A NEW METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING THE POINTS ON RAILWAYS TO BE SHIFTED, AND SIGNALS WORKED BY AN ATTENDANT IN THE TRAIN WHILE THE TRAIN IS IN MOTION
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Cassel Pratt, of Newport, in the
County of Monmouth, Surgeon, for the Invention of "A NEW METHOD
OF AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING THE POINTS ON RAILWAYS TO BE SHIFTED,
AND SIGNALS WORKED BY AN ATTENDANT IN THE TRAIN WHILE THE TRAIN IS
IN MOTION."
Sealed the 30th September 1864, and dated the 6th April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Cassel
Pratt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th April 1864.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS CASSEL PRATT, of Newport, in the County of Mon-
mouth, Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
NEW METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING THE POINTS ON RAILWAYS TO BE
SHIFTED AND SIGNALS WORKED BY AN ATTENDANT IN THE TRAIN WHILE THE TRAIN
IS IN MOTION," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to enable the engine driver or guard to shift
the points and work the signals while the train is in motion without the aid
öf either pointsman or signalman.
My Invention consists of an iron plate or bar fixed in a frame at the centre,
rising above the surface, gradually sloping off at the ends, having a weight
attached to one end resting on a block, to prevent jar in the rise and fall;
this plate or bar is attached by a crank to an iron rod, the other end of the
iron rod acts by means of another crank upon a shifting rail, between which
[Price 8d.]

page_text: and the main rail is a groove to receive stones and other obstructions which
might otherwise impede the motion, or prevent its action. Connected with
the engine, trucks, and carriages, is a small wheel or wheels under the control
of the engine driver or guard by means of a handle. When it is required to
move the train to a siding, or to another line, the guard if the train is being
backed, or the engine driver if it is going forward, by moving the handle-
attached to the small wheel or wheels will cause pressure to be made on the
iron plate or bar, which by means of the rod opens the shifting rails or
tongues; after the train has passed the rails or tongues will return to their
former position. The apparatus for working the signals consists of a lever
with a weight at one end, and a rod and chain or wire at the other. The rod
is attached by a crank to the rod which works the signals, and the chain or
wire forms the connecting medium. between this apparatus and the lever which
shifts the points; the signals may also be acted upon independently of the
points. By the same means a bell can be rung at any required distance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Cassel Pratt in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENT3 SHALL COME, 1, 'WILLIAM
THOMAS CASSEL PRATT, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, Surgeon
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, .by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Thomas Cassel Pratt, Her special licence that I, the said William
Thomas Cassel Pratt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Thomas Cassel Pratt, 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
"A NEW METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING THE POINTS ON RAILWAYS TO
BE SHIFTED AND SIGNALS WORKED BY AN ATTENDANT IN THE TRAIN WHILE THE
TRAIN IS IN MOTION," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Thomas Casse! Pratt, my executors or administrators, by an instru-

page_text: ment 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thomas Cassel Pratt, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is to enable the engine. driver or guard to shift
the points and work the signals while the train is in motion without the aid of
either pointsman or signalman..
My Invention consists of an iron plate or bar fixed in a frame at the centre,
rising above the surface, gradually sloping off at the ends, having a weight
attached to one end resting on a block, to prevent jar in the rise and fall;
this plate or bar is attached by a crank to an iron rod and vertical-lever; the
other end of the iron rod acts by means of another crank upon a shifting
rail, between which and the main rail is a groove to receive stones and other
obstructions which might otherwise impede the motion, or prevent its action.
Connected with the engine, trucks, and carriages is a small wheel or wheels
under the control.of the engine driver or guard by means of a handle. When
it is required to move the train to a siding, or to another line, the guard if the
train is being backed, or the engine driver if it is going forward, by moving the
handle attached to the small wheel or wheels will cause pressure to be made
on the iron plate or bar, which by means of the rod opens the shifting rails or
tongues; after the train has passed the rails or tongues will return to their
former position. The apparatus for working the signals consists of a lever
with a weight at one end, and a rod and chain or wire at the other. The rod
is attached by a crank to the rod which works the signals, and the chain .or
wire forms the connecting medium between this apparatus and the lever
which shifts the points. The signals may also be acted upon independently of
the points. By the means of the rocking lever a bell can be rung at any
required distance.
Figure 1. of the annexed Drawings is a side view; and Figure 2, a plan of
a portion of the permanent way, 'shewing my Invention applied thereto.
a is a rocking lever, centred upon a pin b within a box or frame c, placed.
midway between the rails; on the short arm e of the lever a shifting weight f
is fixed; the end of the long arm of the lever a has connected to it a rod g.

page_text: and vertical lever q attached by a crank h to one end of a second rod g¹ placed
along the side of the rails, the other end of the second rod is jointed to a
second crank h³, which has attached to it a rod i secured to a switch or
moveable rails i, k. In Figure 1 I have. shewn an engine on the rails over
that part of the line where my apparatus is placed; to the under part of the
engine I fix a bracket carrying a roller 1, which is shewn pressing on the
rocking lever; the roller is raised and lowered by the lever arrangement m by
the driver. An additional rod, chain, or wire n may be secured to the
moveable rails,, for the purpose of setting a signal to indicate that a train is
passing, and the signal is retained in the position of danger until the train
passes over another rocking lever, Figure 11, which is situated at a given
distance, and which by means of a chain or wire attached to balance .weight,
Figure 10, will set it at "all clear." The upper surface or edge of the rocking
lever projects above the level of the rails, and is curved, to enable the roller
to depress it without sudden jar or shock. The rocking lever and its box or
frame are shewn on a larger scale in Figures 3 and 4. Figures 5 and 6
illustrate my apparatus applied to a mineral or goods truck. The roller I can
be lowered on to the rocking lever by an attendant pressing down the side
bar o; on pressure being removed the weight p causes the roller to rise into its
normal position. The inclined vertical lever q with a disc near the top, which
is connected..with the crank h, is quite distinct from the balance lever,
Figure 10. The object of the former is to enable an attendant to see whether
the rocking lever, cranks, rod, and shifting rails are all in proper working
order, and also to enable a pointsman to shift the rails in case the rocking
lever should be under repair, but the balance lever, Figure 10, simply acts as a
weight, thus when the rocking lever is depressed by the passing of a train this
weight falls to the other side, and causes the signal to be retained in the.
position of danger till the train passes over the second rocking lever, Figure 11,
when it will again fall into its original position. Figure 7 shows the roller r
no toho under the control of the fireman: it is moved
up and down by a screw rods and hand wheel. Figure 8 shows it applied to
a goods truck. Figure 9 represents my arrangement for ringing a bell to
indicate the approach of a train, the roller r is caused to press on the rocking
lever which acts on the bell wire or chain, releases a catch, and allows the
chain and weight t to descend, the running down of which causes. a hammer
to strike a gong or bell any given number of times. It may likewise be made
to lift a semaphore, or turn a disc signal, or to turn a lamp for night signals.
chain barrel, and cause
the ad
mn
For these purposes I fix a bevil wheel u on the
another bevil wheel on the lamp rod to gear into the wheel u. Although I

page_text: have described my apparatuses as acting singly, they may be used in con-
junction one with the other, so as to shift the points, set a signal, and indicate
the approach of a train by sounding an alarum.
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 method of
and apparatus herein-before described for enabling the points on railways to
be shifted and signals worked by an attendant in the train while the train is
in motion.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Cassel Pratt, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of October, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
WILLIAM THOMAS CASSEL PRATT. (L.S.)