Repeating Railway Signals on a Locomotive Engine by the Aid of Electricity.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 6th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 28th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Repeating Railway Signals on a Locomotive Engine by the Aid of
Electricity.
I, JOHN GARDNER, 14 Lower Bank Road, Fulwood, near Preston, in the county of
Lancaster, Science Teacher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of the invention is to repeat, on a Locomotive Engine, the signals
transmitted to the semaphores from the signal box; and consists of :-
1. A box of suitable dimensions, containing a signal, mounted at the end of a short
metal arm. The arm is pivotted, and mounted, so as to be free to revolve in a vertical
plane. The pivot is so placed that the centre of gravity of the system-signal, arm
and weight is decidedly on the same side of the pivot as the weight. In consequence
of this arrangement, when the arm is free, it stands vertically, with the signal upwards,
and protruding through a slit in the top of the box. When in this position the signal
indicates that the line is blocked. In order to keep the signal down, when the line is
clear, there is, in a suitable position, in the rim of the signal, a slot. When the
signal is down, and the arm is horizontal, it is held in that position by a pin or catch,
fixed on the armature of an electro-magnet. The armature is attached to a spring.
When it is desired to release the signal and permit it to rise out of the box, a current
of electricity is sent through the coils of the electro-magnet. The inagnet then attracts
the armature attached to the spring, pulls the catch out of the slot, and sets the signal
When the signal is up it completes an independent electrical circuit and rings
free.
a bell.
The repeater box is carried by, and attached to, the locomotive engine. I may have
more than one signal in the same box.
One end of the coil of the electro-magnet is attached to the body of the engine; the
other end, which I call the free end, is attached to a connector which is otherwise
insulated from the body of the engine. I may not insulate the whole of the
connector.
II. A connector consisting of a vertical spindle, for the purpose of putting the free
end of the coil of the electro-magnet, contained in the box, into contact with a metal
rail which is fixed on the permanent way, parallel to the ordinary rails, and between
them or otherwise. I call this metal rail an extra rail and 1 may use more than one
extra rail. At the lower end of the spindle of the connector is a projecting arm or
brush, for establishing sliding contact with the extra rail. If I use more than one extra
rail shall use more than one arm or brush. I may make the contact otherwise than
by sliding. The arm of the connector is kept in suitable contact with the extra rail
by means of a spiral spring or otherwise. The extra rail extends along the permanent
way for a distance, somewhat exceeding the distance, in which a locomotive can pull
up, after receiving a signal. The extra rail is connected by a wire or other suitable
conductor of electricity, through an electrical switch, with one of the poles of an
electrical cell, or battery, or other source of electricity. The other pole of the same
cell or battery is connected with one of the ordinary rails. When a locomotive is
passing over, or standing upon, a section of the railway furnished with an extra rail
it, is then capable of receiving signals by means of its own body and connector, and
of conducting an electric current to the electro-magnet of the repeater box.
III. An electrical switch, fixed on the railway, at a point near to a signal post, or
in any other suitable position. The purpose of the switch is to alter the direction of
the current of electricity, when more than one signal is used, or to break it, when
required, if only one signal is used. The arm of the switch, which directs or breaks
the current, is attached to, and worked by, the wire which moves the ordinary
semaphores.

page_text: '
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Repeating Railway Signals on a Locomotive Engine by the Aid of
Electricity.
I, JOHN GARDNER of 14 Lower Bank Road Fulwood, near Preston in the County
of Lancaster Science Teacher, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention & in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described & ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of this Invention is to repeat on a locomotive engine the signals
transmitted to the semaphores from the signal box, and the operation thereof will be
readily understood on reference to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 of which
represents a front view of the apparatus to be attached to the engine, Fig. 2 a side
view thereof Fig. 3 a detail of the contact maker, Fig. 4 a diagram showing the
working of the line current & semaphore, Fig. 5 a front view of engine, contact
makers and extra rails and fig. 6 a side elevation thereof with engine signal box
fixed in position. The same letters refer to the same parts whenever they are
repeated.
In figs. 1 & 2 is shewn a box of suitable dimensions containing two distinct
signals A & A mounted respectively at the ends of the two metal arms R & R'. At
the ends of these arms are the counterbalance weights W & W which are of a
sufficient weight to maintain the signals in a vertical position as shown by the
signal A when they are free. As the method of operating both or any number of
signals is the same in every case, a single description will suffice.
When the signal
is free it will rest in the upright position of the signal A', the circular part projecting
through a slit in the top of the box; this indicates that the line is blocked. In order
to keep the signal down or out of sight of the driver when the line is clear, there is a
slot a formed in the rim, into which slot enters a pin or catch projecting from the
armature C, of an electro magnet M, such armature being controlled by a spring S
which keeps the pin on the armature firmly in the slot a in the rim of the signal.
When the line is clear, the engine driver can depress the signal with his hand and the
pin or catch on the end of the armature will retain it in the horizontal position of the
signal A as shewn in Fig. 1 as there will then be no current passing through
the magnet M but if the line is not clear the armature will be attracted to the magnet
and the pin or catch thereon will consequently not engage with the notch in the rim
of the signal, which will therefore return to its vertical position as soon as the engine
driver releases it.
The method of putting the Invention into operation is as follows:-Connected with
the rod or line v (see fig. 4) which leads to the signal post Z is a line t which when
pulled, actuates the arm of an electrical switch Q in one direction the said arm being
moved in the opposite direction by means of a weight we attached to the arm 7. The
switch, as shewn in Fig. 4 is at the neutral point, the lower arm being in metallic
contact with one pole of a battery or other source of electricity S whilst the upper
arm if moved either to the right or left will transmit the current through one of the
wires h or . The wire s¹ is connected to one of the ordinary rails kor k¹ (in this
case to the rail k) and the communication is completed as hereinafter explained by
means of the wires h, or which are respectively connected to extra rails f & g placed
preferably between the ordinary permanent rails. These extra rails may be placed in
any position relatively to the signal box and are preferably of such a length as will
enable the engine driver to pull up to a standstill between one end of the said rails
and the other. The electrical communication between the engine, signal box and the
line signals is effected as follows, it being understood that each signal on the engine
repeater must have its separate extra rail for g and its separate contact maker with
such extra rail in order to transmit or indicate the various positions of the semaphore
or line signal.
One end of the coil of the electromagnet M is attached to the body of the engine
which carries it and the other end which I call the free end is attached to a
connector N which is otherwise insulated from the body of the engine.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a view of the connector, its purpose is to put the free end of the coil of
the electro magnet contained in the repeater into electrical contact with a metal rail
such as for g which is fixed as before described parallel to the ordinary rails and
between them or otherwise. Reference to the details of fig. 3 will indicate the
structure & mode of action of the connector. N is a hollow box, into which slides the
spindle or smaller bar P. The spindle P is acted upon by the spiral spring V. At
the bottom of the spindle P the brush m is fixed and it is so fixed by the set screw
shewn in the figure as to be adjustable. The connector is pivotted to the plate H in
such a manner as to be free to move in a plane parallel to the length of the engine.
The plate H and therefore the connector is electrically insulated from the body of the
engine except through a circuit part of which consists of the coils of the electro
magnet M. The spiral springs D & D control the connector laterally in the plane of
its motion and thus keep its brush in soft electrical contact with an extra rail when
the engine carrying it is standing on or passing over a section of the railway furnished
with an extra rail. The spiral spring assists the springs D & D and also secures
the return of the spindle P to its proper place after having been pushed up into the
sleeve N. When the engine carrying it is reversed whilst standing over an extra
rail the brush B is made of chips of steel or other suitable metal. The pins &
which are fixed to the spindle P and move in slots cut in the sleeve N prevent the
spindle from rotating in the sleeve or falling out of it.
When a locomotive is passing over or standing upon a section of a railway furnished
with an extra rail it is then capable of conducting an electric current by means of its
own body & connector to the electro magnet of its repeater and of thus recording a
signal. The current having passed through the electro magnet M and released the
signal by attracting the armature C the signal assumes the vertical position as shewn
in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In so doing the weighted end W₁ falls upon a spring
contact maker n and completes an independent electrical circuit which rings a bell B
and so calls the driver's attention to the signal.
While I have carefully & minutely described the details of construction of my
Invention as represented in the accompanying drawings it will be understood that I
do not limit myself to such of the said details as may be varied without departing
from the spirit of my Invention.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. In mechanism for repeating railway signals the combination with an engine of
one or more signals such as A, A' electro magnets M contact makers N, extra
rails f, g, battery S, and switch G the whole operating in manner substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In mechanism for repeating signals the combination with the rod or wire v of
the wire t switch Q and weighted arm for simultaneously operating corresponding
line signals and repeater signals, substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. The repeater mechanism to engine or tender, consisting of signals A A' mounted
in a suitable box or case each controlled by the armature of an electro magnet such
as M and capable when released of setting in motion an electric bell or alarm,
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. The contact maker N constructed and applied substantially as described and
illustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The complete mechanism for repeating railway signals constructed and operating
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of August 1889
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane. London, Agents for the Applicant.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.