A New or Improved Apparatus for Electrically Signalling on Railways.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1898--Accepted, 7th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Electrically Signalling on
Railways.
I, ROBERT MUSCHAMP, of Yeadon, in the County of York, Surgeon, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention refers to apparatus for electrically signalling on railways, and
my object is to provide apparatus whereby indicators on an advancing engine or
train may be automatically actuated by an electric current, so as to indicate on
the advancing train whether one or more blocks of the line ahead are clear or not.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will proceed to describe
same with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the letters denote
the various parts.
Figure 1 is a diagram view shewing the apparatus fitted to the permanent way,
and Figure 2 18 a diagram view of the receiving apparatus carried on the train
or engine to which the signals are to be transmitted.
According to my invention, A, A' are the rails situated in one block of the line,
and B, B are the rails situated in the next block, the rails of the said blocks
being insulated from each other C, D and E are contact bara, which are carried
on insulated rods F connected to the rails A, and the said contact bars are situated
on the line at or about the position generally occupied by the distance signals
G, H and J are somewhat similar contact bars which are carried on insulated
bars F, and the contact bar G is situated in a line with the bar C, the other
bais H and J being situated on the outside of the said bar G. K is a wire which
connects the contact bar C through the contact bar G with one pole of a battery L,
and K' is a continuation of the wire from the other side of the battery L, from
whence it passes round a magnet M to the rail B on the second block of the
railway. The contact bar D is connected by a wire N with the rail B', the
contact bar H being taken in on the way. P is a wire which connects the contact
bar E through the contact bar J with an armature R at the base of the magnet M,
and a continuation of the wire P connects a rest R¹ with the battery L
8 is a board carried on the engine or train to which the signals are to be com-
municated, and the said board is provided with a number of spring slopes for
transmitting the current from the permanent way to the indicator T. The spring
slopes are situated in such a position that the centre alope C¹ comes in contact
with the contact bara C and G consecutively, whilst the slopes D¹ and E¹ connert
with the contact bars D and E at the distance signals and the slopes H¹ and 32
connect with the contact bars H and J at the home signals. The spring slope C
communicates with four separate signals 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the indicator T. and
the four remaining slopes communicate separately with the four signals as shewn
in the diagram. The contact bars G, H, and J, are sufficiently long to enable
the train to pull up over the said bars in the event of the line being blocked, and

page_text: to remain with the spring slopes in contact ready to receive a signal on the line
becoming clear
On the approach of a train to the distance signals, the slopes D' and C¹ come
into contact with the contact bais D and C respectively, and should a train be
standing on the block B so as to bring the rails B, B into electrical contact, a
circuit is completed through the bar D, wire N, 10d H, wire N, rail B¹, through
the wheels and axle of the engine oi train, wie K 10und the magnet M, through
the battery L, wire K, bai G, wire K, and bar C thus communicating a signal at
1 on the indicator T The passage of this current has also the effect of magne-
tizing the magnet M and thus lifting the aimature R, in such a manner that when
the slope E comes into contact with the bar E, a circuit which would otherwise
have taken place through the bar E, wire P, bar J, wire P, armature R, rest R¹,
wire P, battery L, wue K, bai G, wne K, and bar C, is prevented, so that the
signal 2 on the indicator T 18 not affected Should there be no train on the
block B, the first of the cucuits above described would not be completed, so the
signal 1 would not be affected; but the failure of this circut would have allowed
the armature R to iest undisturbed on the rest R', so that on the slope E' coming
into contact with the bar E the second cucuit above described would be completed
with the result that the signal 2 on the indicator T would be actuated.
It will thus be seen that a signal is communicated to the engine both when the
line ahead 18 blocked, and when it is clear
In the apparatus situated at the home signals, the bar G takes the place of the
bar C for forming the connection with the slope C', and the slope H comes into
contact with the bar H, and the slope J₁ with the bar J The contact of the
slopes C and H with the bars G and H has the same effect as the first circuit
above described, with the exception that instead of the signal 1 being actuated
in the event of a train being on the block B, the signal 3 is actuated, and the
effect of the second circuit through the slope J¹ in the event of the line being
clear, 18 to actuate the signal 4 instead of the signal 2
The slopes on the boaid S may be conveniently made of hinged spring bars,
and as they are carried firmly on the under-frame of the engine or train, a good
contact may be obtained with the smallest amount of play, but although I prefer
to use spring slopes for effecting contact with the bars, I do not confine myself
to any particular method of obtaining the said contact.
I have described my invention with reference to one block only on the line,
but it is of course obvious that my invention could be arranged to signal the state
of the line for several blocks ahead.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim 18-
1 In an apparatus for electrically signalling on railways, the employment of
an electric circuit communicating with an indicator on the engine or train, the
said circuit being completed by contact with connections on the track and by the
presence of an engine or train on an adjacent block of line, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth
2 In an apparatus for electrically signalling on railways, the employment of
an electric circuit communicating with an indicator on the engine or train, the
said circuit being completed by contact with connections on the track and by the
presence of an engine o train on an adjacent block of line, in combination with a
second circuit communicating with an indicator on the engine or train which is
completed by contact with the track and by the falling of an armature caused by
the failure of the first circuit, substantially as and for the purposes set forth
3. The contact bars C, D and E, the spring slopes C¹, D₁ and E', and the
indicator T, in combination with the electrical connections and apparatus whereby
the presence or absence of a train on another block of line completes a circuit and
actuates the indicator T, substantially as and for the purposes set forth,

page_text: 4. The contact bars G, H and J, the spring slopes G, H, and J', and the
indicator T, in combination with electrical connections and apparatus whereby
the presence or absence of a train on another block of line completes a circuit and
actuates the indicator T, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.