Improved Pneumatic Working of Signals on Railways.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improved Pneumatic Working of Signals on Railways.
JOHN FAIRLEY, 114, Rokeby Street, West Ham, in the County of Essex,
England, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A means whereby signals can be raised or lowered pneumatically thereby doing
away with the existing means viz. wire, rods or chain which are constantly
rendered unworkable owing to expansion, contraction breakage and the like.
It consists firstly of a metal air chamber or cylinder fixed on the signal post
underneath the arm with a piston rod connected to the arm by means of a swivel
or other suitable contrivance for the purpose of working the arm. Secondly a
suitable air pump is fixed in the signal cabin and is operated by a lever, the air
pump in the signal cabin is connected to the cylinder on the signal post by a
pipe or tube such as gas barrel or the like. When the lever is pulled forward
the pump draws the air in the pipe & this draws the piston in the cylinder down
the arm is thereby lowered. When the lever is pushed back the pump forces
the air in the pipe back & forces the piston to its normal position the arm being
then raised to indicate danger.
Dated this 2nd day of January 1899
Improved Pneumatic working of Signals on Railways.
I, JOHN FAIRLEY, 17, Park Place, Leyton, Essex, late of 114, Rokeby Street,
West Ham, Essex, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
A means whereby signals can be raised or lowered pneumatically thereby doing
away with the existing means viz. wire rods or chains which are constantly
rendered unworkable owing to expansion, contraction breakage and the like.
It consists firstly of a small metal air chamber or cylinder A fixed on the signal
post underneath the arm, with a piston rod B connected to the arm by means
of a swivel, or other suitable contrivance for the purpose of working the arm.
Secondly a suitable air pump C is fixed in the signal cabin and is operated by a
lever D, tap plunger, or the like.
The air pump in the signal cabin is connected to the cylinder on the signal
post by a pipe or tube E, such as gas barrel or the like. When the lever is
pulled forward or the tap turned the pump draws the air in the pipe and this

page_text: draws the piston in the cylinder down, and the arm is thereby lowered, when the
lever is pushed back the pump forces the air in the pipe back and forces the
piston to its normal position the arm being then raised to indicate danger.
The pipes connected to any number of signals may be worked by one pump
if desired in which case the various pipes can be connected in the signal cabin
together by tees or joints, Fig. 2 or the like each pipe being provided with
a tap For the like and only those arms will be raised or lowered corresponding
with the tap turned or whatever other means are used to regulate the exhaust
or otherwise.
2
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
The pneumatic working of signals on railways, by means of an air pump con-
nected to a cylinder, by means of pipe or tube and operated upon by a lever,
or the like in such a manner substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1899.