IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Emanuel Guende, Merchant, at Cavaillon (Vaucluse), in
the Republic of France, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC
SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Emanuel Guende at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th October 1880.
EMANUEL GUENDE, Merchant, at Cavaillon (Vaucluse), in the Republic of
France. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS."
The Invention relates to apparatus which acts by the gravity of a locomotive in
motion, and is composed of a series of signalling-apparatus which act in consequence
of the weight of the locomotive and by means of connecting wires.
The main organ of this apparatus is an iron rail or girder placed outside and
close by the railway line and parallel to the same, the length of which must be
equal to the sum of the greatest distance that occurs between the wheels, so that
when a train is passing at least two of its wheels shall always be thereon. Special
angle irons are provided to prevent lateral displacement, whilst allowing of a
vertical motion of the rail or girder, which is at each end fixed on a strong steel
spring, and is so arranged that when at rest its top edge shall be about one inch,
or inch and half, above the head or top of the rail.
The springs are fixed upon strong wood blocks, and are attached to the movable
rail by strong bolts.
To the centre of the movable rail an arm, which is called a pressure arm, is
firmly attached. Under the extremity thereof is placed a lever parallel to the
permanent way, which lever is connected by means of a hinge with a rod which
moves in slides. By reason of the said rod (which moves in slides) being movable
the fulcrum of the lever can be brought nearer to or removed from the pressure
The pressure arm serves for transmitting the pressure exerted by the
locomotive upon the spring rail to the lever, which transmits the motion to a
single-armed lever which is keyed fast upon a horizontal shaft placed vertically
to the direction of the railway, and which is free to rotate in two bearings. This
shaft carries a weighted lever, a signal rod, and disc, these three parts being firmly
connected with a shaft, so that they must eventually all move together.
arm.

page_text: The weighted lever carries a pawl, the end of which takes into a ratchet wheel;
also an arm, the toothed end of which is free to take into a slot upon another
pawl, which latter is fixed outside the ratchet wheel so as to permit it to rotate
freely, and acts upon the ratchet wheel and an arm.
The ratchet wheel is loose upon the shaft of the three moving parts, and is
double cogged and gears with pawls and with a Vaucanson's chain, which chain
passes on the one hand over the respective cogs of the ratchet wheel, upon which
it is stretched by a counter weight; and on the other hand it is connected by wire
and a coiled spring with the pawl of the next preceding apparatus.
The counter weight and the spiral springs serve as actuating and compensating
devices, but within the wire other similar well known devices may be applied,
which need not be further referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Emanuel Guende in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th April
1881.
EMANUEL GUENDE, Merchant, at Cavaillon (Vaucluse), in the Republic of
France. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS."
The Invention relates to apparatus which acts by the gravity of a locomotive in
motion, and is composed of a series of signalling apparatus which act in consequence
of the weight of the locomotive and by means of connecting wires.
The main organ of this apparatus is an iron rail or girder A, placed outside and
close to the railway line, and parallel to the same, the length of which must be
equal to the sum of the greatest distance that occurs between the wheels, so that
when a train is passing at least two of its wheels shall always be thereon. Special
angle irons C are provided to prevent lateral displacement whilst allowing of a
vertical motion of the rail A, which is at each end fixed on a strong steel spring B,
and is so arranged that when at rest its top edge shall be about one inch, or inch
and half, above the head or top of the rail.
The springs B are fixed upon strong wood blocks, and are attached to the
moveable rail A by strong bolts. To the centre of the moveable rail A there is
placed and firmly attached an arm, which is called pressure arm D. Under the
extremity thereof is placed a lever E parallel to the permanent way, which lever is
connected by means of a hinge S with a rod V, which moves in slides. By reason
of the rod V being moveable the fulcrum of the lever E can be brought nearer to
or be removed from the pressure arm D. The pressure arm D serves for trans-
mitting the pressure exerted by the locomotive upon the spring rail A to the
lever E, which transmits the motion to a single armed lever F which is keyed fast
upon a horizontal shaft placed at right angles to the direction of the railway, and
which is free to rotate in two bearings.

page_text: This shaft carries a weighted lever J, a signal rod K, and disc L, these three
parts J, K, L, being firmly connected with the shaft G, so that they must eventually
all move together. The weighted lever J carries a pawl M, the end of which takes
into a ratchet wheel H; also an arm X, the toothed end of which is free to take
into a slot upon another pawl N. The latter is fixed outside the ratchet wheel so
as to permit it to rotate freely, and acts upon the ratchet wheel H and the arm X.
The ratchet wheel H is loose upon the shaft G, and is also double cogged and
gears with the pawls M and N, and with a pitch chain O, which chain passes on
the one hand over the respective cogs of the ratchet wheel H, upon which it is
stretched by a counter weight U, and on the other hand is connected by the wire R
and a coiled spring P with the pawl M of the next preceding apparatus. The
counter weight U and the spiral spring P serve as actuating and compensating
devices, but within the wire other similar well known devices may be applied,
which not be further referred to.
Let us suppose that three apparatus combined with each other, No. 1, 2, and 3,
are placed upon a railway track at distances of one kilometer from each other.
When at rest the various parts of the apparatus assume the positions
A¹, B¹, J, K, L'.
When the front guiding wheel of the locomotive of a moving train reaches the
first apparatus it will pass over B and A. without difficulty, as the same yield
under the pressure and are depressed to the level of the permanent way. They are
kept in this position during the whole time the train is passing, till the last wheel
has left the apparatus.
The pressure arm D which is connected with the rail or girder A transmits the
motion of girder A to lever E, which acts upon the arm F and causes the shaft G
to rotate. The shaft Gin its motion carries with it the lever J, the signal rod K,
and the disc L, so that they assume the position J, K, L.
The pawl M carried away by lever J rotates the ratchet wheel, hooks the arm X
into the pawl N, and thus loosens the wire R leading to apparatus No. 2, which
is however tightened again by the counterweight of chain No. 2.
The rotation of shaft G is limited by a suitable stop, which is provided with a
buffer and placed in the path of the lever J.
When the train passes the apparatus No. 2 the latter acts as did No. 1, and
furthermore tightens the wire which connects these two apparatus. This tightening
is produced by the rotation of the ratchet wheel H of apparatus No. 2, and hereby
the corresponding coiled spring is elongated, as the same is only strong enough not
to be elongated by the force of the counterweight, but yields to the greater effect
of the wheel. By fixing the corresponding ratchet wheel the pawl N of the
apparatus No. 2 maintains the signals of the apparatus No. 1 (by means of the
tension of the wire 1-2) in the position J, K, L. It also keeps the signals of
apparatus No. 2 in their position, as the arm X, and with it the pawl, are hooked
fast to N. When the train passes the apparatus No. 3 it acts thereupon as upon
both the preceding ones, No. 1 & 2, but by producing tension in the wire leading
from 2 to 3 it also lifts the pawls M and N of apparatus No. 2, releases the arm X,
No. 2, and thus gives free movement to wheel H on shaft G. The latter obeys
the impulse of the weighted lever J of apparatus No. 1, and by this latter
reassuming the position J' No. 1 returns to its original position.
If the train has to pass more than three apparatus No. 2 passes into its position
of rest by the action of No. 4, No. 3 by No. 5, and so forth, so that each train
leaves two apparatus in action behind itself, which warn from any danger by three
of their parts, viz., by the lever J, the disc L, and signal rod K. The first named
two serve merely as optical devices, but the signal rod K is intended to act by
means of a special appliance fixed upon the locomotive to actuate the steam whistle
or to operate a bell signal. The two latter appliances are set at rest by hand after
the arrival of the train, or shortly before the arrival of the next train.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in

page_text: which the same is to or may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,-
Safety mechanism for railway trains composed of separate apparatuses com-
municating with one another, as herein before described and illustrated in the
Drawing, such mechanism and apparatus being characterized by the following
combination of parts, viz.:-
A moveable spring rail A, the length of which is not less than the greatest
distance between any two consecutive pairs of wheels of the train, such rail standing
normally somewhat higher than the top of the rail of the permanent way, but
pressed down by the wheels of the train in their passage over it; a pressure arm D
which acts upon a lever E with a moveable fulcrum, which lever E acts upon a
lever arm F fixed on a shaft G, which shaft carries the three signal instruments
J, K, L, and a loose double toothed wheel H%; the pawl M connected to the
lever J, which pawl takes into the teeth of the ratchet wheel H, and an arm X
which hooks into a pawl N; each separate apparatus thus composed being con-
nected to the next one by means of a traction wire, which carries at one end a
pitch chain O, running over the ratchet wheel H of one apparatus, and carrying at
its pendant end a counterweight. The said traction wire carries at its other end a
spiral spring which is fastened to the pawl M of the next apparatus in order.
In witness whereof, I, the said Emanuel Guende, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
EMANUEL GUENDE. (L.S.)
LORENTZ ALBERT GROTH, K.G.V.,
Proprietor of the Scandinavian Patent Office,
97, Finsbury Pavement,
London, E.C.