IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS."
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Cheeswright, of Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, Railway Signal Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Cheeswright at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th December 1876.
"
FREDERICK CHEESWRIGHT, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Railway Signal
Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR WORKING RAILWAY
SIGNALS."
My Invention of improvements in the means or apparatus for working railway
signals las reference to allowing freedom for compensation in the wires employed for
operating such signals, so that it shall not be requisite for the signalman to adjust
the said wires by right and left handed screws as at present; and the Invention
essentially consists in having each signal wire in its normal state disconnected from
the corresponding signal arm, so as to be free to lengthen or shorten, according to
changes of temperature, without affecting the position of the arm, while immediately
the signalman acts on the lever an electric current puts the wire in mechanical con-
nection with the arm, so that it operates upon the same when the lever is pulled
over.
The manner in which I prefer to carry my Invention into effect is as follows:-
I attach the wire to the lever, and run it out to the signal post in the usual way.
On the post I mount a pulley, around which I carry the wire, and I attach a com-
pensating weight to the end of the wire. Within the pulley, which is made hollow
for the purpose, I fit three or other requisite number of electro-magnets in commu-
nication with a battery, and on the pulley shaft I mount a loose disc or plate, which
in the normal position is kept from contact with the pulley by means of springs or
otherwise. From a crank pin on this disc a connecting rod leads to the signal arm.
So long as the disc or plate is kept from contact with the pulley, the latter is free
to turn to allow for contraction or expansion in the signal wire, the weight on the
end of which always keeps it taut, while the signal arm by virtue of its own weight
remains at the danger position; but immediately the signalman begins to pull over

page_text: the lever, the electric circuit with the battery is completed in a manner which is
well understood, and the magnets by attracting the loose disc forcibly against the
pulley, make the pulley and disc as it were one body, so that the pull upon the
pulley, which is transmitted from the lever by the wire, is imparted to the disc, and
by the connecting rod to the signal arm, which is thereby moved to the "all clear"
position. When the signalman has returned the lever the electric circuit is broken,
and the arm returns of its own weight to danger, while the wire is again free to be
self-compensating.
In case the signalman omits to return the lever, the train on passing a given
point may be made to pass over a spring, and thereby to break the electric circuit,
so as to set the signal free.
To allow the signalman to know at all times whether his distant signal has been
properly acted upon, I fit contacts to the signal arm, and put it in electrical commnu-
nication with an indicator in the signal box, so that the indicator will always shew
the position of the signal arm.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederick Cheeswright in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
June 1877.
FREDERICK CHEESWRIGHT, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Railway Signal
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR WORKING RAILWAY
SIGNALS."
My Invention of improvements in the means or apparatus for working railway
signals has reference to allowing freedom for compensation in the wires employed for
operating such signals, so that it shall not be requisite for the signalman to adjust
the said wires by right and left handed screws as at present; and the Invention
essentially consists in having each signal wire in its normal state disconnected from
the corresponding signal arm, so as to be free to lengthen or shorten, according to
changes of temperature, without affecting the position of the arm, while immediately
the signalman acts on the lever an electric current puts the wire in mechanical
connection with the arın, so that it operates upon the same when the lever is pulled
over.
:-
The manner in which I prefer to carry my Invention into effect is as follows:
I attach the wire to the lever, and run it out to the signal post in the usual way.
On the post I mount a pulley, around which I carry the wire, and I attach a com-
pensating weight to the end of the wire. Within the pulley, which is made hollow
for the purpose, I fit three or other requisite number of electro-magnets in cominu-
nication with a battery, and on the pulley shaft I mount a loose disc or plate, which
in the normal position is kept from contact with the pulley by means of springs or
otherwise. From a crank pin on this disc a connecting rod leads to the signal armı.
So long as the disc or plate is kept from contact with the pulley, the latter is free
to turn to allow for contraction or expansion in the signal wire, the weight on the
end of which always keeps it taut, while the signal arın by virtue of its own weight
remains at the danger position; but immediately the signalman begins to pull over
the lever, the electric circuit with the battery is completed in a manner which is
well understood, and the magnets by attracting the loose disc forcibly against the
pulley, make the pulley and disc as it were one body, so that the pull upon the
pulley, which is transmitted from the lever by the wire, is imparted to the disc, and
by the connecting rod to the signal arm, which is thereby moved to the "all clear"
position. When the signalman has returned the lever the electric current is broken
and the arm is returned by its weight to danger, while the wire is again free to be
self-compensating.
In case the signalman omits to return the lever, the train on passing a giver

page_text: point may be made to pass over a spring, and thereby to break the electric circuit,
so as to set the signal free.
To allow the signalman to know at all times whether his distant signal has been
properly acted upon, I tit contacts to the signal arm, and put it in electrical commnu-
nication with an indicator in the signal box in the manner well understood, so that
the indicator will always shew the position of the signal arm.
In the annexed Drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of the lever in its locking
frame, and of the signal post with apparatus constructed according to my Invention
fitted to it; and Figure 2 is an elevation of the apparatus on a larger scale taken at
right angles to Figure 1.
A is the signal wire connected to the lever B, and run out to the post C in the
usual way.
On the post is a pulley D, over which a chain forming a continuation
of the wire A is led; this chain carries a weight Z sufficiently heavy to keep the
wire taut. On the same spindle as the pulley D is a metal disc E, having projec-
tions e to enter corresponding recesses in the pulley. Loose on the same spindle is
a boss or wheel F, from which the rod G extends up to the signal arm. G¹ is a
weighted lever to keep the arm at danger. The boss F contains three or more
electro-magnets, from which a wire H leads to the lever frame. A second wire H
leads from the frame to the battery T. In the normal position the two wires H, H¹,
are insulated from each other. The disc E is in the normal stato not in contact with
the boss F, and so long as this state is preserved, the pulley D with the disc E is
free to turn to allow for contraction or expansion of the wire A, the weight on the
end of which always keeps it taut while the signal arm remains at "danger;" but
immediately the signalman begins to pull over the lever B (or lifts the spring catch
of the lever for that purpose), the wires H, H¹, are by this movement put into
electric contact, so that the electric circuit between the battery I and the magnets
in the boss being completed, the metal disc E is forcibly attracted against the
boss, thereby making the pulley D, disc E, and boss F as it were one body. The
pull upon the pulley D, which is transmitted from the lever B by the wire A, is
thus imparted to the boss F, and consequently by the connecting rod G to the signal
arm, which is thereby moved to "all clear." When the signalman has returned the
lever B, the clectric circuit is broken, and the arm being acted upon by the weighted
lever C¹ returns to "danger," while the wire A is again free to be self-compensating,
being no longer in connection with the signal arm.
Springs may be fitted in the pulley D to withdraw the disc E from contact with
the boss when the circuit is broken.
Figure 3 represents a modification of the apparatus, in which the magnets are
placed within the pulley D, the boss F, herein-before described with reference to
Figure 2, being dispensed with.
Figure 4 represents an arrangement in which the train on passing a given point
is made to pass over a spring, and thereby break the electric circuit and set the
signal free, as herein-before mentioned. The wire H from the signal lever B leads
to a box L placed below one of the rails M, say 300 yards from the signal post C.
The wire is connected to a metal piece N within this box, and this piece is in
contact with a metal spring O, from which another wire leads, as shown, to the
pulley D. It will be seen that in the normal position the electric circuit is not
complete, because the battery I is not in metallic connection with the lever B, and
therefore the disc E not being in contact with the pulley D, the wire A is free to
compensate; but as soon as the signalman lifts the catch B¹ of the lever B in order
to pull over the lever, the pin a, which has kept the metal spring b from coming
against the contact c, which is in electric communication with the battery, allows
the spring b to come in contact with c and complete the circuit. The disc E being
thus drawn by the magnets against the pulley D, the pulling over of the lever B
causes the lowering of the signal arm, as has been already explained. The circuit
is again broken, either by the signalman returning his lever, which has the effect of
pressing the spring b out of contact with c, or by the wheels of the train pressing
down the spring Q so as to cause the lower arın of the bell crank R to push against

page_text: an insulated knob on the spring O, and move this spring from contact with the
piece N; the circuit being thus broken, and the disc E being therefore no longer
held against the pulley D, the signal arm is returned to the danger position through
the action of the weighted lever G¹.
Figure 5 represents the manner in which my Invention may be applied in cases
where one signal has to be controlled by two or more boxes. The Figure shews
three boxes, marked respectively A, B, and C. Of these boxes B is the only one
which has the power of lowering the signal arın to "all clear", being the only one
whose lever is connected with the signal wire; but this box B cannot lower the
signal arm until the levers in both the boxes A and C have been pulled over,
because until then the electric circuit cannot be completed, and therefore the disc E
on the signal post cannot be drawn by the magnets into contact with the adjoining
pulley D. The Figure requires very little explanation. It will be seen that before
the electric circuit can be completed the lever in box A must be pulled over, so as to
be in contact with the spring d; the lever in box C must be pulled over, so as to
push the spring ƒ against the contact g; and the lever catch B₁ in box 13 must be
lifted, so that the pin & may let the spring b come against the contact c.
these contacts are made, the pulling over of the lever in box B lowers the signal,
because the pulley D and disc E on the signal post are drawn into contact. The
electric circuit is broken and the signal therefore raised to danger when the lever in
any one of the three boxes is returned to its normal position; thus while all three
signalmen must concur in moving the signal to "all clear," any one of them can
immediately move it to danger.
When all
Although I prefer to place the pulley D and disc E on the signal post, as herein-
before described, they may if preferred be placed at any desired position on the line
between the signal box and the post.
To allow of the apparatus being worked while the battery is being changed, or
during repairs to the electrical portion, I form holes in the disc E and pulley D to
receive a pin or pins, so that they may be temporarily connected until the apparatus
is again in order.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. Constructing apparatus for working railway signals in such manner that,
while in the normal state the signal wire is disconnected from the corresponding
signal arm, the signalıman when he acts on the lever for the purpose of pulling it
over shall cause an electric current to put the signal wire in connection with the
arın, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Second. Constructing apparatus for working railway signals so that the train in
passing a given point shall by acting upon a spring sever the electric current which
effects the connection between the signal wire and the signal arm, and thereby
allow the signal arm to return to the danger position, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whercof, I, the said Frederick Cheeswright, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
FRED. CHEESWRIGHT. (L.S.)