more striking levers, so that no two trains may collide, substantially
as herein described with reference to the diagrams, Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
and of the appended drawings.
Dated this 6th day of January 1891
FREDK. WALKER,
73, St. Stephen's Road, Upton Park, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.