IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of Kensington, Middlesex for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC
SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS communicated to him from abroad
by Hans Christian Reher, of Hamburg, in the German Empire
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th June 1883.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
CONNECTED WITH AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS
"
a communication to me from abroad by Hans Christian Reber, of 'Hamburg, in
the German empire,
In this electro-mechanical system automatic current closers or contact devices
are placed at the end of the sections of the railway, which contact devices are
suitably connected with the rails and operate the signals along the railway line
through the locomotive wheels. The signals are acoustic as well as optical.
Electro magnets set bells in motion at the guard houses, and visible signals are
shown by electric batteries or by the guards at the signal post. The current is
conducted between the ends of a section of the line by 2 wires above ground in
single lines and by 4 wires in double lines; the return connection being made
through the earth as usual. The signal wires lead through each guard house of
the line and set a bell in motion by an electro-magnetic apparatus, as well as one
or two hinge plates (4 in double lines) fixed at the house wall facing the line.
By the fall of these plates a number or sign is made visible and indicates to the
guard the line and direction of the train which operates the signals.
In day-time coloured signal-disks or flags are shown and at night coloured
lights.
The current closer or contact apparatus consists of a casing fixed outwardly at
the foot of the rail.
Inside this casing is a wheel-gang moveable round a bolt and kept in an upright
position by special springs, by means of lateral noses resting on the head of two
bolts.

page_text: Inside the casing is also a compartment containing a pin suspended from a stud ;
the free end of this pin rests on the nose of one of the above said bolts.
The contact piece shaped like the head of a hammer is insulated on this pin, and
underneath the same, likewise insulated is a small platinum-plate. With the
latter and with the head of the hammer the underground-conducting-wires are
connected.
A locomotive or railway carriage wheel rolling on the rail & over the casing
of the current-closer pushes down, with its protruding flange, the bolt supporting
the pin above described, thereby putting the hammer in contact with the platinum-
plate and closing the current, till the spring adapted for this purpose is released.
A train coming from the opposite direction would push down the second bolt
without thereby closing the circuit.
A train running froin station A to station B causes at a certain distance from
the station a current connection, thereby setting the signal bells of all guard-houses
betwixt A and B in motion and by the fall of a hinge-plate a number, for instance 1,
indicates to the guard that the train comes from A.
Should by some mistake a train starting from B run on the same line of rails,
it would in its turn ring signal bells and a second hinge plate would fall down
showing tho number 2. The guards have then only to give the signals agreed on
for stopping the trains or change the line of rails of one train by moving a switch.
The same case on the other line of rails would have the same results. The
trains coming from A show the number 3, those coming from B the number 4.
As soon as a train has passed, the signals are removed or changed and the plates
replaced in their normal position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Herbert John Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th December 1883.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
CONNECTED WITH AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS,"
a communication to me from abroad by Hans Christian Reher, of Hamburg in
the German empire.
In describing this invention reference will be made to the accompanying
drawings of which Figs. 1 and 2 represent the general arrangement of the signal
wires leading from A to B and vice versa and the current closers or pedal contact-
apparatus inserted into the circuit. In Fig. 1 the wires are superposed instead of
being placed side by side in pairs, (for the sake of clearness).
The two lower wires serve to transmit the signals coming from A while the two
upper wires serve to transmit the signals from B to A.
The return connection is made through the earth as usual.
The current closers or pedal contact apparatus are placed at o, o'; o", oll, and
connected with the conducting wires (above ground) by short wires placed under
ground.
The wires leading from A and B pass through each guard's house of the line as
may be seen in Figs 3 and 4. In each guard's house is placed an electro
magnetic apparatus which operates an alarm bell or bells on the one hand, on the
other hand causing the fall of one or two of the 4 hinge plates placed at that wall
of the guard's house which faces the line. By the fall of one of theso plates a
number or sign is made visible and indicates to the guard the line and direction of
the train which operates the signals.
Fig. 5 is a vartical cross section of the contact apparatus along dotted line C-D
of Fig. 7. Fig. 6. is a longitudinal vertical section of the same apparatus along
dotted line E-F, Fig. 7 is a plan.
The apparatus comprises a casing a fixed to the foot of the rail S by means of
the plate P and the cover H.
In the upper part of the cover is an operating lever R pivoted on a pin v and
kept in an upright position by springs ƒ ƒ by means of lateral noses resting on
the on the heads of bolts b b¹.
In the centre of the casing is placed a pint pivoted at i and resting with one
end on a washer g of the bolt b
The contact piece has the shape of a hammer mounted on the pin t and
insulated from the same by means of an indiarubber ring u, and underneath the
same, likewise insulated in the india-rubber plate w, is placed a small platinum
plate p. The ends of the conducting wires are connected with the contact plate p
on the one hand and with the hammer h on the other hand.
The apparatus works as follows :
A locomotive or railway carriage wheel rolling on the rail S and over the
operating lever R in the direction of the arrow (see Fig 6) depresses the bolt 6',
whereby the hammer h comes in contact with the platinum plate p, thus closing
the circuit until the spring f is released.
A train coming from the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow merely
depresses the bolt b, which has no influence on the closing of the circuit, as may
be seen in Fig 6.
A train running from B to A causes at the point oll the closing of the electric
circuit, thereby setting the alarm bells of all guard's houses between B and A in
motion, while by the fall of a hinge disc each guard's house, a number for instance
2, indicates that a train is approaching from B.

page_text: If owing to some mistake in operating the switches a train starting from A
should run on the same line as a train coming from B, the former train will come
in contact with the contact apparatus situated at o and will set in motion the
alarms in all the guard's houses situated along the said line, while a second hinge
plate at each guard's house is released by electromagnets and allowed to fall by
which for instance number 1 becomes visible.
To indicate that the line or section is blocked two semaphores or signal boards
are placed horizontally and so as to point in the same direction, while at night
two lights of the same colour are shown on the same side of the signal post.
A similar arrangement is applied to the other line of rails with a corresponding
result. The trains coming from A operate for instance the number 4, those coming
from B operate the number 3.
As soon as a train has passed the signals are removed or changed and the discs
or hinge plates replaced in their normal position.
As will be seen from the drawings, the automatic circuit closers in this system
are placed at or near the ends of the section of railway to be covered by the
signals, and are operated by the wheels of the locomotives. The signals may bo
both acoustical and optical.
In the case of single line railways the currents are conducted by two wires, and
in the case of double line railways by 4 wires above ground, the return connection
CLAIM
A pedal-contact apparatus for railway signals, adapted to automatically announce
the approach of trains in the manner substantially as described, and in particular
the arrangement of bolts bb, with springs ff, and hammer adapted to close 2
the electric circuit by its contact with the platinum plate p.
In Witness whereof I, the said Herbert John Haddan have hereunto set my hand
and seal this 20th day of December AD 1883.