AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATПS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS ARISING FROM COLLISION AND OTHER CAUSES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Samuel Williams at the Office of the
Cominissioners of Patents on the 2nd August 1882.
SAMUEL WILLIAMS of Newport, in the county of Monmouth "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND APPARATПS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS ARISING
FROM COLLISION AND OTHER CAUSES'
"
The object of my invention is to prevent railway accidents particularly those
arising from collision. The means whereby I accomplish this object is to provide
that all trains, that is to say the locomotives thereof, and especially of fast
passenger trains should be fitted with an apparatus constructed of steel, iron, wood
or other suitable material formed on the expanding and collapsing principle of the
lazy-tongs. This apparatus when extended, is at least the length of the train to
which it is attached. One extremity of the apparatus is fixed, as hereinafter
described to the front of the locomotive and the other extremity is centred upon,
and otherwise attached to the axle of a pair or pairs of ordinary wagon bogie truck
or other wheels, such as may be commonly used to travel on rails, the apparatus
being supported by other pairs of intermediate wheels at intervals.
The essential position in which my apparatus is employed is, as already indicated,
in front of the locomotive, so as to occupy when expanded to its full limit of length
a space, in length, upon the line, as long, at least, as, if not longer than that occupied
by the length of the train itself. The train therefore moves with the apparatus
before it, and it is evident that no matter at what rate of speed any such train inaý
be travelling, the pair of wheels as above referred to must act as a pilot, running at
the distance of the length of the train in advance of the engine and yet remain
connected by means of the extended lazy-tongs apparatus aforesaid, with such
engine so as to afford a mechanical medium for automatically and instantly
communicating to the engine the fact of anything being upon the line which would
be a dangerous obstacle to the free passage of the train, such communication being
made of course in advance, ie. in an appreciable space in time before such engine
or train could arrive at the point where such obstacle existed. The moment,
therefore, that the two front wheels of my apparatus meet with or are stopped and
their speed otherwise checked or interfered with by any obstacle upon defect in or
want of continuity of the rails, which would hinder, stop, or otherwise prevent the

page_text: further safe progress of the train, or otherwise be the cause of an accident, the lazy-
tongs begin to collapse or fold up. That is to say, the two wheels, as aforesaid,
may thus undergo a check to their speed (which normally is the speed of the train
to which they are connected by the lazy-tongs) whilst the train itself still continues
to move forward, but with a speed which is continually slackening till finally
stopped, as hereinafter described. The end of the lazy-tongs attached to the
locomotive consists practically of two levers, (the terminal members of the series of
like levers of which the lazy-tongs are built up,) the fulcrum of which is the central
pivot which, scissors-like, connects them. This fulcrum is a fixed point on the
front part or frame of the engine, and it is at once evident that any motion or
impulse given to the terminal of the lazy-tongs centred on the pilot wheels
instantaneously pervades the entire length of the tongs and communicates a
precisely corresponding and synchronous motion to the other terminal on the engine,
the two levers of which then possess a mechanical movement which can be availed of
to automatically work other parts to close valves and shut off steam or open or
otherwise operate other valves or the like so as to apply the brake power of the
train and stop it. The important feature of my invention, therefore is, that the
temporary or permanent stoppage of or check to the speed of the pilot-wheels, the
very instant such stoppage or check is experienced, is made, by the use of my
apparatus, the means of shutting off the steam in the engine and applying the
brakes, both operations being produced and caused to be effected and performed
simultaneously, instantly and automatically, by the existence itself of that which
would constitute the element of danger, and the train, if it be provided with brake
power which will enable it to stop within its own length, would consequently be.
brought to a standstill before coming into contact or collision with the obstacle
which occasioned the check or stoppage to the pilot wheels, the said standstill
moreover being brought about in such a manner (seeing that the motion of the train
folds up the lazy-tongs) as to cause no damage, or shock, or injury whatever, either
to the train, the line, or the obstacle or element of danger thereon.
In order that the liability to negligence and error, which is inseparable from
human instrumentality may be eliminated to the fullest possible extent in connection
with the control thereof by the driver or others in charge of my apparatus, namely;
to render the right use and manipulation of the said apparatus, at all times, an
absolute certainty, and a condition of the train moving at all irrespective and
independent of any one's will, my invention further provides by means of the
mechanical devices, hereinafter mentioned, that the act of turning on steam for the
proper speed is made to expand the lazy-tongs together with the pilot-wheels to
the full limit of their length and take-off brakes just as I provide that the reverse
or contrary of this last indicated movement, namely; the folding up of the lazy-
tongs is made to shut off steam and apply the brakes.
I accomplish the starting or stopping of the train, combined with the expanding
and collapsing movements respectively as above last described by means of suitably
arranged apparatus on the engine, the mechanical principles of which are exceedingly
simple and are as follows: suitable levers to work the valves for admitting or
shutting off the steam in the cylinders, and also to operate the valves or other
apparatus for actuating and governing the action of the brake-power with which
the engine or train may be fitted, are arranged in the front of the engine. These
levers are severally connected with, and controlled by the motions of the two
terminal members of the series of levers constituting the lazy-tongs as herein before
described, videlicet: each of the ends of the said terminal levers, pivoted on the
engine front as described, is bolted to a quarter segment of a bevil-toothed wheel,
the centre of revolution of the said segment being the pivot referred to, one segment
is in position above the other segment, and between them and in gear with them is
a smaller bevil-wheel worked by means of suitable shafting, terminating in a hand-
wheel from the driver's place on the engine. The said shafting can be so arranged
as to automatically throw the small, bevil-wheel out of gear with the two quarter.
segments above referred to, on the completion of every effective journey thereof,

page_text: videlicet: every time the lazy tongs are expanded to their full length; in order
that when the pilot-wheels at the distant terminal of the lazy-tongs may be called
upon to act there should be a perfectly free and easy motion of the terminal levers,
on the engine in working their respective valves. If the smaller bevil-wheel did
still remain in gear with the two quarter segments, when the lazy-tongs began to
collapse from being acted upon at the distant end, the said wheel would simply
revolve on its axis, and such motion, if preferred to the provision hereinbefore
mentioned for that purpose, could be availed of to shut off steam, and apply the
brakes.
My invention also embraces a provision whereby the driver or stoker, whenever
occasion required, or whenever it may be deemed desirable to do so, as for instance,
for the purpose of shunting at sidings, across lines, or at stations, and when the
essential condition of such movements is a slow rate of speed, may by the means
already described, fold up the lazy-tongs into their smallest limit of space, or
expand the same to any modified length, and yet be able to set the engine in
motion. To accomplish this I provide that a lever handle, similar to that now in
use should be employed, as an independent means of actuating the ordinary steam
valves, said lever handle to be used solely on the occasions indicated; and to be
capable only of imparting a very modified rate of speed to the engine, so as to
render it impossible, for a full fair rate of speed to be attained, without turning on
the hand-wheel referred to,-which of course would accomplish that object, and at
the same time, expand the lazy-tongs to the full limit of length.
On railways where there are curves such as require it I provide that the lazy
tongs have auxiliary pairs of wheels, intermediately at equal intervals between the
pilot wheels and the engine, the pairs of levers in the lazy-tongs at such intervals
being siotted longitudinally at the ends, where they join the next pair of levers that
the pins connecting them may work freely in such slots, so as to enable the
apparatus in its extended forin to adapt itself approximately to such curves as the
line takes and thus be still able to operate effectively as intended.
In addition to the details of construction of the lazy-tongs, in connection with
the pilot-wheels, I provide, in view of a possible, though very remote, contingency,
that the said pilot-wheels shall or may carry suitable buffers or projections with
pulleys attached, in anticipation of meeting with any obstruction, moving at right
angles to the notion of the pilot wheels. Any such obstruction, say, another train
or vehicle at a level crossing, would on the pilot wheels coming into contact there-
with, continue to move without any material damage being received by reason of
gliding in contact with the said pulleys, which under such circumstances would act
as a sort of revolving fender, whilst at the same time, they would contribute by
their impact with such obstruction, to the fulfilment of the function of the apparatus
as herein described. I further provide that when deemed necessary the said wheels
or buffers, shall have fixed to each of them a sort of brush, consisting of suitable
metallic bristles, which shall hang from the buffers, or in front of the wheels, said
brushes being connected electrically with each other, but suitably insulated from
the pilot wheels and reaching on to the rails, glide along the same in slight
frictional contact therewith to complete an electrical circuit consisting of the two
rails between the pilot wheels and the engine, and two similar brushes depending
from in front of the engine, reaching down on to the rails, but insulated from the
metal of the said engine. A battery upon the engine is coupled up with the afore-
said circuit, and connected with powerful electro-magnets, suitably arranged to
independently work the valves to shut off steam and to apply the brakes. These
electro-magnets are arranged to respond to the interruption of the circuit, that is
to say, so devised and adjusted, that so long as there is a continuance of the rails
for the pilot-wheels with their electrical attachments or contact brushes connected
therewith, to run upon, so long is the electrical circuit closed, and the electro-
magnetic appliances upon the engine remain inactive, but any failure in the con-
tinuity of the rails, interrupts the circuit, and the aforesaid electro-magnetic
appliances responding to such break in the circuit, shut off the steam and apply

page_text: the brakes. If preferred, an insulated wire may be carried along the lazy-tongs,
for one portion of the circuit, instead of using both the rails as aforesaid, in which
case one or both rails form a return to the engine.
I also provide, that, if desirable, the folding-up movement of the lazy-tongs, or
the cessation of the electric current as hereinbefore described, when the same
respectively is occasioned by the element of danger upon or in the line, and when
the train is travelling at the rate of speed as above indicated, shall sound an alarm
on the steam whistle of the engine, and upon a bell in the guard's van