Improvements in Apparatus for Signalling and Stopping Trains on Railways.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 1st Jan., 1890-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1800
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Signalling and Stopping Trains on
Railways.
We, ANTON SPONAK VON BLINSDORF, and CARL ADLER, both of Baden, near Vienna,
Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention has for its object to provide an acoustic safety signal apparatus
for railways, by which the engine-driver shall be warned by an acoustic signal, or
the brake he applied.
The invention consists in providing an adjustable obstacle between the rails (pre-
ferably near the signal) adapted to operate a suitable device on the train as the
train passes, whereby either an alarm bell, the brake, or reversing gear can be
operated.
Preferably I construct the apparatus as follows. Between the rails slides a slide-
plate upon which is hinged a slotted plate or frame which carries the obstacle. By
means of the signal, the slide-plate is moved to and fro across the rails, and as the
obstacle is mounted upon the slide-plate, the former is moved simultaneously with the
latter. Upon the locomotive or tank is suitably mounted a mechanical device which
may consist, of a spring-arm or lever.
:
When the signal stands at danger, the obstacle is also brought to danger by means
of a connecting-rod and the slide-plate mentioned above, so that when a train passes
the signal, the obstacle between the rails acts upon the mechanical device situated
upon the locomotive or tank, and thereby operates the alarum, the air-brake, or the
reversing gear by any known means.
In order to soften or moderate the shock, either the obstacle between the rails or
the mechanical device on the locomotive may be elastic.
By connecting the obstacle with the electric circuit of the proper signal, it is
possible to actuate an alarm at the next railway station, whereas when the apparatus
is in disorder, the contact is broken, so that the sounder does not ring.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1889
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Signalling and Stopping Trains on
Railways.
We, ANTON SPONAR VON BLINSDORF and CARL ADLER, both of Baden, near Vienna,
Gentlemen, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for signalling and stopping
trains on railways; and its object is to provide a safety or signal apparatus by
which the engine-driver shall be warned of the actual position of the usual signal,
or the brakes be applied.
In order that our invention, and the means by which it is to be carried into practical
effect, may be thoroughly understood, we will now describe them in detail, referring in
so doing to the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as part of this speci-
fication, and read therewith.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation shewing the application of our invention to an engine and
a portion of the permanent way.

page_text: 1
o is a transverse section:
Fig. 4 illustrates a modification.
a, a are a pair of transverse bars laid across the way. bis a plate adapted to slide upon
the said bars: c is a slotted bar hinged to the side, of the plate bin a plane parallel
with the rails of the permanent way. d is the obstacle, represented as a disc,
supported vertically in bearings: in the bar c.sis the line signal connected to the
discd in any convenient way so that they shall both move together. This con-
nection is shewn in the figures as a lever-and-link device, e. The signal, s, is drawn
as standing at danger. The disc, d, it will be noticed, stands half way between the
rails so as to engage with the device, g, by which the signal, or the brake-apparatus
on the engine is actuated. The position of the disc may be varied if desirable, but
there is always this relationship between the signal, s, the disc, and the device g,
that when the former stands at danger, the two latter are certain to engage as the
pendant device g passes the disc.
This device g is represented as consisting of a spring rod supported between
pairs of studs, f, between which its ends will slide during contact between the rod
and disc. f¹ are terminal extensions of the rod to keep it in position. is a pin
in permanent contact with the device 9, and adapted to convey its motion to the
signal or whistle on the engine for the purpose of operating it.
It may also be
connected to either the throttle valve, the reversing gear, or the brake, so as to
operate either as a consequence of the engagement of the rod g and the disc d.
Instead of the single rod g there may be used a pair of levers g¹, g², as shewn
in Fig. 4.
Provision is made for obviating all shock as the rod, or levers, and the disc engage
with each other, by hanging the latter in bearings in the hinged slotted bar c which is
supported by a bar spring c¹, and also by making the rod g flexible, so that it shall
easily straighten out at the bend. i,i¹ are a pair of contacts through which an electric
bell at the next station is rung if the disc follows the signals into the proper position
for engaging the device g.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
In combination with a line signal: a disc carried in, and capable of turning in
bearings between the rails of the permanent way, and adapted to engage with a yielding
or resilient pendant device, and as a consequence to operate an acoustic signal on
the engine, or the throttle valve, the reversing gear, or the brake; as and for the
purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of December 1889.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.