Improvements in Lock and Block Electric Apparatus for Railways.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 22nd Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lock and Block Electric Apparatus for Railways.
I, EDWARD TYER, of Ashwin Street, Dalston, in the County of London,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
On many lines of railway worked on the "Absolute Block" system, there are
instruments having either two indicating needles, or two miniature semaphore arms;
these needles or arms being raised or lowered when the section of the line to which
they relate is occupied, or clear.
The object of my invention is so to connect this instrument to the lever which
works the outdoor signal allowing a train to enter the section, that when this
signal has once been lowered to admit a train, the signalman at the distant cabin
cannot again operate his instrument so as to permit of the outdoor signal being
again lowered when once a train has entered the section. I thus provide against
the negligence of the distant signalman who having once signalled that the line was
clear, and received the intimation that a train had in consequence been admitted
to the section, omits to put his signalling instrument in such a condition that he
could not again signal that the line was clear.
For this purpose, I remove the lower needle or semaphore arm of the block
instrument, and substitute a moveable screen having a suitable signal marked
thereon such as Signal Lock Free.
"
I attach to the tail end of this screen a contact plate which when the screen
indicates "Free comes into contact with a pin and closes the circuit of a local
battery with the electrical "lock" attached to the signal lever, permitting the lever
to be moved and the outdoor signal lowered. I fix in a convenient position near
the signal lever, a frame in which is mounted a sliding rod urged in the one
direction by a spring or weight and pressed upon or connected to the signal lever,
so as to be moved in opposition to the spring or weight when the signal lever is
moved to admit a train to the section.
On each side of this rod is a blade spring one of which usually makes a contact
whereby the coils of two electro magnets that work the small semaphore and the
screen of the block instrument are connected in series, so that, when the distant
signalman sends a current, the semaphore arm is lowered to indicate that the
section is clear and the screen indicates that the outdoor signal is unlocked.
When, in obedience to this indication, the signal lever is moved to admit. a train to
the section, it moves the sliding rod, and a collar upon it, as it passes protuberances
on the springs at each side of it, moves these springs apart, breaking the contact
that formerly existed and making a momentary contact by which a local battery is
put in circuit with the electro magnet that works the screen. The screen is thus
moved so as to obstruct the "Free" indication and an arm on its axis acts on an
arm on the axis of the small semaphore moving the semaphore so as to break a
contact from the electro maguet which locks the signal lever, the arm of the screen
becoming itself caught behind a shoulder of the semaphore arm so that the screen
cannot again be moved aside until the small semaphore has been raised to indicate
Danger" and has thereby released the arm of the screen.
66
Dated this 20th day of November 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: improvements in Lock and Dlock Electric apparat
1, EDWARD TYER, of Ashwin Street, Dalston, in the County of London,
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 :-
On many lines of railway worked on the "Absolute Block" system, there are
instruments having either two indicating needles, or two miniature semaphore arms
moved by polarised cylindrical armatures; these needles or arms being moved to
indicate when the section of the line to which they relate is occupied, or clear.
The object of my invention is so to connect this instrument to the lever which
works the outdoor signal allowing a train to enter the section, that, when this
signal has once been lowered to admit a train, the signalman at the distant cabin
cannot again operate his instrument so as to permit of the outdoor signal being
again lowered when once a train has entered the section. I thus provide against
the negligence of the distant signalman who, having once signalled that the line
was clear, and received the intimation that a train had in consequence been
admitted to the section, might omit to put his signalling instrument in such a
condition that he cannot again signal that the line is clear.
For this purpose, I employ apparatus which I shall describe referring to the
accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a front view of the block signalling instrument.
Fig. 2 is a view of the same with the front plate removed.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the contact apparatus worked by the outdoor signal lever.
I remove the lower needle or semaphore arm of the block instrument, and
substitute a moveable screen A which, when moved aside, discloses a suitable
signal such as "Free" meaning that the signal lock is free.
I attach to the tail end of the screen A a contact plate which, when the screen
is in the dotted position disclosing "Free," comes into contact with a piu a and
closes the circuit of a local battery with the electrical "lock" attached to the
signal lever, permitting the lever to be moved and the outdoor signal to be lowered.
I fix in a convenient position near the signal lever, a frame B in which is mounted
a sliding rod C urged in the one direction by a spring D (or it might be a weight)
and pressed upon or connected to the signal lever so as to be moved in the direction
of the arrow by the signal lever acting on its head c, when the signal lever is moved
to admit a train to the section.
On each side of this rod is a blade spring, E and F, the one of which E usually
makes a contact at e whereby the coils of two electro magnets G and H that work
respectively the small semaphore S and the screen A of the block instrument are
connected in series, so that, when the distant signalman sends a current by the line,
the semaphore arm S is lowered to indicate that the section is clear, and the screen
by disclosing the word "Free" indicates that the outdoor signal is unlocked.
When, in obedience to this indication, the signal lever is moved to admit a train to
the section, it moves the sliding rod C and a collar K upon it, as it passes insulated
protuberances L L on the springs at each side of it, moves these springs apart
breaking the contact that formerly existed at e and making a momentary contact
at 1 by which a local battery is put in circuit with the electro magnet H that
works the screen A. The screen is thus moved so as to obstruct the "Free"
indication, and its arm M acts on an arm N on the axis of the small semaphore S
moving the semaphore so as to break a contact at from the electro magnet which
locks the signal lever, the arm M of the screen becoming itself caught behind a
shoulder of the semaphore arm N as indicated at N', so that the screen cannot

page_text: again be moved aside until the small semaphore S has been raised to indicate
Danger" and has thereby released the arm of the screen.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In combination with a railway lock and block signalling instrument having a
semaphore moved by the polarised cylindrical armature of one electromagnet, and
a screen moved by the polarised cylindrical armature of another electromagnet,
and having contacts operated by the arms of the armatures, a contact slide operated
by the lowering of the outdoor signal so as to break contact for the line and to
make temporary contact for the screen electromagnet, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
Dated thin and dose of August 1001
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicant.