Improved Apparatus for Signalling upon Railways and similar Roads.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Signalling upon Railways and similar
Roads.
I JOSEPH WALKER of Stoneclough near Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Station Master, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to dispense with the use of the detonating fog
signals now employed upon railways and also with the surfaces of special signalmen
for manipulating the same in foggy weather, and to repeat upon the engine the
exact position of each signal as it approaches the same.
For this purpose I connect the weighted lever of the ordinary signal by suitable
wires quadrant and levers to an oscillating rod or shaft fixed transversely across
the rails controlled by the said signal, and on this shaft I fix a pair of levers
preferably one near to each rail.
Each lever is connected to the joint of a centrally divided rail running parallel
with the line so that when it is raised it raises the centre of the said rail and forms
a double incline, and the levers are so set on the transverse rod or shaft that when
the signal is raised to danger one of the rails will be raised and inclined and the
other brought down level and when the signal is let down to line clear the latter
rail will be raised and the former brought down level.
I mount a pair of levers upon the engine preferably beneath the "cab" each
provided with a bowl hanging in a position corresponding with one of the divided
rails above named.
This lever also runs in a fixed slot or guide so that it cannot be raised too high
or become jammed out of place and the other end thereof is connected by a rod or
its equivalent to the signal apparatus hereafter described in such a manner that' in
case the line is blocked a visible and audible signal is given (by the lifting of one
bowl) to the driver and if clear another and distinct signal (visible and audible) is
given by the lifting of the other bowl these levers and bowls can both be raised
out of action by a pair of levers on a shaft actuated by a hand-lever within
convenient reach of the driver. Thus in clear weather if required the signals on
the engine can be put out of action but immediately a fog comes on, the driver can
put them into work, by simply moving this.hand lever.
The two visible signals consist of two miniature signal arms each fixed behind a
screen mounted in a convenient position and provided with an opening or window
which is covered by a movable sliding shutter. The latter is carried on a quadrant
or lever hanging loosely and actuated by a lever on a shaft which is also provided..
with an arm connected by the before named rod or its equivalent to the lever and
bowl beneath the "cab" each bowl and lever working its own shutter independently
of the other.
The quadrant which carries the shutter is provided on its periphery with ratchet
teeth in which engages a spring catch plate (the same plate serving by preference
for both quadrants) and when either shutter is raised retaining the same to show
the signal until released by the engine driver.
The two miniature signal arms are connected together by levers and a link so
that when one is raised to the borizontal position (danger) the other is hanging at
line clear for a reason hereafter explained.
The audible signal consists of two bells or gongs of distinct tones the strikers of
which are actuated. by levers or projections on the shafts which work the visible
signals and in the following manner.
Each lever or projection works in contact with a hanging catch provided with a

page_text: pin working in a slot in a plate or lever fixed on a shaft actuating the strikers of
the bell or gong in any well known manner. For convenience I prefer to make the
shaft of one striker tubular and to pass the shaft of the other striker through the
same, and in order that the signals shall be the same whether the engine runs first
or tender first I prolong the last named shaft and provide it with a second hanging
catch equidistant with the first from that on the tubular shaft. These bells or
gongs and their striking shafts are both mounted on a sliding frame moved by a
central lever visible and within easy reach of the driver and held in position by
catches which indicate the position which is required for the engine when going
tender first or engine first, one catch being for each way and thus as the engine is
reversed this position must be altered so that although the position of the bowls is
changed the same rail will always work one of the outside catches i.e. those
belonging to one bell or gong and the other rail will always work the central catch
belonging to the other bell or gong..
Since however the visible signals change sides with the bowls I cause one of the
levers which connects them together as above described to be moved by a slot and
a pin or peg on the sliding frame carrying the bells or gongs and thus alter the
position of the miniature signal arms so that the "danger" signal is changed to
"line clear" and the "line clear" signal to "danger."
It will be seen therefore from the above description that my apparatus will
indicate both blocked and clear signals and in exactly the same manner visibly and
audibly whether the engine is moving tender first or engine first.
The visible signal will continue until the engine driver releases it but as the
quadrant hangs independently from the shaft which works both it and the bell or
gong, the latter will always be ready to sound.
The divided rails also can be connected to a single or a two or three lever signal,
so that it can be used at a junction if desired.
These rails can also be worked by an independent lever or levers if the weight is
too great for the ordinary signal lever.
In order to keep the divided or inclined rails rigid in position (when an express
train is passing over) I attach the leading wire from the end of the signal lever to
a weighted quadrant, fixed near the end of the oscillating shaft, so that when raised
into position, a cranked arm on the end of the shaft of said quadrant, comes beneath
one arm of the bell crank lever attached to the rocking or oscillating shaft, and
thus keeps the rails quite rigid and prevents the shock of an express train from
breaking the chain.
Dated this 28th day of November 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Signalling upon Railways and similar
Roads.
I JOSEPH WALKER of Stoneclough near Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Station Master, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described in and by
the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to dispense with the use of the detonating fog
signals now employed upon railways and also with the surfaces of special signalmen
for manipulating the same in foggy weather, and to repeat upon the. engine the
exact position of each signal as it approaches the same.
The said invention will be readily understood from the following description on
reference to the three accompanying sheets of drawings.
On Sheet 1 Fig. 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of that part of my apparatus

page_text: which is applied to the permanent way; Fig. • is an elevation of the divided rail
hereafter described.
On Sheet 2 Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate how the apparatus is actuated upon the
engine, and
On Sheet 3 Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are enlarged views of the signalling apparatus
upon the engine, shewn detached.
For this purpose I connect the weighted lever a of the ordinary signal by
suitable wires a quadrant a' and levers to an oscillating rod or shaft 6 fixed
transversely across the rails c c controlled by the said signal, and on this shaft b
I fix a pair of levers d d preferably one near to each rail.
Each lever d is connected to the joint of a centrally divided rail e running
parallel with the line so that when it is raised it raises the centre of the said rail e
and forms a double incline (see Fig. 3) and the levers d are so set on the transverse
rod or shaft that when the signal is raised to danger one of the rails e will be
raised and inclined and the other brought down level (see Fig. 3) and when the
signal is let down to line clear the latter rail will be raised and the former brought
down level.
I mount a pair of levers f upon the engine 9 (see Figs. 4 and 5) preferably
beneath the "cab" as shown, each provided with a bowl hanging in a position
corresponding with one of the divided rails e above named.
This lever falso runs in a fixed slot or guide h so that it cannot be raised too
high or become jammed out of place and the other end thereof is connected by a
rod. or its equivalent to the signal apparatus hereafter described in such a manner
that in case the line is blocked a visible and audible signal is given (by the lifting
of one bowl) to the driver and if clear, another and distinct signal (visible and
audible) is given by the lifting of the other bowl; these levers fand bowls f can
both be raised out of action by a pair of levers f³ on a shaft f actuated by a hand-
lever f within convenient reach of the driver. Thus in clear weather if required
the signals on the engine can be put out of action but immediately a fog comes on,
the driver can put them into work by simply moving this hand lever.
The two visible signals.consist of two miniature signal arms it each fixed.behind
a screen k¹ mounted in a convenient position and provided with an opening or
window which. is covered by a movable sliding shutter. The latter is carried
on a quadrant or lever mm² hanging loosely and actuated by a lever n n¹ see
Figs. 7 and 9 on a shaft o o' which is also provided with an arm ppl connected by
the before named rod f' or its equivalent to the lever and bowl beneath the "cab
each bowl and lever working its own shutter independently of the other.
"
The quadrant in m¹ which carries the shutter or is provided on its periphery
with ratchet teeth in which engages a spring catch plate 9 (the same plate serving
by preference for both quadrants) and when either shutter or is raised, retaining
the same to show the signal i or until released by the engine driver. Or the
quadrants m m may be provided with projections to raise the plate automatically
at the next signal so that the two signals cannot be seen at once; or other
convenient automatic releasing device may be adopted.
The two miniature signal arms i¹ are connected together by levers i* and a
link so that when one is raised to the horizontal position (danger) the other is
hanging at line clear (see Fig. 6) for a reason hereafter explained.
The audible signal consists of two bells or gongs of distinct tones the
strikers of which are actuated by levers or projections s' on the shafts o o'
which work the visible signals and in the following manner.
Each lever or projections & works in contact with a hanging catch t t provided
with a pin working in a slot in a plate or lever u u' fixed on a shaft v v¹ actuating
the strikers of the bell or gong in any well known manner. For convenience
I prefer to make the shaft v' of one striker tubular and to pass the shaft v of the
other striker through the same, and in order that the signals shall be the same
whether the engine runs first or tender first I prolong the last named shaft v and
provide it with a second hanging catch t' equidistant with the first from that t on

page_text: +
the tubular shaft. These bells or gongs and their striking shafts are.both mounted
on a sliding frame w moved by a central lever a visible and within easy reach of
the driver and held in position by catches y y' which indicate the position which is
required for the engine when going tender first or engine first, one catch being for
each way, and thus as the engine is reversed this position must be altered so that.
although the position of the bowls f' is changed the same rail e will always work"
one of the outside catches (i.e.) those belonging to one bell or gong and the othér
rail will always work the central catch belonging to the other bell or gong.,
: Since however the visible signals change sides with the bowls I cause one of the
levers which connects them together as above described to be moved by a slot and
a pin or peg on the sliding frame carrying the bells or gongs and thus alter the
position of the miniature signal arms so that the "danger" signal is changed to
line clear" and the "line clear" signal to "danger."
It will be seen therefore from the above description that my apparatus will
indicate both blocked and clear signals and in exactly the same manner visibly and
audibly whether the engine is moving tender first or engine first.
The visible signal will continue until the engine driver releases it but as the
quadrant hangs independently from the shaft which works both it and the bell or
gong, the latter will always be ready to sound.
The divided rails also can be connected to a single or a two or three lever signal,
so that it can be used at a junction if desired.
These rails can also be worked by an independent lever or levers if the weight is
too great for the ordinary signal lever.
In order to keep the divided or inclined rails e rigid in position (when an express
train is passing over) I attach the leading wire a' from the end of the signal lever
to a weighted quadrant a² fixed near the end of the oscillating shaft b so that when
raised into position a cranked arm or pin a' on the end of the shaft a³ of said
quadrant a comes beneath one arm of the bell crank lever a attached to the
rocking or oscillating shaft 6 and thus keeps the rails e quite rigid and prevents the
shock of an express train from breaking the chain.
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 I do not claim
the divided and inclined rail as a means of communicating the signals to the driver
but what I claim is :-
1. The improved means hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings of repeating visibly and audibly upon the engine the exact
position of each signal as it approaches the same.
2. The improved means substantially as herein before set forth of adapting the
said visible and audible signals to be worked correctly whether the engine is in
front of or behind the tender.
1803
Dried this 90th doninf A180
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.