Improvements in Electrically Signalling on Locomotives, and Apparatus for that purpose.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1875
Complete Specification Left, 13th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 13th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrically Signalling on Locomotives, and
Apparatus for that purpose.
We, ROBERF BURN of No. 186 Aldersgate Street, Gentleman, and LEONARD
GEORGE TATE of No. 20 Bucklersbuiy, Electrical Engineer, both in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
Our invention relates to means of electrically signalling to the driver on a
locomotive whether it is safe or dangerous to proceed, and, if safe, which of several
roads is open for his train, the apparatus for this purpose being so arranged that
the signals to the driver may be repeated in a sigual cabin
"
In order to signal "safety or "danger," we lay neat the line and parallel to it
an insulated conductor connected with the one terminal of a battery, the other
terminal of which 18 connected to one of the rails on which the locomotive runs.
A. suitable brush or its equivalent on the locomotive, as it passes along this bar,
closes the electric circuit through an indicator causing deflection of an index
denoting "safety" and permitting the driver to proceed.
"
When the outdoor signal is at danger," no current is received, and the index of
the locomotive stands at its normal position, indicating “danger.
In cases where it is desired to have a special indication of "danger" on the
locomotive, we employ a commutating switch for connecting the conducting bar to
the battery, so that a positive curient is sent when the outdoor signal is in the one
attitude and a negative current when it is in the other attitude. The index on the
locomotive is thus deflected to the one hand or the other indicating "safety"
or "danger" in accord with the outdoor signal. An audible signal may also
be sounded calling attention to the index.
For indicating which of several roads is open, we provide another conducting bar
having its length divided into as many parts or sections as there are roads, say for
example 4. All these sections are connected together in series and each section is
connected to the one terminal of a battery by a switch, which closes the circuit, in
respect of that section, only when the road corresponding to that section is open.
The other terminal of the battery is connected to the rail.
On the locomotive we provide a solenoid or electromagnet the core or armature
of which acts through a pawl on a ratchet wheel or segment carrying an index
which points to divisions on a dial indicating the different roads. The apparatus
operates in the following manner.
Assuming that the points and outdoor signals are set for No. 3 road, then the
switch of No. 3 section of the bar closes the circuit of that section.
As the locomotive passes, a brush connected to the coil of the solenoid or
electromagnet makes contact with the three sections of the bar, No. 1, No 2
and No. 3, n succession, and thus thec successive curients act on the indicator,
causing its index to point to No. 3 road. The index is held in this position until
another electromagnet excited by the contact of a brush on the locomotive with
another conducting bar beyond the divided bar, withdraws the pawl allowing the
index to be moved by a weight or spring to its zero position.
"
The indications given on the locomotive to signal "safety, or "danger" or to
distinguish the road that is open, may be repeated in the signal cabin by

page_text: introducing in the circuit of the battery, indicating instruments similar to those on
the locomotive
Instead of employing a bar divided into sections as above described, a number of
electromagnets, one for each road, may be placed along the line in such positions
that a polarised needle, carried on the locomotive, in passing close to one or other
of the magnets which is excited, operates as a relay, making a contact for a local
circuit on the locomotive which works the road indicator
Dated this 13th day of May 1895
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Electrically Signalling on Locomotives, and
Apparatus for that purpose.
We, ROBERT BURN, of No 186 Aldersgate Street, Gentleman, and LEONARD
GEORGE TATE of No. 20 Bucklersbury, Electrical Engineer, both in the City of
London, 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 :-
Ou mvention relates to moans of electrically signalling to the driver on a
locomotive whether it is safe or dangerous to proceed, and, if safe, which of several
roads is open for his train, the apparatus for this purpose being so arranged that
the signals to the driver may be repeated in a signal cabin.
In order to signal "safety" or "danger," we lay near the line and parallel to it
an insulated conductor connected with the one terminal of a battery, the other
terminal of which is connected to earth or preferably to one of the rails on which
the locomotive runs. A suitable brush or rubber on the locomotive as it passes
along this conductor closes the electric circuit through an indicator on the
locomotive causing deflection of an index or movement of a screen which may be
coloured or otherwise distinctively marked denoting "safety" and permitting the
driver to proceed.
When the outdoor signal is at "danger," no current is received, and the index of
the locomotive stands at its normal position, indicating "danger."
In cases where it is desired to have a special indication of "danger" on the
locomotive, we employ a commutating switch for connecting the insulated conductor
at the side of the rail to the one or the other terminal of the battery, so that
a positive current 18 sent when the outdoor signal is in the one attitude and
a negative current when it is in the other attitude. The index or screen of the
locomotive indicator is thus moved to the one hand or the other indicating "safety"
or "danger" in accord with the outdoor signal.
The instrument employed as above described may be of any of the known kinds
used in signal cabins, in which indexes ou dials, model semaphores, or coloured
screens serve to indicate "safety" and "danger."
An audible signal may also be sounded calling attention to the index. For this
purpose an ordinuy bell relay may form part of the cncuit.
For indicating which of several ronds is open, we provide another conducting bar
having its length divided into as many parts or sections as there are different roads,
say for example four roads.
All these sections are connected by separate conductors to a commutating switch
the brush of which is connected to the one terminal of a battery, the other terminal
of which is connected to the rail.
On the locomotive we provide a solenoid or electromagnet the core or armature
of which acts through a pawl or anchor causing step by step movements of a ratchet

page_text: wheel or segment carrying an index which points to divisions on a dial indicating
the different roads. For this purpose the ordinary instruments employed for
electrically signalling on shipboard may be used.
This apparatus operates in the following manner.
Assuming that the points and outdoor signals are set for No. 3 road, then the
brush of the commutating switch 18 moved to a contact marked No 3 and thus
bings into circuit with the battery the sectious 1, 2 and 3.
As the locomotive passes, a brush connected to the coil of the solenoid or
electromagnet makes contact with the three sections of the bar No. 1, No. 2, and'
No. 3 in succession, and thus three successive currents are made to act on the
indicator, causing its index to point to No. 3 road. The index is held in this
position until another electromagnet excited by the contact of a brush on the
locomotive with another conducting bar beyond the divided bar, withdraws the
pawl or anchor allowing the index to be moved by a weight or spring to its zero
position.
'
"
The indications given on the locomotive to signal "safety or "danger" may
be repented in the signal cabin by introducing in the circuit of the battery an
indicating instrument similar to that on the locomotive.
And, in like manner, by introducing between the battery and the brush of the
commutating switch an indicator of the different roads like that on the locomotive
this indicator being acted on by the same number of successive curients will give
the same indication.
Instead of employing a bar divided into sections as before described, a number of
magnetic conductors one for each road may be placed along the line in such
positions that a polarised neeille or coil carried on the locomotive in passing close
to one or other of the magnetic conductors which is excited, operates as a relay
making a contact for a local circuit on the locomotive which works the road
indicator.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews diagrammatically the application of
our invention as above described to signal "safety" or "danger" to the driver of
a locomotive.
"
A is the signal lever or other part of the apparatus which moves the signal to
indicate "safety or "danger," B 18 the battery the terminals of which are
connected to the commutating switch C of any known kind which is connected
to A.
D is the conductor laid parallel to the rail, E the brush or rubber carried
by the locomotive, and F is the indicating instrument According as the signal is
moved to safety or danger, the conductor from C to D is, by means of the switch,
put in cucuit with the one or the other terminal of the battery B, the other terminal
being connected to earth G, to which also ono of the terminals of F is always
connected through the wheels and rail.
Fig 2 shews diagrammatically means according to our invention as above
described for informing the driver of the locomotive L which one of 3 or other
number of roads 18 open for his train. The levers A A¹ for the sets of points a
and a respectively which determine the road to be taken are connected to a
commutating switch C of any known construction by which according to the
position of the levers A A' one terminal of a battery B is put in circuit with one,
two or more of the conductors D'D' D' D' placed by the side of the line to be
traversed by a brush or rubber E connected to one terminal of the indicating
instrument Fon the locomotive The other terminal of the battery being connected
to earth G and the other terminal of the indicating stiument being also connected
to earth through the wheels and rail, according to the position of the points, this
instrument receives 1, 2 or more impulses as the rubber traverses such of tho
successive conductora Das are for the time in circuit with the battery Instead of
conductors D' D' &c. and a rubber E electromagnets might be employed influencing
a relay on the locomotive as it passes, the indicating instrument being worked by
this relay. Although we have described the method of indicating "safety or
"

page_text: "danger" separately from that of indicating the particular road which the
locomotive has to take, it is to be understood that both methods may best be used
conjointly, both indicators being preferably arranged in one instrument on the
locomotive, and both repeating indicators in one instrument in the signal cabin.
We would also have it understood that we make no general claim to the method
of indicating "safety 66
or
danger" by itself, nor to any instruments for that
purpose, but
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim 18 -
1. The herein described method of electrically or magnetically indicating on a
locomotive which of several roads is open to the train.
2. The combination of a battery, a conductor made in sections, a commutating
switch for bringing one, two or more of the sections into circuit, a brush or rubber
and an instrument on the locomotive for indicating which of a number of roads is
open to the train, substantially as described.
3. The herein described method of conjointly signalling on a locomotive "safety"
or "danger" and also indicating which of a number of roads is open to the train.
4. In combination with the apparatus referred to in Claim 2, a conductor
a brush or rubber and an instrument on the locomotive indicating "safety" or
'danger," substantially as described.
<
DL: 19h 1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.