Improvements in Means for Signalling and Preventing Collisions on Railways.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1892-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Signalling and Preventing Collisions on
Railways.
I, RICHARD JOSEPH CROWLEY Queenstown, Co. of Cork, Ireland Telegraph
Operator do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the establishment of electrical communication between
moving trains on the same line or between a moving train and cars or other objects
and when within a certain distance from each other and it has for its object the
prevention of collisions.
It consists, first, of each rail having attached to its side or sides two suitable
rods or wires insulated from each other as also from the rail (provided the rail be
not used as a substitute for one rod or wire) and which are firmly secured so that
they form part of the rail if necessary and are level with its top or so that they
come in contact with two wheels of the engine or train as the train moves over
the road.
Secondly Of the wheels of the engine or train forming contact with the
proposed fitting on the rails being fitted on their outer side or other suitable part
with sets of rods which could run from the centre of the wheels and along their side
so that the ends of the rods forming contact with the fittings on the rails come
parallel with that part of the wheels coming in contact with the rails.
Thirdly Of a dynamo or battery on the engine or train having electrical
contact with suitably constructed bands on spindles attached to the spokes or
centres of the wheels (or to any other suitable part of the train) the inner ends of
the rods or wires on the wheels coming into contact with the electrical parts of the
bands as the wheels revolve.
Fourthly Of the principle of connecting the special fittings of the rails so
that no current is generated when the line is clear and so that a circuit is
instantly formed to sound an alarm or to automatically stop the train the moment
the train comes within any designated distance of an obstruction.
For instance, were it desired that an alarm be given when within one thousand
yards of the obstruction the special fittings on the rails would be in lengths of two
thousand yards and supposing the distance between two stations to be ten thousand
five hundred yards the fittings on the left or right hand rail could start from one
station and end when within five hundred yards of the other, the sets of fittings on
the opposite line of rails starting from the other station and ending when within
five hundred yards of the first.
By this arrangement the lengths of each set of fittings commence from the centre
of the lengths opposite and as each line of rails would form complete circuits no
two trains on the same road could come within one thousand yards of each other
without forming electrical contact on either rail as the case might be though of
course all the fittings could be arranged on one line of rails on the same principle if
found more convenient.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Signalling and Preventing Collisions on
Railways.
I RICHARD JOSEPH CROWLEY of Queenstown in the County of Cork Ireland
Telegraph Operator 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 invention relates to the establishment of electrical communication between
moving trains on the same line of railway or between a moving train and detached
carriages or other objects when such trains or trains and objects are within a
given distance of each other and the object of the invention is the prevention of
collisions.
The invention consists in arranging longitudinally of each line of rails a series of
electrical conductors with which an engine or carriage or other object is adapted
to make electrical contact as hereinafter more fully described such conductors
being arranged in insulated sections so disposed that they overlap, that is to say
the end of a section of one of such sectional conductors commences at about the
centre of a corresponding section of the other sectional conductor and terminates
at about the centre of the next section and so on.
By this arrangement it would be impossible for a train provided with a dynamo
or battery electrically connected with a suitable device for making contact with
the conductors to enter upon any section of either of the sectional conductors
without giving and receiving warning should another train or object also be upon
such section, and inasmuch as the sections may be of any predetermined length,
the warning may be given at any desired distance, the minimum distance being
determined by the extent of overlap of the sections.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a single line of railway, having my invention applied thereto.
Figure 2 represents an inside view of the wheel of an engine or carriage
adapted to make the necessary electrical contact with one set of conductors.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are similar views to Figure 1, but representing slight
modifications in the arrangement of the conductors, and
Figure 6 is a front elevation of a brush suitable for attachment to a railway
carriage or the like and to be employed for completing the circuit when the line is
blocked.
In the several figures which are merely diagrammatic views sufficient to illus-
trate my invention, like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a represents the ordinary rails or permanent way,
and which are thus lettered throughout the drawings, and inasmuch as the rails a
are sometimes employed as continuous or sectional conductors as hereinafter more
fully described, in addition to the letter a such rails are, in the several examples,
also lettered with those letters which are applicable to the conductors which they
represent.
66* represent sectional electrical conductors, which are attached to the rails a
in any suitable manner and are efficiently insulated therefrom and from each
other.
The sectional conductors 6 6* which in this example are laid in pairs are formed
of any desired length, and are so arranged with relation to each other that they
overlap, that is to say each section of one sectional conductor 6 commences at

page_text: about the centre of the length of another section of the sectional conductor 6*, a
space being left between the ends of meeting sections, in order to constitute the
necessary insulation.
In connection with the arrangement of conductors above described I employ
any suitable arrangement of contact devices to alternately complete and break a
circuit with an electric battery or dynamo carried by the engine or carriage
running upon the rails a and such as that represented at Figure 2, which shows one
of the front wheels c of an engine or carriage which is furnished with extensions or
flanges to run over the conductors 6* and provided with several radially
disposed conducting rods which at their outer ends extend to or near the
periphery of the wheel and are there provided with enlargements or contact
surfaces to form the necessary contact devices to make contact with one pair of
sectional conductors bb* and these rods c¹ at their inner ends are connected wit
a collar e revolving with but insulated from the axle d of the wheel c, and the
collar 2 runs in contact with a spindle d¹ mounted in bearings d³ normally sprung
downward by a coiled spring * carried by a bracket 3 upon the engine or
carriage, and which latter is by a conductor d* connected with one pole of the
battery or dynamo upon the engine or carriage, the contact surfaces c*, and con-
nected parts being properly insulated from the wheel c as will be readily
understood.
The opposite front wheel c of the engine or carriage is also fitted with extensions
or flanges c*, (but not with the contacts c¹*) which run over the other con-
ductors 66* and this wheel is by means of a collar upon the axle electrically con-
nected with the other pole of the battery upon the engine, so that one set of
sectional conductors 6 6* is connected through the contacts c* with one pole of the
battery, whilst the other pair of conductors 66* is through the corresponding
wheel e connected with the other pole thereof as will be readily understood.
By the arrangement of contacts hereinbefore described, the electrical devices c¹*
will, as the wheel revolves intermittently make or close an electric circuit with the
battery or dynamo upon the engine and another train or object upon the line,
provided the poles of the batteries upon both vehicles are opposed, whilst the
circuit of the battery upon the engine will similarly be intermittently broken,
causing a circuit to be formed through the extensions c*, wheels c, and axle d in
the event of like poles of the batteries upon the two vehicles being electrically
connected which might happen when two trains were proceeding in the same
direction.
In order to cut out the battery or dynamo upon a train when the latter is
stopped from any cause, I employ any well known switch or cut-out, which may
be governed by some moving part of the engine such as the lever of the steam
valve and allowed to come into operation when the parts are stationary.
Or, I may employ any suitable make and break or cut out device actuated by
clockwork mechanism to alternately complete or close and break the circuit with
the battery, and thus attain the same end which is gained by the employment of
the conducting devices c¹* in the revolution of the wheel c.
By the arrangement of conductors hereinbefore described, upon two trains
approaching one another, or upon a train approaching an object similarly fitted
with contact devices, the circuit will be closed through some of the sectional con-
ductors 6 6* and inasmuch as an electric bell or other device is placed in the circuit
in any convenient position upon the engine carriage or object it would be
impossible for two trains to approach one another, or a train to approach an object
within a given distance without a distinct warning thereof being given.
In the example given at Figure 3 I employ both the rails a to form the pair of
sectional conductors & 6* and I insulate them at a* in sections and I employ a
continuous conductor 6** located between the same and in this case I connect the
two opposite wheels of the engine or carriage to one pole of the battery carried
thereby and 1 dispense with the contact devices c* and flanges c* thereon, the
tread or rim of the wheel in this case making contact directly with the sectional

page_text: conductors 6* whilst I employ a contact wheel fitted in a similar manner to that
represented at Figure to run upon the continuous conductor ** and thus in the
revolution thereof alternately to make and break an electric circuit with the other
pole of the battery to which its contact devices e* are connected, the axle of this
contact wheel being in electrical connection with the two opposite wheels of the
engine or carriage, so that upon the battery being cut out as hereinbefore described,
the circuit will be formed with a battery upon another engine or carriage upon the
same section of the line.
In the example given at Figure 4, one of the rails a is employed as the con-
tinuous conductor 6** whilst a separate pair of sectional conductors 6 6* is
employed located within the rails a, a similar arrangement of parts to that
described with respect to Figure 3 being employed, except that the contact wheel
runs over the two sectional conductors b b*.
In the example given at Figure 5, the rails a are not utilised as conductors,
but a separate continuous conductor 6** is laid between the rails a and the sectional
conductors * are arranged upon one side thereof whilst a contact wheel is
employed similar to that described with respect to Figure 4 except that the con-
tact devices c✶ and flanges c* are provided upon each side thereof to run over the
conductors 66 and 6** respectively those e communicating with the respective
poles of the battery and the Hanges upon each side of the contact wheel com-
pleting the circuit through the wheel when the battery is cut out.
By the means hereinbefore described the electric circuit is closed and the
current utilised to sound an alarm or it might be to automatically stop the train
by the employment of a suitable arrangement of magnets in connection with the
cut off lever of the engine at any predetermined distance of an obstruction.
For example, where it is desired that an alarm be given when a train arrives
within a minimum distance of one thousand yards of an obstruction the electrical
conductors bb* would be arranged in lengths of two thousand yards, the lengths
of two thousand yards overlapping each other a distance of about one thousand
yards the length of such overlap determining the minimum distance at which the
alarm would be given, that is to say referring to the example given at Figure 4,
one train might be at about the centre of one of the sections * and the other
might be at about the centre of another of such sections * without the circuit
being formed, but upon approaching a sufficient distance to enter upon the same
section, a circuit will be instantly completed as will be readily understood.
By employing upon railway carriages a contact brush insulated therefrom, and
such as that represented at Figure 6 to make contact with all the conductors bb*
or *** and thus close the circuit, a warning would be conveyed to an
approaching train of any detached carriages upon the line, and this contact brush c¹*
might be so mounted upon the carriage as to be capable of being held normally
raised out of contact with the conductors, and being lowered into contact therewith
at the times desired.
In a similar manner a gate at a level crossing may be fitted with a brush c¹ to
give warning to an approaching train that the same is closed and the crossing
open for vehicular traffic.
In addition to the examples hereinbefore given my system of electric signalling
may be employed for a variety of useful purposes such as giving warning to plate-
layers of the approach of a train by the employment of a bar or the like fitted
with a suitable arrangement of contact brushes, and an electric bell arranged
within the circuit.
As an additional security I may employ at railway crossings suitable contact
pieces, one carried by the moveable tongue, and the other connected to the sectional
conductors, so that an indication will be given to an approaching train, when. say
the points are open or closed according to the arrangement of parts.
By connecting the existing electrical system to the conductors hereinbefore
described at, stations or at signal boxes, a train passing over the line of rail will,
upon its arrival at one station or signal box automatically signal its arrival to the

page_text: next station or signal box, and this will constitute an efficient check upon a signal-
man who may fail in his duty as will be readily understood.
I would here remark that I have hereinbefore shown and described several
methods of utilising my signalling system in connection with railways, but I would
have it understood, that I do not confine myself thereto, as it will be evident that
the same system may be usefully employed in connection with railways in other
ways than those hereinbefore described.
Although I have hereinbefore shown and described the contact devices in
connection with wheels to run over the conductors, it will be readily understood,
that I may if desired substitute brushes therefor, by employing an automatic switch
driven by clockwork or otherwise to alternately cut out the battery and couple the
whole of the conductors.
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 :-
1. The system of signalling on railways herein shown and described.
2. In means for signalling on railways the combination of a series of overlapping
sectional conductors upon the road, suitable contact devices and an electric battery
or dynamo upon the engine or carriage, a second conductor or series of overlapping
sectional conductors upon the road, and suitable contact devices upon the distant
train or object all arranged and operating in manner substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
3. In means for signalling on railways a series of overlapping sectional con-
ductors, adapted to be placed in electrical communication with an engine or carriage,
and a distant object substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
1034
LESLIE ANTILL,
1, Gresham Buildings, Basinghall Street, E.C.,
Agent for the said R. J. Crowley.