IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Evans Harley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th January 1871.
I, THOMAS EVANS HARLEY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster;
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS,'
to be as follows:-
"
'
The object of this Invention is primarily to ensure greater. safety
and immunity from danger to railway trains in foggy weather; and
secondly, to supersede the present hand-worked gong signals, and the
use of detonating and other arrangement of fog signals generally: by
the substitution of a self-acting alarm, which in its first feature and
action shall warn the signalman of the approach of a train, and (if
needed) tell him whether passenger or goods,. giving sufficient time.
for him to observe whether his signals are right..
i
The object of the second part of my Invention is to warn the engine
driver (and also the guard if desired) at all times and in all weathers;
the distance at which they are from the present signals, both the station

page_text: and also distance signals, and at the same time also warn them when
such signals are against them.
The Invention is divided into two parts or separate features.
To carry out the Invention of the first I propose to place upon the roadway
(at a convenient distance from the metals), at about eight hundred yards
beyond the present distance signal, a curved or bent lever projecting
in a horizontal direction from a shaft, supported in bearings and provided
with a lever and counterbalance weight, and also a segmental lever that
connects the shaft through the medium of a wire or chain with the
signalman's box; at which point it is connected with a second segmental
lever secured to a shaft provided with a lever and weight. The face
of this segment is provided with one or more studs so arranged that
when the segment is moved the studs will come into contact with and
actuate a spring lever provided with a clapper, which when thus acted
upon strikes an alarm upon a bell or gong conveniently situated in
the signalman's box. In order to transmit motion through this apparatus
for striking an alarm from the coming train I fix upon the side of the
engine a projection in such a place as shall come into contact with
the curved or bent levers before described, thereby giving with the
movement of the train a depression and release to the lever in whatever
direction the train is going; the effect of which will through the medium
of the mechanism before described, through such transmission of motion
strikes an alarm upon the gong in the signalman's box. The intention
of this self-acting signal is to call the signalman's attention to the fact
of the trains approach, its distance, and whether passenger or luggage,
thus giving him time to observe the state of the signals. The knowledge
conveyed as to whether a passenger or goods train is approaching is
obtained by placing a similar projection in the rear as there is in the
front of the train, which will thereby give two signals for a passenger
and one for a goods.
According to the second part of my Invention I fix or place upon the
roadway (at a safe distance from the permanent way) about four hundred
yards from the station and distant signals, a mechanical contrivance similar
to the last, with this exception, that in lieu of the bent or curved lever
the horizontal shaft is provided with a projecting arm or tappet, which
is maintained in a vertical position by means of a wire, connected to and
worked by the present wires of the station and distant signals, and
which when placed in position by the signalman, whether at station

page_text: or signal boxes, warns the approaching train in the manner following:
Upon the side of the engine, and also (if desired) on the guard's van,
I fix a vertical spring lever, the upper portion of which is provided with
a clapper for striking a gong or bell conveniently secured near to the
clapper; the spring lever is sufficiently long when passing to come into
contact with the projecting arm or lever before described of the
signalling apparatus, the effect of which sounds an alarm that warns.
the engine driver and also guard in all weathers, the distance at which
they arc from the present signals, and at the same time cnables them
to interpret those signals in all cases where the signal they are
approaching is against them. Thus the "creeping up" to signals in
foggy weather, which is the cause of much delay, is avoided, as the
engine driver and guard by the ringing of their gongs are warned in
time to pull up before reaching any signal that is against them. The
position of the arms or levers for signalling correspond in every case
with the present station and distance signals, that is to say, when the
present signals are on, the arms or levers would also be on, that is, in
their vertical positions for sounding the engine alarm.