Improvements in Apparatus for Signalling on Railways.
Year: 1890

page_text: ate of Application, 18th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 31st May, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Signalling on Railways.
1, Dr. OTTO LANGE, Chemist and Mine-owner, of 12A, Hauptstrasse, Godesberg,.in
the Kingdom of Prussia, 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 consists of a front or outer signal combined with an alarm
mechanism and a clockwork recording mechanism adapted to be worked by a train
in motion and intended to warn an engineman in approaching a station as to the :
position of the main line signal and to record the same automatically, with the time.
of passing, upon a prepared strip of paper.
Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front__
elevation, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an outer or front signalling mechanisin ;
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show parts of the mechanism when in a varied position in relation to
Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 6 represents a diagram made by the recording mechanism upon.
a strip of paper, and the recording mechanism is shown by Fig. 7 in plan,
Fig. 8 in side elevation and Fig. 9 in front elevation.
The outer- or front-signal is shown as a disc S, and is mounted upon a post or
framing T, with an alarm gong G, about 250 yards in front of the main signal.
When the main signal is at the danger point, the outer or front signal shows its full
disc S across the line, and the gong G rings as soon as the first wheel of the loco-
motive comes into contact with the lever A at the point a, which depresses the lever A,
as may be seen in Fig. 4. The lever A is pivoted at a¹ and has a raised projection
at a², and when it is depressed it acts upon a heart-shaped block or cam B, to move
the same against the collars or projections 61, 61, and with them the rod C. When ..
the rod C is lifted, it presses against the crank lever c the upper arm of which
actuates the spring d and hammer h to ring the gong G. As each wheel of the
locomotive or other portion of the train passes over the projection a of the lever A,
the latter, together with the heart-shaped block B, cranked lever and hammer h
return to their normal position until the succeeding wheel again comes in contact
with the projection a when the gong is rung as before.
When the main signal indicates "line clear," the signal disc S is placed in a
horizontal position, and the alarm mechanism is thrown out of gear. This is .
accomplished by the movement of the main signal acting upon the pulley R, by the
communicating wire already mentioned, and rotating the pulley one quarter of a
revolution to the right, when the main line is clear, and reversely to the left, when the
local line is clear. The pulley R is keyed upon the shaft D, which, at its other end
carries a cross bar or double crank g, with rounded ends. When the signal indicates
"line clear" and the pulley R is turned, the heart-shaped piece or cam B is raised
beyond the range of action produced by the movement of the lever A, and thus
throws the alarm mechanism out of action.
upon
The recording mechanism may be of any ordinary construction and is fixed in any
suitable manner to the front signal post. It consists of two rollers E, and E', placed
in a box or case K, the roller E¹ being mounted upon a movable frame i against
which a spring presses; and the arrangement is shown in elevation by Fig. 7, and
in plan by Fig. 9. A paper band, P, mounted upon the rollers E, E', having ruled
it lines indicating hours and minutes, as is shown more clearly by Fig. 6, and
the paper
band is kept stretched upon the rollers by the action of the spring upon i.
The roller is driven by suitable clockwork in the case K¹ through the intervention
of the pin or axle m. In front of the roller E is arranged a sliding bar F (shown
also in Fig. 8), carrying a pencil 1, the har being capable of sliding up and down
upon the guide rod k, while the pencil is pressed by a suitable spring against the
paper band P. The sliding bar F is provided with a rod n carrying a pin n¹ which
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page_text: engages with one arm of a slotted lever H, as is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5. The
other end of the lever H is connected by a pin g' to the double crank g mounted on
the shaft D as indicated by these Figures, and the lever H operates the up and down
motion of the sliding bar F. A sliding plate o having slots therein, is mounted near
the heart-shaped cam B, and is capable of vertical movement upon the pins o¹, 0¹
while a downward pressure is exerted upon the plate o by the spring o. The lever H
is freely pivoted to the plate o and at the bottom of the latter is shown an arm p
which rests upon the lever A. When the signal is at "danger" the lever H is in a
horizontal position and the pencil marks the middle portion of the paper band P ;
but when the signal is raised to "line clear" in the main line, the pulley R turns the
lever from the right to the left, and one end of the lever H is raised by the pin g¹,
while the other end, and with it the rod n and the sliding bar F, are pressed down,
the pencil marking on the lower side of the paper band P, as shown in Fig. 6. When
the signal is again brought to "danger," the parts return to their normal position,
and the pencil again marks in the middle of the paper strip, but when "line_clear
is indicated by the signal for the local line, the lever g is turned by the pulley R from
left to right and the end of the lever H-connected with g'-is depressed, the other
end with the sliding bar F raised, and the pencil now marks upon the upper side of
the paper-band P.
دو
As the several wheels of a train pass over the projection a of the lever A, they
raise the same at a² and with it the arm p and sliding plate o resting thereon, the
sliding bar F is moved upwards; while as soon as each wheel clears and releases, the
lever A, the spring o² returns the sliding plate o and arm p and with them the sliding.
bar F and pencil. This causes a series of short vertical dashes to be marked upon
the paper band P, and indicates thereon by their relative position to the rulings for
the hours and minutes the time when a train passed the front signal post, and whether
the signal was at "danger" or "
"
line clear in the main line or "line clear" in the
local line. The clockwork and paper band may be adapted for 12 hour records, or
any other number as required. The exact time of setting a paper band should be
marked thereon, and as it is afterwards wound or propelled by the clockwork, the
time at which each train passes is automatically and accurately recorded.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
A front or outer signal combined with an alarm mechanism, and a recording.
mechanism, comprising a lever A, heart-shaped cam B, double crank arm g.shaft D,
pulley R, lever H, sliding plate o and arm p arranged and operating to indicate the
position of the main signal, and at the same time to record the same automatically by
the train while travelling, substantially as herein described and shown.
"Dated the 10:1 · 1°
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant..