IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SIGNALS TO BE USED UPON RAILWAYS."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Lofthouse of Radcliffe, in the County of Lancaster,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SIGNALS TO
BE USED UPON RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Lofthouse at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th September 1882.
PETER LOFTHOUSE of Radcliffe in the County of Lancaster IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SIGNALS TO BE USED UPON RAILWAYS
"
The object of this invention is to combine an audible signal with the ordinary
visible signals employed, so that in the event of an engine driver not seeing (or
from any other cause not paying proper attention to) the visible signals, the
engine cannot pass the signal post without producing an audible signal or sound
and thus calling the attention of the guard or of other persons on the train to the
fact that there is danger ahead, and that the visible signal has been disregarded
by the engine driver.
The invention may be applied to either the "home" ""distant" or "advance"
signals or to all of them as may be preferred, and consists principally in placing
inside one of the rails of the permanent way, at the point required, a lever capable
of working horizontally, such lever being about level with the rail and so placed
that the flange of the engine or other wheel (in passing) shall displace it in a
horizontal direction, and the said lever is provided with a spring or weight which
returns it to its original position when the wheel has passed, so that the passing of
an engine, carriage, or train shall impart an oscillating motion the said lever.
On a post or other suitable fixing at the side of the permanent way is mounted
a bell, gong, foghorn, or other suitable audible signal and the mechanism of this
bell, gong or foghorn is so connected with the horizontal oscillating lever, and with
the signal lever or other moving part of the mechanism of the ordinary visible
signal, that so long as the latter remains in the "all clear" position the oscillation
of the horizontal lever caused by the passing of the engine or train shall
F TH

page_text: communicate no action whatever to the bell, gong, or other audible signal, but
whenever the ordinary visible signal has been brought into the "danger" position
the action of the signal lever, or other moving part of the mechanism, by moving a
catch into gear, connects the oscillating lever with the mechanism of the bell, gong,
foghorn, or other audible signal, and then if the engine, carriage, or train should
pass the signal post (or other point where the oscillating lever is fixed) the
oscillation of the lever caused by the flanges of the passing wheels will bring the
audible signal into action and thus call the attention of the guard, passengers, or
other persons within hearing, to the fact that the engine driver has disregarded
the visible signal, and thus many accidents will be prevented and an additional
means be provided of convicting any engine driver who may disregard the ordinary
visible signals.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Peter Lofthouse in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd March
1883.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
PETER LOFTHOUSE of Radcliffe in the County of Lancaster
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SIGNALS TO BE USED UPON RAILWAYS"
The object of this invention, is to combine an audible signal with the ordinary
visible signals employed so as to act instead of a fog signal so that in the event
of an engine driver not seeing (or from any other cause not paying proper attention
to) the visible signals, the engine cannot pass the signal post without producing
an audible signal or sound and thus calling the attention of the guard or of other
person on the train to the fact that there is danger ahead; or that the visible
signal has been disregarded by the engine driver.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto a sheet of drawings illustrative thereof and have marked
the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1. in the annexed drawing is a section. Fig. 2 an end view and
Fig. 3. a plan view of one arrangement of the audible signal which I propose to
apply at or near the ordinary distant signal semaphore.
Fig. 4 is a side view. and Fig 5. a plan view of the arrangement slightly
modified which I propose to place at or near the "home" signal.
It will be observed that the former has only one bell, whilst the latter has two,
so that in case of a fog the driver can tell by the sound, which signal post he is
about passing. The invention may also be applied to the "advance" signal if
required.
The invention consists principally in placing inside one of the rails a, a of the
permanent way (see Figs 3 and 5) at the point required, a lever b, b capable of
working horizontally such lever being about level with the rail and so placed that
the flange of the engine or other wheel (in passing) shall displace it in a horizontal
direction and the said lever is provided with a rod or wire c, c and a spring c³, c¹
(or a weight) which returns it to its original position when the wheel has passed,
so that the passing of an engine, carriage or train shall impart an oscillating
motion to the said lever.
"
On a post d, d or other suitable fixing at the side of the permanent way is
mounted a bell or gong e, e or a fog horn, or other suitable audible signal and the
lever ff of this bell or gong (or the mechanism of the fog horn) is connected with
the horizontal oscillating lever b, b by the rod or wire c, c and the hammer g, g of
the bell or gong which passes through the lever f, f is so connected with the signal
lever or other moving part of the mechanism of the ordinary visible signal or
semaphore by a wire h, h that so long as the latter remains at the "danger"
position (which is the normal position of the semaphore when working on the
"block" system) each wheel of the engine, tender or carriage of the train in
passing imparts an oscillating movement to the lever b, b and by means of the rod
or wire c, c to the hammer g, g of the bell or gong e, e and thus cause it to keep
sounding an alarm so as to call the attention of the engine driver or guard and
the passengers or other persons within hearing to the fact that the engine driver
has not seen or has disregarded the visible signal or that for some other reason
the engine or train is passing the signal post whilst the signal stands at “danger'
"

page_text: and thus many accidents will be prevented and an additional means be provided
of convicting any engine driver who may disregard the ordinary visible signal;
and in case of a fog this audible signal will warn the engine driver that he is
passing the signal post, and thus the use of the ordinary loose fog signals may be
dispensed with.
On the other hand as soon as the pointsman or signalman draws the semaphore
signal down into the "all clear" position the wire h, h which is connected to the
ordinary signal wire will draw back the hammer. g, g into the position shown in
dotted lines in Fig 1. so that although the hammer oscillates it does not make
any signal as it is clear of the bell e, e.
In Figs 4 and 5 it will be seen that the lever b, b is shown double and acts
upon, a bell e and a gong ex so that each wheel in passing gives two signals so
long as the semaphore signal stands at "danger" but as soon as the signal is pulled
over to "line clear" the wire h, h connected to the ordinary signal wire pulls the
lever b, b into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 when the lever bb
will be clear of the flanges of the wheels which will consequently impart no
inotion to it..
Having now described the nature and object of my said invention together with
the manner in which the same, is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect I wish it to be understood that I claim as my invention the
combination with the ordinary signal wires of an audible signal or signals actuated
by a lever placed just inside the rails and operated by the flanges of the wheels,
all being constructed and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings annexed.
ε.
In witness whereof I the said Peter Lofthouse have hereunto set my hand
and seal this first day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three