IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Moore Thompson, of Crewe, in the County of
Chester, Mechanical Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Moore Thompson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th January 1880.
ARTHUR MOORE THOMPSON, of Crewe, in the County of Chester, Mechanical
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS."
Firstly. My Invention relates to an improved method of actuating signals which
are controlled from two or more places or cabins.
Hitherto the practice has been to apply in connection with such signals an
apparatus commonly known to signal engineers as a "slot" arrangement, and which
is described in the Specification of a Patent granted to John Saxby and John
Stinson Farmer, numbered 538, and dated February 27th, 1867.
This apparatus or "slot" (or other arrangement acting upon the same principle)
has been connected with the two or more places or cabins, from which the signal is to
be actuated or controlled by means of two or more separate wires or connections, one
for each place or cabin, or in other words, a "slotted signal," which is to be
controlled or actuated from two, three, or more places or cabins, has hitherto been
provided with two, three, or more separate wires or connections, each extending
between each place or cabin and the signal to be actuated or controlled.
The object of my Invention is to dispense with the "slot" or its equivalent
arrangement upon the signal post, and also the additional wires or connections
required to work such arrangement, thus materially reducing the cost of the
connections which are required when slotted signals are used, and I accomplish this
object by means of apparatus which enables me to actuate or control a signal from
two or more places with a single wire or connection.
For example, a signal is actuated and controlled from a cabin at, say, a distance
of 1000 yards, and it is desired to control or actuate this same signal from one or
more intermediate cabins; this has hitherto been done by laying down an
independent wire to these signal from each of the intermediate cabins, and fixing
on the signal the "slot" apparatus before mentioned.
Now instead of laying down the independent wires from each of the inter-
mediate cabins, I can by means of a simple apparatus control or actuate the signal
from the intermediate cabins by or through the same wire that is provided for
controlling the signal from the furthest cabin.
I may further explain that a signal is worked by drawing in or slacking out

page_text: "
"
or
"
the wire or connection by means of the lever provided in the cabin for the signal,
thus when the lever in the cabin is "pulled "over the wire to the signal is drawn
in or tightened, and the signal is thereby lowered to the "caution
"all right'
position, or as is usually said the signal is pulled "off"
When it is desired to put the signal "to danger," or as is usually said, to put
the signal "on the lever in the cabin for working the signal to put back to its
mormal position, and the wire or connection to the signal is slackened out, thus
permitting the balance weight on the signal to raise the signal to "danger" or put the
signal "on." Now it will be readily understood that I can control or actuate the
same signal by means of the same wire from an additional lever or levers at any
intermediate points if I can, at will, tighten or slacken the wire or connection
at such intermediate points, for instance, a signal is worked from a lever at a
distance of, say, 1000 yards, this lever is pulled over as before explained, and the
wire is drawn in or tightened, and the signal is off. Now if I wish to control or
actuate this signal or put it to "danger" from one or more intermediate levers by
means of the same wire, I have only to make arrangements at each point to
slacken out from these intermediate levers as much length of wire or connection as
has been taken up by the said lever or levers, or as would be slacked out by the
said lever or levers when put back to it or their normal positions, and this I can
readily accomplish by a simple arrangement of pulleys, or pulleys and levers, and
thus by my Invention save the cost and maintenance of the additional wires or
connections, pulleys, wheels, frames, adjusting wires, etc., and also the "slotting"
apparatus on the signal hitherto used.
The giving out or taking up slack wire or connection may be accomplished by a
variety of arrangements, namely, by causing a loop to be formed in the wire chain
or connection by passing it over pulleys, and by connecting the pulley for the loop
with the actuating lever in the cabin.
Or the wire or connection is or may be taken over a pulley on the end of a lever
and then to the signal lever in the cabin, and to the end of the lever carrying the
pulley another wire is attached, which forms the continuation of the wire to the
next cabin, and so on, or any other suitable arrangement is or may be employed
for readily lengthening and shortening the wire or connection by moving the
actuating lever.
Secondly. My Invention relates to a block alarum apparatus which will warn a
signalman should he attempt to pull off his starting signal for a train to enter the
section in advance when such section is blocked, and this part of my Invention
consists in arranging conducting wires between the block signal instrument, and
an alarm-bell which will be sounded when the current of electricity passes through
the conducting wires, which are so arranged that when the signal instrument is
pinned over in the position to show that a train is on the section the current of
electricity is ready to pass from it to the alarm bell, but will not pass except the
signalman pulls over his lever to start another train on the same section, when by
the act of pulling over the lever he brings the end of one part of the conducting
wire, which is attached to the lever or its connections, into contact with the other
part of the wire leading to the alarm bell, thus completing the circuit and causing
the alarm.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Arthur Moore Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
July 1880.
ARTHUR MOORE THOMPSON, of Crewe, in the County of Chester, Mechanical
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS."
Firstly. My Invention relates to an improved method of actuating signals which
are controlled from two or more places or cabins. Hitherto the practice has been
to apply in connection with such signals an apparatus commonly known to signal
engineers as a "slot" arrangement, and which is described in the Specification of a
Patent granted to John Saxby and John Stinson Farmer, numbered 538, and
dated February 27th 1867.
This apparatus or "slot" (or other arrangement acting upon the same principle)
has been connected with the two or more places or cabins from which the signal
is to be actuated or controlled by means of two or more separate wires or con-
nections, one for each place or cabin, or in other words, a "slotted signal," which
is to be controlled or actuated from two, three, or more places or cabins, has hitherto
been provided with two, three, or more separate wires or connections, each
extending between each place or cabin and the signal to be actuated or
controlled.
"
The object of my Invention is to dispense with the "slot or its equivalent
arrangement upon the signal post, and also the additional wires or connections
required to work such arrangement, thus materially reducing the cost of the
connections which are required when slotted signals are used, and I accomplish this
object by means of apparatus which enables me to actuate or control a signal from
two or more places with a single wire or connection.
For example, a signal is actuated and controlled from a cabin at, say, a distance
of 1000 yards, and it is desired to control or actuate this same signal from one or
more intermediate cabins; this bas hitherto been done by laying down an inde-
pendent wire to the signal from each of these intermediate cabins, and fixing on
the signal the "slot" apparatus before mentioned.
Now instead of laying down the independent wires from each of the intermediate
cabins I can, by means of a simple apparatus, control or actuate the signal from the
intermediate cabins by or through the same wire that is provided for controlling
the signal from the furthest cabin.
I may further explain that a signal is worked by drawing in or slackening out
the wire or connection by means of the lever provided in the cabin for the signal,
thus when the lever in the cabin is "pulled over "the wire to the signal is drawn
in or tightened, and the signal is thereby lowered to the "caution" or "all right"
position, or, as is usually said, the signal is pulled "off."
"
When it is desired to put the signal to "danger," or, as is usually said, to put the
signal "on," the lever in the cabin for working the signal is put back to its normal
position, and the wire or connection to the signal is slackened out, thus permitting
the balance weight on the signal to raise the signal to danger or put the signal
on." Now it will be readily understood that I can control or actuate the same
signal by means of the same wire from an additional lever or levers at any inter-
mediate points, if I can, at will, tighten or slacken the wire or connection at such
intermediate points; for instance, a signal is worked from a lever at a distance of,
say, 1000 yards, this lever is pulled over, as before explained, and the wire is
drawn in or tightened, and the signal is "off."

page_text: Now if I wish to control or actuate this signal, or put it "to danger" from one
or more intermediate levers by means of the same wire, I have only to make
arrangements at each point to slacken out from these intermediate levers as much
length of wire or connection as has been taken up by the said lever or levers, or as
would be slacked out by the said lever or levers when put back to it or their
normal positions, and this I can readily accomplish by a simple arrangement of
pulleys, or pulleys and levers or slides, and thus by my Invention I save the cost
and maintenance of the additional wires or connections, pulleys, wheels, frames,
adjusting wires, etc., and also the "slotting" apparatus on the signal hitherto
used.
The giving out or taking up slack wire or connection may be accomplished by a
variety of arrangements, namely, by causing a loop to be formed in the wire chain
or connection by passing it over pulleys and by connecting the pulley for the loop
with the actuating lever in the cabin. Or the wire or connection is, or may be,
taken over a pulley on the end of a lever and then to the signal lever in the cabin,
and to the end of the lever carrying the pulley another wire is attached which
forms the continuation of the wire to the next cabin, and so on, or any other
suitable arrangement is, or may be, employed for readily lengthening and shortening
the wire or connection by moving the actuating lever.
Fig. 1 is an elevation showing how the same signal is actuated or controlled by
one connection or wire from two cabins, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3
is an edge elevation on an enlarged scale of the arrangements shown in Fig. 1 for
taking up or giving out the connection or wire passing between the signal and
cabins.
"
In Fig. 1 the signal a is shown "on or at danger, the wire or connection b
actuating it being slack in consequence of one or both of the hand levers in the
cabins being in their normal positions, which allows the weight lever a¹ to put the
signal "on.'
The wire or connection (b) passes from the weight lever (a¹) under a grooved
pulley c having its axis in a double arm or lever d centred on a bracket d¹ secured
on a post e firmly sunk in the ground near the first cabin f, then the wire or
connection passes over a pulley c¹ having its axis on the fulcrum d² of the arm or
lever, and then passes to and is connected with the hand lever in the cabin f. The
end of another continuation wire or connection 61 is connected with the end of
the arm or lever d and passes to and is connected with the hand lever in the
cabin f¹.
That portion of the connection (6 or b¹) between the signal and cabins which bas
to make sharp bends round pulleys are formed of chain by preference.
Instead of the wire or connection b passing from the signal over the pulleys
c and c to the hand lever of the first cabin (f) it may continue to the second
cabin (f), or that furthest from the signal, and the hand lever of the intermediate
cabin is then connected with the end of the arm d.
In case there are more cabins than two in connection with the same signal, there
is an arrangement like that illustrated by Figs. 2 and 3, or other apparatus acting
substantially the same for each intermediate cabin between the signal and the cabin
furthest from it.
When arranged as shown in Fig. 1, and a second intermediate cabin is placed, say,
between cabins fand f to actuate the signal, the wire b' from the end of the arm
d near cabin f is or may be taken under and over pulleys c and c¹ in an apparatus
fixed near the second intermediate cabin, and then to the hand lever in it, and the
wire from the end of the arm (d) of the apparatus for the second intermediate cabin
is taken to the hand lever of the furthest cabin.
The Figures of the Drawings not yet referred to are illustrations of other
arrangements of apparatus which may be used instead of that above described for

page_text: giving out and taking up slack wire or connections between a signal and two or
more cabins from which it is to be actuated or controlled.
Fig. 4 is a flat and Fig. 5 an edge view of one arrangement; e is supposed to be
a wood frame to which the parts, are attached.
The wire or connection b in this case is passed from the signal to the hand lever
in the furthest cabin, and one of these arrangements is used at each of the inter-
mediate cabins.
The wire or connection 6 from the signal passes over a pulley c in bearings in a
bracket secured to the frame e, under a similar pulley g secured on a slide g¹, which
is or may be formed of channeled iron moving on pulleys gª carried on brackets
secured to the frame (e), the edges of which pulleys work within the channel of the
iron, and then the wire or connection (b) passes over another pulley c¹ to the
furthest cabin.
The end of the slide g¹ is connected with the hand lever in an intermediate cabin.
When the pulley g on the slide g² is in the position shown in Fig. 4 in full line
Black is taken up in the connection or wire (b), and when the pulley (g) is in the
position shown in dotted line slack is given out. Fig. 6 is a flat and Fig. 7 an
edge view of another arrangement, the mechanism of which is secured on a frame
or upon two posts e. In this arrangement two pulleys g and g³ in brackets are
secured to a slide gl arranged as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
b is the wire or connection from the signal, it passes partly round one pulley g,
and is then secured to a stud or eye 6' in the post or frame.
b' is a wire from one cabin and it passes partly round the other pulley g³ and
then to another cabin. The wire or connection b from the signal may be connected
directly with the slide g¹, as illustrated by Fig. 8, in which case the length of slack
wire given out or taken up would only be equal to the length of movement in the
slide gl, but in the arrangement shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the length of movement
given to the wire b by the slide g' is doubled.
Fig. 9 is a side and Fig. 10 an edge view of another modification in which two
pulleys g and g³ are mounted in a double lever or frame g' having its fulcrum g*
on a bracket secured to a frame or post, or in any other convenient manner; b is
the wire or connection from the signal passing partly round one pulley g and is
then secured to an eye or stud b².
The wire or connection bª from one cabin passing partly round the other pulley
93 and then to another cabin.
This arrangement is or may be modified by dispensing with one pulley g for
the wire b and the eye b³, and lengthening the arm of the lever gl and attaching
the wire b from the signal to the end of the arm.
Fig. 11 illustrates another arrangement.
The wire or connection b in this case is supposed to pass from the signal to the
furthest cabin.
Two pulleys g and g³ are used mounted on the ends of a lever g¹ with its fulcrum
fixed in any convenient position. One end of the lever is connected by a rod b* or
other means with the hand lever in the intermediate cabin.
g
When the pulleys 9 and g³ are in the position shown in full line slack wire or
connection is given out, when in the position shown in dotted line slack wire is
taken up.
I have now particularly described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, and claim as my Invention,―
Firstly. The system or mode of actuating or controlling the same signal from
two or more cabins or signal stations by one wire or connection, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Secondly. The several arrangements for taking up and letting out wire or

page_text: connection for actuating or controlling signals, substantially as herein before
described and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Moore Thompson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
A. MOORE THOMPSON. (L.S.\