AN IMPROVED RAILWAY SIGNAL INDICATOR
Year: 1885

page_text: GEORGE JEFFERIES, Station Master, Great Eastern Railway, Marks Tey, Essex,
I do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED RAILWAY SIGNAL
INDICATOR and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
"
This Apparatus is designed to indicate by Mechanical means to the Driver of an
Engine or Train the position of the Signals which he is approaching, that is to say
whether they are "off" for him to proceed or "on for him to stop. It is
intended, more particularly, to inform Drivers of the position of Signals during
foggy weather and Snow Storms and to supercede the present antequated and
faulty system of doing so by the use of "Detonators" but, being constantly in use,
it will be available at all times, and, found a sure preventative against a Driver
approaching a Junction or Station where Signals are numerous and two or more
lines run into one line, taking for himself a Signal lowered for some other train
thus going on when he ought to have stopped, and causing a collision with, it may
be, serious loss of life and injury to the passengers besides immense damage to
rolling stock.
As this Apparatus will enable Railway Companys to almost entirely save the
great outlay now incurred in the purchase of "Detonators" and Wages of men to
fix them on the rails it will pay for itself.
The Apparatus consists of the following parts--viz.
1st A Wheel hung in a perpendicular position between two upright Slides on
the front buffer beam of an Engine, the Wheel being in the centre of, and revolving
on its Axle placed between the upright Slides, as shewn at A in drawing, the
Wheel being hung in the centre of Buffer beam 2 inches above the rail level or
running line.
A rod connected with the Axle rising upwards to B, there connected with
another rod running from B to C, passing at C through the Weather Board of
Engine and controlling on the other, or Drivers, side of Weather Board an Arm &
Lamp fitted with red and green glasses similar to those used for Station Home and
Starting Signals.
2nd A flat topped rail, sloping at each end (see D to E in drawing), placed on
moveable supports, in the centre of the running line against Home and Starting
Signals (outside Home and inside Starting Signals) and connected with a rod

page_text: on
"
worked from the Signal Box by the same Lever which controls the Home or
Starting Signal thus this flat topped rail and the Home or Starting Signal will
rise or fall simultaneously When put to " or "danger" the highest part of
rail will rise 4 inches above the level of the running line: the wheel carried in
front of the Engine will then run up the slope and along the top of rail, rising as it
does so, and pushing upwards rod A to B thus turning rod running from B to C
and moving Signal on the other side of Weather Board to " or "danger". When
lowered to " " caution or "alright" the rail will sink below the level of the running
line and thus the wheel carried in front of the Engine will pass over without
touching it the Signal on the Engine when this is the case standing "off" and thus
corresponding with the position of the Station Signals.
"
"
on
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st The fixing of Signal Arm and Lamp on the Weather Board of the Locomotive
Engine worked by rods connected with Wheel hung between upright Slides in
front of Engine in the manner described.
2ndly The application of the pendant Wheel to raise or lower Signal on the
Weather Board of Engine to "on" or "off."
3rdly The construction and application of the ground mechanism viz the
moveable rail in centre of the running line and its adaptation to work simul-
taneously with Station Home, Starting, or, other, Signals.
Dated this 6th day of March 1885.