Improvements in Signalling or Communicating on Trains.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Signalling or Communicating on Trains.
I, ALEXANDER SHIELS of 190 Bath Street, Glasgow, M.B., C.M., B.Sc.,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to that class of signalling apparatus wherein the passenger
can call, at any time, the attention of the guard or driver by operating a "release
valve and reducing the pressure or vacuum, as the case may be, in the "Westing-
house" or "Vacuum " brake system of the train.
In carrying out my invention I fit to the back, or other part, of each coach, a box
or casing in which is fitted a "make and break" or other suitable electrical device
which can be operated by the passenger in any suitable manner, preferably, by
means of a push knob arrangement, which, when pressed, closes the circuit and
actuates the armature of the device.
The armature has a hammer at its end which strikes, when actuated, against one
end of a pivotted catch, which latter, normally holds in position, a projecting arm of
a cam. The cam, which is pivotted at its centre, has two curved slots or grooves
in it through each of which projects a stud fitted on the inner ends of two horizontal
rods. These rods are capable of sliding in and out, and, by their action,
operates a small semaphore or signal arm, at each side of the coach, and thereby
call the attention of the guard to the carriage from which the signal has
been made.
A powerful spring or a weight or its equivalent is so arranged as to normally
tend to turn round the cam, but it is, when locked, prevented from doing this by
the pivotted catch. A small starting spring, is or may be fitted on the arm of the
cam and is held in position against a stud fitted in the box.
The cam is made with a curved surface at its lower side, which surface, as the
cam is turned, presses on and forces downwards the short end of a pivotted lever
the long end of which is connected to the spindle of the release valve for, say, the
vacuum brake, and, of course, as said lever is pressed down at one side it is forced
up at the other and caused to lift the valve, against the vacuum suction, and admit
air to the brake system. The short end of the lever, when both brake systems are
fitted on the carriages, is made to force down a valve connected with the Westing-
house brake system and open said valve, so as to allow the compressed air to escape
against the pressure of the fluid,
Of course, as only one system is in use throughout the train at a time, one of the
valves, if both are fitted on the carriages, is ineffective.
In cases where the vacuum system, or the Westinghouse system is alone fitted
only one release valve would be used."
The catch can be released by means of chains, cords, levers or other mechanical
devices instead of by an electrical device.
The pivot of the cam has a square head on it to enable it to be turned back, after
signalling, by means of a key.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
If a passenger presses the push knob within his compartment the clectric circuit
is at once closed and the arniature of the electrical device caused to release the
catch, whereupon the starting spring, if such be used, forces the cam past the dead
point and allows the large powerful spring to turn the cam round sufficiently to pull
in the rods and throw out the semaphores at the sides of the carriage, at the same

page_text: time, actuating the release valve of the brake system so as to call the attention of
the guard and driver.
The cam may be weighted if so desired.
The apparatus may be modified in its details of construction.
A small electrically actuated catch or stop may be provided for preventing the
armature vibrating through the motion of the train.
Dated this 13th day of March 1893.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Signalling or Communicating on Trains.
1, ALEXANDER SHIELS, of 190 Bath Street, Glasgow, M.B., C.M., B.Sc.,
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 that class of signalling apparatus wherein the passenger
can call, at any time, the attention of the guard or driver, by operating a "release
valve and reducing the pressure or vacuum, as the case may be, in the "Westing-
house or Vacuum brake system of the train.
"
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon
Fig. 1 is a sectional plan of the apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section.
Fig. 3 shows one of the semaphores two of which are fitted to one end of each
railway carriage.
In carrying out my invention, I fit to the back, or other part, of each carriage,
a box or casing a in which is fitted a "make and break" or other suitable electrical
device which can be operated by the passenger in any suitable manner, preferably,
by means of a push knob arrangement fitted in the compartments of the carriage,
and, which, when pressed, closes the electric circuit and actuates the armature cof
the device. The push knob may be of the construction set forth in my prior
Specification No. 10260 of 1891., are the wires from the compartments.
"'
The armature has a hammer d at its end which strikes, when actuated, against
the end of a catch e, pivotted at , and which normally holds in position the
projecting arm of a cam h. The cam h, which is pivotted at its centre at h¹ has
two curved slots (or grooves) i, in it. Studs fitted on the inner ends of two
horizontal rods, project up through the slots. These rods are capable of sliding
in and out, and, by their action, operate a small semaphore or signal arm m (Fig. 3)
at each side of the carriage and thereby call the attention of the guard to the
carriage from which the signal has been made. The rods may be enclosed in
tubes n fitted to the back of the carriage.
A powerful spring o, or a weight or its equivalent, is so arranged as to normally
tend to turn round the cam h, but it is, when the cam is locked, prevented from
loing this by the pivotted catch e the point e² of which catches the projection f.
A small starting spring pis, or may be fitted on the arm of the cam and is held
in position against a stud fitted in the box. The spring o is fitted round a
spindle o' one end of which is pivotted or hinged at o" to the side of the box and
its other end is passed through a hole in a bearing collar o pivotted at o' to the
is a bearing bracket for one end of the pivot, it is secured by studs to
the cam.
The spring presses against the bearing collar o³ and tends to force round
the cam.
When the spring is in the position shown it is at the dead point.
The cam is made with a curved surface at its lower side, which surface, as the
cam is turned, presses on and forces downwards the short arm of a pivotted lever q
cam h.

page_text: the long arm of which is connected to the spindle 1 of the release valve r for, say,
the vacuum brake, and, of course, as said lever is pressed down at one side it is
forced up at the other and caused to lift the valve, against the vacuum suction, and
admit air to the brake system. The short end of the lever, when both brake
systems are fitted on the carriages, is made to force down a valve s connected with
the Westinghouse brake system and open said valve, so as to allow the compressed
air to escape against the pressure of the fluid. v, v are swing levers for supporting
the inner ends of the rods 1, 1. u are the cells of a battery which generate
electricity for operating the device b.
Of course, as only one system is in use throughout the train at a time, only one
of the valves, if both are fitted on the carriages, is in working operation.
In cases where the vacuum system, or the Westinghouse system, is alone fitted
only one release valve would of course be used.
The catch e can be released if so desired by means of chains, cords, levers or
other mechanical devices instead of by an electrical device.
The pivot of the cam has a square head t on it to enable it to be turned back to
its original position, after signalling, by means of a key.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
If a passenger presses the push knob within his compartment the electric circuit
is at once closed and the armature c of the electrical device 6 caused to rise and
release the catch e whereupon the starting spring p, if such be used, forces the cam
past the dead point and allows the large powerful spring o to turn it round
sufficiently to pull in the rods l, and throw out the semaphores m at the sides of
the carriage, at the same time, actuating the release valve ŕ or s of the brake system
so as to call the attention of the guard and driver.
The cam may be weighted if so desired.
The apparatus may be modified in its details of construction.
A small electrically actuated catch or stop may be provided for preventing the
armature vibrating through the motion of the train.
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
consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. The general arrangement and combination of parts of the apparatus, substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and shown at Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings
annexed.
2. The pivotted cam h, made and operating, substantially as hereiubefore
described with reference to the drawings annexed.
3. The combination with the cam h of the actuating spring o or its equivalent,
rods l, l' and a catch (e), substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
the drawings annexed.
Dated this 14th day of December 1893
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.