IMPROVEMENTS IN "RAILWAY SIGNALS
Year: 1884

page_text: "J
I WALTER CHURCH BECKWITH of Pittsburg in the County of Allegheny and
State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America, Mechanic, do hereby
declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN "RAILWAY SIGNALS
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 that class of signals used upon railroads which are
divided into sections to notify trains in the front or rear of any passing train of its
locality on the road.
The object of this Invention is to provide means whereby the trains of either a
single or double tracked railroad may be guarded against collision and the crossings
guarded against approaching trains.
To this end my Invention consists in a novel system of operating danger signals,
and novel means for producing the operation, as hereinafter described and set
forth in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing in which-
Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating my system of signalling..
- Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of my signals, and the operating pump.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the saine.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the air pump, and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section
at X X Fig. 3.
A represents the railroad B' to Be any number of signal stations at the ends of
sections E to E³, and C a signal which may be a light, a target, or any other
suitable device capable of being shown by a simple movement.
As bere illustrated, it consists of a target C adapted to swing within a shell D
so as to be shown through an opening a therein, or to be concealed when away
from the opening. For the purposes of this Specification, we will suppose that
when the target is shown, the danger signal is set, and when the target is
concealed, safety is indicated.
In my system of signalling, I provide at each station, except the first and last,
means for showing danger signals in both directions, operated independently of
cach other; but at the first and last sections, signals are only needed to face the
end of the road.
At each station I place a device which is neted on by a passing train to show
the danger signal facing to the rear and to conceal the one facing abead at that
station; and to set the signal facing ahead at some station ahead, and to conceal
the signal facing to the rear at some station in the rear.
To accomplish this each signal is connected with two signal shifting devices, one
located at the same station as the signal, and the other at another station, and

page_text: each shifting device is capable to show the signal when acted on by a train going
one way, and to conceal the same signal when acted on by a train going the
other way.
•
A train advancing along a road provided with my system of signals will thus
set danger signals facing ahead, and to the rear in order as it advances, and in the
same order will conceal the signal passed.
A train does not set the danger signals facing it on the same section. These
signals are to be set by trains on adjacent sections. If two trains approach a
section in opposite directions, that train which first enters the section will set the
signal at the opposite end of the section, thus stopping the other train from
entering the same section.
Suppose a train to start at the left, Fig. 1, and go towards the right; and
suppose that each section E', E &c. represents the distance to be guarded.
On passing the first station signal C1 facing to the rear will be set to notify
trains in the rear that a train is on section E¹.
At the same time signal 2' will be set to notify an oppositely approaching train
that section E¹ is occupied. On passing station B, signals 2 and 31 will be set to
guard section E2 both ways, and signals 1 and 21 will be concealed because
section El guarded to the rear by signal 1 is now safe; and because another
signal 3¹ being set ahead, the signal 2¹ is not needed.
As work trains are obliged to run both ways on double tracks, and as trains are
sometimes broken down, the same safeguards are needed on each track of double
track roads, as on a single track road.
It is necessary that there should be two independent signals at each station in
order that the one facing to the rear may have been set by any train ahead,
whether receding or standing still on the next section, and in order that a signal
should be set ahead of each to warn an oppositely approaching train.
Therefore a single signal even if it shows both ways, cannot accomplish the
whole purpose of my double signals.
In my system each track of double track roads should have my double signals,
but the stations need not correspond on the two tracks, for there is no necessary
connection between the tracks in this respect.
While it is more convenient to have each pair of signals supported on one post,
yet this is not a necessity to my Invention, for it will frequently happen on curves
and in some other situations, that the signal facing one way may be seen best at a
given spot while the signal facing the other way may be seen best if placed at
some distance therefrom, and yet both answer the herein before described purpose.
To illustrate the field of application of my system of signalling, I will show its
use in operating the signals in the order of alternate stations, thus,
The train passing station B¹ sets signals 1 and 31; in passing station B³ it sels
signals 2 and 41; in passing station B³ it sets signals 3 and 5', and conceals signals
1 and 3', and at station B it sets signals 4 and 6' and conceals signals 2 and 4¹.
In this method signal 21 would only be used by trains going the other way.
Thus it will be seen that one signal facing backward and one facing forward are
set to danger, and facing forward and one facing back ward are set to safely, by
the train in passing each signal station as in the application of my system first
described.
The vane C of the signal is attached to the movable side of a bellows or to the
piston F of an air chamber G to be oscillated thereby and to be thus swung to and
from the aperture a in case D.
This attachment is made by means of an arm 6 connecting said vane C with the
shaft c, of said piston F, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and in full in Fig. 5.
H is a pipe entering chamber G to conduct air to and from it to oscillate the
piston F and thereby to show or conceal the signal. The space in rear of piston is
open for free passage of air through a hole K.
The pipes H leading to all the signals are branches of a main line pipe I.

page_text: .
This line pipe communicates between the pumps J located at the signal stations
and is provided with crooks or offsets I at suitable places to accommodate
expansion and contraction by heat and cold. Each pump is provided with a
fourway cock K, two of these connect with the pump. The way i is provided
with a suction valve and the other way j with a pressure valve and the other two
ways connect respectively with two ends of pipe I, one going to the right and the
other to the left along the road. L is a lever fixed upon a shaft M, which is
journalled to rock in a bearing fixed to the rail.
The two ends land of this lever are alternately pressed down by car wheels
passing either way.
Pressing down either end of the lever raises the other end. A is arm fixed upon
the same shaft M connecting it with the piston O of the pump J. The latch & is
pivoted upon one arm of the lever Z to set the cock K when trains come from the
right so that the action of the pump will suck air from one direction in pipe I and
press it in the other, relative to the pump thus passing the air along pipe I in one
direction, and when trains come from the left, the latch will be oppositely acted on,
and will set the cock the opposite way so that the action of the same pump will
force the air in the opposite direction.
Suppose a train to start upon the road at the left, and that the signals are all to
be set by pressure and concealed by suction, signals 1 and 2¹ will be set by the
same pressure. In passing station B2 signals 2 and 3' are set by pressure, while
signals 1 and 2 being connected to the opposite side of the cock of pump J of
station B will receive suction and be concealed. Thus in passing each station the
rear signal at that station will be set and the forward one concealed; at the station
in the rear the rear signal will be concealed, and at the station ahead the forward
signal be set. The head signals for going to the right, being the rear signals for
going to the left, it becomes necessary to change the pump cocks whenever the
direction of the trains changes, that the signals may be set and concealed in their
proper rotation both ways; and for this purpose I use the device controlled by the
latch d, consisting of the forked lever which operates the cock k by means of its
shaft K, an arm g connecting rod h and arm ƒ here referred to in theory, the
details of its operation having been formerly described.
When all trains go in the one direction on a track, the fourway cock and the
shifting device are not used, in that case the pipo I will be set in relation to the
valves due to the direction to be run and left with a permanent open way in
place of cock K.
•
Instead of setting the signals by pressure and concealing them by suction the
relation of the vanes to the signal pistons may be changed to operate vice-versa.
In my method of connecting the main line pipe with a pump at the end of each
section, and connecting each signal with the main line by a single branch pipe,
I am able to use any kind of a single acting pump or bellows, instead of the piston
described to set the signals, and the simplest form of pump to move the air for
operating the signals.
To adopt this means of signalling to guard crossings, it is only necessary to fix a
single signal near the crossing and connected with two operating pumps placed at
a suitable distance each way on the road so that each train will set the signal on'
approaching the crossing and conceal the signal when passing the opposite pump.
At any point along pipe I or in any of the bellows or pumps safety valves may
be placed to permit air to escape when too much is forced in by long trains.
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. A series of pumps located along a railroad and a line of pipe joining said
pumps, in combination with two sets of signals independent of each other, one set
facing each way along the road; and branch pipes connecting with the main pipes
adjacent to pumps, one branch connecting with a signal facing one way and another

page_text: with a signal facing the other way, substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
2. On a railroad divided into sections or blocks, a pump located at or near cach
end of a block, and a line pipe connecting said pumps, in combination with two
independent signals facing in opposite directions at each end of a block, and branch
pipes connecting the two signals facing outward at the ends of a block with the
line pipe which connects the pumps located at the ends of said block, substantially
as described and for the purpose specified.
3. On-a railroad divided into sections or blocks, a pump located at or near each
end of a block, and a line of pipes connecting said pumps, in combination with two
independent siguals facing in opposite directions stationed at each end of a block,
and branch pipe connecting the two signals of a station with line pipe at opposite
sides of the pump at that station substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
4. A series of railway signals arranged with two oppositely facing independent
signals at each station, connected with a line pipe, one of said signals at each
station being constructed to be exposed by pressure, and the other to be concealed
by suction, or vice versa, the air to expose the first being drawn from the second,
substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
5. Two independent oppositely facing signals at each of two or more stations
along the road constructed to be exposed by pressure and concealed by suction, or
vice versa, and a series of pumps and a line of pipe connecting them with each
other and with the signals constructed to be operated by a passing train to draw
air from one portion of the line pipe and the signals connected therewith, and to
press the same air into another portion of said line pipe and into the signals
connected therewith, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
6. A series of signals consisting of two sets of oppositely facing independent
signals arranged along a railroad, in combination with a series of pumps, also
arranged along said road, a line pipe connecting said pumps, branch pipes connecting
said signals with the pressure and suction of said pumps as described and means
for operating said pumps by the action of a passing train, whereby a train passing
in one direction will alternately expose and conceal said signals in outwardly
facing pairs, and a train passing in the other direction will also alternately expose
and conceal said signals, but in the reverse order, substantially as described and for
the purpose specified.
7. A series of railway signals arranged with two oppositely facing independent
signals at each station and a series of pumps located, one at or near cach of said
stations and pipes connecting said signals with said pumps substantially as
described, whereby the passing of a train in either direction will act by pressure
and suction to set to danger the outward facing signals of the section on which the
train is entering and will conceal the signal facing to the rear at a station to the
rear of the train by the operation of a single pump.