Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Signalling On and Stopping Railway-trains.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 19th May, 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Signalling On
and Stopping Railway-trains.
I, PIERRE RENICHE, of 8, Faubourg de Colmar, Mulhouse, Alsace in the Empire
of Germany, do hereby declare flie 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;
-
One cause of frequent collisions and numerous accidents in railway-stations or
in the approaches thereto is the passing or overlooking of the closed signal on
the part of the driver of an incoming train, owing to a want of attention on the
one hand, or owing to the signal being more or less obscured during the day by
fog, or again from the light of the signal being extinguished at night by violent
wind or in some other manner, or possibly through the driver falling asleep, a case
which frequently occurs during the night.
Hitherto no permanent or temporary signal arrangement has been introduced
which could be infallibly relied for indicating to the driver the passing of a signal
at "danger."
The essential condition wanting to ensure absolute certainty of warning being
given by means of existing arrangements, especially fog-signals, is that such
signals do not act entirely automatically, and being only temporary arrange-
ments require the employment of men along the line, thus it sometimes happens
that a mistake, oversight, or negligence on their part leads to uncertainty of
proper action of the signal at the required moment. Moreover, all these arrange-
ments only applied to the working of a signal, and not to the stopping of the train
itself.
My invention consists in a mechanical movement for signalling and stopping
a train, which is entirely automatic and permanent, acting with absolute cer-
tainty and in a simple manner by means of strong mechanical actuating devices
and bringing into operation at once the ordinary signal, semaphore or closed disc
without any intervention, and effecting at the same time:
1st. The stopping of trains furnished with air-brakes of any system, by opening
a cock or escape valve which puts on the brakes.
2nd. The sounding of a whistle which continues to act, until the apparatus
has been replaced in its normal position by the driver, thus by the continuous
whistling forcibly arousing the driver, or guard or others in charge of the train.
A form of this arrangement applied to a locomotive is illustrated by way of
example in the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 being a side elevation and Fig. 2
a front view.
On the side of the engine is mounted a rod f held by guides g g¹, in which it
can freely slide and joined at the top K to a dever h mounted on the bar W which
usually regulates the steam-whistle S. The rod f is connected at V by means
of a levert to an air-escape cock R in the pipe E of the air-brake. The bottom
of the rod f has a shoulder against which, when the apparatus is set for signalling,
the nose-piece p of a depending lever P pivoted at u, rests, the lever P extending
to within a short distance of the rail Y. A spring n constantly tends to keep the
noge-piece p of the lever P under the shoulder a which normally rests on this lever
and is pressed down thereon by a counterweight T pivoted at B.
On the line, at the side of the rails 18 a contact lever D or
other mechanical equivalent fixed on a shaft d, which is mounted
on bearings or supports b 1, firmly held in a frame or -on sleepers
such as
c. The lever ]) is held in the vertical or raised position as

page_text: indicated in the drawing, by a stop y on the shaft d which prevents it from
falling back again. In this position the lever D is in the path of the lever P
on the engine and should the engine pass the signal while at danger, lever D will
come in contact with and oscillate lever P causing the nose piece 2 to be with-
drawn from underneath the shoulder a of the rod f, which falls under the influence
of counterweight T opening at the same time the whistle S and also the air-
brakes by opening the cock R, which cock may be replaced by a valve.
A pulley or toothed-wheel A mounted on the shaft d is connected by means of
a rope, belt, or preferably by a chain with a similar pulley A¹ operating in
unison with the usual signalling apparatus, arm or disc G, so that when the
disc is in the "line clear" position the contact lever is inclined, being thus out
of reach of the lever P of the locomotive. If, on the contrary the disc is at
danger as shown in the drawing, the lever D is raised ready for actuating the
lever P. A lever M with handle m enables the driver to put the rod f into the
** set" position when the whistle etc., have been released.
66
"
This arrangement can of course be applied as well to one of the carriages
belonging to the train, to the last carriage especially as to a locomotive. In this
case, it is only necessary to furnish such carriage with a signal-whistle, but it is
always preferable to have it on the locomotive, because, in the first place, every-
thing is within reach of the driver and again, on grounds of economy, a steam-
whistle being already provided.
In certain cases, this arrangement may be used simply for operating the brakes
the general arrangement of the parts remaining nearly the same only the con-
nection of the rod f with the whistle being dispensed with.
The application of this very simple alarm apparatus to locomotives, which are
all furnished with steam-whistles would not require any great alteration or
expense.
Each station being provided with a signal or disc, often even with a distant
entrance signal, the contact lever with its supports and actuating devices which
are equally simple, could be easily connected therewith. For the distant signals
it could be applied directly without gearing and, for the home signals at the
required distance with suitable gear.
Under these conditions, the adoption of this arrangement is calculated to render
important services, its principal advantages being-permanence, automatic
and consequently infallible action, simplicity and therefore inexpensiveness.
It is obvious that this arrangement may be carried out in many different ways,
the form illustrated and described being only a single example; the abutment or
striking lever particularly may differ in many of the following cases accordingly
as the working of the signal, disc, arm, semaphore, etc., is effected mechanically
or electrically.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
A mechanical and automatic arrangement for stopping trains when passing a
signal, semaphore or closed disc, the arrangement consisting essentially in a
striking or abutment lever or other mechanical equivalent fixed near the track and
connected in any manner with the said signal which, when the signal is closed,
is in such a position that it causes the compressed air-pipe to open with the object
of applying the brakes on the train passing the signal, this arrangement being
capable likewise of simultaneously effecting the blowing of a whistle.
Dated this 20th dose of Navanhan 1000
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents.