IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL APPA- RATUS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Downes Edwards, of Ravenscliffe, Douglas,
Isle of Man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL APPA-
RATUS FOR RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 28th December 1853, and dated the 26th October 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Downes Edwards
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th October 1853.
I, DOWNES EDWARDS, of Ravenscliffe, Douglas, Isle of Man, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SIGNAL APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a combination of apparatus whereby
quantities of water are allowed to flow on the passing of a train, and
by flowing it causes signals to be set and unset as the train passes
determined parts of the railway. For this purpose at intervals along
a line of railway apparatus are placed, each having an instrument acted
on by a train in passing along the line of railway. Each such in-
strument causes a tube (on an axis) to be depressed at one end, by
which a valve or plug is opened, and water will be allowed to flow into

page_text: such tube till the weight of the water causes the tube to move on its
axis, by which the flow of water into the tube is cut off, and the water
in the tube is allowed to flow out of an opening in the tube. The flow
of water in the apparatus caused by drawing the same into a tube will
cause a signal to be set by acting on a float piston or cylinder, which
either by floating or descending shows a signal or moves a screen;
and the arrangement is such that a train on passing an instrument on
the line of road by causing a measure of water to be drawn off by the
float piston or cylinder moves a signal or a screen; and this state of
things will remain till the train arrives at a further apparatus, where it
will depress a tube, and cause water to be drawn off, and the signal
first shown will be unset; should another train come up, and the signal
remains set, the engineer and others will know that a train has gone
before, but has not passed the next apparatus on the line.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Downes Edwards in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th April 1854...
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
DOWNES EDWARDS, of Ravenscliffe. Douglas, Isle of Man, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Downes. Edwards, Her special licence
that I, the said Downes Edwards, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or, such others as I, the said Downes Edwards, 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, exercisc, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for ." IMPROVEMENTS IN
SIGNAL APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Downes Edwards, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the 'said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Downes Edwards, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 consists of a combination of apparatus whereby
quantities of water are allowed to flow on the passing of a train, and
by flowing it causes signals to be set and unset as the train passes
determined parts of the railway. For this purpose at intervals along a
line of railway apparatus are placed, each having an instrument acted
on by a train in passing along the line of railway. Each such in-
strument causes a tube (on an axis) to be depressed at one end, by
which a valve or plug is opened, and water will be allowed to flow into.
such tube till the weight-of the water causes the tube to move on its
axis, by which the flow of water into the tube is cut off, and the water.
in the tube is allowed to flow out of an opening in the tube. The flow
of water in the apparatus caused by drawing the-same into a tube will
cause a signal to be set by acting on a float piston or cylinder, which
either by floating or descending shows a signal or moves a screen; and
the arrangement is such that a train on passing an instrument on the-
line of road by causing a measure of water to be drawn off by the
float piston or cylinder moves a signal or a screen; and this state of
things will remain till the train arrives at a further apparatus, where it
will depress a tube, and cause water to be drawn-off, and the signal
first shewn will be unset; should another train come up, and the signal
remains set, the engineer and others will know that a train has gone
before, but has not passed the next apparatus on-the line.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe the means of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shews an elevation, and Figure 2, a plan of so much of a
railway with apparatus applied thereto according to my improvements
as will enable me to describe the manner of constructing and working
the same.
a, b, are parts of a rail of a railway at such a distance apart,
as it may be considered desirable to have signals in order that persons
in a following train may know when a previous train has passed a
particular place, and has or has not gone beyond a certain other place.
At the parts a, b, of a railway there is a similar apparatus applied, but
the one is arranged to set a signal, and the other to reverse such signal.
c, is a lever moving on an axis c', at the side of the part of the rail a,
and in such a position that the wheel d of a coming train may, in
running on the rail a, press down the curved end of the lever c, but
which lever may be placed in other positions, and be acted upon by the
passing train otherwise than by the wheel of the train, if so desired,
and by means of the interposed spring e, press down one end of the
tube f, which is closed. This tube moves on an axis f', such axis being
hollow and fixed to the hollow plug of a cock g, which cock is on the
pipe or tube h. The pressure on the end of the tube f, by depressing
that part of the tube f which is on that side of the axis f¹, turns the
hollow plug of the cock g, which allows water to flow from the tube h,
through the cock g, into the tube f. There is a ball of lead or other
moving or shifting weight in the tube f, which keeps the short end of
the tube f in its depressed position till the tube becomes filled or
nearly filled with the water, when the longer length of the tube f
beyond its axis of motion will, by its greater weight, cause that end to
descend and close the cock g, and the water will flow out of the tube f
by the opening at f. The effect of drawing off the water from the
pipe h, by the cock g, and tube f, will be that the signal apparatus will
be set in the following manner:-i, is a cylinder having an enlargement
at its upper part, as shewn; within the cylinder i is a hollow cylinder

page_text: , closed at bottom and open at its upper end, which is enlarged, as is
shewn; this cylinder j, when sufficient water is in the cylinder i, floats
and rises up so as to cover or screen the ball Z, or other form of in
strument, but when a quantity of water has been drawn off by means of
the tube and cock f, g, the cylinder; will descend and uncover the ball
or other device Z, and things will remain in this state till water is again
allowed to flow into the cylinder i, so as to float the cylinder, and this
is accomplished by the apparatus applied to the part of the rail 6 in the
following manner:-c, is a lever similar to that before described, and.
fis a tube acting on a cock g, in the same manner to that before
described; and h, is a tube in connection with a cylinder 1, from which
a quantity of water is drawn 50 soon as the train in passing depresses,
the lever c in this locality; the effect of which will be that the float m
will descend and give motion to the lever n, which by means of the
connecting rod 0, will give motion to the three-way cock p, on the
pipe 2, which communicates with the cistern », and the branch pipes,
which connects the two pipes h, h, and thus is water allowed to flow
from the cistern into the cylinders i and 1, by which the cylinder
jwill float, and screen the ball or device k, and at the same time
the float m, in the cylinder 1, will rise and close the cock p, and the
apparatus will then remain till another train passes the part of the
rail a, when the signal will again be set, and it will again be reversed
when the train arrives at the part of the rail b, and it will be evident
that should another train come up before the signal at the locality of a,
the persons, engine driver, and any other persons on the train whose
duty it is to look out, will at once know that there is a previous train not
very distant, and will act accordingly. The arrangement of the appa-
ratus may be varied in its manner of action, such, for instance, as is
shown at Figure 3, where, in place of causing the screen to be moved,
the object k may be moved whilst the screen; remains at rest.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
make no claim to the parts of the apparatus separately, nor do I confine
myself to the precise forms shown, so long as the peculiar character of

page_text: my Invention is retained; but what I claim is, the combination of
apparatus herein described for setting and reversing signals by a passing
train by causing quantities of water to flow or to be drawn off, as herein
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said 'Downes Edwards, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
..HY. EDWARDS...
DOWNES EDWARDS. (L.S.)