AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING UPON RAILWAYS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stanley Andrew Croft and Richard Lomax, both of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING UPON RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 17th February 1880, and dated the 4th December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stanley Andrew Croft and
Richard Lomax at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th
December 1879.
STANLEY ANDREW CROFT and RICHARD LOMAX, both of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING
UPON RAILWAYS."
Our Invention consists in placing between the rails of the permanent way cast
iron or other boxes containing bars, which bars are connected to the wires which
work the ordinary semaphore signals in such a manner that when the signal stands
at danger the bars are raised, and when the signal is down for the passage of a
train the bars are down. Beneath the platform or footplate of the locomotive we
place swing bars or levèrs, one for each signal, which come in contact with the bars
above mentioned when they are raised for danger. The upper ends of the swing
bars are connected to sliding bars which support rods or shafts, which rods or shafts
retain springs or weights connected to signals and lights on the locomotive in front
of the driver's face and to the whistle. When the bars between the rails are raised
for danger and come in contact with the swing bars or levers on the locomotive
passing over them the springs or weights are released and the signals and lights
are put on and the whistle is sounded.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
· by the said Stanley Andrew Croft and Richard Lomax in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 3rd June 1880.
STANLEY ANDREW CROFT and RICHARD LOMAX, both of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster." AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING
UPON RAILWAYS."
Our Invention consists of an improved method of and apparatus for signalling
upon railways, and in order that it may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference being.
had to the Figures and letters inarked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the hinder part of an engine and permanent
way to which our improvements are applied; Fig. 2 is a cross section of the hinder
part of an engine and permanent way looking from the back of the engine; Fig. 3
is a sectional plan of the engine; Fig. 4 is an enlargeri view of the dial A; Fig. 5
is a cross section at rods m and n, and Fig. 6 is a cross section of the permanent
way, shewing posts for home signal.
I
The signal box b, Figs. 1 and 2, is connected by a rod and wire d to the apparatus
for working the ordinary distance signal; and the signal boxos c, c, whose inner
mechanism is similar to that in b is connected in the same manner to the apparatus
for working the home signal in ordinary use. The lever beneath the locomotive
for working the home signal on the dial A is out of the centre of the engine, and
therefore an extra box is required to act upon the lever and indicate when the
engine is running back wards. When the distance signal is off the block e is down
so as to allow the double leverf to pass over, but when the distance signal is on
the weight forces the block e up a sufficient distance to catch the double lever f
which works the distance signal on the dial A. When the home signal is off, the
blocks h, h, carried by the boxes c, c, are down, but when the signal is on, the blocks
are raised by mechanism similar to that in the box b a sufficient distance to catch
the double lever i which works the home signal on the dial A. Should the con-
necting wires & break, the apparatus is so weighted that the blocks e and h, h, will
fly to danger. The double levers fand i are carried by a shaft j and are prevented
by collars from moving laterally on the shaft on which they swing freely; the
upper ends of the levers are connected to the slide bars k and ; these slide bars
are thickened at the bottom near the front end so as to form a shelf or shoulder on
which the rods m and n can rest; the slide bars work horizontally, and move
either forward or backward according to the direction in which the engine is
proceeding. When the distance signal is on, the block e catches the double lever f
and knocks it over sufficient to cause the slide bar to move along the distance
required to draw its shoulder from under the rod m, this rod being weighted falls
when it loses its support, carrying with it one end of the double lever o. The
.double lever o, having one end brought down by the fall of the rod m, is forced up
at the opposite end which lifts the rod and lever 8, which work the rod t and
bell crank t; to one arm of the bell crank t' is attached the rod u which has a slot
in it to receive the lever v on the whistle shaft, the rod u is also connected to
another bell crank lever x, one arm of which is attached to the rod a', see Fig. 4.
When the levers is pushed up the motion passes through the rod t and bell crank t
to the rod u, which being advanced blows the whistle by means of the lever v, at
the same time indicating on the dial A the distance signal, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
The same operation goes on through the lever i, slide bar l', rod n, and double
lever p, through the duplicate rods and levers r³, 8',.y, u, v, and x to indicate the
home signal on the dial A when the home signal is on and the blocks h, h, up
sufficiently high to catch the double lever i. The bell cranks x and x¹ are coupled
to rods a and b, shewn on Fig. 4. When the rod a¹ or b¹ is pushed up it lifts the
lever cor d' until the glass comes opposite a hole through the front and back of
the dial, and also through the weatherboard or fixing to which the dial is attached.

page_text: At the back of weatherboard or fixing is placed a lamp so as to shew a light through
the dial. When the lever c' or ' (containing green or red glass or any colored
glass which may be used to denote the distance or home signal) is brought opposite.
the hole through which the light shines it shews a green or red light to the driver..
At the same time that the lever c¹ is lifted the motion is carried on by the rod e
to the lever f', which works a hollow shaft gl carried on the shaft g. On this
hollow shaft g' which is extended to the face of the dial A there is a forked
semaphore which is brought out at right angles to the post h¹ on the face of the
dial, see Fig. 2, at the same time that the lever c¹ is brought up to shew a green
light, thus indicating the distance signal. The same operation is repeated through
the rod b¹, lever d¹, rod ¹, and lever k³, to the shaft gs, which is produced to the
face of the dial and carries a plain semaphore which is brought out at right angles
to the post h' on the face of the dial at the same time that the lever d' is brought
up to shew a red light, thus indicating the home signal. When both signals are off,
a plain white light is shewn, and no semaphores are visible; the hole through the
dial is glazed in order to protect the working parts from dust. When either of the
rods mor n has fallen the whistle sounds and the dial indicates until the apparatus
is replaced in its original position, which is done in the following manner :- -The
hand lever n' is fixed on the shaft l, which has secured on it the two short levers m';
on the lever n being brought forward by the driver one of the levers m¹ lifts up
the rod which has fallen, and the double levers fand i being provided with weights
sufficiently heavy move back to their original position, carrying the slide bars k
and with then and bringing the thick parts or shoulders again under the rods m
and n, which are allowed to rest in their places. As the rod m or n is lifted all
the levers and rods which have been moved are brought back to their original
positions, throwing the signals indicated by the dial off and stopping the whistle.
It may not be always advisable (say in fair bright weather) that the apparatus
should work, therefore an arrangement is made by which it can be lifted out of
gear. The shaft carrying the double levers f and i is carried by brackets j¹, j³,
which swing on studs 2, 2, so as to enable the shaft and levers to be lifted sufficiently
high to clear the blocks e and h, h, when up; the lever n², which is a double
lever (one lever being at right angles to the other) is pulled back pushing down
the rod n³ and the lever n which is secured to the shaft no, and thus lifts the
levers n and n which by means of the levers n' pull the shaft j up clear of the
blocks. The levers and the swing brackets j',, have the same length of centres
and are fixed on the same level, thus causing them to travel the same path. By
the use of our Invention we do away with detonating fog signals, loss of time, and
accidents causing damage to life and property owing to the inability of the driver
to make out the signals in foggy weather, or in tunnels and other places where
the signals are not easily visible.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to
the details, as the same may be varied or modified, but what we claim is, warning
the engine driver by lights, semaphores, and other visible signals attached to the
weatherboard or other convenient part of the locomotive, and the manner of
effecting the same, substantially as shewn and described; also the method of
sounding the whistle in combination with the lights, semaphores, or other visible
signals attached to the locomotive as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Stanley Andrew Croft and Richard Lomax,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirty first day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and eighty