Improvements in or relating to the Working of Signals and Looking of Points Electrically at Railway Junctions.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Jan., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Working of Signals and Looking
of Points Electrically at Railway Junctions.
We, THE AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, LIMITED,
of 11 Rumford Place, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and EDWIN BLAKEY,
of 21 Tanfield Chambers, Bradford, in the County of York, Electrical Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention refers to improvements in or relating to the working of signals
and locking of points electrically at railway junctions, and is more especially
devised for use with automatic electric signalling.
According to our invention, the points lever, which is, as usual, under manual
control, is kept locked in either of its positions by suitable means operated
electrically by treadles operating contact makers or contact breakers, which treadles
are so situated as to be actuated by a passing train. These treadles or contact
devices are arranged in such a manner that the first one operated by the passing
train breaks the electric circuit and causes the points lever to be held in whichever
position it may happen to be in at the moment, and will prevent said lever from
being again moved until the train operates the second treadle or contact maker
thereby completing the electric circuit and releasing the points lever. It will thus
be seen that the points lever is kept locked in position by the breaking of the
electric circuit, and is released by the passage of the current.
The signals that are located near the points are placed on both the "up" and
"down" lines in such positions as to be capable of covering the junction or
crossing, and these signals are, by suitable means, in electrical connection with
the points lever and are so arranged that when this lever is actuated, the signals on,
say, the "
up" line being set to "danger" those on the "down" line are set to
"clear." In other words, these signals are so arranged that, whatever may be the
position of the signals on one line, those on the other will always be in the contrary
position. Thus, assuming the train to be on the "up" line and the signal or
signals on this line to be at "clear," the train proceeds and passes over the treadle
operating the contact breaker, which is arranged at or near the first signal, and
thereby locks the points lever and keeps it locked and retains the signal or signals
on the other or "down" line at "danger" until the train passes over the second
treadle or contact-maker and releases the points and consequently the signals.
We may also provide indicators in the signal.cabin,-for-the-purpose-of-informing-
the pointsman whether the line is "clear" ΟΙ "blocked."
By our invention any chance of one train running into another at junctions
or crossings from any error on the part of the signalman, will be entirely
prevented.
Dash: 1-f A 1000

page_text: Improvements in or relating to the Working of Signals and Locking
of Points Electrically at Railway Junctions.
We, THE AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, LIMITED,
of 11 Rumford Place, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and EDWIN BLAKEY,
of 21 Tanfield Chambers, Bradford, in the County of York, Electrical 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This invention refers to improvements in or relating to the working of signals
and locking of points electrically at railway junctions, and is more especially
devised for use with automatic electric signalling.
According to our invention the points lever, which is, as usual, under manual
control, is kept locked in either of its positions by suitable means operated
electrically by treadles operating contact makers or contact_breakers, which
treadles are so situated as to be actuated by a passing train. These treadles or
contact devices are arranged in such a manner that the first one operated by the
passing train breaks the electric circuit and causes the points lever to be held in
whichever position it may happen to be in at the moment, and will prevent said
lever from being again moved until the train operates the second treadle or contact
maker, thereby completing the electric circuit and releasing the points lever.
It will thus be seen that the points lever is kept locked in position by the breaking
- of the electric circuit, and is released by the passage of the current.
"
The signals that control the junction are placed on both the "up" and "down
lines in such positions as to be capable of covering the junction or crossing, and
these signals are, by suitable means, in electrical connection with the points lever,
and are so arranged that when this lever is actuated, the signals on say the "up
line being set to "danger," those on the down line are set to ".clear." In other
words, these signals are so arranged that, whatever may be the position of the
signals on one line, those on the other will always be in the contrary position.
Thus assuming the train to be on the "up" line, and the signal or signals on this
line to be at clear," the train proceeds and passes over the treadle operating the
contact breaker, which is arranged at or near the first signal, and thereby locks
the points lever, and keeps it locked, and retains the signal or signals on the other
ог "down
line at "danger" until the train passes over the second treadle or
contact maker and releases the points and consequently the signals.
We may also provide indicators in the signal cabin, for the purpose of informing
the pointsman whether the line is "clear" or " blocked."
"
"
By our invention any chance of one train running into another at junctions, or
crossings, from any error on the part of the signal-man, will be entirely prevented.
And in order that our said invention may be readily carried into effect, we will
describe the same by the aid of the accompanying drawing which shows
diagrammatically an arrangement suitable for a junction.
a, a, are the rails; b, b, the signals which control one of the lines, say the
"down" line; and b', 6', the signals which control the other or "up" line. These
siguals serve to cover the junction at a', and are so arranged that when one set is
66 danger the other set is at "clear." For this purpose, the signals are
operated electrically and are connected either in parallel, as shown, or in series, in
the circuit of a battery c¹, or other suitable source of electricity. This circuit is
at
r
"

page_text: controlled by suitable contacts or switches upon or in connection with the points
lever d.
The signals are as usual arranged to fall to "danger" by gravity when the
circuit operating or controlling them is broken. For this purpose, the points lever
is provided with suitable contacts for completing the circuit of the "
signals and breaking that of the "down" line signals, when the said lever is in one
position, and vice versa when it is in the other position.
up" line
The said lever is controlled by a suitable electrical locking device which may be
any of those at present in use. This locking device is actuated by. a battery d¹
whose circuit is completed by means of suite contacts carried on the armature d²
of a relay d³. The said locking device is kept out of action so long as the circuit
of the battery d² is complete, but immediately this circuit is broken the bolt or
catch of said locking device falls and locks the points lever.
e, e', are treadles, or other suitable contact devices, by which the train on the
"down line respectively breaks and re-makes the circuit of the battery f', in
which circuit the relay d³ is included. The armature d' of this relay is connected
to earth, and a contact on its upper end completes a branch circuit d*, thus cutting
out all the contact makers so long as the armature is attracted. ex is a treadle
corresponding to e¹ by which the train remakes the circuit, should it have passed
round the curve instead of proceeding straight on. es, e³, are corresponding
treadles, or contact devices, by which the train on the "up" line respectively
breaks and remakes the circuit f.
The aforesaid electrical locking device for the points lever d is arranged to
operate on the breaking of the circuit f, and to lock the points lever in one or other
of its extreme positions. In electrical connection with this locking device we may
employ indicators for showing which line is blocked.
In the drawing, the signals b, b, of the "down" line are at "clear," and the
points of the junction a' are closed, and the signals ', 6', of the "up" line are at
"danger." When the train on the "down" line passes the treadle e it breaks
the circuit whereby the relay d³ breaks the circuit of the battery d¹ which allows
the locking device to come into action. The points lever d is thus locked, and the
signalman is prevented from altering either set of signals, until the train passes the
treadle ex and remakes the circuit, thereby putting the locking device out of action
and releasing the points lever. There is thus no possibility of a train passing
round the curve and fouling a train on the "up" line.
Although in the drawing we have shown a single set of rails on the curve, in
connection with the "down" line, it is obvious that a similar set of rails may be
arranged in connection with the "up" line.
Furthermore, the locking device might be included directly in the circuit f
instead of being worked by a relay.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said-inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed,-we-declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improved method of working the signals and locking the points
electrically at railway junctions, consisting in connecting the "up line signals
with the "down" line signals in such a manner that both sets of signals move
simultaneously to contrary positions; operating or controlling the said signals from
the points lever; and causing the train approaching the junction to electrically
lock the said points lever, substantially as described.
2. The means for carrying out the method above claimed, consisting of the
combination of the points lever, provided with a suitable electrical locking device,
the treadles or contact devices for breaking and remaking the circuit of this
locking device, and the signals connected by an electrical circuit with the points
lever, substantially as described and shown.
3. Our improvements in or relating to the working of signals and locking of

page_text: points electrically at railway junctions, substantially as hereinbefore described aņa
shown with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dated thin 2-1 dni of Lonnor 1894
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicants.