IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATING THE POSITION OF TRAINS UPON RAILWAYS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN INDICATING THE POSITION OF TRAINS UPON RAILWAYS, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN."-A communication from abroad by Albert Mayrhofer,
Adolf Stepski, and Martin Crachi, all of Vienna, Austria.
Sealed the 20th November 1863, and dated the 23rd May 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd May 1863.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATING THE POSITION OF TRAINS UPON RAILWAYS, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
The apparatus consists of five principal parts:-1. The chief apparatus
with a flat surface table, upon which is drawn in miniature the course of the
line. 2. The motive power, that is to say, the battery. 3. The apparatus for
interrupting the current (tactile apparatus), placed on the line, say, at every
mile. 4. The wires which connect the apparatus named in clause 3. 5. The
current breaker, attached to one of the carriages in the train.

page_text: The Drawing on the table shows how the trains are proceeding, the rate at
which they are going, if one train is stopped, and for how long, where and
when trains cross one another, at what distance the trains follow each other,
in fact, an official may watch the trains with certainty from his office.
The most important organs are the tactile apparatuses, which are placed at
a distance of, say, a mile apart (but the distance is arbitrary). There should
be drawn on the surface of the table as many lines as there are trains to be
indicated. Each line traverses the whole length of the table, so that one
needle which rises from the interior of the table and carries an arrow or other
indicator may travel the length of the line. This arrow advances always one
degree, (say, the degree is equal to one mile, as I have already instanced that
distance,) as soon as the train has passed one of the tactile apparatuses.
Each line requires its own apparatus with the toothed rail. Half the
apparatuses are reversed to correspond with trains going in the contrary
direction.
The chief apparatus is constructed as follows:-The current, which is con-
tinuous, enters and passes through multiple coils, the iron axes of which are
consequently magnetized, and attract an iron bar fixed to one side of a
commutating lever, the distance to which the iron bar is attracted being
determined by a regulating screw. In case of breaking of the current upon
the line, the magnetism escapes, a coiled spring attached to the other side of
the commutating lever draws the lever from the regulating screw towards
another regulating screw, and the end of the commutating lever becomes
placed upon a block. As the circuit is closed as soon as the train has passed,
the bar is again withdrawn, and the block leaves the commutating lever
entirely free, and in consequence of the centre of gravity of the lever being
thereby changed the wheelwork of the apparatus is freed. There is a wheel
with but one tooth, which only turns once from the disengagement till it is
stopped, and sends forward a toothed rail one tooth. To facilitate the moving
of the rail it is set upon rollers in a groove in the table. The rail carries the
arrow on a needle above the surface of the table. After one turn of the
wheel with one tooth the commutating lever is again raised and falls upon
another block. The number of teeth in the rail is proportioned to the length
of the line, and according to the division in degrees. The apparatus also
comprises a box enclosing the motor springs; there are also several auxiliary
wheels, and a regulator with vanes. The mechanical arrangement of the
wheels may be changed without altering the character of the apparatus.
The tactile apparatuses are represented in Figures 1 and 2, they are placed
on the line to interrupt the current; they must be so set that the current

page_text: breaker fixed on the train shall come in contact with them and break the the
electric circuit.
a, Figure 1, shews the tactile apparatus in front view, and b, Figure 2, in
side view. After the tactile apparatuses have been acted upon by the breaker
on the train, and the current cut off, the spring f, Figure 2, restores the tactile
apparatus to its former position, and the circuit is thus re-established. The
number of tactile apparatuses is proportioned to the number of trains to be
indicated. Should the resistance become so great at any part of the line that
the magnetism produced by a number of iron needles should become to weak
to perform the work, a relay with a local battery must be employed. This
relay must be so constructed that the directing screw upon which the bar
lever is drawn by the continuous current must be insulated, but the screw
against which the bar lever is drawn by the spiral screw in case of the
interruption of the current should be placed in contact, so that the local circuit
shall become reclosed. Daniel batteries are found best suited for the constant
line batteries, and Smee's for the local batteries.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd November 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATING THE POSITION OF TRAINS UPON RAILWAYS, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," (communicated to me from abroad by Albert
Mayrhofer, Adolf Stepski, and Martin Crachi, all of Vienna, Austria,) upon

page_text: the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I; the said Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
The apparatus consists of five principal parts:-1. The chief apparatus
with a flat surface table, upon which is drawn in miniature the course of the
line. 2. The motive power, that is to say, the battery. 3. The apparatus
for interrupting the current (tactile apparatus), placed on the line, say, at
every mile.
4. The wires which connect the apparatus named in clause 3.
5. The current breaker attached to one of the carriages in the train.
The Drawing on the table shews how the trains are proceeding, the rate at
which they are going, if one train is stopped, and for how long, where and
when trains cross one another, at what distance the trains follow each other,
in fact, an official may watch the trains with certainty from his office.
Figure 1 shews upon the surface of the table the plan of a line, say, of
10 miles.
The most important organs are the tactile apparatuses, which are placed at
a distance of, say, a mile apart (but the distance is arbitrary). There should
be drawn on the surface of the table as many lines as there are trains to be
indicated. Each line traverses the whole length of the table, so that one
needle which rises from the interior of the table and carries an arrow or other
indicator may travel the length of the line. This arrow advances always one
degree, (say, the degree is equal to one mile, as I have already instanced that
distance,) as soon as the train has passed one of the tactile apparatuses. Each
line requires its own apparatus with the toothed rail. Half the apparatuses
are reversed to correspond with trains going in the contrary direction.
The chief apparatus is represented in Figure 2, and is constructed as
follows:The current, which is continuous, enters at the point a, and issues
at the point 6 of multiple coils m, m, the iron axes c, c, of which are con-
sequently magnetized, and attract an iron bar d. In case of breaking of the
current upon the line the magnetism escapes, a coiled spring e draws the lever

page_text: from the regulating screw f towards the screw g, and the end of the com-
mutating lever k becomes placed upon the block h. As the circuit is closed
as soon as the train has passed, the bar is again withdrawn, and the block h
leaves the lever k entirely free, and in consequence of the centre of gravity
being thereby changed the wheelwork of the apparatus is freed. The wheel m
has but one tooth, and only turns once from the disengagement till it is
stopped, and sends forward the rail n one tooth. To facilitate the moving of
the rail it is set upon rollers o, o, in a groove in
the arrow on a needle above the surface of the table.
wheel m the lever k is again raised, and falls upon the
of teeth in the rail is proportioned to the length of the
the division in degrees. R is a box enclosing the motor springs; r, s, t, are
auxiliary wheels, and u is a regulator with vanes.
The mechanical arrange-
ment of these wheels may, however, be changed without altering the character
of the apparatus.
the table. The rail carries
After one turn of the
block i. The number
line, and according to
Figures 3 and 3ª are the tactile apparatuses placed on the line to interrupt
the current; they must be so set that the current breaker fixed on the train
shall come in contact with them and break the electric circuit.
a, Figure 3, shews the tactile apparatus in front view, and b, Figure 3*, in
side view. After the tactile apparatuses have been acted upon by the breaker
on the train, and the current cut off, the spring f, Figure 3ª, restores the
tactile apparatus to its former position, and the circuit is thus re-established.
The number of tactile apparatuses is proportioned to the number of trains to
be indicated. Figure 4 shews a wagon with the current breaker seen in back
view. Hooks are fitted on the sides of the wagon corresponding in number
and position to the tactile apparatuses. The current breaker is placed in one
or other of these hooks, it consists of a bar of iron terminated by a bent
spring; the end of the bar is shaped so as to be held in the hook. Should
the resistance become so great at any part of the line that the magnetism
produced by a number of iron needles should become too weak to perform the
work, a relay with a local battery must be employed. This relay must be so
constructed that the directing screw upon which the bar lever is drawn by the
continuous current must be insulated, but the screw against which the bar
lever is drawn by the spiral screw in case of the interruption of the current
should be placed in contact, so that the local circuit shall become reclosed.
Daniel batteries are found best suited for the constant line batteries, and
Smee's for the local batteries.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim indicating the

page_text: position of trains upon railways by means of apparatus constructed, arranged,
and acting substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of November, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
R. A. BROOMAN. (L.S.)