IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALS AND SIGNALLING
Year: 1876

page_text: 16
LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and
Company, Patent Agents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALS AND SIGNALLING."
A communication from abroad by James Gordon, of California, United States
of America.
Sealed the 19th December 1876, and dated the 1st July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st July 1876.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Patent Agents,
of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
SIGNALS AND SIGNALLING." A communication from abroad by James Gordon, of
California, United States of America.
The Invention Comprises improvements upon the Invention for "Improvements
in Signals and Signalling" communicated by James Gordon to Thomas Foulkes, in
respect of which Letters Patent [No. 2602, A.D. 1870] were granted to the said
Thomas Foulkes, dated 30th September, 1870.
In the Complete Specification [filed at the time] of said former Invention was
described certain pneumatic apparatus for signalling or telegraphing between two
or more points or stations by the transmission of confined air through a pipe or
pipes, so that the air displaced or received at one station may be replaced or with-
drawn from another, and produce a mechanical movement for working signals or
telegraph, as desired. And the said apparatus was described as intended to be
worked or put in action by an operator or attendant.
It is intended by the present Invention to render such apparatus, or other
apparatus of a similar or analogous character, automatic, or self-acting, that is to
say, independent of an operator or attendant, for and at the time of signalling.
More especially it provides that the passage of a locomotive engine or carriage, at
any desired point on a line of railway, may cause to work or put in operation a
pneumatic signalling apparatus, whereby signals may be displayed at or removed
from view at a distant point, indicating the passage of said locomotive engine or
carriage, and also, if required, the display of or the removal of a signal at the said
D

page_text: point of the passage of the locomotive engine or carriage. For this purpose inverted
cylinders or tanks gasometer or gas-holder fashion are employed, such cylinders
being placed in other cylinders [not inverted] containing water or other liquid, and
connected by one or more air pipes or tubes with hydrostatic or common bellows,
the said bellows being provided with striking levers or furniture for being operated
upon or caused to move or work by means of a passing locomotive engine or
carriage, and air be thus forced through the pipe or pipes into and thereby raise the
gasometric cylinders, at either an adjacent or at a distant point or points, the said
striking levers or furniture returning to their relative normal positions, immediately
after the passing of the locomotive engine or carriages, in readiness to be similarly
acted upon by the next following engine or carriages. And it is contemplated that
by means of pneumatic valves, operated by said striking levers or furniture, air may
in some cases, as required, be permitted to escape, thereby lowering the said
gasometric cylinders. And it is contemplated to affix near to the gasometric
cylinders bell cranks, and to attach thereto rods with two or more small short rods
attached to their further extremity or end, the ends of these short rods being
projected or pushed about halfway across the upper surface of the nearest rail of
the railway, or withdrawn therefrom, by the mechanical vertical movements of the
gasometric cylinders; a tremulous and peculiar motion or sensation being thus
communicated to the platform of the locomotive engine by the passing of the
wheels of the engine over these small rods, warning of danger is unmistakably
given to the engine driver in the event of his failing to see the displayed signal in
passing. And it is specially contemplated, in some cases, as a protection against
frost or low temperature, to employ glycerine or glycerine diluted with water or
other non-congeable liquid, in which to immerse the inverted gasometric cylinders
before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by.
the said Herbert John Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
December 1876.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Patent Agents,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer.
SIGNALS AND SIGNALLING." A communication from abroad by James Gordon, of
California, United States of America.
The Invention consists in working signals generally, or the improved system of
signals herein described, by means of depressing levers and their connections, to be
worked by the passage of a wheel or other part of a vehicle.
The improved system of signals consist in the use of compressors and exhausters
actuated by the said levers, or other mechanical equivalent working in tanks,
pneumatic cylinders furnished with signals containing non-congealable liquid,
preferably glycerine, combined with the use of Wolff's bottles and certain rods
worked on and off the rails, whereby the driver or guard of a train may be warned
of danger.
The accompanying Drawing will serve to illustrate a mode of performing the
Invention and help to describe the same.
In said Drawing Fig. 1 shows plan view of depressing levers and apparatus for
section of same.
working the compressors or exhausters N and M, and Fig.
Fig. 3 longitudinal section of the depressing apparatus to be actuated by the
wheel, as shown.
In Figs. 1, 2, & 3, V, V2, are the depressing levers fixed alongside the rail and
embracing a bolt S connected with bars Z, Z', working on pins P and actuating the
lever L. Y is a channelled metal rail fitted to receive and hold the levers V, V,
though the depressing levers are shown outside the line of rail they may be fixed

page_text: in any other convenient position, and in lieu of being actuated by a wheel other
mechanical contrivance can be used, so that a passing vehicle may move them. Z¹
is a lever actuated by Z, as shown, and connected with the lever L.
In Fig. 4 C is a gasometric cylinder enclosed in outer vessels or tanks A¹, A³,
containing non-congealable or other liquid. P and P¹ are Wolff's bottles of metal
or other material, through which air passes on its inlet or exit; O is an annular air
chamber surrounding the cylinder and giving buoyancy thereto; D is a signal fixed
to the cylinder, as shown; E is an escape pipe with cock G to be used when the
apparatus is intended for time signalling; B is a crank with weight at end of the
lower arm for bringing it to a vertical position; R is a connecting rod, at the end
of which are two or more small rods r resting on a block, as shown, level with
surface of the rails; H is a rod passing through the end of an arm of the crank
with a boss in its lower end, the upper end of rod is fixed to the signal support
furnished to the cylinder C, so that the rod H will rise and fall with said cylinder;
K is a stop to prevent the crank from swinging back beyond a vertical position;
W is a window at any convenient part of the signal box, as shown, the box being
intended to protect the apparatus from the weather; T is a pipe leading from the
compressor to the tank, through which air passes into the cylinder C; this pipe may
be furnished with cocks G¹ at intervals of space, so that in case of accident the
guard of a train can, by turning a cock and allowing the air to escape, cause the
danger signal to be displayed (in the case of a double way) on a similar series of
signalling apparatus on the other line, and so protection be given on both lines or
in both directions; in this case the bottle P is placed close to the compressor_aud
not to the tank as shown; F is a pipe leading from the tank A¹ to exhauster M, by
which air can be withdrawn from the cylinder C; L is a lever connected by other
levers Z, Z, with the depressing levers V1, V2; this lever L works the compressor N
and the exhauster M when the apparatus is used as a block system signal.
In using the apparatus as a time signal the exhauster M, pipe F, and bottle P¹,
are not needed, and the cock G of the escape pipe E is opened to such extent that
the air contained in C when inflated and raised will escape in a regulated time and
the cylinder C gradually sink lower and lower with the surmounted signal until it
is lowered out of sight. When a wheel passes over the depressing levers the
compressor N forces air through pipe T into the cylinder C passing through the
bottle P which, acting as a pneumatic valve, prevents the return of the air; the
cylinder then rises with its surmounted signal; any surplus air forced in is allowed
to escape by means of another escape pipe from the air chamber X (but not shown
in the Drawing), and the end of which escape pipe is immersed in a vessel of liquid
to such depth that when the pressure exceeds that necessary to raise the cylinder C,
or it has been raised to its utmost height, the surplus air escapes by displacement of
the liquid in the immersed escape pipe; or the exhaust pipe F leading from
chamber X to the bottle may be used as the additional escape pipe, its bent down
end being similarly immersed in liquid.
In using the apparatus for signalling on the block system the cock G is shut or
dispensed with; the wheel on passing over the depressing levers V1, V2, works both
the compressor N and exhauster M, the first sending air through pipe T and raising
the cylinder and its surmounted signal at A2 out of sight above the window of
signal box, and the latter withdrawing air from the cylinder C at A' and lowering
the signal into sight. When the cylinder C rises it moves the crank B and projects
the small rods r, r, r, on the metal of the line, so that a vehicle passing over them
experiences a slight but unmistakable tremulous motion, whereby the engine driver
or guard is made aware that the danger signal is displayed, though either may have
failed to see it. On the lowering of the signal these rods are withdrawn from the
metal, which is left clear.
The signal can also be displayed by raising the cylinder, and removed from sight
by lowering it, by simply reversing the action, the crank being similarly reversed;
thus the normal condition of the cylinder may be either up or down, as desired. It

page_text: is to be observed that as soon as a vehicle in passing has operated the levers they
return to their normal position ready to be reacted upon.
The cylinder C may be made so buoyant by means of the annular air chamber O
at the bottom of it, or by means of a counterpoise, that its normal position is up
and raised to its utmost height, and in this case, if used as a time signal, the bellows
or blower N is dispensed with, as air having been exhausted from the cylinder by a
passing vehicle operating the exhauster M the cylinder will have been lowered, and
external air gradually finding ingress through the pipe E regulated by the cock G,
the cylinder will gradually rise to its normal position.
I claim,―
1. The arrangement and working of the depressing levers and their connections,
substantially as described, to actuate any signalling apparatus.
2. The combination of the said levers with compressors and exhausters, or other
similar equivalents, for the purposes of actuating gasometric cylinders and signals
attached thereto, substantially as described.
3. The combination of gasometric cylinder C and tanks A1, A2, with one or more
Wollf's bottles, substantially as described, and the use in said tanks and bottles of
non-congealable liquid, preferably glycerine or a solution thereof.
4. The combination of Wollf's bottle and escape cock G.
5. The combination of the crank B and rods r, r, r, or other similar equivalents
working in combination with the cylinder C, substantially as described and for the
purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
H. J. HADDAN. (L.S.)