IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING UPON RAILWAYS
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & C° Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR
SIGNALLING UPON RAILWAYS" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this Invention is to construct an improved apparatus or device
and apply it to a railway engine or train in such a manner that moving trains
can signal and communicate with each other.
In the Drawing
Figures 1 and 2, are side elevations of two broken engines illustrating the
operation.
Figures, 3 and 4 are detached parts enlarged.
Figure 5 is a rear view of Figures 1 and 2, looking into the cab of the engine.
Figure 6 is a detached part enlarged, with portions broken away.
Figure 7 is a detached part of Figure 6.
Figure 8, shows a plan of arranging the lines of wire where one track crosses
another.
Figure 9 is an under view of the cab-roof broken, and portions of the device
connected therewith.
A line of wire, P, is located along the track, R, connected to posts D. In order
to locate the wire, P, away from the posts, D, so that the conducting-arm a will
not conflict with said post as it passes over the wire, I provide the posts with an
arm, f having a wire-supporting post h. The upper end of the post h terminates
in a griper adapted to hold the wire in such a manner that no portions of the post
extend above the wire to conflict with the arm a when it passes over the wire P.
The conducting arm, a, is pivotally connected with a shaft, F, which is adapted to
rotate. Said shaft is located in a tube-support, E, and passes down through the
roof, m, of the cab, where a lever, v, is connected therewith in a manner to turn
the shaft in throwing the conducting arm from one side of the cab to another as

page_text: indicated by the dotted position in Figure, 6. Brace rods kk, connect with the
upper end of the tube E, and with the cab-roof m.
Spring braces, cl, cll and c, are connected with arm a, and with a thimble, a¹, on
the tube E, to produce an effectual and yielding engagement of the arm a, with
the wire P, and to allow said aria to pass by any obstructions which it may meet,
by yielding and springing back to place; a rope, t, is connected with the lower
end of arm a, and is located in the hollow centre of the shaft F, extending through
the cab roof; by pulling on said rope the arm a is disengaged from wire P.
The
rope may pass directly through the cab roof without entering the hollow tube
or shaft.
A disc 8, is secured to the under side of the cab roof and surrounds, and rests
against, the lower end of the shaft F, said shaft turning in said disc; this disc is
provided with two raised surfaces for the engagement therewith of the lever v,
Figure 9. When thus engaged the circuit line between the conducting-arm a and
the disc 8 is complete. The lever vengages these raised surfaces at the same
time the arm a engages the wire P. It matters not which side the lever vand
arma may be thrown.
The object of throwing the conducting arm a from one side of the cab to
the other is that it may be on the same side as the wire P, whichever direction the
engine is running; thus in Figure 1 the arm a is on the left hand side of the
cab, and in Figure 2 said arm is on the right hand side of the cab, and the arm
on each cab-engages the same wire, P on one side of the track.
With the plate S, the conducting-wire c is connected (Figures 5, 6-and-9): -In-
lieu of this plan of connecting the conducting arm a with the conducting wire e
said wire may extend directly up through the cab roof and form immediate
connection with said arm u. When the former plan is adopted the tube-support E
may be provided with an insulating lining of india rubber, C, if needed. This
will greatly depend upon the strength of the electrical current. The electrical
generator is here shown located in the cab at, a¹. The generator may consist of
rotating magnets propelled by a small piston engine or by other means. It is
connected with the boiler by a pipe (Figures 1 and 2) through which steam is
conducted to propel the operating mechanism of the generator; as I do not claim
any specific generator and operating means the details are not here illustrated.
The telephone which may be used to communicate between the engines is shown
at c¹. bis the bell and of the ear trumpet. The conducting wire e connects the
generator with the telephone and the generator with the metal part of the engine
at n. Thus by means of the track rail a complete circuit is established between
the trains or engines as in Figures 1 and 2. When the conducting-arms, a, of each
engine are both engaged with the wire P, as in said Figures the bell, b rings in
each cab letting the engineer in each know that they are approaching each other
on the same line of road or within a given radius covered by the circuit between
them; the engineers can then talk with each other by means of the telephone, or
by means of telegraph instruments not here shown.
In Figure 8 the wire P on the line of two roads crossing each other is shown
located out of its regular line for a distance of one mile, more or less, each way
from the crossing A, and short lines of wire P¹ P¹, are located in the place
otherwise occupied by the main wires P P. The short lines are not connected
with the main lines, but are connected with each other where they cross.
The main lines, P P are disconnected where they cross, one of them being located
on a higher plane than the other.
With this arrangement of wires in connection with the apparatus connected with
the engines trains coming on each branch of the road R R towards the crossing A
signal each other as soon as the conducting arms, a, engage the short wires P1 P₁,
and trains a greater distance away on a single line with arms a engaging the main
wire P can signal and communicate with each other. When the arms a reach the
point where the short wires, P¹ cross each other the yielding braces CO will allow

page_text: the arm to pass or the engineer may throw the arms off until the crossing is
passed.
In Figure 7 a double incline-rest, u is shown. This rest is connected with the
upper end of the shaft F and supports the conducting arm. Thus should said arm
come in contact with an obstruction and be thrown from the wire P it would be
carried up the incline and hence would not fall beneath the wire P.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The combination with a metal track and a line of wire along said track,
of railway engines or other vehicles each provided with an alarm, an electric
generator, and an electric reversible conducting arm adapted to engage said line
of wire, whereby an alarm is sounded in the engines, approaching each other,
substantially as set forth.
Second. In a train-signalling device, the combination with a railway track and a
line of wire along said track, of a vehicle adapted to traverse said track and
provided with means for communicating alarms or messages, conducting wires, and
a conducting-arm adapted to be thrown from one side of the vehicle to the other,
for the object stated, all substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination with a metal track and a line of wire along said track,
of separate engines or other vehicles adapted to traverse said track, each provided
with an alarm, an electrical generator, conducting wires, and a reversible conducting
arm, adapted to engage said line of wire, substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination with the cab of an engine or other movable vehicle
provided with means for receiving and transmitting signals or messages, and a
conducting-arm pivotally connected to a support, of a metal track, a line of wire
along said track, and means for causing a yielding engagement of said conducting
arm and line of wire substantially as specified.
Fifth. The combination, with a metal track, and a line of wire along said track,
of railway engines or other vehicles, each provided with means for producing
electricity, means for receiving and transmitting signals, alarms or messages, &
reversible conducting arm adapted to engage said line of wire, and means for causing
a yielding engagement of said parts, all substantially as set forth.
Sixth. An engine or other vehicle provided with a tube-support and a shaft
adapted to rotate in said tube-support, in combination with a conducting arm
connected with the top of said shaft, and means for rotating the shaft for the
purpose of throwing the conducting-arm from one position to another substantially
as described and shown.
Seventh. In a train-signalling device, the combination with a tube-support, a
thimble at the top thereof adapted to rotate thereon, of a pivotally connected
conducting-arm and spring-braces connecting said arm and thimble substantially as
specified.
Eighth. In a train-signalling device, the combination with a metal track and a
line of wire along said track, of an engine or other vehicle adapted to traverse
said track and provided with means for communicating signals or messages,
means for producing electricity, a reversible conducting-arm, and conducting wires
connecting said means and conducting arm with the metal portion of the vehicle
substantially as set forth.
Ninth. An engine or other vehicle, provided with an insulated tube-support, a
shaft adapted to rotate in said support a pivoted conducting-arm, an electrical
generator, an alarm, and conducting wire, in combination with a metal-track and a
line of wire along said track, substantially as described and shown.
Tenth. In a train-signalling device, the combination with a vehicle having a
shaft adapted to rotate, an operating lever at the lower end of said shaft, a
conducting arm connecting with the upper end thereof, an alarm, generator, and
conducting wires, of a metal track and a line of wire along the line of said track,
substantially as described and shown,

page_text: Eleventh. The combination, with metal tracks crossing each other, and vehicles
adapted to traverse said tracks provided with conducting-arms, conducting wires,
generators, and means for receiving and transmitting signals or messages, of the
main lines of wire thrown out of their regular line at the crossing of the tracks,
and the short lines of wire connecting each other where they cross, substantially as
set forth.
Twelfth. In a train-signalling device, the combination with the yielding
conducting-arm, of the double-incline rest, substantially as set forth.
C
11001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.