IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMMUNICATING SIGNALS TO THE DRIVERS OF RAILWAY ENGINES
Year: 1852

page_text: PROVI
IONAL
ATION
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd October 1852:
(Void by reason of notice to proceed not having been given within the
time prescribed by the Act.)
T, FRANCIS PRIME WALKER, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR COMMUNICATING SIGNALS
TO THE DRIVERS OF RAILWAY ENGINES" to be as follows:-
The object in view is to prevent collisions on railways by self-acting
apparatus, which may be used in addition to or in place of the signals
now employed for giving notice to the drivers of railway engines. My
improved apparatus is placed at uniform distances of about half a mile
apart along the whole length of the line of railway to which it is applied,

page_text: and it consists of a shaft to which an inclined plane marked it, in the
sketch is fixed;-
9,
This inclined plane is acted upon by the wheel of the engine, and
moves up and down near one of the rails, above which it rises two
or three inches. To the same shaft as the inclined plane is fixed
a bent lever b, the end of which turns upwards and is furnished with
a stop plate c, projecting above the rail when the inclined plane
has been depressed by the wheel of the engine. To the shaft of the
inclined plane and bent lever is also fixed a horizontal catch d, and a
vertical levere; to this latter is attached a wire f, the object of which
will be explained hereafter. When the inclined plane a, is depressed
the horizontal catch d, becomes locked by a weighted latch the upper
part of which is acted upon by a catch h, attached to the wire f, above
referred to. A spring lever is attached to the engine, supported by the
buffer plate or other convenient part, and reaching down so that its
lower end may be a little below the level of the plate c, at the end of
the bent lever b, when the same is elevated. The lever on the engine
is connected to a bell near the fire box. I will now explain how my
improved apparatus acts when a train is going over a line of railway
to which it is applied. The inclined planes a, are all up when the
train starts, and the plates c, at the end of the bent levers b, are all
down. As soon as the first wheel of the train has passed over the first
of the inclined planes it depresses it, and the plate at the end of the
bent lever rises up. The parts are held in this position by the horizontal
catch d, being locked by the weighted latch g; and the catch h, at the

page_text: end of the wire f. catches hold of the top of the weighted latch. The
train then passes on to the second apparatus, which is supposed to be
half a mile distant, but may be more or less, and effects the same
changes in the position of its parts. When the train arrives at the
third apparatus the action of depressing the inclined plane a, gives
motion to the vertical lever e, which is connected by a wire and catch
to the weighted latch of the first apparatus; consequently, the depression
of the third incline liberates the catch d, on the shaft of the first bent
lever, and allows the plate c, at its end, which had been standing above
the rails, to drop. In the same manner, when the train passes over the
fourth apparatus, the bent lever of the second apparatus is depressed by
the unhooking of the weighted latch y. As long as no obstruction occurs
the train in its progress depresses the bent levers 6, but two of them
always remain elevated for the purpose of giving due warning to the
succeeding train, if the first train should be stopped. This notice is
given by the spring lever attached to the engine coming against the
plate c, at the end of the bent lever by and thereby causing the alarum
bell near the fire box to strike; and, as there is about half a mile between
each apparatus, it is evident that wherever the first train stops there is
sufficient time for the engine driver of the train that is following to
shut off his steam, slacken his speed, and stop the train before he comes
up to the train that is in advance of him. The lever depending from the
engine must be made to resume its proper position for acting as soon
as it has given notice, and it is made to spring sideways in order that
in backing it may pass the plates c, at the end of the bent levers b,
without injury to either. The wires f, connecting the vertical levers e,
to the catches g, would be protected from injury by laying them in a
trough extending the whole length of the railway, and it will be neces-
sary to have a counterweight or spring connected to each length of wire
to overcome the friction and inertia of the wire in the trough. The
apparatus can also be connected to a valve or tap for shutting off the
steam at the same time that the alarum bell is struck. In case it
should be found desirable to give notice to the guard of a train as well
as to the engine driver, it would be necessary to have a similar appa-

page_text: ratus and bell attached to the guard's carriage as to the one in front of
the engine, as before described: this apparatus and bell would have to
be put in operation by suitable catches attached to the stop plates,
of the bent levers b. As it frequently happens that trains are shunted
from one line of rails to another, it is desirable to make the apparatus
above described available for giving notice until the line is clear: this
may be done by the pointsman at the crossing; and the only additional
apparatus consists of a lever connected to the wires of the two last
apparatus. As soon as the train that has been shunted is clear of the
line, the pointsman, by pulling the lever, liberates the catches of the
wires, and by so doing allows the stop plates c, at the ends of the two
last bent levers b, to drop, thereby leaving the line free for the follow
ing train.