Improvements in or relating to Railway Electrical Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: DIONAL DITUIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Railway Electrical Signalling
Apparatus.
LJOHN AUGUSTUS BUSHIER, of 54, Wolverhampton Road, Stafford, in the County
of Stafford, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to railway electrical signalling apparatus capable of trans-
mitting electrically a signal from the signal cabin to the foot plate of the engine
or other part of a train in motion.
According to this invention electrical indicators with or without bells are pro-
vided on the engine and in the signal-cabin and included in a circuit, one portion of
which is carried by the engine and the other portion of which is stationary and
includes the signal-cabin instruments.
The engine is provided with a contact maker adapted to make contact with a
rail or other device lying along the track so as to join the two parts of the circuit
and allow current to pass through the signalling apparatus when the switch
in the signal cabin is adjusted for this purpose.
The contact-making device carried by the engine should preferably be so made
that it can be moved out of its operative position by the driver when not required,
although it may if desired be fixed. The contact apparatus applied to the
permanent way should be so constructed as to admit of heat being applied to it to
keep it clear of frost or snow for instance it might be heated electrically, or by
gas or hot water or by putting a small fire-place in proximity to it.
Conveniently the current from the signal cabin does not directly operate the
engine bell, but puts into action a battery carried upon the train which will ring
the engine bell strongly and continuously until stopped by the driver. The relay
operated by the current from the signal cabin may conveniently be one in which a
spring-controlled armature acts as a detent to control a contact-maker, which when
released by current flowing in the signal cabin circuit closes the relay circuit,
the contact being arranged so that it can be returned by the driver to break the
relay circuit and re-engage with the armature.
If the contact-maker carried upon the train is made movable, it may conveniently
comprise a contact arm carried by a bar hung from the framing of the engine or
tender by parallel links, the bar being preferably controlled by an eccentric or cam
or other device operated by the driver; a spring can be applied to keep the contact
normally elevated.
Dotad this 21st day of thahma 1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Railway Electrical Signalling
Apparatus.
I, JOHN AUGUSTUS BUSHER; of 54, Wolverhampton Road, Stafford, in the County
of Stafford, Electrician, 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 relates to railway electrical signalling apparatus capable of trans-
mitting electrically a signal from the signal cabin to the foot plate of the engine
or other part of a train in motion.
According to this invention electrical indicators with or without bells are pro-
vided on the engine and in the signal-cabin and included in a circuit, one portion of
which is carried by the engine and the other portion of which is stationary and
includes the signal-cabin instruments:
The engine is provided with a contact maker adapted to make contact with a
rail or other device lying along the track, so as to join the two parts of the circuit
and allow current to pass through the signalling apparatus when the switch
in the signal cabin is adjusted for this purpose.
The contact-making device carried by the engine should preferably be so made
that it can be moved out of its operative position by the driver when not required,
although it may, if desired, be fixed. The contact applied to the permanent
way may be so constructed as to admit of heat being applied to it to keep
it clear of frost or snow; for instance, it may be heated electrically, or by gas
or hot water, or by putting a small fire-place in proximity to it, or steam from the
engine may be blown upon it.
Conveniently the current from the signal cabin does not directly operate the
engine bell, but puts into action a battery carried upon the train which will ring
the engine bell strongly and continuously until stopped by the driver.
The relay
operated by the current from the signal cabin may conveniently be one in which a
spring-controlled armature acts as a detent to control a contact-maker, which when
released by current flowing in the signal cabin circuit closes the relay circuit,
the contact being arranged so that it can be returned by the driver to break the
relay circuit and re-engage with the armature.
It the contact-maker carried upon the train is made movable, it may conveniently
comprise a contact arm carried by a bar hung from the framing of the engine or
tender by parallel links, the bar being preferably controlled by an eccentric or cam,
or other device operated by the driver; a spring can be applied to keep the contact
normally elevated.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a diagram showing the electrical connections of a circuit as used in
one construction of apparatus according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus attached to a
tender.
Figure 3 is an elevation partly in section showing a portion of the apparatus
in further detail,
Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a vertical section also showing further details of another portion of
the apparatus, and
Figure 6 is a plan of one form of relay suitable for use in apparatus according to
this invention,
•
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are drawn to a larger scale than Figure 2.

page_text: Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figure 1 A is a battery, which with a switch B, and bell
or other indicator C, is placed in a signal-cabin. The switch B puts one pole, of the
battery A through the bell C into connection with a line D which is carried in any
convenient manner along the track on which are rails E. Between the rails E a
contact-rail F is placed at each spot at which it is desired to signal to the engine
driver, these contact rails being joined to the line D as by the wire d. The other
pole of the battery A is connected with one of the rails E.
Some portion of the train-preferably the tender, if the signal is. to warn the
driver carries an insulated contact-maker G in such a position that when it
passes over one of the contact-rails F electrical contact is established between them.
The contact-maker G is connected to a relay H the other pole of which is joined to
the frame of the tender.
In Figure 1 the connection from the relay H through the frame of the tender to
the rail E is diagrammatically represented by the dotted line h.
It will thus be seen that when the tender passes over one of the contact-rails F
the circuit is completed, current passes from the battery A through the line 1, d
contact rail F, contact maker G, and relay H back through the frame and wheels
and the rail E to the battery A. The relay H being thus energised releases_a
spring contact H' which throws a local battery J into action and rings a bell K.
It is of course understood that the local battery J and the bell K are carried upon
the train so that the driver or other person whom they are intended to warn may
readily hear the signal.
The contact rail F (Figures 2 and 6) comprises a block F1 preferably of wood
fastened to the sleepers E an insulating strip F² a flanged plate F³ preferably of
metal and a conducting strip F secured by insulated screws F5 to the block F¹.
The top of the strip F is preferably slightly curved in cross section and the ends
of the strip are bevelled or curved so that the moving contact maker G may ride up
easily on to the contact rail F. A strip or wire F6 is fastened to the conducting-
strip F as at F7 and is brought down through a channel or passage in the block F¹
to an opening F8, another passage F9 communicates with this opening F8, and
through it a wire F10 is passed and connected to the strip or wire F6. This wire
passes away as through the pipe F and is connected to the wire d and line I),
(Fig. 1). The opening F8 is closed by means of a plate F12 the outer surface of
which is flush with the side of the block F¹.
If desired the block F¹ may be made of metal in order that heat may be applied
to it, by any convenient means to keep it clear from frost te
The contact-maker G carried by the tender comprises a bar G¹ (Figures 2, 3
and 4) preferably of iron or steel furnished with lugs G2, and a bar or strip of
brass or other fairly good conducting material G³ secured to the bar G¹ by insulated
screws G. A strip of insulating material G³, and a metal cover G are held
between the bars G₁ and G³. The lower portion of the metal cover G6 is secured to
the upper portion by the screws G7 and is furnished with openings Gs to allow
brushes or collectors G which are pivotally attached to the underside of the con-
ducting bar G³ as at Go to pass through. The brushes G9 which make connection
with the contact rails F are kept in a vertical position by means of springs G",
so that allowance is made for slight variations in the height of the contact rails F.
Connection is made from the contact maker G to the relay H by means of a wire g
which is secured under the head of one of the screws G and passes, suitably
insulated, as by a pipe y' along the frame of the tender.
The contact maker G is attached by means of the lugs G to vertical links G12
which are pivotted to vertical bars or hangers G¹³ carried on the frame of the
tender. The hangers G¹³ are joined by a bar G. One end of a connecting rod L
is attached to one of the vertical links G12 and the other end of it is connected to
the lower end of a lever L¹ which is pivotally mounted in bearings as at L².
The other end of the lever L' is joined by a connecting rod L³ to a lever L
carried upon a rod L5 which also carries a hand-lever L. The hand-lever L° is

page_text: so placed that it may be operated by the driver. As shown by the dotted lines
Fig. 2, the result of moving the lever L from its vertical position is to lift the
contact maker G so that the collectors Gº do not touch the fixed contact-rail F.
A pipe M (Figure 2) is fixed on the contact-maker G and is so arranged that
steam can be passed through it when desired in order that the contact-maker G
may be kept free from frost and snow, the pipe M preferably has its outlet across
the track, in order that the steam may pass away clear of the contact-rail. Other
steam pipes are provided as at N (Fig. 2) so that steam may be allowed to blow on
to the fixed contact-rail F to clear it from frost etc. before the contact-maker G
passes over it. The pipe N is shown at the rear of the tender but a similar pipe
is also placed in front preferably below the engine.
A guard-plate G15 is affixed to the contact-maker G in order that the latter may
be protected from spray etc. when the apparatus is used upon a tender which picks
up its water when travelling. This guard-plate may if desired, be arranged to
extend right round the contact plate G, or may be fixed to the under side of the
tender instead of moving with the contact maker G.
Fig. 6 illustrates a convenient form of relay for use with the above described
signalling apparatus. It comprises a base H2 upon which an electromagnet H³ is
mounted. The electromagnet H³ is provided with an armature H* mounted upon
a spring as at H5 and provided with a detent or catch H6 which engages with a
spring controlled pivotted contact-piece H¹. A contact spring H7 is also provided.
Terminals H8, H³, H¹º, H are mounted upon the base H2. The terminals H8
and H are connected to the winding of the electromagnet H³, the terminal H8 being
also joined to the frame of the tender, and the terminal H connected to the wire g
which comes from the contact maker G. The terminal H10 is connected to the
contact-spring H7 and to one pole of the local battery J, and the terminal H is
joined to one terminal of the bell K and to the pivotted contact piece H.
When the current from the line passes as before described through the relay H,
the electromagnet H³ pulls the armature H towards it and releases the contact-
piece H, which, under the action of a spring H12 makes contact with the spring H7
and thus completes the local circuit, and causes the bell K to ring. When the
current ceases to flow through the coils of the electro-magnet H³ the armature H
returns to its original position, and the contact-piece H¹ may be replaced by means
of a push H3 which is normally kept out of action by a spring H14.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
:-
1. In railway electrical signalling apparatus a contact maker carried by the
vehicle and with or without means for heating it substantially as described and
illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In railway electrical signalling apparatus a fixed contact rail substantially as
described and illustrated in Figures 2 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete rail-
way electrical signalling apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of Sentember 1808