IMPROVEMENTS IN NIGHT SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Thomas Starley and Henry Triggs, both of
Steyning, in the County of Sussex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
NIGHT SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 19th February 1878, and dated the 21st August 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Thomas Starley
and Henry Triggs at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
21st August 1877.
CHARLES THOMAS STARLEY and HENRY TRIGGS, both of Steyning, in the County
of Sussex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN NIGHT SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS."
Our Invention relates to means of lighting and extinguishing the gas lights
employed as night signals for railways by action from the signal box or station,
thus avoiding the necessity for sending an attendant along the line to the distant
signal post where the light is used.
According to one arrangement for this purpose we employ the ordinary signal
pull for the purpose of extinguishing the light in the following manner-To a
stop-cock on the gas pipe at the signal post we connect a lever, an arm of which
extends across the vertical signal rod on the post. On this rod we fix a tappet in
such position that in the ordinary working of the signal the tappet does not move
the cock lever, but when the rod is moved beyond its usual distance in lowering
the signal, the tappet acting on the lever causes the stop-cock to be closed and the
light to be extinguished. We give the additional movement required for this
purpose to the signal pull, either by adding to the stroke of the signal lever in the
signal box, or preferably by applying to the pull a separate lever which can be used
independently of the ordinary signal lever.
According to another arrangement we provide a separate lever in the signal box.
for the purpose of effecting both the lighting and the extinction of the gas on a
distant post, this lever moving a wire or pull leading to the gas apparatus on the
post, this pull being independent of the ordinary signal pull. The gas apparatus

page_text: in this case consists of a jet provided with an automatic arrangement of known
kind for lighting the gas by the act of opening the stop-cock, which is con-
nected to a loaded lever mounted on the post and worked by the above-named
pull wire.
In both arrangements we employ known means of compensating for the variations 5
in the length of the pull resulting from changes of temperature.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Thomas Starley and Henry Triggs in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th February 1878.
CHARLES THOMAS STARLEY and HENRY TRIGGS, both of Steyning, in the County
of Sussex. IMPROVEMENTS IN NIGHT SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS."
Our Invention relates to means of lighting and extinguishing the gas lights
employed as night signals for railways by action from the signal box or station,
thus avoiding the necessity for sending an attendant along the line to the distant
signal post where the light is used.
According to one arrangement for this purpose we employ the ordinary signal
pull for the purpose of extinguishing the light in the following manner :-To a
stop-cock on the gas pipe at the signal post we connect a lever, an arm of which
extends across the vertical signal rod on the post. On this rod we fix a tappet in
such position that in the ordinary working of the signal the tappet does not move
the cock lever, but when the rod is moved beyond its usual distance in lowering
the signal, the tappet acting on the lever causes the stop-cock to be closed and the
light to be extinguished. We give the additional movement required for this
purpose to the signal pull, either by adding to the stroke of the signal lever in the
signal box, or preferably by applying to the pull a separate lever which can be used
independently of the ordinary signal lever.
According to another arrangement we provide a separate lever in the signal box
for the purpose of effecting both the lighting and the extinction of the gas on a
distant post, this lever moving a wire or pull leading to the gas apparatus on the
post, this pull being independent of the ordinary signal pull. The gas apparatus
in this case consists of a jet provided with an automatic arrangement of known
kind for lighting the gas by the act of opening the stop-cock, which is con-
nected to a loaded lever mounted on the post and worked by the above-named
pull wire.
In both arrangements we employ known means of compensating for the variations
in the length of the pull resulting from changes of temperature.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents one arrangement, according to
our Invention, applied to a railway signal post for the purpose of extinguishing
the gas flame of the night signal by an extra movement of the ordinary signal
pull.
A is the usual semaphore arm worked by the vertical rod B, which is connected
in the usual way to the loaded lever C, this lever being connected by the pull wire
D to the lever E in the signal box. On the signal post we mount a lever arm F,
fixed on the spindle G, which is in one with or connected to the stop-cock of the

page_text: "
gas employed as a night signal. On the vertical signal rod B we fix a tappet H in
such a position that in the ordinary working of the semaphore signal by the lever
E from its "danger or horizontal attitude to its "safety" or inclined attitude,
indicated by the dotted lines A¹, the tappet H does not act upon the lever F; but
when the signal pull D is drawn farther in so as to let the semaphore down lower
than the usual "safety" attitude, the tappet H bears down the arm F, and thereby
causes the spindle G to turn so far round as to close the gas-cock. The extra move-
ment for this purpose may be given to the pull wire D by a movement of the signal
lever E beyond its usual stroke, but we prefer to provide a separate lever K, having
an arm and roller, which, after the lever E has been pulled over, can be moved by
hand so as to bear against and produce a bend or bight in the piece of chain d
attached to the pull wire, thereby drawing the pull wire farther in when the light
has to be extinguished.
Fig. 2 represents the arrangement which we adopt for extinguishing the light
by the use of a pull separate from and independent of the ordinary signal pull. In
this case the separate lever L in the signal box is connected by a pull wire M to a
loaded lever N on the signal post. From this lever a rod O, terminating in a piece
of slack chain o (for which a slotted connection may be substituted) extends to a
loaded lever P fixed on Q, the axis of the gas-cock, or rigidly connected thereto.
On pulling over the lever L so as to draw in the pull M, the loaded arm of the
lever N is raised, allowing that of the lever P to descend, and so turn the stop-cock,
and extinguish the gas flame. On moving back the lever L so as to slack out the
pull M, the loaded arm of N descends, raising the loaded arm of P, and turning the
gas-cock so that the flame may be lighted. The one lever L may obviously work two
or more pulls, such as M, in various directions so as to extinguish simultaneously a
number of signals. There are known means whereby on opening the cock of a gas
jet the flame is automatically lighted, as, for example, by arranging the partial
rotation of the cock plug so as to effect the detonation of explosive material
beside the jet.
As these Inventions form the subjects of Patents in which we have no interest,
we do not shew in our Drawing any arrangement for the purpose of automatically
lighting the gas. It is obvious, however, that the turning of the spindle to open
the gas-cock as described above may at the same time effect the automatic lighting
of the flame by the means referred to.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be perforined, we claim,―
First. Providing on the vertical rod of a railway semaphore signal a tappet to
act in combination with a lever arm connected to the gas-cock of the night
signal, so that by lowering the semaphore beyond its ordinary "safety" attitude,
the gas light is extinguished, substanially as herein-described with reference to Fig. 1
of the accompanying Drawings.
Second. Connecting the gas-cocks of railway night signals by means of levers
and pulls to a lever in the signal box, by the movement of which the gas-cocks
are closed or opened, substantially as berein-described with reference to Fig. 2 of
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Thomas Starley and Henry Triggs,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this 18th day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.