IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John White of Spa Stores Station Road Bermondsey
in the County of Surrey for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS
"
#
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John White at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th May 1882.
JOHN WHITE of Spa Stores Station Road Bermondsey in the County of Surrey
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for signalling on
railways.
According to my Invention in case of fog when the ordinary signals may
not be visible I give notice of the state of the signals to the engineman of an
approaching train by sounding a bell or gong upon his engine in the following
manner.
At the centre of one or other end of the engines I mount a vertical rod carrying
a pulley or roller at its lower end.
Between the two rails of the line of railway is mounted an incline which when
the bell or gong upon a passing engine is to be sounded is brought into position
centrally between the rails so that the roller on the rod may strike against and
ride up the incline and the rod being thereby lifted may cause the bell or gong
upon the engine to sound. The rod carrying the roller acts when lifted through
an interposed spring upon a lever carrying a hammer by which the bell or gong is
to be struck. Another spring afterwards forces back the rod and lever to their
normal positions this spring also serves as a buffer to arrest the momentum of the
rod when moved upwards by the incline.
The incline above mentioned may be brought into a central position between the
rails or be moved away from this central position either by making the block upon
which the incline is formed to slide to and fro upon rods fixed horizontally at right
angles to the rails or the block upon which the incline is formed may be mounted
D
27

page_text: upon a horizontal axis which is parallel with the rails so that it can be turned
downwards and out of the way or be lifted to make it stand upright in a central
position.
In either case movement may be given to the blocks by means of a bell crank
lever to which an ordinary signal wire leading from the signal cabin is connected
so that by the movement of a signal lever in the signal cabin the incline may be
brought into its central position or be moved from it. A weight may be used to
move the incline away from its central position and to keep the signal wire taut.
I also provide for each signal station three separate inclines at distances apart
from one another-one for the distance signal and two for the home signal.
I provide also at the signal cabin two large bells or gongs sounding different
notes, one for the up and the other for the down line and by blows on one or other
of these, the signalman may intimate to the engineman when the line is clear for
him to proceed.
The number of blows on the signalman's bell or gong will indicate the line to
which the signal applies and will be answered by the engineman with the same
number of whistles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John White in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1882.
JOHN WHITE of Spa Stores Station Road Bermondsey in the County of Surrey
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for signalling on
railways.
According to my invention in case of fog when the ordinary signals may not be
visible I give notice of the state of the signals to the engine man of an
approaching train by sounding a bell or gong upon his engine in the following
manner.
At the centre of one or other end of the engines or tender I mount a vertical
rod carrying a pulley or roller at its lower end.
Between the two rails of the line of railway is mounted an incline which when
the bell or gong upon a passing engine is to be sounded is brought into position
centrally between the rails so that the roller on the rod may strike against and ride
up the incline and the rod being thereby lifted may cause the bell or gong upon
the engine to sound.
The incline above mentioned may be brought into a central position between
the rails or be moved away from this central position either by making the block
upon which the incline is formed to slide to and fro upon rods fixed horizontally
at right angles to the rails or the block upon which the incline is formed may be
mounted upon a horizontal axis which is parallel with the rails so that it can be
turned downwards and out of the way or be lifted to make it stand upright in a
central position.
In either case movement may be given to the blocks by means of a bell crank
lever to which an ordinary signal wire leading from the signal cabin is connected
so that by the movement of a signal lever in the signal cabin the incline may be
brought into its central position or be moved from it. A weight may be used to
move the incline away from its central position and to keep the signal wire taut.
I also provide for each signal station three separate inclines at distances apart
from one another, one for the distance signal and two for the home signal.
I provide also at the signal cabin two large bells or gongs sounding different
notes, one for the up and the other for the down line and by blows on one or other
of these, the signalman may intimate to the engineman when the line is clear for
him to proceed.
The number of blows on the signalman's bell or gong will indicate the line to
which the signal applies and will be answered by the engineman with the same
number of whistles.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn various views of a signalling
apparatus arranged as above described. Figure 1 is a side elevation Figure 2 a
plan view and Figure 3 an end view of the apparatus.
In these Figures A, A, are the two rails of a line of railway, B is a signal box
or cabin. C is the ordinary semaphore home signal and D the ordinary semaphore
distance signal each worked by a separate wire or rod from the signal box in the
ordinary manner. The rod or wire by which each semaphore signal is worked is
carried somewhat beyond the signal post. The rod or wire for the home signal is
connected to two crank levers E at a distance of about 12 yards from one another
and the rod or wire for the distance signal is connected to one such crank lever E.
At the home signal the other arms of the bell crank levers E are shown to be
connected to sliding blocks F at the distance signal the other arm of the crank
'

page_text: lever is shewn to be connected to a block which can turn downwards on a
horizontal joint.
Either the one or the other plan may be adopted. The upper surface of each
block F, is as shewn formed to incline downwards from the centre to its two ends.
When the blocks are made to slide sidewise to and fro as represented at the home
signal they have passing through them two parallel rods G G, which at their ends
are secured to bars H and these at their ends are secured to the sleepers.
When the blocks are made to turn downwards as at the distance signal the
horizontal axis upon which the block turns is ranged parallel with the rails and is
carried by the sleepers as shewn.
When the signals are up the blocks stand upwards centrally between the rails.
When the signals are down the blocks are either moved side wise away from the
central line between the rails or are turned downwards as shewn by the end view
Figure 4.
One or other end of the engine or tender of each train is as shewn at Figures 1
and 3 fitted with a vertical rod I having a roller J at its lower end the rod is
pressed downwards by a coiled spring K acting upon a collar surrounding the rod.
as shewn other forms of spring might however be used for the purpose. The
collar has a groove in it into which enters a pin projecting from a lever L which
can turn on an axis at L-The opposite end of the lever may either carry a
hammer to strike upon a bell M or the movement of this lever may cause a bell to
be struck in any suitable manner. When the roller rides up the inclined surface
of one of the blocks F the bell will be struck and immediately it has passed
beyond the top of the incline the spring K will bring back the rod I to its former
position; the roller J must then be at such a distance above the level of the rails
that at crossing it shall be well clear of the crossing rails. In order that the
apparatus may not be struck by coupling chains or irons which may from negligence
be left hanging down from the carriages or wagons of a train wooden baulks of
timber may be made to stand up between the rails at either end of the parts of
the apparatus that are between the rails and these baulks of timber may on their
upper surface have a central groove cut in them for the roller J to pass through so
that they shall not be struck by the roller.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and the manner of performing
the same I would have it understood that I do not claim generally the use of
inclines at the side of a line of railway and which can be raised or lowered so that
a roller carried on the locomotive or other part of a passing train shall when the
incline is raised roll up the incline and cause a bell to be sounded on the engine or
other part of the train But I claim :-
:—
First. Mounting the inclines in such a manner that when the signals are set to
danger the inclines shall be brought into a position centrally between the two rails
of the line of railway and when the signals are not set at danger shall be moved
away from this central line substantially as herein before described.
Second. The construction of apparatus for signalling on railways substantially
as herein before described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof I the said John White have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twentieth day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.