Year: 1888

page_text: I JAMES SHAKESHAFT of Ashton Towcester in the County of Northamptonshire
Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention consists of two parts. One part being fixed on the ground, and the
other to the engine or tender. The signal box will be in communication with the
part on the ground; and this again will communicate with the part on the engine or
tender. The part fixed on the ground will consist of two short rails, hinged together
and arranged to form an incline plane as shewn in Fig. 3 (see drawings). The lever
will have the power of either raising it to position shewn in Fig. 3. or lowering it
to position shewn in Fig. 4. So that it will be completely under control from the
signal box.
The part attached to the engine or tender is a bolt composed of two parts one
telescoped into the other. When pressure is applied to the lower end of the bolt A in
Fig. 1. the lower part of the bolt is pushed upwards as in Fig. 2.
When the pressure is removed the bolt returns to its original position through the
action of two spiral springs arranged as shewn in the plans Figs. 1 and 2. By the
working of this bolt a current of electricity is connected at the top of the bolt as
shewn in Fig. 2. Immediately, the current is connected an electric bell is struck
which thus acts as a signal to the driver.
Finally the invention may be described thus
An inclined plane is arranged by the side of the rails which may be raised or
lowered from the signal box as shewn in the drawings Figs. 3 and 4. Should an
engine with a bolt attached to it pass the inclined plane when raised as in Fig. 3. the
bolt would by sliding over it be thrust upwards; the electric current would be
connected; the bell would sound; and this would act as a signal to the driver.
I claim for my invention that it will entirely do away with the present system of
fog-signalling; all such signalling by means of this invention could be done from the
signal box. Also that it will give the signal as distinct to the guard as to the driver
by placing a bolt on the brake as well as upon the engine.

page_text: I intend the drawings that go with this specification to be an illustration of the
scope of my invention, but I do not wish to be restricted to the exact arrangement
shewn therein.
I; JAMES SHAKESHAFT, of Ashton, near Towcester, in the County of Northampton,.
Carpenter, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved method of, and means for, enabling the man
on duty in the signal box to signal the position of the line-signals in front of a driver,
to him, and is particularly adapted to replace the present use of detonating signals in
foggy weather.
In carrying my invention into effect, I provide a hinged bar which is fixed on
the outside of the rail, and adapted to be raised on its pivot, from the signal-box, by
the signal-man, so that a rod, depending from a suitable guide upon the engine or
tender, shall be engaged by the said raised bar and forced upwards into its guide,
being thereby made to close an electric circuit in which is fixed an alarm bell on the
engine, as well as, if desired, one in the guard's van. Suitable returning devices,
such as springs, are provided for the purpose of returning the rod after the latter has
passed the hinged bar. The bar is returned to its former position, i.e., one out of the
reach of the said rod, by the special act of the signal-inan.
It is obvious from the foregoing outline of the main features of my invention and
of their respective functions, that the rod, adapted to be forced up in a tubular guide
for the purpose of being caused thereby to close an electric circuit, may be replaced
by a weighted lever adapted to be engaged as to its heavier, and therefore lower, end
by the raised bar, and as to its other end to close, by its motion, the electric circuit
aforesaid,
In order that my invention, and the means by which it is to be carried into practical
effect may be thoroughly understood, I will now proceed to describe the same in
detail, referring in so doing to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as
part of this specification, and read therewith.

page_text: Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation of the contact rod, its case, and the electrical make-
and-break, showing the several parts in the relative positions which they respectively
occupy under the action of the returning springs when the rod is free of the
hinged bar.
Fig. 2 is an elevation corresponding with Fig. 1. The dotted lines show the
relative positions of the parts when the electrical circuit is closed.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a modification of my invention, according to
which the contact rod is replaced by a weighted lever.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the hinged bar-device showing the same in its raised
position.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the hinged bar mechanism and the wire leading
away to the signal-box.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A is a case of any suitable size and section, fixed to
the engine or tender sufficiently low for the protruding end B of the contact rod to
be engaged by the hinged bar described in detail further on.
This contact rod is made in two parts B and b, the latter adapted to slide within
the top portion of the other which is made tubular for that purpose.
C, C, C are guides through which the lower and larger portion B of the contact
rod can slide. The lower guide also serves to close the case A at the bottom.
D is a spiral spring arranged around the portion B. It has its bearings upon the
middle guide C and a collar d on the rod, whereby it is adapted to keep the latter
protruding past the case-bottom.
The top rod b moves in a guide C, and a spiral spring E fast to its lower end lies
within the bore of the bottom rod B between the two rods. The spiral spring E is
compressible but not extensible, i.e., it acts as a rigid link between the two rods B, b,
when the former is moved away from the latter.
F, G are two terminals insulated from the case A; f, g, the two leads; and ,
a spring contact which may be a continuation of either terminal provided that it is,
when at rest, within reach of the rod b. The terminal G is provided with a suitable
contact point g'. The top of the rod is insulated from the rest as shown.
Referring to Figs. 4 and, 5 H, H₁ are a pair of bars of, preferably, unequal length
in the proportion of 3 to 1. I use two bars as shewn, the longer one H¹ for the rod
to contact with and the shorter H to guide the rod over the nose of the longer when
the engine is backing.
The longer bar H-the operative one of the mechanism-is pivotted at i by the
side of one of the rails, preferably by the outer side of the outer rail. It is hinged
at its opposite end-to the bar II the free end of which is adapted to slide in a
guide provided for that purpose. J. J are a pair of links fast upon the rod j and
embracing the bar H between them, which is then supported upon the rod j¹. The
opposite end of the rod j carries a link, and is provided with a counterpoise j³
adapted, when freed, to raise the bar Hinto the position illustrated in Fig. 4.
The connection with the signal box may be made by rods for home signalling,
but for distance signalling it should be by means of wire as illustrated in Fig. 5.
The bar-raising mechanism illustrated in the two figures now under description is
so proportioned in respect of its motion, that when the bar H' is up for the purpose
of my invention, the links J, J shall have passed the vertical by several degrees, and
be leaning towards the coming engine in order that the bars H, H' should not be
pressed down.
The operation of my invention constructed as above described is as follows:-
If the line is clear, the bars H, H¹ are in the position illustrated by the full lines
in Fig. 5, viz., down out of the reach of the protruding rod B; but if the line is
blocked, or if it be required for any reason to warn or stop the driver, then the signal
man raises the bars H H into the inclined positions illustrated in Fig. 4. As the
train comes on, the rod B comes into contact with the surface of the longer bar H¹,
and is pushed up into its case against the resilience of the spring D, as illustrated in
Fig. 2. Its motion is communicated through the spring E to the rod b, and the
latter causes the spring to close the electric circuit and ring the bell. As the rod B

page_text: clears the bar H¹, the spring D expands and protrudes the rod, the rod b is pushed
away from the spring contact and the circuit broken.
According to the modification illustrated in Fig. 3, M is a weighted lever pivotted
to the case A at m. The other operative parts of the modification are marked with
the same reference letters as are used in Figs. 1 and 2, inasmuch as they discharge the
same functions, respectively.
As the heavier end m' of the lever slides up the face of a raised bar H¹ (shewn
in dotted lines) the duly insulated nose m² of the opposite end is caused to press the
spring contact against the point gl and to thereby close the circuit. The dotted
lines of the figure indicate the position of the several parts when the circuit is
closed. As soon as the lever end m¹ clears the bar, its weight raises the nose m²
off the contact and the circuit is broken. N is a spring held between a stud n¹ on
the lever and a projection n² on the case by the rod n³.
It absorbs the vibration of the engine, or tender, to whichever the case A is fixed,
with the effect of keeping the lever end m¹ steady.
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. The combination of a pivotied bar adapted to be raised and lowered from
the signal box and a projection from engine or tender adapted to. be forced
upwards as it slides up the incline formed by the face of the raised bar and to
close an electric circuit by pressure upon a spring contact, as set forth and
illustrated.
2. The combination of contact rod in two parts the one adapted to slide within the
other, spring connection between them, insulated top, spring contact, electric terminals,
returning spring, and hinged bar adapted to be raised and lowered from the signal
box, as illustrated in the accompanying figures.
Dated this 21st day of December 1888.