Improvements in Danger Signals for Railway Crossings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Danger Signals for Railway Crossings.
I, PERCY RICHARD JULIUS WILLIS, of Fairfield, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey,
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communica-
tion to me from abroad by Albert Washington Biddinger, Inventor, of Harrison,
Ohio, and Robert G. Frederick, Miller, of West Harrison, Indiana, U.S.A.) and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:.
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This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in danger
signal for railway crossings; the system being arranged more especially for use
on what are commonly termed "single line " railways, although applicable to
the usual double track.
Although gates are frequently employed at level crossings, yet these gates may,
by accident, be left open, or by reason of a sharp turn in the road, and especially
at night, the gate is not seen until it is too late to avert an accident. Moreover,
in places where a light is employed, it is frequently difficult to determine, from
even a short distance, whether the usual red light displayed is mounted on the
gate midway the width of the road or the railway. In places where gates are
not employed, my invention will be found especially useful.
One of the objects of the invention is to overcome the above referred to incon-
veniences attendant on the system at present usually employed, and a further
object is to provide such a construction which will not be liable to become
deranged, and which will comprise a combination of parts commonly stocked
by railway companies and used in connection with systems at present employed.
The invention provides an apparatus which is automatically operated, by trains
passing in both directions, in such manner as to cause such expressions as
danger,"
," "train coming," "line clear," " gate open gate closed" etc. to be
clearly exhibited at height from whence it can be easily seen. By the construc-
tion hereinafter described, the employment of a series of posts, overhead wires,
and like expensive and unsightly objects heretofore commonly used are dispensed
with, and few, though efficient and durable parts are comprised in the con-
struction.
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Referring now to the drawings hereunto annexed:-
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Fig. 1 illustrates a framework extending across a roadway at a level crossing
and shewing the danger signal supported thereon.
Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the method of arranging and connecting the
parts employed to operate the signal.
Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, end and side views of a portion of a track illus-
trating the parts last referred to on an enlarged scale.
Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, end and top view of the signal, with the end
and upper part removed, and Fig. 7, is a detail view of parts of the signal.
Fig. 8 is an enlarged side view of the pulleys employed.
Although the invention as afore-mentioned is applicable to a double track I
will describe it and its operation in connection with a single line of rails; it

page_text: being understood that a duplication of the means for operating the signal will
render the apparatus applicable to a double track.
A frame, which consists of two posts 1, 2, united by a cross-beam 3, supports
the signal 4 and extends across the roadway at a level crossing.
The signal comprises a rectangular frame 5, in the sides of which a series of
plates 6 are pivoted so as to be capable of horizontal rotation. These plates are
preferably made of glass or a transparent substance which will enable a light
within the frame to render letters inscribed upon the plates plainly visible at
night. The plates are connected by links or the like 7 to two parallel bars S,
slidably mounted in the ends of the frame, and kept, normally, in close contact
with the backs of the plates by a spring 9. The bars are connected to a recipro-
cable rod 10 by wires, springs or rods 11. The rod has elongated eyes 12, 13,
at its extremities.
The mechanism for operating the signal comprises a series of depressible
bars 14, arranged at intervals along the track adjacent to one of the rails. These
bars are suitably hinged to suitable supports 15 by means of hinge-pins or a
rod passed through apertures in the upper ends of the supports, and apertures
in brackets or levers 16 carrying a counter-balance bar 17. A bracket or suitable
support 18 is secured to a sleeper beneath each bar 14, and has a vertical sleeve 19
which is fitted with a vertically reciprocable rod 20 having a head 21 resting in
contact with the underside of the bar 14. The lower end of the rod is pivoted
to a T-lever 22, rockingly mounted on the bracket 18, and counterbalanced by
a weight 23. The arm 24" of each lever 22 is connected, by a wire, with a pair
of bell-crank levers 24, 25 mounted at the foot of each post 1, 2, in such manner
that their arms 26, having elongated apertures therein, overlap and are capable
of being pivotally connected by a cross-pin 27. The cross-pins in each pair of
levers 24, 25 are connected to wires 28, 29 which pass over pulleys 30, 31 and
are connected to the lower ends of levers 32, 33 mounted on a pin 34 in brackets
or bearings 35 on the beam 3. The pin 34 also carries a depending weighted
lever 36. The upper end of the levers 32, 33 have elongated apertures conneted,
by a pin, with the apertures 12, 13. A pin 37 prevents rocking of the levers 36
in one direction and forms a stop to prevent the weight from swinging.
Instead of the levers 24, 25, double pulley-blocks 38, 39 may be used as herein-
after described.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-Presuming a train to be travel-
ling in the direction of the arrow 40, the flange of the first wheel strikes and
depresses a bar 14 mounted over the first rod 20 at A. The arm 24" of a lever 22
draws the wire 41 in the direction indicated by arrow-heads thereon, and a down-
ward pull is given to the wire 28 through one of the levers 24. The lever 32
is rocked so that its upper end presses the bar 10 inwards and operates the signal
to indicate "line clear." Presuming however, that the line has been left clear
by the preceeding train, the pin 42 merely travels loosely along the aperture 12
towards the signal and then returns to its normal position shewn. The train
then passes on to B which draws on the wire 29 through one of the levers 25,
causing the pin 44 in lever 33 and aperture 13 to move rod 10 inwards and cause
the signal to indicate " danger." When the train arrives at C the wire 29 is
again operated through wire 45 causing the pin 44 to move idly in the aperture 13
without operating the signal. When the train arrives at D the wire 28 is operated
through the wire 46 causing the pin 42 to draw out the rod 10 and cause the
signal to indicate "line clear."
When a train travels in the reverse direction, and arrives at D the signal
already indicates "line clear" and in consequence, the pin 42 is inoperative:
but when the train reaches C the pin 44 operates the signal to "danger." Arrived
at B motion of the pin 44 is inoperative; but when the train arrives at A the
pin 42 operates the signal to indicate "line clear."
When pulleys 38 and 39 replace levers 24, 25, the wires 41 and 46 pass over
the pulleys 38 and are connected to the lever 32, and the wires 43 and 45 pass

page_text: over pulleys 39 and are connected to the lever 33 Any of the well-known devices
for taking up slackness in any of the wires may be employed if required.
The manner in which the signal operates is as follows:-When the rod 10
is moved in one direction, the bars 8 are caused to move in the same direction
by the connections 11. The links 7 cause all the plates to move around their
pivots in either one or the other direction to exhibit opposite sides alternately.
The springs 9 permit the bars 8 to recede in order that the plates may turn.
It will be readily understood that each bar 14 must be of sufficient length not
to permit one wheel to release it before another wheel is over it. This provision
prevents a repetition of depressions as would happen were the bar too short or
the wheels allowed to come successively into contact with the head 21 of rod 20.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. Railway danger signalling apparatus, comprising a series of depressible bars
arranged at intervals of distance along and adjacent to one of the rails of the
railway and in pairs situated at opposite sides of a road at a suitable distance
therefrom along the railway and from each other, a depressible vertical rod suitably
mounted beneath each depressible bar, a counterbalanced T-lever pivotally con-
nected to the lower end of said depressible vertical rod and having one arm of
each T-lever connected to arms of similar levers, and bell-crank levers by wires
in the manner and for the purposes set forth, substantially as described and illus-
trated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
2 Railway danger signalling apparatus, comprising a series of depressible
bars arranged at suitable intervals of distance along and adjacent to one of the
rails of the railway and in pairs situated at opposite sides of a road at a suitable
distance along the railway, a depressible vertical rod suitably mounted beneath
each depressible bar, a counter-balanced T-lever pivotally connected to the lower
end of said depressible vertical rod, flexible connections between one arm of each
T-lever and adapted to travel over pulleys to rocking-levers situated on an
elevated beam spanning a roadway, and the combination with the aforesaid
mechanism of the signal, consisting of a rectangular frame, a series of plates
inscribed with letters and vertically pivoted in the sides of said frame, bars
reciprocably arranged parallel to and in contact with the backs of the aforesaid
plates, a spring arranged between said bars, a rod centrally and reciprocably
arranged between said bars and connected thereto by wires, rods or the like, and
eyes at the ends of the aforesaid centrally arranged rod for its attachment to
levers or mechanism for operating the signall, all substantially as and for the
purposes herein before set forth and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 9th day of October 1899.