Improvements in Railway Signals.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 25th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signals.
FRANK BROOKS HART 49 Old Road Heaton Chapel near Manchester Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to my invention I fix about half way between the signal cabin and the
signal post a pulley wheel to which is attached wires to the signal cabin and the
signal post.
A heavy weight or its equivalent, capable of lifting the weight of the balance
lever on the signal post and drawing tight the wires, is suspended or attached to the
pulley wheel.
The wires are arranged and connected to the pulley wheel so as to work in
opposite directions when the lever in the signal cabin is operated.
The attachment of the wire to the balance lever on the signal post is made in the
ordinary manner, but for the present form of lever which is a straight bar I
substitute a lever in the form of an inverted T the whole being in one rigid piece.
The new and additional piece is fixed at right-angles or thereabouts to the lever
proper and is attached to the lever at or near the fulcrum of the lever and forms
the lower part of an elbow or toggle joint, the other or upper part of the toggle
joint being about the same length.
The links or parts of the toggle joint are connected at the extremities with a stud
or pin. The upper extremity of the upper link of the toggle joint is attached to the
lower end of the operating rod.
Thus when the signal is normal the two parts of the toggle joint form an angle.
When the signal is pulled off the two parts of the said joint are in a straight line
and the lever then is horizontal. . The signal is "off" to its maximum extent when
the lever is horizontal.
When certain parts fail or break the lever is pulled downwards by the wire to its
limit, the knuckle joint again forms an angle and the operating rod is drawn
downwards & the signal put on.
*
"
As an alternative instead of the toggle joint I might secure rigidly on the main
lever a piece of such form that when the lever is brought to a horizontal position the
additional piece named, coming in contact with the extremity of the operating rod,
When the lever becomes
will throw off the signal arm to its maximum extent.
depressed at the wire or power end then the operating rod is thrown out of gear and
the signal goes to "on" position.
Dated this 24th dow of January 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signals.
FRANK BROOKS HART 49 Old Road Heaton Chapel Manchester, Civil
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 :-
According to my invention I fix about half way between the signal cabin and
signal post a pulley wheel to which is attached wires to the signal cabin and the
signal post. A heavy weight or its equivalent, capable of lifting the weight of the

page_text: balance lever on the signal post and drawing tight the wires, is suspended or
attached to the pulley wheel.
The wires are arranged and connected to the pulley wheel so as to work in
opposite directions when the lever in the signal cabin is operated.
The attachment of the wire to the balance lever on the signal post is made in the
ordinary manner but for the present form of lever which is a straight bar I
substitute a lever in the form of an inverted T the whole being in one rigid
piece.
The new and additional piece is fixed at right angles or thereabouts to the lever
proper and is attached to the lever at or near the fulcrum of the lever and forms
the lower part of an elbow or toggle joint, the other or upper part of the toggle
joint being about the same length.
The links or parts of the toggle joint are connected at the extremities with a stud
or pin. The upper extremity of the upper link of the toggle joint is attached to the
lower end of the operating rod.
Thus when the signal is normal the two parts of the toggle joint form an
angle.
When the signal is pulled "off" the two parts of the said joint are in a straight
line and the lever then is horizontal.
The signal is "off" to its maximum extent when the lever is horizontal.
When certain parts fail or break the lever is pulled downwards by the wire to its
limit the knuckle joint again forms an angle and the operating rod is drawn down-
wards and the signal put
66
on "
As an alternative instead of the toggle joint I might secure rigidly on the main
lever a piece of such form that when the lever is brought to a horizontal position
the additional piece named, coming in contact with the extremity of the operating
rod, will throw off the signal arm to its maximum extent.
When the lever becomes depressed at the wire or power end then the operating
rod is thrown out of gear and the signal goes to on position.
Before describing the method of working I may point out that the invention
applies only to that part on the signal post and is a device for protecting the signal
arm against false signals by reason of breakage of wires or other parts.
It is necessary however to shew Figs. 2 & 4 (though I claim nothing new in their
construction) to properly describe the action of the invention.
If necessary a single pulley wheel with the wires passing under & over and the
weight also suspended but with separate attachments would answer the same purpose
as the contrivances shewn in Figs. 2 & 4.
Referring to the drawings in the operation of pulling "off" the signal arm by the
pointsman the lever (Fig. 1) working on the pin p, is moved from position 1 to 2
& consequently tail piece t to which wire is attached at a moves from a to b allowing
the wire to traverse that distance in the direction of the signal post & indicated by
arrow heads.
The wire c after passing over pulley wheels d has attached to its extremity e
(Fig. 2) the weight W capable of raising weight w (Fig. 3).
To the weight W is also secured at e the extremity of the wire
passing over pulley wheels h is attached at i (Fig. 3) to lever L.
g which after
The lever (Fig. 3) turns on the pin ; and on the lever is welded or rigidly
attached the lower part k of the toggle joint. The two parts of the toggle joint
join at f. The operating rod m is secured to the upper part of the toggle joint at n
and the rod m is likewise attached at g to the signal arm o.
The piece is merely a guide for operating rod m.
Dealing first with the operation of pulling off the signal arm by the pointsman,
1 & 2 positions of lever (Fig. 1) correspond respectively with 1 & 2 positions of
weight W (Fig. 2) and 1 & 2 positions of lever L Figs. 3 & 5. (Fig. 4 is an
alternate method of Fig. 2.) Thus when the signal is pulled off the lever L
(Fig. 3) is horizontal & the toggle joint is consequently vertical, the upper & lower
parts being in a straight line and the signal arm off" to its maximum position.
66

page_text: In the event of wire g breaking such wire will be acted upon by weight w &
lever L (Fig. 3) and the signal arm will remain "on."
Should the wire c break the weight W (Fig. 2) will fall to position 3 and the
lever L (Fig. 3) will go to position 3 such lever being pulled from position 1 or 2:
thus the toggle joint will again form an angle, the end of the operating rod will be
lowered and the signal arm put to "on" position.
Referring to the alternate arrangement Fig. 6 the rigid inclined or curved piece p
is securely attached to lever L which turns on pin j.
'
The end of operating rod m is attached to small pulley or grooved wheel n.
When the signal arm is on or normal the lever L occupies the position 1. When
the signal arm is to be operated & pulled "off" the lever L turns to the horizontal
position 2 and the wheel n & consequently the operating rod is forced upwards by
the curved piece p.
In the event of the wire c (Fig. 1) breaking the lever L Fig. 6 is pulled to
3 position, the curved piece p is thrown out of gear and the end of the operating
rod falls, occupies its normal position, and the signal arm is put "on."
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The use of the toggle joint applied as described to lever & operating rod or its
equivalent.
2. The use of rigid inclined or curved piece applied to lever & acting ou
operating rod.
3. The three positions of lever as described instead of the two positions as
heretofore.
Dated this 24th day of October 1893.
FRANK BROOKS HART.