Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
=
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
1, EDWARD RUSSELL of 12 Culverland Road, Exeter in the County of Devon,
Signal Superintendent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has reference to improvements in effecting the control of signals
from two or more boxes. It is found convenient and desirable at times instead of
fixing a co-acting plate on the signal post and running the wires from the several
cabins direct to this plate thus controlling the signal by the joint action of the
two, to arrange that the signal box in advance controls the lever in the other box
which operates the signal. It will be readily understood that where this system
is applied although the joint consent of both the signalmen is necessary before the
signal can be deflected, yet in the case of the far box if any emergency should
arise that it should appear necessary to replace the controlled signal to danger
after it had been worked, it would be necessary for the signalman to have the
back-lock upon his lever removed by the man in the rear box placing his signal
lever to danger. It will be seen that in some cases time would not allow for this
to be done, and it is essential that although the joint control of the two men is
necessary to lower the signal yet either of them should be at liberty to replace it
to danger independent of the other.
My invention proposes to give this facility, that where the signalman in one box
contro's the levers worked by the signalman in another box for the initial move-
ment yet the signalman in the first box has power to replace his lever and signal
to the danger or normal position, independent of the other signalman.
In order that my invention may be better understood I will suppose two boxes
one called the North Box and the other the Intermediate Box.
The North Box controls the stop signal at the Intermediate Box. The wire
from the North Box to control this home signal passes the Intermediate Box.
The connection is arranged from the distant signal lever referring to the Inter-
mediate. Box by which through a rod connection crosses the wire from the
North Box. Arranged in the wire by which the North Box operates the control
on the stop signal, is an ordinary point, bolt and the termination of the connection
from the distant signal lever of the Intermediate Box consists in a plate with a
long notch on the under side. The edge of the plate is bevelled and the said
plate crosses the bolt in the wire by which the North Box slots the stop signal.
Its working is as follows:-
-
The lever working the stop signal in the Intermediate Box releases the distant
signal lever in the same box. The bolt in the wire by which the North Box slots
the stop signal is normally in the notch in the plate connected to the distant signal
lever in the Intermediate Box, to the extent that the distant signal lever itself
cannot be operated until the man in the North Box has pulled his lever and
operated the bolt clear to release his portion of the slot on the stop signal.
Provided the lever working the stop signal in the Intermediate Box is pulled.ov
the stop signal can be lowered and the distant signal can then be lowered.
Over
The invention consists that if through an emergency it is necessary for the
North Box man to put the stop signal to danger without the distant signal being
replaced by the intermediate man, my invention allows it to be done. The bevelled
portion on the end of the notched plate slides over the bolt in the wire attached to
the lever in the North Cabin, slotting the stop signal, and then drops down over
the bolt, thus allowing the distant signal to be replaced, even though the North
Box man has replaced his lever and slot.

page_text: The invention hereinbefore described although mentioned in. connection with
controlling signals yet the facilities given may be employed where any part of
signalling apparatus is effected by joint control, that is to say points, point
locks, etc.
Dated this 30th day of January 1891
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
Agent for the said Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I, EDWARD RUSSELL of 12 Culverland Road, Exeter in the County of Devon,
Signal Superintendent, 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 has reference to improvements. in effecting the control of signals
from two or more boxes. It is found convenient and desirable at times instead of
fixing a co-acting plate on the signal post and running the wires from the several
cabins direct to this plate thus controlling the signal by the joint action of the
two, to arrange that the signal box in advance controls the lever in the other box
which operates the signal. It will be readily understood that where this system
is applied, although the joint consent of both the signalmen is necessary before the
signal can be deflected, yet in the case of the far box if any emergency should
arise that it should appear necessary to replace the controlled signal to danger
after it had been worked, it would require the signalman to have the back-lock
upon his lever removed by the man in the rear box placing his signal lever to
danger.. It will be seen that in some cases time would not allow for this to be
done, and it is essential that, although the joint control of the two men is necessary
to lower the signal yet either of them should be at liberty to replace it to danger
independent of the other.
My invention gives this facility, that where the signalman in one box controls
the levers worked by the signalman in another box for the initial movement yet
the signalman in the first box has power to replace his lever and signal to the
danger or normal position independent of the other signalman.
In order that my invention may be better understood I will suppose two boxes,
one, called the North Box and the other the Intermediate Box.
The North Box controls the stop. signal at the Intermediate Box. The wire
from, the North, Box to control this home signal passes the Intermediate Box.
The connection is arranged from, the distant signal lever referring to the Inter-
mediate Box by which through a rod connection it crosses the wire from the
North Box. Arranged in the wire by which the North Box operates the
control on, the stop signal, is an ordinary point bolt and the termination of
the connection from the distant signal lever of the Intermediate Box consists
in a plate with a long, notch on the under side. The edge of the plate is
hevelled, and the said plate crosses the bolt in the wire by which the North
Box slots, the stop signal.
Its working is as follows:-
The lever working the stop signal in the Intermediate Box, releases the
distant signal lever in the same box. The bolt in the wire by which the North
Box slots the stop signal is normally, in the notch in the plate connected to
the distant signal lever in the Intermediate Box, to the extent that the distant
signal lever itself cannot be operated until the man in the North Box has
pulled his lever and operated the bolt clear to release his portion of the slot
on, the, stop, signal. Provided the lever working, the stop signal in the Inter-
mediate Box is pulled over the stop signal can be lowered and the distant signal
can then be lowered.

page_text: The invention consists that if through an emergency it is necessary for the
North Box man to put the stop signal to danger without the distant signal being
replaced by the Intermediate man, my invention allows it to be done. The
bevelled portion on the end of the notched plate slides over the bolt in the
wire attached to the lever in the North Cabin, slotting the stop signal, and then
drops down over the bolt, thus allowing the distant signal to be replaced, even
though the North Box man has replaced his lever and slot.
The invention hereinbefore described although mentioned in connection with
controlling signals yet the facilities given may be employed where any part of
signalling apparatus is effected by joint control, that is to say points, point
locks, etc.
In order that my invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed. The same
letters refer to the same parts in the several figures of the drawing:
Figure 1 is a sketch showing the relative positions of the North and Inter-
mediate Boxes previously referred to.
In this figure e is the wire from the lever in the North Box which operates one
of the levers upon the slot in connection with the stop signal f; his the wire
operated by the lever in the Intermediate Box which operates the other lever of
the slot in connection with the stop signal; is the wire operated by the distant
signal lever in the Intermediate Box and is connected to the apparatus through
the bolt Figures 2, 3 & 4 which said bolt crosses the bolt a Figures 2, 3 & 4 and
is continued to the distant signal k. In the wire eas will be seen the bolt a is
inserted.
C
In many cases the release by the connections e operated by the stop signal lever
in the North Box would take place, not on the distant signal k, but on a distant
signal on a separate post which would refer to the Intermediate Box, approxi-
mately eight hundred yards or thereabouts in the rear of the stop signal. The
action of the apparatus is precisely the same with reference to the distant signal
to which the description hereinafter refers or a distant signal in the rear as
referred to.
Figure 2 is a side clevation of the apparatus.
a is the bolt inserted in the wire e and operated by the lever in the North Box
which effects the control of the stop signal. The end a² is the end nearest
the North Box. The end a³ is connected to the wire to the signal 7. The
end a¹ of the bolt a is normally in the notch of the bolt as will be seen in
Figure 4.
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 2.
The end c' of the bolt e Figure 2 is connected to the distant signal lever in the
Intermediate Box. The other end may be connected to the signal through the
connection Figure 1 to the signal k or if desirable an independent connection
can go from the tail of the distant signal lever in the Intermediate Box direct
to the signal, the movement of the lever thereby being controlled by the rod
connection from the said lever to the end of the bolt as if the bolt a is fouling
the bolt the rigid rod connection would not allow the distant signal lever to be
operated.
C
Figure 4 is a front elevation of my apparatus.
In this figure will be seen the notch c² and the bevel et in the bolt c. The end c
as before mentioned is connected to the distant signal lever in the Intermediate
Box. As will be seen in this figure the bolt e is normally locked by the end a' of
the bolt a being inserted in the notch of the bolt c; the distant signal lever
cannot therefore be operated under these conditions.
C
Normally the distant signal lever in the intermediate box is locked by means of
its connection to the bolt c itself being held locked through the end a¹ of the
bolt a in the connection operated by the stop signal lever in the North Box
being foul of the notch in the bolt c. When the lever in the North Box is
operated the connections e are operated, the bolt a is withdrawn so that the

page_text: end a¹ is free of the notch c¹ and thereby, as regards this apparatus free the
distant signal lever in the Intermediate Box. The distant signal lever in
the Intermediate Box cannot, however, be operated without, as is the usual
custom, the stop signal lever in that box itself being operated to release the
second control of the slot of the stop signal f. When this stop signal lever has
been moved and the stop signal itself deflected then the distant signal lever can
be operated lowering the distant signal k.
Should the stop signal lever in the North Box be replaced first and the bolt a be
moved backward the distant signal lever can be replaced as the bevel on the bolt c
operating on the end of the bolt a raises the bolt c until its movement is complete
and it falls into its proper normal position.
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 whereby one movement has to release
another movement and the second movement may be returned while the first
movement remains in its worked position, or the second movement may be returned
when the first has been replaced to its normal position, or again, the first move-
iment may be replaced to its normal position while the second remains in its worked
position, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and as illustrated on
the accompanying drawings.
2. In railway signalling, apparatus whereby a stop (or starting) signal or its
connections may release a distant signal or its connections and the distant signal
through its connections be replaced whether the stop (or starting) signal is all
right or replaced to its danger position, substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth and as illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 29th day of October 1891.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2, Great George Street, Westminster, London, S. W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.