Improvements in Lock and Block Signalling on Railways
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th Feb, 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lock and Block Signalling on Railways
We, WILLIAM ROBERT SYKES, Junior, of 43 Kent House Road, Beckenham,
in the County of Kent, Electrical Engineer, and JOHN PATRICK O'DONNELL OF
70 and 71 Palace Chambers, Bridge Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus for controlling the operation
of the block telegraph and signals on railways by the passing of the train over
treadles fixed on the section of the line affected, and moro especially to improve-
ments in the apparatus described in our previous application for Letter Patent,
No. 2882 of Febuary 9th 1895. In the said Specification we described apparatus
so arranged that a train passing over austable treadles automatically places the
semaphore signal controlling the block section into which the said train is entering
"'")
to " Danger' and changes the position of the needles of the block telegraph
instruments to "Entering section" (these words are the new substitute for the old
words "Tiain on line "), it being out of the power of the signalmen to alter the
position of the said needles or again lower the semaphore until the train has passed
out of the section when the block telegraph is released and the needles will be
restored to the position at which the handle is pegged, but should the signalman
in advance bave omitted to carry out the usual operation of reversing his handle
and repegging the needle to "Entering section," but have left it pegged to "Line
clear," it will resume this position after the tiain bas cleared the section and the
signalman in the rear will he enabled to lower his semaphore without previously
obtaining sanction of the signalman in advance.
In our present invention we employ a special polarized relay similar to that
which is described in the before mentioned Specification No. 2882 of 1895, by
means of which the battery circuit of the block instrument controlling the section
in the real 18 disconnected by the tiam passing over a treadle The needles are
thus restored to the normal position of "Line blocked as soon as the train in
question has passed out of the section, and it is necessary for the signalman to
restore the handle of his block instrument to the normal position and then repeg to
"LIDe clear" before admitting a second train.
"
By means of a local cucunt through the polarized relay the action of restoring
the handle of the block instrument also restores the relay to its normal position and
enables a second "Line clear" current to be sent.
Dated this 8th day of May 1895.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
Agent for the said Applicants.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
Agent for the said Applicants.

page_text: BOOK ARDROCK Signaling ways.
We, WILLIAM ROBERT SYKES, Junior, of 43 Kent House Road, Beckenham,
in the County of Kent, Electrical Engineer, and JOHN PATRICK O'DONNELL of
70 and 71, Palace Chambers, Bridge Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer. do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described aud
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus for controlling the operation
of the block telegraph and signals on railways by the passing of the tram over
treadles fixed on the section of the line affected, and more especially to improve-
ments in the apparatus described in our previous application for Letters Patent,
No. 2882 of February 9th, 1895. In the said Specification we described apparatus
so arranged that a train passing over suitable treadles automatically places the
semaphore signal controlling the block soction into which tho said train is entering
to "Danger" and changes the position of the needles of the block telegraph
instruments to "Entering section" (these words are the new substitute for the old
rds "Train on line "), it being out of the power of the sigualmien to alter the
position of the said needles or again lower the semaphore until the train has passed
out of the section when the block telegraph is released and the needles will be
restored to the position at which the handle is pegged; but should the signalman
n advance have omitted to carry out the usual operation of reversing his handle
and repegging the needle to "Entering section," but have lelt it pegged to "Live
clear," it will resume this position after the train has cleared the section and the
signalman in the rear will be enabled to lower his semaphore without previously
obtaining sanction of the signalman in advance.
In our present invention we employ a special polarized relay similar to that which
Is described in the before mentioned Specification No. 2882 of 1895, by means of
which the battery circuit of the block instrument controlling the section in the rear
is disconnected by the train passing over a treadle. The needles are thus restored
to the normal position of "Line blocked" as soon as the train in question has
passed out of the section, and it is necessary for the signalman to restore the handle
of his block instrument to the normal position and then repeg to "Line clear"
before admitting a second train.
By means of a local circuit through the polarized relay the action of restoring
the handle of the block instrument also restores the relay to its normal position
and enables a second "Line clear" current to be sent.
In order that our invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect, we will describe the drawing hereunto auuexed, which is a diagram
illustrating the ordinary single needle block instruments, one at cabin or section A
and the other at cabin B, and the hue between said two cabins, the arrow
indicating the direction in which the tinffic 18 supposed to be working for the
purposes of describing our invention.
In the diagram, 1 and 2 are two ordinary block instruments, one at A and the
other at B; 3 is a polarized relay at A, 4 and 5 are deferentially wound polarized
clays at 13, 6 is the signal arm replacer fixed to starting signal at A, 7 18
contact working in connection with starting signal lever, 8 is a treadle in advance
o' the starting signal at A, 9 18 a similar treadle at B, 10 is the wne from hine
spring of block instrument at B, leading to relay contact 11, 12 is the wire from

page_text: dial to armature of relay 4, 13 is a point in line wire where current divides,
14 and 15 are similar junctions at A, 16 is a spring and 17 a contact arranged in
block instrument at A and operates that when the handle is moved, the spring 16
and contact 17 are disconnected and prevents the signalmau from sending a "Line
clear" current through the polarized relay 3, 18 is the contact on relay 3, 19 is a
spring and 20 a contact in instrument at B normally connected but broken when
the instrument is pegged to "Line clear" and is ranged so that should the
signalman forget to unpeg his instrument after having received the "Train
entering section on bell, the subsequent depression of treadle when train leaves
section will not force the needle to assume the position at which handle is pegged
namely Line clear" but will allow the needle to return to its norinal or vertical
position.
$5
"
21 is a point where the replace cucuit joins wire at A, 22 is the left hand
contact on relay 4, 23 and 24 are the night and left hand contacts on relay 5,
B', B, B, B arc batteries, E¹, E', E', E', E', E' ate the various earth
counections.
In the diagram, the needles of block instruments, contacts of relays &c. are shown
in their normal positions.
For a train to proceed from A to B, B must first give permission by pegging the
handle of his "block instrument" to the "Line clear" position the zine of battery B
is thus put to E at E, the copper current traverses wire 10 to contact 11 through
armature of relay 4 to wire 12 thence through the dial of instrument 2 to point 13,
where the current divides, a portion going away to line and operating the block
instrument and relay at A and the remainder going through one winding of relay 4
to E, the current does not alter the position of contacts ou relay 4 but tends to
strengthen the normally made contact at 11, the action of pegging the block
Instrument at B also separates the spring 19 from contact 20.
The permission now being given for a train to leave A in the direction of B, the
Bignalman at A operates the starting signal lever and closes contact 7 but the circuit
being open at 18, by the action of the "Line clear" current previously described,
the signal arm reverser is not actuated until the train airives at the treadlo 8, which,
being depressed a current flows from battery B, C being to E at E³, the zinc
passing to point 14 where it divides, a portion going through to dial of block
instrument 1, and the polarized relay 3 at A, and the remainder towards B, the
portion traversing the apparatus at A deflects the needle of block instrument to
"Train entering section," or left hand position and forcing the armature of
relay 3 against contact 18, thus closing the circuit through and operating the sigual
aim replacer 6, and putting the starting signal to Danget behind the train.
BE
The portion of current traversing the line wire towards B, energises the relay 4,
reversing the armature, breaking the contact at 11 and making contact at 22, a
current 18 thus set up from battery B which maintains the
Tiain entering
section current in block instuments at A & B holding the needle to the left and
the armature of relay 3 in connection with contact 18, thus preventing the starting
signal at A from being again lowered to the safety position.
"
The train now having airived at B the treadle 9 18 depressed energising the
relays 4 and 5, forcing amature of 4 from contact 22 on to contact 11, thus
breaking down the current traversing the block instrument at A and B and allowing
the needles to assume the vertical position.
The armature of relay 5 is forced away from contact 23 and makes contact
with 24. It follows that should the signalman at B have omitted to restore bis
handle to the vertical position, a false signal cannot appear in the instrument dials,
and in order to give another permission to A, B must first restore his handle to the
middle of vertical position which action bings into connection sping 19 with
contact 20, setting up a current from battery B' through relay 5 forcing the
amature away from contact 24 on to contact 23 thus restoring the apparatus to its
normal condition.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
wo claim is :-
In single needle lock & block apparatus, arrangements such as hercin described,
by which the signalman in the cabin in advance has to go through the operation of
pegging his instrument to "Line clear" before the signalman in the rear is free to
lower bis sectional signal for the train to proceed, substantially as herein described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 7th day of February 1896.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fol. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
70 & 71 Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicants.