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 improvements have reference to apparatus by which if a train entering a
block signalling section be forgotten then the stop signal for the road fouling the
line upon which the train is standing cannot be operated. Generally, it refers to
the prevention of accidents similar to the Norton Fitzwarren accident, and also
refers to any signal which upon being deflected would allow a second train to
proceed on to a line on which either a train or part of a train is already standing.
For the purposes of explanation I will assume an up and down line and a cross-
over road, the cross-over road protected by the usual stop signals. I arrange
either in the 4 feet of the cross-over road or in the 6 feet adjacent to the rail of
the cross-over-road, a treadle centred at its middle to the rail. The said treadle is
capable of being tilted when pressed at either end, moving on its fulcrum. The
treadle is flat on its under side where it is depressed by the wheels of the vehicle.
The length can be made suitable, but should be equal to the diameter of the largest
wheel travelling over it. Across each end of the treadle are working blades in the
connections to the stop signals. These blades have suitable notches into which
engage the ends of the treadle according as the vehicle passes over the treadle.
The direction in which the vehicle is going determines which stop signal shall be
kept locked and which stop signal shall be released.
The working of my invention is as follows:-
A train arriving on the down line the stop signal is deflected and the train
passes inside the stop signal. If the cross-over road lever be now operated and the
train is shunted on to the up line, in passing over my apparatus it is constantly
moved up and down according as either end is depressed by the wheel, to the
extent that the last vehicle passing over it depresses the end of the treadle nearest
to the road to which the train is moving thereby locking the blade in connection
with that end and freeing the blade in connection with the other end. It is
therefore arranged that the blade locked will be the blade in the connection to the
stop signal for the line to which the train is moving, and that the stop signal for
the line from which the train is moving, in this case the down, is released by that
part of the treadle being up releasing the blade in the connection to the down stop
signal. The down stop signal is now free, the up stop signal is locked, and the
train is on the up line. If it is arranged that the train be passed away on the up
line, the guard or person in charge of the train must depress the treadle, putting it
normal, or if he should fail to do so the signalman should do so, at all events the
up stop signal cannot be lowered until the treadle is in its normal position freeing
both blades.
If the train arrives on the up line and has to be shunted on to the down, the
same action takes place, that is to say, the down stop signal is locked in consequence
of the end of the treadle nearest the down line being pressed down, the other end
being up, thus locking the down stop signal and freeing the up stop signal by
means of the blades, operated through the treadle, connected to the respective
signals.
In the event of the signal blade not being returned to its normal position and the
notch in it consequently not being opposite to that portion of the treadle which
would be pressed into the said notch upon the passage of a vehicle, I arrange that
the signal blade be cut away at one side and a pawl or click held in position by a

page_text: spring is arranged so that in the event of the blade not being quite back and the
train going over the treadle, instead of smashing the treadle or blade it would
simply press down the pawl or click when the wheels pass over it.
When the
treadle is once in position the click rises to its normal position, then the locking of
the signal blade is the same as if the signal blade was solid.
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 improvements have reference to apparatus by which if a train entering a
block signalling section be forgotten, then the stop signal for the road fouling the
line upon which the train is standing cannot be operated. Generally, it refers to
the prevention of accidents similar to the Norton Fitzwarren accident, and also
refers to any signal which upon being deflected would allow a second train to
proceed on to a line on which either a train or part of a train is already standing.
For the purposes of explanation I will assume an up and a down line and a cross-
over road, the cross-over road protected by the usual stop signals. I arrange
either in the 4 feet of the cross-over road or in the 6 feet adjacent to the rail of the
cross-over road, a treadle centred at its middle to the rail. The said treadle is
capable of being tilted when pressed at either end, moving on its fulcrum. The
treadle is flat on its under side where it is depressed by the wheels of the vehicle.
The length can be made suitable, but should be equal to the diameter of the largest
wheel travelling over it.
Across each end of the treadle are working blades in the connections to the
stop signals. These blades have suitable notches into which engage the ends
of the treadle according as the vehicle passes over the treadle. The direction
in which the vehicle is going determines which stop signal shall be released.
The working of my invention is as follows:-A train arriving on the down line
the stop signal is deflected and the train passes inside the stop signal. If the cross-
over road lever be now operated and the train is shunted on to the up line, in
passing over my apparatus it is constantly moved up and down according as either
end is depressed by the wheel, to the extent that the last vehicle passing over it
depresses the end of the treadle nearest to the road to which the train is moving
thereby locking the blade in connection with that end and freeing the blade in
connection with the other end. It is therefore arranged that the blade locked will
be the blade in the connection to the stop signal for the line to which the train is
moving, and that the stop signal for the line from which the train is moving, in this
case the down, is released by that part of the treadle being up releasing the blade
in the connection to the down stop signal. The down stop signal is now free, the
up stop signal is locked, and the train is on the up line. If it is arranged that the
train be passed away on the up line, the guard or person in charge of the train
must depress the treadle, putting it normal, or if he should fail to do so the
signalman should do so, at all events the up stop signal cannot be lowered until the
treadle is in its normal position freeing both blades.
If the train arrives on the up line and has to be shunted on the down, the
same action takes place, that is to say, the down stop signal is locked in consequence
of the end of the treadle nearest the down line being pressed down, the other end

page_text: being up, this locking the down stop signal and freeing the up stop signal by
means of the blades, operated through the treadle, connected to the respective
signals.
In the event of the signal blade not being returned to its normal position and the
notch in it consequently not being opposite to that portion of the treadle which
would be pressed into the said notch upon the passage of a vehicle, I arrange that
the signal blade be cut away at one side and a pawl or click held in position by a
spring is arranged so that in the event of the blade not being quite back and the
train going over the treadle, instead of smashing the treadle or blade it would
simply press down the pawl or click when the wheels pass over it.
When the
treadle is once in position the click rises to its normal position then the locking of
the signal blade is the same as if the signal blade was solid.
The following is a description of my apparatus with reference to the drawing
annexed:
-
Figure 1 is a diagram of a double line of railway showing a cross-over road, in
any desirable portion of which I fix my apparatus a.. b is the stop signal for the
up line and c is the stop signal for the down line.
Figure 2 is an elevation of my treadle a centred to the rail at f'; d is the up stop
signal blade and e is the down stop signal blade. The blades are carried in suitable
brackets g and h bolted to the rail. The blades have notches and j to allow them
to be locked by the bottom portions and of the treadle a when the same is
depressed by the wheels of the train passing over it.
Figure 3 is a plan of my apparatus.
Figure 4 is a sectional view -y of my apparatus Figure 2, showing the notch i
in the blade d carried by the carrying and guiding bracket g.
Figure 5 shows the signal blade detached.
Figure 6 shows my alternative arrangement for a signal blade.
In case the signal blade should not return right back to its normal position
to allow the treadle to interlock with the notch or I cut away a long portion
of the blade and centre to one end an arm m held up by a spring n, so that if, the
blade does not return right home there is no smashing of the blade or treadle.
The action of my apparatus is as follows:-A train proceeds to the down from
the up line through the cross-over road, and in so doing the last wheel of the train
depresses the treadle a thus locking the down stop signal e by means of the signal
blade. The dotted position shown in Figure 2 shows the treadle so depressed.
A train from the down to the up line would operate in a similar manner,
depressing the other end of the treadle & locking the stop signal by means of
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
the signal blade j.
―
1. In railway signalling, apparatus fixed adjacent to the rails of a cross-over
road by which the passage of a vehicle from the down to the up line would lock the
up stock signal, & in like manner the passage of a vehicle from the up to the
down would lock the down stop signal, substantially in the manner set forth & as
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
2. In railway signalling the combination of apparatus for preventing vehicles
being forgotten on main lines of railway, substantially as described & illustrated.
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.