OF THE DRAWINGS
Year: 1899

page_text: I, FRANCIS PHILLIMORE CLIFFORD, of 37, Maclise Road, Kensington, 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 follow-
ing statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in signalling on railways, and has for its
objects a simple inexpensive and reliable sound signalling machine, devoid of
complicated mechanism, which can be put in or out of operation at a moment's
notice, and be useful in cases where sight signalling is impossible or uncertain
in effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a back elevation of my machine.
Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of my machine.
Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal clevation and part section of an explosive car-
tridge suitable for my machine.
Fig. 4 represents an end view of such cartridge showing detonators.
My machine comprises a system of levers actuated by the depression of a bar
lying contiguous to the rail over which a train has to pass, and consists of a
main lever b, b, pivotted at some point B between its extremities and attached to
or in connection with the said bar contiguous to the rail, so that one end b₁ of the
main lever is depressed by the depression of the said bar caused by the wheel.
of a passing train to which a signal is required to be made. At or near the other
end 6 of the main lever is pivotted a hook c, so weighted at c₂ that it will be
automatically brought into the proper position for operation. The hook e engages
with a projection or catch d. This catch d is rigidly attached to or forms part
of a cylindrical or other suitably shaped piece n pivotted at each end and grooved
transversely or depressed at or near its centre, thus forming an eccentric, on or
in which groove or depression rests a heavily weighted lever e. Fixed or attached
to this piece n is a striker or hammer f of suitable shape or form to give the
required signal by striking a bell, gong, or other suitable contrivance, or a deton-
ating cartridge or cartridges as Hereinbefore described.
When the machine is in operation, the wheels of the train, to which a signal
is required to be made, depress the said bar contiguous to the rail whereby the
end 6 of the main lever is depressed, and the other end b, of the main lever and
the hook e pivotted thereto are raised. As the hook c which engages with the
catch d is raised, the piece n to which the catch is attached or of which it
forms part, is caused to rotate, and the striker or hammer f fixed or attached

page_text: thereto is brought back previous to striking. When the catch d is raised so far
that the hook e disengages itself, the piece with striker or hammer f is imme-
diately released, and the heavily weighted lever e resting on or in the grooved
part of the piece n causes the striker or hammer f to give a rapid and powerful
blow.
In order that the machine may be put out of operation at will by the signal-
man, a wire W, or other connection, leading to the sigual cabin is connected
with the hook c, so that when the wire is tightened the hook is drawn away
from the catch d. Underneath the lever b, b, is placed a stop lever o so weighted
as to always tend to return to its normal position, and so situated that when the
hook c is drawn from the catch d by the wire W, the first time the bar contiguous
to the rail and the end b, of the main lever are depressed by a passing train,
the hook moves aside the stop lever o and passes it, but on returning, the
bottom of the hook c rests on the stop lever o which has resumed its normal posi-
tion, and thus the bar contiguous to the rail remains below, or very little raised
above the level of the flanges of the wheels of the train. So soon as the wire W
from the signal cabin is slackened, the hook e returns to the catch d, and the
machine is again in operation. Instead of taking the wire W to the signal cabin,
it may be in connection with the ordinary semaphore signal, so that the lowering
of the danger signal will put the machine out of operation, or the putting the
machine in and out of operation by means of the wire W or other connection
may be otherwise arranged.
:
In ordinary cases the bar contiguous to the rail should be of sufficient length
that the first wheel of the train should not leave it before the next wheel rests
on it, and so on throughout the train, but in order to obviate the necessity of
so long a bar, the return of the lever b₁ b₂ to its normal position may be retarded
by a fan p, actuated by gearing from a quadrant g, on the axis of which is a
catch r; the hook c is made double ended, with hook, at the end opposite to the
hook c, this hook c₁ engages with the catch, when the end b, of the main lever
is raised by the depression of the bar contiguous to the rail, and as the muin
lever returns to its normal position, the quadrant y is raised until the catch r
is released by the hook c₁, and the quadrant resumes its normal position retarded
by the revolving fan p.
เ
In the case where I use detonating cartridges as signals, I construct an appa-
ratus in connection with my machine to take the place of a bell, or gong, or
other suitable device, as follows:-A frame; carries a wheel which may consist
of two discs k with space between them, but joined together as shown in the
drawing, such wheel or discs k having five equidistant transverse grooves / in
their periphery, of suitable size to contain a cartridge y. Attached to or in
connection with the frame is a shoot or hopper m from which cartridges are
fed by gravitation or otherwise to the wheel &, so that as each successive groove
on the wheel comes opposite the end of the shoot or hopper m, a cartridge falls
into the groove to fill it, or the grooves may be made each to hold more than
one cartridge. Or, instead of having a shoot or hopper as described, the car-
tridges may be enclosed in pockets made in a tape or tapes, such tape or tapes
being carried round the wheel so that the cartridges are successively fed into
the grooves. The wheel is rotated, as hereinafter described, each time the
hammer is moved back for striking, just so much as to bring a successive groove
with cartridge exactly to the point where the hammer f will strike and explode
the cartridge. As the wheel is further rotated, the exploded cartridge drops
out of the groove by gravitation. I prefer that the cartridges to be used shall be
made as in Figs. 3 and 4, each with three detonators arranged around the
centre of the end of the cartridge, with anvils, h₂ radiating from the centre, so
us to make sure of them being exploded. In such cases I make the head of the
hammer f with annular projection so that it may strike and explode the detona- 5
tors with certainty. Attached to and on the same axis as the wheel or discs k,
5

page_text: is a ratchet wheels with five teeth. A transverse lever t, pivotted at or near its
centre, rests with one end on the heavily weighted lever e, and the other end on
one arm of an inverted T shaped lever, the opposite end of such lever
being weighted. The upright ₂ of such lever is connected to a horizontal piece
or bolt above the ratchet wheel s. This bolt v works in grooves which keep it
in the same plane as the ratchet wheel a, and it has on its underside a projec-
tion w to catch in the teeth of the ratchet wheel s.
The rotation of the ratchet wheel s, and wheel or discs is effected in manner
following: When the end b, of the main lever, and consequently the heavily
weighted lever o are raised, owing to the depression of the bar contiguous to the
rail by a passing train, not only is the striker or hammer f brought back pre-
paratory to striking, but also the end of the transverse levert resting on the
heavily weighted lever e is raised, and the other end of the transverse lever t
depresses the arm u, of the T shaped lever, causing the upright t, to force the
horizontal bolt r, connected to it, forward, so that the projection w pushes round
the ratchet wheel s. After the projection w has passed the tooth and released it,
the ratchet wheels is held firm and prevented from rotating by means of pins
or projections preventing the bolt rising when forward, and pins or pro-
jections y preventing it rising when back, and thus the ratchet wheels and wheel
or discs are locked in position so that the cartridge in one of the grooves 7
is exactly opposite the hammer f ready for firing. The ratchet wheels is further
locked in position by a pawl z. When the bolt vis in its forward position it is
held by a catch i which falls into a notch in the bolt v. This catch i is situated
immediately over the hammer f, and is of such shape that the hammer raises the
catch when it strikes the blow, and thus releases the bolt v, at the same time,
owing to the heavily weighted lever a returning to its normal position, the trans-
verse levert is free, and the weighted arm u brings the bolt back to its normal
position,
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 is:-
1. In machines of the kind specified, the arrangement and combination of
striker or hammer attached to a piece capable of being rotated on its axis, such
piece being grooved transversely or depressed between its ends, thus forming an
eccentric, with a heavily weighted lever resting in such groove or depression, a
catch rigidly attached to or forming part of such piece, a hook pivotted on a
main lever to engage with such catch, and main lever in connection with a bar
contiguous to the rail, substantially as described and set forth in the accompany-
ing drawings, and for the purposes specified.
2. In machines of the kind specified, the arrangement and combination, for
putting the machine out of operation, of wire or other connection, attached to
the hook pivotted on the main lever, to pull the hook out of gear with the catch,
and a stop lever to retain the main lever out of operation when the wire or other
connection is taut, substantially as described and set forth in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In machines of the kind specified, the arrangement and combination, for the
purpose of retarding the return of the machine to its normal position, of a
quadrant and fan actuated by gearing therefrom, a catch on the axis of the
quadrant, and double ended hook pivotted on the main lever, substantially as
described and set forth in the accompanying drawings.
4. In machines of the kind specified, the arrangement and combination of a
wheel with five grooves to hold explosive cartridges, a ratchet wheel with five
teeth, a bolt to rotate the ratchet wheel and to lock it in position, a pawl
to further lock it, a catch to drop into a notch of the bolt and to be raised by the
striker or hammer, and levers to actuate the said bolt substantially as described
and set forth in the accompanying drawings, and for the purposes specified.

page_text: 5. The construction, arrangement, and combination of parts forming a sound
signalling machine for railways substantially as described and set forth in the
accompanying drawings.
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