Improvements in or in connection with Railway Signals.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 12th June, 1893-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or in connection with Railway Signals.
FRANK BROOKS HART Manchester Old Road Heaton Chapel, Manchester
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In describing my invention it is necessary for me to state that at the present
time siguals are worked by means of wires connected from levers in the signal cabin
to levers on the signal posts.
The lever on the signal post works on a bracket and a heavy weight is secured to
the lever at the opposite end to which the wire is attached,—to draw back the
slack wire when the pointsman puts the signal to danger.
To the lever (on the signal post) on the weight side of the fulcrum is attached
the lower end of the operating rod the upper extremity of which joins and is secured
to the signal arm.
Now in the event of the weight on the lever of a distant signal falling away or
the lever, between the weight and junction of lever and operating rod, breaking,
when the signal has been pulled off (line clear) then there remains nothing to draw
back the wire.
My invention therefore consists in making a duplicate connection by means of
chains, ropes, wires, links or bars-between the weight described and the operating
rod. The weight if chain or rope be used may be multiplied, by means of pulleys,
to such power as shall give the necessary force to draw back the slack wire.
Further the connection between weight and operating rod may be made by
means of a duplicate lever, its fulcrum being placed on the same spindle as the
ordinary lever or in other suitable position..
The invention is applicable to all signals.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or in connection with Railway Signals.
FRANK BROOKS HART Manchester 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 :-
In describing my invention it is necessary for me to state that at the present.
time siguals are worked by means of wires connected from levers in the signal cabin
to levers on the signal posts.
The lever on the signal post works on a bracket and a heavy weight is secured
to the lever, at the opposite end to which the wire is attached, to draw back the
slack wire when the pointsman puts the signal to danger.
To the lever (on the signal post) on the weight side of the fulcrum is attached the
lower end of the operating rod, the upper extremity of which joins and is secured to
the signal arm.
Now in the event of the weight on the lever of a distant signal falling away or
the lever between the weight and junction of lever and operating rod breaking,
when the signal has been pulled off (line clear) then there remains nothing to draw
back the wire.
My invention therefore consists in making a duplicate connection, by means of

page_text: ropes, chains, wires, links or bars, between the weight described and the operating
rod. The weight, if chain or rope be used, may be multiplied by means of pulley's
to such power as shall give the necessary force to draw back the slack wire.
Further the connection between weight and operating rod may be made by means
of a duplicate lever, its fulcrum being placed on the same spindle as the ordinary
lever, or in other suitable position.
The invention is applicable to all signals.
Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7, the operating rod a joins the
arm and the lever c which turns on the spindle of the bracket f. The signal is
worked from the signal cabin by means of the wire d. The weight W is attached
to lever to draw back the wire and put the arm to danger.
In Fig. 1 the chain G shews the application of the duplicate connection. The
chain is secured to the weight W by means of a stud and to the end of the
operating rod by a shackle.
In Fig. 2 the power is multiplied by a pulley wheel p. The chain G (attached
to the weight as in Fig. 1) passes over the pulley wheel attached to the end of
operating rod and the end of the chain at his securely fastened into the signal
post.
In the foregoing and all the following cases, in the event of the weight W
becoming detached from the lever, such weight will still act upon the operating rod
through the duplicate connection (chain or lever) and will put the signal arm to
danger.
In Fig. 3 bar G shews the application of a duplicate lever in lieu of chain. The
operating rod a in this case is disconnected from the lever and is attached to the
bar G which is rigidly secured to weight W.
In Fig. 4 the duplicate connection is in the form of a slotted bar G. The bar is
fixed at its lower extremity to the weight W the upper part being slotted to admit
of free & proper working of the lever c in on and "off" positions. The slot
65
slides upon a pin p fitted into the operating rod a as shewn.
In Fig. 5 weight W receives additional power, through duplicate connection
chain G, from the lever H.
The lever H is secured by the pin p to the operating rod a as shewn, I being the
fulcrum and the duplicate chain G, which is also fastened to weight W, is attached
to the lever H at m.
Fig. 6 shews method of employing duplicate connection chains G, assisted by
pulley p, to slotted signals.
In the foregoing cases the danger to be. guarded against (in the event of the
weight W becoming detached) is the tightness of the wires d, that is, the weight of
the balance signal arm, deprived of the assistance of the weight W, being insuffi-
cient to put the wire in such tension as will admit of the lever assuming its normal
position. In this, Fig. 6, case and that of Fig. 7, the counterbalance weight w is
the element of danger. Assuming the weight W to have become detached, a
tight signal wire has the same effect upon a single signal arm as a counterbalance
weight w has upon a slotted signal arm.
"
In a signal " slotted or controlled from two signal cabins, before the signal can
be pulled off the co-operation of the two pointsmen who work the signal is required.
The counterbalance weight w, attached to the lever c, is capable of raising the
signal arm through the operating rod a. The signal arm is pulled "off" when the
Tpiece (under both levers 2) attached to the lever c, is released by the raising of
both levers l.
According to my invention the duplicate connection chain G is fastened by a
staple into the signal post at h, and passing over pulley wheel p, (attached to
operating rod) divides at K and is secured to both weights W.
In the event of the weight W breaking away the operating rod a is acted upon
as before described lifting the weight w to its normal position and leaving the signal
arm at " on position.
"
Fig. 7 shews method of applying duplicate connection chains G & pulleys p to

page_text: complicated slotted signals. The upper or home signal arm is controlled by two
pointsmen and the lower or distant signal arm is controlled by four pointsmen.
The manner of operating the signal arms is as described in Fig. 6.
When levers 1 & 2 have been raised the home signal, actuated by weight w
through lever c, is pulled "off."
In consequence of the T piece t clipping under T piece t¹ the co-operation of the
four pointsmen is required and levers 1, 2, 3, & 4 must be raised before the distant
signal arm can be pulled "off."
In applying my duplicate connection the extremities of chains G are fixed into
signal post at h. The chains pass over pulley wheels which are fastened to
operating rods a. The chain attached to the home signal rod divides at k, and the
ends are secured to the two weights W attached to levers 1 & 2 which work the
home signal arm.
The other chain attached to the operating rod of the distant signal arm divides
atk & and the ends are secured to the weights of the levers 1, 2, 3 & 4 which
work the distant signal arm.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The use of chains ropes &c. in forming a connection between the weight and
operating rod of the main lever on the signal post.
2. The application of pulleys as a multiplier of the power of the weight.
3. The use of duplicate levers in lieu of chains ropes &c.
Dated this 10th day of June 1893.
FRANK BROOKS HAY.