Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Signalling on Railways.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 6th Nov., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Signalling on
Railways.
I WYNFORD BRIERLEY of Carr Hall Villa, Nelson, in the County of Lancaster,
Registration Agent, 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 principally to that class of apparatus for signalling on
railways which consists principally of a lever mounted on the engine or other
suitable part of the train in such a position as to come in contact with a suitable
projection upon the permanent way governed by the signal man the said lever
hanging upon a suitable centre and held in place by two reversed springs of equal
strength so that the lever is relieved of all undue shock and will act equally well
when the engine or train is moving in either direction. This lever is connected
to apparatus constructed so as to operate a bell or give other alarm on a train
in motion, from the signal cabin, and can be worked simultaneously with the
working of the semaphore thus duplicating the present signalling arrangements.
The principal object of the present invention is to adapt the above apparatus to
give both an audible and a visible signal on the engine or train as to the position
of the semaphore signal whether it is at danger or at safety, and also to provide
specially suitable signals on the engine or train and a special contact bar (and
adjuncts therefor) on the permanent way.
My invention will be ready understood from the following description on
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved arrangement of spring levers,
whereby can obtain a definite signal on the engine as to the position (either at
safety or danger) of the semaphore signal. Figs. 2, 24, 3 and 4 shew the improved
signal apparatus to be fitted in the engine, Fig. 2 having the front plate removed
and Fig. 2 shewing the front plate on but being drawn to a smaller scale,
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 shew the contact bar on the permanent way, and the means for
actuating the same. Figs. 5 and 6 shew (detached) a modification hereafter
more particularly referred to.
According to the first part of this invention I arrange the lever and its adjuncts
for making the necessary electric contact (or creating the necessary electrie
current) upon the engine in duplicate; that is to say, in the box A I fit two
shafts and two levers a each held in equilibrio (hanging vertically) by a pair
of springs c c¹ or equivalent device and each shaft al being provided with a cam for
making contact between two pairs of springs (or with a coil for inducing a current
as it rocks between a magnet or magnets) as described by my Specification accom-
panying application for Letters Patent No. 24,841 of 1896. The wires in
connection with the spring contacts are connected as hereafter described to the
bells and signals.
d is the bell, common to both danger and safety signals; is the danger
signal seen when the semaphore signal is at danger and is the "safe" signal

page_text: shewn when the semaphore signal is at safe. The signal d' is fixed on an arm ³
and caused to drop into view so as to be seen through an opening on window D¹
ir the front of the casing D.
dis fixed on an arm ds and caused to move behind the opaque spaced shutter Da
in the front of the casing D as to shew the letters SAFE, or their equivalent in
the spaces behind the opaque strips of D³.
The drawings Figs. 2 and 2 for the sake of illustration shew the danger signal
and the safe signal visible.
The lever dis weighted so that when it stands in the position shewn by dots
on Fig. 2 it is held in that position by the end of a spring lever or catch which
forms part of the armature of an electro magnet in connection with the
wires a from one of the levers (. When this magnet is excited by the
completion of the current by the rocking of this lever a the armature is raised
and releases ³ which falls into the position shewn in full lines on Fig. 2 into
contact with a spring
.
The clapper or tongue of the bell d is fixed to the armature 5, and the poles
of the battery E are connected with the various parts of the apparatus as shewn
on Fig. 2.
The wire leading to the Danger signal is connected through the battery, to
the coils and thence to the pillar rod or projection d
The corresponding wire a is in connection with the spring d, and the spring
is in metallic monnection with the screw or terminal 1, connected by the wire (18
with the battery E as shewn.
The lever is in metallic connection through its support
which is in metallic connection with and and supports the
ture and which also supports and is connected to the pillar
from it.
with the frame
spring of the arma-
16, but is insulated
The wire 5 of the safety signal is connected through the Battery E to the
coils 10, and the corresponding wire a is taken directly to the spring of the
armature 13
The bell is therefore continuously sounded until, by inward pressure on the
push button, the spring is raised and the lever locked by the catch ³,
the spring then returns and breaks the connection.
This spring performs several functions; it serves as contact maker for con-
timious alarm, & support for the indicator or signal when shewn and a replacer of
the said signal.
Furthermore, supposing that at any time it is desired to test the battery.and the
signal generally, before starting on a journey, the engine driver or an inspector can
by pushing the spring up to make contact with the lever complete the electric
circuit and if the bell rings properly the apparatus is in order.
This danger signal may be used with the single form of lever a shown ca
Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings accompanying the Specification No. 24,841 of
1896 above mentioned; but I prefer to use it with the double arrangement already
referred to so that the bell may serve also to give a signal (though not a continu-
ous one) when the semaphore signal is at safety or line clear: for this purpose
the wires from the spring contact pieces in connection with the second of the
double set of levers are connected as before described to the battery and to an
electro magnet 10, see also section Fig. 4 taken through about the line Z Z on
Fig. 2.
One of the pole pieces of this magnet is extended and cranked as shewn so
as to attract a second armature as well as the armature d to which the
clapper dis fixed.
This armature №2 is fixed or fitted to a depending lever held in place by two
reversed springs 15 acting and disposeu in a similar manner to the springs c c¹
above described.
The lever carries a disc or plate on which the letters SAFE or any
equivalent devices are marked in such a manner as (when the armature d¹³ is

page_text: not attracted to be concealed by the opaque parts of the spaced shutter D³. As
soon however as the armature is attracted the bell d is sounded and the letters
or devices appear in sight until the second lever a has caused to vibrate sufficiently
to complete the necessary circuit.
The next part of my invention relates to the contact bar for deflecting either
of the levers a as desired according to the position of the semaphore signal and
for this purpose I use a rocking lever with two ends 6 6* similarly formed but
one 6 heavier than the other b, each end forming a contact bar as required.
The lever b b is mounted on a shaft 66 carried by suitable brackets b¹ fixed to a
sleeper (or otherwise) near to the rail in such a position that the path of one
lever a is above b and that of the other lever a is above *.
The lever bb is moved by a lever 63 on the shaft 5 the lever being con-
nected by a wire rod chain or cord 6 to the usual weighted lever of the semaphore
signal in such a manner, that when the semaphore is raised to "danger" the part b
is raised as shown and when lowered to safety the part 6 is raised by the
pulling of 6 in the direction of the arrow (or vice versa).
Figs. 5 and 6 show how b b may be worked from several semaphore signals
by using a corresponding number of levers (say 63, 64, 65 and. forming in each
lever (63, 64, 6) a quadrant shaped recess 6** in which a key r fixed in the shaft be
can work and thus any one of the levers 63, 64, 65 (say ³) can move the lever b b*
without interfering or moving the other levers (say 64 65).
6 being heavier than will keep the engine signal always at danger unless
withdrawn to safety. I further provide spring stops or buffers 68 69 for each
portion of the rocking bar bb, and thus the working part of the latter can not get
out of place by being pulled or dropped too far.
Another feature of this weighted rocking bar b b is that it can be connected to
a gate at a level crossing and warn the driver whether the gate is open or closed.
Finally a lever such as the lever a with its shaft reversed springs and electric
contacts or induction apparatus described in the Specification of my previous
application for Letters Patent aforesaid may be suitably fitted on the permanent
way, in combination with a suitable signal in the signal box or cabin or other
place, and a suitable projection or contact bar carried by (say) the guards van or
the last carriage of a train.
<<
The lever will then act as a treadle to indicate that no part of the train can
have been left in the section of line governed by the signal man, or to indicate
if desired to a station Master or others that the train is approaching a station or
other place.
The application of this arrangement is evident without further illustration.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination of the two spring levers on the engine with means for
creating or setting up electric currents in connection with two suitable signals
also on the engine and a contact bar or bars on the permanent way so connected to
the semaphore signal as to deflect one of the said spring levers when the sema-
at safety.
phore is at danger and the other spring lever when the semaphore
2. The general arrangement and construction of combined danger and safety
signal substantially as described with reference to Figs. 2, 2, 3 and 4 of the
annexed drawings.
3. The improved signal consisting of the combination of electro magnet, arma-
ture catch and signal lever with the spring and bush button substantially as
hereinbefore described.
4. The improved signal consisting of the combination of electro magnet with
prolonged pole piece with the signal lever having reversed springs, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
5. The rocking weighted contact bar connected by a suitable lever with the

page_text: semaphore signal for the purpose of giving a signal on the engine in either
position of the semaphore.
6. The combination with a pivotted contact bar of a series of levers with quad-
rant shaped recesses in which a feather on the shaft or pivot of the contact
bar can work substantially as hereinbefore described.
7. The arrangement on the permanent way of lever and reversed springs with
its electric connections or induction apparatus in combination with a signal at the
signal cabin or other place and acting as a "treadle" in combination with a
suitable projection on the train substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 5th day of August 1897.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.