Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st June, 1893-Accepted, 15th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT SYKES, Senior, of 9 Vernon Road, High Street, Clapham,
in the County of Surrey, Telegraph Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to improvements in balance lever plates fixed upon
the signal post in connection with operating the signal arm. At the present time a
chain and wire connection is attached to the end of the lever and the upright rod
to the signal. arm is connected to the said lever also but at the other side of the
signal. The result is that when the lever operating such signal is moved the lever
plate commences to more when the signalman commences to move his lever and the
arm is in the act of being, deflected throughout the whole of the movement of the
lever. In the case of long distances however, such as distant signals, in the event
ofislackness in the wire the signalman has to first take up the slack wire before the
balance lever is operated and in the event of any contraction in the wire the
balance: lever itself is operated.although the operating lever may not be moved, with
the result that the signal is partially deflected although it should be in its normal
"Danger" position. Again with the ordinary signal arın and balance lever it is
possible to take hold. of the end. of the arm and deflect it, that is to say, that the
arm.is not locked in either the "Danger" or the "All right" position, and further
no movement of the lever or wire can take place after the arm has been deflected
to.the" Safety" attitude. It will be seen that in consequence of these difficulties
the action of the co-acting the signal or slotting the signal is rendered difficult, as
if it is a tight wire the balance lever is partially operated, thereby performing the
initial movement necessary for deflecting the arm and if the other lever is moved it
may happen that the arm may be deflected although the lever in the signal box
operating the first wire does not perform a movement at all, and therefore sanction
not being given.
Difficulties again arise in connection with slack wires for slotted signals,
rendering the act of slotting an arm extremely difficult.
My invention overcomes these difficulties amongst others.
The way in which I carry out my invention is as follows:-
1. fix a balance plate on the signal post, the balance lever being of a T form or
its equivalent.
Working on a pin projecting from the balance lever plate are arranged two cams,
and the T portion of the lever has operating in its end a friction roller which
operates on the cam pieces. Attached to the cam is the upright rod to the arm.
That portion of the cam operating on the friction roller is arranged that the initial
movement of the operating lever which operates the balance lever on the post does
not effect the arm but takes up the slack wire. As soon as the roller has got to
the centre the cam is arranged to fit the roller and the movement of the balance
lever moves the right hand portion of the cam upwards, deflecting the arm. When
the cam has moved to its furthest position, deflecting the arm, the balance lever
performs a further movement locking the cam piece in the worked position and the
arm in the "All right" position. It will thus be seen that the arm is normally
-locked, and that, the movement of the arm takes place about the middle of the
movement of the 'balance lever, and that the final movement of the balance
lever' locks the arm in the "All right" position. Slack wire is taken up before
the arm commences to work, the arm is then worked, and it is locked in its worked
position.

page_text: When my apparatus is used for slotting purposes I arrange a slot of any known
form. For the purposes of description I will describe one form which will
illustrate the application of my invention.
Assuming a stop and distant signal on the same post, the stop signal for the near
cabin and the distant signal for the far cabin; I arrange two cam pieces, one
operating in connection with each balance lever, and an upright rod from the cam
operating in connection with the stop signal. There is no upright piece direct to
the cam operating the distant signal. A downward rod operated by the distant
signal balance lever is connected to a cross bar and a downright rod from the end
of the cam piece operating the stop signal is connected to the other end of the cross
bar or sway beam, and an intermediate rod from the middle of the cross bar or
sway beam is connected to the distant signal arm. The top of the said rod
terminates in a slotted joint. If the signalman in the cabin to which the distant
signal applies operates his lever first, he operates the cam piece and moves the cross
bar or sway beam into a slanting position and operates the upright rod from
the middle of the said sway beam so that the lower part of the slot bears upon
a pin projecting from the arm. When the signalman in the cabin to which the
stop signal applies now operates his lever he moves the cam piece, raising up
the sway beam or cross bar, & deflects the stop signal and operates the distant
signal.
The advantage of my apparatus in connection with slotting is the fact that
before either of the levers commence their movement the slack wire is taken
up, and further each arm is normally locked and also locked in the "All right'
position.
The cam piece by which the arm is locked, on the balance plate, may be fixed
upon the arm and operated with a T lever similar to that described with reference
to the balance lever, that is to say that the upright rod may be connected to one
end of the T lever, (the T portion) which operates in a fixed cam itself upon the
arm. The ends of the cam piece may be arranged for stops to prevent the arm
from being moved beyond its required position in either attitude.
Dated this 1st day of September 1892.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2, Great George Street, Westminster, London, S. W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.
.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT SYKES, Senior, of 9 Vernon Road, High Street, Clapham,
in the County of Surrey, Telegraph Engineer, 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 has reference to improvements in balance lever plates fixed upon
the signal post in conjunction with operating the signal arm. At the present time
a chain and wire connection is attached to the end of the lever and the upright rod
to the signal arm is connected to the said lever also but at the other side of the
signal. The result is that when the lever operating such signal is moved the lever
plate commences to move when the signalman commences to move his lever and the
arm is in the act of being deflected throughout the whole of the movement of the
lever. In the case of long distances however, such as distant signals, in the event
of slackness in the wire the signalman has to first take up the slack wire before the
balance lever is operated and in the event of any contraction in the wire the
balance lever itself is operated although the operating lever may not be moved,
with the result that the signal is partially deflected although it should be in its

page_text: normal "Danger" position. Again, with the ordinary signal arm and balance
lever it is possible to take hold of the end of the arm and deflect it, that is to say,
that the arm is not locked in either the "Danger" or the "All right" position,
and further no movement of the lever or wire can take place after the arm has
been deflected to the "Safety" attitude. It will be secu that in consequence of
these difficulties the action of co-acting the signal or slotting the signal is rendered
difficult, as if it is a tight wire the balance lever is partially operated, thereby
performing the initial movement necessary for deflecting the arm and if the other
lever is moved it may happen that the arm may be deflected although the lever in
the signal box operating the first wire does not perform a movement at all, and
therefore sanction not being given.
Difficulties again arise in connection with slack wires for slotting signals, rendering
the act of slotting an arm extremely difficult.
My invention overcomes these difficulties amongst others.
The way in which I carry out my invention is as follows:
I fix a balance plate on the signal post, the balance lever being of a T form or
its equivalent.
Working on a pin projecting from the balance lever plate are arranged two cams,
and the T portion of the lever has operating in its end a friction roller which
operates on the cam pieces. Attached to the cam is the upright rod to the arm..
That portion of the cain operating on the friction roller is arranged that the initial
movement of the operating lever which operates the balance lever on the post does
not effect the arm but takes up the slack wire. As soon as the roller has got to the
centre the cam is arranged to fit the roller and the movement of the balance lever
When the
moves the right hand portion of the cam upwards deflecting the arm.
cam has moved to its furthest position, deflecting the arm, the balance lever
performs a further movement locking the cam piece in the worked position and the
arm in the "All right" position. It will thus be seen that the arm is normally
locked, and that the movement of the arm takes place about the middle of the
movement of the balance lever, and that the final movement of the balance lever
locks the arm in the "All right" position. Slack wire is taken up before the arm
commences to work, the arm is then worked and it is locked in its worked position.
When my apparatus is used for slotting purposes arrange a slot of any known
For the purposes of description will describe one form which will
illustrate the application of my invention.
form.
Assuming a stop and distant signal on the same post, the stop signal for the near
cabin and the distant signal for the far cabin; I arrange two cam pieces, one
operating in connection with each balance lever, and an upright rod from the cam
operating in connection with the stop signal. There is no upright piece direct to
the cam operating the distant signal. A downward rod operated by the distant
signal balance lever is connected to a cross bar and a downright rod from the end
of the cam piece operating the stop signal is connected to the other end of the cross
bar or sway beam, and an intermediate rod from the middle of the cross bar or
sway beam is connected to the distant signal arm. The top of the said rod
terminates in a slotted joint. If the signalman in the cabin to which the distant
signal applies operates his lever first, he operates the cam piece and moves the
cross bar or sway beam into a slanting position and operates the upright rod from
the middle of the said sway beam so that the lower part of the slot bears upon a
pin projecting from the arm. When the signalman in the cabin to which the stop
signal applies now operates his lever he moves the cam piece, raising up the sway.
beam or cross bar, and deflects the stop signal and operates the distant signal.
The advantage of my apparatus in connection with slotting is the fact that
before either of the levers commence their movement the slack wire is taken up,,
and further each arm is normally locked and also locked in the "All right" position..
The cam piece by. which the arm is locked, on the balance plate, may be fixed
upon the arm and operated with a Ț lever similar to that described with reference

page_text: to the balance lever, that is to say, that the upright rod may be connected to one
end of the T lever (the T portion) which operates in a fixed cam itself upon the
The ends of the cam piece may be arranged for stops to prevent the arm
from being moved beyond its required position in either attitude.
arm.
:-
I will now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings :-
Figure 1 shows a front view of my apparatus in connection with a stop and
distant signal fixed on the same post.
Figure 2 is a right hand side view of my apparatus shown in Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a left hand side view partly in section of the same.
Figure 4 shows my arrangement fixed to the signal arm for the purpose of
locking the arm at the "Danger" position, and
Figure 5 shows the arm worked to the Safety "position and also locked.
The same letters refer to the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.
a is the stop signal worked from the near cabin, and bis the distant signal worked
from the far cabin. e is a balance lever connected by the usual connecting wire to
the distant lever in the cabin and d is another balance lever connected to the stop
signal lever. Upon the balance levers respectively are bolted arms e and
carrying at their upper ends rollers g and h for the purpose of acting on the cam
pieces and centred on the balance lever plate above the balance levers c and d.
From the cam piece ja rod k is fixed working the stop signal. A downright rodil
worked indirectly through the cam piece i by the distant signal balance lever c is
connected to one end of a sway beam or cross bar m.
The other end of this cross
C
bar is connected by a rod n to the cam piece j. To the middle of the cross bar
the upright rod o is connected, working the distant signal, the upper end of which
rod is formed into a slot p working about the pin q on the arm.
The action of this portion of my invention is as follows:
C
The signalman in the far cabin operates his distant signal lever and moves the
balance lever c which operates the can pięce i through the roller g on the piece e
thereby raising the sway beam m by means of the connecting rod into a slanting
position and giving a movement to the middle upright rod o to the distant arm so
that the bottom of the slot bears against the pin . Upon the signalman in the
rear cabin now operating his stop signal lever he works the balance lever d and
through the roller on the piece works the cam piece to which is connected, the
rod to the stop signal. He thus lowers his stop signal and by means of the rod
connection to the cross bar m also lowers the distant signal.
I will now describe my apparatus as fixed on the signal arm.
In Figure 4 it will be seen that I fix the cam portion to the arm itself, the
Tlever being centred on the post having one arm connected by the rodis; to. the
balance lever. The T portion fitted with a friction roller acts in a similar manner
to that described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3. The worked position of
the arm is shown in Figure 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said'inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I'
claim is:
1 In railway signalling apparatus fixed upon the post,.either on the balance.
lever or on the arm; arrangements or apparatus whereby provision is made for the
full draft upon the wire the arm being correctly deffected, substantially, as described
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
:
2 In railway signalling apparatus fixed upon the post, .either on the balance
lever or on the arm, a compensating plate or r, substantially, as and for the
purposes herein set forth.
3 In co-acting apparatus for railway signals, the arrangement oficam pieces i
and rollers g operated by means of the balance levers, substantially as and. for the
purposes herein described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings..
4-In co-acting apparatus for railway signals, the arrangement of cam pieces i

page_text: and rollers g operated by the balance levers, together with the slot in the upright
rod to the distant signal arm, all substantially as described, for the purposes
specified, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of June 1893.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
70 & 71, Palace Chambers, Bridge Street, Westminster, S. W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.