Automatic Safety Blocking Apparatus for Railways.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Oct., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Safety Blocking Apparatus for Railways.
We, JOHANN SACEK, of No. 11, Stitnygasse, Zizkov, Austria, Engineer, and
JOSEF JOACHIM BACHMAYR, of I, Lichtenfelsgasse, No. 1, Vienna, Austria, Mer-
chant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an automatic safety blocking apparatus for railway
trains by means of which a train running on a line is automatically protected
against any other train whether approaching from behind or from the front.
The invention consists mainly in providing at each blocking station of the line
a relay, a sliding contact, and deflection contacts, or insulated rails, these parts
being so combined that on actuating the deflection contact by a passing train
(on which are arranged, in addition to a source of electric current a steam whistle
actuated by an electro magnet, and controlling the steam regulator and brakes,
and contact brushes) the relay armature is attracted and remains so until the
train in travelling onward has arrived at a point where it unblocks or clears
the section by sending a reverse current into the said blocking station, whereby
the relay armature thereof is released so as to clear the section.
We will describe the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings,
in which Fig. 1 shews a diagrammatic view of the combined apparatus for a
single-line railway and Fig. 2 shews the same for a double line railway; Fig. 3
shews a side view of the two deflection contacts, Fig. 4 shews the two contacts
in cross section; Figs. 5 and 6 shew diagrammatic views of the parts provided
on the locomotive engine for carrying out the above described method of operating,
the parts being shown arranged for running in the one direction in Fig. 5 and for
running in the contrary direction at Fig. 6. These parts consist of a source
of current a of any suitable kind such as a dynamo, or storage battery &c., and
a Lartigue whistle b of known construction, the electromagnet of which is con-
nected by a lead with the source of current, and from which a branch lead c
passes to the contact brush ², while by means of the electromagnet of the
whistle the current can be led to a second brush d. The whistle is so connected
to the steam regulator and atmospheric brake apparatus in the known manner
that both are actuated on the electromagnet being demagnetised.
On the line of railway there is provided, in the case of a single line Fig. 1
at each blocking station I II III &c., a relay f, the deflection contacts g, h, the
batteries i and k, the multiplicator and the sliding contact m which parts are
electrically connected together by suitable leads.
The multiplicator is an indicator apparatus of well known construction
consisting of a wire coil, which when a current is passed through it, actuates
an indicating needle so as to point either to "line clear" or to "line blocked."
Each relay has an armature n in the form of a two-armed lever, the ends of
which carry the contact pieces o and p that come respectively in contact with
contact pieces q, r, on the motion of the armature.
The contacts q, r, are connected to the battery circuit of i which includes
the multiplicator, while the contacts op are connected to the electromagnet of

page_text: the relay, and are in communication with the circuit leading through the deflec-
tion contacts to the other battery k.
This circuit is furthermore connected to an earth plate e while the contact r
is connected to the sliding contact m. The circuit of the battery i in the blocking
station I is connected by a line wire with the same battery circuit of the corre-
sponding line clearing station IV.
↓
The sliding contact m is so arranged according to the direction of travel of
the train that it will always come in contact with the contact brush d¹ of the
locomotive.
In blocking station I therefore it is to the right hand and in blocking
station IV to the left hand of the axis of the railway line (in relation to the
direction of the arrow Fig. 1).
For each blocking station there are provided two deflection contacts on the
line of rails, which operate in combination.
The one contact g consists of a hollow casting extending partly under the
one rail between two sleepers, in which casting there is arranged immediately
under the rail a pressure piece t capable of sliding up and down and acting upon
a diaphragm s; in the chamber under the latter is contained a body of mercury
or other suitable liquid conductor of electricity, which on the pressing downward
of the rail by a passing train is forced by the consequent deflection of the
diaphragms, up into an upper chamber and thereby establishes an electrical
contact between the two wire leads 1 and 2 (Fig. 4) which are passed in an
insulated manner into the casting. The lead 1 is connected to the earth contact
of the relay f, while 2 is connected to the lead 3 of the second deflection
contact of the same blocking station.
The contact h differs from the contact g in that it contains three chambers unu
in addition to the chamber s, instead of only one, the middle one, which is filled
with liquid, being situated below the other two, with which it communicates.
Into the connecting channel between the first and second chambers u projects
the above mentioned wire lead 3, and into the channel between the second and
third chambers projects the wire lead 4 which is connected to the battery k.
The above described apparatus operates as follows:-
When the train travelling in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1 arrives at
the blocking station I the brush don the right hand side of the engine touches
the sliding contact m without producing any effect, because the communication
between the contact pieces r and p is interrupted.
On the train continuing its motion it blocks the blocking station I by means
of the deflection contacts gh, the passing train causing the mercury in apparatus g
to be forced into the chamber u so as to connect the leads 1 and 2, so that the
circuit of the battery is closed through the second deflection contact h (at 3
and 4), the relay f, and the armature contact n. The excited relay attracts its
armature which remains attracted because the battery was put in circuit.
From this battery a current passes through q, o, relay f, contacts p, r, multipli-
cator and back to battery i.
The blocking station I remains blocked until the engine has reached the
corresponding clearing station IV; the other brush 2 then passes over the sliding
contact m of this station, whereby a reverse current is made to pass from the
battery a ou the engine through 2, m, contact r, multiplicator into the line
conductor connecting station IV with station I, which current passes at I through
the multiplicator, the contacts r, p, relay f, to earth, and back to the earth
connection of battery a. This reverse current causes the armature to be removed
from the electromagnet of the relay of station I.
If the train is travelling in the contrary direction, it blocks the station IV in
the same way as above described with reference to station I.
In the station I, which now becomes the unblocking or clearing station, the
train first passes over the deflection contact h and then over g. By this means
the mercury in h is forced into the first chamber u which is filled with air;

page_text: this presses upon the mercury contained in the middle chamber u and forces it
into the third chamber u. The mercury is thus removed from the wire lead 3
so that the circuit of battery & is broken at this point. The engine then actuates
the deflection contact g, but as the contact 3 in h is broken, no current passes.
The deflection contacts are consequently only rendered operative in one direction
of travel.
If a following engine reaches station I before the first engine has passed over
station IV in the first described case, where IV is the clearing station, the follow-
ing takes place.
The right hand contact brush d¹ of the second engine passes over the sliding
contact m and closes the circuit a, b, d', m, r, p, o, a. This current demagnetises
the electromagnet of whistle b and causes this to sound; the brakes are also
applied in the known manner.
If an engine is advancing on the line towards the first engine, the following
takes place. Such advancing engine touches the sliding contact m with its
brush at station IV, closes the circuit of its current generator a through b, d¹,
mr, l, line conductor from IV to I, 1, r, P, relay f earth in I back to earth
connection of current generator a of the said advancing engine.
By means of this current the whistle of the engine is sounded and the latter
is brought to a standstill. But as this engine, before arriving at the blocking
station IV must have passed a previous blocking station VI which latter is
connected with station III in the same way as IV is with I, the said advancing
engine will have so actuated the apparatus at station III that when the first
engine arrives at that station it will be automatically arrested in the same way
that the advancing engine is stopped at station VI.
When applying the above described safety blocking apparatus to a double
line railway the following alterations are required as shewn at Fig. 2.
1. The blocking stations are arranged to control alternately the right hand
and the left hand line of rails, and the sliding contacts m are correspondingly
arranged alternately on the one and the other line.
2. In place of the deflection contacts may also be employed insulated lengths
of rail v:
3. For freeing the separate blocking stations, which with the single line of
rails is effected by the sliding contact m, special contacts are provided, the
distance of which from the next blocking station in the rear has to be determined
with reference to the greatest length of trains running on the line.
The mode of operating is effected in precisely the same way as described with
reference to the single line of rails.
The multiplicator actuated from the unlocking or clearing station indicates
to the train stopping at a blocking station when it is free to pass onward.
11 11:00th Ja of Octahan 1800
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Automatic Safety Blocking Apparatus for Railways.
We, JOHANN SACEK, of No. 11, Stitnygasse, Zizkov, Austria, Engineer, and
JOSEF JOACHIM BACHMAYR, of I, Lichtenfelsgasse, No. 1, Vienna, Austria, Mer-
chant, 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 to an automatic safety blocking apparatus for railway

page_text: trains by means of which a train running on a line is automatically protected
against any other train whether approaching from behind or from the front.
The invention consists mainly in providing at each blocking station of the line
a relay, a sliding contact, and deflection contacts, or insulated rails, these parts
being so combined that on actuating the deflection contact by a passing train
(on which are arranged, in addition to a source of electric current a steam whistle
actuated by an electro magnet, and controlling the steam regulator and brakes,
and contact brushes) the relay armature is attracted and remains so until the
train in travelling onward has arrived at a point where it unblocks or clears
the section by sending a reverse current into the said blocking station, whereby
the relay armature thereof is released so as to clear the section.
We will describe the invention in connection with the drawings accompanying
the Provisional Specification, in which Fig. 1 shews a diagrammatic view of the
combined apparatus for a single-line railway and Fig. 2 shews the same for a
double line railway; Fig. 3 shews a side view of the two deflection contacts,
Fig. 4 shews the two contacts in cross section; Figs. 5 and 6 shew diagrammatic
views of the parts provided on the locomotive engine for carrying out the above
described method of operating, the parts being shown arranged for running in
the one direction in Fig. 5 and for running in the contrary direction in Fig. 6.
These parts consist of a source of current a of any suitable kind such as a
dynamo, or storage battery &c., and a steam whistle b of known construction,
the electromagnet of which is connected by a lead with the source of current,
and from which a branch lead c passes to the contact brush, while by means
of the electromagnet of the whistle the current can be led to a second brush d
The whistle is so connected to the steam regulator and pneumatic brake apparatus
in the known manner that both are actuated on the electromagnet being
demagnetised.
On the line of railway there is provided, in the case of a single line Fig. 1
at each blocking station I II III &c., a relay f, the deflection contacts g, h, the
batteries and k, the multiplicator and the sliding contact m which parts are
electrically connected together by suitable leads.
The multiplicator is an indicator apparatus of well known construction
consisting of a wire coil which when a current is passed through it, actuates
an indicating needle so as to point either to "line clear" or to "line blocked."
Each relay has an armature n in the form of a two-armed lever, the ends of
which carry the contact pieces o and p that come respectively in contact with
contact pieces q, r, on the motion of the armature.
The contacts q, r, are connected to the battery circuit of which includes
the multiplicator while the contacts o p are connected to the electromagnet of
the relay, and are in communication with the circuit leading through the deflec-
tion contacts to the other battery k.
This circuit is furthermore connected to an earth plate e while the contact r
is connected to the sliding contact m. The circuit of the battery i in the blocking
station I is connected by a line wire with the same battery circuit of the corre-
sponding line clearing station IV.
The sliding contact m is so arranged according to the direction of travel of
the train that it will always come in contact with the contact brush of the
locomotive.
In blocking station I therefore it is to the right hand and in blocking
station IV to the left hand of the axis of the railway line (in relation to the
direction of the arrow Fig. 1).
For each blocking station there are provided two deflection contacts on the
line of rails, which operate in combination.
The one contact g consists of a hollow casting extending partly under the
one rail between two sleepers, in which casting there is arranged immediately
under the rail a pressure piece t capable of sliding up and down and acting upon
a diaphragm s; in the chamber under the latter is contained a body of mercury

page_text: or other suitable liquid conductor of electricity, which on the pressing downward
of the rail by a passing train is forced by the consequent deflection of the
diaphragm s, up into an upper chamber u and thereby establishes an electrical
contact between the two wire leads 1 and 2 (Fig. 4) which are passed in an
insulated manner into the casting. The lead 1 is connected to the earth contact
of the relay f, while 2 is connected to the lead 3 of the second deflection
contact of the same blocking station.
The contact differs from the contact g in that it contains three chambers uuu
in addition to the chamber s, instead of only one, the middle one, which is filled
with liquid, being situated below the other two, with which it communicates.
Into the connecting channel between the first and second chambers a projects
the above mentioned wire lead 3, and into the channel between the second and
third chambers projects the wire lead 4 which is connected to the battery k.
The above described apparatus operates as follows:
When the train travelling in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1 arrives at
the blocking station I the brush on the right hand side of the engine touches
the sliding contact m without producing any effect, because the communication
between the contact pieces and is interrupted.
On the train continuing its motion it blocks the blocking station I by means
of the deflection contacts gh, the passing train causing the mercury in apparatus
to be forced into the chamber u so as to connect the leads 1 and 2, so that the
circuit of the battery is closed through the second deflection contact h (at 3
and 4) the relay f, and the armature contact n. The excited relay attracts its
armature which remains attracted because the battery was put in circuit.
From this battery a current passes through 7 o, relay f, contacts p r, multipli-
cator and back to battery.
The blocking station 1 remains blocked until the engine has reached the
corresponding clearing station IV; the other brush then passes over the sliding
contact m of this station, whereby a reverse current is made to pass from the
battery a on the engine through d², m, contact r, multiplicator into the line
conductor connecting station IV with station I, which current passes at I through
the multiplicator, the contacts r, p, relay f, to earth, and back to the earth
connection of battery a. This reverse current causes the armature to be removed
from the electromagnet of the relay of station I.
If the train is travelling in the contrary direction, it blocks the station IV in
the same way as above described with reference to station I.
In the station I, which now becomes the unblocking or clearing station the
train first passes over the deflection contact h and then over g. By this means
the mercury in his forced into the first chamber which is filled with air;
this presses upon the mercury contained in the middle chamber u and forces it
into the third chamber u. The mercury is thus removed from the wire lead 3
so that the circuit of battery k is broken at this point. The engine then actuates
the deflection contact g but as the contact 3 in his broken, no current passes.
The deflection contacts are consequently only rendered operative in one direction
of travel.
If a following engine reaches station I before the first engine has passed over
station IV in the first described case, where IV is the clearing station, the follow-
ing takes place.
The right hand contact brush of the second engine passes over the sliding
contact m and closes the circuit a, b, d¹, m, r, p, 0, a. This current demagnetises
the electromagnet of whistle b and causes this to sound; the brakes are also
applied in the known manner.
If an engine is advancing on the line towards the first engine, the following
takes place. Such advancing engine touches the sliding contact m with its
brush at station IV closes the circuit of its current generator a through b, d',
mr, l, line conductor from IV to I, l, r, p, relay f earth in I back to earth
connection of current generator a of the said advancing engine.

page_text: :
By means of this current the whistle of the engine is sounded and the latter
is brought to a standstill. But as this engine, before arriving at the blocking
station IV must have passed a previous blocking station VI which latter is
connected with station III in the same way as IV is with I, the said advancing
engine will have so actuated the apparatus at station III that when the first
engine arrives at that station it will be automatically arrested in the same way
that the advancing engine is stopped at station VI."
When applying the above described safety blocking apparatus to a double
line railway the following alterations are required as shewn at Fig. 2.
1. The blocking stations are arranged to control alternately the right hand
and the left hand line of rails, and the sliding contacts m are correspondingly
arranged alternately on the one and the other line.
2. In place of the deflection contacts may also be employed insulated lengths
of rail v.
3. For freeing the separate blocking stations, which with the single line of
rails is effected by the sliding contact m, special contacts w are provided, the
distance of which from the next blocking station in the rear has to be determined
with reference to the greatest length of trains running on the line.
The mode of operating is effected in precisely the same way as described with
reference to the single line of rails.
The multiplicator actuated from the unlocking or clearing station indicates
to the train stopping at a blocking station when it is free to pass onward.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. Automatic safety blocking apparatus for a railway having arranged in cach
blocking station, which is connected with another or clearing station, a relay,
a sliding contact, a rail contact or insulated piece of rail, whilst on the train
there is a source of electricity, which through an electromagnetically release!!
steam whistle that acts on the steam regulator and brakes is directly connected
to the brushes for the sliding contact, so that, on the train passing the rail contact
or insulated piece of rail at a blocking station the relay armature is withdrawn and
the train is thus protected, whilst on the train passing the connected clearing
station by means of the sliding contact there, a reverse current is sent to the
blocking station, putting it into clearing condition, substantially as described.
2. The rail contacts gh consisting of hollow bodies in which the flexure of the
rail caused by a passing train causes the movement of a conducting liquid so
as to connect electrically the wires 1, 2, in body g and to break contact of the
wires 3, 4, in body h the wire 2 being connected to 3 and the relay circuit being
thus closed only when is actuated before h, substantially as described.
3. The arrangement in each blocking station of the relay f, the armature of
which is by the actuation of the rail contacts g h brought into circuit with the
battery and when attracted closes the circuit of the other battery i, the multi-
plicator 7, the sliding contact m and the correlated blocking station substantially
as described.
Dated this 18th dor of June 1900
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.