Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Leff, 30th July, 1895-Accepted, 31st Aug:, 1895
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus:
1, WILLIAM BEWICK QUELCH, of Croft (near Darlington) in the County of
York, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to railway signalling apparatus, and has for its object to
provide improved means whereby, in case an engine-driver should pass a visual
signal, at "danger" for instance, in a fog, an audible signal should be sounded: upon
the locomotive to indicate the fact.
66
"
In carrying out my invention I arrange beside the line or track a pivotted arm
or lever hereinafter termed the "transmitter" which, in one position, is adapted to
form an abutment against which a lever or arm hereinafter termed the "receiver "
on the locomotive will strike but which, in its other position, is designed to allow
such receiver upon the locomotive to pass without contact. The transmitter is
connected by rods, wires or the like to the rod or wire for operating the visual
signal in such a manner that, when the visual signal is pulled or moved "on" or
at danger, the said transmitter will be raised or otherwise pulled or moved in
position or on so that the receiver upon the locomotive will make contact
therewith. When the visual signal is pulled or moved "off" the said transmitter
will be lowered or moved "off" so that the receiver upon the locomotive will not
make contact therewith. The receiver is connected by any suitable means with an
audible signalling apparatus, for instance, it may be connected to the handle for
operating the whistle of the locomotive, or an independent whistle may be used for
the purpose, or it may be arranged in conjunction with the hammer of a gong, or in
any other suitable manner. A spring is arranged in conjunction with the receiver
in order that, after it has been moved by contact with the transmitter upon the line,
it shall be returned to its normal position.
In practice my receiver may or can be arranged so that it operates on or can be
operated from either side of the locomotive or track and also so that it can be operated
in whichever direction of motion the locomotive is travelling, or it may be arranged
to operate only on one side or direction.
It is to be understood that, although I have described the signalling apparatus as
being arranged upon the locomotive, it may be arranged upon the tender or in the
guard's van or in any other suitable position.
Dated this Ust dov of Ontoher 1891
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM BEWICK QUELCH, of Croft (near Darlington) in the County of
York, Civil Engineer, 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 relates to railway signalling apparatus, and has for its object to

page_text: provide improved means whereby, in case an engine-driver should pass a visual signal
at "danger," for instance, in a fog, an audible signal should be sounded upon the
locomotive to indicate the fact.
In carrying out my invention I arrange beside the line or track a pivoted arm or
lever or the like hereinafter termed the "transmitter" which, in one position, is
adapted to form an abutment against which a lever or arm (fixed on a rock shaft
carried in suitable supports) hereinafter termed the "receiver" on the locomotive
or brake van will strike but which, in its other position, is designed to allow
such receiver upon the locomotive or van to pass without contact. The transmitter
is connected by rods, wires or the like to the rod or wire for operating the visual
signal. The receiver is connected by any suitable means with an audible signalling
apparatus, for instance, it may be connected to the handle for operating the whistle
of the locomotive, or an independent whistle may be used for the purpose, or
it may be arranged in conjunction with the hammer of a gong, or in any other
suitable manner.
A spring is arranged in conjunction with the receiver in order
that, after it has been moved by contact with the transmitter upon the line, it
shall be returned to its normal position, such spring also serving to lessen the
shock when the receiver strikes the transmitter and to steady the movement of
the receiver.
In practice my receiver can be arranged so that it operates on or can be operated
from either side of the locomotive or track and also so that it can be operated in
whichever direction the locomotive is travelling, or it may be arranged to operate
only on one side or in one direction.
It is to be understood that, although I have described the signalling apparatus as
being arranged upon the locomotive, it may be arranged upon the tender or in the
guard's van or in any other suitable position.
:-
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railway track and locomotive with my signalling
apparatus applied thereto and adapted to sound a whistle on the engine :
Figure 2 is an elevation at a right angle to Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a view of a detail:
Figure 4 is a plan of the track and of the portion of the signalling apparatus
connected therewith:
Figure 5 is a side elevation illustrating a modification of the track portion of the
apparatus:
Figure 6 is a plan of Figure 5:
Figure 7 is a side elevation of part of a locomotive shewing a gong or bell thercon,
instead of a whistle, arranged to be sounded by my apparatus:
Figure 8 is a side elevation shewing my apparatus adapted to sound a gong or
bell on a brake van.
Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar parts.
a is the transmitter pivoted in supports ↳ fixed in a suitable position beside the
line or track c; d, d are the receivers consisting of arms or levers keyed on a rock
shaft e carried in suitable brackets e¹ and placed one at each side of the locomotive
or brake van and designed to be actuated by contact with the transmitters.
, are the wires connecting the usual visual signal with the lever in the signal
box, the wire being attached to one of a pair of crauks g, g pivoted to a post or
box h; the other crank g is connected by a rod i to the transmitter a so that the
latter is caused to turn upon its pivots when the lever in the signal box is operated
to move the visual signal "on" and "off"; j is a weight for assisting to actuate
the trausnitter a.
k, Figure 1, is the whistle on the locomotive, with the handle of which one of
the receivers d is connected through the medium of a chain or cord l, crank m, rod n
and chain o working over a pulley p, a spring a¹ being provided on the rod n for
returning it and keeping the chain o in proper tension. 7, 9 are the springs for
returning the receivers d, d to their normal position after they have been moved by

page_text: contact with the transmitters z upon the line; r, are stops on the locomotive which
in conjunction with fingers (Figure 3) on the rock shaft e serve for limiting the
movement of the receivers d.
S
It will be obvious that the connection between the receiver and the signalling
device may be varied to suit the relative positions of the same and the design of the
locomotive or vehicle to which my invention is applied.
Instead of causing a whistle to sound I may make use of the apparatus herein before.
described to strike a gong or bell as illustrated in Figure 7.
In order to obviate the liability of damage to either the transmitter or the
receiver owing to the sudden impingement of the latter against the former, I make
the transmitter (or the upper or resistance end of the transmitter when the latter
consists of a simple arm or lever) in the form of an inclined plane, as in Figure 1; or
the transmitter may be of semi-elliptical form as shewn in Figures 5 and 6, or
semi-circular or of any other suitable shape.
When the apparatus is intended to sound a gong upon the brake van as
illustrated in Figure 8, and in all other cases where practicable, I prefer to
directly connect the gong to the receiver as shewn so as to avoid any angular
connections, the spring of the gong serving to keep the connecting cord or chain
at the proper tension.
"
d
upon
The operation of my improved signalling apparatus is as follows:-When the
visual signal is on or at danger, the transmitter a will be in the upright position
shewn in the drawing, that is to say, it will be in position for the receiver
the locomotive or brake van to make contact therewith, whereby the whistle or gong
will be sounded and warn the engine driver or guard. When, however, the visual
signal is pulled "off" the transmitter a will be inclined outwardly from the rail, or
moved so that the receiver d upon the locomotive or brake van will not come into
contact therewith so that no audible signal will be given.
In cases where a whistle is blown it is preferable that the apparatus shall only
act to open the whistle so that it shall continue to be sounded until shut off by the
engine driver.
It will also be evident that instead of or in addition to the receivers causing a
whistle or gong to sound they could be arranged to set a steam or other brake in
operation so as to stop the train.
With this arrangement the application of a special signalling device will be
unnecessary as the application of the brake will be a sufficient indication to the
driver.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In railway signalling apparatus a
transmitter" worked in unison with the
usual visual signal and consisting of a pivoted arm or lever or the like arranged
beside the line or track and adapted in one position to form an abutment against
which a lever or arm on the locomotive, brake van or other part of the train will
strike, but which in its other position is designed to allow such arm or lever to pass
without contact, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. In railway signalling apparatus a "receiver" consisting of an arm, or lever,
on the locomotive, brake van or other part of a train, adapted to be actuated
by contact with a movable arm or lever or the like arranged substantially in
the manner described in the preceding claiming clause, the movement of the
said receiver being utilized through suitable connections to operate a signal upon
the train, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In railway signalling apparatus wherein a "receiver" of the kind referred to.
in the preceding claiming clause is employed the combination with the said receiver
of a spring or springs substantially as, and for the purposes, described.

page_text: 4. The manufacture and use of the improved railway signalling apparatus
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of July 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.