IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING RAILWAY SIGNALS AND FOR MAINTAINING THE PROPER TENSION OF THE CORDS OR CHAINS EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH SIGNALS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Evans and Henry James
Bennett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th September
1882.
RICHARD EVANS, of Denmark Road, Kilburn, and HENRY JAMES BENNETT, of
Pembroke Road, Kilburn, both in the County of Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING RAILWAY
SIGNALS AND FOR MAINTAINING THE PROPER TENSION OF THE CORDS OR CHAINS
EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH SIGNALS,"
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
mechanism for actuating the distant signals and other signals of railways, by means
of which such operation is effected in a more simple and reliable manner than by
the means ordinarily employed, whilst at the same time the cords or chains are
always maintained at the proper tension whatever may be the action of the atmo-
sphere thereon. This invention also relates to the construction and arrangement of
mechanism for actuating a gong or other signal mounted on the engine or other
part of the train so as to attract the attention of the guard or engine driver in dark
or foggy weather, such mechanism being actuated either simultaneously with the
distant signal or by means of a separate cord or chain.
In close proximity to the box from which the signals are actuated is arranged, in
suitable bearings, a spindle on which is mounted a wheel provided with teeth or
projections on its periphery. One end of the chain or cord employed for actuating
the signal is passed over the said wheel in such a manner that the teeth or pro-
jections on the same take into the links or other analogous contrivances, and the
end of the chain hanging below the said wheel is provided with a weight. On the
said spindle is mounted a cog-wheel which gears into a similar wheel mounted on a
counter spindle. In front of the last mentioned cog-wheel is a frame one face of
which is provided with a rack which, when moved up and down by levers, as will
be well understood, will, by acting on the last mentioned cog wheel, cause the
spindle to revolve and the chain or cord to be drawn in, or released, by the teeth or
projections on the before mentioned wheel thereby actuating the signal. The rack
is, by preference, kept in gear with the cog wheel by means of springs which act
on a plate bearing against the said frame. The continuation of the said chain or

page_text: cord is arranged along the permanent way in any suitable manner and the opposite
end thereof is passed over a wheel provided on the periphery with teeth or pro-
jections and mounted loosely on a spindle arranged near the distant signal in a
similar manner to the first mentioned end both ends being provided with similar
weights. On the last mentioned wheel is a pawl which, when the cord or chain is
pulled, acts on the teeth of a wheel fixed on the said spindle which is caused to
revolve, and the rod, cord or chain connected with the signalling mechanism being
thereby wound up or moved in by a wheel or drum or similar contrivance on the
spindle, the signal will be actuated. It will be readily understood that chains or
cords may be arranged, in a manner similar to that herein before described to
actuate levers or cords or other contrivances for moving the glass discs of signal
lamps.
In some cases we place a rocking shaft beneath the rails, and arrange thereon
two arms, in such a manner that the said shaft, being connected with the levers
and cords or chains for actuating the distant signal will, when the said signal is
placed at "danger be rocked so as to bring the said arms into an upward position
in order that they may come into contact with a lever or levers arranged on the
engine or other part of the train for striking a gong or actuating any suitable
signal arranged on the train. When the distant signal is removed from "danger'
the shaft will be rocked the reverse way so that the arm or arms will be brought
into a position too low for coming into contact with the levers arranged on the
train. It will be understood that the said shaft may be worked by the cord or
chain for actuating the distant signal or it may be worked entirely independently
of the latter.
"