IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Oakden Fisher of Cardiff in the County of
Glamorgan Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Oakden Fisher at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd February 1883.
HENRY OAKDEN FISHER of Cardiff in the County of Glamorgan Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WORKING RAILWAYS SIGNALS
"
The object of my invention is to control a home signal and a distant signal by
means of the same hand lever and gear in the signal cabin.
The arrangement is such that in the movement of the hand lever to take off or
lower the signals the home signal is first drawn down and afterwards by a further
movement of the band lever the distant signal is also taken off. Similarly in
putting on the signals the first movement of the hand lever in the signal cabin
permits the distant signal to rise whilst the home signal is still held off. A further
movement of the hand lever afterwards, releases the home signal. The signal arms
are is now usual provided with counterpoise weights so that they rise to the
"danger" position when not held down by the wire connecting them with the
signal cabin.
The same wire will serve for both signals for the greater part of the distance
from the cabin to the home signal or separate and distinct wires for working the
respective signals may be used. In some convenient position near the foot of the
home signal post (or elsewhere) a slide is arranged and to this slide the wire from
the signal cabin is attached if two wires are used the slide will be put on the wire
working the home signal. When a signal wire is used this wire also passes on
from the slide to the distant signal and is so connected with this signal that by
pulling upon the wire the signal arm is lowered.
The slide carries a roller which is received into a slot in a bent lever. The lever
can rock upon a stationary fulcrum and the slot is so formed that when the slide is
drawn back from the signal cabin the lever moves with the slide during the first
Posine Gr

page_text: part of the travel but afterwards remains stationary whilst the movement of the
slide continues. The form of the instruments may be varied so long as the wire
during the earlier part of the movement in the direction of the cabin carries with it
a part which afterwards it leaves at rest although the wire may continue to move in
the same direction.
The said lever or part is connected by a wire or other wires with the home.
signal and when it is moved as described the home signal is pulled down by it.
Whilst the movement of the slide is operating the home signal the wire connecting
the slide with the distant signal (which wire was previously slack) becomes strained
tight ready to operate the distant signal. After the home signal has been taken
off all that is required in order to lower the distant signal is to continue the
movement of the hand lever in the signal cabin.
When the signals are to be put to danger the movement in the opposite direction
of the hand lever permits the return of the wire and the counterpoise of the distant
signal arm raises the arm and brings back the slide. When the distant signal is
on the home signal arm also becomes free to rise by the operation of its weight and
all the parts return to their original positions. Or if desired the distant signal
may be kept on by retaining the hand lever in the cabin in an intermediate
-position,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Oakden Fisher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st August 1883.
HENRY OAKDEN FISHER of Cardiff in the County of Glamorgan Engineer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS
"
The object of my invention is to control a home signal and a distant signal by
means of the same hand lever and gear in the signal cabin.
The arrangement is such that in the movement of the hand lever to take off or
lower the signals the home signal is first drawn down and afterwards by a further
movement of the hand lever the distant signal is also taken off. Similarly in
putting on the signals the first movement of the hand lever in the signal cabin
permits the distant signal to rise whilst the home signal is still held off. A further
movement of the hand lever afterwards releases the home signal. The signal arms
are as is now usual provided with counterpoise weights so that they rise to the
danger" position when not held down by the wire connecting them with the
signal cabin.
The same wire may be made to serve for both signals for the greater part of the
distance from the cabin to the home signal or separate and distinct wires for
working the respective signals may be used. In some convenient position a slide
is arranged and to this slide the wire or rod from the signal cabin is attached if
two wires are used the slide will be put on the wire working the home signal.
When a single wire is used this wire also passes on from the slide to the distant
signal and is so connected with this signal that by pulling upon the wire the signal
arm is lowered.
The slide carries a roller which is received into a slot in a bent lever. The lever
can rock upon a stationary fulcrum and the slot is so formed that when the slide is
drawn back from the signal cabin the lever moves with the slide during the first
part of the travel but afterwards remains stationary whilst the movement of the
slide continues. The form of the instruments may be varied so long as the wire or
rod during the earlier part of the movement in the direction of the cabin carries
with it a part which afterwards it leaves at rest although the wire or rod may
continue to move in the same direction.
The said lever or part is connected by a wire or otherwise with the home signal
and when it is moved as described the home signal is pulled down by it. Whilst
the movement of the slide is operating the home signal the wire connecting the slide
with the distant signal (which wire was previously slack) becomes strained tight
ready to operate the distant signal. After the home signal has been taken off all
that is required in order to lower the distant signal is to continue the movement of
the hand lever in the signal cabin.
When the signals are to be put to danger the movement in the opposite direction
of the band lever permits the return of the wire and the counterpoise of the distant
signal arm raises the arm and brings back the slide. When the distant signal is
on, the home signal arm also becomes free to rise by the operation of its weight
and all the parts return to their original positions. Or if desired the home
signal may be kept on by retaining the hand lever in the cabin in an intermediate
position.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shews a plan view and Figure 2 an
elevation of apparatus arranged as above described. In these figures the lever
used for working the signals is not shewn-the parts are in the positions they
assume when the lever is in its normal position, that is, when the signals are at
danger. Figure 3 is an elevation of the parts in the positions they assume when
the lever is pulled over and the signals lowered. Figure 4 is an elevation on a
larger scale of the slotted lever to which the wire passing to the home signal is
connected.
In these figures A is a slide connected by a wire A¹ to a lever in the signal cabin

page_text: and drawn in the opposite direction by a weighted cord A-the slide is composed
of two parallel bars kept at a distance apart by bolts and distance pieces-it passes
between friction rollers B carried by standards from a suitable fixed support. O is
the slotted lever to which the wire C¹ passing to the home signal is connected-the
upper end of the slotted lever lies between the two bars of which the slide is com-
posed and a pin D which goes across from one bar to the other passes through the
slot in the lever.
When the slide is in the position shewn at Figure 3 the greater part of the slot
is horizontal but at one end there is a small slot branching from it which extends
downwards in a vertical direction. When the slide is in the position shewn at
Figures 1 and 2 the pin D is in this vertical portion of the slot. When the lever
is pulled over and the slide so moved to the right the pin D turns the lever C into
the position shewn at Figure 3 and so draws down the home signal the pin D then
enters the horizontal portion of the slot and gives no further movement to the lever
but serves only to hold the lever in the position into which it has turned it.
The wire from the distant signal is connected by a rod E to the slide A it may
be rigidly connected to the slide or a pin F carried by the slide may pass through
a slot formed in the end of the rod. If it is rigidly connected to the slide then the
wire to the distant signal should be sufficiently slack to allow of the home signal
being taken off as above described before the movement of the slide A has done
more than take up the slack of the wire to the distant-signal and before it has
commenced to shift the position of the distant signal.
Figure 5 shews a side elevation and Figure 0 a back elevation of a modification
of the above arrangement in which the slide and slotted lever are placed immediately
below the hand lever in the signal cabin.
A is the slide jointed at its upper end to the shorter arm of the hand lever A'.
Near its lower end the bars are slotted and a fixed pin B passes through the slots
to serve as a guide. A pin F carried by the lower end of the slide passes through
a slot in a link E this link is jointed to one arm of a crank lever I from the other
arm of which a wire is led to the distant signal.
O is the slotted lever from which a wire C is conducted to the home signal-D
is the pin which enters the slot in this lever. The action of the apparatus is the
same as the action of that shewn at Figures 1 to 4.
When the hand lever is pulled over into the position shewn by dotted lines it
raises the slide A. The first movement of the slide does not affect the distant
signal but raises the slotted lever C and drops the home signal-the remainder of
the movement of the slide causes the bell crank lever I to turn and drops the
distant signal or if the hand lever A' be placed into an intermediate position it
drops the home signal without lowering the distant one.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and the manner of performing
the same I would have it understood that I claim:
The combination of apparatus for working railway signals substantially as herein
before described whereby a home signal and a distant signal are controlled by one
lever in the signal cabin in such manner that if both signals are at danger and the
signals are to be taken off the home signal is first lowered and afterwards by a further
movement of the hand lever the distant signal is lowered and similarly in putting on
the signals the first part of the movement of the hand lever permits the distant
signal to rise and the last part the home signal.
:
In witness whereof I the said Henry Oakden Fisher have hereunto set my
hand and seat this Twentieth day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.