IMPROVE- MENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Hand, of Hulme, and James Slater, of
Salford, both in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Hand and
James Slater at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 11th November 1865.
We, SAMUEL HAND, of Hulme, and JAMES SLATER, of Salford, both in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to railway signals and alarm sounds which can be
acted upon by any passenger or official in case of danger, and consists of an
ordinary signal of any shape, size, or material, which when not in action lies
in a horizontal position at one side or end of the carriage, and an alarm
bell fixed underneath the carriage. By removing a peg or pin a weight falls
a certain distance, by which the signal is raised from its horizontal to a vertical
position, shewing itself above the top of the carriage. The falling of the weight
also acts upon a lever, to one end of which is attached a hammer, which on
being set in motion by the falling of the weight strikes the bell, and continues
striking it until the apparatus is stopped or put out of gear by replacing the
peg or pin. The sight of the signal will of course direct the attention of 'the
guard or other official to the carriage where he is wanted.

page_text: The modus operandi is as follows :-Our first or primary motion is obtained
from the axle of the railway carriage. On that axle we securely fasten a
grooved wheel, in which we cast or fit a cam or tappet for the purpose of
giving a percussive action to a lever working upon a fulcrum which is bolted
underneath the carriage. On one end of the lever we secure a hammer for
the purpose of striking a large bell, also fastened underneath the carriage;
on the other end we fasten a weight to act as a partial counterpoise. Attached
to this lever is a chain passing into the interior of the carriage and fastened to
the lower end of a weight bored out to receive a corresponding metal pin or
peg, for the purpose of keeping the lever from coming in contact with the cam
or tappet in the grooved wheel. On the top end of the aforesaid weight we
fasten a continuation of chain, which passes over a small pulley, and is fastened
to the end of a crank keyed on a horizontal shaft resting in suitable bearings
and projecting through the side of the carriage, on which is fastened the
signal. The chain, conical bored weight, and horizontal shaft we carefully
box off, so that the only access to the fallen weight is through the medium
of a door which is kept locked. The only part exposed is the pin or peg, to
which a number of connections can be applied if desired.
The action of our Invention is as follows:-Draw out the conical pin or
peg which supports the weight, it immediately falls a certain distance below
the centre, at the same time it moves the signal from a horizontal to a vertical
position, and also liberates the lower portion of the chain, which causes the
lever to come in contact with the cam or tappet in the grooved wheel, wherein
it receives a number of percussive strokes, causing the hammer to strike the
bell and to continue until the train is stopped. Now as the position of the
fallen weight is below the fixed centre of the pin or peg, it is impossible to
replace it until the door is unlocked and the weight raised to its central position.
The pin or peg can then be inserted as before, the signal falls to its horizontal
position, and the bell ceases to ring.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Samuel Hand and James Slater, Her special license that we, the
said Samuel Hand and James Slater, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Samuel Hand and James Slater,
our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
SIGNALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Samuel
Hand and James Slater, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Samuel Hand and James Slater, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to signals and alarm sounds for railway carriages, and
consists in improved arrangements of apparatus or mechanism for enabling
passengers or officials in case of danger to expose the signals and call the
alarm sounds into existence.
The said improvements will be clearly understood by the following particular
description thereof, reference being had to the Figures on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon. Fig. 1 is
a side view with part in section of the mechanical arrangements constituting
our Invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are side and end elevations of part of a railway
carriage having our improvements applied to it; Fig. 4 is a side section of
part of the improvements drawn to an enlarged scale, and Fig. 5 a plan of
the same; Figs. 1, 2, and 3 being drawn to about one inch to the foot, and
Figs. 4 and 5 to about two inches to the foot. Our first or primary motion
is obtained from one of the axles a, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, of a railway carriage, on
which axle we fix a grooved wheel b, having in the groove a cam or tappet c
for the purpose of giving when required a vibrating. or percussive action to the

page_text: levers d and e, which are connected together by the link f, and work on pins
in the fixings g and h bolted to the under side of the carriage. On the lever
is fixed a hammer i for the purpose of striking a large bell k, and on the
lever d is secured a moveable weight 1 for the purpose of acting as a partial
counterpoise. To the lever e near the hammer is attached a chain m, passing
into the interior of the carriage and there secured to the lower end of a
weight n, in which is formed a hole or recess to receive a metal pin or bolt o,
for the purpose of supporting the weight and keeping the lever d from coming
in contact with the cam or tappet c in the grooved wheel b until the apparatus
is required to be used. On the top end of the weight n we fasten another
chain
p, which passes over a small guide pulley 9, and is fastened to the end
of a crank r fixed to the horizontal shaft s, which works in suitable bearings,
and has its ends projecting outside the carriage, on which projecting ends are
fastened the signals t. The aforesaid pin or bolt o forms part of a lever u
fixed on a short shaft v, and the pin or bolt is kept in its place by a spring
in the spring box w. On the shaft are fixed two other levers x, x, connected
at their ends by a rod y, to which are attached the encased cords or chains s,
which pass over pulleys a¹ to the various compartments of the carriage, and to
which more connections can be added if required, the ends of the cords or
chains projecting beyond their casings and having handles or knobs b¹ attached
to them. This disengaging motion is enclosed in a cast-iron box c' screwed
to the partition d' of the carriage, the only means of access being through the
door e, which is securely locked until required to be opened.
The action of our Invention is as follows: -In case of danger or necessity
any of the ends of the pendulous cords or chains z must be pulled downwards
by any passenger or official, and at the same instant the levers x, x, are raised
and the pin or bolt o withdrawn from the hole or recess in the weight n,
thereby releasing the weight and allowing it to fall sufficiently low to enable
the cam or tappet c to give vibrating or percussive motion to the levers d, e,
and cause the bell k to be violently rung by the hammer, and at the same
time the signals tare raised by means of the chain p and crank on the shafts to
a vertical position, and then locked by the lever f, thus indicating the carriage
where the alarm is given. In order to distinguish or determine the compart-
ment from which the alarm was given we have on each cord or chain = near
the roof of the carriage a peculiar mark or feature, which can only be seen
when the end of the cord or chain is pulled below or beyond the casing
which encloses it, and as the said mark cannot be put out of sight until the
cord or chain is drawn back it indicates with certainty the compartment from
which the alarm was given. In order to draw back the cord or chain which

page_text: was pulled down and place the various parts of the mechanism in their original
positions ready for a fresh operation, the door e' must be unlocked and opened
and the lever f raised to liberate the signals, after which the weight n is
raised by the pin or handle g¹ until the pin or bolt o enters the hole or recess
in the weight. When these operations have been performed the signals will
be in their original position, and the ringing of the bell will cease in conse-
quence of the vibrating or percussive action of the levers d, e, being stopped
by the lever d being raised out of reach of the cam or tappet c.
We apply
the apparatus before described to each carriage, and thus avoid the necessity
of couplings, and as signals and alarms can be quickly given in case of danger
accidents to a great extent may be prevented.
Having now described the nature and particulars of our said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be under-
stood that we claim, the improved arrangements of mechanism for enabling
railway passengers and officials to expose signals and sound alarms in case of
danger or necessity, as all such improvements are herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Slater, for and on behalf of myself
and the said Samuel Hand, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named James Slater in
the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JAMES SLATER. (L.B.)