IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OF
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Reilly, of the New Globe Chair and
Cabinet Works, Barrack Street, Hulme, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OF
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Reilly at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
'26th March 1872.
I, JAMES REILLY, of the New Globe Chair and Cabinet Works, Barrack
Street, Hulme, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS
OF APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS," to be as
follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists in improved modes of blocking
the lines by self-acting means instead of employing men to work signals
at different parts of the lines. For each up-and-down line I lay a gas
pipe from station to station or through the whole length of the line, as
may be required, and at every hundred yards, or other required distance,
:

page_text: r.
I place signal lamps which are lit up with gas both day and night, and
to prevent the lights from being blown out the lamps may be made
double. The cases of the lamps are capable of turning on bearings or
standards, and have one, two, or more faces of uncoloured glass, and
one, two, or more faces of red glass, and these cases are worked by
endless chains or ropes in connection with levers put in motion by a
projection on the locomotive engine or carriage, which as it forwards
goes
turns the cases one after the other from white to red, and keeps putting
on red lights until it has blocked the line for a thousand or more yards,
after which it is necessary to take off the signals one after the other.
The endless chains or ropes are each attached to a toothed pulley or
wheel on each lamp case, and also to a toothed pulley on an independent
standard between the lamps beyond a thousand or more yards, and so
on from station to station or throughout the line; and as the engine or
carriage goes onwards the projection upon it strikes levers on the inde-
pendent standards so as to turn the cases one after the other from the
red to the white, and so the driver goes on keeping the line blocked the
thousand or more yards always behind him. If the train is always
going straight forward the endless chain might not be needed, as a single
chain could perform the necessary movements, but in this case the
engine would lift the red glass to a catch at a thousand or more
yards distant the engine would draw a catch and let down the signal;
but when, as is often the case, the train has to back down the main line,
the projection by means of the endless chain turns the red signal on,
and should a following train accidentally get within the thousand or
more yards.signals the driver would find he was surrounded with red
lights, out of which he would have to back and remain there until the
white signals were turned to him, thus preventing the possibility of a
collision. When the line is all clear the driver will see a long stream
of white lights, thus giving him confidence to go ahead, and he will
also see long before he comes to them a long stream of red lights, and
then slacken speed until he comes to the first red signal, he of course
blocking the line behind his train a thousand or more yards, and so on
with every train coming forward. I do not confine myself to any particular
form of lamp or levers, as the same may be varied according to the stations
or curves in the line where they have to work, and so that each signal
does its own work and does not interfere with any other; and thus in the
event of one getting out of order it will not interfere with the next
thereby preventing collisions, but the chains and lamps must be kept
T
f..

page_text: at their proper tension by weights and levers. When the driver arrives
at the first red light his speed is very slow, and he keeps on with the
slow speed until he gets to know the speed at which the forward train
is going, and then he must wait until he sees the forward train turn the
red lights to white, and thus keeping the proper distance between each
train, and instead of employing endless chains for turning the lamp
cases gas mains may be laid down and taps turned by it, so that the
red signal can be put on and taken off at a thousand or more yards, thus
blocking the line for that distance, and so on from lamp to lamp, taking
care to have the burner of the red signal close to the burner of the whitè
signal to draw the foul air from the pipe; and when the train is going
ahead the engine driver can see the inclines or declines by the uneven
level of the signals, and put on or take off steam as may be required.
Many accidents occur during the time of shunting; and in order to
prevent them in the event of a train wanting to shunt off the main line
into a siding, the stoker must first get off his engine and go to the first
white signal on the off line and put it on to. red, and so he goes on
down the line until he puts on ten, thus blocking the up and down line
a thousand or more yards each way. The stoker then comes back and
the shunting takes place, which should be performed as quickly as
possible, and if no train comes up whilst this operation is going on the
stoker must go back and take off all the red lights he has put on, thus
leaving the line clear, and this applies to all parts of the line where
shunting is going on. In order to prevent the large number of accidents
caused by trucks, waggons, carriages, or engines escaping unnoticed
from sidings and getting on the main line, I propose to put at the
entrance of every siding what I call a saw-pit and bólt to each side
beam a strong bearing, in which I place a shaft bolted to a balk of
timber of about eight feet long and sixteen inches square, the shaft
being about eighteen inches out of the centre, so that the balk will
always be light-headed and remain upright. When a train backs into
the siding it puslies the balk to a horizontal position; and backs into the
siding wherein it cannot get out in consequence of an abutment at the
end of the saw-pit, and will remain always on duty and not allow a
train to get on the main line until the proper authority liberates it.
My next improvements relate to parts of railways where there is a
quantity of lines, sidings, stations, and other complicated places, and
consists. in employing in addition to the gas pipes and signals used for

page_text: blocking the main lines, other gas pipes extending from the crossings or
other places to which the signals are to be given by the approaching
train. With the express train the whole of the crossings and parts
required should be blocked in an instant for a thousand or more yards
before the train arrives at the crossings, and to effect this two sets of
gas pipes, one for enabling lamps with white faces to be constantly lit,
and the other communicating with lamps close to the other one, but
having red faces, these latter lamps being only lit when the red signals
are to be given. The pipe connected to the lamps with red faces lias
a tap for opening communication with the gas pipe for the white lights,
and as the burners for the red lights are close to those of the white
lights the moment the tap is opened by a wheel of the engine or carriage
or by a lever the gas rushes forward to the red lamps, which are lit up
by the white lights one after the other in an instant, thereby blocking
the entire crossings or sidings and vice versa from any of the lines,
these main taps being an equal distance from each other, the train
arriving first having the preference. The red lights are out when there
are no signals required, and there is no gas in the main except when
the engine turns it on, and as the white lights are constantly burning
the foul air is drawn from the main so that the gas is ready to rush
forward without interruption. When the train has passed the crossing
the wire or endless chain, as in the first instance with the lever, turns
the gas off, leaving the line and crossings all right for the train.
following; but it must be distinctly understood that the main taps
having nothing whatever to do with the straight run there might be
fifty or one hundred block signals come from one tap, while the straight
run does its own quict work, and this signalling forward may be worked
to great advantage in any part of the line. In the event of a heavy
train going up an incline there is always a danger of a coupling
breaking, and to guard against this, which is very important, I propose
to have a communication from the break van to the next waggon for
giving more break power in case it was needed. If it should so happen
that the off line by any break down on the up line should be in danger of
an accident, the stoker of the break down must immediately run to the
white signals on the off side, press one down to the red signal nearest to
the break down, and so on until he presses ten down, which will block
the off line one thousand yards or more; he then comes back to his
engine; and so every coming train will block each other if there was
one hundred on the line at one time; and the same will apply to

page_text: steel wire, or any other more suitable material. The semaphore arms
I should prefer to be made in the shape of a man's arm and hand;
and I propose that the engine by passing over levers or other mechanical
arrangements shall put on the semaphore arms. As the red lights can
in all cases, be on both day and night alike, and more particular in 'bad
weather, fog signals will always be working and can, always, be seen.
The semaphore arms will show in the day the same as the red lights do.
at night, and the semaphore arms may be fixed to the posts or cases,
which when turned by the action of the engine or carriage place the
arms, at right angles to the lines of rails, and thereby give signals either
by the arms or lamps.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Reilly in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
REILLY, of the New Globe. Chair and Cabinet Works, Barrack Street,
Hulme, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight. hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and: successors,
give and. grant unto me, the. said: James. Reilly, Her special license.
that I, the said James Reilly, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or, such others as. I, the said, James. Reilly, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should: at any time. agree with, and no
others, from time to time. and. at all times. thereafter. during the term
therein, expressed; should and lawfully. might make, use, exercise, and.
vend, within the. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for. "IMPROVED ARRANGE-
MENTS OF APPARATUS, FOR. THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS," upon
the condition, amongst others, that. I, the said James, Reilly, by- an
instrument in writing under my hand and 'seal, should: particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed; and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters. Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Reilly, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly' described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the figures on the
accompanying four Sheets of Drawings, and to the letters of reference
marked thereon' (that is to say):
The first part of my Invention consists in improved modes of blocking.
the lines of railways by self-acting means instead of employing men to
work signals or wave flags at different parts of the lines. For each up-
and-down line I lay a gas pipe from station to station or through the
whole length of the line, as may be desired, and at every hundred yards
or other required distance I place signal lamps, which when required
are lit up with gas both day and night, and to prevent the lights from
being blown out the lamp cases may be made double. The single or
double lamp cases are fixed to-tubes or collars fitted in bearings fixed to
posts or standards, there being two faces or bull's eyes of uncoloured
glass and two faces or bull's eyes of red glass, and these cases are turned
as required by wheels, chains, wires, rods, and levers put in motion by
the action or pressure of the locomotive engine or carriage, which as it;
goes forwards turns the cases from white to red and keeps putting on red
lights until it has blocked the line for a thousand or more or less yards,
and then these signals are taken off one after the other, at the same
time that fresh signals are being put on. To the tubes or collars carrying
the lamp cases I fix semaphore arms which turn with the cases, so that
they shall be either longitudinal or at right angles with the line, and thus
with the lamps give safe or danger signals as required, and these arms
can signal by themselves when on clear days the lamps are not lighted.
On Sheet 1 of the accompanying four Sheets of Drawings Figs: 1, 2,
and 3′ are side and end' elevations representing one' of my improved
arrangements for turning the lamps and semaphore arms by self-acting
means, and Fig. 4 a section of one of the lamps drawn to a scale of one!
eighth of a foot. To the left line of rails a of each up-and-down per-
manent' way I fix at every hundred yards or other required distance a
bearing 6 in which work's one end of a shaft c; the other end of which
works in a bearing d'fixed on a post or standard'e'at any required' distance
from the rails, and on one end of the shaft is fixed a bevil wheel' fheld
by friction to a chain wheel g, and on the other end a lever h which can'
be moved in either direction by a projection 'on the locomotive engine,

page_text: .
guard's van, or last carriage, or the lever may be held by friction to the
shaft and the bevil and chain wheels fixed together. The bevil wheel f
gears into a bevil wheel 7 fixed to a tube m which works in bearings n, o,
fixed to the post e, and to this tube is connected the semaphore arm p
and the lamp case q which has two faces or bull's eyes of red glass and
two faces or bull's eyes of uncoloured glass, and within the moveable case
there is a case r, Fig. 4, fixed to the gas pipe 8 connected at the lower end
to the main gas pipe t which extends from station to station or through
the whole length of the line as may be required, and in the case r there
is only a single aperture u facing the advance of the train. To the
chain wheel g is geared a piece of chain v linked at its two ends to two
crossed wires 20, the other ends of which are linked to a piece of chain x
geared into a chain wheel y fixed or held by friction to one end of a
shaft z working in bearings a³, 6, and to the other end of the shaft is
fixed a two armed lever c², d'. The bearing a¹is fixed to a post e¹, and
the bearing 6 to one of the rails a, both being at any desired distance
from the signal lamp which has to be changed from red to white, say, for
example, beyond eleven lamps measuring a thousand yards, the distance
between the centre of each lamp being one hundred yards. When a
train is about to start from a station or from any other place the lamps
shew white signals or it would not be started at all; and after the train
has started and the locomotive engine or last carriage arrived at the first
lamp a hundred yards distant from the station, the projection i on it
strikes the first lever h, which as it descends turns the bevil wheel ƒ and
chain wheel g such a distance as to turn the bevil wheel f, tube m,
semaphore arm p and lamp case q, one quarter of a revolution, thereby
turning the signal from white to red, and at the same time the chain
wheel g, chain v, x, and crossed wires w work the chain wheel on the
intermediate post e¹ beyond the thousand yards and raises the two armed
lever c, d, and when the locomotive arrives at the next hundred yards
it pushes down the next lever h and turns the next lamp case from
white to red and brings up the next lever c¹, d³, beyond the thousand
yards, and so on continuously. After each thousand yards is blocked
the projection on the locomotive engine or last carriage depresses
the lever c¹, d¹, opposite the intermediate post e¹, thereby turning the
shaft z and chain wheel y which works the crossed wires w and pieces
of chain so as to give backward movements to the chain wheel 9, bevil
wheels and I, the tube m, the semaphore arm p, and lamp case q,
which latter is turned back from red to white, and at the same time the
"
y

page_text: lever which was depressed is raised to its perpendicular position ready.
to put on a red signal when it is moved by a projection on the engine
or last carriage, and thus the line is continually blocked for a thousand
yards, and the signals taken off by self-acting means. The signals can
also be put on and taken off when, as is often the case, the train has to
back down the main line, for then the projection on the engine or last.
carriage moves the levers hand the levers c, d, in contrary directions,
causing the levers h to turn the lamp cases. from red to white, and the
levers c¹³, d, turning the cases one after the other a thousand yards
distant from white to red. The wires wo are guided by pulleys or rollers
in the usual manner and are kept at their proper tension by levers,
weights, and rollers or by left and right handed screws capable of being.
turned in nuts attached to the wires.
In the arrangement before described, the lamp cases move backwards
and forwards, or vice versa, but in Figs. 6 and 7, Sheet 2, I represent
an arrangement for putting on and taking off signals, in which the
lamp cases always move one quarter round in the same direction. To
the left or near line of rails a of each up-and-down line are jointed at
every hundred yards or other required distance two long levers b,
inclined upwards, so that they descend when an engine or carriage
passes over them, the levers 6 being connected by links c to a short
arm ḍ of a weighted lever d, e, fixed at one end of a transverse shaft f,
to the other end of which is fixed a short arm or lever 9, and at any
convenient distance from the rails there are posts or standards h,
carrying signal lamps i, and the semaphore arms k, the cases of the
lamps being round or square, and having two faces or bull's eyes
of un-
colored glass and two of red glass. The lamp cases and semaphore
arms are fixed to tubes or collars m, fitted in bearings n, formed in
frames o, fixed to the tops of the posts or standards h, and through
the tubes are passed gas pipes p connected at their lower ends to the
main gas pipe q, which extends from station to station, or through the
whole length of the line, as may be required, and to each tube m is fixed
a bevil wheel r. On the small frame is fixed a stud or shaft s, carrying
a bevil wheel t, ratchet wheel u, and a three-armed weighted lever v, w, x,
the bevil wheel t gearing into the bevil wheel r fixed or cast to the
ratchet wheel, so that they both move together; and on the arm w of the
three-armed lever there is a pawl or propeller y, and the arm x is
connected by a chain with the short lever at the outer end of the

page_text: +
at each movement
and ratchet wheel
the length of the
:
t
transverse shaft f. The lamp cases and bevil wheel
turn a quarter of a revolution; and the bevil wheel
one-eighth, the latter wheel having eight teeth, and
teeth and lengths of the arms are so arranged that for each downward
movement of the long levers 6 the ratchet wheel shall only move forward
the distance of one tooth. At the lower end of each post or standard
there is a stud a carrying two weighted' three-armed levers, numbered 1
and 2; one arm. of the lever (1) being connected by a chain d to the
arm of the lever, which turns the ratchet wheel, bevil wheels; and lamp,
and the arm e¹ of the lever (1) is connected by a wire rod or chain f¹
with the arm g¹ of the lever (2) on the post a thousand yards distant,
the arm h of which lever is connected by a chain k¹ to the short lever g
at the end of the transverse shaft f, and one arm of the lever (1) on
the next post at a hundred yards distant is connected by a chain d¹ to
the arm of the lever, which turns the ratchet wheel, bevil wheels,
and lamp on that post, and the arm e¹ is connected by a wire rod or
chain ƒ¹ to the arm g¹ of the lever (2) on the post one thousand yards
distant, the arm ¹ being connected to its corresponding short lever g,
and so on throughout the entire line; or the lever number 2 for working
the lever number 1 may be placed on an intermediate post, beyond
the thousand yards and moved by other long levers. The operations
which take place when the lamp cases are being turned from white
to red are as follows:-The foremost wheel of the engine, or last
carriage in its advance presses down the long levers b, the links c,
the short arm d, which arm turns the shaft f, and brings down the
lever g and chain z, thereby working the three-armed lever v, w,.x, and
pawl y,
and giving the ratchet wheel u and bevil wheel t. one-eighth
of a revolution, and the bevil wheel r, semaphore arms k, and lamp cases i
one-quarter of a revolution, thus turning from white to red, the parts
being kept steady by a spring m¹, and plate n', and as long as the wheels
of the train are on the long levers, all the parts remain in the same
relative positions, but the instant the pressure is removed from the
levers b, they and the parts in connection with them are raised by the
weighted arme, and at the same time the weight on the arm v moves
back the arms wand x and pawl y. to be ready for a fresh forward
movement. As the train advances, operations exactly similar take place
at each one hundred yards, until say eleven lamps give red signals and
the semaphore arms are placed at right angles with the line, and thus
the line is blocked-for a thousand-yards, and as the train advances the
.
.

page_text: hinder lamp cases are turned successively from red to white in order to
take off the signals a thousand yards behind the engine or first or last
carriage. At the same time that the eleventh lamp case is turned from
white to red, the arm h¹ of the lever number 2 is brought down by
the chain k¹, and causes the arm g¹ of the lever 2 to pull the wire,
rod, or chain f¹ and work the lever number 1, the effect of which is to
give another forward movement to the ratchet wheel; bevil wheels,
semaphore arm, and lamp case, thereby placing the arm longitudinal
with the line, and changing the.lamp case from red to white at each
hundred yards,, and at the same time that the front lamp.case is turned
from white to red the hinder one a thousand yards distant is. turned
from red to white, and so on continuously, blocking the line for a thousand
yards, and taking off the signals at that distance one after the other;
and a similar effect takes place when the train has to back down the
main line, for as the train moves back it takes off the signals it is
passing and puts on. red signals a thousand or other number of yards
before it, thus blocking an advancing train, and, if by any chance, trains
were on two pairs of levers, a thousand yards or other distance apart,
no damage will take place for whether one pair or two act upon the.
levers working the ratchet wheels and lamp. cases the action is direct,
without any reversal whatever.
These arrangements may be modified in a variety of ways; for example,
instead of using a single-armed lever h a two-armed lever c¹, d¹, and crossed
wires w, Figs. 1 and 2, I substitute for them when desired levers having
six or more arms and an endless chain for working the chain wheels, as
shewn in Fig. 5, Sheet 1; or the long levers b at the sides of the rails a,
Figs. 6 and 7, Sheet 2; may be made to work a ratchet wheel to turn the
bevil wheels f; 1, lamp case and semaphore arm, Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 2;
one forward movement, and the wires fand levers Nos: l'and 2; Figs. 1°
and 2, give the next forward movement; or the long levers may be made to
turn the lamp cases from white to red at every hundred yards by means
of a tube and bevil wheels similar to those shewn in Figs. 1 and 2; and
other long levers beyond the thousand yards or other distance return
them from red to white, and the levers to, c¹, d', Figs. 1 and 2, and 'the six-
armed levers, Fig. 5, may work horizontally instead of vertically; but I'
do not confine myself to any particular form of lampor levers, as the
same may be varied according to the stations or curves in the line where,
they have to work, so that each, signal does it own work and does not
.

page_text: interfere with any other, and thus in the event of one getting out of
order it will not interfere with the next, thereby preventing collisions..
With the first train the driver sees only white lights before him, and he
keeps blocking the line for a thousand yards or other required distance,
and when the line is all clear the driver of a following train will see a
long stream of white lights, thus giving him confidence to go ahead, and
he will also see long before he comes to them a long stream of red lights,
and then slacken speed until he comes to the first red signal, he of
course blocking the line behind his train a thousand or more yards, and
so on with every train coming forward; but if from any cause the first
train has to back down the main line red signals would be turned on as
before described, and the driver of the following train would find red
lights advancing towards him, and then he would have to back and
remain until the white signals were turned to him, thus preventing the
possibility of a collision. When the second or following driver arrives
at the first red light his speed should be very slow, and he ought to
keep on with the slow speed until he gets to know the speed at which
the forward train is going, and then he must wait until he sees the'
forward train turn the red lights to white, thus keeping the proper
distance between each train, and when the train is going ahead the
engine driver can see the inclines or declines by the uneven level of the
signals, and put on or take off steam as may be required.
.
Many accidents occur during the time of shunting, and in order to
prevent them in the event of a train wanting to shunt off the main.
line into a siding, the stoker must first get off his engine, and go to the
first white signal on the off line and put it on to red, and so he goes on
down the line until he puts on ten, thus blocking the up and down line
a thousand or more yards each way. The stoker then comes back, and
the shunting takes place, which should be performed as quickly as
possible, and if.no train comes up whilst this operation is going on the
stoker must go back and take off all the red lights he has put on, thus
leaving the line clear, and this applies to all parts of the line where
shunting is going on, and also when the line wants repairing and new
rails are being put in, the platelayer must go back and put on ten
signals.
In the event of a heavy train going up an incline there is always a
danger of a coupling breaking, and to guard against this, which is very
important, I propose to have a communication from the break van to

page_text: the next waggon for giving more break power in case it was needed.
If it should so happen that the off line by any break down on the up
line should be in danger of an accident the stoker of the break down
must immediately run to the white signals on the off side, press one
down to the red signal nearest to the break down and so on until he
presses ten down which will block the off line one thousand yards or
more; he then comes back to his engine; and so every coming train
will block each other if there was one hundred on the line at one time;
and the same will apply to working a single line in case of accident, it
will also apply to tunnels in the following manner :- -The engine and train
about to pass through the tunnel puts on say six red lights, these will
remain on until it is clear of the tunnel, and then it will commence
taking off the six red lights which were put on before entering the
tunnel, and so on through the tunnel, so that the following train passing
through the tunnel will be able to know which of the trains is going
the fastest. This will also apply to the ordinary trains passing along
the main line, as the train following the forward one will be able to
ascertain the exact speed at which it is travelling, and when nearing
a station the engine driver must whistle, and if he gets no reply go on
very slowly, and so on. For use in foggy weather, or in fact any weather
so as to be ready when the weather is foggy, I fix a projecting arm p',
Figs. 1 and 6, on the semaphore arm, which can come in contact with
a bell on the engine and guard's van when the semaphore arm is at
right angles with the line, so that a signal can be given; or a rod can
be lowered from the semaphore arm to act on a projecting arm froni
the engine to call in action a whistle, thereby telling the driver he is
one thousand yards behind the preceding train, and then he should
slacken speed to the next signal, and so go on until he gets the exact
speed the forward train is going, and by this means he can regulate
his speed to keep the required distance between each train, and by
sounding his whistle a certain number of times he gets to know what'
sort of a train is before him, say, express one long sound, regular
passenger two long sounds, regular or ordinary goods going so many
miles per hour three long sounds, and for heavy goods four long
sounds. By thus working the above class of signals all risk of danger
will be in the hands of the driver, the lines can do double the work
without any risk, and trains may be turned out safely at any time day'
night
:
>

page_text: In order to prevent the large numbers of accidents caused by trucks
waggons, carriages, or engines escaping unnoticed from sidings and
getting on the main line, I propose to put at the entrance of every
siding what I call a saw-pit, and bolt to each side beam a strong
bearing in which I place a shaft bolted to a balk of timber or
tube of iron of about eight feet long and sixteen inches square, the
shaft being about eighteen inches out of the centre so that the
balk will always be light-headed and remain upright. When a
train backs into the siding it pushes the balk to a horizontal
position, puts on the distance and other signals, and backs into the
siding, from whence it cannot get out in consequence of the balk
returning to its vertical position, and afterwards held by an abutment at
one end of the saw-pit, and thus it will remain always on duty and not
allow a train to get on the main line until the proper authority has
moved the balk to a horizontal position by a very slow motion, in order
to allow sufficient time for a train accidentally getting within the signals
pass before it would be possible for the man to finish his operation and
liberate the train.
to
This arrangement is shewn in Figs. 8 and 9, Sheet 3, in which a
represents the siding; b, the pit; c, the side beams; d, the shaft; e, !
the balk of timber, and g, the abutment for keeping the balk perpen-
dicular until moved by a person in office from the vertical to the
horizontal position by means of a worm i, worm wheel or segment k,
and handle 7, all of which are out of gear when the balk has to move
freely either way.
3
My next improvements, represented in Figs. 10, 11, and 12, Sheet 4,
relate to parts of railways where there is a quantity of lines, sidings,
stations, and other complicated places, and consists in employing in
addition to the gas pipes and signals used for blocking the main lines
other gas pipes extending from the crossings or other places to which
the signals are to be given by the approaching train. With the express
train the whole of the crossings and parts required should be blocked
in an instant for a thousand or more yards before the train arrives at
the crossings, and to effect this two sets of gas pipes, one for enabling
burners enclosed in dark cases a, Figs. 10 and 11, to be constantly lit, 3
and the other communicating with burners, close to the other ones, but
enclosed in red cases b, these latter burners being only lit when the red
signals are to be given. The pipe connected to the lamps with red

page_text: faces has a tap for opening communication with the gas pipe for the
white lights, and as the burners for the red lights are close to those of
the white lights, the moment the tap is opened by the wheel of the engine
or carriage or by a lever the gas rushes forward to the red lamps
marked c, Fig. 12, which are lit up by the white lights one after the
other in an instant, thereby blocking the entire crossings or sidings, and
vice versa, from any of the lines, these main taps being an equal distance
from each other, the train arriving first having the preference. The
red lights are out when there are no signals required, and there is no
gas in the main except when the engine turns it on, and as the white
lights are constantly burning the foul air is drawn from the main so
that the gas is ready to rush forward without interruption. When the
train has passed the crossing the wire or endless chain, as in the first
instance with the lever, turns the gas off, leaving the line and crossings
all right for the train following, but it must be distinctly understood
that the main taps having nothing whatever to do with the straight run
there might be fifty or one hundred block signals come from one tap,
while the straight run does it own quict work, and this signalling forward
may be worked to great advantage in any part of the line. This system
of lamps, each having two burners close to each other and fed by two
main gas pipes, can also be used for blocking the main lines, there being.
taps worked by levers at every hundred yards for putting on the red
signals, and other levers at a thousand yards distant working rods or
chains for taking off the red signals.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
I desire it to be understood that for the prevention of accidents on
railways, I claim,-
First. The system of blocking the lines by means of moveable lamps
lit up with gas, each lamp having two faces or bull's eyes of uncoloured
glass, and two faces or bull's eyes of red glass, and also the various
mechanical arrangements and combinations for working the lamp
cases, semaphores, and fog signals by the action or pressure of the engine
or train.
Secondly. The improved arrangement for preventing waggons,
5 carriages, or engines escaping unnoticed from sidings and getting on the
main line by means of an unbalanced balk of timber or iron tube on
a shaft working in bearings at the entrance and exit of the siding.

page_text: Thirdly: The arrangement for signalling where there is a quantity of
lines, sidings, and other complicated places by means of lamps, each
having two gas burners in connection with two gas mains, one burner
being constantly lit, and the other only lit when the signals have to be
given by the opening of taps which are worked by levers put in motion
by the action or pressure of the engine or train. And also the application
of a similar arrangement for blocking the main lines.
And, fourthly. The application of the various arrangements and
operations for the prevention of accidents on railways, as all such
improvements are herein described and illustrated in the accompanying 1
four Sheets of Drawings, or any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Reilly, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
TAMES DRITT V