IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Wesley Clough, of Stanningley, in the
County of York, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 10th August 1863, and dated the 16th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Wesley Clough
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th February 1863.
I, SAMUEL WESLEY CLOUGH, of Stanningley, in the County of York,
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, in the first place, in the combination of a signal
light or lights, with apparatus, to be worked by the passing of an engine or
train over the rails of a railway, whereby the cover or covers will be with--
drawn from a lamp or lamps and allow the same to be displayed to view by
the pressure of the engine or train on a piece of metal let into a recess formed
in the rail. For this purpose a recess is formed in the rail at the required
distance from the posts carrying the lights, and a piece of metal inserted in
the said recess, such piece of metal being caused by its depression to act on a
lever or levers with which it is connected, and to which is also connected a
chain, wire rope, or rod, and pulleys communicating with a rod connected to
the cover of the lamp by means of a lever working on a fulcrum, which may
be fixed to the lamp post. The lamp covers are caused to descend again over

page_text: the lights (when the display of the signal is no longer necessary) by means of
a spring connected with a lever, also connected to a plate let into a recess in
the rail (similar to that before described) and placed near the last lamp of a
series. The engine passing over this last plate causes the spring which is
connected with the lampholders to act vertically on the rods to which the
covers are fixed.
And my Invention consists, in the second place, in the adaptation and
application to railway carriages of lamps fixed either in the roof or to the side
or sides thereof, so as to be capable of displaying a signal light by the removal
of a cover from the lamp. The cover in this case is removed by means of
cranks, and pulls a rope or cord passing over pulleys suitably mounted on the
carriage, such rope or cord being intended to be pulled by passengers when
required. Also instead of a lamp or lamps an arm may be caused by similar
means to project from the carriage for day signals.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Samuel Wesley Clough in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
WESLEY CLOUGH, of Stanningley, in the County of York, Manager, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Samuel Wesley Clough, Her special license that I, the said Samuel
Wesley Clough, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Samuel Wesley Clough, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others,
that I, the said Samuel Wesley Clough, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said. Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to. be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Wesley Clough, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
=
My Invention of "Improvements in Signalling on Railways" consists, in
the first place, in the combination of a signal light or lights, with apparatus to
be worked by the passing of an engine or train over the rails of a railway,
whereby the cover or covers will be withdrawn from a lamp or lamps and
allow the same to be displayed to view by the pressure of the engine or train
on a piece of metal let into a recess formed in the rail. For this purpose a
recess is formed in the rail at the required distance from the posts carrying
the lights, and a piece of metal inserted in the said recess, such piece of metal
being caused by its depression to act on a lever or levers with which it is con-
nected, and to which is also connected a chain, wire rope, or rod, and pullies.
communicating with a rod connected to the cover of the lamp by means of a
lever working on a fulcrum, which may be fixed to the lamp post, or it may
be otherwise fixed. The lamp covers are caused to descend again over the
lights when the display of the signal is no longer necessary by means of bell
cranks and wires connected with a lever, also connected to a plate let into a
recess in the rail (similar to that before described) and placed near the last
lamp of a series. The engine or train passing over this last plate or pieco
of metal causes the rod to which the covers are connected to be acted upon in
a vertical direction, and thereby to draw the covers again over the lights. For
day signals is used an arm working on a fulcrum, such arm being acted upon.
by a projection or tappet fixed by preference to the cover. This arm is raised
to a horizontal position by the same mechanism which causes the covers to
ascend and descend.
Also in some cases it may be preferable to use an arrangement herein-after
described, consisting of a hollow arm carrying signal glasses, and mounted on
a fulcrum at the top of the post. This arm has at one end a box, into which
shot is allowed to pass through a valve for the purpose of causing such end of
the hollow arm to preponderate over the signalling part of the arm, and the
arm is restored to a horizontal position by a tappet on a descending rod, the
shot returning into the arm and causing it gradually to descend and move
the signal glasses before the lamp, so as to indicate the length of time that has
elapsed since the passing of the engine or train.
And my Invention consists, in the second place, in the adaptation and
application to railway carriages of lamps fixed either in the roof or to the side.

page_text: describe more particular
periore
reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the parts
above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a signal post and apparatus as seen in a transverse section
across the line of railway; Fig. 2 represents the same longitudinally; Fig. 3
shews the signal lights and other parts on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a
section of a carriage, with the hand apparatus for acting on the lamp covers
and day signal, and Fig. 5 is an end view of the same. In these several
Figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A, A, are the rails; B is the piece of metal or lever, one end of which is
inserted in a cavity in the rail, the other end being connected to a chain, wire
rope, or rod C, C, which forms a communication with the covers D, D, of the
signal lights at the top of the post E. The posts are placed in pairs the
required distances apart, and the mechanism applied to them respectively is
connected by means of bell cranks F, F, and wires G carried on pulleys H,
so as to be capable of transmitting the action from the lever at one post to
that at the other. By this arrangement as soon as the lever B, which is shewn
at rest in Fig. 1, is acted upon by the engine or train depressing the end of
it, which is inserted in the cavity in the rail, the opposite end of the lever is
raised and caused to remove the cover D from the light. It will also be seen
that by the connection formed by the bell cranks F, F, and wires G, the same
action will be transmitted to the light cover on the second post, and the
mechanism is so arranged that the lights on both posts are uncovered at the
same time (that is to say) when the train passes over the lever at the first
post, and they are both covered again by the passing of the engine or train
over the lever of the second post.
For day signals I use an arm working on a fulcrum, as shewn in Fig. 1,
such arm being acted upon by a projection or tappett fixed by preference to the

page_text: cover D. This arm is raised to a horizontal position by the mechanism
above described, by which the covers D, D, are raised and lowered.
Fig. 3 represents an arrangement which may be preferred in some cases;
it consists of a hollow arm M, one end of which is formed with a box N, and
charged with the requisite quantity of shot; at this junction between the
box N and the arm M is inserted a valve furnished with a small aperture at
the bottom, and opening towards the box N. Two or more signal glasses are
fixed on the top of the arm M. All these several parts are combined in a
frame fixed to the signal post, which is caused to work on the fulcrum O near
to the box N, thereby causing that end of the arm when suitably loaded with
shot to preponderate over the signalling part of the arm, and throw it into an
inclined position. The arm being in this position the vertical descent of the
rod, guided by the signal post, causes a tappet fixed thereto to strike the arm
and bring it into a horizontal position. The shot now begins to pass slowly
and gradually through the small aperture in the valve into the long arm of
the lever causing it gradually to descend, and also causing the two signal
glasses P and Q, which are of different colours, to pass in front of the lamp
one after the other, thereby shewing the length of time that has elapsed since
the passing of the engine or train. Having arrived at the bottom the reverse
motion of the levers and wires causes the arm to ascend and discharge all the
shot again into the box N.
In Fig. 4, I is a rope or cord attached to a lever on a crank shaft, which is
actuated by passengers inside a carriage. This cord is fixed to one end of a
lever K, the reverse end of which is connected to the cover D of the signal
light. By this means the cover D may be raised so as to display the light
when required by merely pulling the cord I, and allowed to descend and cover
the light by releasing the cord; L is an arm acted upon by a rod worked by
similar means for a day signal. Also in Fig. 5 is shewn an arrangement by.
which a bell may be sounded, and holes in the partitions of carriages uncovered
simultaneously. For this purpose small circular holes fitted with covers are
made in each partition; these covers are connected by rods or levers to the
crank shaft J (by which the covers D of the signal lights are worked) so as
to admit of their being acted upon by the passengers when required.
By this
ineans warning may be given by the sound of the bell, and the covers at the
same time removed from the several holes so as to afford a view from one
compartment into another when required.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as of
my Invention is.

page_text: First, the combination of a signal light or lights with the apparatus
described, by means of which the lights are uncovered or covered by the
action of the engine or train in passing over a lever at the side of the rails in
the manner described.
And, secondly, the adaptation and application to railway carriages of signal
lights, with covers for night signals and arms for day signals acted upon
by means of a cord from inside. the carriage, in the manner herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Wesley Clough, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
SAMUEL WESLEY CLOUGH. (L.S.)