IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING AND STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the Office of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING AND STOPPING RAILWAY
TRAINS." A communication from abroad by Sergius Takovlevitch Timok-
hovitch, of the Tröitzky Station on the Rashsk Vazma Railway, Russia,
Mechanical Engineer.
Scaled the 14th October 1879, and dated the 21st May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st May 1879.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Office of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING
AND STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS." [A communication from abroad by Sergius
Takovlevitch Timokhovitch, of the Tröitzky Station on the Rashsk Vazma Railway,
Russia, Mechanical Engineer.]
This Invention has for its object to provide a signal apparatus for railway trains,
which apparatus is designed to prevent the occurrence of accidents through the
negligence of engine-drivers while the train is in motion, especially at night, and
in snow storms, thick fogs, or the like; also to enable the signalmen and others to
give the engine driver notice of obstructions caused by repairs on the line or
otherwise. The said apparatus also provides means whereby the guards of the
train may stop the same in case of need even without the engine-driver's aid.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a cylinder, which is placed
on the engine; the piston rod of this cylinder upon the steam entering the latter
shuts the regulator valve, that is to say, the valve which admits steam to work
the engine. At the same time the steam whistle resounds, giving thus the alarm
signal to the engine driver. The resounding of the whistle will continue until it
is stopped by the engine-driver, and in case he should not hear the signal by
reason of his being asleep, or through some other cause, the train at last comes
to a stop.
Steam is supplied from the boiler to the aforesaid cylinder, by a pipe, but cannot
enter the cylinder until a cock provided for the purpose in the said pipe is opened.
As soon as this is done the piston rises in the said cylinder, and a tappet pressing
Uries G71

page_text: on an arm fixed on the spindle of the regulator arm lifts the same and carries this
regulator arm over, and the supply valve of the engine is thus shut. At the same
time the upper end of the piston rod lifts one of the arms of a two armed lever,
the opposite arm of which is conveniently attached to a rod connected to the
whistle, and thus causes the latter to resound. If desired, a separate alarm whistle
may be applied, communicating with the aforesaid cock by a special pipe. A pipe
is provided with a cock for letting off the waste water.
The opening of the cock for supplying steam to the aforesaid cylinder is per-
formed automatically in the following manner, that is to say -A spindle connected
with this cock has at its end a handle or lever, a prolongation of which catches in
a fork of a vertical rod. The latter passes through guiding pieces and terminates
above an arm of a crank lever fixed to the lower part of the engine, for instance
to the ash box. The lower arm of this lever is at its lower end provided with a
roller placed slightly higher than the rail of the railway, the engine being in
motion whenever the said roller or the arm carrying the same strikes against some
obstacle, the crank lever of which this arm forms a part is put out of its normal
position, the other arm of the same lever lifts the said forked rod, and the fork by
means of the aforesaid handle turns the axle spindle of the supply cock sufficiently
to open the said cock. The effect is, as already stated, that the regulator valve of
the engine is shut and the whistle put in action. To shut the said cock the engine
driver has only to lift a handle. As soon as the aforesaid crank lever has passed
the obstacle it returns to its former position by 'its own weight, the same takes
place with regard to the forked rod.
In order to secure this automatic shutting of the engine regulator valve in certain
places on the railway, and at the same time to give a warning signal to the engine-
driver, artificial obstacles are provided which may be variously constructed. They
may be constructed as follows, that is to say I provide a piece of wood whereon
is fixed an arched spring of sufficient strength; the one end of this spring when
the aforesaid roller passes over the arched portions freely slides in a guide piece.
The whole contrivance is nailed on the sleepers of the railway. The obstacle may
also be constructed without springs.
To enable the guards themselves to open in case of need the aforesaid supply
cock, it is only necessary to attach a string or wire to the arm connected to the
cock spindle, and to lead the same by rollers to the required place.
Instead of steam water may be employed in the aforesaid cylinder, in this case
the said supply cock must communicate with the water in the tank. The details
of construction of the described signal apparatus as well as the arrangement of its
parts may be obviously modified without departing from the nature of the said
Invention.
It is obvious that the said obstacles placed on the line, and combined with the
above described signal apparatus, may with advantage replace the various other
railway signals in use, which in thick fogs or snow storms are difficult to be seen
by the engine-driver.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Harris Lake in 'the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
November 1879.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Office of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING
AND STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS." A communication from abroad by Sergius
Takovlevitch Timokhovitch, of the Tröitzky Station on the Rashsk Vazma Railway,
Russia, Mechanical Engineer.
This Invention has for its object 'to provide a signal apparatus for railway trains,
which apparatus is designed to prevent the occurrence of accidents through the
negligence of engine-drivers while the train is in motion, especially at night, and
in snow storms, thick fogs, or 'the like; also to enable the signalmen and others to
give the engine-driver notice of obstructions caused by repairs on the line or
otherwise. The said apparatus also 'provides means whereby the guards of a train
may stop the same in case of need without the engine-driver's aid.
=
The said
The said apparatus is shewn in the accomyanying Drawing, in which,
Figure 1 represents a 'side view, and Figure 2 a front view thereof.
apparatus principally consists in a cylinder a placed on the engine A; the piston
rod b of this cylinder upon the steam entering the cylinder shuts the regulator or
steam supply valve of 'the engine. At the same time the steam whistle sounds,
thus giving the alarm signal to the engine-driver. The sounding of the whistle
will continue until it is stopped by the engine-driver, and in case he should not
hear the signal through being asleep, or through some other cause, the train at last
comes to a stop.
The steam supplied from the boiler at k, as shewn in the Drawing, or otherwise
is conducted to the cylinder a by the pipe o, the supply takes place only when the
cock is opened. As soon as this is done the piston rises in the cylinder a, and the
tappet c pressing on an arm & fixed on the axle f of the regulator arm e lifts
the same and brings this arm in the reversed position, whereby the supply valve
of the engine is shut.
In the position of the regulator arme, shewn in the Drawing, the supply valve
is supposed to be open. In the contrary case the apparatus should be placed on
the opposite side of the fire door, or the tappet c should act upon the arm & from
above, in which case the steam enters the cylinder a above the piston. The piston
rod b shutting the regulator arm e, its upper end lifts one of the arms of the
lever g, the opposite arm of which is conveniently attached to the rod or bar h of
the whistle i, and thus causes the latter to sound. If desired a separate alarm
whistle may be applied, communicating with the steam cock by a special pipe.
The pipe provided with a cock serves for letting off the waste water; 5 is a
guiding piece for the piston rod b.
The opening of the cock is performed automatically in the following manner :—
The axle m of the cock & reposing in the supports 3 and 4 has at its end a handle
or lever p, whereof the prolongation j engages in the fork r of the rod q. The
latter passes through the guiding pieces 1 and 2, and ends above the arm 8 of the
crank lever 8-t, fixed to the lower part of the engine A, for instance, to the ash
box 8. The arm t of this lever is at its lower end provided with the roller u, placed
a little higher than the rail y. Whenever the engine being in motion the roller u
or the arm t strikes an obstacle the crank-lever. is put out of its normal position
and the arms & lifts the rod q, whose fork r by means of the handle j-p, turns
the axle m sufficiently to open the cock l. The next consequence is, as already
stated, that the regulator valve of the engine is shut and the alarm whistle put in
action. To shut the cock the engine-driver needs only to lift the handle p. As
soon as the crank lever 8-t, has passed the obstacle it returns to its former position
by its own weight; the same action takes place with the rod q.

page_text: In order to obtain an automatic shutting of the engine regulator valve in certain
places of the railway line, and at the same time to give a warning signal to the
engine-driver in the required places, establish artificial obstacles which may be
variously constructed. The obstacle shewn in the Drawing consists in a piece of
wood W, whereon is fixed at 6 a spring V of sufficient strength; the other end of
this spring, when the roller u passes over it, freely slides in the strap 7. The
whole contrivance is nailed or otherwise fixed on the sleepers X-X. The obstacle v
may also be constructed without springs.
To enable the guards to open in case of need the cock it is only necessary
to attach a cord or wire 9 to the arm j, and lead the same by rollers to the required
place.
Instead of steam water may be employed in the cylinder a, in this case the
cockmust communicate with the water space of the boiler. The details of con-
struction of the above described signal-apparatus, as well as the disposition of its
parts, can obviously be subject to modifications without departing from the principles
of this Invention.
For instance, the cylinder a can be placed higher and in a horizontal position,
and its piston rod b directly connected with the regulator arm e.
It is obvious that the obstacles V, combined with the above described signal
apparatus, may with advantage replace the various other railway signals in use,
which in thick fogs or snow storms are difficult to be seen by the engine-driver.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
First. The employment of artificial or purposely arranged obstacles on a railway,
substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The employment of a steam or water cylinder, whose piston rod upon
the entry of the steam or water from the boiler closes the regulator or supply valve
of the engine and causes the whistle to act, substantially as described and for the
purpose set forth.
Third. The employment of the valve or cock / opening automatically or by hand,
substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth. The apparatus consisting of the parts above described and shewn in
the accompanying Drawing, or substantially similar parts operating as and for the
purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Harris Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
HENRY H, LAKE. (L.S.)