Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 7th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
We, ALFRED NORMANTON, Clerk, and HERBERT NORMANTON, Law Clerk
both of Summer Villas, Stretford Road, Old Trafford, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the means of signalling automatically on railways, in
order to give notice of an obstruction caused either by a train advancing from an
opposite direction, or a train standing on the same line, at, or between stations:
said signalling apparatus may be employed either in conjunction with, or indepen-
dently of the present mode of signalling.
The object of this invention to render accidents arising from collision caused
by foggy weather, errors of judgement, negligence, or mistakes of signalmen and
like causes to be practically impossible.
In this invention we place at intervals along and within the usual 4 ft. 8 ins.
space between a line of rails, a succession of longitudinal keys or governors: these
keys may be pivotted and attached to the chairs or to the sleepers: to each end of
these keys we connect a lever which may either pass under the rail or be placed
towards the centre of the track: this lever is connected to a pull rod which is laid
respectively up and down the line for a distance equal to that which is usually
required to stop a train when proceeding at full speed; the opposite end of said
pull rod is attached to a corresponding lever which is connected to a key or
governor. Each successive key or governor is thus connected to a key or governor
We form the afore-
placed at a considerable distance both up and down the line.
said pull rods in two parts and connect the same at or about the centre by a lever.
At a convenient distance from this lever we place a galvanic or electric battery and
a bell or gong.
We connect this battery by means of a wire to the lever which forms the
connection between the rods as herein last described; by these means when
a train is proceeding along or standing on a line of rails in either direction, the
flanges of the wheels pass over and press down in succession the herein before
described keys or governors which causes the opposite end of the long pull rod to
be placed in contact with the aforesaid battery. In order however to effect a
complete circuit of the electric current, without which the signal bell or the gong
will not be affected, and will remain silent, it is necessary that the corresponding
key or governor placed at a distance along the line must also be depressed by the
action of the flange of a wheel of a train advancing from an opposite direction, or a
standing train, or other obstruction which would thus complete the circuit, and
would cause the alarm to be sounded this warning by gong or bell will continue
until the obstruction is removed.
of & train or to
By these means a warning is conveyed to the driver and guard
the driver of an engine in sufficient time to apply the breaks and stop before coming
into collision with the obstruction, independently of the aid of signalmen.
Loh dan of T... 1900
THOMAS PRESCOTT,
Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester, Agent for Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus.
We, ALFRED NORMANTON, Clerk, and HERBERT NORMANTON, Law Clerk,
both of Summer Villas, Stretford Road, Old Trafford, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, 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 the means for signalling automatically on railways in
order to give notice of an obstruction, such as may be caused either by a break-
down, or by a train, engine, truck or other vehicle advancing from an opposite
direction, or a train, engine, or vehicle standing on the same line of rails at or
between stations: said signalling apparatus may be employed either independently
or in conjunction with the present mode of signalling.
The object of this invention is to render accidents arising from collisions caused
by foggy weather, errors of judgement, negligence, or mistakes of signalmen and
like causes to be practically impossible.
In this invention we attain the object set forth by the mechanism hereinafter
described and as illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings. In these
drawings similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
Fig. 1 is plan of a short length of the ordinary permanent way of a railway, and
Fig. 2 is longitudinal section of the same drawn through line A A.
Figs. 3 to 8 are views drawn to an enlarged scale of parts of the mechanism shown
in Figs. 1 and 2 and as hereinafter described.
We place at intervals along and within the usual 4 feet 8 ins. space or other
gauge between the line of rails a, a succession of longitudinal governors c.
These governors which may be arranged to follow each other on one side of
the line only, or placed alternately as shown on drawings, are intended to be
depressed by the flange of a wheel passing along or resting on the line of rails a.
In order to keep the governor in a horizontal position when the flange of a
wheel rests on or comes in contact with either end thereof, the governor may
be pivotted as represented in Figs. 3 and 4 and attached either to the sleepers d
as shown, or to the chairs b. In these views the governor c is shown constructed
with eye bolts k formed on the underside, and said eye bolts work in vertical
guide slots in the web of the rail a. The governor is pivotted on the bars m
which are connected in the centre at o, one end of each of the bars m being
attached to the governors c, and the opposite end to the sleeper d by means of
a pin working in a horizontal slot P. At or near each end of the governors c,
we place at right angles to said governor a lever e in a position preferably
towards the centre of the track: each of these levers is connected to a pull
rod which is laid respectively up and down the line for a distance equal to
that which is usually required to stop a train when proceeding at full speed
we form the pull rod f in two parts and connect the same at
or near the
centre to the fixed stud / by means of a chain or other flexible connection '
which passes over and around the ends of the levers or switches g. g¹.
:
Each of the opposite ends of each pull rod f' is attached to a lever e which is con-
nected to separate governors c, placed at a considerable distance apart both up and
down the line. At a convenient distance from the levers g. gl we place a bell, gong
or other device h' and connect this bell with an electric battery by means of
wires which are also attached to the levers or switches g. g'. By these means
when a train, engine, or vehicle is proceeding along or standing on a line of rails in
either direction, the flanges of the wheels pass over and press down in succession
one of the herein before described governors c when the tension thus exerted on the
pull rod that is in combination therewith causes the end g³ of either the leverag
or g¹ that is in connection with but farthest from the governor that is being pressed

page_text: down by the flange of the wheel of a train, or vehicle running thereon, to be moved
towards the centre line in Figs. 7 and 8, when if another train or other obstruction
is causing a like depression in a governor farther along the line, the aforesaid end g
of the lever g or g' will come in contact as in Fig. 8, with the corresponding end g
of the second lever g or g¹ that will have been first moved towards the centre line r
by the action on the governor of aforesaid train or obstruction thereby completing
the electric circuit: by these means the gong h¹ will be caused to sound an alarm
and to continue the warning until the obstruction has been removed.
When the line is cleared the levers g. g', will by the action of springs vor weights
return to the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 7.
In order to distinguish if the signal is intended for the up or down line, gongs of
different sounds may be employed for each line.
The herein before described governors being placed within the line of rails said
governors do not interfere with the keys by which the rails are secured to the
chairs.
Two governors are placed opposite each other at a terminus or at the commence-
ment of a line of rails.
By the means herein before described a warning is conveyed to the driver of any
train, or to the driver of any engine irrespective of whether said train or engine
forms a part of the rolling stock or not of the company on whose line said engine or
train may be running, in sufficient time to apply the breaks and stop before coming
into collision with the obstruction, independently of the aid of signalmen.
Other means than those herein before described such as springs or weights may
be employed for retaining the governors in a horizontal position, and the several
levers and connections may be modified in form to meet the requirements of the line
as in curves and sidings, without departing from our invention but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
In apparatus that is or may be employed on railways for automatically signalling
or giving warning of an obstruction on a line of rails arising from a breakdown, or
the advance of a train, or a single vehicle, or an engine from either direction on the
same line of rails, the use of governors placed successively either on one side or
alternately on both sides of a line of rails, in combination with a bell or gong or
other device which may be electrically connected or disconnected by the action of
the flanges of the wheels of a train, engine, or truck either passing over or resting
on said governor or governors in the manner and for the purpose substantially as
herein before described.
1 1001
THOMAS
PRESCOTT,
53, Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester, Agent for Applicants.