Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 11th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I, EDWARD RUSSELL of 12 Culverland Road, Exeter in the County of Devon,
Signal Superintendent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
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My invention relates to that form of signal arm which operates to three positions,
that is to say the "Danger position, the "Caution" position and the "All right
position. In conjunction with this it also refers to apparatus in which the signal arm
is the upper or stop signal arm upon the post and to a post upon which there is a lower
or distant arm, the lower or distant arm being itself operated from a separate signal
box to that in which the upper or stop signal arm is operated. The top or stop
signal arm controls the lower.
At the present time the means by which a signal is operated to three positions
by a lever in the signal box working to two positions, is through the provision on
the signal post of what is known as a "caution balance plate." This is a complicated
plate and its working is special. It is not however applicable to where the top
arm which is the one that would be operated through the said caution balance
plate, has to control a lower arm.
"
With my invention I fix an operating lever in the signal box say A, working to
two positions, the normal position being in the middle of the segment; this lever
operates the stop signal arm. The lever moved from the middle position backward
operates the said arm to the "caution" position and the said lever moved from the
middle position forward operates the said arm to the "all right" position. In order
however, as the arm itself to get the "all right" position must pass through the
"caution" position and to prevent through any want of adjustment in the wires, the
lever when operated to the "caution" position moving the arm to the "all right'
position, I provide on the signal post what I call a "caution plate." It is simply
an ordinary plate with the movement of the lever limited, and is totally dissimilar
to the caution plate herein before referred to which itself works the signal to the
three positions. My "caution plate," referred to in connection with the top arm
in this invention only works the said arm to two positions, that is to say from the
danger" to the "caution" position. Arranged on the operating lever in the
signal box are two tails. From one tail of the lever a wire is connected direct to
an extension on the spectacle of the stop signal arm, there being no upright rod as
is usual in working signals. This wire has no connection with any balance lever or
plate whatever. A wire is connected from the other tail to the caution balance
plate which I employ in my invention fixed on the post, and the wire is again
extended from the caution lever and its caution plate to the said extension on the
spectacle of the said arm. The working therefore of this consists that when the
lever from its middle position is moved backward the end of the tail to which the
caution wire is attached is moved upward, the caution balance lever upon the caution
plate is moved downward and absolutely in consequence of the limit of stroke
prevents the arm from moving any more than to the "caution " position. Upon
the lever now being placed normal and its being moved from the middle position
forward, the "all right" wire is moved and operates the projection upon the
spectacle to the extent of moving the arm to the "clear" position there being no
restriction as to the movement it not being connected to any caution or other
balance plate. In order now that the operation of the top or stop signal arm shall
in such action release or unslot the distant arm underneath it, I provide attached
to the spectacle a downright rod, attached to the inner lever of the co-acting
apparatus described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me dated

page_text: September 27th 1886 and numbered 12257. In this downright rod is arranged a
loop or slot, the portion below the slot and the portion above being so arranged
that when the actuating lever in the signal box is moved to the "caution" position
and the stop signal arm deflected to the "caution" position, the spectacle in its
action on the upper portion of the downright rod moves to the extent of the slot
but does not operate the lower portion of the said downright rod and consequently
does not operate the inner lever previously referred to.
Upon reference to the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me previously
referred to, it will be seen that the inner small lever (on the slot plate) is attached
to the distant signal spectacle (or arm) and the outside lever itself in this invention
is attached to the distant signal lever in the signal cabin to which it refers. The
action of the slotting apparatus in this invention is identical with that described in
the Specification of Letters Patent referred to.
When the stop signal lever is now operated to the "all right" position the
spectacle attached to the said arm is operated to such an extent that the space
allowed by the slot is taken up in its movement to "caution" and therefore in its
movement beyond "caution" to "clear" the lower portion of the downright rod is
moved and with it operates the inner lever of the slotting apparatus, that releases
as regards the control of the top arm. If now the signalman in the cabin to which
the distant refers pulls his lever the distant arm will be deflected.
It is of course obvious that in the action of operating the lever in the signal box
that when one wire is tightened the other is slackened and vice versa.
My invention is particularly applicable to those places where it is desirable that
indication should be given as to the state of the platform, that is to say where
platforms are sufficiently long to hold two or more trains, it is desirable upon the
driver approaching the station, to intimate to him as to whether the platform is
completely free or whether there is one train already there, so that he may gauge
his speed accordingly.
The further application is where such arrangement in reference to platforms
exists coupled to where there may be a box in advance and a distant signal under
the stop signal arm.
Although I have hereinbefore referred to a stop signal it is obvious that the top
arm may be any other (except a distant) than a stop signal.
Dated this 11th day of May 1891
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2, Great George Street, Westminster, S. W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I, EDWARD RUSSELL of 12 Culverland Road, Exeter in the County of Devon,
Signal Superintendent, 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 :—
My invention relates to that form of signal arm which operates to three positions,
that is to say the "Danger" position, the "Caution" position, and the "All right"
position. In conjunction with this it also refers to apparatus in which the signal
arm is the upper or stop signal arm upon the post and to a post upon which there
is a lower or distant arm, the lower or distant arm being itself operated from a
separate signal box to that in which the upper or stop signal arm is operated. The
top or stop signal arm controls the lower.
At the present time the means by which a signal is operated to three positions
by a lever is the signal box working to two positions, is through the provision on the
signal post of what is known as a "caution balance plate." This is a complicated

page_text: plate and its working is special. It is not however applicable to where the top arm
which is the one that would be operated through the said caution balance plate, has
to control a lower arm.
With my invention I fix an operating lever in the signal box say A, working to
two positions the normal position being in the middle of the segment; this lever
operates the stop signal arm. The lever moved from the middle position backward
operates the said arm to the "caution" position, and the said lever moved from the
middle position forward operates the said arm to the "all right" position. In
order however, as the arm itself to get to the "all right" position must pass
through the "caution" position, and to prevent through any want of adjustment
in the wires the lever when operated to the "caution" position moving the arm to
the "all right position, I provide on the signal post what I call a "caution
plate." It is simply an ordinary plate with the movement of the lever limited and
is totally dissimilar to the caution plate hereinbefore referred to which itself works
the signal to three positions.
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to the
My caution plate" referred to in connection with the top arm in this invention
only works the said arm to two positions, that is to say from the "danger
" caution" position. Arranged on the operating lever in the signal box are two
tails. From one tail of the lever a wire is connected direct to an extension on the
spectacle of the stop signal arm, there being no upright rod as is usual in working
signals. This wire has no connection with any balance lever or plate whatever.
A wire is connected from the other tail to the caution balance plate which I employ
in my invention fixed on the post, and the wire is again extended from the caution
lever and its caution plate to the said extension on the spectacle of the said
arm. The working, therefore, of this consists that when the lever from its middle
position is moved backward the end of the tail to which the caution wire is
attached is moved upward, the caution balance lever upon the caution plate is
moved downward and absolutely in consequence of the limit of stroke prevents the
arm from moving any more than to the "caution" position. Upon the lever now
being placed normal and it being moved from the middle position forward, the
"all right" wire is moved and operates the projection upon the spectacle to the
extent of moving the arm to the "clear" position there being no restriction as to
the movement it not being connected to any caution or other balance plate. In
order now that the operation of the top or stop signal arm shall in such action
release or unslot the distant arm underneath it, I provide attached to the spectacle
a downright rod, attached to the inner lever of the co-acting apparatus described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me dated September 27th 1886
and numbered 12257. In this downright rod is arranged a loop or slot, the portion
below the slot and the portion above being so arranged that when the actuating
lever in the signal box is moved to the "caution" position and the stop signal arm
deflected to the "caution" position, the spectacle in its action on the upper portion
of the downright rod moves to the extent of the slot but does not operate the
lower portion of the said downright rod and consequently does not operate the
inner lever previously referred to.
Upon reference to the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, previously
referred to, it will be seen that the inner small lever (on the slot plate) is attached
to the distant signal spectacle (or arm) and the outside lever itself in this invention
is attached to the distant signal lever in the signal cabin to which it refers. The
action of the slotting appara.ns in this invention is identical with that described in
the Specification of Letters Patent referred to.
When the stop signal lever is now operated to the "all right" position the
spectacle attached to the said arm is operated to such an extent that the space
allowed by the slot is taken up in its movement to "caution" and therefore in its
movement beyond "caution to "clear" the lower portion of the downright rod
is moved and with it operates the inner lever of the slotting apparatus, that releases
as regards the control of the top arm. If now the signalman in the cabin to which
the distant refers pulls his lever the distant arm will be deflected,

page_text: It is of course obvious that in the action of operating the lever in the signal box
that when one wire is tightened the other is slackened and vice versa.
My invention is particularly applicable to those places where it is desirable that
indication should be given as to the state of the platform, that is to say, where
platforms are sufficiently long to hold two or more trains, it is desirable upon the
driver approaching the station, to intimate to him as to whether the platform is
completely free or whether there is one train already there so that he may gauge
his speed accordingly.
The further application is where such arrangement in reference to platforms
exists coupled to where there may be a box in advance and a distant signal under
the stop signal arm.
Although I have hereinbefore referred to a stop signal it is obvious that the top
arm may be any other (except a distant) than a stop.
In order that my invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawing hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 illustrates a lever in the locking apparatus in the signal box working
to two positions, the A position and the B position. The said lever is provided
with two tails and from the right hand tail the wire is connected to the top arm on
the signal post shown in Figure 4. The left hand tail is connected by wire also to
the top arm but it is connected in its length to a caution balance plate fixed on the
signal post.
Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the loop in the downright rod from the spectacle
to the co-acting balance plate.
Figure 3 is a part sectional plan of the signal post showing the co-acting apparatus
or slot.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the signal post showing the top arm which is the stop
signal and works to three positions and the lower arm which is the distant signal
and works to two positions.
The same letters refer to the same parts in the several figures of the drawing.
A the dotted line shows the position to which the lever is moved when moved
forward and the dotted line B shows the position to which the lever is moved when
moved backward, c is the lever, d is the left hand tail, e is the right hand tail, h is
the wire connection from the tail d to the balance lever k operating on the balance
plate by means of the tail, e is the right hand tail operating the wire 1 and through
it the stop signal arm m, n Figure 2 is the upper part of the downwright rod con-
necting the spectacle m' to the lever o of the co-acting plate p, n' is the loop forming
part of the lower portion of the downright rod n, n² is an enlarged piece at the end
of the upper portion of the downright rod n, p is the co-acting balance plate, o is
the lever attached by the downright rod n to the spectacle m', is the intermediate
small lever of the balance plate to which is attached a rod g' connected to the
spectacle of the distant signal r, s is the outside lever of the co-acting balance
plate which is connected by wire or other means to the lever in the signal box to
which the distant signal refers.
The action of my invention is briefly as follows:-The top arm m Figure 4,
which is the stop signal, is required to be worked to three positions. The lower
arm r, the distant signal, which is controlled by the stop signal only when it moves
to its "all right" position, is required to be worked to two positions. The lever e
Figure 1, in the signal box, when it is desired that the stop signal m shall only
work to "caution," is put back to the B position, wire is paid out on the connection,
the tail d is moved upward, the connections are also moved upward, the balance
lever upon the caution balance plate jis moved until it is prevented by its stop
from moving further, and thereby allows the stop signal m to be moved to the
** caution" position and no further in consequence of the stop upon the balance
plate j. In connection with this movement of the arm m into the position m²,
which is the "caution" position, it will be observed that the upper portion n of
the downright rod is moved so that the enlarged piece n² within the loop is moved
up to the top of the loop, but that no movement takes place upon the lower portion
k

page_text: of the downright rod n, consequently no movement is given to the co-acting balance
lever upon the co-acting balance plate p, therefore the distant signal, even
although the lever in the signal box from which it is worked should be operated,
will not be moved to its "all right" position, as the co-acting lever o is not
operated.
For a full description of the working of this co-acting apparatus reference may
be made, as previously mentioned, to the Specification of Letters Patent granted to
the said Edward Russell, No. 12,257 dated September 27th 1886.
Should it now be desired that the stop signal m be worked to the safety attitude
and the distant signal also be worked, or the distant signal may not be worked, the
lever c Figure 1 is moved into the dotted line postion A, the wire connections are
paid out and the wire connections connected to the tail d are moved in or pulled
upward in accordance with the movement of the said tail.
This action com-
municates an upward movement to the end of the spectacle m¹ fixed to the spindle
in connection with and working with the arm m.
As there is no restriction to the movement of this arm it moves to its full
position, that is to say, into the position m³ or clear position. This movement it
will be observed has operated the downright rod connection n attached to the said
spectacle m firstly until the enlarged piece has got to the top of the loop, that is to
say, the whole connection is moved upward so that the lower portion of the downright
rod underneath the loop n' is also moved upward thereby actuating the lever o
upon the co-acting balance plate p to the effect as will be seen upon reference to
the Specification of Letters Patent previously cited, that the boss upon the lever o
by means of its bevel forces the intermediate small lever q into the position with
the enlarged boss upon the lever s. Now should the distant signal be required to
be worked the signalman in the cabin to which the distant signal refers, upon
pulling over his lever, actuates the wire, moves upward the balance lever s upon the
co-acting plate p and by that action moves the intermediate piece q Figure 3 also
upward as the bevel spaces being filled up it must move with the last of the levers
which moves, either s or o. The action therefore of the upward movement of y
deflects the distant signal to the position ².
It is obvious that whether the lever c in the cabin to which the stop signal m
refers is worked first or whether the lever in the signal box to which the distant
signal applies is worked first is immaterial as to the working of the slot and the
deflection of the distant arm, as either may work first, that is to say, c must be
worked to the A position and the lever in the cabin to which the distant signal
applies must also be worked completely over for the distant signal r to be deflected.
It is therefore clearly understood that unless the stop signal moves to its clear
position as illustrated by reference to m³ Figure 4, the distant signal cannot be
deflected to the safety attitude.
Although I have described my invention with reference to stop and distant
signals yet it is obvious that I do not debar myself from employing my invention
with reference to any other signal as the top arm, than the stop signal, as for
instance it may be a starting signal, an advance starting signal, or any signal
necessary for signalling purposes on railways, except a distant signal which cannot
be a top arm when there are any other signals upon the same post which are not
distant signals.
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 what I
claim is :-
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1. In railway signalling, apparatus by which a stop and distant signal on the
same post may be operated, the stop signal working to three positions, "clear,"
caution and "
danger," the distant signal working to two positions and the stop
signal to release the distant only when the said stop signal is worked to the "clear"
position, substantially in the manner set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.

page_text: 2. In railway signalling, an interlocking lever normally in the middle position in
the segment of the interlocking apparatus, the movement backward (or forward if
necessary) operating the stop signal to the "caution" position and the movement
from the middle position forward (or backward if necessary) operating it to the
"clear
position, the whole operating substantially as herein described and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
3. In railway signalling the combination and arrangement of apparatus substan-
tially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing and for the purposes
set forth.
הור:
1000
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2. Great George Street, Westminster, London, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.