Improvements in Apparatus for Communicating between Railway Trains and Stations.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 14th Aug., 1897
COMPLEIN DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Communicating between Railway
Trains and Stations.
I, HERMANN BIERMANN, of 5A Paradiesstrasse, Breslau, in the German Empire,
Merchant, 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 apparatus for establishing communication between a
train on the railway and a station, and, in addition, for indicating whether the train
has stopped or is maintaining its normal speed.
In carrying this invention into effect two clocks or similar devices are inserted
in an electrical circuit at the station, one of the clocks being operated electrically
from the train in such a manner that its movement is governed by the rotations of
one of the axles of the locomotive or train. The other clock works independently.
The latter clock registers time; the former registers the distance travelled by the
train or its position. Each clock is provided with a wheel furnished with teeth or
projections which intermesh with each other and rotate synchronously, but out of
contact with each other, as long as the normal speed of the train is maintained.
Should the speed of the train increase or diminish the speed of rotation of the wheel
attached to the distance clock is correspondingly increased or diminished and a
projection on that wheel comes into contact with a projection upon the wheel
of the other clock, thus closing an electric circuit and ringing a bell or other-
wise sounding an alarm. By looking at the finger of the train operated clock it
will be readily seen whether the train is going too fast or too slow or whether it is
stopping and at what part of the line. A telephone may then be inserted in the circuit
leading to the train and communication be established.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood I have hereto
appended a sheet of drawings to which I will hereinafter refer.
•
Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically the station apparatus and its connection to
the train.
Figure 2 is a similar illustration showing the clock devices and the connection to
the train axle.
Figure 3 represents the clocks in plan.
To an axle a of the locomotive is geared in any suitable manner a disc a¹ of
non-conducting material which rotates once during the time the train travels a
pre-determined distance, as for instance, one mile. A contact spring c is mounted
so as to rub upon the edge of the disc a¹ and the disc is provided with a stud or
contact 6 which is in communication electrically with the axle a and the rail c¹.
The contact spring c is in connection by the wire c¹ with the electro-magnet c² of
the clock B at the station and the return circuit is through the wire and the
rail. to the contact b. This circuit includes a battery or other source of electric
current c5 which is carried upon the engine. If desired the spring c may be in
communication with the station clock through the rail co, which would then have to
F
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•

page_text: be insulated from the rail ct, but we prefer to employ a separate conductor c¹ as
shown by Figure 1, a moving contact being established in any well known or
suitable manner.
The circuit is closed when the stud b comes into contact with the
spring. An axle d³ of the clock b carries a ratchet or escape wheel d² with the teeth
of which the pawl or escapement & engages. This pawl is suitably pivotted or
mounted and carries an arm d¹, the outer end of which carries an armature over the
electro-magnet c². Each time therefore, that the electro-magnet is energised upon
the stud coming into contact with the spring c the armature is attracted and the
pawl is moved to permit a slight forward movement of the wheel d².
The clocks B and C are provided with wheels f and e furnished with teeth or
projections m, n, which however are not in contact with each other when the clocks
or wheels rotate synchronously, but which come into contact with each other and
close an electric circuit d³, d, d, e, and e¹ and operate an alarm h when one clock
rotates at a greater speed than the other. This circuit may be provided with a
switch or the like g. The clock C is so arranged that when it is started its wheel e
has the same speed as the wheelf when the train is running at its normal speed.
The clock C may have its speed adjusted by means of the handle to suit the
different classes of trains with which it may be used.
Figures 4 and 5 represent views in greater detail of the clock mechanism and the
speed regulating device, the former figure showing a section along the line A-B
Figure 5.
Figure 6 illustrates the handle and other devices for operating the speed
regulator.
B and C are respectively the distance and time clocks provided with wheels f
and e carrying projections normally out of contact with each other. The shaft Ď
which gears with and drives the shaft el of the time clock is furnished with three
wheels 8, 81, 82, each of which is capable of being moved into gear with one of three
corresponding wheels 7, 1, 2 secured to the shaft e¹. The three wheels s, s¹, s² are
mounted upon a sleeve rotating with but free to slide along the shaft D. By sliding
this sleeve in one direction or the other different wheels may be geared together.
The slowest speed of the wheel e will be reached when the wheels s and rare in
gear, as, for example, when a goods train has to be controlled; the medium speed
will be attained when the wheels s¹ and are in gear for the control of an ordinary
passenger train, and the greatest speed will be attained for use with express trains
when the wheels 82 and 2 are geared together. The movement of the sleeve carrying
the three wheels may be effected by the handle and the levers 11, 12 and 13. .
At the station is a telephone or similar instrument which may be included in
the train circuit at will by means of the switch and the wires 12 and 13. T'he
locomotive is similarly provided with an instrument which may be thrown into
circuit by the switch k¹ and the wires ², 3. Communication may thus be established
between the locomotive and the station.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows :-
Upon the train leaving a station the next station is informed by telegraph or in
the usual manner, and the operator at this station starts the clock C at a speed
suitable to the normal speed of the train. Once during each revolution of the disc a¹
the stud comes into contact with the spring c and the circuit in which they are
included is closed and the electro-magnet c³ becomes excited and attracts the
armature upon the arm d. This causes the pawl d to move and permits the rotation
or partial rotation of the wheel d² for a space equal to about half the pitch of one
of the teeth. Upon the further movement of the stud b the circuit is broken and
the pawl is released permitting a further movement of the wheel d². This wheel is
urged in the required direction by a spiral or other suitable spring or other device.
For each rotation of the disc o¹, therefore, the finger of the clock B moves through
one of the degrees or divisions upon its dial. During the same period, assuming
that the train is travelling at its normal speed, the finger of the time controlled clock C
has moved through a corresponding distance, so that the teeth m and n of the
wheels e and remain at the same distance apart. Should the train stop or have its

page_text: speed diminished or increased current will cease to flow around the electro-magnet c²
or this electro-magnet will be energised less or more frequently. The result will be
that the clock B will stop or it will have its speed of rotation diminished or increased,
the effect in any case being that sooner or later the teeth n of the clock B will be
brought into contact with the teeth m of the steadily rotating time clock C. These
teeth then close the electric circuit d³, d, ds, e2, and e¹ and sound the alarm h, thus
indicating that the train has departed from its normal speed. An official at the
station by glancing at the two clocks can see by the relative positions of the
fingers whether the train is travelling faster or slower than it should. If he desire
he may cut out the bell h by means of the switch g and insert the telephone & into
the circuit by means of the plug i¹. The engine driver may also put his telephone
into the circuit and communication may thus be established telephonically between
the train and the station.
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 :-
Apparatus for establishing communication between a railway train and a station,
constructed arranged and operated substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of February 1897.
W. E. HEYS & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.