Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application. 7th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 7th June, 1895-Accepted, 7th Aug.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I WILLIAM THOMAS CASSEL PRATT of 10 Downleaze, Sneyd Park Clifton
Bristol Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
An apparatus enabling any person instructed in its use to set in action a mechanism
which automatically warns the engine driver and guard of an approaching train and
the signal-man at the nearest station that there is danger on the line.
The mechanism of the apparatus consists of two parts one of which is affixed to
the permanent way while the other is fixed under the footplate of the engine or the
bottom of the guard's van.
The part to be fixed to the permanent way consists of a wrought iron bar round
or with rounded extremities, which in position is parallel with the sleepers. The
rounded extremities of this bar pass into and through iron sockets in which the bar
can rotate. The sockets are firmly attached to the permanent way.
To one of the extremities of this bar a lever is fixed at right angles to the bar,
so as to make one with it. This lever works in a frame, in which it has the range
of a quarter of a circle. There is a short arm at the lower extremity of the lever,
at an obtuse angle thereunto sufficiently weighted to keep the lever in a vertical
position after it has been released from the horizontal position in which it is held in
the frame when not in use.
In or near the centre of the bar a solid blade of adequate length with a cutting
edge is fixed.
This blade is parallel to the lever.
The frame in which the lever is worked is so constructed that when the lever is
lowered to the horizontal position (and the cutting blade is not in use) it is retained
in that position by a pin passed by hand or by a specially adapted mechanism,
through boles in the frame.
While the lever is in the horizontal position, the blade in or near the centre of
the bar is parallel with the permanent way and the weighted short arm of the lever
is uplifted. As soon as the lever is released by withdrawal of the pin from the
frame, its weighted arm falls, and in falling rotates the bar. By this rotation the
bar carries the blade to the vertical position, so that it now stands fixed and
immovable in or near the centre of the line with its cutting edge presented to any
advancing train.
The lever can also be fixed to the bar at any suitable angle to the cutting blade,
and weighted in a suitable manner. In this case the lever would not be worked in
a frame but held in position by a wire, or other convenient medium attached to it
and in a suitable manner to the permanent way; when this attachment was
released severed or broken the weighted lever would at once rise automatically and
carry the cutting blade to the vertical position.
A similar bar can be used with a shorter blade at a suitable distance from the
bar with the longer blade, to give a caution signal. In all other respects it is a
counterpart of the bar which gives the danger signal. This mechanism can be
placed at intervals, sectionally or otherwise along the line; and can be electrically
or mechanically, combined with, and be made auxiliary to any and every other
system of signals.

page_text: The part to be affixed to the train consists of an iron frame which is fixed under
the footplate of the engine, or the bottom of the guard's van. It is composed of a
narrow cylindrical arch down which an oval shaped copper wire is dropped.
A movable perpendicular rod is associated with this wire. At the end of this rod a
small horizontal lever is placed. This rests upon the oval shaped wire, so as to
fall immediately the said wire is severed. This wire is cut when brought by the
moving train in contact with the cutting edge of the upright blade in or near the
centre of the permanent way.
:
The rod and lever are so arranged that in falling, the lever acts instantaneously
on the steam or vacuum brakes and gives the danger signal. To give the caution
signal a similar mechanism must be affixed to the engine or guard's van behind that
which gives the danger signal but the cylindrical arch down which the wire
is dropped, as well as the rod with the small horizontal lever, must be longer
that the wire may be brought into contact with and be severed by the upright
short blade in the permanent way. The rod and lever are in this case so arranged
that in falling the lever releases a whistle, strikes a gong, explodes a detonator, or
gives such other caution signal as may have been predetermined.
By this system direct and instantaneous communication can be had with the
engine drivers and guards of trains in motion, and (by adapting an clectrical
arrangement to each section) with signal boxes at stations and line boxes between
stations. This places it within the reach of engine drivers and guards of trains in
motion, plate layers line men and signal men to be in a position to warn each other
when a breakdown occurs, and enables them to induce an automatic action which
will instantaneously stop all approaching trains.
This system can also be arranged to warn the signal men and also the engine
drivers and guards of trains in motion when the points have failed to work.
Dated this 1th dox of Avaus: 1891
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I WILLIAM THOMAS CASSEL PRATT, of 10 Downleaze, Sneyd Park, Bristol
in the County of Monmouthshire, Retired Physician and Surgeon do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an auxiliary signal to be used on railways, in addition
to and in connection with the ordinary signals, and has for its object to sound a
whistle or gong on the engine, when the ordinary signal is at danger, so as to warn
the driver and guard that such is the case in the event of their not having noticed
the fact, by reason of fog or from any other cause.
And in order that my said invention may be more clearly understood, I will
now proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings accompanying
this Specification, in which
Fig. 1 shews a side elevation of a portion of the back part of a locomotive engine,
having my mechanism adapted thereto :
Fig. 2 shews half of the back of a portion of a locomotive engine, also furnished
with my mechanism, at the side thereof:
Fig. 3 shews the back of a locomotive engine, with my invention adapted between
the wheels, as hereinafter described:
Figs. and are detached parts hereinafter referred to.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the views.
With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, I fix to one or both sides of the engine a frame

page_text: composed of two rods a a, bolted together, and in the form of a hook at top and
bottom. The upper hooked portions are divided into two, so that the divided
parts a', which are pivotted at b, may be turned back for the purpose hereinafter
described. c shews a number of oval rings (communicators) made of metal or other
suitable material: these rings pass over the rods a a, forming the frame, the bulk
of such rings being on the upper hooked portions a' (which portions are turned back
on the pivots b in order to put the rings on), d shews a supplementary whistle,
actuated by lever e rod and chain p. The lower end of rod has a hooked piece y
fixed horizontally at its lower extremity, so as to partially encircle one of the rods a,
as shewn to an enlarged scale detached at Fig. 5. is a weight on the lever e
nearly heavy enough to counterbalance the weight of chain p, handle o, rod f, and
hooked piece g, so that the weight resting on the ringe may not be excessive.
the lower ends of the rods a I provide collars or projections h, for one of the rings c
to rest upon, as hereafter described. I may have the above arrangement fitted
on each side of the engine, or on one side only, or in the centre as shewn in Fig. 3.
The method of fixing the rods a a to the engine in this latter case, is shewn
detached in side elevation at Fig. 4.
At
On the permanent way I have the following mechanism, in connection with the
ordinary signal.
To the rod from the sigual box, that actuates the signals, I connect the rod i
(see Figs. 2 and 3) by means of lever k, such lever having a counterbalance weight k¹.
The lever is fixed at one end to the rod i, and at the opposite end of this rod,
I fix a knife, in such position that when the rod is turned, upon the ordinary
signal being put at danger, the knife is in a vertical position as shewn in Figs. 2
and 3, and is kept locked in such position, so long as the signal remains at danger.
n Fig. 2 shews a bar to prevent the knife being forced down by the ring c on the
engine, at the time of contact as hereafter described. When the signals are at
"all right" the knife lies in a horizontal position. m shews the rails.
The action is as follows:-
The frame or frames formed by the rods a a are first supplied with a number of
rings, or communicators e, these being placed on the upper hooked portions a' a¹, by
turning such portions partially back, on the pivots bb. The handle o fixed to the
rod is then raised and turned, so as to cause the hooked piece g to clear the rods a:
one of the rings or communicators c is then brought up and dropped down the
rods a a, and will fall and rest on the collar or projection h. The handle is then
turned in an opposite direction to that aforesaid, so as to bring the hooked piece g
back into its normal position, shewn at Fig. 5, i.e. so as to rest on the ring or
communicator c.
Now supposing the signal to be at dauger, the knife will be locked in a vertical
position, either between the rails m m, as at Figure 3, or at one side of the rails as
at Fig. 2.
It will be seen on reference to these figs. that as the engine travels, it
will bring the ring c, on the lower extremity of the rods a a into direct contact with
the knife, and this will have the effect of cutting the said ring e, which will
consequently fall off the rods a a, and the support being taken from under the
hook y, will cause the rod to fall, and thus actuate the whistle d by means of the
levere and chain p, and this whistle will be kept blowing until another ring e is
dropped down the rods a a, and the hooked piece g is brought over it, and supported
as aforesaid.
Of course I may use the ordinary whistle if found desirable, instead of having a
supplementary one.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The mechanism attached to the locomotive engine in combination with that
on the permanent way, for producing an auxiliary sound signal on railways,
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings.

page_text: 2. The employment of rings or communicators, arranged on the locomotive
engine, in combination with a knife on the permanent way, which latter is brought
into a vertical position by the signal-man when putting the signal at danger, all
for the purpose set forth.
3. The employment of a rod, or rod and chain, to actuate a whistle or gong on a
locomotive engine, when one of the rings or communicators, mentioned in Claim 2
is cut, by a knife brought into position on the permanent way, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
D
thin C
1005
BROWNE & Co.,
9 Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.