Improvements in and in connection with Railway Points and Signals.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Railway Points and
Signals.
We JOHN GARDNER and DALE MARSHALL both of Bennington Street
Cheltenham Engineers and ROBERT LEY WOOD and THOMAS ELLERSON
RICKERBY both of 2 Ormond Place Cheltenham aforesaid Gentlemen do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
1. The construction of a sliding or moveable mechanical arrangement consisting
of iron or some suitable material and of suitable length width thickness and height
and which may either consist of a horizontal piece of iron sloped down at both ends
or of a raised piece of iron of any suitable shape made to slide backwards and
forwards at pleasure or of a piece of iron fitted to an arm made to rise or fall at
pleasure of any shape so that the same may be made when desired to come into
contact with the mechanism on the engine described in paragraphs four and five
placed parallel with or near to the fixed rails on the permanent way of a railway
which may either work automatically only or so work and yet be under the control
of the pointsman or solely be under such control and which shall either work with
the ordinary signals or be separate therefrom as may be desired and which
mechanical arrangement shall have all necessary pulleys slides levers springs and
connections.
2. Should the aforesaid mechanical arrangement be intended to work automatically
'the construction of a further mechanical arrangement consisting of a long bar of
iron or other suitable material placed at a suitable height and at a suitable angle
from the rails on the permanent way of a railway between the rails and working on
a pin or hinge at one end and which shall be connected at the opposite end with a
wire rope or other suitable material with a similar construction at any given
distance and connected with which and at any required distance there shall be the
construction described in par. 1 and so constructed that an engine passing the first
of such constructions (described in this paragragh) shall move the same into a
parallel line with the rails and automatically move the construction mention in par. I
into such a position that a second engine passing this point before the first engine
has passed the second of such constructions shall be warned of danger as herein-
after described and the first engine passing the 2nd of such constructions shall
move the same into a parallel line with the rails and at the same time move the
first of such constructions into the position it first occupied and thus open the line
by putting the construction mentioned in par. 1 out of action.
3. The construction of a more or less perpendicular piece of iron or other suitable
material in a suitable position on the engine which shall come into contact with
and move the construction described in par. 2 and towards the extremity of which
or at the sides of which there shall be a roller or wheel to prevent friction.
4. The construction of a moveable automatic mechanical arrangement (which
must vary according to the make of the particular engine) fixed upon a railway
engine consisting of a perpendicular or slanting bar of iron or other suitable.
material with or without a roller at the extremity with all necessary connections
which shall come into contact with the mechanical arrangement described in par "1
when the signal is at danger and thereby strike a gong or blow a whistle on the
engine.
5. The construction of an automatic mechanical arrangement (which must vary
according to the make of the particular engine and the particular kind of automatic
or steam break used) fixed upon the engine whereby the break shall be automatically

page_text: applied upon coming into contact with the mechanical arrangement mentioned in
paragraph 1. It shall either be in addition to or in substitution for the mechanical
arrangement mentioned in paragraph 4.
6. The inventions herein before described are applicable to the purpose of
effecting an automatic warning to the driver of an engine while in motion or to the
stoppage of the train when the signal is at "danger or according to its application
when such signal ought to be at "danger" and the automatic mechanism described
in paragraphs 2 & 3 may be applicable to the purpose of effecting an automatic
moving of the points when connected with the points, and the mechanism therefor
severally can be varied to suit the particular application and can be used either
with or without the aid of electricity.
.
Dated this 7th day of March 1809
JOHN GARDNER,
DALE MARSHALL.
ROB. LEY WOOD.
T. E. RICKERBY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Railway Points and
Signals.
We JOHN GARDNER and DALE MARSHALL both of Bennington Street
Cheltenham Engineers and ROBERT LEY WOOD and THOMAS ELLERSON
RICKERBY both of 2 Ormond Place Cheltenham aforesaid Gentlemen do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The construction of a moveable mechanical arrangement, placed either between
or outside of the rails on a permanent way of a railway but which may most con-
veniently be placed outside the rails. It may be best made of iron of sufficient
strength for the work it has to do and of sufficient length and width which may
either have a slideing movement or be so constructed as to move up and down
vertically. We prefer to take two pieces of slightly curved iron fastened in the
centre by a hinge or free joint and place it outside of and parallel with the railș
one end being pivoted or otherwise suitably affixed to a sleeper or to any con-
venient structure and the other end made to work in a groove or slot also fixed to
a sleeper or any convenient structure so as to allow of its depression & rising.
Underneath this we place an arm so constructed that this arm shall raise the con-
struction & rigidedly maintain its position as long as desired. Fig. 1 represents
the construction now being described. The arm shall have all necessary cranks
levers and connections and may be directly connected with the wire of an ordinary
signal so that upon the ordinary signal being put at "danger" the construction
now being described shall be raised above the level of the rails convexly and when
the ordinary signal shall be put "line clear" the construction shall be depressed.
If desired the construction now being described may be connected with cranks and
a bar of iron or wire with an arrangement known on railways as a parallel ruler
(Fig. 2) or some other suitable device which is commonly depressed by a wheel
tyre or flange placed inside of and parallel with the rails and underneath which
shall be an arm connected with the construction described as Fig. 1 with cranks
and suitable connections so that upon the wheels of the train passing over it shall
depress it and at the same time raise the construction described in Fig. 1, Fig. 2
being placed at a convenient distance therefrom. The effect is that a train passing
over the construction (Fig. 2) leaves the construction (Fig. 1) raised behind it and
so automatically blocks the line until cleared by the pointsman. Fig. 1 thus
effects a permanent fog signal.
If the construction described as Fig. 1 is made to work with the ordinary signals

page_text: (using the same wire) and at the same time being in connection with the construc-
tion described as Fig. 2 it becomes necessary to use a mechanism which has the
effect of allowing the construction described as Fig. 1 to be raised without raising
the ordinary signal. This mechanism may consist of two bars of iron working in
slots or holes and to have a parallel motion and which mechanism is described as
Fig. 3. a & b. (b) is bent at one end to the form of a hook or catch. (a) has a
piece of iron hinged to it described as (c) so as to form an acute angle the
hinge being the apex of the angle. This piece of iron (c) is bent at the other end
and passing through a hole in (a) forms the base of the triangle thus formed, a
spring pressing (c) from (a). (D) is a fixed stud & may have a roller on it.
The ordinary signal wire will be attached to (B) while (a) is connected with Fig. 1
by wire or other suitable means. When the ordinary signal is lowered the book
on (B) engages with the base of the triangle but on being pulled towards (d) the
base of the triangle is shortened and allows the hook on (6) to pass. It will be
seen that after (b) has been pulled a certain distance it disengages from (a) and
leaves (a) free to be pulled back to its original position which is done when the
train passes over Fig. 2. When the ordinary signal is again raised (b) goes back
to its original position and again engages with (a).
If the construction described as Fig. 1 be used in connection with railway points
and so affixed that upon the opening of a siding the said construction shall be
raised, and lowered when the main line is free and open it will have the effect of
practically automatically closing the said points inasmuch as an express would be
automatically stopped should it attempt to pass Fig. 1 while the points are open
to a siding.
We then affix temporarily or otherwise underneath and across the framework
of an engine in a convenient position a shaft of iron (Fig. 4, a,) having suitable
bearings and which may project beyond the engine a suitable distance either on
one side or both sides of the engine. We can substitute for this shaft an arrange-
ment of chains cranks and levers with the same result. Attached to this shaft
may be an arm of iron (Fig. 5, a,) having a roller on the end sloping downwards to
within a few inches of the top of the rails either on one or both sides of the engine
or underneath. This shall be arranged in such a manner that when the con-
struction on the permanent way described as Fig. 1 is raised the train in passing
brings the roller on the arm (Fig. 5, a,) in contact with the construction described
as Fig. 1 and thus the arm (Fig. 5, a,) is raised and causes shaft (Fig. 4, a,) to
partly revolve. After the train passes Fig. 1 the said arm drops again to its
original position.
We then attach to a suitable part of the system in any continuous automatic
vacuum or steam brake an arrangement for automatic application of such brake
(Fig. 6). This may consist of a gun metal valve or valves fixed to or communi-
cating with such system by port or passage. Pivoted to the centre of the gun
metal valve or valves is another piece of metal (Fig. 6, f,) also having a port hole.
This piece of metal is connected by means of levers chains or cranks to shaft
Fig. 4, a, or to the arm Fig. 5, a. This is arranged in such a manner that when
Fig. 5, a, is raised port hole Fig. 6, d, is made to correspond with port hole
Fig. 6, thus applying the brake. When arm Fig. 5, a, has dropped again to
its original position the engine driver may take off the brake by pressing down
Fig. 6b, or otherwise readjusting the mechanism thus separating the port holes
and taking off brake. We may apply any and every continuous automatic vacuum
or steam or other brake by the same movement by means of levers chains or
cranks attached to the vertical bar connecting the striker.
Fig. 1. (a) are the moveable pieces of iron (b) the centre hinge (c) the arm by
means of which (a) is raised. d the pivot. (e) shews the sliding movement.
Fig. 2. An adapted parallel ruler.
Fig. 3. (a & b) are straight parallel bars of iron (b) having one end curved.
(c) is the piece of iron hinged to (a). (d) is a fixed stud.
Fig. 4. Is the end view of an engine shewing the position of the brake appliance.

page_text: (a) is a rocking shaft () is the striker (c) is the vertical shaft (d) is the valve
appliance (e) is a continuous automatic vacuum or steam brake.
Fig. 5. Is a side view of a part of an engine (a) is the striker (b) is the rocking
shaft (c) is the vertical shaft.
Fig. 6. Is the automatic brake appliance (a) is the upper end of the shaft con-
necting the striker (b) is the lever or arm (c) is the gun metal valve (d) is the port
hole in the valve (e) is the continuous automatic vacuum or steam pipe (/) is the
centre piece of metal (g) is the port hole therein (A) is a pivot.
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 in respect of Improvements in railway points and signals" is,"
1. The application and method of stopping a railway train while in full motion
independent of the engine driver and either independent of or as an adjunct to the
ordinary signals and which in action effects permanent fog signals.
2. The construction of combined moveable mechanisms on the railway engine or
train and on the permanent way of a railway so that both may come into contact
with the above results.
3. The construction of an automatic mechanical arrangement whereby any con-
tinuous automatic vacuum or steam brake shall be automatically applied when
desired.
4. The automatic blocking of a railway siding when the points are open to such
siding effecting the stoppage of a train should the main line be otherwise signalled
❝ line clear."
* Dated this Eighth day of December 1899
JOHN
GARDNER.
DALE MARSHALL..
ROB. LEY WOOD.
T. E. RICKERBY.