Improvements in Devices for Preventing Railway Accidents.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1897-Accepted, 22nd Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Preventing Railway Accidents.
I, HERMANN BIERMANN, of 5A, Paradiesstrasse, Breslau, in the German Empire,
Merchant, 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:-
This invention relates to means and devices for preventing railway accidents arising
from broken rails, or rail joining devices such as fish plates, or from the collision
of two trains whether proceeding in the same or in opposite directions.
The accompanying drawings illustrate how my improvements may be carried
into effect.
Figure 1 shows the arrangement of devices upon the locomotive or other convenient
part of the train.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the arrangement, preferably in duplicate, of devices
along the rails, the former figure also showing two trains approaching each other,
and the latter showing two trains moving in the same direction.
Figures 2 and 3ª are diagrammatic representations of the conditions prevailing
in Figures 2 and 3 respectively.
Upon the locomotive or other convenient part of the train is arranged a suitable
source of electric current, such as a dynamo or a battery, the current from which
passes along the wire x and contact roller e to one of the rails along which it passes
(see Figure 2), returning by the other rail, contact roller f, and wire a to the source
of current d. The wheels of the vehicles are prevented from short circuiting the
rails by insulating them upon their axles. Arranged along the rails a b, at a little
distance therefrom are conducting rails k², k³ which are divided into fields by the
insulators m, n, o, shown in Figure 2. Upon the train and connected to the main
circuit x is a shunt circuit y in which is included a resistance y¹ as well as a safety
or alarm apparatus such as a brake, a bell, or a reversing device. The resistance
of y' is a little greater than that of the main circuit in its normal condition.
The locomotive also carries the two conducting rollers k, k¹ which pass along the
rails 2, k, and are connected to the lead and return of the main circuit by the
wires and z².
Along the rails between the fields a², 62, c², and d² there are arranged contact
devices g, g', h and h¹, and i, i¹ each of which consists of two electro-magnets with
pivotted armatures. The construction of these devices is such that if no current be
passing through the electro-magnets there is connection between the rails a and b
as for instance through the wire 13, armature 12, and wire 11 as shown in
connection with the device h. But if one of the electro-magnets be excited and
attract its armature the connection between the rails a and b at that point will be
interrupted.
If, for example, the train has arrived in the field d² and the connection between
the rails a and b has been interrupted here, the main current must pass into the
next field cup to the point 40, then through wire 13, armature 12, wire 11 and
rail back to the dynamo or the like. At the same time the current passes through
the contact 41, wire 16, armature 15 and wire 14 also to the rail b.
excitation of the contact devices before and behind the train is effected by the
conducting rollers k and which roll along the shunt conductors k² and k³. In
The

page_text: consequence of the insulators m, n, o, only the contact devices next to the train will
be excited so that the current controls two in front of the train and two behind.
The rails a and b and the wires x upon the locomotive form the main circuit within
which is the shunt circuit y. Upon the resistance of the main circuit increasing
owing to a broken rail or fish plate, or, as described later, owing to two trains being
in dangerous proximity, part of the current passes through the shunt circuit and
actuates the alarm or safety device.
Should two trains approach each other in opposite directions as illustrated in
Figure 2, the devices will operate as follows. From the locomotive A within the
field a² a current flows from d through the shunt wire ¹, (see Figure 1), roller k,
conducting rail k², wire 1, coil 2, and wire 3 on one side, and through wire 32,
coil 33, and wire 4 on the other side to the rail a whence it returns to its source d.
The coils of the contact devices g, g¹ are thus excited and the armatures 5 and 6 are
attracted. The main current, which previously passed by roller e and rail b through
wire 7, armature 5, and wire 8 on the one side, and through wire 9, armature 6, and
wire 10 on the other side back to the rail a, is now interrupted and is compelled to
pass through the rail b, wire 11, armature 12, and wire 13 on the one side, and through
wire 14, arinature 15, and wire 16 on the other side to the rail a and thence to the
source. The opposite train A¹ as soon as it enters the field d² sends its shunt current
along the rail, wire 18, coil 19, and wire 20 on the one side, and through wire 21,
coil 22, and wire 23 on the other side back to the rail b and thence to the source.
The electro-magnets i and i¹ are thereby energised and attract the armatures 24
and 34. The main current which before passed along the rail a, wire 25, arma-
ture 24, and wire 26 to the rail 6 on one side, and through wire 27, armature 34,
and wire 28 to the rail b on the other side, is now interrupted and is obliged to take
the circuit through wire 16, armature 15 and wire 14 on one side, and through
wire 13, armature 12, and wire 11 on the other side back to the rail b along
which it returns.
wire s.
The main
Figure 2 illustrates diagrammatically the passage of these currents.
current from the train A¹ passes through wire 9, connecting wire r, and the return
The main current from the train A passes through the wire t, connecting
wire, and the return wire u. The dynamos are now in series and as the current
cannot pass in two directions through the wire and as the resistances of the
wires q, 8, and t, u, are equal there will be no current in the wire r, and a current of
The connection
double the pressure will pass through the circuit q, u, t, and 8.
between the rails a and b which correspond to the wires q, s, t, u, is thus produced by
the approaching trains themselves. As the resistances y¹ within the shunt circuits y
are fixed and are designed for one strength of current only, they will now be overcome
by the increased current and permit the passage of a current to actuate the alarm
or safety devices.
The
If the trains are moving in the same direction and approach dangerously close
to one another the operation of the devices is as shown in Figure 3.
train A in the field a² sends its current through roller e and rail a to the wire 3,
coil 2, and wire 1 on the one-side,-and to wire 4, coil 33, and wire 32 on the
other side, to the conducting rail ², whence the current flows back to its source
through the roller k¹. In this passage the coil of the device g attracts its
armature 5, and the armature 6 of the other device is similarly attracted. The
main current which before passed through rail a, wire 8, armature 5, and wire 7
on the one side, and through wire 10, armature 6, and wire 9 on the other side to
the rail 6 from which it returned to the train, is now interrupted and passes
along the rail a through wire 13, armature 12, and wire 11 of the apparatus h
upon one side, and through the wire 16, armature 15, and wire 14 of the
The
apparatus on the other side, returning to the train along the rail b.
current from the train A' in the field d² follows the path previously described
with reference to Figures 2 and 24. The main current passes through rail a,
wire 16, armature 15 and wire 14, and through wire 13, armature 12, and wire 11,
returning through the rail b.

page_text: As shown in the diagram, Figure 3, the current from the train A¹ flows through
The current from the train A passes
the lead q, connecting wire ? and return wire s.
A current of double
through the lead u, connecting wire r and the return wire t.
strength thus passes through the wire which is not of sufficient area to freely.
conduct it and consequently the flow is retarded. The resistances y¹ in the shunt
circuits y are each only a little greater than the resistance possessed by their main
circuits. Should the resistances of the main circuit be increased or the flow of the
current be retarded as described, part of the current will pass through the shunts and
operate the included alarm or safety devices.
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:
The improved means and devices for preventing railway accidents, arranged and
operating substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of May 1897.
W. E. HEYS & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.