Improvements in Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application; 29th July, 1891 Accepted, 29th Aug., 1891 ·
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD Junr. Little Green Street Highgate Road London, N.W.
Gentleman, 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 following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in signalling apparatus for railways and
refers more particularly to signalling during misty, foggy, and snowy weather, when
the ordinary semaphore signals are not visible or not easily discernible.
According to my invention I arrange at a distance of about ten yards from the
semaphore an apparatus designed to sound a gong as a train is passing over a
depressible rail arranged by the side of the ordinary rail, and connected to this
apparatus. This first gong is intended to call the attention of the engine driver
so that he may be prepared to hear the second gong of another similar apparatus
fixed to the semaphore, and actuated together with the latter by the usual lever
operated by the signal-man in the cabin in such a manner, that when the signal arm
is raised in a horizontal position indicating "line blocked," the second gong will sound
as the driver passes by and warn him to stop, while if the signal arm is lowered in a
slanting position indicating "line clear," the gong will not sound at all, its mechanism
being disconnected, and the driver will be able to proceed on his journey.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the two apparatus
on a railway line.
Figure 2 is a section across the railway line, on line . x of Figure 3 which is a
side view of my improved apparatus.
The two apparatus having for their object to sound a gong are exactly of siniilar
construction, the only difference being that the gong mechanism of the further
apparatus which is applied to the semaphore can be disconnected in the manner
above mentioned. I will therefore describe the construction of the latter apparatus,
like letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout the figures.
i is a depressible rail arranged inside the outer rail and supported by the three
levers h kk. The lever is fulcrumed upon the axis g carried in bearings g¹ which
are fixed upon a beam g* embedded in the line. The levers kk' are fulcrumed
upon pins or rivets secured to the rail l. The axis g is connected by a crank f
to the rod e which is slotted at its upper end as shown to receive the pin c' fixed to
the lever c. The latter is fulcrumed at c² upon the semaphore post S and carries
the weight dat its outer end. The other end of the lever e is secured to the
lower end of a vertical rod b, the upper end of which is attached to the
semaphore arm a.
By the side of the rod a rod p is likewise attached to the lever c and to the end
of a crank lever m fulcrumed upon the post S and terminating at its outer end with
a hammer n capable of striking upon à gong o secured to the said post Ș. When
the semaphore a is in the position shown in full lines in Figure 2, that is to say
when the line be blocked, the wheel W of the engine passing over the rail i will
depress the same in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3; causing the
rod p to be pulled down, and the hammer n to strike upon the gong o. After the
train has subsequently left the depressible rail i, the weight of the lever d will raise
the latter back into its former and uppermost position.
But should the semaphore arm a be in the inclined position shown in dotted lines
in Figure 2, that is to say should the line be clear, the crank lever m and the
lever c will be raised in the position likewise shown in dotted lines in the same
figure, and on a train passing and depressing the rail i the pin c¹ being placed

page_text: against the lower end of the slot of the rod e, the downward motion of this rod
caused as before by the depression of the rail i will have no effect on the levers c
and m, so that the hammer of the latter will remain motionless and the gong silent
thus allowing the train to proceed uninterruptedly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
iny
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. The method of signalling on railways during foggy or snowy weather sub-
stantially as herein described and shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying
drawings.
2. The apparatus for sounding a gong when the semaphore arm is in a horizontal
or closed position, arranged and constructed substantially as herein described and
shown and for the purpose set forth.
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.