Improved Means for Working Railway Points and Signals by Electricity.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Working Railway Points and Signals by
Electricity.
CHARLES ALFRED BANNISTER Engineer 40 Mornington Road Regent's Park
London N.W. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This is a new and safer method of working railway signals and points and
I consider an improvement on present system, for instance all leavers now in use
are abolished and their place taken by a small switch board up which are a number
of electrical keys for working signal & points one key working both signal and
points, the lifting of the signal arm up or going down opens and shuts points as
required so physical labour is much less and nothing is left to the man's memory.
The signal arm and point is worked by a series of circular electric magnets
placed open a powerful spring from right to left so wound and arranged that
when brought in contact with the electric current works both signal and point at
one time, and also locking other signals & points that run on to that particular
section. The locking being so arranged that in taking the current to lower a
particular signal the action of the switch closes all working of signals and points in
that box and in boxes adjoining by simply turning one key to lower the signal or
open the point required. For foggy weather there is an indicator to tell the driver
of a train if the line is clear, if he cannot see the signals. The whole of the
above is worked by the boxes and in case of a train leaveing the line or any
other accident happening the signalman can block the line from traffic approachin
for a long distance.
Dated this 10th day of
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Working Railway Points and Signals by
Electricity.
Charles ALFRED BANNISTER Engineer 52 Mornington Road Regent's Park
London N.W. 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:-
This invention is a further extension of what is known as the block system and a
greater improvement on the mechanical appliances now in use for what is now
mostly done by mechanical power is entirely superseaded by the electrical current.
The different electrical appliances being so arranged that a signalman working the
signals or points would find it impossiable to make a mistake or pull off a wrong
signal, as by the lowering of a signal or setting of a point for a certain section
would lock all conflicting signals points and switches where danger may arise to a
train being in or approaching that particular section, both the lowering of the
signal setting of points and locking of conflicting signals and points is done with the
one movement of the switch in the signal box.
The manafacture of the appliance for working the signal and point is as
followes.

page_text: A bar of soft iron thrce feet long and a quarter of an inch thick the whole bar
to be round. Bend it to the shape of the outer magnet B. shewn in drawing being
careful to leave the ends level so as to receive the armature tightly down on them.
Having got the iron core to its proper shape wind some soft tissue paper carefully
round it perfectly even so that none of the iron bar is seen, leaving about half an
inch of the ends of the core free now proceed to wind on the core a sufficient
amount of silk covered coper wire begining from one end and going carefully
round to the other being careful to leave enough wire at the end of commenceing to
connect with the terminal screws K. when the other end is reached the coil just
wound must be steeped into melted wax then the process of winding must be
continued back to the commencement again then again steeped in the wax
and so the process of winding and steeping in the wax must be continued until
the iron core contains about twelve coils of wire from end to end. The wire
must not be broken, and evenly wound from right to left and left to right there
being enough left over from the last coil to connect with the other terminal K.
The thickness of the wire for the big or outer magnet B should be about half the
eighth of an inch thick still thinner or slightly thicker would do but if thinner
eighteen coils must be made. The manafacture of the smaller magnet C. is
persicely upon the same principal as the larger one, only the differance is that the
iron core must be half the thickness of the big one and made to fit inside the big
one but the ends must come level with the ends of the magnet B the core of the
smaller magnet C has only three coils of the wire but one end of the wire is
connected with one end of the wire from the big magnet B as shewn in drawing.
The smaller magnet is kept in place by two woden clamps L. fastened with nuts
and bolts the ends of the magnets are kept straight by the rail ends D which is so
drilled so as to receive the bare iron parts of the ends of the magnets and keep
them opersite the spring aramature G.
Having now explaind the magnets the next is the base board and upright A.
This is also made of wood so arranged to receive the magnets and fasten in with
nuts & bolts. The upright is the same hight as the magnet being cut out as shewn
to receive the screws E which fasten the spring F connected with the iron
aramature G the base board and upright should be inade of hard wood.
The next is the manafacture of the iron armature G and spring F. The
armature is made from a piece of iron eighth of an inch in thickness one foot in
lenth and two and a half inches wide having done this the next thing is the fitting of
the spring F which must be of the finest steel and riveted to the one end of the
armature. The other part of the spring to be drilled and screwed to the upright
as shewn in the drawing by the screws E. The other end of the armature should
have fixed a stout iron pin with an eye to receive the rod to connect it with the
signal arm as shown in drawing H. Having now screwed the armature to the
upright the iron should rest just opersite the ends of both magnets B & C,
but about nine inches away from the ends according to the power of the spring F.
Having now fixed magnets to base board armature and spring to uprights we will
proced to connect the signal arm N with the armature G. This is done by the
thin iron rod I drilled to fit at the two eyes H & J as shown in drawing. Having
connected this so that it runs free with the signal arm which can be placed in or
out side the signal post M (if placed out side the connecting rod must be altered
to suite the construction of the post) shown in the drawing the whole is placed
inside the post. You will now find that the armature keeps the signal arm at
danger but the arm should be slightly loaded at P so as to ballance it to its place
not more than a two pound weight let in. Having now screwed two terminal
screws K to your base board as shewn in drawing, connect the right hand wire
left over from big magnet B. to the one near the upright and the right hand one of
the small magnet C. to the other terminal. The two remaining ends of both
magnets to be connected togeather as shown in drawing and wire before connecting
must be made bright at the ends. Having followed the above instructions the
mauafacture should resemble the drawing, and if the connections O. are brought in

page_text: contact with the electric current you will find your signal arm fall and rise as the
magnet draws the armature to it or releases it the arm will fly back and remain up
till the current is renewed to bring it down. The normal position of the arm is up,
and maintained in that position by the spring F and weight P.
APPLIANCES FOR WORKING POINTS.
DRAWING (SHEET Two).
The constructing of the magnets for this purpose are the same as for the signals
the only difference being that they are made on the board as shown in the
drawing. The connecting rod is replaced by thin steel wire to pull the points over
and the armature is not placed more than four (4) inches from the magnets as
shewn in the drawing. The points are made to work on a pivot Ha as shown in
the drawing, and as the respective magnets work will close right or left. There
is a bar of iron M. 1 inch thick at the ends of the points J which move on a
pivot N. like a see saw this is connected with the armature G of the magnet by
steel wires so that when the left hand point is closed as shown in drawing the right
hand magnet will pull the bar up so as to fasten the end of the point to the other
rail till it is required that the points shall be changed to right. When the left
hand armature performs the same office for the other side the locking bar will
keep the rail in its place to left though the current may be off the magnet till it is
required to pull it to right when the bringing down of the other armature tilts the
bar to allow the rail to be pulled over. The drawing shows points locked to left
hand rail.
THE MANAFACTURE OF SWITCH BOARDS FOR WORKING OF THE SIGNALS
POINTS & LOCKING.
(SHEET THREE).
A is the board upon which the different switches are placed and the size must be
regluated by the number of switches placed upon it. The drawing shows four.
No. 1 & 2 are up and down passenger signals and points, 3 & 4 conflicting signals
only, belonging to what is called a cross over road that is a set of metals run right
accross the lines governed by No. 1 & 2. The size of the board in the drawing
should be 2 feet long 1 inch thick and 8 inch wide. The back part to be one foot
high for the purpose of fixing telegraphs & indicators telephones &c. The next
thing is to fix the brass conductors B. The brass used for this must be an inch
square and half inch thick and contains two screws as shown in the drawing for
purpose of connecting and fixing to the board.
The next is the center conductor C. the same thickness as the former but the
lenth must be an inch and a half and drilled to receive a large screw in the center E.
(which is the pivot on which the switch handle and connection maker moves) and
two smaller holes on each side for screws to connect wires and secure brass blocks
to boards. The next is the switch handle and connection maker D. which moves
on the pivot screw E. This is also made of brass eight of an inch thick, half inch
wide and six inches long at the end of this is the switch handle made of wood or
vulcanite by which the connection maker D. is moved on to blocks B and B. The
switch is turned to the right so that the connection is made with block B the signal
and B the point. Next comes the brass pin F. which is half inch square made in
two peices. Let a slot be cut in the side that is towards the connection maker D
to receive it (as shown in drawing) the two pieces must be put side by side but
quater inch apart so as to allow of the circuit being broken when the connection
maker is taken away (air switches must be fitted with this pin). It also prevents
the connection maker from touching the other blocks of another switch. When the
switch No. 1 is off that is the connection maker against the pin F all the other
switches are in working order but when the switch is turned on and away from the
pin F all the other switches are disconnected and power given only to No. 1 which

page_text: remains so until No. 1 is shut off so that any attempt to move a conflicting signal is
fruitless until No. 1 is put at danger. This arrangement applys to air switches
Nos. 1. 2. 3. 4.
THE METHOD OF CONNECTING THE TERMINALS OF THE MAGNETS FOR THE
WORKING OF SIGNALS POINTS AND LOCKING WITH DYNAMO BATTERY
OR GENERATOR.
The wire from the terminals O. 1. of the magnet working the signal arm
(connected to the magnet by terminal K) will run straight to the battery dynamo
or generator being fastened to the north pole. The other wire O 2. will run from
the other terminal of the magnet to the switch board connecting with the brass
connecting block B. of the switch No. 1. The south pole of the battery dynamo
or generator being connected with brass connection C. Then the wire of the
terminals O. 3. of the magnet working the points and locking bar is also connected
with the north pole of the battery dynamo or generator. The other terminal O. 4.
being connected with the connection blocks of the switch board at B. Now if the
electric current be turned on and the switch moved to the right you will find the
signal arm fall, the points close and the locking bar rise and keep the point of
the rail firmly pressed in its place.
CONFLICTING SIGNALS AND LOCKING.
Having now described the working of the signal & points and locking of rails
next comes the locking of the switches on the board.
Switches No. 2. 3. 4 are arranged so that No. 1 can lock the lot when
wanted. No. 3 & 4 govern the rails crossing over the lines No. 1 or 2. The
connections of the battery dynamo and generators are just the same to switch
board and magnets as No. 1 the only difference the south pole is taken first to
the pin F and from there to the center plate C so that when the connection
maker D. of No. 1 is moved of the pin the circuit is broken with conflicting
signals, but in boxes where there are no conflicting signals this need not be
but signals and points connected in the usual way so that in conflicting signals
in the manner described concerning pin F are cut off the circuit being broken
and not renewed till the other signals are at danger so that switch No. 1 being
put to lower a signal and set a point for the connection maker being taken out
of the slot of the pin F breaks the circuit of the connections with 2 & 3 & 4,
and should the switches be moved by mistake they will not work signals or
points till the switch No. 1 restores the current.
Great care should be taken in setting the locking bar M. so that when pulled
up to lock rail it will not interfear with the wheels of the train passing. It
should not cover the point of rail more than three quarter to an inch.
Having now particulary 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
No. 1. Being able to work both signals & points and lock conflicting signals with
one movement on the switch board.
No. 2. It is impossiable to make a mistake or signal a wrong train to a section
as if the man moved one of the wrong switches it would not answer as the
current is cut off and not restored till that particular signal is put at danger.
No. 3. That by doing by the electric current what is now done by mechanical
power it is much lighter work for the man. No labour in pulling levers is
required all work being done by simply turning switch.
Dated this 18th day of August 1893.
CHARLES A. BANNISTER.