Automatic Apparatus for Adjusting the Wires of Distant and other Railway Signals.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application. 27th July, 1892-Accepted, 27th Aug.,
1892
UMT DELM DIMULRICATION
Automatic Apparatus for Adjusting the Wires of Distant and other
Railway Signals.
I, EDWARD RUSSELL of 12 Culverland Road, Exeter, in the County of Devon,
Signal Superintendent, 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 has reference to apparatus for counteracting or compensating the
effects of the variation of temperature on railway signal wires.
It ensures that the wire or chain between the semaphore or other arm or disc
and the signalman's lever by which the signal is operated, shall be kept taut, so
that the semaphore and the lever are practically always in the same position
relatively with each other.
In the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters refer to the same parts
in the several figures,
Figure 1 illustrates a plan of my apparatus.
Figure 2 is a section A-B showing the guide in which the ladder piece moves.
Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 1.
Figure 4 shows the position of the lever in the locking frame together with the
rod connection connected to one tail for operating the wire and the wire connection
on the other side to ensure its return motion.
e is the rod connection from the lever to the crank d, is the finger end of the
crank d, e is the wire from the other tail of the lever to the crank d, is the ladder
piece, which is jointed together at points f', 2, 3, &c., at suitable intervals to
allow of its circular motion when the crank operates it. g is the guide in which
the ladder piece / moves. In this guide there are rollers g¹ g for ease in travel.
It is obvious that although only one guide is shown, as many may be fixed as are
required or desirable. is the chain leading from the end of the ladder piece f
and at the termination of which chain is the weight j, k is the wire at the other
end of the ladder piece leading to and working the signal. m is the lever in the
locking apparatus, set apart for working the signal.
The action of my invention is as follows:-
In the normal condition when the lever is at rest the crank d is, as shown in
Figure 1, disconnected from the ladder piece, the ladder piece being attached to
the wire and practically forming part of the connection to the signal is free to
move horizontally and to be acted upon by the weight according as the weather is
hot or cold and whether the wire expands or contracts.
It will be seen that the weight j always keeps the wire at a uniform tension.
It is understood of course that the weight is not sufficiently heavy to operate
the balance lever upon the signal post.
When it is required to operate the signal, the lever m is moved, connections care
operated, the crank d is moved and the finger at the end of the crank comes in
contact with the steps of the ladder piece and pulls forward the wire k thereby
deflecting the signal, and on the return motion the finger at the end of the arm of
the crank d gives a slight initial movement assisting the return motion of the signal
to Danger."
CC
In the event of any part of the connections between the front tail of the lever,
or between the tail of the lever which operates the rod, and the crank, becoming
broken or disarranged, the wire operated by the other tail and connected to the
arm of the crank d would move the said crank to its normal position and thereby
return the signal to "Danger."

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is:
1. In automatic apparatus for compensating for the expansion and contraction of
railway signal wires, the combination of apparatus substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In automatic apparatus for compensating for the expansion and contraction of
railway signal wires, the ladder piece operated by the crank d, substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2, Great George Street, Westminster, S. W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2, Great George Street, Westminster, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.