Improved Train Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1893-Accepted. 9th Dec.. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Train Signalling Apparatus.
I JOHN WILLIAM MAYCOCK, of 85 Bridge Road, Stratford, London E.,
Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to railway signalling mechanism and has for its object to
provide what may be termed repeater signalling mechanism upon the engine
actuated by mechanical devices upon the track in connection with the home and
distant signal operating mechanism whereby the exact position occupied by the
line signals at the time of passing them, will be repeated by the signalling mechanism
on the engine in order that the driver may be informed of the position of the signals
when obscured by fog.
The mechanism upon the engine comprises semaphores corresponding to the home
and distant signals respectively, each operated by cam and lever mechanism
arranged beneath the engine in position to be actuated by a contact placed on the
track and whose height is dependent on the position of the signal with which it is
connected.
In order that the momentum of the parts may not unduly affect the operation of
the semaphore on the engine when travelling at high speed, it is preferred that the
mechanism by which it is operated should be divided into two parts, one for moving
the semaphore on the engine from its normal position which is vertical to the
"line clear" or intermediate position and the other coming only into operation for
moving it beyond this position to the "line blocked" position, the preferred
arrangement being two cams acting the one in continuation of the other and carried
upon concentric weigh shafts each provided with a bowed or double inclined lever
arm in position to pass over and be acted on by the contact on the track above
referred to, the one lever working within, alongside of, or through a slot in the
other lever the former projecting beyond the latter when in the normal position so
as to be acted on in advance of or without the other. The cams act on the lower
end of the vertically-sliding rod connected to the semaphore, the cam which is first
moved bringing the semaphore to the "line clear" or intermediate position and the
other moving it to the "line blocked" position, the semaphore being retained by a
spring catch in whichever position it is moved to until released by the driver.
The lever mechanism of the one repeating signal is arranged in the centre line
of the engine whilst that of the other signal is arranged to one side thereof and
to provide for the engine running either end foremost the contact upon the track
is T-headed or duplicated symmetrically at either side of the centre line of the
track.
Each such contact comprises a friction roller adapted to act on the double-
inclined levers on the engine above referred to, carried by a vertically-adjustable
part mounted in the centre line of the track and raised by a cam on a weigh shaft
beneath coupled to the operating mechanism of the adjacent line signal in such
manner that the height of the contact corresponds at all times to the position of
the signal.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1893.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patcut Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Train Signalling Apparatus.
1, JOHN WILLIAM MAYCOCK formerly of 85, Bridge Road, Stratford, but
now of 85, Portway, West Ham Stratford London E. Electrical 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 mechanism and has for its object to
provide what may be termed repeater signalling mechanism upon the engine
actuated by mechanical devices upon the track respectively in connection with the
home and distant signal operating mechanisms whereby the signals on the engine
will be caused to repeat the line signals, that is to say be brought to the exact
position occupied by the line signals at or before the moment of passing them, in
order that the driver may be informed of the position of these signals when they
are obscured by fog. The mechanism upon the engine comprises semaphores
corresponding to the home and distant signals respectively, each operated by cam
and lever mechanism arranged beneath the engine in position to be actuated by a
treadle placed on the track and whose height is dependent on the position of the
line signal with which it is connected. In order that the driver shall know when
he has passed by a line signal when it is at the "line clear" position, the corre-
sponding repeater signal on the engine is moved, by the treadle mechanism, from a
vertical pendent position to the "line clear" position, and in order that the
momentum of the cam and its operating lever shall not cause the repeating
semaphore on the engine to be moved beyond the "line clear" position when the
treadle is so set, and the engine is travelling at high speed, two cams are used,
both operated by the same treadle, the one for raising the semaphore on the engine
from its normal vertical position to the "line clear" or intermediate position
and the other for moving the signal beyond this position to the "line blocked
position, the second cam acting after, and in continuation of, the first and
remaining altogether inactive unless the treadle is raised to its highest position.
These cams are carried upon weigh shafts, each provided with a bowed or double
inclined lever arm in position to pass over, and be acted on by, the treadle the one
lever projecting beyond the other when in the normal position so as to be acted on
alone or in advance of the other, according to the height at which the treadle is set,
the said levers being retained, by spring catches, in whichever position they are
moved to, so as to keep the signal in the position to which it is raised until released
by the driver. The lever mechanism of the one repeating signal is arranged in
the centre line of the engine whilst that of the other signal is arranged to one side
thereof, and to provide for the engine running either end foremost the treadle which
operates the last mentioned mechanism is duplicated symmetrically at either side of
the centre line of the track. Each such treadle is raised and lowered by radius
links coupled to the operating mechanism of the adjacent line signal in such manner
that the height of the treadle corresponds at all times to the position of the said
signal.
>>
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this.
Specification, wherein
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation and Figures 2 and 3 cross sections
of so much of a locomotive engine as is necessary to illustrate the application of
my repeating signal mechanism.
Figure 4 is a plan of a detail of the mechanism shewing the treadle corre-
sponding to the home signal.
Figure 5 is an elevation shewing how the treadle is operated by the line signal
post mechanism.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

page_text: H and D are the home and distant repeating signals on the engine, eacn
ranged at the front of the cab and operated by a sliding rod passing down
As the mechanisms
rough the footplate and upon which acts a pair of cams.
erating the two signals are alike it will suffice to describe one of them, the
milar parts of the other being lettered by a correspondingly numbered series of
tters.
The rod h of the home repeater signal H terminates in a friction roller which is
cted on by two cams h¹², acting either the one alone or the two in succession,
he cam being fixed on a weigh shaft h³ supported transversely of the engine
y brackets fixed beneath the foot plate. The other cam 2 is fixed on a sleeve or
ubular weigh shaft supported by 3. The shaft is provided with a bowed
ever arm extending in a fore and aft direction and the shaft h has a similar
rm immediately alongside of 5, but the arm is less bowed than he so that its
cting part is normally at a higher level. The bowed form is given to these
evers to provide for the engine running bunker end foremost. The parts d to do.
are precisely similar except that whilst the lever arms d d are in the centre line
of the engine, 5 h are not, as shewn in Figure 2.
The levers ho are operated by one or other member A of a double treadle
whose two members are placed at opposite sides of the centre line of the track at
a distance therefrom corresponding to the distance at which the levers ho ho are
placed from the centre line of the engine. The two members A are coupled and
moved together as one, each having a double inclined tread to provide for trains
running either way as on a single line and each is supported by three pairs of
radius links a pivoted to the sleepers, the middle links being crank arms on a
weigh shaft a having a central arm a³ which is connected by chain or rod a with
suitable bell cranks, or pulleys, to a lever a pivoted on the home signal post,
shewn in Figure 5. This lever a³ has a curved upper end upon which acts a
stud a on the counterweighted lever of the line signal, so that when the said signal
is at "line clear" the treadle A A will be at a given height such that only the
lever h³ will be operated by it and when the line signal is at "line blocked
treadle will be raised sufficiently to operate both the levers in succession.
The treadle to operate the repeater distant signal is similar to the double treadle A A
except that it is single and is placed in the centre line of the track. It is operated
by the counterweighted lever of the line distant signal in precisely the same way
In each case the treadle
as that above described in respect of the home signal.
would be situated at a point on the track in the vicinity of the corresponding line
signal.
C,
the
The levers, and likewise those d³ do, are supported at their normal level by
their free ends resting at the lower ends a bracket C and when either lever is
spring catch thereby
raised by the treadle it is retained in the raised position by a
keeping the repeating signal in the position to which it is raised until lowered by
the driver moving a lever handle E whose lower end e. is connected to and moves
a transversely-sliding rod F in its guide brackets, which rod carries a cam f that
acts on a stud f¹ attached to the back of the spring catch c, so as to cause the
5 catch to be retracted.
The above described apparatus is intended to be used in connection with electric
contact and bell mechanism, such as described in the Specification of a former
Patent granted to me dated the 30th day of July 1892 No. 13897; and which I
have also illustrated and will describe, although it forms no part of my present
50 invention. G is a bell in circuit with a battery, the circuit being closed only when
and d being for this
the one or other repeating signal is raised, the signal rods
purpose caused to act on spring circuit closers g g', i, respectively, so that the
bell will be sounded to warn the driver whichever signal may be raised. S is a
switch to put the electric mechanism out of action in fine weather when the signals
55 and their actuating levers would be kept normally raised. The lever E is the
lever by which in my former Patent one or other of two pairs of contacts k k
carried by rod F are put in connection with a pair of contact strips K K' arranged

page_text: for some distance along the track in order that after the driver has stopped, on
receipt of a "danger" signal, he may receive an electrical signal to proceed.
This signal is given automatically on the bell G by the lowering of the line
signal for which purpose a spring circuit closer l. is arranged to be actuated by the
line signal itself, when it falls, the arrangement of the circuit being readily under-
stood from Figures 3 and 5, in which L is the bell in the signal box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The combination, in signalling mechanism on the engine for repeating the line
signals, of the mechanism for actuating each such repeating signal, consisting
essentially of two sets of cam and lever mechanism arranged substantially as
described to operate the one signal and to be operated by the one treadle on the
-track, one or both cams coming into operation according to the height of the
treadle, as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination, with the signal operating cams, their rock shafts and bowed
levers, of a spring catch for retaining the levers at the height to which they are
raised by the treadle, and releasing mechanism therefor coupled with and operated
by the same lever handle as that by which electrical connection is established
between the engine and the track.
3. The combination, with the signal operating mechanism on the engine, con-
structed and arranged to operate as described, of a treadle on the track coupled
with or operated by the adjacent line signal so as to be raised to a position corre-
sponding to that of the line signal, as described.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1802
J. W. MAYCOCK,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
J. W. MAYCOCK,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.