CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF RAILWAY SIGNALS AND POINTS, AND IN' THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR AND THEREWITH
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Bertie Charles Scott at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st December 1880.
"
BERTIE CHARLES SCOTT, of 37, Chester Terrace, Regents Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman. CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
WORKING OF RAILWAY SIGNALS AND POINTS, AND IN' THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR AND THEREWITH."
"'
First. The Invention relates to that system of working signals and points on
railways, wherein the levers giving motion to the same are dependant one upon
the other and can in no wise be used for the purposes desired only in the direction
of safety, and consists in providing the stand or framing supporting the levers
working the signals and points with two slotted plates, one fixed and the other
sliding; the fixed plate has two straight slots, one for each lever, and the sliding
plate has corresponding slots made therein somewhat in the form of reversed sevens,
thus 47. The levers working the signal and switch line of rail to which such
signal belongs pass through and work in the slots of these plates in such a manner,
that when the levers are in their normal position, that is, when the signal is at
"all right" and the main line open, they stand back so as to slant from the operator;
in this position the switch lever is locked in the horizontal position of its seven
shaped slot by the signal lever, which at this time is at the end of the inclined
portion of the other seven shaped slot.
When it is necessary to close the points it would be impossible to move the
switch rail for this purpose until the horizontal portion of the sliding slot retaining
its working lever has been removed, and to do this the signal lever is first pulled
over so as to place the signal at danger. The action of pulling this lever over to
the extreme end of the straight slot forces the inclined portion of the slot in the
sliding plate over a distance which relieves the switch lever. Immediately this is
effected (the signal being at danger), the switch at this time being free as before
mentioned, is then pulled over so as to close the points, the action of which forces
over the sliding slotted plate and reverses the normal position of the two levers,
that is, the signal lever is now locked in the horizontal portion of the seven shaped
slot of the sliding plate, in which locked position it remains until the switch lever
is again forced back, so as to open the points, at which time the signal lever is
also free to be forced back leaving the two levers in their positions as first
described.
Secondly. The Invention relates to the construction of the flexible metallio

page_text: connections between the signals, the points, and the levers giving motion to such
signals and points, and this portion of the Invention is designed for the purpose of
preventing any disturbance in the position of the signals or points resulting from
variations in the length of such flexible metallic connections caused by contraction
or expansion of the same according to temperature.
According to one method in which I carry out this portion of my Invention, I
construct a non-contracting or expanding metallic chain, the novelty of which
consists in composing the chain of two different metals, say, steel and brass, and
so arranging or coupling the links together that one metal will contract or expand
in a direction opposite to the other, for example, say, that the amount of contraction
in one metal was 12, and in the other 18, the metal having the minimum amount
of contraction would require to be about half as long again as the metal having
the maximum contraction. By arranging and connecting these metals so as to
act upon each other when contracting or expanding in contrary directions, a chain
is made which will maintain one accurate length without deviation, thus preventing
any disturbance to the signals or switches when used as the medium for connecting
the same with the levers by which they receive their motion. Another or
mechanical arrangement may be employed for governing the contraction and
expansion of metallic wire cord connections on the same principle (viz.), by means
of a brass rod or other metallic rod or cord so arranged to act in conjunction with
levers and pullies, carrying the wire or connecting cord between the signals or
switches, and their working levers that the contraction or expansion of the said
brass or other rod will take up the slack, or allow length to the present wire rope
connections now in general use on railways.
Third. The Invention relates to a novel arrangement of apparatus designed for
permanently printing and recording the time or times the signals are placed
"at danger," and "off danger," and consists in combining with time discs actuated
by clockwork and arrangement of electro-magnetic printing apparatus, the
construction, combination, and action of which may be thus described.
I place in any convenient position a box containing an arrangement of clockwork
giving motion to two discs having time numbers raised upon their peripheries, one
being the minute, and the other the hour disc. When the clock work is wound up
these discs are accurately set to the time of day which are marked for 24 hours,
the figures denoting day time being different in character to those denoting night
time. A stamping pad is placed within striking distance of the peripheries of
these discs actuated by the armature of the electro magnets in manner hereinafter
described; between the said pad and discs, ribbans of white and carbonized paper
are caused to pass from a roll onto a receiver, or other equivalent for printing may
be employed in lieu of carbon.
The coil of the electro-magnets actuating the armature or otherwise releasing a
catch from a wheel forming a striking portion of the clockwork set in motion a
train of wheels which brings down the hammer or pad on to the peripheries of the
time numbered discs, interposed between which and the hammer are the lengths of
paper before mentioned.
The "make" and break of the circuit releasing the before mentioned catch
actuating the striking hammer is effected by and at the time the distance signal is
falling from its highest to its lowest position, and vice-versa. Thus it will be seen
that at the time the signal is put "at danger," the raising of the semiphore arm or
turning of the signal lamp will complete circuit with the magnets attracting the
armature giving motion to the printing pad, the action of which forcibly presses
the carbonized paper and white paper against the raised figures of the time
numbered discs, thereby causing the time to be printed upon the length of paper.
Rollers between which the length of paper as printed is caused to pass are so
actuated that immediately the blow is delivered giving the impression, the said
rollers revolve just sufficient to draw the paper a distance which will form a space
on the same, and fix it ready to receive the next impression which takes place at
the time the signal is placed at "off danger."

page_text: It will now be understood that when the semiphore arm or signal lamp are placed
"at danger," the electric circuit will be momentarily complete and cause the
magnets to attract the armature releasing the catch retaining the striking hammer,
thus causing such hammer to deliver its blow on the paper and time discs, giving
the impression of figures on such paper, which denotes the time such impression
was given. Immediately this is done the paper is drawn on a short distance so as
to present a blank space for the delivery of the next blow by the hammer, which
next takes place in manner as before stated by the momentary closing of the circuit
when the signal is lowered. The two impressions thus given will accurately denote
the exact time of day or night the signal was placed "at danger," and the duration
of time it was allowed to remain in that position.
The rollers between which the continuous printed strip passes are so actuated
that the numbers denoting the time are printed thereon in couples or sets (viz.),
the space between the times the signal was placed "at danger," and the time it
was lowered "off danger" has a short space between them, and then a longer space
is made ready to receive the next impression.
The said apparatus will act as a watchman's time keeper or for other similar
purpose, where events or circumstances of a particular nature are required to be
recorded.