Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Set., 1894-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
[Communicated from abroad by THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY, of 80, Broadway,
New York City, in the County and State of New York, United States of
America, Manufacturers of Railway Signals]
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The invention relates to electrically operated signals adapted for use on railways,
and especially of that class designed to be automatically operated upon the passage
of a train. It has for its object to provide an effective and economical means for
operating the signal.
The invention comprises a motor, a device to be moved thereby, and means for
retarding the moving parts when they have completed a predetermined movement.
The present embodiments of the invention as shown in the drawings, are applied
to railway signals. In one case a magnetic brake is employed to retard the
movement in both directions. In the other case a magnetic brake is employed to
retard the movement of the signal in one direction only, a cushion circuit through
the field magnets of the motor being utilized to retard the signal in the other
direction. In both cases the retardation of the signal is effected just before it
reaches its indicating position.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrating one case embodying the invention
and in which corresponding parts are designated by similar characters,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a motor provided with a brake and suitable
gearing for operating the signal.
Figure 2 is a diagram of the motor, the brake and their controlling circuits,
showing also a side elevation of a signal, all in normal condition.
Figure 3 is a diagram of the parts shown in Fig. 2, but showing them in their
condition after the signal has assumed its second condition of indication.
The signal A, as shown in the drawings, is of the exposed position type and
stands normally at safety. It is provided with the ordinary weight and levers
by which the semaphore blade is made to assume danger position when subjected
to the action of gravity alone. A motor B of any suitable type, enclosed in a
box C, mounted on the signal post or otherwise conveniently located, is operatively
connected to the signal preferably by means of a winding drum D and cord a.
The drum is geared to the shaft of the motor and the free end of the cord is
connected to the weighted lever b, so that when the cord is wound on the drum
the weighted lever is elevated and the semaphore blade lowered to safety.
Operatively connected to some moving part of the motor or signal, which as shown
in the drawings is the drum shaft c, a circuit controller comprising an arm d
provided with two pairs of contacts e e¹ and ff and four fixed corresponding
contacts 9 g and h. The pair of contacts e e¹ are electrically connected and
insulated from the pair of contacts ff', which are also electrically connected, the
contacts e and f sweeping over the insulated contacts g and h, and contacts e and.
dƒ¹

page_text: sweeping over the insulated contacts and h'. The arm d is suitably geared to
the shaft c, as by a worm cl on the shaft and a pinion on the arm. When these
contacts are in their normal positions as shown in Fig. 1: the contacts and ¹ are
bridged by the contacts f and 1, and the contacts e el are out of touch with the
contacts and g; and when the arm is moved to the left the contacts and h
are bridged by the contacts and f¹, the contacts g and g¹ being bridged by the
contacts e and e'. Geared to the motor shaft is an idle pinion E, carrying a
disc E' of magnetic metal and opposite this disc is a brake magnet F, adapted
when energized to attract the disc and operating to prevent its rotation and thus
to stop the motor and winding drum. The motor operating circuit includes the
battery G, the contacts h and h' and an armature H and its contact k which is
connected to the contact . The brake magnet F is included in a circuit which
also includes the battery K, the contacts g, h¹ and the armature H and its contact k.
The brake circuit is also provided with a branch extending from the contact
to the contact of the armature H which is adapted to close with each of the
contacts and k¹, the armature being preferably controlled, as shown, by a
magnet L, operated by any convenient circuit. When the signal is to be
automatically operated upon the passage of a train this circuit may be of any
convenient type, whether it includes the rails of the track or not, or whether it is
normally open or normally closed. The preferred type of circuit, and which is
shown in the drawings, is a normally closed circuit including the rails M of a
track. The magnet L being therefore normally energized, operates normally to
close the contacts H and k. The armature H, with its contacts k and k may be
called the primary controlling means for the brake and motor circuits, and the
arm d with its contacts may be called the secondary means for controlling these
circuits.
g
In the normal condition of the circuits and the signal it will be observed that
the motor circuit is open at and closed at H, k; that the brake circuit is closed
at g, by the contacts f, f', and is also closed at H, k, the brake magnet being
therefrom energized; that the branch is open at the contacts g, g' and at the
contacts H, ; and that the signal is held in safety position against gravity by the
brake magnet.
The operation is as follows: When a train passes the signal A at safety, located
near the entering end of the rails M, and passes on to these rails, it shunts the
magnet L, breaking the brake circuit at k and closing the branch at k'. The
signal is therefore free to rise to danger behind the train. As the signal rises it
unwinds the drum, revolving the motor shaft, which turns freely, and moves the
armd to the left. When the motor shaft and drum have completed a predetermine l
movement, viz.: just before the signal has reached the limit of its upward
movement, the contacts h, are bridged and the contacts g g' are bridged. The
closing of the contacts g gl completes the brake circuit through the branch 1, as
shown in Fig. 3, and energizes the brake magnet F, so that the signal is retarded,
thus preventing injury to the moving parts of the apparatus, which would be
otherwise caused by a too sudden stoppage of the semaphore blade. When the
train passes off the rails M, the magnet L is again energized, which breaks the
brake circuit at k¹ and closes the motor circuit at k, the contacts h and h¹ having
been already closed as explained. The motor therefore drives the drum D to
wind up its cord, thus lowering the signal to safety, and moves the arm d to the
right. When the motor shaft and drum have completed a predetermined
movement, viz., just before the signal has reached the limit of its downward
movement, the contacts e and e¹ leave the contacts g g' and the contacts ff break
the bridge established between the contacts h h and establish a bridge between
the contacts g, h, thus breaking the motor circuit and closing the brake circuit
again and energizing the magnet F to retard the signal. It will be observed that
by this arrangement the brake is utilized to retard the signal both before it
reaches the limit of its upward movement and before it reaches the limit of its
downward movement, and that in the normal condition of the circuits the brake

page_text: battery, which requires but a few cells, is alone excited to enable the brake to
hold the signal in normal position, the motor battery which requires many more
cells being at rest.
Figures 4 and 5 show the second case in which the invention is embodied. In
this case the magnetic brake is employed to retard the signal in one direction only,
a cushion circuit through the field magnets of the motor being utilized to retard
the signal in the other direction, and the arrangement of the circuits is changed
accordingly. Between the contacts g and h is a third insulated contact i. The
contacts and g¹ are connected as before to the contacts k and k¹ respectively;
the contacts and 9, the latter through the wire i, are connected to one pole of
the generator B. The contact i is connected to one side of the magnet F, the
other side of which is connected to the wire connecting the circuit controller H
and the other pole of the generator B. The only battery needed is the battery G
which may be connected in the wire between contacts k and ' as shown.
In the normal condition of the circuits and the signal it will be observed that
the motor circuit is open at h, and closed at H, k; that the brake circuit is
closed at i, by the contacts f, f, and is also closed at H, k, the brake maguet
being therefore energized; that the cushion circuit is open at the contacts 9, g
and at the contacts H, ; and that the signal is held in safety position against
gravity by the brake magnet.
The operation is as follows: When a train passes the signal A at safety,
located near the entering end of the rails M, and passes on to these rails, it shunts
the magnet L, breaking the brake circuit at k and closing the contacts H, k¹ of the
cushion circuit. The signal is therefore free to rise to danger behind the train.
As the signal rises it unwinds the drum, revolving the motor shaft, which turns
freely, and moves the arm d to the left. When the motor shaft and drum have
completed a predetermined movement, viz., just before the signal has reached the
limit of its upward movement, the contacts h, are bridged and the contacts g g¹
are bridged. The closing of the contacts g g' completes the cushion circuit through
the branch 1, as shown in Fig. 3, and as the motor shaft with its armature is now
revolving the motor is transformed into a generator, and the inductive resistance
thus created serves to retard the signal, thus preventing injury to the moving parts
of the apparatus, which would be otherwise caused by a too sudden stoppage of the
semaphore blade. When the train passes off the rails M, the inagnet L is again
energized, which breaks the cushion circuit at k¹ and closes the motor circuit at k,
the contacts and having been already closed as explained. The motor
therefore drives the drum D to wind up its cord, thus lowering the signal to
safety, and moves the arm d to the right. When the motor shaft and drum have
completed a predetermined movement, viz., just before the signal has reached the
limit of its downward movement, the contacts e e' leave the contacts 9 g' and the
contacts ff break the bridge established between the contacts h h and establish a
bridge between the contacts i, ', thus breaking the motor circuit and closing the
brake circuit again and energizing the magnet F to retard the signal. It will be
observed that by this arrangement the brake is utilized to retard the signal just before
it reaches its normal position and alone to hold the signal in this position, the motor
being energized only when the signal is moved to normal position. If the motor were
included in the brake circuit when the signal is in normal position, its resistance
would necessitate more cells for the battery G than are required by the arrangement
described.
Various changes in the form and arrangement of the mechanism and in the
arrangement of the circuits could be easily suggested by any one skilled in the art,
without departing from the spirit of the invention.
For example, the motor circuit instead of being broken when the brake circuit is
energized to retard the downward movement of the signal as shown in the drawings,
might be left unbroken with the brake circuit shunting the motor. While we have
shown the invention as applied to a signal, it is of course to be understood that it
may be applied to other devices as well.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of an electric motor and its circuit, a device to be moved by
the motor operatively connected therewith, and a brake and its circuit, said circuits
so operatively connected with the moving parts that when the moving parts have
completed a predetermined movement in one direction the brake circuit is energized
to retard them and when the moving parts have completed a predetermined move-
ment in the opposite direction the brake circuit is again energized to retard them,
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of an electric motor, a device to be moved by the motor
operatively connected therewith, a brake, a circuit for the motor and a separate
circuit for the brake, said circuits being provided with separate sources of
energy, said circuits so operatively connected with the moving parts that when
they have completed a predetermined movement the motor circuit is de-energized
and the brake circuit is energized to retard the moving parts, substantially as set
forth.
3. In an electric signalling apparatus, the combination of a signal, a motor
operatively connected therewith, a brake normally operating to hold the signal
at one condition of indication, a normally de-energized circuit for the motor,
and a separate normally energized circuit for the brake, said circuits being
provided with separate sources of energy, means for releasing the signal when
in its normal position which when operated serves to release the brake and to
permit the signal to assume another condition of indication, substantially as set
forth.
4. In an electric signalling apparatus, the combination of a signal, a motor
operatively connected therewith, a brake normally operating to hold the signal
at one condition of indication and to retard the signal both before it has reached
its normal condition of indication and before it has reached its other condition
of indication, circuits for the motor and for the brake, primary means for
controlling the said circuits, and secondary means for controlling the said circuits
actuated by the moving parts of the motor, whereby when the said primary
controlling means is operated the brake is released to permit the signal to assume
its other condition of indication, and whereby when the moving parts of the motor
have completed a predetermined movement the brake is again applied to arrest the
signal before it reaches its said other condition of indication, substantially as set
forth.
5. The combination of an electric motor, an operating circuit and a cushion
circuit therefor, and a device to be moved by the motor, said circuits so operatively
connected with the moving parts that when they have completed a predetermined
movement the cushion circuit is energized to retard the moving parts, substantially
as set forth.
6. The combination of an electric motor, an operating circuit, and a cushion
circuit therefor, a device to be moved by the motor, and a brake and circuit
therefor, said circuits so operatively connected with the moving parts that when
they have completed a predetermined movement in one direction the cushion circuit
is energised to retard them and when they have completed a predetermined move-
ment in the other direction the brake circuit is energized to retard them, substantially
as set forth.
7. The combination of an electric motor, an operating circuit and a cushion
circuit therefor, and a device to be moved by the motor, said circuits so operatively
connected with the moving parts that when they have completed a predetermined
movement under the mechanical operation of the motor the cushion circuit is
energized to retard the moving parts, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination of an electric motor, an operating circuit and a cushion
circuit therefor, a device to be moved by the motor, and a brake and circuit therefor,

page_text: said circuits so operatively connected with the moving parts that when they have
completed a predetermined movement in one direction under the mechanical
operation of the motor the cushion circuit is energized to retard the moving
parts, and when they have completed a predetermined movement in the opposite
direction the brake circuit is energized to retard the moving parts, substantially
as set forth.
9. In an electric signalling apparatus, the combination of a signal normally
held against an opposing force in one position of indication, a motor, intermediate
mechanism connecting the motor shaft with the signal, a normally de-energized
cushion circuit for the motor, and means for releasing the signal when in its normal
condition which when operated permits the signal to move to another position of
indication, the cushion circuit being energized to retard the signal after it has
completed a predetermined movement, substantially as set forth.
10. In an electric signalling apparatus, the combination of a signal normally held
against an opposing force in one position of indication, a motor, intermediate
mechanism connecting the motor shaft with the signal, a normally de-energized
cushion circuit, a brake and circuit therefor normally energized to hold the signal
in its normal position, and means for releasing the signal when in its normal position
which when operated permits the signal to move to another condition of indication,
the cushion circuit being energized to retard the signal after it has completed a
predetermined movement, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 25th day of September 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.