apparatus for Railway Signalling
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 18th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 28th Sept., 1888
I, JOSHUA WILLEY of No. 7 Hope Street, Thornhill, Rotherham in the County of
York, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An apparatus for Railway Signalling I have a cylinder fastened in a vertical
position on Engine or Tender with a round ball to fit the cylinder that forces the
Piston and Rod which rings a bell or turns on the whistle or changes position of lamp
by coming in contact with an inclined plane worked from the signal box, moving in
a lateral direction to the rails-always standing at danger except changed by the
signal man.

page_text: I, JOSHUA WILLEY of. No. 7, Hope Street Rotherham in the County of York,
Engineer 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 :-
My invention relates to Railway Signalling apparatus which is applied upon and
attached to the Locomotive or other railway vehicle and consists of a vertical
cylinder suitably secured to the tender or other desired part of Locomotive or
vehicle; a suitable round ball is made to fit freely within said cylinder which ball
forces a rod upwards, by which means a bell is rung, or a whistle turned on, or the
position of a Lamp is altered, or the shades of a lamp are changed, or other suitable
indicating device operated by means of the said ball coming in contact with a suitable
inclined plane, the said plane being worked preferably from the signal box and moved
in a lateral direction at right angles to the rails, and always standing at danger or in
position for the hereinbefore described ball to come in contact therewith except
otherwise altered or changed by the signal man or other person known thereas.
a
In order to make my present invention thoroughly understood so that the same
may be readily carried into effect I hereunto attach drawings of which the following
is a description. Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation of my improved apparatus which
may be fixed to any suitable part of the Locomotive or other similar vehicle and
fig. 2. is a cross sectional elevation of inclined plane which is capable of being operated
upon either from the signal box or other suitable position. My improved apparatus
has a ball Y which is fitted into a vertical cylinder X in such a manner that it is capable
of being revolved or moved therein freely and is prevented falling therefrom by means
of a flange W which is securely bolted or otherwise attached to said vertical cylinder X.
The top portion of the cylinder X is made preferably in the form shown and is
secured to a suitable part of Locomotive or other railway vehicle by bolts or other
means.
A rod V passes vertically or otherwise through the top portion of said vertical
cylinder X, and has at the bottom portion thereof a flange V₁ which comes in contact
or rests on the said ball Y. Around the upper part of flange V₁ is placed a rubber or
other flexable ring T. Where it is preferred to use a whistle as a signal I arrange
a cylinder S having a gland or stuffing box S¹ top and bottom thereof and having a
bracket S attached to or made with it for the purpose of securing the said cylinder in
a vertical or other suitable position upon the engine locomotive or similar vehicle.
At the top of rod V is arranged a suitable whistle R and connected to the steam
cylinder S is a steam supply pipe which conveys live steam from the Locomotive
boiler to the cylinder S. The rod V is made hollow and has a suitable number of
holes V2 pierced in a suitable position therethrough. The apparatus works in the
following manner, when the signal is at danger or it is necessary to communicate to
the driver any similar instruction the inclined plane N (a cross section of which is
shown at fig. 2) is arranged in a suitable position preferably between the rails and
above the sleepers, it is always in position so that the ball Y will come in contact
there with except when it is not necessary to communicate to the driver, when the
position thereof is altered by a person in the signal box or elsewhere. When the said
inclined plane is in position for danger the locomotive passes over it and the ball Y
thereby comes in contact therewith by which means the rod V is lifted, and when the
said Locomotive is travelling at considerable speed the ball Y is pressed upwards with

page_text: force and then the rubber ring T acts as a buffer at the top of cylinder X as will be
well understood.
When a whistle is used as illustrated at fig. 1. the perforations V2 travel upwards
when the ball Y strikes the inclined plane until they come within the cylinder S, the
steam from the supply pipe Q then blows through said perforations V2 and ascends the
rod V and operates the whistle R at the top thereof. The said whistle will continue
to blow until the person on the locomotive forces the rod V down again. The forcing
down of said rod may be performed by any suitable mechanical or other means, for
instance a quadrant and rack may be used where preferred the rack to be attached to
the upper portion of pipe V and the quadrant having a suitable lever secured to the
side or other position of apparatus; or when desired the rod V may be pressed down
by means of a lever M, working on a pivot L supported by a stand K, and a steam
cylinder J having a piston H and a steam pipe connection G the said pipe G having
a suitable tap fitted thereto for the purpose of allowing steam to enter the cylinder
Junder the piston H and also a tap to allow the steam to exhaust therefrom as will
be well understood.
When the ball Y has come in contact with the inclined plane N and thereby forced
the rod V upwards the collar P is caused to come in contact with the runners M¹
which are fixed on the lever M, and thereby the end M' of lever M is forced upwards
and simultaneously the end M2 of said lever is forced downwards thus pressing down
the piston H within the cylinder J. the exhaust tap having been previously opened
and subsequently closed, the tap for the admission of live steam to the cylinder J
may then be again opened when it is required to force down the rod V and so stop
the blowing of the whistle, the ringing of the bell, or alter any device which has
been moved for the purpose of signalling to the driver or other person. The rod V
may he arranged to lift or operate upon any suitable device for the purpose of
indicating danger or other instructions to the driver or other person in charge of or
situated within the locomotive or other vehicle. It will be obvious that where means
are employed for the use of signalling in any other way than by a whistle or other
appliance requiring steam or its equivalent that the cylinder S may be dispensed
with and its place occupied by a support or bearing for the rod V.
The inclined plane may be worked in the manner shown at fig. 2. that is a suitable
wire or other attachment A is fastened to the inclined plane N, under said plane N
is arranged a rack E which meshes into a quadrant B supported upon a shaft which
carries a lever C and weight D, the weight D always causes the inclined plane to
travel to danger unless pulled away by the attachment A. I would however have it
well understood that the inclined plane may be arranged to travel into position for
coming into contact with the ball Y. by any other suitable means.
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 apparatus adapted for signalling to the drivers of Locomotives or other such
vehicles the use of a ball Y. working in a vertical cylinder X and arranged to come
in contact with an inclined plane or other projection thereby operating a rod V.
substantially as described and illustrated at fig. 1. or any mere modification thereof.
2. An apparatus substantially as described and set forth at figs. 1. and 2. and for
the purpose specified.
Dated this 17th Jave of Amount 1000