Improvements in Apparatus for Signalling and Stopping Engines and Trains on Railways.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Signalling and Stopping Engines
and Trains on Railways.
We ANTON SPONAR VON BLINSDORF and CARL ADLER both of Baden near
Vienna Austria, Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
Our invention relates to improvements in signalling apparatus for railways and
has for its object to effect further improvements in the signalling apparatus
described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 5632 granted to us and dated
the 2nd of April 1889.
Our invention consists in arranging in the tracks of a railway system a suitable
apparatus operated from the signal box and actuating either the alarm bell, the
steam whistle, the brake, the steam valve or the reversing gear of an engine passing
over such apparatus so as to stop the former forthwith. In carrying our invention
into practice we sink in the ground between the rails or support by cross bars fixed
to the sleepers a casing perforated at the top and containing a vertical jointed and
collapsible rod or bar which is pivoted at its lower end and jointed at a suitable
distance therefrom to a horizontal rod extending through the side of the casing
along the track and connected to the signal box by means of suitable cranks. This
bar when in an erect position projects above the rails and comes into contact as an
engine is passing over the same with a suitable lever attached in any suitable part
of the underside of the said engine and connected by suitable leverage or other
mechanism to the bell or other part of the engine which it is required to operate.
We also use in connection with the above apparatus auxiliary devices consisting of
a number of brackets having a central and vertical arm and fixed at suitable
intervals upon the sleepers these brackets being arranged so as not to project
beyond the top of the rails. These supports can be furnished, when a coming train
is to be warned or stopped, with a vertical rod slotted at its lower extremity to fit
over the support, and secured thereto by a pin or cotter.
Dated this 15th day of January 1891.
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Signalling and Stopping Engines
and Trains on Railways.
We ANTON SPONAR VON BLINSDORF and CARL ADLER, both of Baden near
Vienna, Austria, Gentlemen, 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 relates to improvements in apparatus for signalling and stopping
engines and trains on railways and has for its object to effect further improvements
n the signalling apparatus described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 5632 granted to us and dated the 2nd of April 1889.
Our invention consists in arranging in the tracks of a railway system a suitable
pparatus operated from the signal box and actuating either the alarm bell, the
team whistle, the brake, the steam valve or the reversing gear of an engine passing
over such apparatus so as to stop the former forthwith.

page_text: In carrying our invention into practice we sink in the ground between the rails
or support by cross bars fixed to the sleepers a casing perforated at the top and
containing a vertical jointed and collapsible rod or bar which is pivotted at its
lower end and jointed at a suitable distance therefrom to a horizontal rod extending
through the side of the casing along the track and connected to the signal box by
means of suitable cranks.
This bar when in an erect position projects above the rails and comes into contact
as an engine is passing over the same with a suitable lever attached to any suitable
part of the underside of the said engine and connected by suitable leverage or other
mechanism to the bell or other part of the engine which it is required to operate.
We also use in connection with the above apparatus auxiliary devices consisting of
a number of brackets having a central and vertical arm and fixed at suitable
intervals upon the sleepers these brackets being arranged so as not to project
beyond the top of the rails. These supports can be furnished when a coming train
is to be warned or stopped, with a vertical rod slotted at its lower extremity to fit
over the support, and secured thereto by a pin or cotter.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an apparatus designed to be attached to the front
axle of a locomotive engine for the purpose of actuating its steam whistle by means
of any suitable arrangement of levers, not shown in the figure, whenever depressed
by a rod projecting from an apparatus sunk or otherwise fixed below the permanent
way.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus attached to the front axle of a
locomotive engine for the purpose of actuating the air escape of the vacuum brake
of the engine, when depressed by a rod projecting from an apparatus sunk or
otherwise fixed below the permanent way.
Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to Fig. 2.
Fig. 3 is a detail.
Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the above mentioned apparatus sunk or otherwise fixed
below the permanent way, and containing a rod which is made to project therefrom,
or to collapse therein according as the line is blocked or clear respectively.
Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate an auxiliary warning apparatus having a similar rod
which is set up whenever required by the engine driver.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the figures.
The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 consists of a casing g³ to each side of the lower
and solid part of which is pivotted one end of a lever g¹ or g³, the other end being
pivotted to the lower and enlarged end of the rod h; these two levers form a toggle
joint and when bearing against the rod u projecting from the apparatus sunk or
otherwise fixed below the permanent way hereinafter more fully described; with
reference to Figs. 4 and 5 raise the rod in such a manner that the inner end of
the spring rod h³ enters the notch h¹ and thus holds the said rod h in its raised
position. The outer end of the rod h³ controlled by the spring h³ is connected to
any suitable arrangement of levers secured in any convenient manner to the engine
for the purpose of actuating its steam whistle. Figs. 2 and 3 show a modified
construction of this apparatus which is designed in this case to actuate the steam
whistle of the engine by means of an escape of air obtained from the air conduit of
the Westinghouse brake fitted to the train driven by such engine.
W W are the front wheels of the locomotive engine mounted in the ordinary
way on the axle A. The casing 9 carries the curved contact piece 9* suspended
thereto in such a manner, that its upper part may freely move up and down through
a central perforation of the said casing by reason of a pin p secured by nuts to the
two angle irons o o bolted to the bottom of the casing passing through a vertical
slot of this curved piece 9. The casing g³ contains a chest by means of which a
communication may be effected between the air pipe 2 of the Westinghouse brake
and an outlet pipe 10 through which the air derived from the said air pipe, is
conveyed in any suitable manner to the steam whistle of the engine; is a valve,
normally closing the communication between the pipes and ho, and formed with

page_text: a lower appendage or bolt terminated by a head immediately placed above a
spring, fixed across the bottom of the casing in such a manner, that when the
rod u
projects from the permanent way, it raises, as the engine is passing the
contact piece 9, and with it the valve h, thus establishing a communication
between the air pipes ° and 10, so that air may pass through the latter on its way
to actuate the whistle of the engine. As the spring is raised it is caught by the
hook hand held in a raised position until the engine driver releases it by pulling
the string h'.
The casing shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is bolted to a stirrup iron g³ likewise
bolted to the plate 98 which is bent over at its ends and bolted above the axle A to
the bearings as shown on the right hand side of Fig. 3, or has straight ends whereby
it is bolted to the bearing g' as shewn on the left hand side of Fig. 3. Or I may use
a plate of trapezoidal form y³ (Fig. 3ª) and bolt its rectangular ends to the spring
boxes g fixed in any suitable manner to bearings such as 9° or 9'.
or mud guard.
910 is a brush
The apparatus which is sunk or otherwise fixed below the permanent way or
track consists of a casing r having an opening, through which projects the rod or
baru connected by a hinge v' to another bar v hinged to a pin secured by bolts
to the casing. The hinge is connected to a rod e extending through another
opening formed in the said casing r along the railway track as far as the signal box
or cabin, where it is operated by the signalman with the aid of suitable levers.
The casing is bolted to angle irons t secured in any convenient manner to the
sleepers S. When the line is blocked, the rods u and v are made to assume the
position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 being thus ready to act upon the lever g³
(Fig. 1) or upon the contact piece 9 (Fig. 2) but when the line is clear these rods,
are pulled back toggle like, by the rod e and assume the position shown in dotted
lines in Fig. 4.
In case an engine driver required to block a line behind him, that is to say, to
give a warning to the driver of an incoming engine the arrangement shown in
Figs. 6 and 7 is made use of. A series of brackets are screwed from distance to
distance or whenever required upon the sleepers S, the vertical arm of these
brackets being perforated. The rod y provided with a forked end is placed by the
engine driver over this vertical arm and secured thereto by a cotter z.
This rod y will hence act in exactly the same manner as the rod or bar u
aforesaid.
The arrangement just described is intended as an auxiliary signalling means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) In signalling apparatus for railways, the application to a locomotive engine
of an apparatus whereby the steam whistle or an alarm will be sounded on the said
engine whenever this apparatus comes into contact with a rod projecting from
another apparatus sunk in or otherwise fixed below the railway track substantially
as herein described and shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
(2) In signalling apparatus for railways, the application to a locomotive engine
of an apparatus whereby the steam whistle will be sounded on the said engine by
means of air derived from the Westinghouse brake, the train driven by such engine
whenever this apparatus comes into contact with a rod projecting from another
apparatus sunk in or otherwise fixed below the railway track substantially as herein
described and shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 34 of the accompanying drawings.
(3) In signalling apparatus for railways, an apparatus sunk in or fixed in any
other manner below the railway track, wherefrom a rod is made to protrude by
the signalman above the track whenever the line is blocked such rod being
returned into its normal position below this track as soon as the line is clear
substantially as herein described and shown in Fig. 4 and 5 of the accompanying
drawings.

page_text: (4) In signalling apparatus for railways, the auxiliary means whereby an engine
driver may give a warning to the driver of an incoming engine substantially as
herein described and shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
(5) The improved signalling apparatus arranged combined and operating sub-
stantially as herein described and shewn, and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 16th day of October 1891.
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.