IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING UPON RAILWAYS, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR OPERATING SIGNALS AND OTHER MOVING PARTS OF OR CONNECTED WITH RAILWAYS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Saint John Vincent Day at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th July 1880. A communication
from abroad by Joseph Stokes Williams, of Riverton, New Jersey, United States
of America, but at present rosiding in Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
SAINT JOHN VINCENT DAY, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING UPON RAILWAYS,
AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR OPERATING SIGNALS AND OTHER MOVING
PARTS OF OR CONNECTED WITH RAILWAYS." A communication from abroad by
Joseph Stokes Williams, of Riverton, New Jersey, United States of America, but
at present residing in Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
The Invention relates, firstly, to the operation and governing of the working of
signals, switches, and other moving parts of railways, through the medium of the
ignition of explosive materials by electricity. The explosion in a receiver is,
according to this part of the Invention caused to create a vacuum to cause moving
parts (such as signals, switches, or the devices for testing the position of or holding
the switches or signals) to be moved through the creation of the said vacuum. Tho
gas receiver is formed with the opening or openings below the upper surface, so that
the gas does not escape thereby. The wire for conducting electricity for exploding
the charge is led into the upper part of the gas receiver.
The parts may be caused by weights, or their equivalents, to operate automatically
in ono direction, the normal position for the signals being danger, and for tho
switches being away from the main line, so that in the event of breakago the
signals are automatically moved to danger and the switches to main line clear, and
the switchman cannot give or move conflicting signals or other moving parts.
The receiver in which the vacuum is created as aforesaid may be placed in
any desired position or adjacent to the switch, provided with rockers or rollers,
according to the Invention of the aforesaid Joseph Stokes Williams, described in
the Specification of Letters Patent, No. 3692, A.D. 1878. Any means for testing
the position of the switch will be sufficient, and no bolt will be necessary to hold a
switch, arranged as hereinbefore described, in position.
The Invention may be applied to the locking device or devices. The possibility
of moving the switch or other part, that is to say, the possibility of completing or
breaking the electric circuit for such movement, may be controlled by the position
of vehicles on the line. Circuit makers and breakers may be arranged in relation
to the movable parts of a combined system, of such parts that the requisite safe
relative working of the whole of such parts through any extent of line may be

page_text: secured, and cost of construction and maintenance of the interlocking apparatus
and labour reduced.
According to another part of the Invention, a tube or its equivalent may be
employed in combination with a telephonic instrument for signalling on railways.
The said telephonic instrument is provided with a vibrating arm, reed, or its
equivalent, as a signal. The before mentioned tube being compressed or extended
will cause the air contained therein to be compressed or rarefied, and the signal
operated; or the telephonic instrument and the electric signal may be combined
together and with the locking or other bars, bolts, and other devices of switches,
crossings, signals, or other moveable parts, to be controlled by them or to control
them.