IMPROVED ELECTRIC POINT INDICATOR APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bevan, of Newtown, Cardiff, in the
County of Glamorgan, Electrician, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
ELECTRIC POINT INDICATOR APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS."
Scaled the 30th April 1875, and dated the 3rd November 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bevan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd November 1874.
I, WILLIAM BEVAN, of Newtown, Cardiff, in the County of Gla-
morgan, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED ELECTRIC POINT INDICATOR APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an apparatus to be attached to or be in
connection with the points of a railway and with an electric battery, so
that the opening and closing of the points can be clectrically indicated
to the signalman upon a dial or indicator in his box in order that he may
know whether or not the points answer to the pull or the throw over of
his lever.
C

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, g
filed by the said William Bevan in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BEVAN, of Newtown, Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan, Electrician,
sond greeting.
3

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Third day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Bevan, Her special licence
that I, the said William Bevan, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Bevan, 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 "IMPROVED ELECTRIC
POINT INDICATOR APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Bevan, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, 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 Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Bevan, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to an apparatus to be attached to or be in con-
nection with the points of a railway and with an electric battery, so that
the opening and closing of the points can be electrically indicated to
the signalman upon a dial or indicator in his box, in order that he may
know whether or not the points answer to the pull or the throw over of
his lever.
My Invention will be well understood on reference to the accom-
panying Drawings.
The apparatus, Figure 1, consists of a bolt a, a battery (not shown
in the Drawings), and an indicator b working in unison. The bolt a
forms a continuation of the points' tie bar 6¹, or it may be a projection
from one of the point rails, or the bolt a may in its to-and-fro motion
act upon a pivotted arm or traveller c, and the end of the bolt or the

page_text: traveller is, when the points d, d, are shifted over in one direction, caused
to come into contact with one or more segmental plates e, f. The arm
or bolt and the plate have each a wire g, h, i, attached, one, g, leading
from the battery, and the others h, i, from an indicator 6 in the signal-
man's box, a return wire from which is connected to the other pole of tho
battery or to earth to complete the circuit.
The action is as follows:-When the points' lever in connection with
the rod jis pulled over, say, to open the points of a siding or a branch
linc, the bolt a causes the traveller c to come into contact with the plate f
whereby the electric current or circuit is put in action, a hand or pointer,
or it may be a plate k with the word "open" upon it at the same
being lifted by an armature attracted by a magnet m, which it retains
in that position until the points' lever is again moved to close the points,
the falling of the armature then bringing the hand pointer or plate
with the word "shut" upon it in front of the indicator, so that the
signalman may know that the points have been shifted, the shift of
the indicator being simultaneous with the shift of the points in either
direction.
The advantage to be derived from the use of this Invention is an
instantaneous indication to the signalman that the points which may be
at a distance from his box have answered to the pull or the throw over
of his lever.
By arranging another indicator (in contact), say, withing the booking
office or the station master's room, an intimation could be given that the
signalman was attending to his duty, and that the points were proper for
the next train to pass.
A sound signal n worked by a magnet p and armature q is also used
in connection to draw attention to the points being moved, which is put
into action when the traveller c is passing across or in contact with the
segmental plate c; at the same time a danger signal 7 shows itself on the
indicator at the opening s, and when the traveller c has passed across
the segmental plate e the whole apparatus is at rest, and the indicator
shows the points to be open or shut, according to the way it is fitted. The
danger signal is actuated by a magnet and armature u in connection
with the magnet p and armature q, as shown.
In Figure 2 an exterior view of the indicator is shown, having three.
openings, the upper one perforated for the sound of the bell to be heard,.

page_text: the centre one for the danger signal to show itself, which, as beforo
explained, acts in concert with the bell, and the lower opening indicating
whether the points are open or shut.
And having now described the nature of my said. Invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
The Invention of clectric point indicator apparatus for railways, as
herein-before described, and as shown in the annexed Drawings, whereby
the opening and closing of the points in a positive manner are indicated
to the signalman, the station master, or other official, as set forth.
Secondly. I claim the combination of a bolt or its equivalent to or
upon the point rails of railways with a battery and an indicator working
in unison, as set forth, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bevan, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five.