Improvements in or relating to Railway Signalling or Controlling Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 21st Jan., 1897-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Railway Signalling or Controlling
Apparatus.
A communication from AUGUSTE BECKER, of Stembers, Verviers, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Engineer.
'
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The present invention relates to devices to be used on railways for the purpose of
preventing accidents. These devices regulate the traffic in combination with different
systems of signalling, used at present on the railways; the application of these devices
necessitates the use on the locomotives of an automatic stopping apparatus (such for
example as is described in the Patent No. 8653 dated 29th April 1898) as these
devices consist of a new system of movable obstacles, which are placul on the line,
characterised by the fact, that these obstacles may be actuated under given conditions,
hereinafter. described, simultaneously by several signals, by the switches, gutes of
level crossings or turntables.
It is known that the purpose for which these movable obstacles serve, is to operate
the automatic stopping arrangement on the locomotive each time that the latter
passes in a given direction over such an obstacle when it is in its raised position ;
the signals or other movable mechanism on the line, connected to these obstacles
determines their position according to whether they ought to stop the locomotive
or not.
In carrying the invention into practico conveniently between the track rails, an arm
is mounted herein termed the pedal with which a portion of the controlling apparatus
on the locomotive is adapted to come into contact and which can be raised by a lever
arm secured to a shaft placed across the line and carrying two pulleys. These
pulleys are not fixed on the shaft and they are provided with projections or crank pins
which cause the shaft to follow the movement of the pulleys by acting upon fingers
on the shaft. Over each of those pulleys passes a chain at one end of which is
suspended a weight and which at the other end is connected to the signal or other
mechanism, which is to operate them.
If one of the weights is allowed to descend, the chain connected thereto will turn
the pulloy over which it passes and the projection of this pulley will strike against
the appropriate finger on the shaft which by means of the lever arm will cause the
raising of the pedal without altering the position of the other pulley; but if both
weights have been lowered, it will be necessary to raise both of them in order to
enable the pedal to descend again, in consequence of which arrangement enoh
mechanism to which the pedal is connected can raise it, bnt only collaboration of all
these mechanisois can lower the pedal.
Any desired number of pulleys may be mounted on the shaft each of them corre
sponding to different control mechanism, each mechanisin separately being enabled
to cause stoppage of the train passing over the pedal, but all mechanism having to
co-operate in order not to produce such stoppage.
The signal or other mechanism which operates the pedal may be either above or
below it or both on the line.

page_text: This last named arrangement is especially useful in stations and other parts at which
the main line branches off in two or more directions, each of the branch lines being
controlled by a signal or a switch. The obstacle connected to that signal or switcli
will cause the stoppage of the train for so long as and each time that one or other of
the lines corresponding to that signal or switch is blocked; the same will be the case
during the travel of the train if one of the level crossing gates has been left open.
On a single line of railway on which the trains have to run in both directions the
signals at one side of the track are supposed to control the trains going in one
direction and other signals at the opposite side of the track are supposed to control
the trains travelling in the reverse direction. Let us suppose that tho lino is clear for
trains travelling in one direction, then the line ought to be closed for trains travelling
in the opposite direction and say the down line signals will leave the down-line
obstacles untouched, whereas say the up-line obstacles will be raised by the same
operation which latter obstacles have already been raised by the operation of the
up-line signals.
The fact of opening the line in one direction doubles therefore the raising of
obstacles for stopping all trains going in the opposite direction, that is to say tho
two pulleys are arranged so as to maintain these obstacles raised. If the situation be
as assumed above and if a train has started in one direction and if by mistake a
signal is opened to allow a train to start in the opposite direction, the arrangement
is such that whatever distance they have already travelled, they will have hoth to stop
by reason of the obstacles respectively presented to them and one of which has been
operated by mistake.
Dated this 24th day of April 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Railway Signalling or Controlling
Apparatus.
A communication from AUGUSTE BECKER, of Stembers, Verviers, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Engineer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesox,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to bo performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The present invention relates to devices to be used on railways for the purpose of
preventing accidents. These devices regulate the traffic in combination with the
different systems of signalling used at present on railways; the application of which
necessitates the use on the locomotives of an automatic stopping apparatus (such for
example as is described in our Patent No. 8653 of 1893). These improved devices
consist of movable obstacles or signalling devices which are placed on the line and
which may be actuated under given conditions, hereinafter described, simultaneously
by several signals, by the switches, gates of level crossings or turntables.
It is known that the purpose for which these inovable obstacles serve, is to operate
the automatic stopping arrangement on the locomotive each time that the latter
passes in a given direction over such an obstacle when it is in its raised position;
the signals or other novable mechanism ou the line, connected to these obstacles,
determines their position according to whether they ought to stop the locomotive
or not.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents the movable obstacle lowered, that is to say in a position, in
which it does not effect engagement with the locomotive. P is the pedal with
which the locomotive is adapted to come into contact, and which can be
raised by a lover arm d secured to a shaft a placed across the line and carrying two
pulleys e e'. These pulleys are not fixed on the shaft a but they are provided with
projections or crank pins c c which cause the shaft to follow the movement of the
pulloys by acting upon fingers m m' on the shaft. Over.cach of these pulleys passes
a chain ii at one end of which is suspended a weight R R and which at the other
end is connected to the signal or other mechanism which is to operate them.
By referring to Figure 2 it will be understood that if one of the weights R is
allowed to descend the chain connected thereto will turn the pulley e over which it
passes and the projection of this pulley will strike against the finger m on the
shaft a which by means of the lever arm d will cause the raising of the pedal P
without altering the position of the other pulley; but if both weights RR have
been lowored, it will be necessary to raise both of them in order to enable the pedal
to descent again, in consequence of which arrangement each mechanism to which
the pedal is connected can raise it but only the movement of both mechanisms can
affect the lowering of the pedal.
Figure 3 shows a way in which any desired number of pulleys may be mounted
on the shaft a each of them corresponding to different control mechanism each
mechanism separately being enabled to cause stoppage of the train passing over
the pedal but all mechanisms having to be operated in order not to produce such
stoppage.
The signal or other mechanism which operates the pedal may be either above or
below it as clearly shown by the direction of the chains in the Figuro 3 which is
side elevation.
This last named arrangement is especially useful in stations and other parts at
which the main line branches off in two or more directions, each of the branch
lines being controlled by a signal or a switch. The obstacle connected to that signal
or switch will cause the stoppage of the train for so long as and each time that
one or other of the lines corresponding to that signal or switch is blocked the
same will be the case during the travel of the train if one of the level crossing gates
has been loft open.
Figure 4 shows the position of obstacles connected to signals on a single line
railway on which the trains have to run in both directions the signals 1, 2, 3, at one
side of the track are supposed to control the trains going in one direction and other
signals 4, 5, 6, at the opposite side of the track are supposed to control the trains
travelling in the reverse direction. Lot us suppose that the line is clear for trains
travelling in one direction then the line ought to be closed for trains travelling in the
opposite direction and say the signals 1, 2, 3 will leave the obstacles 1 and 8
untouched whereas they will raise the obstacles 2 and 4 which latter obstacles have
already been raised by the signals 4 and 5. The fact of opening the line in one
direction doubles therefore the raising of obstacles for stopping all trains going in
the opposite direction that is to say the two pulleys are arranged so as to maintain
these obstacles raised. If the situation be as assumed above and if a train hus
started in one direction and if by mistake a signal (6) is opened to allow a train to
start in the opposite direction the arrangement is such as will be soen from Figure 4,
that whatever distance they have already travelled they will both have to stop by
reason of the obstacles will be raised against the one and the obstacles 8 will be
raised by the signal 6 respectively presented to them and one of which has been
operated by mistake.
Having now particularly described, and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to bo performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A signalling and controlling apparatus for railways consisting of a movable

page_text: device placed on the line for the purpose of stopping the train which device can be
connected simultaneously to several signals or other operating mechanisms each of
these mechanisms or signals separately being able to place the device in the
stopping" position but the co-operation of all of them being necessary to give free
passage to the train substantially as described.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the complete signalling and
controlling device for railways substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of January 1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.