Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Signalling on Railways, and Stopping Trains in Case of Danger.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Mar., 1899-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1899
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Signalling on
Railways, and Stopping Trains in Case of Danger.
I, WILLIAM BARKER, of 30, Brougham Street, Burnley, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for signalling
on railways, and stopping trains in case of danger.
According to my invention, I mount in standards fixed to two adjacent
sleepers of the permanent way, a swivelling inclined plane. This swivelling
piece or inclined plane is provided with pivots so as to move freely in the said
standards, and is parallel with the rails. It is preferably constructed of
wrought iron.
The said swivelling piece is provided with a projection, to which is jointed.
one end of a rod or bar which passes underneath the rail, the other end of the
said bar being connected to a bell crank lever in connection with the usual
weighted or balancing lever of the semaphore arm of the signal.
When the signalman in his cabin raises the signal to danger in the usual
way by raising the weighted lever of the semaphore, he brings the inclined
swivelling piece into a perpendicular position against a suitable stop..
On the engine in connection with the handle for operating the vacuum brake
is a rod, which projects down the side of the engine, and is connected to a two
armed lever, whose other end is formed into a trailing piece.
Should the driver of the engine through any cause fail to observe the signals,
the said trailing piece will mount the inclined surface of the perpendicular
swivelling piece, and thereby depress the rod attached to the handle of the
vacuum brake, which is speedily applied, and brings the engine to a stand. I
prefer the swivelling piece to be placed near the distant signal, so that before
the home signal is reached, the train is stopped.
Two of these swivelling inclined pieces may be fixed on each side of the rails,
and both connected to the same operating rod from the signal, so as to move in
unison with each other, and so as to act on the engine on either side of the rails.
Of course, when the signal is lowered, the inclined piece is moved out of the
path of the passing train, and is drawn by the said rod connected to the
balancing lever of the signal into a horizontal position.
In case of double signals, such as are required at junctions, two bell crank
levers are employed to work in reverse directions, so that the inclined swivelling
pieces may be each moved the opposite way.
Total this 2nd dow of Amost 1808

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Signalling on
Railways, and Stopping Trains in Case of Danger.
I, WILLIAM BARKER, of 30, Brougham Street, Burnley, in the County of
Lancaster, 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:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for signalling
on railways, and stopping trains in case of danger.
According to my invention, I mount in standards fixed to two adjacent
sleepers of the permanent way, a swivelling inclined plane. This swivelling
piece or inclined plane is provided with pivots, so as to move freely in the said
standards, and is parallel with the rails. It is preferably constructed of
wrought iron. The said swivelling piece is provided with a projection, to which
is jointed one end of a rod or bar which passes underneath the rail, the other end
of the said bár being connected to a bell crank lever in connection with the
usual weighted or balancing lever of the semaphore arm of the signal.
When the signalman in his cabin raises the signal to danger in the usual
way by raising the weighted lever of the semaphore, he brings the inclined
swivelling piece into a perpendicular position against a suitable stop.
On the engine is a rod arranged to slide in a suitable bracket, and carrying
at its lower extremity a bowl or the like. This rod is connected to a two armed
lever, which is capable of operating a valve on a branch pipe in communication
with the vacuum brake of the engine.
Should the driver of the engine, through any cause fail to observe the signals,
the said bowl will mount the inclined surface of the perpendicular swivelling
piece, raising the rod to which it is attached as well as one end of the two armed
lever. This lever has its other end pivotted to a bracket on the engine, and the
attachment to the valve communicating with the train pipe of the vacuum
brake, takes place between these connections. Consequently, when the said-rod
is lifted, such valve will be opened by the movement of the two-armed lever. I
prefer the swivelling piece to be placed near the distant signal, and to act in
such a manner as to slacken the engine, another swivelling piece connected to
the home signal stopping the engine, in case the driver deliberately attempts to
drive past. The two armed lever when raised is retained in position until
relieved by a rod sliding in a packing gland.
Two of these swivelling pieces may be fixed on each side of the rails,
and both connected to the same operating rod from the signal, so as to move in
unison with each other, and so as to act on the engine on either side of the rails.
Of course, when the signal is lowered, the inclined piece is moved out of the
path of the passing train, and is drawn by the said rod connected to the
balancing lever into a horizontal position.
In case of double signals, such as are required at junctions, two bell crank
levers are employed to work in reverse directions, so that the inclined swivelling
pieces may be each moved the opposite way.
In Fig. 1 (Sheet 1) is represented my arrangement as applied to a signal post
having home and distant signals. The distant signal is at danger. The lever A
is connected to the weighted lever B of the home signal, whilst the lever C is
connected to the weighted lever D) of the distant signal. These levers A and C

page_text: are jointed to reversely pivotted | levers E, which actuate the rods F, which
bring into or out of action the inclined planes G G or H H, pivotted at J, the
same being worked by the radial arms K. These pivotted inclined planes are
firmly mounted in standards or supports fixed to two adjacent sleepers, and
stand parallel with the rails, and a side view of one of such inclined planes is
shewn in Fig. 2 (Sheet 2).
From an inspection of the diagram, it will be seen that the inclined planes are
inclined in either direction so as to act upon a passing train,, whichever way it
may be travelling.
The distant signal being at danger, the inclined planes H H stand out ver-
tically to stop or partially stop the train, or slacken its speed, and in case the
driver, through inadvertence or negligence, or an oversight, fails to recognize
the signal, the bowl L mounts the inclined plane H, and raises the rod M, the
object being not to stop the train for a distant signal, but only to slacken its
speed. To overcome the impact difficulty, the rod M is made to rise with as
little movement as possible, just sufficient to actuate the lever O pivotted at P
to the bracket P fixed to the engine. An attachment is made with the lever O
of an air valve Q, which when the said lever is raised as aforesaid admits air
into the branch pipe R communicating with the train pipe of the vacuum brake.
When the rod is knocked up, it raises through the medium of lever O the
rod S, moving through the packing gland T, so as to retain the rod S in its
raised position to keep the air valve open, until closed by the driver of the
engine pushing the rod S into its original position.
The rod M, at its upper end, is screw threaded and passes through a tapped
hole in the block a carried by lever O, which is pivotted to it. By aid of this
arrangement, the rod M may be adjusted to a minute degree to bring the bowl
at its end into a higher or lower position with the inclined plane. It also slides
through holes in guides c of the bracket & fixed to the engine.
For a home signal, it is desirable that the movement of the rod M should be
more than for a distant signal for the purpose of entirely stopping the train. In
Fig. 1, the home signal U is down, and the inclined planes G G connected to
it are moved out of the path of the passing train.
In Fig. 4 is represented my invention as applied to a signal post carrying
four home signals. The signals e f g are against the driver. The signal g
indicates the line is clear for that route. The weighted levers h have rods k
connected to them, which at their other ends are formed with open slots m.
Such slotted ends of the different rods are all made to engage with a pin or
stud fixed to the weighted bell crank lever p. Whichever signal is lowered
will therefore have the effet of bringing out of action the swivelling inclined
planes. The weight of the rods & counterbalance the weighted lever P, but
when all of the signals are raised, such weighted lever immediately falls, and
brings into a perpendicular position the inclined planes p. I prefer to allow
about two inches or so free movement of the slotted rods without affecting the
inclined planes, so that in case of a doubtful signal, i.e. one half way between
the two extremes, the inclined planes will not be brought into position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: :―
1. The improved construction and arrangement of apparatus for signalling on
railways, and stopping, or partially stopping trains in case of danger, sub-
stantially as shewn and described.
2. The swivelling inclined plane shewn in side view Fig. 2, arranged to swivel
parallel to the rails, and pivotted or mounted in supports fixed to two adjacent
sleepers, substantially as described and illustrated.
3. In combination with such swivelling inclined plane, the use of a rod M
carrying bowl L, and sliding in bracket as shewn and adjustably attached to the

page_text: two armed or pivotted lever 0 acting upon air valve Q communicating with the
train pipe of the vacuum brake of the engine, substantially as described and
illustrated.
Dated this 28th day of February 1899
RICHMOND & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 12, Standish Street, Burnley.