Improvements in Railway Signals and in Compensators therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1891
Complete Specification Left. 21st May, 1892-Accepted, 25th June, 1802
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signals and in Compensators therefor.
I, JOSEPH HIGGINSON, the younger, of 20 Canal Street, Ancoats, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improved arrangements of compensating gear intended to
compensate for the varying expansion and contraction which occurs in the wires
controlling railway signals from the signal boxes. Such wires-especially those of
"distant signals'
"which are about one thousand yards away from the "home
signals" may vary several inches in length between noon and midnight even when
protected from the direct rays of the sun.
The object of my invention is to provide simple and easily applied arrangements
to obviate the evil effects of expansion in changing the positions of the signals
relatively to the positions of the levers.
In one arrangement I attach the signalling wire to the opposing ends or sides of
a lever or wheel in such manner that approximately equal lengths of wire pass
from one end or side to the signal and to the operating lever in the signal cabin.
I keep the wire, both divisions, in constant tension by a weight suspended from the
double ended lever or wheel, and I arrange the pull of the wire to lift the sema-
phore arm to the position of danger. Any expansion or contraction of the wire thus
acts in both directions equally, and the compensating wheel or double ended lever
moves either for expansion or contraction, without affecting the position of the
signal relative to the signalling lever in the signal cabin.
In the event of a breakage occurring in the part of the wire between the com-
pensating contrivance and the signal cabin, the weight connected to the double
ended lever or wheel at once acts to raise the semaphore arm to danger.
In the event of the other half breaking, then the signal arm would fall and
indicate "line clear," and to prevent this I provide a tumbling weight at the
bottom or upon the signal post which comes into action when the signal falls
beyond a certain point. This weight then tends to raise the arm to danger but is
prevented from doing so when the wire is intact; if the wire be broken, however,
and the compensating lever or wheel weight be out of action, then this tumbling
weight falls over the centre and at once elevates the signal to danger position.
The tumbling weight is preferably attached to the signal arm as directly as possible
so that it may be sure to act in the event of breakage of the connecting parts or
wires.
In another arrangement I counterbalance the semaphore arm so that in the event
of breakage of the connections it naturally rises to danger position, and I pass the
connecting wire at about mid position over two pulleys forming a loop over a third,
or bottom pulley, which is attached to a weight. This weight, by means of a
suitable stop on the wire or chain passing round the bottom pulley, rises and falls
with the movement of the length of wire from the signal box to the pulley, and
being heavier than the signal counterbalance, controls the position. The expansion
and contraction of the two lengths being approximately equal, the relative positions
of the signal and the operating lever in the signal cabin are unaffected. The
chain or wire being only restrained by the stop in one direction, leaves the half or
signal side free when the other half breaks.
The third device consists in restraining the "danger" and "off" positions of the
signal by stops, the signal being weighted as usual to go to danger when released,
the off position being effected by bringing into action by any suitable arrangement
a weight of sufficient size to overcome the pull of the signal weight and friction.

page_text: This device can be used alone or in combination with either of the preceding
devices.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1891.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signals and in Compensators therefor.
I, JOSEPH HIGGINSON, the younger, of 20 Canal Street, Ancoats, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, 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:-
My invention relates to improved arrangements of compensating gear intended
to compensate for the varying expansion and contraction which occurs in the wires
controlling railway signals from the signal boxes. Such wires especially those of
"distant signals" which are about one thousand yards away from the home signals
may vary several inches in length between noon and midnight even when protected
from the direct rays of the sun.
The object of my invention is to provide simple and easily applied arrangements
to obviate the evil effects of expansion in changing the positions of the signals
relatively to the positions of the levers.
&
In one arrangement I attach the signalling wire to the opposing ends or sides of
lever or wheel in such manner that approximately equal lengths of wire pass
from one end or side to the signal, and to the operating lever in the signal cabin.
I keep both divisions of the wire in tension by a weight suspended from the double
ended lever or wheel, and I arrange either the pull or slackening of the wire
to raise the signal to the position of danger, and I so devise my combination that
in the event of any breakage of the wire the signal rises to danger. To cause the
signal to so rise it may either be raised by the ordinary counterbalance weight or
by a special weight.
In another arrangement 1 counterbalance the semaphore arm so that in the event
of breakage of the connections it naturally rises to danger position, and I pass the
connecting wire at about mid position over two pulleys forming a loop and round a
stud or hook which is attached to a weight. This weight, by means of a suitable
stop on the wire or chain passing round the stud or hook, rises and falls with the
movement of the length of wire from the signal box to the pulley, and being
heavier than the signal counterbalance controls the position. The expansion and
contraction of the two lengths being approximately equal, the relative positions of
the signal and the operating lever in the signal cabin are unaffected. The chain or
wire being only restrained by the stop in one direction leaves the half or signal
side free should the other half break.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figures 1 to 7 inclusive
illustrate modes of carrying my invention into effect.
Figure 1 is a side and Figure 2 an end elevation of my strained signal wire
showing the position of the stop with regard to the weight.
Figure 3 is an elevation showing the connection to the signalling lever at one
end and the semaphore arm at the other end.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of my lever arrangement with stops, while
Figure 5 is an end elevation of Figure 4.
Figures 6 and 7 are respectively side and end elevations of another lever
arrangement in which pulleys are arranged to miss the spindle.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the wire A connects to the signal lever a and a
chain connected to it passes over a fixed pulley and suspends a weight D by a stud
or hook D', attached to it, the chain then passes over another fixed pulley and
connects to the wire B which wire acts on the semaphore arm y in the usual

page_text: C
manner through the ordinary counterbalance weight lever. The chain or wire has
fixed upon it a stop C which comes into contact with any convenient pro-
jection from the weight D. The action is as follows:-When the signal lever x
is moved so as to bring the stop C in contact with the projection from the weight D,
the said weight is raised and suspended from the wire A only, so that the counter-
balance lever on the signal post moves the semaphore to the danger position as
shown at Figure 3. When the lever is moved so as to lower the weight D then
the said weight being clear of the stop C acts both on A and B portions of the
wire and overpowers the counterbalance weight and so brings the semaphore arm
to the position shown in dotted lines indicating that the line is clear. The lengths
of wire A and B are equal or nearly so and thus their united expansion does not
vary the relative positions of the signal lever a and the semaphore arm y.
the wires A, B, expand, the weight D falls, and when they contract it rises, but
produces no other effect.
When
In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5 the double armed lever E pivots
about a centre, and the chain connecting the parts A and B passes over pulleys El
and E carried by the said lever, while the weight F carried on another arm strains
the wires in tension. The stop C acts as described with reference to Figures 1, 2
and 3, so that in one position of the signal lever the weight F overpowers the
semaphore balance weight z, and lowers the semaphore arm while in the other
position, the weight of F is taken through the stop C by the wire A and the
semaphore arm is allowed to rise to a position indicating danger. Figures 6 and 7
show a similar lever arrangement, but an extra wheel E³ is provided for the chain
to pass over so as to carry it past the centre of the lever and not across the face.
In all the figures the same or similar letters indicate the same or similar parts.
In all cases the wire A connects to the signalling lever while the wire B connects
to the semaphore arm.
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. A compensator for signal wires in which a weight is suspended from a position
between the signal lever, and the signal post, and strains the wires, the said weight
being so suspended that the wire is free in one direction of movement and restrained
in the other direction, so that the signal may be operated from the lever, and yet
in the event of any breakage of the wire, the weight may fall clear of the part
remaining connected with the signal and allow the signal to move automatically to
danger, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A compensator for signal wires comprising; a weight hung about the centre
position of the wires between the signal lever and the semaphore post, the wire or
connections passing over pulleys and the weight being suspended by a stud, hook,
or otherwise; a stop on the wire or chain so placed that the weight may be hung
up from the signal lever and allow the signal to assume the "danger" position
moved by the usual counterbalance or be pulled down to the "line clear" position
when the signal lever allows the weight to act, substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings
3. A. compensator for signal wires as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
4. A compensator for signal wires as herein before described with reference to
Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of May 1892.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.