IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE ADAPTED TO THE WIRES FOR WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS FOR THE PURPOSE OF COM- PENSATING FOR VARIATIONS IN THE LENGTH OF SUCH WIRES CAUSED BY DIFFERENCES OF TEMPERATURE
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Phillip Ayers, of Peuge, in the County of Surrey,
Carpenter, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE ADAPTED TO
THE WIRES FOR WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS FOR THE PURPOSE OF COM-
PENSATING FOR VARIATIONS IN THE LENGTH OF SUCH WIRES CAUSED BY
DIFFERENCES OF TEMPERATURE.”
Sealed the 30th August 1878, and dated the 15th May 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Phillip Ayers at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th May 1878.
PHILLIP AYERS, of Penge, in the County of Surrey, Carpenter.
st IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE ADAPTED TO THE WIRES FOR WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS FOR
THE PURPOSE OF COMPENSATING FOR VARIATIONS IN THE LENGTH OF SUCH WIRES
CAUSED BY DIFFERENCES OF TEMPERATURE."
It is well known that the long wires or metal rods which are used to connect the
signalman's hand lever with the distance signal on railways are liable (through
changes in the temperature of the atmosphere) to increase or diminish in length to
such an extent in hot or cold weather as to very materially interfere with the proper
working of the signals, as at some times the wires are quite tight owing to con-
traction from cold, and at others they are very slack owing to expansion from
heat.
Various plans have been devised from time to time to take up the slack or let
out the wire as may be required. This kind of apparatus is usually called a com-
pensating apparatus, as it compensates for the hot and cold weather. Such apparatus
has hitherto either been complicated in construction and therefore expensive, or
it has been inefficient in operation.
The object of my Invention is to produce a compensator which shall be simple
and cheap in construction and not liable to get out of order, and at the same time
efficient in operation, and to this end the signal box end of the leading-off wire is
Pine Sd 1

page_text: provided with a length of chain which passes over a star wheel or pulley provided
with radial studs or pins on its periphery. These studs or pins take into the links
of the chain, and as the pulley or wheel on which the chain rests is free to turn on
its centre of motion it will be pulled round by the expansion or contraction of the
leading-off wire or signal wire.
The end of the chain passes over a guide pulley mounted on a stud in a lever
which is free to vibrate on its fulcrum, and a weight being suspended from the end
of the chain the latter is always kept taut.
The star wheel over which the chain passes is mounted in a short slot at the
lower end of a pair of vertical bars which are connected at their upper ends by
means of a rod to the end of the horizontal arm of the hand lever, so that when the
latter is pulled over it will lift up the vertical bars in which the star wheel is
mounted and therefore will lift this latter at the same time. In the sides of the
star wheel are fixed a number of projecting pins or studs arranged in a circle around
the wheel and about an inch or so apart.
On the inner side of each of the vertical bars (which carry the star wheel), is a
projecting flat stud or finger about 2 inches long, so that when the hand lever is
pulled over, the beginning of the motion will cause this flat stud or finger to be lifted
up between the studs on the star wheel and will prevent the latter from rotating,
and by continuing the motion of the hand lever the vertical bars will lift up the
star wheel, and with it the chain at the end of the leading-off or signal wire, which
will thus be pulled forward and will lift the distance signal.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Phillip Ayers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th November
1878.
PHILLIP AYERS, of Penge, in the County of Surrey, Carpenter.
"IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE ADAPTED TO THE WIRES FOR WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS FOR
THE PURPOSE OF COMPENSATING FOR VARIATIONS IN THE LENGTH OF SUCH WIRES
CAUSED BY DIFFERENCES OF TEMPERATURE."
It is well known that the long wires or metal rods which are used to connect the
signalmau's hand lever with the distance signal on railways are liable (through
changes in the temperature of the atmosphere) to increase or diminish in length to
such an extent in hot or cold weather as to very materially interfere with the
proper working of the signals, as at some times the wires are quite tight owing to
contraction from cold, and at others they are very slack owing to expansion
from heat.
Various plans have been devised from time to time to take up the slack or let out
the wire as may be required. This kind of apparatus is usually called a compen-
sating apparatus, as it compensates for the hot and cold weather. Such apparatus
has hitherto either been complicated in construction and therefore expensive, or it
has been inefficient in operation.
The object of my Invention is to produce a compensator which shall be simplo
and cheap in construction and not liable to get out of order, and at the same time
efficient in operation.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my
improved compensating apparatus; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the sainc.
The signal box end of the leading-off wire a is provided with a length of
chain b, b, which passes over a star wheel or pulley c provided with radial
studs or pins on its periphery. These studs or pins take into the links of the
chain b, and as the pulley or wheel on which the chain rests is free to turn
on its centre of motion, it will be pulled round by the expansion or contraction of
the leading-off wire or signal wire a.
The end of the chain b passes over a guide pulley d, mounted on a stud on a
lever e, which is free to vibrate on its fulcrum, and a weight b¹ being suspended from
the end of the chain b the latter is always kept taut
The star wheel cover which the chain b passes is mounted on a stud at the forked
end of the lever c. The stud or axle of the star wheel c works in a short slot, shewn
by dots in Fig. 1, at the lower end of a pair of vertical bars f, f, which are con-
nected at their upper ends to the end of the horizontal arm of the hand lever g, so
that when the latter is pulled over it will lift up the vertical bars f. f, in which the
star wheel c is mounted, and therefore will lift this latter at the same time. In the
sides of the star wheel care fixed a number of projecting pins or studs arranged in
a circle around the wheel and about an inch or so apart, as shewn best in Fig. 3,
which is a side view of the wheel c detached.
On the inner sides of each of the vertical bars f which carry the star wheel c is a
projecting flat stud or finger f² about two inches long, seen best in the detached
side and edge views, Figures 4 of the bars f, so that when the hand lover g is pulled
over the beginning of the motion will cause this flat stud or finger få to be lifted up
between the studs on the star wheel c, and will prevent the latter from rotating.
Then by continuing the motion of the hand lever the vertical bars f, f, will lift up the
star wheel c, and with it the chain b at the end of the leading-off or signal wire a,
which will thus be pulled forward and will lift the distance signal in the usual
way.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation, and Fig. 6 an end elevation of a modification of tho
plan just described, the principal difference being that instead of a ring of projecting
pins or studs in the side of the star wheel c, as shewn at Figures 1 and 3, a number
of internal notches or teeth are cast thereon, as shewn in the detached view Fig. 3ª,

page_text: for the purpose of receiving the flat stud or finger f² on the lower end of the vertical
bars ff. In this instance the stud or axle of the star wheel c is not mounted at
the forked end of the vibrating lever e, but at the lower end of two pendant rods
which are jointed to the vibrating lever e.
Fig. 7 is another modification in which the star wheel is held in place in vertical
guides in a short standard fixed on the ground; Fig. 8 is a further modification.
In this instance the guides are suspended from bottom and sides of the signal box
instead of being in standards fixed on the ground as in Fig. 7.
In all these Figures similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts, so
that the description of Fig. 1 will to a great extent be equally applicable to all the 1
other modifications, which will therefore need no further explanation.
Having now described my Invention of "Improved Apparatus to be Adapted
to the Wires for Working Railway Signals for the Purpose of Compensating for
Variations in the Length of such Wires caused by Difference of Temperature," and
having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Inven- 1
tion secured to me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid, the combination as and for the
purpose herein set forth of the weighted chain b (connected in any convenient
manner to the leading-off or signal wire a), with the star wheel e mounted as herein
set forth, and provided at its side with projecting pins, studs, teeth, or notches to
receive a projecting flat stud or fingor whereby its rotation may be stopped while 2
it is being lifted for the purpose of working the signal, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Phillip Ayers, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
TD
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