Improved Apparatus for Preventing Accidents on Railways.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1897-Accepted, 20th Nov., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Preventing Accidents on Railways.
We, WILHELMUS SCHOONDERMARK retired Upper Staff Surgeon of the Royal
Netherlands Navy, of Waspik, JOHANNES AHASUERUS ANNE CHOONDERMARK,
Dentist, of Lenwarden, and CORNELIS PETERS, Engineer, of Nymegen, all in
Holland, 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:-
Although the systems of signalling on railways attained a high degree of per-
fection, accidents arising from the failure to observe signals could not be entirely
prevented. Either want of attention of the Engine driver, fogs or other cir-
cumstances caused the position of a signal to remain unnoticed and the train to
proceed although the line was closed against it.
our
invention
the
The object of
invention is
our
to prevent this and
consists in the arrangement and use of
an apparatus by which
train is at once arrested by means of entirely self-acting mechanisms,
whenever a stopping or danger 'signal should not be noticed or attended to by
the driver. This is attained by connecting a moveable arm to the apparatus
for setting a semaphore signal or a switch in such a manner, that when the line
is closed against the train, the arm is in a projecting, for instance a vertical posi-
tion, and encountered by a lever arranged on the train and operating a cock or
valve when turned by the arm so as to put the air or steam brake on and stop the
train immediately.
The arangement is so made, that the engine driver need not pay any attention
to the signal in question at all, for when the signal indicates all right or line
clear, the train can proceed without hindrance, but when the signal is in the
danger or stopping position, the driver may even be asleep. or drunk and never-
theless the train will be at once brought to a standstill. The driver is not even
able maliciously to cause the train to go on, because the lever for the brake valvé
or brake cock is not accessible while the train is running.
On the drawing appended hereunto the improved apparatus is represented
Figure 1 shewing a diagrammatic view of the improved apparatus in combi-
nation with a semaphore signal showing the line clear,
Figure 2 a similar view with the signal placed at danger,
a
Figure 3 switch in combination with the apparatus,
.
Figure 4 a cock used in connection with the apparatus and
Figure 5 details.
On the drawing a represents a signal setting winch of usual construction from
which by means of the wires or chains bithe semaphore arms can be set in various
positions in the known manner. Over the guide pulley c passes a wire c¹ con-
nected to the wire b in such a manner that it moves with the same and conse-
quently can raise an arm e which is fixed on the same shaft as the wire pulley d
into a vertical position or lay it flat. The arm e formed with an inclined pallet
is in its horizontal or laid down position when the semaphore signal s shows all
right, or line clear, as shewn on Figure 1. The train can then proceed past the
arm e without the valve or cock lever f, which is conveniently arranged on the
tender, coming into contact with the pallet.

page_text: e
But if the semaphore arms is in the danger or stop position and the arm
raised up in consequence as shewn of Figure 2, the pallet on the arm e is in the
path of the lever f and the latter is turned by coming into contact with the
pallet. The lever f is preferably loose on the shank of the plug of the cock
and rests against a segmental projection f¹, Figure 4, on the plug and when
turned takes it along and opens the cock, whereby the pipe i of the Carpenter,
Westinghouse or other brake system is placed into communication with the
atmosphere and the train is thus at once arrested. When the cock is to be
returned to its former position ready for action and to take off the brake, the
lever must be turned so as to complete an entire revolution, as the plug can only
be moved when the lever bears against the segment f¹. This turning of the cock
cannot be done from the driver's platform, but only from the ground.
To prevent an unintentional opening of the cock by the vibrations resulting
from the running of the train the lead seal represented on Fig. 5 is prefer-
ably used. The shell of the cock g is formed with an eyelet m which is fastened
to a similar eyelet m¹ on the segment f¹ by a piece of fine twine, the ends of which
are held together by a lead seal o. When the apparatus acts and turns the
handle, the twine is torn before the cock is opened.
Figure 3 represents a switch which is connected by a rod k¹ to an excentric pin
on the pulley k, so that when changing the switch the position of the arm is
simultaneously changed by means of the wires connected to the pulley. The
action in this case is the same as with the signalling apparatus hereinbefore
described. If the switch is not in the position required for the running in of the
train, the arm or pallet e is in its raised position and brings the train at once to
a stop if it should overrun the switch notwithstanding its wrong position.
These means not only prevent a collision of the train but also accidents through
running on when a draw or swing bridge is opened, because the signals in ques-
tion are invariably obeyed if they are connected with the safety apparatus here-
inbefore described.
1
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. An improved apparatus for preventing railway accidents, constructed and
operating substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. On railways the arrangement of an arm or pallet actuated by means of a
signal or switch apparatus in such a manner that when said signal or switch is
not set for allowing the train to proceed the arm or pallet opens a cock or valve
arranged on the brake piping on the train and puts on the brake so as to arrest
the train independently of the driver or guard, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings.
3. In apparatus for opening a cock in the brake piping of a railway train by
means of a lever on said cock and of an arm raised by setting a signal or switch
to its danger position the arrangement of the said lever loose on the shank or
spindle of the plug of the cock and of a projection on the plug encountered by
the lever when turned, for the purpose of preventing the turning back of the plug
from the driver's platform, substantially as herein before described and illustrated
by the drawings.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent.