IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS ESPECIALLY DURING FOGS AND DARK WEATHER
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Septimus Lowe, Surgeon, and Samuel White,
Engineer, both of Lincoln, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPLIANCES FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS ESPECIALLY DURING FOGS AND
DARK WEATHER."
Scaled the 14th August 1874, and dated the 19th February 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Septimus Lowe and
Samuel White at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 19th February 1874.
WC, SEPTIMUS LOWE, Surgeon, and SAMUEL WHITE, Engineer, both
of Lincoln, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS ESPECIALLY DURING
FOGS AND DARK WEATHER," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object a method of signalling to the driver
of a train when he has passed a danger signal without seeing it, and is
accomplished in the following manner:-A. platform is placed between
the rails at about 9" distance from one rail, which platform is parallel
with the rail for about 12' of its length, and for about 12' at each end is

page_text: inclined downwards. The parallel part is in connection with the danger
signal, and is moved up and down simultaneously with it by any suitable
mechanism. When the signal is at danger the high part of the platform
would be raised about 4" above the level of rails, and each end inclino
down to rail level. When the line is clear the platform would be
depressed to rail level.
On to the horn plate of the locomotive or any other suitable part is
fixed a bracket, up and down in which may slide a fork carrying a
wheel of about 12" diameter, which wheel has an india-rubber tyre; the
lower part or circumference of this wheel is about 4" above the line of
rails, but the whole fork and wheel may have a motion of several inches
up and down in the slide. This fork and wheel are arranged so that when
the signal is at danger and the platform raised the wheel will come into
contact with it as the engine passes over, and turn a vertical rod round,
communicating motion by suitable gearing to a toothed rod, the end of
which can be withdrawn from a cup, by which a ball or weight is
released and the whistle opened, the whistle of the engine continuing to
sound until stopped by the engine driver.
Instead of arranging the wheel to work against a platform vertically
it can be arranged horizontally, the wheel being fastened direct to the
rotating rod, by which the toothed rod is withdrawn from the cup.
The side platform or rib may have a spring or lever to throw it into
the line of travel of the wheel, or the wheel itself may be thrown out to
come into contact with the platform.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Septimus Lowe and Samuel White, in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 19th August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, SEPTIMUS
Lowe, Surgeon, and SAMUEL WHITE, Engineer, both of Lincoln, send.
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the. Nineteenth day of February; in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the

page_text: thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Septimus Lowe and Samuel
White, Her special licence that we, the said Septimus Lowe and
Samuel White, our exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Septimus Lowe and Samuel White, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at 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 APPLIANCES
POR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS ESPECIALLY DURING FOGS AND DARK WEATHER,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Septimus
Lowe and Samuel White, or one of us, our exccutors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 Offico
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Septimus Lowe and Samuel
White, 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 thereof, that is to
say:-
This Invention has for its object a method of signalling to the driver
of a train when he has passed a danger signal without seeing it, and is
accomplished in the following manner, and as indicated in the annexed
Drawings:-A platform A, Figures 1, 2, and 3, is placed between the
rails at about 9 inches distance from one rail B, which platform A is
parallel with the rail for about 12 feet of its length, and for about
12 feet at each end is inclined downwards. The parallel part is in
connection with the danger signal or semaphore D, and is moved up and
down simultaneously with it by any suitable mechanism. When the
signal is being set to danger the high part A of the platform lifts to
about 4 inches above the level of rails, each end remaining at an
inclination down to rail level. When the line is clear and the signal
set for all clear the platform A becomes depressed to the rail
lovel
"

page_text: On to the horn plate E of the locomotive F or any other suitable part
of the engine or tender is fixed a bracket G, up and down in which
slides a fork H under the action of a spring a. The fork carries a
wheel I of about 12 inches in diameter, and this wheel I has an india-
rubber tyre J to soften the concussion and to ensure a bite for rotating t
purposes. The lower part or circumference of this wheel is preferably
about 4 inches above the line of rails, but the whole fork and wheel may
have a motion of several inches up and down in the slide G. This fork
and wheel is arranged so that when the signal is at danger and the.
platform raised the wheel will come into contact with it as the engine 1
passes over and partakes of a rotary movement, which it communicates
by bevil gearing to a vertical rod L, the upper part of which has a
This
pinion M in gear with the teeth of a horizontal bar N, Figure 4.
bar terminates in a cup P, and when set a weight Q on the free end of
the whistle lever R bears upon it, but when the bar N is withdrawn the 1
weight falls into the cup P, and thereby opens the whistle, which_
continues to sound until stopped by engine driver.
The platform A is raised and lowered by the same pull over lever and.
wire S as the signal arm, and is retained in a raised position by the
weighted lever T, the platform having links U, U, attached to ensure its 2
proper elevation and depression.
Instead of arranging the wheel to work against a platform vertically,
it can be arranged horizontally, or it may be arranged to swing, in.
which case it can be caused to act in whichever way the engine may be
travelling, particularly if the bar N be made to suit the wheel in either 2
of these plans, being fastened direct to the rotating rod L, by which the
toothed bar or rod N is withdrawn from the cup.
The side platform or rib may have a spring or lever to throw it into
the line of travel of the wheel, or the wheel itself may be thrown out
to come into contact with the platform.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,—
The appliances in combination as described and shown through or by
which a steam whistle of a travelling locomotive can be opened for the
purposes set forth.
Secondly. We claim rotating a wheel attached to a railway engine by
its contact with an adjustable platform, and obtaining the withdrawal
J
3
a

page_text: of a bar from a socket to permit of a weight falling and the whistle
sounding thereby, substantially as set forth and shown in the annexed
Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Septimus Lowe and Samuel
White, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Seventeenth
day of August, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.