Improvements in the Method and Means of Signalling on Railways and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10th July, 1895-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method and Means of Signalling on Railways
and the like.
I LEONARD GEORGE TATE, of 20 Bucklersbury, London, E.C. Electrical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide upon the locomotive of a railroad train
or other vehicle moving on rails means whereby the driver or other person in
charge of said locomotive or other vehicle may receive audible and visible signals
informing him that he may proceed with the train or vehicle or that he should
bring the same to a standstill.
The improved devices are intended to be employed in conjunction with the usual
fixed signalling devices generally provided on or near to railroads and their
principal purpose is to inform the driver of the locomotive of the state or position
of the said signals in respect of the indications they are intended to give when
by reason of fog or other cause said ordinary signals are not visible from the
locomotive.
On, or in conjunction with, the usual wire or rod by the drawing or releasing
of which the ordinary signal arm is brought into the positions respectively
indicating that the line is blocked or clear, I provide an electrically conductive
contact or body so that said body may make contact in the one or other of two
circuits according as the ordinary signal is in the one or other of its two positions
aforesaid. These circuits comprise a battery or batteries and an electro magnet or
a series of electro magnets which latter are placed between or near the rails in
position to operate by magnetism a device hereinafter described upon the locomotive
or vehicle moving on the rails. To save current I arrange means whereby the
two aforesaid circuits are closed only when the locomotive or train or vehicle is
over or near the aforesaid electro magnet or series of electro magnets, and for this
purpose I may employ a circuit maker and breaker operated to make contact by a
relay in the circuit of which are insulated portions of the rails, said circuit
being completed through the wheels and axles of any vehicle upon said insulated
portions of the rails.
By the means aforesaid at the moment the locomotive or other leading vehicle
arrives on the insulated portions of the rails a current will pass through the afore-
said electro magnet or series of electromagnets and such current will be in the one
or other direction according to the position of the contact body controlled as before
described in conformity with the position of the ordinary signal.
On the locomotive or its equivalent I provide a magnet and arrange said in such
position that its north or south pole is attracted towards the electromagnet before
described according to the direction of the polarity of the latter due to the passing
of the current in the one or other direction.
The magnet on the locomotive or its equivalent by thus rocking makes contact
in the one or other of two circuits comprising a battery, a signal bell, and
the one or other of two indicators respectively indicating that the ordinary signal is
in the one or other corresponding position.
There may be two electro maguets or two series of electromagnets in conjunction
with the same signal, the former being at a suitable distance apart so that the
engineer having been warned by the first sigual to stop may draw up and move
at a slow speed until over, and in operative position with regard to, the second.

page_text: electromagnet (which fact will be indicated by the ringing of the signal bell)
whereupon it will be his duty to await information through the indicator that the
line is clear.
Should this apparatus become inoperative from any cause the fact will be
noticeable to the driver through non receipt of one or other indication from the
indicator.on the locomotive.
D
1
T
Low
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
Improvements in the Method and Means of Signalling on Railways
and the like.
I, LEONARD GEORGE TATE, of 20 Bucklersbury, London, E.C., Electrical
Engineer, 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:-
The object of this invention is to provide upon the locomotive of a railroad train
or other vehicle moving on rails, means whereby the driver or other
person in charge
of said locomotive or other vehicle may receive audible and visible signals informing
him that he may proceed with the train or vehicle or that he should bring the same
to, a standstill.
The improved devices are intended to be employed in conjunction with or
without the usual fixed signalling devices generally provided on or near to railroads,
and their principal purpose is to inform the driver of the locomotive of the state or
position of the said signals in respect of the indications they are intended to give
when, by reason of fog or other cause, said ordinary signals are not visible from the
locomotive.
On, or in conjunction with, the usual wire or rod by the drawing or releasing of
which the ordinary signal arm is brought into the positions respectively indicating
that the line is blocked or clear, I provide an electrically conductive contact or
body so that said body may make contact in the one or other of two circuits
according as the ordinary signal is in the one or other of its two positions afore-
said. These circuits comprise a battery or batteries and an electro-magnet or a
series of electro-magnets which latter are placed between or near the rails in
position to operate by magnetism a device hereinafter described upon the locomotive
or vehicle moving on the rails. To save current, I arrange means whereby the two
aforesaid circuits are closed only when the locomotive or train or vehicle is over
or near the aforesaid electro-magnet or series of electro-magnets, and for this
purpose I may employ a circuit maker and breaker operated to make contact by
a relay in the circuit of which are insulated portions of the rails, said circuit being
completed through the wheels and axles of any vehicle upon said insulated portions
of the rails.
By the means aforesaid, at the moment the locomotive or other leading vehicle
arrives on the insulated portions of the rails a current will pass through the aforesaid
electro-magnet or series of electro-magnets and such current will be in the one or
other direction according to the position of the contact body controlled as before
described in conformity with the position of the ordinary signal.
On the locomotive or its equivalent I provide a magnet and arrange same in such
position that its north or south pole is attracted towards the electro-magnet before
described according to the direction of the polarity of the latter due to the passing
of the current in the one or other direction.
The magnet on the locomotive or its equivalent by thus rocking makes contact

page_text: in the one or other of two circuits comprising a battery, a signal bell, and the one
or other of two indicators respectively indicating that the ordinary signal is in the
one or other corresponding position.
There may be two electro-magnets or two series of electro-magnets in conjunction
with the same signal, the former being at a suitable distance apart so that the
engineer having been warned by the first signal to stop may draw up and move at
a slow speed until over, and in operative position with regard to the second electro-
magnet (which fact will be indicated by the ringing of the signal bell) whereupon
it will be his duty to await information through the indicator that the line is
clear.
Should this apparatus become inoperative from any cause, the fact will be notice-
able to the driver through non receipt of one or other indication from the indicator
on the locomotive.
The accompanying drawing will serve to illustrate a mode of performing the
invention. The wire A shown in Fig. 1 moves backwards or forwards as pulled by
the lever actuating the signal A' thus making connection between the springs B B
or, if the signal is reversed B B' thereby reversing the direction of the current
flowing through the electro-magnet C thereby magnetising the connecting bars E
making them either positive or negative throughout their whole length.
The rails are insulated a part of their length namely from 0 to P, that is to say,
that where they are joined by a fish plate a wood block is inserted electrically
insulating one rail from the other.
Now when the train gets on an insulated portion, the relay D is brought into
action thus closing the circuit wherein the direction of the current varies according
to position of the contact A¹ in one direction or the other through the magnets.
and magnetizing the coupling bar either + or according to the position of the
signal.
-
On the vehicle an arrangement is fixed as shown in Fig. 2. A magnet, free to
revolve on its centre, is suspended under the vehicle so that it passes within a
convenient distance of the bars E and is pulled over either one way or the other
according to the polarity of the bars E, when magnetized as aforesaid, when the
vehicle approaches the said bars E, thus making contact with either F or G, thus
completing either of the two circuits through the indicator J and bell I, ringing
the bell and showing on the indicator which circuit is closed, thus calling the attention
of the driver and showing whether the line is blocked or clear. The vehicle then
slows up to another magnetic bar E.
The electromagnets and connecting bars can be placed at any distance from
the signal post or box and one or more sets may be actuated by the saine signal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The method and means for actuating a magnet or magnets on a railway vehicle
said magnets being free to revolve in either direction when brought into the neigh-
bourhood of a stationary bar or bars situated on a railway track and magnetized
by means of electro-magnets, thereby completing a local circuit in one or other
direction and operating audible and visible signals on the vehicle.
2. In connection with above method and means the partial insulation of a section
of the rails by which the vehicle is supported and travels all substantially as set
forth.
D
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.