Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating or Signalling on Trains.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating or Signalling on Trains.
We, ALEXANDER SHIELS of 190 Bath Street, Glasgow, M.B., C.M., B.Sc.,
and WILLIAM ELLIOT of Mark Green, Lanark, Cattle Salesman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a device or apparatus for indicating or signalling to the
guard or other person from any compartment or carriage in a train.
At present, when attention is desired to be drawn to any compartment, the
traveller must lean out of the carriage and pull the communication cord and the
guard has then to go along the train to find out the person who pulled the cord.
The present invention is designed to obviate this unsatisfactory method of
procedure.
In carrying out our invention we fit at each compartment a small semaphore or
signal arm or its equivalent, which turns on a suitable pivot or fulerum and is or
may be cranked or have a quadrant or semicircular piece attached to it. The
signal arm is normally held in the perpendicular and non-signalling position by a
small taper-headed catch on the arm which is gripped by a second taper-headed
spring catch. This spring catch can be lifted up so as to release the signal arm by
пр the
passing a current of electricity to a magnet which will consequently attract
spring catch. The spring catch may however be lifted in any other suitable
Immediately the signal arm is released it is caused to fall to the hori-
zontal or signalling position by means of a spring or weight or equivalent attached
to it. The guard replaces the arm ready for another signal by merely pushing the
arm up into the vertical position and thereby causing the tapered catches to
interlock.
manner.
The signal may be operated by the passenger pressing a button which by a
suitable arrangement is made to complete an electric circuit and excite the
magnets.
At night time lamps may be arranged behind the signal arms which may have
coloured glasses so as to signal to the guard in a similar way to ordinary train
signals, or the signal arms may have luminous chemicals on them such as phos-
phorus or the like.
Dated this 17th day of August. 1891
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating or Signalling on Trains.
We, ALEXANDER SHIELS of 190 Bath Street, Glasgow, M.B., C.M., B.Sc.,
and WILLIAM ELLIOT of Mark Green, Lanark, Cattle Salesman, 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:-
This invention relates to a device or apparatus for indicating or signalling to the
guard or other person from any compartment or carriage in a train.
At present, when attention is desired to be drawn to any compartment, the
traveller must lean out of the carriage and pull the communication cord and

page_text: the guard has then to go along the train to find out the person who pulled the
cord.
The present invention is designed to obviate this unsatisfactory method of
procedure.
In carrying out our invention we fit at each compartment or in each carriage a
small semaphore or signal arm or its equivalent, which turns on a suitable pivot or
fulcrum and is or may be cranked or have a quadrant, or semicircular piece
attached to it. The signal arm is normally held in the perpendicular and non-
signalling position by a small taper-headed catch on the arm which is gripped by a
second taper-headed spring catch. This spring catch can be lifted up so as to
release the signal arm by passing a current of electricity to a magnet which will
consequently attract up the spring catch. The spring catch may however be lifted
in any other suitable manner. Immediately the signal arm is released it is caused
to fall to the horizontal or signalling position by means of a spring or weight or
equivalent attached to it. The guard replaces the arm ready for another signal by
merely pushing the arm up into the vertical position and thereby causing the
tapered catches to interlock.
The signal may be operated by the passenger pressing a button which by a
suitable arrangement is made to complete an electric circuit and excite the
magnet.
At night time lamps may be arranged behind the signal arms which may have
coloured glasses so as to signal to the guard in a similar way to ordinary train
signals or the signal arms may have luminous chemicals on them such as phos-
phorus or the like.
And in order that our said invention may be properly understood we have here-
unto appended an explanatory drawing, showing, by way of example, a method of
carrying our invention into effect or practice.
Referring to the drawing
a represents the side of the railway carriage in which is cut or made a recess for
holding the box b. In the box is placed a cell e, preferably a dry cell. The
positive pole of the cell is connected by a wire with the spools of the
magnet g and also with the binding screw i, which binding screw communicates by
the wire with a press button in the, or a, compartment of the train. The
negative pole d of the cell is connected by a wire j with the binding screw ¹ which
also communicates by a wire j¹ with the said press button.
The spring lever or armature k has a catch k¹ on it which engages with a catch
on the semaphore or signal arm m. The semaphore, which may be arc shaped
at m', is connected by a wire or cord n with a spring o attached to the top of the
box b. The semaphore can turn on the hinge p.
To signal to the guard of the train with the device, the passenger presses the
push-button (the button may be of any well known and suitable construction) in
the compartment and so closes the electric circuit through the wires h', j'. The
closing of the circuit excites the magnet g and, as a consequence, the said magnet
attracts up the spring lever or armature thereby disengaging the catches and 1.
As soon as the catches are disengaged the tension of the spring o pulls the sema-
phore round to the horizontal position as shown in dotted lines. The signal arm,
projecting from the side of the carriage, attracts the attention of the guard.
The signal arm is brought again to its normal vertical position by being pushed
back into the box . When pushed back the catches and engage with one
another.
Instead of using a spring o the arm m may be arranged to fall down by its own
weight immediately the catches k,l are disengaged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. A signalling apparatus for railway trains, consisting of a signal arm or it

page_text: equivalent having a catch thereon, a second catch which normally engages with
the catch on the signal arm and means for disengaging the catches when a signal is
to be given, substantially as herein before set forth.
2. The general arrangement and combination of parts of the signalling
apparatus for trains, substantially as hereink efore described with reference to the
drawing annexed.
Dated this 2nd day of November
1001
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.