Improvements in Automatic Electric Signalling for Railways.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 21st May, 1889-Accepted, 6th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Electric Signalling for Railways.
I, JOHN LEMAN ECKERSLEY DANIEL, of 3, Victoria Street, Westminster, Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
In carrying out my invention I employ one main circuit and battery, and one
local circuit and battery, for each section of the line, the main circuit being controlled
The local
by suitable contact apparatus actuated by the passage of the trains.
circuit, which extends only from a battery house (placed close to each signal) to the
signal, is used simply for operating the signal and is controlled by the main circuit
i.e. it is made or broken as the main circuit is made or broken by the passage of a
train. By operating the signal, by a local circuit and battery, instead of by the main
circuit and battery direct, it will only be necessary to use just a sufficient number of
cells to work the signal in a very short circuit, and this dispenses with the very large
number of cells which would be required to overcome the resistance encountered by
working a signal direct by the main circuit, at the distance generally required in
railway signalling, while a very small battery of a few cells will work the main
circuit, in my system, over any length of line, because it has only to work a relay as
hereinafter described instead of a signal.
Provisional
By preference, I employ the contact apparatus described in my
Specification lodged on the 7th August 1888, No. 11,388, but any other suitable
contact apparatus, or switching apparatus, may be used.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 shews a diagram of my system as applied to
a line of railway over which trains pass in one direction only, and fig. 2 shews the
same system as applied to a line of railway over which trains pass in both directions.
In fig. 1, A A are the lines of rail, B is a signal, C the main circuit, D the main
lino battery interposed between two divisions of this main circuit, and F, F', are
relays placed in the main circuit C, and actuated through contact apparatus I and I³,
the passage of trains thus making or breaking the main circuit C. The signal B is
worked by a local battery D' in the short circuit C', whose wires are connected
respectively to the armature of the electro magnet J of the relay F, and to the
contact pin L of the said relay F¹. One end of the coils of the magnet J is
connected to earth through the contact apparatus 1, and one end of the main
circuit C is connected to the other end of these coils of the electro magnet J¹, forming
part of the relay F¹, while the other end of this wire is coupled to one end of the
coils of an electro magnet J of the relay F whose armature is connected to earth.
The other end of the coils of this electro magnet J is coupled to a contact pin K
which is itself connected to one terminal of the contact apparatus 1', whose other
terminal is connected to earth. When the magnet attracts its armature it holds it
against the contact pin K, and this pin being thus connected to earth, the earth
connection is completed for this end of the main circuit C.
In fig. 2, four contact apparatus N, N* N¹ N' are used to work a single line of
rails, ono terminal of each of the two end apparatus N1, N2, being connected to the
wire M, while the other terminals are connected to earth. The contact apparatus N*
is coupled to two opposite extremities of a section of the main circuit C, whose other
extremities are coupled respectively to one end of the coils of the electro-magnet. J'
of the relay F, and to one end of the coils of the electro-magnet J of the relay F.
The contact apparatus N has one terminal connected to earth, and the other to the
other end of the coils of the electro-magnet J of the relay F'. This relay F2 is
connected, by its contact pin L2, with one end of the short circuit wire C" of the local
battery D* whose other end is connected to one extremity of the coils of the electro

page_text: magnet operating the signal B, while the other wire of the local battery D³ is con-
nected to the armature of the electro magnet J of the relay F'.
One end of the other section of the main circuit is connected with the other
extremity of the coils of the electro magnet of the relay F', while its other end is
connected with one of the extremities of the coils of the electro-magnet of the relay F
employed for closing the earth connections, and whose other extremity is connected
to the wire M. The contact pin L' of the relay F¹ is connected to one end of the
short circuit wire C of the local battery D' whose other end is coupled to one end of
the coils of the electro-magnet operating the signal O.
My system of electric signalling operates as follows:-
Referring to Fig. 1, the passage of a train on the line causes the earth connection
to be broken by the contact apparatus I, the relays F and F ceasing to attract their
armatures which are pulled back by springs to dead points thus breaking the earth
connection of the circuit by the relay F and also breaking the local circuit (" by
the relay which causes the signal to fall by gravity to danger." But as soon
as the train reaches the contact apparatus 1' the earth connection of the circuit C is
again restored, the magnet of the relay F again attracts its armature, the local
circuit being thus closed so that the signal is taken by its battery D¹ to "safety
"line clear."
وو
or
The working of the system shown in fig. 2 where trains have to pass in both
directions, is as follows: a train entering the section from either end, as it passes
over a contact apparatus NX or N, breaks the main circuit C thus breaking the local
circuits and causing the signals to fall by gravity to "danger" or
" line blocked,"
and a train on passing out of the section in either direction works the other contact
apparatus N or making the main circuit C, thus completing the local circuits and
the signals are taken to "safety" or "line clear" by their local batteries D D¹.
1: 5.1 1
1000
ERNEST DE PASS, Fel. Inst. P.A.,
68, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Electric Signalling for Railways.
I, JOHN LEMAN ECKERSLEY DANIEL. of 3 Victoria Street, Westminster, Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner the
sanie is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the drawings filed with my Provisional
Specification and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
In carrying out my invention employ one main circuit and battery, and one
local circuit and battery for each section of the line, the main circuit being con-
trolled by suitable contact apparatus actuated by the passage of the trains. The
local circuit, which extends only from a battery house (placed close to each signal)
to the signal, is used simply for operating the signal, and is controlled by the main
circuit, .., it is made or broken, as the main current is made or broken, by the
passage of a train.
By operating the signal by a local circuit and battery, instead of
by the main circuit and battery direct, it will only be necessary to use just a sufficient
number of cells to work the signal in a very short circuit, and this dispenses with the
very large number of cells which would be required to over-come the resistance
encountered by working a signal direct by the main circuit at the distance generally
required in railway signalling, while a very small battery of a few cells will work the
main circuit in my system over any length of line, because it has only to work a
relay, as hereinafter described, instead of a signal.
By preference, I employ the contact apparatus described in my complete specifica-
tion, dated the 7th August 1888, No. 11,38888 and shewn in the drawings accompanying
the same, but any other suitable contact apparatus, or switching apparatus, may be
used:

page_text: In the drawings left with my provisional specification, Fig. 1 shews a diagram of
my system as applied to a line of railway over which trains pass in one direction
only, and fig. 2 shews the same system as applied to a line of railway over which
trains pass in both directions.
Referring to fig. 1 A. A. are the lines of rail B is a signal, O the main circuit,
D the main line battery interposed between two divisions of this main circuit, and
F, F, are relays placed in the main circuit C and actuated through contact
apparatus I and I, the passage of trains thus making or breaking the main
circuit C. The signal B is worked by a local battery D' in the short circuit ("
whose wires are connected respectively to the arinature of the electro-magnot J¹ of
the relay F, and to the contact pin L' of the said relay F¹. One end of the
coils of the magnet J is connected to earth through the contact apparatus I, and
one end of the main circuit C is connected to the other end of these coils of the
electro-magnet J forming part of the relay F, while the other end of this wire is
coupled to one end of the coils of an electro-magnet J, of the relay F, whose armature
is connected to earth. The other end of the coils of this electro-magnet J is coupled
to a contact pin L which is itself connected to one terminal of the contact appa-
ratus I whose other terminal is connected to earth. When the magnet attracts its
armature it holds it against the contact pin L, and this pin, being thus connected
to earth, the earth connection is completed for this end of the main circuit C.
Referring to fig. 2, four contact apparatus N, N*, N1, N2, are used to work a
single line of rails, one terminal of each of the two end apparatus N', N', being
connected to the wire M, while the other terminals are connected to earth. The
contact apparatus N* is coupled to two opposite extremities of a section of the main
circuit C, whose other extremities are coupled respectively to one end of the coils of
the electro-magnet J' of the relay F', and to one end of the coils of the electro-
magnet J of the relay F³. The contact apparatus N has one terminal connected to
earth and the other to the other end of the coils of the electro-magnet J³ of the
relay F. This relay F, is connected by its contact pin L³, with one end of the short
circuit wire C2, of the local battery D³, whose other end is connected to one
extremity of the coils of the electro magnet operating the signal B, while the
other wire of the local battery D2 is connected to the armature of the electro-
magnet J of the relay F2.
One end of the other section of the main circuit C is connected with the other
extremity of the coils of the electro magnet of the relay F1, while its other end is
connected with one of the extremities of the coils of the electro-magnet of the
relay F, employed for closing the earth connections, and whose other extremity is
connected to the wire M. The contact pin L, of the relay F, is connected to one
end of the short circuit wire C, of the local battery D1, whose other end is coupled
to one end of the coils of the electro-magnet operating the signal O.
My system of electric signalling operates as follows:-
In fig. 1, the passage of a train on the line causes the earth connection to be
broken by the contact apparatus I, the relays F and F ceasing to attract their
armatures which are pulled back by springs to dead points thus breaking the earth
connection of the circuit C by the relay F and also breaking the local circuit C¹ by
the relay F which causes the signal to fall by gravity to "danger." But as soon as
the train reaches the contact apparatus I the earth connection of the circuit () is
again restored, the magnet of the relay F' again attracts its armature, the local circuit
"line
being thus closed so that the signal is taken by its battery D¹ to "safety" or
clear."
The working of the system, shewn in fig. 2, where trains have to pass in both
directions is as follows: a train entering the section from either end, as it passes over
a contact apparatus N*, or N, breaks the main circuit C thus breaking the local
circuits and causing the signals to fall, by gravity, to "danger" or "line blocked,"
and a train on passing out of the section, in either direction, works the other contact
apparatus N or N making the main circuit C, thus completing the local circuits,
and the signals are taken to "safety" or "line clear," by their local batteries D, D'.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained my invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I claim
1. In automatic electric signalling for use on railways, the employment of one
main circuit and battery, and one local circuit and battery for each section of the
line, the main circuit being controlled by contact apparatus actuated by the passage
of the trains, and the local circuit operating a signal and being made or broken by
the main circuit as the latter is made or broken by the train, thus allowing of the use
of a very small battery of a few cells to work the signal in the short local circuit, and
a battery of a very few cells to work the main circuit over any length of line, because
it has only to actuate a relay instead of a signal, substantially as described.
2. The means for automatically and electrically operating signals on railways, sub-
stantially as described and shewn with reference to the drawings.
Dated GIS LIST Day or
ERNEST DE PASS,
68, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the Applicant.
ERNEST DE PASS,
68, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the Applicant.