IMPROVEMENTS IN METHODS OF AND MEANS FOR SIGNALLING IN OR UPON RAILWAY TRAINS, AND FOR ARRESTING OR RETARDING THE MOTIONS OF THE SAME
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Kenworthy Dutton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th January 1879. A commu-
nication from abroad by Friedrich Reese, of Dortmund, in the Empire of
Germany.
EDWARD KENWORTHY DUTTON, of St. Ann's Churchyard, Manchester, in tho
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN METHODS OF AND MEANS FOR
SIGNALLING IN OR UPON RAILWAY TRAINS, AND FOR ARRESTING OR RETARDING
THE MOTIONS OF THE SAME." A communication from abroad by Friedrich Reese, of
Dortmund, in the Empire of Germany.
According to the said Invention a dynamo-electric machine is fitted to the
locomotive, or to one of the coaches, wagons, or vans, or to one or more or all of the
vehicles, and the electric current or currents generated by motion derived from
the axles or from one or more of them, or from a prime mover carried by the train,
is or are employed to furnish signals and to brake the train. In one arrangement
the electric machine is situated on the locomotive or at the head of the train, and is
connected with two lines of circuit wires or conductors which extend from end
to ond of the train, and are insulated from each other. The forms and arrange-
ments of the said conductors may be varied. Each vehicle may be furnished with
two suitably insulated conducting wires, the wires of each circuit in one vehicle
being connected with the wires of the same circuit in the adjacent vehicles by
means of coupling chains and hooks, or by means of suitable couplings, or the
ordinary safety-chains might be brought into the circuit in case the insulation
would be sufficient, or sliding rods maintained in contact in a similar manner to tho
ordinary buffers might be employed, or auxialliary buffers or contact pieces may be
mounted on ordinary buffers, arrangements being made to suitably insulate the
circuits. By insulating the ordinary draw bars and couplings they may be
arranged to serve for one line of the circuit, the axle boxes, wheels, rails, and
connected parts being arranged to serve for the other line. Arrangements are
provided whereby the circuit may be closed by bringing the two lines into com-
munication. This may be effected by moans of ordinary pushers, or of suitable
apparatus connected by wires with the two circuit lines. These apparatus may be
applied to each compartment of each vehicle or to the guard's van and locomotive,
or may be applied as considered to be most suitable. When the circuit is
established the current of electricity acts upon apparatus arranged to furnish
signals, or upon apparatus arranged to retard the movements of the train. Electro
magnets connected with the circuit are arranged to act upon armatures connected
with the lovers of steam whistle-cocks, or with parts which put in motion the
brake apparatus, or the current generated may be employed to melt a fusible plug

page_text: which closes the passage to a steam whistle, or an electric lamp may be arranged to
give light when the circuit is closed, tho light serving to attract the notice of the
driver, or guard, or for other purposes. A number of dynamo-electric machines
may be carried by the train, as for example, each vehicle may be fitted with a
machine, and the current from one machine in connection with the two circuit linos
may be employed to set in action the other machines or to establish their circuits,
the generated currents being employed to act upon brake apparatus, or to retard
the movement of the train by means of powerful electro-magnets. To check the
mis-use of the system, the contact makers or some of them may be protected by
panes of glass, or by membranes or parts which have to be broken when access is
had by passengers to the contact makers. The Invention is not confined to trains
drawn by locomotives.