Improvements in Arrangements by which a Passing Locomotive or Train will Cause a Current of Electricity to be Transmitted for Actuating Signals and for other purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 30th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Arrangements by which a Passing Locomotive or
Train will Cause a Current of Electricity to be Transmitted for
Actuating Signals and for other purposes.
We, JOHN AUDLEY FREDERICK ASPINALL, of Horwich, in the County of
Lancaster, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway,
and HENRY ALBERT HOY, of the same place, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention, to be as follows:-
Arrangements have been proposed which have caused a current of electricity to
be transmitted for giving signals and for other purposes, when a locomotive or train
has arrived at and passes a given point upon a railway by causing the flanges of
the wheels of the locomotive or train to act upon a treadle or by the deflection of
the rails themselves, but both these arrangements are objectionable, the treadle
does not stand the violent action upon it, and the undulation of the rails set up by
a passing locomotive or train is locally indefinite and the arrangements for holding
the contact pieces have been hitherto objectionable.
Our invention relates to a simple arrangement which is readily applied, easily
adjusted and effective in action, by which the deflection of the rails caused by
a passing locomotive or train is made to act with certainty at the point desired and
make an electric contact so as to transmit a current to actuate a signal or do other
work that may be required.
A clip is made to grip the lower flange of the rail and this clip carries a brass
box, and an insulated part to which one end of the signal or other wire is connected,
the contact arrangement being covered by a cap when fixed which will keep the
moisture from it.
Two other clips are used by preference which are also made to grip the lower
Hange of the rail one on each side and at about say 3 feet 6 inches from the first
named clip and these two clips have each a pin which passes through a hole in an
bar or beam extending between the two clips the bar being secured to the pins by
screw nuts.
On the bar or beam and at the centre and opposite to the first mentioned bracket,
an attachment is secured which carries an adjusting screw, that in its hollow or
tubular part has a pin in it supported by a helical spring, and it is the end of this
pin when adjusted which makes electric contact when the rail is deflected by a
passing engine or train..
The electric current passes from the battery through the wire when contact is
made and back to earth through the rail.
Dated this Eleventh day of May 1891.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Arrangements by which a Passing Locomotive or
Train will Cause a Current of Electricity to be Transmitted for
Actuating Signals and for other purposes.
• T
.
We, JOHN AUDLEY FREDERICK ASPINALL, of Horwich, in the County of
Lancaster, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway,
and, HENRY ALBERT Hoy of the same place, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
::
Price 8d.
"

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Arrangements have been proposed which have caused a current of electricity to
be transmitted for giving signals and for other purposes, when a locomotive or train
has arrived at and passes a given point upon a railway by causing the flanges of
the wheels of the locomotive or train to act upon a treadle or by the deflection of
the rails themselves, but both these arrangements are objectionable, the treadle
"does not stand the violent action upon it, and the undulation of the rails set up by
a passing locomotive train is locally indefinite and the arrangements for holding the
contact pieces have been hitherto objectionable.
Our invention relates to a simple arrangement which is readily applied, easily
adjusted and effective in action, by which the deflection of the rails caused by a
passing locomotive or train is made to act with certainty at the point desired and
make an electric contact so as to transmit a current to actuate a sigual or do other
work that may be required.
A clip is made to grip the lower flange of the rail and this clip carries a brass
box, and an insulated part to which one end of the signal or other wire is connected,
the contact arrangement being covered by a cap when fixed which will keep the
moisture from it.
Two other clips are used by preference which are also made to grip the lower
flange of the rail one on each side and at about say 3 feet 6 inches from the first
named clip and these two clips have each a pin which passes through a hole in a
-bar or beam extending between the two clips, the bar being secured to the pins by
screw nuts.
On the bar or beam and at the centre and opposite to the first mentioned bracket,
an attachment is secured which carries an adjusting screw that in its hollow.or
tubular part has a pin in it supported by a helical spring, and it is the end of this
pin when adjusted which makes electric contact when the rail is deflected by a
passing engine or train.
The electric current passes from the battery through the wire when contact is
made and back to earth through the rail.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, parts of the rails of the permanent way being supposed
broken away to show the deflection bar more clearly.
Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion of the rails of the permanent way two sleepers with
portions broken away from the ends, being shown.
Fig. 3 is a cross section at a Figs. 1 and 2 through one of the permanent way
rails the deflection bar contact arrangements and clips and parts for carrying the
:same, which are shown on an enlarged scale.
Fig. 4 is a plan view in which the permanent way rail is shown in section.
That part of this figure on the top side of the line y-y Fig. 4 being a one half
top plan view of the clip on the permanent way rail and of the contact mechanism,
and the other part of the figure below the line y-y being a one half plan view of
the clips on the permanent way rail that carry the ends of the deflection bar.
a, the two permanent way rails.
b, sleepers.
b', chairs.
B clips formed in two halves and bolted together to grip the lower flange of one
of the rails a.
From each clip B there is a lateral projection B', forming a stud to fit a hole one
at each end of the deflection bar A which is secured on the studs by screw
lock nuts.
In the midway between the two ends of the deflection bar A there is another
clip C similar to the clips B, and this clip C carries the box part e, of the contact
arrangement, the adjusting screw D, which is carried upon the deflection bar A.
The box part e, is or may be made of brass, and it has two flanges or ears e¹, by,
which it is secured by rivets to the clip C attached to the rail a (see Fig. 4).

page_text: 0
This box part e, is formed with a vertical hole in it contracted at its upper part
by a midfeather through which the head of a screw e², can pass, upon the upper end
of which a screw nut e, is placed. Between this screw e³, and nut e³, and the metal
of the part e, there is vulcanite or other suitable insulating material.
Through the centre of the insulated screw e³, there is another screw e*, and
between the head of which and the screw nut e³, the end of the electric conducting
wire, which may be passed round. the screw, is pinched. This conducting wire
(except where it comes in contact with the screw e³) is covered with insulating
material and passes down the hole e, in the part e, and then to the apparatus which
is to be acted upon by the electric current.
Above the part or box e, there is a cap e, secured by four screws (see Fig. 4) to.
keep out snow, rain and dirt from the contact mechanism.
There is a bracket d, having two ears or lugs d', by which it is secured to the
deflection bar A by rivets or other means (see Fig. 4) and in this bracket d, there.
is a screw tapped vertical hole for an adjusting screw D which passes through a
hole in an india rubber ring d³, that fits the vertical hole in the part e, and this
excludes rain, snow and dirt.
The adjusting screw D is tubular and contains within it a sliding pin d³, the
lower end of which is acted upon by a helical spring in the tubular adjusting
screw D.
There are slots in the tubular adjusting screw D through which a pin passes
that is secured in a hole in the sliding pin d³, this cross pin thus prevents the sliding
pin d³, from being pushed too far out of the tubular adjusting screw by the spring
but allows it to be pushed in when the end of the binding screw e, comes in contact.
with the end of the sliding pin d³, that is at the time the permanent way rail a is
deflected between the two ends of the bar A when a locomotive or train is passing
―at this time contact is made and a current of electricity will pass from the battery
through the conducting wire to the apparatus which is to receive the current, and
by way of the rails a, and earth back to the battery.
The screw d, in the bracket d, is to lock the screw D when adjusted.
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 we
claim is.
1. The combination with one rail of the permanent way of railways with a
deflection bar or beam, carried upon the rail of the permanent way and with
insulated contact or commuting arrangements for transmitting a current of electricity
when a locomotive or train passes over the rail substantially as hereinbefore.
described.
2. The combination and arrangement of electric contact mechanism substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of mechanism for transmitting electric
currents when engines or trains pass over the rails substantially as hereinbefore:
described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 29th day of January 1892.
PETER J. LIYSBI,
Agent.