Year: 1888

page_text: I SIDNEY BOLTON KINCAID, Clerk and Schoolmaster, of Oakhurst Chigwell in the
County of Essex, 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 :-
The invention consists of the employment of the cutting, breaking, or otherwise
severing, by a cutter, breaker, or severer, attached to the permanent way or ground,
which when set to danger is in a position to encounter such wire, a wire, ribbon, cord,
chain, or rod, suitably fixed on to the locomotive, to operate a signal on the
locomotive from a fixed signal box or station.
In order that the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed may be more clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying
drawings.
T in the upper figure represents an iron box, with holes or drain pipe to relieve it
of water, fixed to the ground or permanent way. A shaft K having at one end a bell
crank or segmental arm turns in holes in sides of box and on to this is pinned a tube
in length equal to the width of the box and joined to the arm H. Another shaft or
axle L turning in holes in the sides of the box near the top is pinned into a tube
joined to an iron plate of the form shown at G, and having its upper edge sharpened;
so that the plate rests on the arm H and works through a slit in the cover M M of the
box. A chain is fastened on to the segmental end of the crank K, of which one end
is or can be attached to the signal wire and the other carries a weight working in a
tube or shaft in the ground and sufficient when the wire is slackened for "danger" to
throw the arm K up against the stop E into a vertical position and thus lift the
plate G from a position which misses the wire W to a height as shown in the figure
sufficient to meet the wire. The hook U, rivetted or bolted to K, at the same time
engages the stud S projecting from the face of G, V and S however having sufficient
clearance to allow the plate to rise far enough for the arm K to fall out of the recess,
in which it is shown engaged, when the wire is tightened for the signal "line clear."
F is a strong metal frame, solid or hollow, of weight sufficient to close the valve V
against the maximum pressure of steam. The crosspiece C carries in slots the axle of

page_text: the reel D of wire just strong enough to resist the breaking strain of this frame or
fork and its supporting rod. This wire passes through a hole in the frame round the
square taper peg P from leg to leg of F through slits in them round the square taper
peg Q, by a few turns round which it is secured.
This frame or fork is bolted to the strong bar or tube R, which has a socket Y
sliding on the bracket B attached to the engine so that when G is up in the position
of danger the wire W must encounter it on the engine passing the place, this
encounter taking place clear of and preferably outside of the lever L.
V is a valve, shown closed in the diagram, which when open allows steam to pass
from J, communicating with the boiler, through O to a whistle This valve is kept
closed by the pressure of the strained wire W on the lever L L, which turns by a
pivot at P on the top of the arm A projecting from the casting of the valve chamber
of V, while the other end from W rests on the end of the spindle of the valve V.
Supposing the engine fitted with the apparatus to pass over G when the signal is at
danger, the wire W is broken, the pressure of the steam opens V and calls the
attention of the driver by sounding the whistle, while the bar R falls an inch or so till
Y reaches the bottom of the bracket B. The fireman then lifts off the frame F by the
handle of R, draws out a fresh length of wire from the reel D, passes it a couple of
times round P, stretches it through the slits, and fastens it tight by a few turns round
Q. He then replaces it on to B and its weight pressing. down by the wire W the
lever L raises and closes the valve V.
It is desirable that two of these frames should be fitted one on each side of the
engine so as to work whichever way it runs. It is also desirable to fix a signalling
plate on one side of the line for the distance and on the other for the home signal.
The plate G can be made to work a repeater from the end nearest its pivotting L
just as a semaphore does. The plate G and the arm K may conveniently be half an
inch thick, and the arm K six inches long.
The lever LL may be three inches from the valve to P and ten inches from P to W.
The frame F may be five inches between the ends of the fork and twelve inches in
height. The crosspiece C should stand so high as to leave six inches clear between
the lowest point of the reel D and the wire W, the slits for which may be one quarter
inch deep and the pegs half an inch square and three-quarters long. The top of the
box M M may be fixed half an inch helow the top of the rail, and the frame F and
lever L L so that W has its stretched length three inches above the rail level when V
is closed and that Y has an inch of clearance to drop on the bracket B.
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
The employment of the cutting, breaking, or otherwise severing, by a cuiter,
breaker, or severer, attached to the permanent way or ground, which when set to
danger is in a position to encounter such wire, a wire, ribbon, cord, clain, or rod,
suitably fixed on to the locomotive, to operate a signal on the locomotive from a fixed
signal box or station.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of December One thousand sight hundrad and
SIDNEY BOLTON KINCAID.