IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING SIGNALS TO THE ENGINE DRIVERS OR GUARDS OF RAILWAY TRAINS IN MOTION, OR TO STATIONS IN CASE OF ACCIDENT OR OTHERWISE
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George William Garrood and
Charles Hardmet at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 6th January 1872.
WC, GEORGE WILLIAM GARROOD, of Twickenham, in the County.
of Middlesex, and CHARLES HARDMET, of Richmond, in the County
of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for .
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING SIGNALS TO THE ENGINE
DRIVERS OR GUARDS OF RAILWAY TRAINS IN MOTION, OR TO STATIONS IN CASE
OF ACCIDENT OR OTHERWISE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved arrangements of apparatus for
communicating signals to the engine drivers or guards of railway
trains in motion or to stations or elsewhere in case of accident or.
otherwise. This system of signaling is specially designed to prevent
serious accidents by enabling the driver or others (when stoppages or .
accidents occur on the line between stations) to transmit signals from
any point (either up or down) upon a line of railway to indicate danger
to the drivers and to arrest the progress of approaching trains, at the
same time giving a danger or warning signal to the station masters
or others at the nearest stations up and down the line. For this.

page_text: purpose according to our Invention a series of lever arms mounted
on suitable supports are placed on each side of a line of railway, one
series of such arms being employed for signaling on the up, and the
other on the down line. The lever arms are connected together and
actuated by means of wire ropes, chains, or other connections, so as a
to place them in a position across or at right angles to the line to
act upon an arm or projection carried by the engine or guards van,
whereby a bell is caused to ring or other signal given to the driver or
guard to indicate danger.
The wire ropes, chains, or other means employed for connecting and
actuating the series of lever arms are not formed in continuous lengths,
but are arranged according to our Invention in such lengths or sections
as will admit of their acting with certainty upon a suitable number
of the signaling arms or levers, each successive length or section being
brought into action by its predecessor for any distance that may be 1
required or as previously determined upon, and it is this power of
causing each successive length or section of the signaling apparatus to
come into. action in succession, which constitutes the most important
feature of our improvements.
It will be evident that various methods or mechanical contrivances
may be employed according to our Invention for actuating or bringing
into action each section or series of signaling arms or levers in
succession when required, and a description of one such arrangement
will be sufficient to explain the nature of our Invention, and the manner
of carrying the same into practice.
For example, suppose that each separate section of the signaling
apparatus is a quarter of a mile in length, and that there are one
or any other suitable number of the signaling arms to be acted upon
along this portion of the line of railway. Each of the signaling arms
are connected to a chain, wire rope, or other connection, the longi-
tudinal movement of which will cause the signaling arms to move
from a longitudinal to a transverse position with or across the line
of rails. To one end of the chain, rope, or other connection a weight,
is attached, the other end being connected to a lever arm carried by,
a fixed support. By moving this lever arm in one direction the chain,
rope, or other connection is drawn up into a state of tension. so as
to hold the weight at the opposite end in suspension, and the lever
arms connected with the chain or rope are drawn or moved out of

page_text: position to prevent them from acting upon the bell or signal carried
by the engine or guards van. The lever for keeping the chain or rope
in a state of tension is retained by catch levers, one of which is so
placed or arranged that the weight attached to the adjoining section
or length of chain or rope in its descent acts on the said lever or
catch, and thus releases the retaining lever attached to the end of the
rope or chain, by which the weight at the opposite end of that section
descends and draws or moves the chain or rope, thus causing the
signaling arms connected therewith to assume a transverse position
with the line of rails ready to act upon the bell or signal carried by a
passing train. The descent of the weight on the end of each section
or length of rope or chain acts in like manner upon the catch lever of
the next adjoining section, and so on in succession as far as the series of
sections extend.
At frequent intervals between each signal arm a catch lever or
coupling is attached to the chain, rope, or other connection by means
of which a short length thereof can be taken up and retained, the catch
lever or coupling being secured by a sliding ring, link or otherwise, and
when it is desired to communicate a signal or signals the catch lever
or coupling is released by simply drawing back the sliding ring or other
contrivances for setting a portion of the chain or rope at liberty, the
weight at the end of that section will then immediately descend and set
the signal arms in a position to give a signal to the approaching engine,
and at the same time release the catch lever of the adjoining section,
and so on in succession as far as the series of sections are in com-
munication with each other as previously described.
An arm (such as previously described) can be connected to the signals
now in use, or a single section specially arranged and adapted to indicate
danger to the driver may be employed for stopping a train running into
a station in foggy weather or otherwise.
Where crossings occur the rope, chain, or other connection is con-
ducted below the surface of the rails, being connected by bell-crank
levers or otherwise