Improvements in or relating to Signal Apparatus for Railways.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st Aug., 1893-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Signal Apparatus for Railways.
We, JAMES ARMSTRONG, of 1, Beaconsfield Terrace, Garston, in the County
of Lancaster, Signalman, and HYRAM SMITH, of 51, Bonsell Road, West Derby,
in the said County, Signalman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to signal apparatus for railways, and is applicable
especially (though not exclusively) during fogs and at other times when the
ordinary semaphore signals are obscured and the traffic has to be conducted by
audible signals instead.
The plan hitherto has been to place a detonating compound on the rails, which,
on being exploded by the wheels of the train passing over it, gives audible warning
to the engine-driver of danger ahead.
The plan is objectionable in that it entails the employment of extra or even
inexperienced men to lay the signals on the rails.
In carrying our invention into effect, the plan we prefer is to provide one or
more pivoted levers or arms between the rails, which are operated simultaneously
with the signal from one central point, such as the signal box, or they can even be
operated from the line. The upper surfaces of these hinged or pivoted arms are
curved. At each junction, there are preferably two of these arms employed, one
operated by the main line signal and the other by the branch line signal. They
are not placed in direct line the one with the other. These pivoted arms are normally
lifted above the surface of the rails or lowered by means of a weighted lever, and
this weighted lever is so arranged that it is operated by the lever which moves the
signal. Under the locomotive we place a pivoted trigger or arm, located in such a
position as to strike, or come in contact under certain conditions with, the arms
aforesaid when the engine is in motion. The trigger or arm is connected, by means
of connecting rods or cords, with the whistle of the locomotive, or with a bell or
other audible alarm. Any suitable mechanism may be employed for this purpose;
that used in our model apparatus consists of connecting the trigger to a double-
armed crank, which crank slides on a transverse shaft. Each arm of the crank is
coupled to a weighted lever, which is connected to the whistle valve or the steam
regulator or performs other operations to attract the attention of the driver.
transversely sliding double-armed crank is connected to a hand lever by means of
which it can be slid backward and forward.
The mode of action is as follows:-
The
The blocking of the line is indicated by the signal arms being raised, and the
When raised in
raising of the signal also lifts a pivoted arm between the rails.
this position, the arm is in the path of the trigger of the locomotive, and the result
is that the trigger strikes the arm, which, being rigid in its raised position, lifts
the trigger, opening the whistle valve and causing the whistle to blow, after which
the trigger resumes its normal position. When however the signal is lowered the
arms fall by gravity and are then clear of the path of the trigger of the locomotive
and no whistle is sounded, thus indicating the line is clear.
The upper surfaces of the arms are preferably rounded in order that the shock
on striking them may be subdued. When two of these rising and falling arms are
provided at a junction, the driver of the locomotive, if it be a branch line train,
shifts the lever which operates the double armed crank into such a position that
the trigger will strike the arm which is operated by the branch line signal. If the
signal controlling branch is against the passage of the train, the trigger will strike
the arm and the whistle will be blown, or if the signalman has accidentally lowered

page_text: the main line signal and shifted the points for the main road, the mistake will at
once cause the engine driver to pull up, as the lowering of the main line arm will
not operate the trigger on the locomotive, but the raised arm of the branch will
operate the whistle. The driver is then made aware of a wrong signal being off
even though the signal itself is obscured. The trigger crank being double
armed can be operated either when the locomotive is running engine first or
tender first.
It will be evident that the apparatus will be adapted to operate the steam
regulator of the locomotive, the vacuum handle, or otherwise to indicate to the
driver that the line is blocked.
Dated this 16th day of December 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Signal Apparatus for Railways.
JAMES ARMSTRONG of 1 Beaconsfield Terrace, Garston in the County of
Lancashire Signalman, and HYRAM SMITH of 51 Bonsell Road West Derby,
Signalman also in the County of Lancashire, 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 :-
Our invention for railway signalling will be effective, economical and essential as
a means to prevent accidents on railways and dispense with the use of explosives
and fog signalmen in foggy weather.
The monitor is an apparatus fixed in the four foot, both for working the traffic
and relaying the roads, which in conjunction with the apparatus, fixed under and
above the foot plate of the locomotives stops the train, and gives an alarm to the
driver, from the whistle.
In the accompanying drawings we illustrate a suitable monitor and apparatus.
fixed to the locomotive constructed according to our invention,
Figure 1. being a side view, Figure 2. being an end view, and Figure 3, a plan.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 illustrate a monitor for relaying the roads.
The blocking of the line is indicated by the signal arms being raised.
A. is a signal controlling the main line, and, which is connected at the foot of the
signal post, to a lever, by a wire or chain, passing on to a balance lever B, keyed on
to a shaft C, which passes under the rail, and which is connected by levers D, to
the bent pivotted plate E (placed in the fourfoot) inclined from the apex to both
ends and oscillating on pins fixed in chairs, which are secured to the sleepers of the
railway the whole being controlled by levers F in the signal box, so that when
the signal is off, the apex of the bent plate E is at rail level, and being inoperative:
but when the signal is put to danger the bent plate E rises, and its apex is 3 inches
above rail level, each end being l'inch above rail level.
:
The whole of the foregoing apparatus constitutes the monitor.
The signal A for a branch line is worked in the manner as described above.
On the approach of a train both the signal and the monitor are raised, acting.
simultaneously with each other, for line blocked, the rollers G revolving on a
spindle, and supported by brackets at each end, from the square main shaft H,
which is also supported by brackets fixed underneath the foot plate of the locomotive,
and to which shaft is connected a lever I, which is further connected to a vertical
suspension rod J, on the top of which rests a loose balance K (working in a stand
pipe) the upper portion of which is connected by a rod L, having a slot fitting on
the handle of the brake M, which rod is further connected by a cord or chain
passing over pulleys and attached to the whistle handle N.
The rollers G. & G¹ by passing up the incline of the bent plate E causes the.

page_text: vertical rod J to fall, which releases the loose balance K, which, by its gravity
puts on the brake and applies the whistle, thus giving an alarm to the driver of the
engine.
A flange (or cap) is further provided on the top of the loose balance K so that
in the event of any obstruction getting in the fourfoot, and striking the
rollers G & G¹, the vertical rod J leaves the balance K suspended on the top of
the stand pipe, thus obviating any undue strain on the brake and whistle handles,
which impediment is communicated to the driver.
When two of these, & falling monitors E & E¹ are provided at a junction, the-
driver of the locomotive, if it be a branch line train, shifts by raising the handle O
fixed at the side of the foot plate, which is further connected by a cranked lever P
working on the spindle of the rollers G. & G' which is adjustable transversely, so
that it (the roller G¹) will strike the monitor E' operated by a branch line signal A¹
a spring to he provided on the shaft of the rollers, so that when the handle is
released, the roller G assumes its normal position for working the main line.
In the case of relaying the railway, a hand monitor is to be fixed in the four foot,
as a substitute for a flagman: an official to have a key fitting on the square end of
the shaft A (Figures "4, 5 and 6") which is raised on the approach of a train, by the
official turning the key, the result being, that the engine in passing over the monitor
gives the required signal.
The hand monitor to be so arranged, that when the rollers G or G¹ are at the
apex of the hand monitor, the momentum of the engine will cause it to fall into its
normal position.
The apparatus is effective, whether running engine first, or tender first, and at
junctions where the right signal should not be off, the driver is made aware of the
fact, even though the signal arm should be obscured by the fog, whereas a fog
signalman would not know whether the right signal was off for a train or not.
The monitor will also be a reminder, when the drivers may have their attention
diverted to any accidents about the engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is-
Absolute safety to the travelling public & property, dispensing with fog signal-
men, & fog signals at the signals; & in case of relaying the line, the hand monitor
would be an absolute safeguard to the lives of the gangs of men employed: the
same monitor, if used at shunting operations in goods yards or sidings, would
completely dispense with the necessity of explosives & their attendant dangers; &
in case of break down the guard in charge of the train, would only have to go to the
nearest monitor in his rear, turn the key, which action would effectually stop any
following train from running into the disabled one. We also claim for our invention
a new & novel attachment, consisting of a pair of roller wheels, placed under the
cab of the engine, communicating by a lever with the break handle & whistle of
the engine, which wheels when passing over a steel plate in the four foot way, (&
which steel plate is connected to & acts with the signal,) acts automatically in
applying the break & sounding the whistle, should the signal be against the driver,
or should the weather be too thick for the signal to be seen, thus dispensing with
the use of fog signalmen & explosives or detonators.