IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry James Barr at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th April
1860.
I, HENRY JAMES BARR, of Bombay, Lieutenant-Colonel in Her Majesty's
Indian Army, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in certain arrangements of apparatuses whereby a
passing train is made to act on an ordinary railway signal and set it at
danger," at which it remains until altered by hand or from which it is moved
to "all clear" by means of an electro-magnet acting as soon as the train has.
reached the next station or any required distance.
I attach to the inner end of an ordinary signal arm a rod, which extends.
downwards parallel with the signal post, and connect its lower end to a wheel
free to revolve upon an axis fixed to the post. A notch is formed in the-
periphery of the wheel, and a pin projects from its face, as also a second or
stop pin. A weighted lever is fitted with a joint on its short arm, in such
position as to catch the projecting pin on the wheel when moved, as hereafter
explained. Upon a shaft I fit an eccentric, which on being made to revolve-
comes in contact with the lower side of the long and weighted arm of the
lever; upon the same shaft as the eccentric I mount a wheel, which is fixed
near the rail in such a position as to be caused to revolve on a rubber or arm
attached to an engine or any carriage in a train coming in contact with it..

page_text: The signal being in the first instance set at "all clear," the operation is as
follows: Upon the passing of a train the wheel with which the projecting
arm or rubber affixed to some portion of the train comes in contact is caused
to revolve, it carries with it the eccentric, which raises the long and weighted
arm of the jointed lever; the jointed short arm passes under the projecting
pin on the signal-post wheel, and as soon as the eccentric allows the long arm
to fall, the weight thereon forces the signal-post wheel to partially revolve,
whereupon the signal rod is raised, and the signal arm is thrown out to
danger,"
'at the same time a metal bolt engages in the notch on the periphery
of the signal-post wheel, at retains the signal at "danger." Over this metal
bolt is an electro-magnet, and communication is opened with a battery, so as
to cause the magnet to act, and raise the bolt when the train reaches the next
station, or any desired point; or the bolt is raised by hand. Upon the bolt
being raised, the signal-post wheel moves back again to its original position,
and restores the signal to "all clear."
My Invention also consists in causing a fog signal to be placed over or on
the rail by a passing train simultaneously with the signal being placed at
I fit
danger," and to be withdrawn as soon as it is restored to "all clear."
wedge-shaped projection on the signal-post wheel, and make it act when the
signal is being placed at danger, as herein-before described, upon one end of
a rod, the other end of which carries the fog signal; when passed by the pro-
jection the fog signal is placed on the rail, and kept there until the signal is
returned to "all clear," when a spring draws back the rod and the fog signal
clear of the rail.