Improvements in Signalling Apparatus for Shunting Purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Signalling Apparatus for Shunting Purposes.
I, WILLIAM PITT of Church Street, Chalvers Coton, Nuneaton, in the County
of Warwick Station Master, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
& in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
-
My invention has for its object improvements in signalling apparatus for shunting
purposes by which I am enabled to reduce the risk of collisions during the process
of shunting on main lines. In the old method of working trains from one line of
rails to the other and for shunting vehicles from one main line to the other for
allowing a train to pass the signalman having stopped such trains at his home
signal afterwards lowered his signal to allow the train to draw up to his box to
allow him to instruct the driver that he must shunt his train. Before shunting
the train the signalman called the attention of the signalman in the box in advance
by one ring on the block-bell and as soon as acknowledged passed his instrument
needle to Train on Line" afterwards shunting the said train. This system has
been found deficient by reason of the sigualman forgetting a train or engine had
been shunted on a facing line and thereby allowing another train to approach with
a collision as the result. Under the present system of working trains when it is
necessary for a train to be shunted on to the opposite line for another train to
pass, the fireman is required to enter the signal box and remain there to remind
the signalman that the road is occupied. If after a train has been shunted on to
the opposite line the engine is required to be detached either for the purposes of
shunting or for any other cause and the fireman is therefore unable to remain in
the signal box as it is necessary that he should before the engine is detached
obtain from it the iron target which is used in front of the engine to denote the
description of the train and place it on the lever of the home signal for the road
occupied. This acts as a reminder for the signalman that the opposite line is not
clear, and releases the fireman to assist in the shunting. When the shunting is
finished and the signalman being ready to cross the train to its proper line the
fireman has to return to the signal box and after obtaining the signalman's
authority withdraws the iron target from the lever on which it has been placed.
In some systems a tablet is used to put on the home signal as a reminder but both
this and the former are attended with danger as the fireman's presence in the box
is liable to call off the signalman's attention from his duties during the conversation
which almost invariably arises between the two men while with respect to the use
of a tablet for the lever it is left to the signalman's memory as before which is
proved to have elements of danger by the collisions which have occurred under
such system. Owing to such collisions it is of the greatest importance that a safer
method of working should be adopted, to effect which my invention meets with
the requirement inasmuch as the signalman will then have no control over his
home, & distant signals during the time he has the lines fouled by a train or engine
standing on a facing line or during shunting operations from one line to the other.
In such cases the driver will instruct his fireman to lower the lever of my locking
bar pegging the same down so that the signalman will then have no power to
allow a train to come forward only up to the said home signal and the fireman
after securing the said home signal is enabled to return to his engine to assist the
driver in the duties of shunting the train and as all trains are brought to a stand
outside of the home signal no other train can then come into collision with such
standing train or engine or vehicles as they would be under cover of the home
signal which has been locked by the fireman of that train this making three persons
responsible in lieu of the one signalman.

page_text: In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings upon
which I have shewn a side view of my home signal for locking bar and indicator to
same which is there shewn in a locked position.
The home-signal lever A is mounted inside the box Z and pivotted at a' in the
usual manner & is being provided with the tail piece a² under the floor V of the
signal box Z. To any convenient part of the outside of the box the plate K is
attached bearing the hand lever E which hand lever is connected by the rod D
at d¹ with the end 62 of the locking bar B which is provided at 61 and is so
arranged that the end 62 bears upon the tail piece a² of the home signal A and
locks it in the position shewn at which it is retained by the pin e² securing down
the lever E.
To enable the signalman to see when the signal is locked the rod F is connected
with the locking bar B at f and passes up into the signal box where it is
connected at f¹ with the crank f³ formed on the disc H which is supported by any
suitable bracket f2 so that when the signal is locked it exhibits the disc as shewn &
when the signal is unlocked the disc is turned edgeways by the rising of the locking
bars E.
The various details & positions of the various parts of my locking device may be
varied considerably to suit varied requirements without departing from the nature
of my said invention
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1st. The improvements in signalling apparatus for shunting purposes consisting
of the arrangement for locking the signal & indicating the same substantially such
as & for the purpose herein set forth & shewn upon the accompanying drawing.
2nd. The improvements in signalling apparatus for shunting purposes substan-
tially such as & for the purpose herein set forth & shewn upon the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 18th day of Auơnst 1891
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.