IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO INDICATING APPARATUS OR SIGNALS FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES OR POINTS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and
323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO INDICATING APPARATUS
OR SIGNALS FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES OR POINTS." A communication
from abroad by Wesley Ward Gary, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk,
in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st September 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING
TO INDICATING APPARATUS OR SIGNALS FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES OR POINTS."
A communication from abroad by Wesley Ward Gary, of Boston, in the County
of Suffolk, in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to give notice to advancing trains of the position
of switches while the trains are still distant therefrom, in order to avoid the danger
which now exists of trains running accidentally into open switches or switches in
improper positions, and to do this without the employment of batteries or other
appliances liable to fail in their action.
To this end the Invention consists in combining with a switch a magneto-electric
generator, and a signal or indicator in such manner that the movement of the
switch will cause the generator to actuate the signal or indicator. The essence of
the Invention consists in the combination of the magneto-generator with the
switch, and the details of the apparatus may be modified to any extent desired.
The form of the generator, whether of a rotary, vibratory, or other type, the
manner of its connection with the switch, and the form of the signalling instrument
employed are all matters of secondary importance, susceptible of many changes
which will be required in different cases and under different circumstances, and
which will readily suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic, according to the
circumstances of the situation.
The principal parts of this Invention consist of, first, the main rails of the track
or railway; second, the siding or switching track; third, the laterally movable

page_text: Bwitch rails, all of which may be constructed and arranged in the usual manner,
so that the shifting of the rails may direct the train forward upon the main or the
Bide track; fourth, the rod or bar by which the switch is operated, connected as
usual with a vertical crank-shaft provided with an operating lever, by turning
which the switch is moved; fifth, a permanent magnet secured rigidly in position
near the crank of shaft; sixth, an armature or induction coil, consisting of a core
wound with insulated wire arranged to operate in connection with the permanent
magnet to develop electrical currents. This armature is mounted on a horizontally
swinging arm, so that it is free to move to and from the permanent magnet, and is
provided with an arm to be acted upon by the crank of the switch-operating shaft.
When the switch is being opened the crank of the shaft strikes the arm of the
permanent magnet and moves the armature backward fron the magnet, thereby
inducing an electric current or impulse through the coil of the armature; and in
like manner as the shaft is turned to close the switch the armature is permitted to
move towards the magnet, thereby inducing another currrent or impulse, which
however differs in polarity from that produced in opening the switch. The currents
thus produced are transmitted by wires or other conductors to a distant point by
the side of the track and there applied to operate a signal or indicator. The signal
or indicator consists of two permanent magnets bearing reversed poles opposite each
other, and an intermediate vibratory armature coiled with insulated wire which
is connected with the main circuit, The armature is connected to the lower end
of a lever, the upper end of which is provided with a target or signal arranged to
be thrown into and out of a fixed casing by the motion of the lever.
The action is as follows:-
11.7
When the switch stands closed and the main track unbroken, the target stands
within the casing and is concealed. The act of opening the switch causes the
generator to operate, thereby producing an electric current, which is transmitted
over conductors to the distant signal where it causes the polarization of the
vibrating armature, which is immediately attracted to one magnet and repelled
from the other, thereby moving the lever and throwing the signal outward,
exposing it to view, and thereby giving notice to approaching trains that the
switch is open. The signal stands in this position as long as the switch remains
open.
In the act of closing the switch the movement of the armature in the generator
again causes the polarization of the armature in the signal, giving the same how-
ever the reverse polarity and causing the same to be moved in the opposite
direction so as to conceal the signal. Any other suitable form of signal actuated
or controlled by means of an electro-magnet may be employed, and in some cases
a magneto-bell will be used in addition thereto, or in place thereof, to give audible
notice whenever the switch is moved. When required by the construction of the
signaling instrument the generator may be provided with a commutator as usual
in this class of instruments. The generator may be connected with any moving
part of the switch or switch-operating devices either directly or through inter-
mediate gearing. The permanent magnet or magnets may be moved instead of the
armature whenever it is found more convenient so to do. When a rotary generator
is employed it may have a pinion driven directly from a large gear-wheel secured
to the vertical crank-shaft.
In order to secure the better and easier action of the vibratory signal there may
be applied to the vibratory armature two springs extending in opposite directions,
and so arranged that they stand in equilibrium or free from strain when the
armature is mid-way between the magnets. Being thus arranged, they are strained
alternately as the armature moves to and fro. These springs answer the same
purpose when a bell striker is attached to the armature.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st March 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING
TO INDICATING APPARATUS OR SIGNALS FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES OR POINTS."
A communication from abroad by Wesley Ward Gary, of Boston, in the County
of Suffolk, in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America.
The object of the present Invention is to give notice to advancing trains of the
position of switches while the trains are still distant therefrom, in order to avoid
the danger which now exists of trains running accidentally into open switches or
switches in improper positions, and to do this without the employment of batteries
or other appliances liable to fail in their action.
To this end the Invention consists in combining with a switch a magneto-electric
generator and a signal or indicator, in such manner that the movement of the
switch will cause the generator to actuate the signal or indicator. The essence of
the Invention consists in the combination of the magneto-generator with the
switch, and the details of the apparatus may be modified to any extent desired.
The form of the generator, whether of a rotary, vibratory, or other type, the
manner of its connection with the switch, and the form of the signaling instrument
employed, are all matters of secondary importance, susceptible of many changes
which will be required in different cases and under different circumstances, and
which will ready suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic after reading this
Specification.
The accompanying Drawings illustrate the Invention applied to a railway switch
in one of the various forms in which it may be constructed.
Fig. 1 is a top-plan view of a railway track with the switch and signal
connection; Fig. 2, an elevation of the switch moving mechanism and the magneto-
generator connected therewith looking in the direction indicated by the arrow;
Fig. 3, a side or edge view of the same; Fig. 4, an enlarged view of one form of
the indicator or signal.
A, A, represent the main rails of the track or railway; B, B, the siding or
switch track; and C, C, the laterally movable switch rails, all of which may be
constructed and arranged in the usual manner, so that the shifting of the rails C
direct the train forward upon the main or the side track as required.
D represents the rod or bar by which the switch is operated, connected as usual
with the vertical crank-shaft E provided with an operating lever F, by turning
which the switch is moved; G represents a permanent magnet secured rigidly in
position near the crank of shaft E; H represents an armature or induction coil
consisting of a core wound with insulated wire arranged to operate in connection
with the permanent magnet to develop electrical currents. This armature is
mounted on a horizontally swinging arm so that it is free to move to and fro from
the permanent magnet, and is provided, as shown, with an arm a to be acted
upon by the crank of the switch-operating shaft E. When the switch is being
opened to the position indicated in the Drawing, the crank of shaft E strikes the
arm a and moves the armature backward from the magnet, thereby inducing an
electric current or impulse through the coil of the armature; and in like manner
as the shaft is turned to close the switch the armature is permitted to move
towards the magnet, thereby inducing another current or impulse, which however

page_text: differs in polarity from that produced in opening the switch. The currents thus
produced are transmitted by wires I or other conductors to a distant point by the
side of the track, and there applied to operate the signal or indicator J. The signal
or indicator, represented in Figs. 1 and 4, consists of two permanent magnets c, d,
bearing reversed poles opposite each other, and an intermediate vibratory armature e
coiled with insulated wire which is connected with the main circuit I. The
armature is connected to the lower end of a lever f, the upper end of which is
provided with a target or signal g, arranged to be thrown into and out of a fixed
casingh by the motion of the lover.
The action is as follows:-
When the switch stands closed and the main track unbroken, the target stands
within the casing and is concealed. The act of opening the switch causes the
generator to operate, thereby producing an electric current which is transmitted
over conductors I to the distant signal where it causes the polarization of armature e,
which is immediately attracted to magnet c and repelled from d, thereby moving
the lever fand throwing the signal ġ outward, exposing it to view, and thereby
giving notice to approaching trains that the switch is open. The signal stands in
this position as long as the switch remains open.
In the act of closing the switch the movement of the armature in the generator
again causes the polarization of the armature in the signal, giving the same however
the reverse polarity, and causing the same to be moved in the opposite direction
so as to conceal the signal. Any other suitable form of signal actuated or
controlled by means of an electro-magnet may be employed in place of that shown,
and in some cases a magneto-bell will be used in addition thereto or in place
thereof to give audible notice whenever the switch is moved. When required by
the construction of the signaling instrument the generator may be provided with
a commutator as usual in this class of instruments. The generator may be
connected with any moving part of the switch or switch-operating devices, either
directly or through intermediate gearing. The permanent magnet or magnets
may be moved instead of the armature whenever it is found more convenient so
to do. When a rotary generator is employed it may have a pinion driven directly
from a large gear-wheel secured to the shaft E.
In order to secure the better and easier action of the vibrator signal, shown in
the Drawing, there may be applied to the vibratory armature two springs o
extending in opposite directions, and so arranged that they stand in equilibrium
or free from strain when the armature is midway between the magnets. Being
thus arranged they are strained alternately as the armature moves to and fro.
These springs answer the same purpose when a bell striker is attached to the
armature.
Having thus described the Invention as communicated to me as the best mode
known of carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I desire to
protect under the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
First. The combination of a railroad switch and a magneto-electric signaling
apparatus, substantially as described.
Second. The combination of a railroad switch, a magneto-generator operated
thereby, and a signal connected with the generator.
Third. The combination of a railroad switch, a magneto-electric generator
operated by the act of moving the switch, a signal located at a distant point and
controlled by an electro-magnet, and an electric connection between the generator
and signal.
Fourth. The combination of the switch, the switch moving devices, and the
vibratory generator, as shown.
Fifth. The combination of a railroad switch and a magneto-generator connected
therewith and operated by the act of moving the switch.
Sixth. In combination with the permanent magnet and the switch-crank, the
armature operating in connection therewith.
Seventh. In combination with the permanent magnet, the armature arranged

page_text: to vibrate in a horizontal plane, and the switch mechanism acting to move the
armature.
Eighth. In combination with the two permanent magnets and the intermediate
electro-magnet, the two springs, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
BITAAN
W. P. THOMPSON. (L.B.)