Improvements in Means or Apparatus for use in Automatic Electric Railway Signalling.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 7th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for use in Automatic Electric
Railway Signalling.
We, REGINALD BRADALBIN ANNESLEY, of 5 Tithebarn Street, Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, Broker, JOHN HARVEY EVANS, of 11 Rumford Place,
Liverpool, aforesaid, Accountant, and EDWIN BLAKEY, of The Grange, Lightcliffe,
Halifax, in the County of York, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvements about to be described have reference to the means or apparatus
specified in connection with the system of automatic electric signalling for railways
patented by Henry James Gardner, under British Letters Patent, No. 11,645, dated
30th September 1885, as a communication from C. D. Tisdale; and by Walter
Walker, No. 14105 dated 2nd November 1886, No. 10,056 dated 18th July 1887,
and No. 13,778 dated 11th October 1887. The present improvements have for their
object to so improve these means or apparatus as to render them more effective and
certain in their operation than heretofore.
In the Specification of the second of the herein before mentioned Letters Patent
there was described a signal head having an electrically actuated swinging arm
carrying a disc for covering and uncovering the lens. Now according to the present
improvements, a semaphore signal arm is provided in conjunction with this swinging
arm, and is so arranged as to be operated by the movement of the disc, that is to
say, when the electric current acts to remove the disc from the lens, this disc (which
is provided with a tail piece) is caused to actuate the semaphore arm and to place
it to the "danger" position. Hence, instead of depending as formerly only on the
light from the signal head, both by day and by night, the semaphore arm will be
utilized for signalling by day, thus more clearly indicating to the driver of a train
whether the signals are against him. If desired, the semaphore arm can be discon-
nected during the night. The swinging arm of the disc is provided with a counter-
balance weight, as is also the tail-piece of the semaphore signal arm, that on the
latter being, by preference, a sliding weight. It is likewise preferred to construct
this semaphore signal arm of aluminium, or other light material, to insure its ready
acting. It may be pivotted either at one end, or at its centre, and may be enclosed
in a box or chamber attached to, or forming part of, the signal head, and this box
or chamber is provided with a glazed opening.
In combination with this arrangement there may also be provided a bell, gong,
or other phonetic appliance, with a switch, so that the said appliance may be
connected in circuit with the local relay actuating the disc and semaphore signal
arm, and may be utilized during foggy or obscure weather.
Another improvement has reference to the moveable or depressible rails or bars
referred to in the Specification of the Letters Patent No. 14,1058, and more fully
described in that of 13,77887. These depressible rails or bars are, as before,
arranged alongside one of the rails of the permanent way and when depressed by a
passing train operate through a lever, as heretofore, the contact apparatus controlling
the earth connections with the signals. According to the present improvements
these depressible rails or bars, which as usual project slightly above one of the rails
of the permanent way, are made of steel and are bolted at each of their ends to this
rail. Slots are formed in these depressible rails to allow them to partake of a slight
lateral movement on being depressed by a passing train. Beneath the centre of
each of the depressible rails there is now arranged an iron clamp (or other suitable
means) with adjustable screw and nut which take the place of the links connecting
he depressible rails to the levers actuating the contacts, as shown in the drawings
D
077

page_text: accompanying the Specification No. 13,77887, as it has been found that these links,
owing to their want of strength, often become bent or broken by the weight of the
trains, and thereby the entire system is rendered ineffective and inoperative,
whereas by the use of the improved arrangement this evil is avoided.
Or the rail itself of the permanent way may be used instead of the depressible
rail, and be supported on sleepers placed rather farther apart than usual, and the
clamp would then be arranged beneath it.
Dated this 31st day of July 1891.
ERNEST DE PASS,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for use in Automatic Electric
Railway Signalling.
We, REGINALD BRADALBIN ANNESLEY, of 5 Tithebarn Street, Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, Broker, JOHN HARVEY EVANS, of 11 Rumford Place,
Liverpool aforesaid, Accountant, and EDWIN BLAKEY, of the Grange, Lightcliffe,
Halifax, in the County of York, 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, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say :-
The improvements about to be described have reference to the means or
apparatus specified in connection with the system of automatic electric signalling
for railways, patented by Henry James Gardner, under British Letters Patent
No. 11,645 dated 30th September 1885, as a communication from C. D. Tisdale,
and by Walter Walker No. 14,105 dated 2nd November 1886; No. 10,056 dated
18th July 1887; and No. 13,778 dated 11th October 1887. The present improve-
ments have for their object to so improve these means or apparatus as to render
them more effective and certain in their operation than heretofore.
In the Specification of the second of the hereinbefore mentioned Letters Patent
there was described a signal head having an electrically actuated swinging arm
carrying a disc for covering and uncovering the lens. Now according to the
present improvements, a semaphore signal arm is provided in conjunction with this
swinging arm, and is so arranged as to be operated by the movement of the disc,
that is to say, when the electric current acts to remove the disc from the lens, this
disc (which may be provided with a finger or tail-piece) is caused to actuate the sema-
phore arm, which may also be provided with a tail-piece and to place such arm in the
"safety "position. Hence, instead of depending as formerly only on the light from
the signal head both by day and by night, the semaphore arm will be visible during
the day, thus more clearly indicating to the driver of a train whether the signals
are against him. If desired, the semaphore arm can be disconnected during the
night. The swinging arm of the disc is provided with a counterbalance weight, as
is also the tail piece of the semaphore signal arm, that on the latter being by
preference, a sliding weight. It is likewise preferred to construct this semaphore
signal arm of aluminium, or other light material, to ensure its ready acting. It
may be pivotted either at one end, or at its centre, and may be enclosed in a box
or chamber attached to, or forming part of, the signal head; and this box or
chamber is provided with a glazed opening through which the semaphore arm may
be readily perceived.
In combination with this arrangement there may also be provided a bell, gong,
or other phonetic appliance, with a switch, so that the said appliance may be
connected in circuit with the local relay actuating the disc and semaphore signal
arm, and may be utilized during foggy or obscure weather.

page_text: Another improvement has reference to the movable or depressible rails or bars
referred to in the Specification of the Letters Patent No. 14,1058, and more fully
described in that of No. 13,77887. These depressible rails or bars are, as before,
arranged alongside one of the rails of the permanent way, and when depressed by
a passing train operate, through a lever, as heretofore, the contact apparatus con-
trolling the earth connections with the signals. According to the present improve-
ments these depressible rails or bars which as usual project slightly above one of
the rails of the permanent way, are made of steel and are bolted at each of their
ends to this rail. Slots are formed in these depressible rails to allow them to
partake of a slight movement in the direction of the length of the rail, on being
depressed by a passing train. Beneath the centre of each of the depressible rails,
there is now arranged an iron clamp (or other suitable means) with adjustable
screw and nut, which take the place of the links connecting the depressible rails to
the levers actuating the contacts, as shown in the drawings accompanying the
Specification No. 13,77887, as it has been found that these links, owing to their
want of strength, often become bent or broken by the weight of the trains, and
thereby the entire system is rendered ineffective and inoperative, whereas by the
use of the improved arrangement this evil is avoided.
And in order that our said invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, we will describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section ;
Fig. 2 an end elevation, also partly in section; and
Fig. 3 a sectional plan showing the signal head and the semaphore arm in con-
junction therewith and as constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 4 is an elevation showing a modified construction of signal head in which
the semaphore arm is centrally pivotted.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section; Fig. 6 a cross section, and Fig. 7 a
plan showing the depressible rail or bar and the parts in connection therewith.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, a is the signal head, provided with a lens a¹,
and is the coloured disc which is capable of swinging in a vertical plane within
the narrow chamber d, through which the rays of light, from a lantern contained in
the compartment e, are projected.
According to the present invention the colored swinging disc is carried at one
end of an arm ', which is pivotted at 62, and provided near its opposite end with a
counterbalance weight 63 so that its movement can be more easily effected by the
electro-magnet. The movement is imparted to the disc by means of the pivotted
lever and rods 5, 6, the latter of which is connected to a bell crank lever b
which is in its turn, connected by the rod 68 to the pivotted armature 69 of the
electro-magnet,10.
fis the semiaphore arm, made preferably of aluminium, and pivotted near one of
its ends at f'. It is furnished with a tailpiece f2 carrying an adjustable or sliding
weight, and this tail piece projects through a slot or opening a², formed in the
casing of the signal head, and terminates in a bent portion fx. When the electro-
magnet 610 is excited by the current, the armature 6 is attracted, and the colored
disc is caused to swing into the inclined position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1,
and in assuming this position it strikes against the bent portion fx of the tail-
piece and thereby causes the semaphore arm to turn about its pivot and to
assume the inclined or safety position. Immediately the current ceases to flow,
and the armature 6 is no longer attracted by its electro-magnet, the colored disc
returns to its normal or vertical position by gravity, and the semaphore arm, under
the influence of the weight f³ resumes its horizontal or danger position, the tail
piece of the semaphore arm then resting against the lower part of the slot a².
The semaphore arm is enclosed in a box or chamber 9, having a glazed opening
or front, and this box or chamber may be permanently connected to the signal
head by means of the angle iron g', or in any other convenient manner.
In order that the apparatus may be utilized during foggy weather to indicate

page_text: that the line is clear we provide a bell or gong which can be put in circuit by
means of the switch i, so that the bell or gong can be used for giving audible
signals to the driver when the color of the signal lamp, and the position of the
semaphore, could not be seen by him. This bell or gong and the switch i can, if
desired, be enclosed in a chamber or casing for protecting them from rain, or from
being tampered with, and this chamber or casing may be furnished with an opening,
or openings, to enable the sound of the gong to be heard.
Instead of using a semaphore arm pivotted near one of its ends, as just described,
we may employ a centrally pivotted semaphore arm, as shown at Fig. 4. In this
case the coloured disc is provided with a tappet or finger b×, which, when said disc
is actuated, will strike against the weighted end of the semaphore arm and
thereby cause it to turn into the position shown by dotted lines in this figure.
When released by the disc the semaphore arm will resume its danger position under
the action of its weighted end f₁ which will then rest upon the stop f'.
The
Referring now to Figures 5, 6 and 7, which relate to the movable or depressible
rails or bars, a is one of the rails of the permanent way to one side of which is
attached, by means of the bolts b, b, the movable or depressible rail or bar c.
holes in the ends of this bar, through which the bolts pass, are slightly elongated,
as clearly seen in Figs. 5 and 7, so that when said bar is depressed by a passing
train, it will be at liberty to partake of a slight elongation caused by its becoming,
for the time being, somewhat straightened under the weight of the train. Situated
immediately beneath this depressible bar c, is an adjustable stop d' furnished with
a lock nut d* and carried by the clamp d, which latter is securely attached to the
lever e.
Thus, when said bar c is depressed by a passing train, it will come against
and also depress the adjustable stop d¹, together with the clamp d, and thereby
operate, in the manner described in the Specification of Patent No. 13,77887
hereinbefore mentioned, the lever e and the make and break contact mechanism
which is connected therewith. In order to enable the clamp to be readily attached
to, or removed from, the lever e, and to be adjusted in any required position
thereon, we fix the clamp to the lever by means of plates d², which can be secured
to the clamp by stud bolts d³ and thus tightly nip the lever e between them and the
clamp d.
In some cases we can dispense with the use of the depressible bar altogether,
and employ only the rail of the permanent way; we then place the sleepers
supporting the rail of the permanent way, rather further apart than usual, so as to
permit of considerable flexibility of the rail at this part, and we locate the
clamp d about midway between the sleepers and in such a position as to bring its
adjustable stop & beneath the rail of the permanent way. Thus when a train
passes over the flexible portion of the rail, the said rail will be depressed sufficiently
to cause the depression of the clamp, and the lever e, to which such clamp is
attached, and will thereby operate the make and break contact mechanism in a
manner equally efficacious to that hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improved signal head, for use in automatic electric signalling on railways,
consisting in the employment of a semaphore arm arranged to be operated by the
electrically actuated swinging colored disc of the lamp, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
2. The signal head for use in automatic electric signalling on railways, in which
a semaphore aim is pivotted at one of its ends, and is provided with a weighted
tail piece, against which the electrically actuated swinging disc, when moved into
its inclined position, strikes and causes the fall of the arm, and which arm may be
enclosed within a glazed box, or chamber, carried by the signal head, substantially
as hereinbefore described and as shown by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawings.

page_text: 3. The modified arrangement of signal head for use in automatic electric
signalling on railways, in which a centrally pivotted semaphore arm, weighted
at one of its ends and resing normally in a horizontal or "danger" position against
a stop, is operated by means of a tappet or finger carried by the electrically
actuated swinging disc of the lamp, substantially as hereinbefore described and
shown by Fig. 4 of the drawings.
4. The combination, with the depressible rail or bar c, of the adjustable clamp,
hereindescribed and operating in conjunction with the lever actuating the make and
break contact mechanism controlling the signals, substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown by Figs. 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings.
5. Our improvements in means or apparatus for use in automatic electric railway
signalling, substantially as herein before described and shown by the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 7th day of December 1891.
ERNEST DE PASS,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicants.