Improvement in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 17th Aug., 1893--Accepted, 30th Sept.,
1893
Improvement in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
ARNOLD HALL, Altcar and Hillhouse Station, Cheshire Lines Railway near
Liverpool Railway Signalman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Automatic action to prevent having two trains in one block or section, designed
as follows:-
In the signal cabin, near to the block telegraph instrument I place a clap, or
lever, which is connected by a wire to a spring bar which is placed beside the line
of rails, against the back or distant signal post. I also place on the distant signal
post an additional arm parallel with the present one, which works in connection
with the clap or lever in the cabin & immediately a train, engine, or any vehicle.
passes that signal post it immediately places that signal at danger & also secures
<< line
the block telegraph instrument thereby preventing the signalman giving
cleared" until the section is cleared.
1965
ARNOLD HALL.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I, ARNOLD HALL, of Altcar and Hill House Station, Cheshire Lines Railway,
in the County of Lancaster, Signalman, 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:-
One of the main causes of collision at the present time is the fact of two trains
being by the oversight of the signalman in the same block or section, the signalman
having signalled "line clear on the block instrument and released his other
signals, thus leaving everything open for a following train to come into collision
with any train that is not clear of that block or section.
Now, if it could be so arranged that the engine would itself actuate a set of
signals, putting them at danger and keeping them there until the said train was
clear of the block or section, and at the same time putting the block instrument to
"line block" and keeping that also there, until train was clear of section, the
vast number of accidents that now take place would be in a great measure
avoided.
-
My invention is arranged to prevent accidents of this kind and consists of:-
An apparatus to prevent having two trains in one block or section, by means of
a motion actuated by the engine, which motion manipulates a set of signals,
independent of the signalman or the signals worked by him; to also unpeg the
handle of block instrument and put it to "line block" when train enters section,
and to keep both siguals and block instrument, fixed in this position until train is
clear of section, when the train again actuates a motion, which allows signals to
fall, and block instrument handle to fall, to a vertical position.
By this means the signalman is prevented from sending
is clear of section.
line clear" until train
Should the signalman be ill, or absent, the fact of the finger of block instrument
being vertical would be a sufficient indication that the section was clear.

page_text: If required the apparatus could be coupled with the starting or the advance
signals.
The invention may be understood from the following description; reference
being had to the accompanying drawings in which :-
:-
Figure 1 Sheet I is a general plan of apparatus, lines, signals and cabin.
Figure 2 Sheet II is an elevation of bar or lever motion 1, shewing the motion
after being actuated by a passing train.
Figure 3 Sheet Il is a plan of motion 1.
Figure 4 Sheet II is an end view of motion 1 partly in section.
Figure 5 Sheet II is an end view partly in section on a larger scale, shewing
chains which connect with signals and block instrument.
Figure 6 Sheet II is a plan of the same.
Figure 7 Sheet II is an end view of the weight lever..
Figure 8 Sheet II is an elevation of the weight lever.
Figure 9 Sheet II is a plan of the weight.
Figures 10 & 11 Sheet II are two views of the plate used for fixing bracket
to rail.
Figure 12 Sheet III is a sectional elevation of cabin, and shews method of
connecting apparatus with block instruments, for both up and down lines.
Figure 13 Sheet III is a side view of block instrument, shewing also a section of
bar used for unpegging.
Figure 14 Sheet III is an elevation shewing arrangement for unpegging, and
moving block instruments to "line block."
Figure 15 Sheet III is a plan of the same.
Figure 16 Sheet III is an elevation partly in section shewing method of working
additional signal arms.
Figure 17 Sheet III is a plan of bracket and pulleys for releasing bar or lever
motion 3.
Figure 18 Sheet III is a plan of bar or lever motion 2.
Figure 19 Sheet III is an end view of bar or lever motion 2.
Figure Sheet 1 shews A the up lines, B the six foot way, C the down lines,
D the signalman's cabin, E the up distant signal, F the up home signal, G the up
starting signal, H the up advance signal, I the down distant signal, J the down
home signal, K the down starting signal, L the down advance signal, M the block
instrument for the up line, N the block instrument for the down line.
I place on the up distant signal E, on the up home signal F, also on the down
distant signal 1, and on the down home signal J, additional arms parallel with the
present ones and marked (on Sheet I) respectively a, b, c, d.
I also fix to the rail in any convenient position by a stud or bolt B', a bar or
lever 1 (Figures 1 to 6, Sheets I and II) of any convenient length which I use to
work the up distant signal E and the block instrument M.
I also fix to the rail in a similar manner, another bar or lever 2, which I use to
work the up home signal F.
I also fix to the rail in a, convenient position a bar or lever 3 that I call the
releasing bar which I use to release both the signals and the block instrument.
When the wheel flange of the engine or leading carriage passes over bar or
lever 1, the bar or lever is forced from position shewn in dotted lines, to the
position shewn in full lines, Figure 2 Sheet II.
The lower portion of bar or lever 1 being connected with a stud or pin U, to a
three arm weight lever O, on the single arm of which is the weight P, moves the
weight from position H, to position g, Figure 4 Sheet II.
The weight is sufficiently heavy to keep the motion in this position until forced
from it.
The stud on which the weight lever moves, has both ends fixed in the
bracket A which is bolted to the rail or any convenient fixture. To pin or stud U
is also attached a chain R, (Figure 5 Sheet II) passing over pulley S and
connecting with wire T (Figure 1 Sheet I) partly round pulley V, and partly

page_text: round pulley Y, over pulley 2, to a similar arrangement to Figure
attached to releasing bar or lever 3, and which is partially shewn in plan by
Figure 17 Sheet III.
When the wheel flange of the engine or leading carriage passes over lever or
bar 1, it also moves by chain j which is fixed at one end to stud U (Figures 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, and 16, Sheets I, II, and III,) and at the other end to wire 1, over pulley k,
under pulley m, and on through wire l, to additional signal arm d, fixed to signal
post E.
By this means putting the up distant signal to danger.
Also when the flange of the engine wheel passes over bar or lever 1 it actuates
another wires which is attached to the stud at end of weight lever for the releasing
bar or lever 3, and passes over pulley r Figure 17 Sheet IIl and over pulley t and
fixes to series of weights f
When bar or lever 1 is forced down and releasing bar or lever pulled up, the
up motion of releasing bar, allows the weights, through wire s, over pulleys r
and t, to go down, thus keeping the wire taut, and leaving room for bar or lever 2,
working up home signal F, to be forced down (similar to method shewn on
Figure 16 Sheet III) when the train passes over bar or lever 2.
When the flange of the leading carriage wheel or the flange of the engine wheel
passes over bar or lever 2, it actuates by a chain n, connected at one end with
studo Sheet III Figure 18, and the other end with wire p (Figure 1 Sheet I) over
pulley g, under another pulley and connects with signal arm b, in exactly similar
fashion to Figure 16 Sheet III.
Thus putting the up home signal F to danger.
At the same time the forcing down of bar or lever 2 actuates the weight
lever (Figure 19 Sheet III) which on one side is extended as shewn at u, and
places the extension ", on or nearly on series of weights f
The up distant signal E and the up home signal F, are now both at danger and
remain there until train passes over releasing bar or lever 3.
At present, releasing bar or lever 3 is not used for any other purpose, but can
be arranged if required to work either up starting signal G or up advance
signal H.
When the engine wheel or leading carriage wheel passes over and forces down
releasing bar or lever 3 the wires hoists up the weights f and the weights in
their upward motion, come in contact with extension of weight lever u, (Figure 19
Sheet III) which actuates or pulls up through weight lever v, bar or lever 2.
Thus allowing additional signal arm to drop.
At the same time wire T is actuated and hoists up bar or lever 1, which allows
additional signal arm a to drop.
Both signals being down, the line is now clear.
An extra wire X Figure 12 Sheet III is joined by chain at point i to wire T
and passes under pulley W and up to a series of levers Figures 12, 13, 14 and 15
Sheet III, which unpeg the block instrument handle and puts the finger of the
instrument to "line block,"
The motions are given in the following manner :-
One end of wire X is attached to a double lever w, which is fixed to, or near
the instrument by stud or bolt a.
On the boss of lever w is fixed a small lever y, to which is again fixed by stud
or bolt, a taper bar z, one end of which slides in a guide bracket c¹.
D¹ is the handle at present on the instrument, used by the signalman, when he
works the instrument, and E', the peg or bolt used by him to fix the finger of said
instrument to "line clear," or "line block." The peg is pushed into holes in the
instrument, thus fixing both handle and finger. It is to withdraw this peg when
working the instrument automatically from the engine, that I use the taper bar
arrangement.
When wire T is actuated by bar or lever 1, wire X is pulled down. The motion
forward.
is transferred by lever w, to lever y, which pushes taper bar

page_text: The taper bar passes behind peg or bolt E', and the taper of the bar forces the
peg out of the hole.
Sufficient clearance will be allowed between lever wo, and handle D¹, to allow for
the drawing of peg or bolt E', before lever w comes in contact with handle D'.
Lever to then moves handle D' and finger of instrument, from position shewn
which is "liue clear" to position shewn in dotted lines which indicates "line
block."
This position is retained until train passes over releasing bar or lever 3, when
wire T being forced in the opposite direction allows weight F1 (Figure 12,
Sheet III) on lever G¹ to bring lever wand taper bar to their position as
shewn (Figure 14) and allows handle D₁ of instrument to fall vertical, and be at
liberty for the use of signalman, or if allowed to remain vertical, when next train
entered section the instrument finger would be placed at "line block," and in that
case there would be no necessity for the unpegging part of the motion.
It will now be seen that when a train enters the section (by passing the up
distant signal E) it instantly puts the up distant signal to danger, unpegs the
block instrument bandle, and places the instrument finger to "line block," and at
the same time puts the releasing bar into position for working; also the series of
weights (at or near the up home signal F) are lowered.
When the train passes the up home signal the only direct result is the placing of
that signal to danger.
Both signals will remain up and the instrument remain blocked until the train
passes over the releasing bar, when both signals will be dropped and the
instrument released.
Should it so happen that the train after having once passed out of the section,
was backed to the platform again, the fact of the last wheel flange being backed
sufficiently far, to cross the bar or lever 2, at or near the up home signal, would
again lift both signals to danger and unpeg and put block instrument to "line
block."
On passing out of the section both signals and instrument would be released as
before.
The same results may be attained if it was so arranged that a light wire should
attach to the block instrument, and another wire direct from the up distant signal
motion to the releasing bar motion.
It should be noticed that my invention does not interfere with the present
signals worked by the signalman, nor with their manner of working, and only with
the block instrument so far as to insure safety.
Having now described the working of the signals and instrument for the up
lines, it will be unnecessary to describe those for the down lines, on account of
their similarity of working.
Whatever difference there is, is shewn sufficiently clear on Figure 1 Sheet I.
It is not absolutely necessary to place the motions, opposite the signals as shewn,
they can be placed in any convenient position; nor is it necessary that the
brackets for the motions should be fixed to the lines, any other convenient fixture
can be utilized.
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 :-
1. In railway signalling apparatus the arrangement of bar or lever motions,
substantially as described, whereby the passage of the engine over certain points
at which levers are placed automatically actuates the signals of that section, and
keeps them at danger, until the train passes another point at which a bar or lever
is placed, when the signals are automatically released and the section left open for
any following train.
2. The arrangement of levers and taper bar motions, substantially as described,
whereby the passage of the engine over the same points that work and release the

page_text: signals, automatically unpegs and actuates the handle of the block instrument from
"line clear" and locks it at "line block," until the train passes the signal
releasing point, when the handle is automatically released and left free for the use
of the signalman.
3. The general combined arrangement or construction of parts substantially as
described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of August 1893.
ARNOLD HALL.