Improvements in and connected with Railway Signalling Mechanism or Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Railway Signalling Mechanism
or Apparatus.
I, ROWLAND HENRY ST. JOHN FOTHERGILL, of 29 Priory Park Road,
Kilburn, in the County of Loudon, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention refers to signalling mechanism or apparatus, the object of the
invention being to provide improved means whereby the wire or connection from
the signal is automatically retained in a proper state of tension and operated by
improved mechanism all as hereafter described.
It has heretofore been common to adjust the degree of tension of the connection,
that is, the variation in length caused by contraction, expansion, or otherwise, by
means of drum and ratchet or the like, which should be suitably attended to and
worked when required by the operator.
Now according to my invention the end of the connection is passed over a pulley
and attached to a weight located in a well or pit, or the connection may pass over
pulleys to a suspended weight, whereby the said connection is retained at an uniform
degree of tension whatever expansion or contraction may take place.
Instead of the weight I may attach the connection to one arm of a counter-
balanced lever and thereby effect the same result. Near this attached end of the
connection I provide a bar capable of being slidden at right angles to the connection
and provided with a roller to hear against the said connection, and near the side
of the sliding bar adjacent to the signal I provide a supporting pulley on a fixed
axle to support the connection against a lateral pull, while on the other side of
the sliding bar, next the tension device, I fit a suitable gripping device whereby
when the sliding bar is moved in a direction at right angles to the connection, one
part of the latter will be held fixed by the gripping device while the connection
will be drawn over or round the supporting pulley and the signal thus operated.
The sliding bar is connected to the levers in the cabin by suitable connections and
is operated by levers or wheels as is well known in signal mechanism.
At the part where the connection (generally a chain) is to be gripped, the chain
passes through an aperture in a fixed plate, such aperture being somewhat V shaped
or heart shaped and so arranged that the chain when not acted upon by the sliding
bar passes freely through the larger part of the aperture; when however the chain
is acted upon by the pulley of the sliding bar, the said chain is forced into the
contracted end of the aperture and is thereby gripped and held.
By the means herein described the connection with the signal is always held at a
proper tension automatically, which tension is not altered by either expansion or
contraction, while the throw necessary to properly actuate the signal is lessened.
I provide the segments of the operating handles in the signal cabin, with a
toothed rack to enable the handle to be fixed in any required position, that is, in
the position at which the proper operation of the signal is effected.
Dated this 3rd day of April 1805
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Railway Signalling Mechanism
or Apparatus.
I, ROWLAND HENRY ST. JOHN FOTHERGILL of 29 Priory Park Road,
Kilburn, in the County of London, Mechanical Engineer, 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, that is to
say :-
This invention refers to signalling mechanism or apparatus, the object of the
invention being to provide improved means whereby the wire or connection from
the signal is automatically retained in a proper state of tension and operated by
improved mechanism all as hereafter described.
It has heretofore been common to adjust the degree of tension of the connection,
that is, the variation in length caused by the contraction, expansion or otherwise
of the wire, or chain, by means of drum and ratchet, or the like, which should be
suitably attended to, and worked when required by the operator.
In order that my invention (whereby signal connections may be kept automatically
in tension and operated) may be readily understood, I will describe same with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1, is a diagraphic plan view of a signal and connections arranged
according to my invention;
Figure 2, is a plan view of part of the operating mechanism drawn to a larger
scale than Figure I,
Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, are detail views, hereafter referred to.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the figures.
Now according to my invention the end of the signal connection A, is passed
over a pulley B, and attached to a weight located in a well or pit C, whereby the
said connection A, is retained by such gravity-tension, device at a uniform degree
of tension, whatever expansion or contraction may take place. Instead of
employing the weight in the well or pit I may, as will be easily understood, attach
the connection to one arm of a counterbalanced lever, or the connection may pass
over pulleys to a suspended weight, and thereby effect the same result. Near this
attached end of the connection A, that is near the pulley B, I provide a bar D,
Fig. 1, also shown at Figure, 2, and in detached elevation at Fig. 3; this bar D,
is capable of being slidden at right angles to the connection A, and is provided
with a roller D', to bear .against the said connection A, and near the side of the
sliding bar D adjacent to the signal, I provide a supporting pulley E, on a fixed
axle, shown detached in side elevation at Figure 4, to support the connection A,
against a lateral pull, while on the other side of the sliding bar D, next to the
tension device, that is (as shown at Fig. 1) next the pulley B, I fit a suitable
gripping device F, whereby, when the sliding bar D, is moved in a direction at
right angles to the connection A, as shown by dotted lines at Figure 2, one part of
the latter connection A, will be held fixed by the gripping device F, while the
connection will be drawn over or round the supporting pulley E, by the transverse
motion of the bar D, and the signal. thus operated. The sliding bar D, is con-
nected to the levers in the cabin, say at G, Figure 1, by suitable or ordinary
connections, and is operated by levers or wheels as is well known in signal
mechanism.
At the part F, Figures 1 and 2 where the connection A (generally a chain as
shown) is to be gripped, the chain A, passes through an aperture F¹, in the fixed
plate F, shown in elevation detached at Figure 5, such aperture is somewhat
key-hole or heart shaped and so arranged that the chain A, when not acted upon
$6
"

page_text: by the sliding bar D, passes freely through the larger part of the aperture F1;
when however the chain A, is acted upon by the pulley D₁, of the sliding bar D
the said chain A, is forced into the contracted end of the aperture F, and is
thereby gripped and held.
By the means herein described the connection A, with the signal, as for
example at H Figure 1, is always held at a proper tension automatically, which
tension is not altered by either expansion or contraction, while the throw necessary
to properly actuate the signal is lessened.
I may provide the segments of the operating handles in the signal cabin, with a
rack J, having a considerable number of teeth, as for example is shown detached
at Figure 6, to enable the handle K, to be fixed in any required position, that is
in the position at which the proper operation of the signal is effected.
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 I
claim is :-
•
1. In railway signalling mechanism a gravity tension device to hold a signal
connection in automatic tension (such as a weight located in a pit, and attached to
the connection, the latter passing over a pulley or equivalent,), in combination
with an actuating device (such as a laterally sliding bar having a pulley bearing
on the connection,) a gripping device located between the actuating, and tension
devices (such as the gripping plate F through which the connection passes,) and a
fixed supporting pulley for the connection on the signal side of the actuating
device, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In railway signalling mechanism or apparatus, retaining the signal connections
in automatic tension by gravity, and supporting same laterally, in combination with
means, (such as a signal operating rod) to engage the connection between the
lateral support and the tension device, and a gripping device between the operating
rod and the tension device, whereby the pull of the operating rod causes the
connection to be held at its tension end, and the length of the connection to be
varied between the signal and the gripping device, substantially as set forth.
Hatod
LAME
Lotod to
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.