AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUSES FOR SIGNALLING UPON RAILWAYS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Joseph Baranowski, of Paris, in the Empire
of France, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
AND APPARATUSES FOR SIGNALLING UPON RAILWAYS,"
Sealed the 18th September 1857, and dated the 23rd March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Joseph Baranowski
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd March 1857.
I, JEAN JOSEPH BABANOWSKI, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Gentle-
man, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND APPARATUSES FOR SIGNALLING UPON RAILWAYS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object to prevent collision on railways, and
thus ensure greater security to life and property than at present exists.
Signals are placed along the line of railway at fixed distances from each
other. These are acted upon each in turn by the passing train and set to
indicate "danger," and by a connection between each signal, the signal which
has been last before set to indicate "danger" is replaced to indicate safety;
thus the signals are worked in pairs, the signal next behind the progressing
train always indicating "danger" to a train following on the same line. The
apparatus for communicating motion from the passing train to the signals
may consist of a lever, with inclined surface so placed, that the flanges of the
wheels of the train will depress it, and so connected with the signals that
[Price 8d.1

page_text: the motion will take effect as desired, not only on the signal to be set to
"danger," but on the signal which is to be set to "safety."
For maintaining the connection required between the signals so as to
obtain the retro-action above described, I employ a wire of sufficient strength,
or, where preferred, attach an air pump or pumps to the lever acted upon by
the train, and either by the pressure of air direct, or by vacuum (as may be
arranged), apply the power through a tube of vulcanized rubber, gutta percha,
lead, or other suitable material, to act upon the distant signal.
In some cases I lift a given weight by the action of the passing train, the
descent of which will give the necessary force for placing and displacing the
signals.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jean Joseph Baranowski in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
JOSEPH BARANOWSKI, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Jean Joseph Baranowski, Her special licence that I, the said Jean
Joseph Baranowski, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Jean Joseph Baranowski, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUSES FOR SIGNALLING UPON
RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jean Joseph
Baranowski, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said Jean Joseph Baranowski, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed (that is to say) :-
This Invention has for its object to prevent collision on railways, and
thus ensure greater security to life and property than at present exists.
Signals are placed along the line of railway at fixed distances from each
other. These are acted upon each in turn by the passing train and set to
indicate "danger," and by a connection between each signal, the signal
which has been last before set to indicate "danger " is replaced to indicate
safety; "thus the signals are worked in pairs, the signal next behind the
progressing train always indicating "danger" to a train following on the
same line. The apparatus for communicating motion from the passing train
to the signals may consist of a lever, with inclined surface so placed that the
flanges of the wheels of the train will depress it or force it aside, and so con-
nected with the signals, that the motion will take effect as desired, not only on
the signal to be set to "danger," but on the signal which is to be set to "safety."
For maintaining the connection required between the signals so as to
obtain the retro-action above described, I employ a wire of sufficient strength
or,. where preferred, attach an air pump or pumps to the lever acted upon
by the train, and either by the pressure of air direct, or by vacuum (as may
be arranged), apply the power through a tube of vulcanized rubber, gutta
percha, lead, or other suitable material, to act upon the distant signal.
In some cases I lift a given weight by the action of the passing train,
the descent of which will give the necessary force for placing and displacing
the signals.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, of the Drawings hereunto annexed, is an elevation of
a complete signalling apparatus on my improved plan, set to the position
indicating "all clear." Figure 2 in the same Sheet represents a separate
apparatus at a safe and convenient distance from the former, which
apparatus governs the signal shewn in Figure 1. Figures 3 and 4 exhibit,
in plan, the contrivances by means of which the flanges of the wheels of
the passing train are made to work the signals.
In Figure 1, A is the wood or iron support upon which the siguals are
ordinarily mounted; a is an iron rod, which is capable of a rotary motion,
and to which the disc B is attached; a' is a horizontal pulley fixed on the
rod a, and partly embraced by a chain b, which is adapted to turn the
pulley, and therefore the rod and the disc, through an angle of 90°; B is

page_text: the common iron disc signal, with its face painted red to indicate danger
when turned towards the coming train; C is a counterpoise of sufficient
magnitude to govern the signal, Figures 1 and 3, or the lever D, Figures 2
and 4; C is a counterpoise less than C, and is intended to move the signal
into the position indicating "danger" as soon as the counterpoise C is
raised by the passing of a train; D is a lever, by means of which the
counterpoise C is raised, and its weight removed from the chain to which
it is attached; E is another lever, which, in connection with a third lever F,
having a counterpoisef and catch f¹, serves to keep the signal in the position
indicating "danger" during the appointed time; G is a cylinder of copper or
iron, containing a piston g, which by means of a rod raises the lever F with
its counterpoise, in order to liberate the lever E from the catch f¹, and allow
the signal to be acted upon by the counterpose C; H is a pipe of lead, or any
other suitable material, communicating between the cylinder G and the pump
I, Figure 2. In this Figure 2, I is an air pump, having its piston i con-
nected by a rod with the lever D. The vacuum produced by this air pump
forms the characteristic feature of my first system of signals. K is a pump
for pumping water or any other liquid; K' is the valve, and le¹ the piston of
this pump. The piston moves simultaneously with the piston i and
serves to moderate its descent, and so preserve the vacuum in the
cylinder I for a sufficient time for the pipe H and the cylinder G,
Figure 1, to become sufficiently exhausted. L is the pipe through
which the liquid proceeds to the pump K; M is a reservoir for the liquid; N
is a cock to let the liquid escape from the pumps back into the reservoir.
In Figures 3 and 4, O is the ordinary rail; O' is a rail of wood edged with
iron, in such a position as to be temporarily displaced by the flanges of the
wheels when a train passes; P is a rod connecting the rail O' to the lever D.
These detailed descriptions of the apparatus will render the following
account of its mode of action intelligible.
When the
The train moves in the direction from Figure 1 to Figure 2.
train passes the position of Figure 1 the wheel flanges displace the rail O¹,
giving it a motion from the rail against which it is placed. This motion is
communicated to the lever D by means of the rod P. Thus, the chain is
relieved of the counterpoise C and the signal left to the action of the other
counterpoise C¹, which then moves the lever E to the position in which the
catch takes hold of it, and at the same time the disc B is turned through
the angle of 90°, and thus made to present its warning face towards any
following train.
On arriving at the position of Figure 2, the rail O' in that
Figure is acted on in the same manner as in the former case, but to produce

page_text: a different effect. By this motion a stroke is given to both the pistons i and
K', and a considerable exhaustion is produced in the air pump I, the pipe H,
and the cylinder G; at the same time the lower part of the pump K is filled
with liquid. This liquid is allowed to escape slowly through the cock N, but
it will not allow the return of the piston I till the rarefication of the air in the
interior of the pump is communicated through the pipe H to the cylinder G,
Figure 1. Here the pressure of the exterior air on the piston g raises the
lever F with its weight f, and frees the lever E from the catch f¹. Thus the
counterpoise C is left to bring the signal back to indicate "all clear."
I now proceed to the application of my Invention to a system of time
signals, which may be called a hydrodynamical system, in which the signals
are like those in common use, isolated and independent of one another. Theso
signals are each set to "danger" by the train as it passes, and is kept in this
position for an appointed time after the passage of the train. The mode in
which the signal is set to "danger" is the same as that already described.
The arrangement by which the signal is made after the proper time to re-
indicate all clear" is exhibited in the Drawings of Sheet 2. This system is
based on the descent, more or less rapid, of the piston of a pump filled with
water, mercury, or any other suitable liquid, as explained further on.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus employed in this method of signal-
ling, with an alarm bell attached; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; and
Figure 3, a cross section, shewing also another alarm bell attached to the
locomotive for warning the engine man in fogs, &c. The signal is supported
on the post A; the pulley a¹ on the signal rod a is dispensed with in this case.
The counterpoise C, which in this instance should be less than C¹, is attached
to a lever, which is in its turn attached to the post A. The lever E is keyed
on the rod a. The lever F, the cylinder G, the pipe H, the pump I, as
well as all their appendages, are altogether dispensed with. On the other hand,
the bell arrangement necessitates the introduction of several new pieces. Qis
a small shaft, extending from the rail to the signal post; R is a pedal, keyed
on the shaft Q, and having a cam r; S is a forked piece, also keyed on the
shaft Q; T is an arm, keyed on the signal rod a; U is a pendulum, suspended
from a point ou the post. A; V is the bob of this pendulum, and is put in
motion by the forked piece S; W is a bell, fixed at a convenient height on the
signal post A; dis a guide, to direct the motion of the lever D; X, Figure 3,
is a rod, attached to the locomotive in such a manner as to come in contact
with the cam 7 on the pedal R whenever that pedal projects above the level
of the rails; Z is an alarum, placed within reach of the engine man, but which
rings only when the rod X strikes the cam r. The operation of this:
apparatus

page_text: begins with the displacement of the rail O' by the wheel flanges of the passing
train. This communicates motion to the rod P and to the bent lever D, which
is thus made to raise the counterpoise C', which in this case is the governing
counterpoise, and keeps the signal to the indication of "all clear." The signal
is thus left to the action of the other counterpoise C, which turns it to the
indication of danger. At the same time that the lever D raises the weight C
it gives a stroke to the piston k of the pump K; but the extremity of the lever
D has a larger motion than that of the lever E, as may be seen by inspection
of the Drawing, so that the chain by which the counterpoise C' recovers the
signal will be kept slack till the escape of the liquid in the pump K permits
the chain to resume its action on the signal rod a, and thus the signal will be
kept for the required time at the indication of "danger." The size of the cock
N through which the escape takes place may be so adjusted to the weight C¹
and the contents of the pump K as to take any given time in the discharge.
When this time has elapsed, the weight C' again commands the machinery
and restores the signal to the indication of all clear.
The pump K may be arranged in the manner shewn in Figure 1, Sheet 3.
It consists of a single cylinder K, in which works the piston K', which is
furnished with a valve ke' and a tap N. With this form of pump the reservoir
M may be dispensed with, since the piston is immersed continuallyin the liquid
during its ascending and descending motions. When the piston begins to
descend the valve ¹ closes, and the fluid can only escape upwards by the
tap N, and therefore the time occupied by the descent of the piston may be
varied by opening or closing the tap N more or less. This tap N may be
replaced by a simple tube passing through the piston, which tube may have a
jet of any suitable size screwed upon it. When the piston begins to ascend,
the valve is forcibly opened by the colum of liquid above it, which liquid
then passes freely through it. In order to allow the piston to complete the
last portion of the downward stroke with increased rapidity after the signal
has been exhibited the required time, the lower portion of the cylinder may
gradually increase in the internal diameter towards the bottom, as shewn from
% downwards in Figure 1.
Another method of arranging a pump or cylinder for working with mercury
in connection with my means of signalling is shewn in elevation, partly in
section, at Figure 2, and in side view at Figure 3, Sheet 3. A is a reservoir
for mercury, communicating with the barrel or cylinder B through the valve C
and cock D; E is the piston; F, piston rod; and G, weight. When the weight
is drawn up by the action of the passing train the piston is also drawn up, and
is followed by mercury entering through the valve C and cock D. When the

page_text: weight G is released the piston commences its down stroke; the pressure of
the fluid closes the valve C, and the mercury is returned to the reservoir
through the cock D.
The bell machinery acts as follows:-When the signal indicates "all clear"
the arm T pushes the pendulum U out of the vertical, and makes it by means
of the piece S turn the shaft U, and so depress the pedal R below the level
of the rail. On the contrary, when the signal indicates "danger," the arm T
leaves the pendulum to assume its natural vertical position, and by means of
the fork S it turns the shaft Q, so as to make the pedal R project a small
distance above the level of the rail. Now it is evident that when the pedal
occupies this position every wheel of a passing train must depress in turn the
shaft Q, displace the pendulum U, and ring the bell W by means of a hammer
attached to the upper part of the pendulum U; thus, every passenger, as
well as the company's servants, will be made aware of the indication of the
signal. Again, when the pedal is above the rail, the rod X on the locomotive
encounters the cam r, and sets off the alarum % to warn the engine man to
stop his engine. This bell arrangement may be applied to the ordinary signals
confided to the care of signal men. The details of the mechanism may be
modified without affecting the principle of the Invention; as, for example,
the lever D might be placed in a vertical position instead of horizontal.
Again, it is easy so to arrange the apparatus as to keep up a continuity of
action from signal to signal throughout the line.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improved
method of signalling upon railways,--
65
First, the acting simultaneously upon a pair of signals, one to indicate
danger" and the other "safety," in the manner herein-before described.
Second, the method of effecting what I have termed "time" signals by
the means and in manner herein-before described.
And I claim the several apparatuses herein-before described for working
signals for signalling upon railways.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Joseph Baranowski, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of September, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
J. BARANOWSKI. (L.S.)