Black in wires Operating Railway Signals and Apparatus from a Distance.
Year: 1885

page_text: орошо Black in wires
Operating Railway Signals and Apparatus from a Distance.
We JOHN COLEMAN and ISAAC HENSON both of Derby in the County of Derby
Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR TAKING UP THE SLACK IN WIRES OPERATING RAILWAY SIGNALS
AND APPARATUS FROM A DISTANCE" to be as follows:―
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for taking up the
slack in wires operating railway signals and apparatus from a distance.
For this purpose we arrange about midway in the length of the wire an apparatus
consisting of a frame carrying pulleys around which the wire (or preferably a short
interposed length of chain) passes. Two upper pulleys are carried by the standard
in stationary bearings but the bearings in which the axis of a third pulley is carried .
are able to rise and fall in guide grooves in the standard. From these bearings a
weight is suspended sufficient to keep the wire taut on either side of the apparatus
but not sufficient to overcome or interfere with the action of the weight at the
signal post which raises the signal arm to the danger position. The wire or chain
passes over the upper pulleys descends between them and passes around and
underneath the pulley of which the bearings are movable.
So long as the signal arm remains raised the lower pulley is perfectly free to rise
or to fall in accordance with the contraction or expansion of the wire which is
approximately equal on either side of the apparatus and does not tend to cause the
pulley to rotate. But immediately the wire is pulled from one end with the object
of lowering the signal arm at the other end the resulting movement at the
compensating apparatus causes the movable bearings to be locked fast in the frame.
Then by the further movement of the wire the weight at the signal post is raised
and the signal arm is lowered. Immediately the wire is released for the purpose of
allowing the signal arm again to rise the parts return to their original position in
which a free compensation for expansion and contraction can take place by the rise
and fall of the movable pulley in the guide slots of the frame.
The locking of the bearings of the pulley axis for the purpose of taking off the
signal as described above may be effected as follows:-
On the two sides of the pulley projecting rings are formed preferably V form in
section and on the standard three corresponding teeth, The rings upon the nullav

page_text: are cut away on two opposite sides so that in one position of the pulley they do
not engage with the teeth upon the standard; this is the position which the pulley
assumes when the signal arm is raised and then the pulley is free to rise and fall.
But the rotation of the pulley at once causes the ring upon it to engage with the
teeth upon the standards, which, although they permit the pulley to revolve,
prevent any vertical movement of its axis until it shall have returned to its original
position.
Dated thio 7th dox of Fah 10OK
Improvements in Apparatus for Taking Up the Slack in Wires
Operating Railway Signals and Apparatus from a Distance.
We, JOHN COLEMAN and ISAAC HENSON both of Derby in the County of Derby
Engineers 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 has for its object improvements in apparatus for taking up the
slack in wires operating railway signals and apparatus from a distance.
For this purpose we arrange about midway in the length of the wire an apparatus
consisting of a frame carrying pulleys around which the wire (or preferably a short
interposed length of chain) passes. Two upper pulleys are carried by the standard
in stationary bearings, but the bearings in which the axis of a third pulley is
carried are able to rise and fall in guide grooves in the standard. From these
bearings a weight is suspended sufficient to keep the wire taut on either side of the
apparatus but not sufficient to overcome or interfere with the action of the weight
at the signal post which raises the signal arm to the danger position. The wire or
chain passes over the upper pulleys descends between them and passes around and
underneath the pulley of which the bearings are moveable.
4
So long as the signal arm remains raised the lower pulley is perfectly free to rise
or to fall in accordance with the contraction or expansion of the wire which is
approximately equal on either side of the apparatus and does not tend to cause the
pulley to rotate. But immediately the wire is pulled from one end with the object
of lowering the signal arm at the other end the resulting movement at the
compensating apparatus causes the moveable bearings to be locked fast in the
frame. Then by the further movement of the wire the weight at the signal post is
raised and the signal arm is lowered. Immediately the wire is released for the
purpose of allowing the signal arm again to rise the parts return to their original

page_text: position, in which a free compensation for expansion and contraction can take place
by the rise and fall of the moveable pulley'in the guide slots of the frame.
The locking of the bearings of the pulley axis for the purpose of taking off the
signal as described above may be effected as follows:-
On the two sides of the pulley projecting rings are formed, preferably V form in
section, and on the standard there are corresponding teeth. The rings upon the
pulley are cut away on two opposite sides, so that in one position of the pulley they
do not engage with the teeth upon the standard; this is the position which the
pulley assumes when the signal arm is raised and then the pulley is free to rise and
fall. But the rotation of the pulley at once causes the ring upon it to engage with
the teeth upon the standards, which, although they permit the pulley to revolve,
prevent any vertical movement of its axis until it shall have returned to its original
position.
In order that our said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of apparatus constructed in accordance with our
invention. Figure 2 is a front view of the rising and falling pulley and Figure 3
is an edge view partly in section of the same.
a. a. is the frame, it carries the three pulleys 61 62 and c.—d is a chain passing
over the pulleys 61 and 62 and beneath the pulley c.
The ends of the chain d are attached to wires one passing to the signal cabin and
the other passing in the opposite direction to the semaphore post.
These wires should be approximately equal in length. The axis of the pulley c
is able to traverse up and down along vertical slots in the frame a but the axes of
the pulleys b¹ 62 remain always in place.-Weights e e applied to the axis draw the
pulley c downwards and keep the chain & perfectly taut; these weights however
are not sufficient to interfere with the operation of the weight at the semaphore
post by which the semaphore arm is raised to and retained in the "danger"
position. The pulley c has projections on its periphery which engage with the
chain d. So long as the signal arm remains in the danger position the pulley c
is able to rise and fall as the wires expand and contract with variation of
temperature.
When however the chain is moved from the signal cabin to lower the semaphore
arm the first movement of the pulley c locks its axis fast so that it cannot rise or
fall in the slot in the frame and afterwards the further movement of the wire lifts
the weight at the semaphore post and lowers the signal arm. Similarly when the
wire is allowed to return from the signal cabin permitting the weight at the
semaphore post to descend and the signal arm to rise, the pulley c resumes its
original position and its axis again becomes free to rise and fall in the slot in the
frame.
The way in which this locking and releasing of the axis of the pulley d is most
conveniently effected is that shown in the drawing that is to say by providing
interlocking parts on the frame and on the periphery of the pulley. a¹ a¹ are
projecting teeth on the frame a and c c¹ are corresponding projecting flanges on
the rim of the pulley; these interlock the one with the other in all positions except
that in which the spaces c* c* between the flanges correspond with the teeth. This
is the position when the signal arm stands at danger. The rotation of the pulley
on leaving this position at once causes the flanges to enter between the teeth,
thereby preventing vertical movement whilst nevertheless the pulley is left free to
rotate.
f is a scale marked with thermometric degrees, it indicates the height to which
the axis of the pulley c should be set to accord with the temperature at the time

page_text: It is obvious that the same apparatus is applicable when parts other than
semaphore arms are similarly controlled from a distance by means of a strained
wire or like connection.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
(1.) In apparatus for operating railway signals or apparatus from a distance
taking up the slack of the connecting wires by means of a weighted pulley which
in the "danger" or other terminal position is free to rise and fall but which when
rotated by the pull of the wire locks itself so that it is no longer able to rise and
fall whilst it remains free to rotate.
(2.) In apparatus made in accordance with the preceding claiming clause providing
interlocking teeth or projections on the pulley and on the frame or other fixed part
so that such teeth or projections engage when the pulley departs from the " danger'
or terminal position.
(3.) Apparatus substantially as described and represented in the annexed
drawings for taking up the slack on wires operating railway signals and apparatus
from a distance.
•
Dated this 7th day of November 1885