IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALIZING AND STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Seal Blackwell, of Cranbrook, in the
County of Kent, Surgeon, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SIGNALIZING AND STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS."
Sealed the 6th February 1854, and dated the 27th October 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Seal
Blackwell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 27th October 1853.
I, THOMAS SEAL BLACKWELL, of Cranbrook, in the County of Kent,
Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALIZING AND STOPPING RAILWAY
TRAINS" to be as follows:-
My improvements relate, firstly, to peculiar arrangements of signal
sounds, colours, and lights; secondly, to novel arrangements of signal
rods and wires, slide pieces and chains, actuating suitable alarums; and,
thirdly, to an entirely new construction of brakes, applying immediately
to the carriages or holding firmly on the rail.

page_text: And for the better understanding of my said improvements I will now
proceed to give a general description thereof.
The carriages of a railway train may have small coloured glass lamps
or coloured signal handles, or other like signs, at the roof or sides,
within each carriage, which I will suppose to be black, red, blue, and
yellow; and corresponding. signals may be placed at suitable points
on the line of railroad. On the roofs or sides of the carriages are
to be placed arm pieces, operated on by the cords or chains with
which the lamps; handles, or signs are connected; and--when these are
drawn to give an alarm, according to their colour and a proper code of
signals, such arm pieces will actuate a simple arrangement of a cogged
drum with index finger, which at the same time shows on the index
board a light or colour similar to that connected with the arm piece
moved by the guard or passengers, and also rings a bell or alarum.
I further provide iron draw rods, extending froin station to station,
and communicating with the stationary signal light or colours, which
draw rods, having cogs on them, move the index figure to the signal
lights or colours, communicating such signals to every signal point
between station and station throughout the line. These rods, may be
variously constructed with glass rollers and rails, or other rollers and
rails, balance pulleys, and indexes, and be placed above or below the
ground, as most desirable.
Another arrangement consists of a draw wire connected simply with
alarums, and which may be put in action by any part of a train off the
line, and now running necessarily. over rods placed in a peculiar manner
on pivots to give the signal. The wires may very conveniently he kept
tight by fastenings and spiral or other springs where required, and have
support wheels and alarums at different points considered most important.
My improved brake, applicable to the locomotive, represents the prin-
ciple of the shoe brake, occupying part of the space between the rails,
and may be placed before or behind the locomotive. When let down
this is to be worked upon by a peculiarly arranged powerful piston pressed
upon from above. This piston is attached by proper framing to the side
framing of the engine, tender, or other carriage, working free through a
cylinder until pressed upon by the buffers, and which piston is acted

page_text: upon by a novel arrangement of rails having slots and sliding pieces
therein; the slide pieces being properly grooved and furnished with
curved jointed arm pieces and support wheels, also balancing pulleys,
which rise and fall when pulled by the draw rod.
The brake or brakes for preventing collision of trains, if united into
one, become a kind of travelling flooring, having grooves underneath and
portions of railway upon it, inclining when not in use downwards from
the back or front of the train to the level of the common rail. At one
end it has powerful buffers to prevent injury whenever an engine or
carriage runs upon it, also buffer springs to receive the wheels of the
advancing locomotive. The back train, which would otherwise run into
the fore train, is thus prevented from doing any serious damage to the
forward train.
My other form of improved brake is constructed on the principle of
pincers or nippers, and is intended for gripping, holding, or locking the
train on the line..
I do not restrict myself to the materials of which the several parts of
these improvements may be constructed, nor to the dimensions or the
precise situation of each, as these must vary with the several circum-
stances affecting their use and the nature of the railroad and trains to
which they are applied. And I do declare that what I claim as my
improvements are, namely,-
First, the peculiar arrangement of signal sounds, colours, and lights.
Second, the novel arrangement of signal rods and wires, slide pieces
and chains.
And, third, an entirely new construction of brakes, as described.