AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF RAILWAY ACCIDENTS ARISING FROM INATTENTION AND NON-OBSERVATION OF SIGNALS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Crichton and James
Craig at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 25th March 1875.
We, ALEXANDER CRICHTON, of Coupar Angus, in the County of
Perth, North Britain, Miller, and JAMES CRAIG, of the City and County
of Edinburgh, North Britain, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF RAILWAY
ACCIDENTS ARISING FROM INATTENTION AND NON-OBSERVATION OF SIGNALS," to be
as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention which relates to apparatus for the prevention of
railway accidents arising from inattention to or non-observation of the
ordinary signals, consists in attaching to the side of the engine cab or
other convenient place, a vertical metal tube in which is carried a rod
which is free to slide vertically therein, and connected at its upper end
by articulated levers to the usual whistle or to one specially provided.
At its lower end it is formed hollow and receives one end of a staff or
baton of wood or other suitable material, which is held therein by means
of a flat spring acting on a check or niche cut in the said staff or baton.
This latter is further provided with a shoulder which rests upon the toe
of a bracket carrying the aforesaid vertical tube, and attached to the
framing of the engine at a convenient height above the rails, and below

page_text: which the extremity of the staff or baton projects to an extent sufficient
to strike one arm of a counterweighted bell crank operated to extend
inwards from the side of the line of railway at such time as the ordinary
signal to which it may be connected stands at danger, or it may be
worked from the station or signal box independently of the ordinary
signal.
The vertical rod connected to the whistle is supported by the staff or
baton resting on the bracket as aforesaid, and in this position its lower
end is wholly within the tube attached to the engine framing or cab,
and the spring holding the staff or baton therein is consequently not
accessible.
The effect of the contact of the extremity of the staff or baton and the
arm of the bell crank is to break the former at a point specially made
weak immediately below the end of the tube. The support of the rod
being thus destroyed it falls down to the bracket, and acts upon the
levers at its upper end to cause the whistle to sound, and warns the
driver of the danger and also serves as a register of his negligence.
After fracture and the consequent falling of the rod holding it, the
baton or staff may be readily removed by the driver and replaced by
another.
In case the driver desires to pass within the danger signal for the
purpose of protection, he avoids the destruction of the staff or baton by
raising the rod which carries it to prevent contact with the arm of the
bell crank, and in so doing the whistle is necessarily sounded and warns
the signalman of his arrival at the signal.
The staff or baton is stamped, sealed, or otherwise provided with a
suitable device both on the portion held by the rod and below it, for the
purpose of identification and prevention of counterfeit.
It is to be understood that the mode of attaching the apparatus to the
engine, and of connecting the same with the whistle, and also of holding
the staff or baton in the end of the vertical rod, together with the means
of supporting it, as herein-before described, may be modified and are
therefore not compulsory.