Improved Signal Apparatus, applicable to Railways.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 20th Nov., 1895
Improved Signal Apparatus, applicable to Railways.
JAMES ALFRED FREDRICK HALL, Mechanical Engineer 10 Eastbourne Road
Brentford Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention is designed for the purpose of fog signaling; prevention of accidents
at gate crossings, and running past signals owing to fog and other causes, for the
prevention of collision between two trains running on the same line of rails and in
the same section, at one and the same time.
My apparatus is composed of a vertical pintle, which works with a lever from
the signal proper and falls back into a socket, but when raised comes in contact
with the approaching engine so as to signal, and register, the danger on it, and the
guards brake.
My apparatus is for warning the driver, brakesman, and guards of a train
entering a section that there is already a train or portion of a train standing in the
same section and on the same line of rails.
My apparatus is composed of two switches connected with a vertical pintle,
which works as follows:-
-
A" into section "B" it throws
As the engine and train runs from section "
over switch No. 1. which by coming in contact with an obstacle placed on the
engine connected with a lever causes the pintle to raise in a vertical position, and
should this train remain in section "B" not having cleared switch "No. 2" which
is placed at the farther end of such section, "B" will cause; should another train
run from section "A" into the said section "B," a bell to ring on the approaching
train and register train on line, on a disk fixed for the purpose; by the vertical
pintle, above mentioned, coming in contact with the striking bar fixed on the engine
of the second train running in section "B" clears line section "B" after throwing
over switch No. 2. placed as aforesaid at the farther end of the said section "B"
and causing switch No. 1. which is connected with switch No. 2. by rod, bar, chain,
wire, or other suitable means to throw over the opposite way thus causing the
vertical pintle to fall back into its socket leaving no obstruction to meet the
striking-bar of a train entering section "B" for section "A" thus denoting
live clear.
For level crossing gates, it is worked with a switch, which, as the gate opens so
as to obstruct the line causes a pintle to raise in a vertical position connected with
a switch at a given distance, the striking bar on the engine coming in contact with
the vertical pintle causes the alarm bell to ring and note obstruction on line in the
section the train is entering. If the gate is closed the switch returns the vertical
pintle into a socket thus leaving no obstruction to ineet the striking bar fixed on
the engine, and the driver knows, gates are closed and line is clear of gate
obstructions.
For fog signaling my apparatus is worked from the signal box to be worked by
levers which pull over a switch some distance from the signals (to be protected)
and cause a pintle to raise up in a vertical position, which by coming in contact
with the striking bar on the engine releases a spring which rings the alarm bell.
There can be one or more switches with connecting pintles so as to give one or
more rings of the bell.
Dated this 20th day of November 1894.

page_text: I JAMES ALFRED FREDRICK HALL of 11 Carlyle Road Ealing Park late of
10 Eastbourne Road Brentford both in the County of Middlesex Mechanical
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 apparatus for "fog signalling" and the apparatus is
designed for the purposes of "fog signalling" prevention of accidents at level
crossings and running past signals owing to fog and other causes and for the
prevention of collision between two trains running on the same line of rails and
in the same section at the same time.
My apparatus consists of a vertical pintle which is raised when the semaphore
arm is at "Danger" and lowered into a socket or box when the semaphore shews
"Line Clear" the pintle being operated by the signal wire and suitable levers or
by other suitable means.
When the pintle is raised it comes in contact with a striker on the engine and
causes a gong on the engine to be sounded or the whistle blown and at the same
time causes a visible signal to be placed at "Danger on the engine and in the
guards brake.
"
Apparatus so constructed will warn the driver fireman guards and brakemen of
a train entering a section that there is already a train or portion of a train "On
line" in the same section and on the same line of rails.
I provide also suitable automatic signalling mechanism constructed as follows
At any suitable point before the entrance to a section 1 place a rocking lever
across the line of rails this lever has a pintle at each end thereof which pintles
bear on the underside of pieces of flexible metal.
One end of each piece of metal is fixed to a sleeper and the other end is free to
slide in a staple or the like fixed in another sleeper.
One end of the rocking lever is connected by wires rods tubes or other suitable
means with a lever to which is attached a third pintle or flexible piece of metal
or both so that when a train is entering a section the flange of the engine leading
wheel depresses the lever at one end and raises the pintle at the other end the
lever remains in this position until the train has passed out of the section when a
roller or other suitable device attached to the last vehicle of the train depresses the
flexible piece of metal at the end of the section and reverses the position of the
rocking lever and draws down the pintle which actuates the signal on the engine
of the train behind and allows it to enter the section just vacated without sounding
the alarm.
Similar apparatus may be used in conjunction with level crossings so that when
the gates are closed across the line pintles at some distance from the crossing on
either side are raised which come in contact with striking bars or other suitable
devices and sounds the gongs or whistles of approaching trains and warns the
drivers that the gates are closed and line blocked.
For signalling in foggy weather similar pintles actuated by or from the semaphore
wires are placed at the same distance from the "Home" and "Distance" signals
as the detonators are placed which when the semaphore arms are at danger cause
the alarm to be given on the engine.
The pintles may be connected with suitably shaped pieces of metal to give one
or more rings of the gong or blasts of the whistle.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I will proceed to
explain the same with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which

page_text: dig. 2 is elevation of same with one rail removed.
Fig. 3 is end view shewing rocking lever.
Fig. 4 shews a method of actuating the pintles from the semaphore.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the figures.
a is the semaphore the signal arm e the weighted lever which causes the arm b
to fly to danger in case the wire d connecting the semaphore with the signal cabin
breaks.
e is a rocking lever pivoted at and having pivoted to each end thereof
pintles g g¹.
hh are strips of flexible metal such as spring steel fixed to the sleepers at ii and
sliding on the sleepers at the opposite end being prevented from rising by
staples jjj.
The pintle bears against the underside of the strip which is depressed
by the Hange of the leading wheels of the engine of a train approaching the
semaphore u.
The pintle g is raised to the "Danger" position so that in case the train
breaks down in the section between h and ¹ the "Danger" signal will be given
on the engine of the following train.
k is a lever connected to the lever e the lever k being secured to a shaft l
carrying a pulley m. A similar lever shaft and pulley are connected to a
pintle g under the strip an endless wire n or chain passes over the pulleys m m
the wire being secured to each pulley to prevent slip.
When a train passes over the pintle 9 is depressed and the pintles g¹ and g
raised by means of the oscillation of the lever e and rotation of the shafts ll. As soon
as the train has passed over ¹ a roller or other device attached to the rear vehicle of
the train depresses ¹ and pintle gl and raises pintle g and depresses g' thus allowing
another train to enter the section of the line between h and ¹.
The connection between h and may be made by rods instead of wires if more
suitable but I prefer to use wires as being lighter.
Suitable compensating apparatus may be introduced at any suitable point
between h and h₁ to maintain the proper tension on the wire n.
The pintle gl may bear against the underside of a flexible strip of metal o which
when raised engages with a roller at the bottom of a vertical bar on the engine
and guards brakes which bar when raised in passing over o sounds a bell gong or
whistle on the engine and may also cause a miniature semaphore arm or other
indicator to point to "Danger" on the engine and in the brake van.
Or the strip g' may be dispensed with and the pintle come in contact with a
striking bar or other suitable device by means of which the alarm may be sounded
and the indicator moved.
A similar pintle p may be placed close to the semaphore a actuated by the signal
wire so that when the signal arm indicates "Danger" the pintle will be raised and
when the arm is lowered to "Line clear" the pintle will be depressed out of contact
with the alarm apparatus on the trains.
One method by which this result may be attained is shewn at Fig. 4 the pintle p
being attached to a lever q connected by a rod r to a lever s secured to a shaft t to
which is keyed the lever c. u is a flexible strip of metal to be used if necessary.
The levers and pintles are carried in suitable water-tight metal boxes to prevent
water and grit entering and injuring the working parts.
Similar apparatus may be connected to the gates at level crossings so that
when the gates are closed pintles on either side of the gates at least 500 yards
away from the gates are raised so as to give drivers of trains approaching in
either direction time to bring their trains to a standstill before the gates are
reached. When the gates are opened to allow a train to pass the pintles will
be depressed. Similar apparatus may be placed at the same distance from the
semaphores at which detonators are placed in foggy weather the pintle being-

page_text: raised by the act of placing the semaphore arm to "Danger" thus sounding the
train alarm and calling the drivers attention in foggy weather to the fact that he
is approaching a signal set to "Line blocked or Danger.
I prefer to use a bell gong or whistle which will be sounded more than once by
moving the striking bar or raising a vertical rod a given distance.
In conclusion I would remark that I do not bind myself to the precise details as
herein before set forth as the same may be varied without departing from my
invention as for instance the levers and pintles may be actuated by electricity but
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
1. In a signalling apparatus for railways the combination of one or more pintles
actuated by a signalman or a passing train or both with an apparatus for giving
an audible or visible signal or both on the engine and in the guards brake vans
substantially as hereinbefore specified.
g
2. In a railway signalling apparatus the combination of pintles 9 s' attached to a
rocking lever e with a pintle gli actuated by a clearing bar or strip of metal h the
said pintles being so connected that when g is raised g¹ and g¹¹ are depressed and
when g is depressed g¹ and g¹¹ are raised substantially as herein before specified and for
the purpose stated.
3. Railway signalling apparatus as hereinbefore specified actuated by the
opening and closing of the gates of level crossings for the purpose stated.
4. Railway signalling apparatus constructed substantially as herein before specified
and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of September 1895.
T. E. HALFORD,
11 Furnival Street, Agent for Applicant.