Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 13th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Oct.,
1888
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for object to provide what may be termed an electrical block
system of signalling on railways. For this purpose, electric conductors are provided
along the railway arranged in sections each of any desired length, and each train is
provided (conveniently upon the engine, but it might be in the guard's van, although
this is not so desirable) with an electric signalling device such as a bell, in an open
circuit in connection with a brush or brushes or equivalent travelling in contact with
the conductors laid as aforesaid. A battery or other source of electricity is in
connection with the conductors laid along the railway, or may be carried by the train
(in this case as I prefer by the engine). With such an arrangement, which may be
carried out in various forms, if two trains should get over the same section of
conductors, the circuit would be closed and an audible signal would be sounded to warn
the driver or guard of each train of the fact. Assuming a train to be at rest over
one end of a section such as referred to, a train might approach it over the section
adjacent to that end without receiving warning, unless means were provided to guard
against such an occurrence. Therefore I provide a second set of conductors and
brushes or equivalent, these conductors overlapping or breaking joint (so to speak)
with those first mentioned, so that on the said train reaching the particular section of
the second set of conductors, an alarm would be sounded on each train. In each
section, one of the conductors may be provided with an earth return, or one of the
terminals carried by the train may be kept to earth to afford a return. By this
arrangement any severance of the other conductor that brought it to earth would close
the circuit and disclose the imperfection.
Or instead of the signals being produced by the closing of a circuit they may be
obtained by the opening, breaking, or shunting of a circuit. For instance if a battery
be placed at the further or extreme end of a section then a train entering that section
will complete a circuit which will include the whole of the section in front of it, and a

page_text: signal, such as a bell, on the engine, will be kept in constant operation. But should
a second train enter the section before the first has left it, then a signalling apparatus
on that train will not be operated, because the preceding train shunts the part of the
section behind it, and diverts so much of the current that there is not enough available
to operate the signal on the second train. If a part of the line of the section were
out of order, as by a swing bridge being left open, then the circuit would be bioken
and an approaching train would be warned against proceeding.
By a simple modification, the opening of a switch in a direction other than intended,
or the shifting of a signal could be made to close or open the circuit and warn an
approaching train.
Instead of the signals being conveyed by the ringing or silence of a bell, a signal
may be dropped and a gong struck. Signalling instruments, such as galvanometers
and bells may be included in the circuit and placed in signal cabins and at level
crossings to give notice of the approach of a train.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I, ADAM DUFFIN, of 29 University Square, Belfast, Ireland, Stockbroker, 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 has for object to provide what may be termed an electrical block
system of signalling on railways. For this purpose, electric conductors are provided
along the railway arranged in sections each of any desired length, and each train is
provided (conveniently upon the engine, but it might be in the guard's van, although
this is not so desirable) with an electric signalling device such as a bell, in an open
circuit in connection with a brush or brushes or equivalent travelling in contact with
the conductors laid as aforesaid. A battery or other source of electricity is in connec-
tion with the conductors laid along the railway, or may be carried by the train (in this
case as I prefer by the engine). With such an arrangement, which may be carried
out in various forms, if two trains should get over the same section of conductors, the
circuit would be closed and an audible signal would be sounded to warn the driver or
guard of each train of the fact. Assuming a train to be at rest over one end of a
section such as referred to, a train might approach it over the section adjacent to that
end without receiving warning, unless means were provided to guard against such an
occurrence. Therefore I provide a second set of conductors and brushes or equivalent,
these conductors overlapping or breaking joint (so to speak) with those first mentioned,
so that on the said train reaching the particular section of the second set of conductors,
an alarm would be sounded on each train. In each section, one of the conductors
may be provided with an earth return, or one of the terminals carried by the train
may be kept to earth to afford a return. By this arrangement any severance of the
other conductor that brought it to earth would close the circuit and disclose the
imperfection. Or instead of the signals being produced by the closing of a circuit
they may be obtained by the opening breaking or shunting of a circuit. For instance
if a battery be placed at the further or extreme end of a section then a train entering
that section will complete a circuit which will include the whole of the section in front
of it, and a signal, such as a bell, on the engine will be kept in constant operation.
But should a second train enter the section before the first has left it, then a signalling
apparatus on that train will not be operated, because the preceding train shunts the
part of the section behind it, and diverts so much of the current that there is not
enough available to operate the signal on the second train. If a part of the line of
the section were out of order, as by a swing bridge being left open, then the circuit
would be broken and an approaching train would be warned against proceeding.
By a simple modification, the opening of a switch in a direction other than
intended, or the shifting of a signal could be made to close or open the circuit and
warn an approaching train,

page_text: Instead of the signals being conveyed by the ringing or silence of a bell, a signal
may be dropped and a gong struck.
Signalling instruments, such as galvanometers, and bells may be included in the
circuit and placed in signal cabins and at level crossings to give notice of the approach
of a train.
Referring to the annexed sheet of illustrative drawings:
Fig. 1 represents a section of railway fitted with signalling apparatus according to
this invention.
By the side of the track A B, A B, there is laid an insulated conductor E E, and
on the locomotive L there is a brush or rubbing contact piece F, which runs in contact
with the said conductor. From this brush there proceeds an insulated conductor to
an electric signalling device G, such as a bell, gong, or miniature semaphore on the
tender. The other pole of the signalling device, is connected to earth, through the
metal work of the tender and the rails. The battery may be placed on the line, as
at M, or may be carried on the tender.
Supposing the locomotive be moving in the direction of the arrow, and the battery
be placed on the line, then with the parts in the positions shewn there will be no
current as the circuit is not completed. But should another locomotive, similarly
equipped, enter the section the circuit will then be closed, and the signals on both
locomotives will be operated until the second has passed the battery.
If instead of the battery being on the line it should be carried on the locomotives
then the signals on both locomotives will be operated so long as they are both in
one section.
As, under these conditions it is possible that the battery on one locomotive might
exactly balance that on the other, and thus prevent any current being generated, it is
desirable to furnish each battery with a rotating commutator to reverse its connexions
at frequent intervals. The commutator reverses the battery connections at short
intervals, and is operated by clockwork, or hy an electric motor, or by the engine
itself. The object of using a commutator is to prevent the battery of one train
neutralising that of the next as the reversals on the two trains are certain not to
synchronise the batteries-will reinforce each other during a part of the time.
Fig. 2 shews a section of railway fitted with a modified signalling device according
to this invention. A B are the two rails of the permanent way, which is interrupted
by a swing bridge at C, and has a junction leading off to a branch line at D. E is
an insulated electric conductor connected to earth through the battery F¹. Now
when a train or vehicle L equipped with a signalling device G in the manner above
described and moving in the direction of the arrow, enters the section a current will
flow through the battery F into the conductor E, and from thence through a
travelling contact maker L' carried by the vehicle to the signalling device G on the
train and thence to earth through the wheels of the locomotive and the rails. The
signalling device will thus be operated and the driver will be apprised that there is
no train in the section and that the bridge (and points D are correctly placed.
Should the bridge be open or should the points not be set fair for either the main line
or the branch, the circuit will be broken and there will be no signal. Also if there
should already be a train in the section there will be no operation of the signalling
device G because the circuit will be already completed.
In Fig. 3 E is a copper strip fixed to some part G of the permanent way on the
shore, such, for example, as a handrail.
E is another copper strip fixed to a part of the bridge. This conductor ends in a
spring H, which when the bridge is closed presses against the conductor E, and thus
makes electrical connection between E and E¹.
In Fig. 4 the conductor is divided, and a switch piece J is provided to join the
two parts. This switch piece is connected by a rod K to the points.
When the points are set fair with either the main or the branch lines the switch
will make contact with one part of the bifurcated conductor E¹, but when the points
are not fair the circuit will be broken between E and E',

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) An automatic signalling apparatus for railways comprising a fixed insulated
conductor exposed along the track, a travelling contact piece carried on a vehicle and
moving in contact with the said conductor, a signalling device on the said vehicle,
and a source of electric energy, the whole arranged and operating substantially as
described.
(2) Connecting the insulated conductor referred to in the preceding claim to points,
swing bridge, and the like, in such wise that when the said points, bridge and the
like are not correctly adjusted the electric continuity of the conductor is broken
substantially as described.
(3) The automatic signalling apparatus for railways constructed, arranged and
operating substantially as described with reference to Fig. 1 and to Fig. 2 of the
drawings.