An Automatic Signalling Apparatus for Electric Tramways.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1899-Accepted, 11th July, 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Automatic Signalling Apparatus for Electric Tramways.
We, CLEMENS WERNER and HERMANN LAUBE, Electricians, both of Thomasmühle
Leipzig, Germany, 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 ;-
The signalling apparatus for electric tramways which is the object, of this
invention is destined to be applied at the crossings of double and single lines,
on which the cars are circulating in two opposite directions, with the view of
dispensing with the guards who at present look after these points.
“In order that this our invention may be readily understood and carried into
practical effect, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings,
whereing-
Figs. 1 to 4 represent, respectively, an elevation a side view and two ground
plans of a signal apparatus, constructed according to the principle of the invention.
Fig. 5 is a detail plan view showing the insulating part a inserted into the
line-wire, for the purpose hereinafter described.
Fig. 6-is a transverse section on line y of Fig. 5, showing also a portion
of the roller of the car-trolley, said roller engaging both the line-wire a and the
additional metal part a² hereinafter referred to.
Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the contacts, in connection
with the signalling apparatus,
Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrams, showing the tram-line in connection with the line-
wire and the actuating of the signalling device at a crossing and at a curve
of a single line.
In the line wire a' (Figs. 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7) two insulated circuit-closing
pieces a, a, are intercalated and connected by means of the wires 1 and 2 (Figs. 1
and 3) with the solenoide and the magnet e. Inside this solenoid is an iron
core,, having a screwed part d and, at its upper end, a disc d. Behind this disc
is a box in which incandescent lamps are placed, supplied with electricity by
the wire 4, which is connected with the wire a¹ The wire 3 is in connection with
the ground-wire E:
'
When the apparatus is at rest, the disc d is placed parallel to the track and to
the lamp-box.
In order to allow the disc d to turn only through an arc of 90 degrees, and to
hold said disc in position, after the passage of the current through the solenoid,
a click g is provided at A, which click is made of elastic material and has a
hook at its end:
On referring to the drawings, Figs. i to 3, it will be seen that the disc d has
already been stopped by the spring click g, which catches the extension of the
liac , so that it strikes with its face against the contacts h, i, of stirrup shape,
whereby the electric circuit is closed, to light the incandescent lamps. In this
position the disc is arranged at right angles to the track and both faces thereof
are lighted by the electric lamps.
The circuit of the lamps f is closed by the rotation of the disk d, which brings
ogether the two contacts and kept apart in their normal position by reason
of the yielding material' of which they are made, or in any desired manner.-The

page_text: circuit is closed until the disk, through release of the spring click. g, again
- returns to its "fornier position, whereby the contacts h and are again separated.
The insulating circuit-closing pieces a shewn in Figs. 5, 6 bring into operation
the maguete and the solenoid c through the connection of the latter with the
disk d. The line-wire is slightly curved or bent at the desired point and,
within the bend, a portion of insulating material is inserted, said portion carrying
on one side, a suitable metal piece from which the electric wire leads to the
solenoid and consequently to tlie magnete. When the roller of the car-trolley
passes over the insulating portion a, said roller engages both the line-wire a¹ and
the metal piece a secured to the insulating portion, whereby. the current is
directed to c and consequently to e, bringing these parts into operation.
The modus operandi of the apparatus is as follows:-
When, on the passage of the car, the fcircuit of the solenoid. has been closed,
by means of the stirrup or of the trolley and the circuit-closing pieces a u, on
the line wire, the iron core which has a screwed part Crises, and effects, at
the same time, the rotation of the disc d, whereby the circuit of the lamps is
closed by the contacts 'h, i, and "consequently, a number of coloured lamps are
lighted.
The spring click, which catches behind the disc, prevents the latter from going
back, when the stirrup or the trolley of the car has left the circuit closing pieces a,
so that the signal remains in this position until the car passes over another
circuit-closing piece placed at any other suitable distance away, then the circuit
of the second electro-magnet will be closed, said magnet acting to withdraw the
spring click and causing the disc to return to its former position, and thus to
extinguish the signal lamps.
With regard to the illustrations 8 and 9, it must be observed that Fig. 8 slows
a horizontal plan of the railroad, in combination with the line-wire for a single
track. X and y represent the cars, o is the line-wire and 5, 6, 7, 8 are electric
wires, serving to lead the current from the circuit-closing pieces 9, 10, 11, 12 to
the solenoids in the lamp-boxes 10 and 11. The lamps are connected on the
one hand, with the line-wire, through the wire L, and, on the other hand, with
the earth, through the contacts h, i. Suppose, for instance, that the car ✗ is
advancing in the direction indicated by the arrow (see Fig. 8) the stirrup of the
car would, in this case, contact with the circuit-closing piece 11, whereby the
disc closes the circuit of the lamps, and the lamps, in the box 11 are lighted
whilst, the moment the, car has passed the second circuit-closing piece 12, the
lise re-assumes its normal position and the lamps are put out again.
The same would be repeated with the car y; in consequence of the closure of
the contact 10 by the trolley, the lamps of the box 10 would be lit, and then
put out again after the contact 9 would have been closed.
Fig. 9 shows an analogous arrangement with this difference that the line in
combination with the circuits is represented at a crossing. The cars are indicated
in this view by the letters Z, 13 and 14, 15 and 16 are circuit closers of the
line wires P P 17, 18 and 19, 20, are the wires which connect the said circuit
closers with the lamps of the boxes 141, 151, which are themselves in communica-
tion with the line wires by means the connections L. The contact of the.
trolley of the car with the circuit closer 14 lights the lamps of the box 14',
whilst, as soon as the circuit closer 13 is closed, they go out. The trolley of
the car lights the lamps of the box 15', through the intervention of the circuit
closer 15, and they are put out again, as soon as the circuit closer 16 is closed
The disc on the iron core can be replaced by a complete lamp box with red
and green lights.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we consider novel and desire to claim is; —
An automatic signalling apparatus for electric framways, characterized by this,

page_text: .
that an insulated circuit closer placed on the line wire, closes, through the inter-
vention of the trolley or the stirrup of a car, at the moment of the passage of
the latter, a circuit so as to excite a solenoid, the effect of which is, that the
iron core placed in this solenoid and having a screwed part slides upwards and
turns a disc () through an arc of about 900, a lamp circuit being closed at the
same time; whereupon said disc is caught by a click and prevented from resuming
its former position, so as to extinguish the lamps until the trolley or stirrup of
the car closes a second circuit, at some convenient distance away, with the result
that a second magnet is excited and caused to disengage the click, substantially
as hercinbefore described with reference to the drawings annexed.
100
1
1000
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent,
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent,