Improved Means for Utilizing the Deflection of the Permanent Way of Railways for Signalling and other Purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Lift, 22nd Aug., 1891-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Utilizing the Deflection of the Permanent Way
of Railways for Signalling and other Purposes.
WILLIAM HENRY BIRD Assoc. M. Inst. C.E. " Orwell," Colworth Road,
Leytonstone, Essex, HARRY LOUIS DAVIS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E. 108 Romford
Road, Stratford, E. We do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The nature of this invention is to utilize the static or moving weight of a
locomotive or other vehicle to perform any duties required for the purposes of
signalling or any other work wanting direct power for the actuating of any
mechanical or other contrivance.
To enable this power to be utilized a bow spring constructed of steel or other
metal is fixed upon a solid and rigid base and placed beneath and in direct contact
with the rail and is so arranged that the depression due to the elasticity of the
permanent way is increased in such a manner by leverage as to make it capable of
performing any work when mechanical movement is required. And in this
arrangement any fixed travel can be given and the excess power if any is simply
expended in straightening the spring lever.
Dated this 4th day of December 1890.
WILLIAM HENRY BIRD.
HARRY L. DAVIS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Utilising the Deflection of the Permanent Way
of Railways for Signalling and other Purposes.
We, WILLIAM HENRY BIRD, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E. "Orwell," Colworth Road,
Leytonstone, Essex, HARRY LOUIS DAVIS, Assoc. M. Inst. Č.E. 108 Romford
Road, Stratford, E. 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 :-
According to this invention, the deflection of a rail due to the passing weight of
a locomotive or other vehicle, is utilised for giving movement to signalling or other
apparatus.
For this purpose, as shewn in the accompanying drawing, we fix upon a solid
base B a spring S, either solid or consisting as shewn of a number of superposed
plates like a carriage spring, beneath and in immediate contact with the rail R, and
to the farther end of the spring we link a rod L connected to the signalling or other
apparatus.
As the rail R acts on the spring near its fulcrum, the small movement given by
the deflection of the rail is multiplied in proportion to the leverage, so that the
rod L may have a considerable stroke. When this is desired not to act, a stop A
may be slid under the end of the spring, which in that case will be simply bent by
the deflection of the rail.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
In combination with a railway rail a spring in contact therewith near its one end,

page_text: and linked at its other end to signalling or other apparatus to be actuated by
deflection of the rail, substantially as described.
Dated this 22nd day of August 1891
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.