Automatically Recording Railway Signals and Recording the Time when Given and Received.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1893.
Complete Specification Left, 28th July., 1894-Accented, 8th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Automatically Recording Railway Signals and Recording the Time
when Given and Received.
We, ALFRED JONES COLLIN of The North Eastern Railway Company,
Darlington in the County of Durham, Civil Engineer and ARTHUR WILFRED
BREWTNALL of No. 4 Cateaton Street Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer and Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to automatically record signals as given and
received between railway signal cabins and other signal stations and to record
the times of their being given and received, and thus to relieve the signalmen
of some of their arduous duties and thereby again preventing accidents
which now happen even where the complete block system is used and also
by such a perfect record of this work done in the cabins to provide a check
u the faithful discharge of the duties of the signalmen, which record can be
t.led in books at the station or head office. At the present time the signalman has
not only to give the signals to the next up and down signal cabins and to repeat to
them those received but also to note them down in columns in a book and after
having looked at the clock he has to note down the time of sending and receiving
each signal, besides often working many levers and having occasionally to resort
to telephoning. All these duties and the long hours in which he is engaged in
performing them necessarily involve the elements of error, forgetfulness and
neglect. Our invention while relieving the signalmen altogether of recording
necessarily does away with any errors in recording because this is done auto-
matically by or in connection with the electric signalling itself.
For this purpose we connect a recording instrument with some acting part of the
existing signal instrument, preferably the hammer of the gong used for giving the
signals mentioned, the connection being such that the stroke of the hammer
completes an electric circuit in which is placed a magnet operating a stylus,
punch, stamp or other marking instrument upon a moving band or tape of paper
at the same time energizing an electro-magnet controlling the travel of the paper
or otherwise causing the paper to travel by an electric motor or other electro-
magnetic device. For recording the time at which a signal is given a small contact
maker is acted upon by a contact in connection with the minute wheel and the hour
wheel in the clock of the cabin or signal box or any other division of time desired
may be recorded. Or the time may be periodically sent from the head station
simultaneously to any desired number of recorders so as to produce synchronism.
In one form of apparatus a suitable number of electro-magnets are employed,
say four or more for signal recording and three or more for time recording by
connections to a clock. All the armatures are connected to levers turning on a
common weigh shaft at their one end having the stamp, punch or stylus at the
other end and being connected to the armatures at an intermediate point. Or each
The stamps
armature may have the stamp or punch attached directly to it.
operate on a paper tape, with interposed ink band or carbon paper for producing
coloured dots upon the tape, the latter being propelled by an electromotor or
clockwork train controlled by an electro-magnetic clutch connected in series with
each of the aforesaid electromagnets.
The tension of the band can be regulated by an adjustable spring or springs
acting upon the drawing rollers. A switch may be provided on the recorder for
putting it out of action when the cabin is closed.

page_text: The record when formed of holes punched in the paper tape will be plainly
visible to the signalman if the paper moves over a coloured surface, and when the
record tape is mounted in a book with coloured leaves (either of one colour or with
differently coloured columns) facility is given for readily reading off the thus
preserved record, which forms evidence in case of doubt or dispute.
Dated this 15th day of November 1893.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Automatically. Recording Railway Signals and Recording the Time
when Given and Received.
We, ALFRED JONES COLLIN of The North Eastern Railway Company,
Darlington in the County of Durham, Civil Engineer, and ARTHUR WILFRED
BREWTNALL of No. 4 Cateaton Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer and 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 :-
The objects of our invention are to automatically record' signals as given and
received between railway signal cabins and other signal stations and to automatically
record the times of their being given and received and thus to relieve the signalmen
of some of their arduous duties, and thereby again preventing accidents, which
now happen even where the complete block system is used; and also by such a
perfect record of this work done in the cabins to provide a check on the faithful
discharge of the duties of the signalmen, which record can be filed in books at the
station or head office. At the present time the signalman has not only to give the
signals to the next up and down signal cabins and to repeat to them those received
but also to note them down in columns in a book and after having looked at the
clock he has to note down the time of sending and receiving each signal, besides
often working many levers and having occasionally to resort to telephoning. All
these duties and the long hours in which he is engaged in performing them
necessarily involve the elements of error forgetfulness and neglect.
Our invention while relieving the signalmen altogether of recording necessarily
does away with any errors in recording because this is done automatically by or in
connection with the electric signalling itself.
For this purpose we connect a recording instrument with some acting part of the
existing signal instrument used for giving the signals mentioned, the connection
being such that it completes an electric circuit in which is placed a magnet
operating a stylus, punch, stamp or other marking instrument upon a moving band
or tape of paper at the same time energizing an electromagnet controlling the
travel of the paper or otherwise causing the paper to travel by an electric motor or
other device. For recording the time at which a signal is given a small contact
maker is acted upon by an arm oi lever in connection with the minute wheel and
the hour wheel in the clock of the cabin or signal box, or any other division of time
desired may be recorded.
Or the time may be periodically sent from the head station simultaneously to
any desired number of recorders so as to produce synchronism.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a sectional side view, Figure 14 is a
similar view of a modification and Figure 2 a plan of the apparatus shown in
Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side view of the stamping part of same drawn to a larger
scale.
Figure 4 is an elevation of a modified arrangement of mounting the stamp levers
and their armatures.
Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view shewing the connections to the clock,
T

page_text: Figure 6 is a side view of the face and hands of the clock and
Figure 7 shews a part of a tape with various records thereon.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 a suitable number of electromagnets A and B
are employed say four (or more) A with armatures A' for signal recording being
connected to the signalling instruments in the cabin by wires; and say three
(or more) B with armatures B' for time recording being put in circuit with the
battery by means of a contact in connection with the clock of the cabin or signal
box. The mode of connection may conveniently be as shown on Figure 5 which
is for recording automatically the minutes quarters and hours. All the armatures A¹
and B' are connected to levers D'and E turning on a common weigh shaft F at
their one end, having the stamp, punch or stylus G at the other end, and being at
an intermediate point connected to the armatures by means of links C which are
or may be fitted with length adjustments. (Or the links C aud levers D be
may
omitted and each armature have the stamp or punch attached directly to it.) The
stamps G operate on a paper tape H with interposed ink band from the roller I or
carbon paper for producing colored dots upon the tape. The tape H uncoils from
the roller K and passes over guide rollers K' K the anvil K and between the
drawing rollers K K. The tape is propelled by clockwork train L controlled by
the pawl armature M acting on the ratchet wheel L', the pawl being held against the
ratchet wheel by a retractile spring M₁ and withdrawn by the electromagnet N
which is connected in series with each of the aforesaid electromagnets. Referring
to Figure 1 the construction is the same as that described with reference to
Figures 1, 2 and 3, except that the electromagnet N as before described is herein
dispensed with and instead thereof we use a lever N pivoted at N₁and having at
one end a pawl M which takes into the ratchet wheel L' and a spring M' holding
the pawl up to its work, while the other end of the lever N is provided with a
cross bar in such manner that it is depressed by the descent of any one of the
stamp levers D. The tension of the band can be regulated by an adjustable spring
or springs acting upon the drawing rollers K K³. A switch may be provided on
the recorder for putting it out of action when the cabin is closed.
The arrangement shewn in Figure 4 differs from that shewn. in Figure 14 only
as regards the mode of supporting the weighshaft or weighshafts F viz.-by the
same standards F' which carry the armatures A.
Referring next to Figures 5 and 6 the former shews diagrammatically the
electrical connections to the clock for recording automatically the minutes, quarters,
and hours or any other desired time divisions. On the spindle of the minute wheel
This lever is
is mounted a balanced lever 1 having one arm longer than the other.
electrically connected through the minute recording magnet M with one pole of
the battery, the circuit being indicated by dotted lines. The other pole of the
battery is connected to the spring contact prong 2 against which the longer arm of
the balanced lever 1 touches once in each revolution, thus actuating the minute
recording magnet M. For recording the quarter hours there are placed in front of
the clock dial three spring tongues a b and c which are all connected with the
quarter hour magnet Q and through it with the battery pole as indicated by the
full lines. The minute hand has on its end a shoes which bears upon the spring
prongs a b c and d consecutively in its passage round the dial. The spindle of the
minute hand is in electrical connection with one pole of the battery through the
magnet M as indicated by the dotted lines joining the circuit of that magnet. Now
when the shoes is passing over any of the prongs ab or c on the dial front the magnet Q
is placed in parallel circuit with the magnet M. when the minute wheel contact
completes the circuit to the battery, and both the recording magnets make their
marks. In the same manner when the shoes is passing over the prong d, the
magnet H is for the time being put in parallel circuit with the magnet M, these
two magnets recording together when the circuit is completed to the battery by the
minute wheel contact. The sizes of the shoes and prongs abe and d are so
proportioned that the duration of their contact will not allow of more than one
revolution of the minute wheel thereby ensuring only a single mark for the hours

page_text: and quarters (or any other time division desired such as 10 minutes or 5 minutes).
In the sectional clock face view, Figure 6, the minute hand his in a vertical
position and its shoe in contact with the prong d.
Figure 7 shews an example of a record of bell signals only given and received
for a train passing a given cabin B from a cabin A in the rear to a cabin C in
advance. The top line records the calls of A to B, the second line the replies of B
to A, the third line the calls of B to C, and the fourth line the replies of C to B.
The bottom line shews the minutes recorded, the next higher line the quarters
and the next higher the hour, distinctive marks being used to indicate the different
signals and time records. The signals sent or received on the block telegraph
instruments would be recorded in a similar manner but with different signs to
render them easily distinguishable. The arrow shows the direction of travel of
the paper tape.
By the arrangement described and shewn a record may be obtained of signals
given and received irrespective of the time, that is to say, two or more signals may
for instance be recorded within the space of a minute.
Figure 8 is a side view of a device for securing a variable feed for the travel of
the paper so that when it happens that any one signal is repeated the second or
repeat portion may be separated from the first portion by a longer interval than
that which exists between any two beats of the signal. This feed also enables
signals to be sent slowly instead of quickly which slow signals have on some railways
a different significance from those, sent quickly or at the ordinary speed. Thus for
instance three beats slowly mean something different from three beats quickly, and
three beats, an interval and three beats sent either quickly or slowly have each a
distinct meaning.
Referring to Figure 8 the drawing rollers for the tape are represented at 1
and 2; on the spindle of 1 is a toothed wheel 1 into which gears the wheel 3 of
the clockwork train. Into the pinion of wheel 3 the large wheel 4 engages, this
wheel being the driver. Nos. 5 and 6 shew another wheel and fly to give steadiness
to the action. On the spindle of wheel. 4 is mounted a ratchet wheel 7 with
an extending arm 8, this ratchet wheel and arm being free on the shaft. Next to
the ratchet wheel is a lever L free on the shaft carrying a pawl which engages
with the teeth of ratchet-wheel. The lever L has an armature A attached to it
which armature is attracted by the electro-magnet M when current is put on to
this magniet. The spring pulls the lever L against the upper stop T when it is
not acted upon by the magnet. The large wheel 4 has upon it a fixed stud S and
also a fixed pin P, a spring P¹ connecting the pin P with the lever 8. A second
pawl B is fixed to some stationary frame or support to act upon the ratchet wheel 7
and prevent recoil. When all is at rest. the stud S is' in contact with the arm 8
and the lever L is up against the stop T. The position of parts as shown in the
figure is that taken up at the moment when the magnet M has attracted the
armature A. When the current is put into the magnet M and armature A is
attracted thus pulling down the lever Land moving the ratchet wheel round thereby
separating the arm 8 and the stop S when the tension of the spring P comes into
play and pulls the large wheel 4 round a short distance in the direction of the
arrow, this wheel moving until the stud S again touches the arm 8. The proportions
of the parts are so arranged that the wheel 4 through wheels 3 and 1ª moves the
drawing rollers 1 and 2 through a suitable distance, the wheel 5 and fly 6 controlling
the speed of rotation. The electro-magnet M is put in circuit with the battery
every time a mark is made on the recording tape. Now if only one beat is to be
recorded the lever L gives one stroke and the train moves a definite distance, but if
two or more beats are given quickly the paper is travelling steadily directly the
first one is recorded, and when the requisite number of beats has been recorded
the paper continues travelling until the stud S comes in contact with the arm 8
thus giving a greater space after the complete signal than there is between any two
marks or beats forming the signal. A similar action takes place when two or more
beats are given slowly, but in this case all the intervals will be longer.

page_text: For the coiled spring P₁ a spring prong or other suitable form of spring may be
substituted.
Although we have only described and shown apparatus in which the various
signals are recorded by stamping we do not in any way limit ourselves to forming
the records by such means and have only shown such as an example. When the
record is formed of holes punched in the paper tape the holes will be plainly visible
to the signalmen if the paper moves over a coloured surface and when the record
tape is mounted in a book with coloured leaves (either of one colour or with
differently coloured columns) facility is given for readily reading off the thus
preserved record which forms evidence in case of doubt or dispute.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is :-
1. An instrument for automatically recording railway signals sent and received
in signal cabins and the time when they are sent and received consisting mainly
of two sets of electromagnets one set for recording the signals and one set for
recording the time they are given or received, said electromagnets being put in
circuit with a local battery by a circuit closer actuated by any suitable moving
portion of the existing signal instruments when signals are given or received,
armatures fitted with or connected to punches, stamps, or styles and operating
when the respective circuit is closed, a paper tape to be marked or acted on thereby,
a clockwork or electro-motor for propelling the tape, an electromagnet with pawl or
clutch armature or a pawl worked mechanically by the movement of the stamps
or punches for controlling the motion and which acts when a mark is made and
contact appliances connected to the cabin or other clock substantially as described.
2. In railway signal recording instruments as firstly claimed the application and
use of variable speed or feed for the travel of the paper on which the record is
made substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The construction of railway signal recording apparatus shown in Figures 1,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
4. In railway signal recording instruments as firstly claimed the construction of
device shown in Figure 8 for giving the record paper variable feed or of suitable
mechanism for attaining this end in any similar manner.
Dated this 18th day Ail 1901
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.