IMPROVEMENTS IN. RAILWAY-SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR GIVING NOTICE OF THE APPROACH OF TRAINS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald Hewison Perry, of 32, Lansdown Road,
Croydon, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, and Edward John Houghton,
of 1, Pilkington Road, Peckham, in the County of Surrey, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN. RAILWAY-SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR GIVING NOTICE
OF THE APPROACH OF TRAINS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald Hewison Perry
and Edward John Houghton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 10th January 1882.
ARCHIBALD HEWISON PERRY of 32 Lansdown Road Croydon in the County of
Surrey Engineer and EDWARD JOHN HOUGHTON of 1 Pilkington Road Peckham
in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALLING APPARATUS
FOR GIVING NOTICE OF THE APPROACH OF TRAINS."
This Invention relates to the arrangement of electrical apparatus so as to give
notice of the approach of trains or engines at a distance from the ordinary
signalling stations more especially in tunnels, at gatehouses, level crossings, and
places where fogmen are placed etc.
In carrying out our Invention we make use of a line wire or wires from the
nearest signalling station to the tunnel or other place at which it is desired to give
information. We fix a suitable commutator or commutators on the signalling
instrument or instruments as the case may be in the signal box and so arrange it
that when the signalman in the signal box accepts a train as signalled from the
station in the rear the cominutator is actuated and placed in such position as to
send a battery current through the said line wire or wires. We provide a suitable
portable electro-magnetic alarm bell or gong having two flexible insulated leading
wires with metal terminals or clips and when only one line wire is used one of
these terminals is to be attached to the line wire and the other to a metal spear
or rod, so that when one terminal is attached to the line wire and the other to the
spear and the latter pushed into the earth a complete electrical circuit is made
with the signalling station. We sometimes employ two line wires one of them for
[Duin C11

page_text: the return current and then instead of using the spear or rod to form the return
or earth wire it is only necessary to join each of the bell or gong wires on to each
of the line wires. Now when the signal man accepts the signal of the approach of
a train he will by the single action of accepting that signal set up a current in the
extra circuit above described and cause the bell or gong to ring.
We also employ smaller pocket electro magnetic bells or gongs attached to an
insulated rod or stick so that a person may be able tap the wires at any point
and learn if a train or engine is approaching and men working on the line or
others using our Invention may remove the bell or gong apparatus from place to
place as the position of their work changes.
The said line wire or wires may either be hung and insulated in the usual
manner or insulated wire may be used wound on a reel or drum to be unwound
and laid as the workmen or others using it move from place to place.
We also fix suitable commutators to distant, rear, home or other outdoor signals
which when moved shall by the intervention of a battery set up an electrical
current in the line wire or wires and enable information to be obtained by tapping
the said wires.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and
of an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Archibald Hewison
Perry and Edward John Houghton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th July 1882.
ARCHIBALD HEWISON PERRY, of 32 Lansdown Road Croydon, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, and EDWARD JOHN HOUGHTON, of 1 Pilkington Road, Peckham,
in the County of Surrey, Electrical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR GIVING NOTICE OF THE APPROACH OF TRAINS."
This Invention relates to the arrangement of electrical apparatus so as to give
notice of the approach of trains or engines at a distance from the ordinary
signalling stations, more especially in tunnels, at gatehouses, level crossings, and
places where fogmen are placed, etcetera.
In carrying out our Invention we make use of a line wire or wires from te
nearest signalling station, to the tunnel or other place at which it is desired to
give information. We fix a suitable commutator, or commutators on the signalling
instrument or instrument, as the case may be, in the signal box, and so arrange it
that when the signalman in the signal box accepts a train as signalled from the
station in the rear, the commutator is actuated and placed in such position as to
send a battery current through the said line wire or wires. We provide a suitable
portable electro-magnetic alarm bell or gong having two flexible insulated leading
wires, with metal terminals or clips, and when only one line wire is used, one of
these terminals is to be attached to the line wire, and the other to a metal spear or
rod, so that when one terminal is attached to the line wire and the other to the
spear, and the latter pushed into the earth, a complete electrical circuit is made
with the signalling station. We sometimes employ two line wires, one of them for
the return current, and then instead of using the spear or rod to form the return
or earth wire, it is only necessary to join each of the bell or gong wires on to each
of the line wires. Now when the signalman accepts the signal of the approach of
a train, he will by the single action of accepting that signal set up a current in the
extra circuit above described, and cause the bell or gong to ring. We also employ
smaller pocket electro-magnetic bells or gongs with suitable connections, so that a
person may be able to tap the wires at any point, and learn if a train or engine is
approaching, and men working on the line or others using our Invention may
remove the bell or gong apparatus from place to place as the position of their work
changes.
The said line wire or wires may either be hung and insulated in the usual
manner, or insulated wire may be used wound on a reel or drum, to be unwound
and laid as the workmen or others using it move from place to place.
We also fix suitable commutators to distant, rear, home, or other out door
signals, which when moved shall by the intervention of a battery set up an
electrical current in the line wire or wires and enable information to be obtained
by tapping the said wires.
In most cases it will be convenient that the line wire or wires for the purposes
of this Invention should be permanently fixed on the ordinary telegraphie posts
and should be brought down each post, or every alternate, or every third post, or
at such intervals as may be found convenient, to a height at which it or they may
be easily reached, and for this purpose each wire should be fixed to the post by
means of a shackle or terminal insulator and the sections of the line wire connected
by means of a shunt of gutta percha covered, or other insulated wire, passing from
one of them down the post to the point required, where the wire must be laid
bare for a short space, and up again to the wire on the other insulator.

page_text: In almost all cases it will be sufficient to employ only one line wire and to make
use of the earth for the return current.
We prefer to employ spring clips or screw clamps for making the connection with
the line wire, but any convenient means may be employed (such as by twisting
the terminal wire from the bell or gong round the uncovered part of the shunt
wire) by which a good metalic contact is made.
If it is desired that the bell or gong shall be at a point between the telegraphic
posts, or otherwise at a distance from the point at which the connection with the
shunt wire is made, we employ for temporary purposes a covered wire laid along
the ground to the place where the signal is required to be given.
In the commutator, according to our Invention, we employ a spring or springs
with suitable contact pieces so as join up, or disconnect, the before mentioned
bell or gong by the movement of the plungers, handles, or tappers, as used in train
block signalling telegraphs, by the action of the signalman giving or accepting the
"train on," or "clear," signals as between two or more signalling stations; or
where the absolute normal block working is used we arrange our contact pieces so
that a signalman in accepting the "be ready" or "train on signal would so turn
on the commutator and give warning on the bell or gong while the train is
running on two sections or as between station A to station B, and between station B
to station C.
"
Almost any of the well known signalling instruments used for working railway
signals may by the addition of an extra commutator be adapted to the purposes of
our Invention. All that is necessary is that an extra commutator should be placed
within the case of the instrument, and in normal clear working such commutator
to be provided with suitable arms, studs, or similar arrangements, with one of
which the plunger, handle, or tapper used for giving or accepting the. "train on,"
or "clear" signal will when used come in contact, and turn the commutator, so
as to place the battery in circuit with the line wire ;-and with another of which
the plunger, handle, or tapper used for for acknowledging the "line clear" signal
from the advance station, will when used come in contact and turn the commutator
in the opposite direction, so as to break the circuit between the battery. and the
line wire.
According to the circumstances of each individual case the commutator will be
arranged to be moved and controlled by the appropriate plungers, handles, or
tappers, or in some cases it may be necessary to connect the line wire with
commutators attached to several instruments, or a commutator may be placed at a
distant signal and connected with some one of the moving parts.
For normal block working we arrange the commutator in the instrument as
shewn in the Drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a front
elevation of the ordinary barrel or axle of a common three wire block instrument;
A, indicates a piece of metal insulated from but attached to the ordinary barrel or
axle of the before mentioned instrument;-B, is a connection screw fitted to
piece A, and connected through line to a terminal binding screw of the bell or
gong C, thence through battery and earth to the spring cock D.-It will thus be
readily understood that if the handle E of the instrument is moved to the left or
right to record the "train on " or "line clear" the bell, gong, or other indicator
will be brought into circuit and so give warning of the approaching train or
trains.
Where one line wire systems are used and the signals as between two signalmen
are given and received on plungers or tappers we prefer employing as a commu-
tator a double ended lever arm mounted by means of a pivot with springs attached
thereto so as to alternately pass over metal contact plates by the pressing of the
plungers or tappers by reason of studs being fitted to them so as to move the lever
arm over the contacts, as is shown and described for disconnecting junction
instruments, in the Specification of Harper's Patent No. 336 A.D. 1875.
By the arrangement above described a person at any point between and at a
distance from the signal boxes may, by connecting a pocket instrument to earth

page_text: and with the line wire, ascertain at once whether a train is signalled as approaching
or not.
The advantage of the application of this system to level crossings is obvious.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it to be
understood that what we claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein before
in part recited Letters Patent is the arrangement and use of apparatus as described
for signalling the approach of trains substantially in the manner and for the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Archibald Hewison Perry have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twelfth day of July in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
ARCHIBALD HEWISON PERRY. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed by the above
named Archibald Hewison Perry
in the presence of
NEWNHAM BROWNE
Patent Agent,
91 Queen Street, Cheapside,
London, E.C.