Improvements in and connected with Railway Signalling Apparatus
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM SAUNDERS, of 34, Park Grove, Battersea Park Road, London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in and connected with railway signalling
apparatus and refers to certain improvements upon my former Letters Patent
No. 12203 A.D. 1894, wherein certain compensating mechanism is described as
applied to an arm or lever pivoted to the post, the object of this present invention
being to provide means whereby such compensating mechanism can be applied
to the ordinary signal arm, without it being necessary to remove same from the
post or to make any alterations in its form or construction, while I further pro-
vide means for the purpose of checking the rotation of the rollers or pulleys, to
a certain extent by regulating or controlling the passage of the wires over same.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, provide suitable frames within
each of which one of the pulleys is pivoted in a convenient manner, each frame
terminating in a hollow sleeve designed to slip over the end of the signal arm
where it can be secured in the required position by means of clamping screws,
and in this manner I am enabled to mount the three rollers or pulleys upon the
signal arm while it is in position upon the post, and without altering its form or
construction in any way.
In order to regulate or control the passage of the wire over the pulleys or
drums, said pulleys or drums are formed integrally with or have secured to them
suitable ratchet wheels, in combination with which are placed suitably arranged
pawls for controlling their movement in a certain direction, the pawl arranged in
connection with the pulley or roller carried by the shorter end of the signal arm
being arranged in such a manner as to be automatically released when the said
arm is raised.
1000
Improvements in and connected with Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM SAUNDERS, of 34, Park Grove, Battersea Park Road, London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
[Price 8d.]

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement;
-
This invention relates to improvements in and connected with railway sig-
nalling apparatus and refers to certain improvements on my former Letters Patent
No. 12203 A.D. 1894 wherein certain compensating mechanism is described
as applied to an arm or lever pivoted to the post, the object of this present inven-
tion being to provide means by which this mechanism may be applied to the
ordinary arm or lever with which the post is furnished, without it being necessary
to remove same from the post, or to make any alterations in its form or con-
struction, while I further provide means for checking the rotation of the rollers or
pulleys to a certain extent, for regulating or controlling the passage of the wires
over same.
. In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will now proceed to
describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is
a front elevation of a portion of a signal post showing the arm or lever attached
and furnished with my improved mechanism. Fig. 2 being a cross section on
line of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing a slightly different form of mechanism.
In carrying my invention into practical effect and referring more particularly
to Figs. 1 and 2, I provide suitable frames a to each of which one of the pulleys b
is suitably pivoted, in a convenient manner, each frame terminating in a hollow
sleeve designed to slip over the end of the arm or lever d, having connection
with the ordinary signal arm by means of a connecting rod f, the said frames
being clamped in the required position upon the arm or lever d by means of
set screws g, and by this means the pulleys can be mounted upon the ordinary arm
or lever d with which the post h is furnished while it is in position and without
altering its form or construction in any way.
Any number of pulleys may be mounted upon the lever d in order to obtain
the necessary amount of friction upon the wire, chain or connection m, while
each pulley is provided with a spring pawl n to prevent the pulleys revolving in
the direction of the arrow, said spring pawls n enagaging with one of the outer
flanges p of the pulleys b, said flanges being cut after the manner of a ratchet
wheel for this purpose, or a separate ratchet wheel connected with each pulley
may be employed.
When the signal arm or lever is at "danger," the operating arm or lever d
being then in the position shown in Fig. 1, in the event of any expansion taking
place in the wire chain or connection m the weight q falls taking up the extra
length of wire or the like, the pulleys 6 being free to revolve in the required
direction for this purpose, while when the signal is pulled off, for which purpose
it is necessary to raise the arm d¹ of the lever d, the friction caused by the passage
of the wire or connection m over the rollers or pulleys b, in combination with the
weight prevents the said wire from slipping until the lever is raised, bringing
the arm d² against the stop r (indicated in dotted lines), when in the event of
the lever in the signal cabin not being right home, owing to the wire having
become taut, the required amount of chain or connection will be drawn over the
pulleys, in which case it slides over their outer peripheries (the pulleys being
prevented from revolving in this direction by the spring pawls p), and raises the
weight q.
In the form of invention shown in Fig. 3 the frames a are of slightly different
form but furnished with hollow sleeves c by means of which they may be slipped
on to the lever d where they are secured in position by set screws g. In this case
the extremity d¹ of the lever d is fitted with two friction pulleys beach furnished
with a gravity pawls instead of a spring pawl as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, while
the pulley which is secured to the extremity 62 is fitted with a pawl s having
a curved extremity designed to come against the stop r when the signal is
pulled off by raising the arm d of the lever d, the pulley b¹ being then free to

page_text: revolve, so that in the event of the chain or connection m having become taut it
has only to be drawn over the peripheries of the pulleys 6 upon the arm d¹ of the
lever d, the pulley 6 revolving with the passage of the wire.
Where sufficient friction for the purpose in view can be obtained, one pulley
only need be employed which must be secured to the arm of the lever d, the wire
chain or connection m passing from this pulley to a guiding pulley or its equivalent
on the post and from thence to the signal cabin.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The improvements in railway signalling apparatus comprising the employ-
ment of suitable frames such as a, carrying pulleys b b, and formed with hollow
sleeves or extremities such as c, whereby they may be secured to the operating
arm or lever d, substantially as herein described and shown with reference to
the accompanying drawings and for the purposes specified.
2. The combination with pulleys b, over which the wire chain or connection m
passes; of pawls such as s and n engaging with the toothed flanges of same or with
separate toothed wheels secured to the pulleys; substantially as herein described
and shown, with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purposes
specified.
3. The combination with a pulley such as 61; of a pawl, such as s¹ having a
projecting extremity such as designed to come into contact with the stop r
when the signal is pulled off, substantially as herein described and shown with
reference to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 8th day of December 1898
F. G. CASSELL,
Of Cassell & Co.,
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.