IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY POINT SIGNALS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William George Laws, of the Borough of Tyne-
mouth, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
POINT SIGNALS."
Sealed the 13th June 1862, and dated the 16th December 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William George Laws at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th December 1861.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE LAWS, of the Borough of Tynemouth, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
POINT SIGNALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to arrange railway point signals, so as to
shew to the driver in charge of an approaching train whether the points are in
a proper position for the passage of a train, or whether from neglect of the
pointsman, or from the accumulation of dirt or any other cause, the switches
are in an unsafe condition for traffic. For this purpose I prefer to employ a
post of wood or other material having attached to it two horizontal arms, one
on each side of the post; these arms are, by preference, colored red, two
other arms connected together at right angles to each other are pivotted to
the post, so that by turning on this pivot in one or other direction they may
alternately cover one or other of the red arms; these moveable arms are, by
preference, white, so as to contrast as much as possible with the red arms, and

page_text: they are so connected with the switches, or with the point lever, that when
the points are closed on one side, and therefore in a proper condition for the
passage of a train, one of the white arms shall cover one of the red arms, thereby
indicating that the line indicated by that arm is open for the passage of a train,
and when the points are closed on the opposite side, and therefore in a proper
position for passage of a train on to the other line, the red arm, which was
before covered shall be uncovered and the other red arm, which before was un-
covered shall be covered. When, however, the switches from any cause are neither
fully closed on the one side or the other, but occupy any intermedite position, so
that they are dangerous for the passage of trains, and might cause the engine
or carriages to leave the rails both the red arms shall be partially or wholly
uncovered, thus indicating that the line is dangerous for traffic, the white arms
being in an intermediate position. In order that the moveable arms may
have these motions communicated to them I prefer to connect them to the
switch or to the point rod or lever in the following manner:-On the move-
able arms is a pin at a short distance from the pivot on which the arms turn;
this pin enters a slot in the end of a rod, which descends to the bottom of the
post, and which is there connected to one arm of a bell-crank lever, the other
arm of the lever being connected by a rod to the switch, or to the point rod
or lever. The length of the slot and the length and position of the levers are
adjusted, so that the moveable arms will only be acted on at the beginning
and at the end of the movement of the switch; therefore should the switch not
complete its movement the moveable arms will be in an intermediate position,
and thus indicate that the line is not in a fit state for the passage of a train.
When the signals are required to be used at night a lamp is attached to each
of the fixed red arms, the lamps being at a convenient distance apart, so that
they may readily be distinguished at a distance, and when neither of the red
arms is covered by a white arm then both the lamps have a red glass in front
of them, thus indicating danger; but when one of the white arms is raised, so
as to cover one of the red arms it is caused to raise the glass from in front of
the lamp carried by that arm, thus making the safety signal as before.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William George Laws, Her special licence that I, the said William
George Laws, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William George Laws, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY POINT SIGNALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William George Laws, my executors or administra-
tors, 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 George Laws, 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 has for its object to arrange railway point signals so as to
show to the driver in charge of an approaching train or to the pointsman in
charge of the points, or to both of them, whether the points are in the proper
position for the passage of a train, or whether, from the neglect of the points-
man, from the accumulation of dirt, or from any other cause the points are in
an unsafe condition for traffic, and whether they (if fully open), are standing
open for the main line or for the siding, so as to afford to the pointsman an
opportunity of rectifying any mistake or accident in time, or to the engineman
an opportunity of entirely stopping or materially reducing the speed of his
train in time to avoid an accident. For this purpose I prefer to employ
apparatus such as is shown in the annexed Drawing in three different
positions.
The apparatus consists of a post of wood or other material, marked A in the
annexed Drawing, having attached to it two arms marked B', B2, (which it
is preferred should be horizontal,) one on each side of the post; these arms
are by preference colored red, but may be of any other convenient color. Two
other arms or screens C¹, C2, connected together at right angles to each other

page_text: or at other convenient angle, are pivotted to the post, so that by turning on
this point in one or other direction, they may alternately cover one or other
of the red arms B¹³, B2, or leave them both uncovered. These moveable arms
or screens are by preference colored white, so as to contrast as much as
possible with the red arms, and they are so connected with the switches or
with the point lever that when the points are closed on one side, and therefore
in a proper condition for the passage of a train, one of the white arms or
screens C¹ (see Figure 1) shall cover one of the red arms B³, thereby indicating
that the line indicated by that arm is open for the passage of a train, and
when the points are closed on the opposite side, and therefore in the proper
position for the passage of a train to the other lines, the red arm B¹ which
was before covered by C¹ shall be uncovered, and the other red arm B³ which
before was uncovered shall be covered by C2, as is shown at Figure 2. When,
however, the points from any cause are neither fully closed on the one side or
the other, but occupy any intermediate position, so that they are dangerous for
the passage of trains and might cause the engine or carriages to leave the rails,
both the red arms B1 and B2 shall be partially or wholly uncovered, as is repre-
sented in Figure 3, thus indicating that the line is dangerous for traffic, the
white arms or screens being in an intermediate position. In order that the
moveable arms or screens may have these motions communicated to them, I
prefer to connect them to the points in the following manner: On the
moveable arms is a pin D at a short distance: from the pivot on which the arms
turn; this pin D enters a slot E, in the end of a rod H, which descends to the
bottom of the post A, and is then connected to one arm of a bell crank lever F,
the other arm of the lever being connected by a rod G to the switch or to the
point rod or lever. The length of the slot E, and the length and position of
the lever F and the rods G and H, are so adjusted, that the arms or screens
C', C³, will only be acted on at the beginning and end of the movement of the
points; therefore, should the points not complete their movement, the move-
able arms or screens C¹, C³, will be in an intermediate position, and thus
indicate that the points are not in a fit state for the passage of a train. When
the signals are required to be used at night a lamp may be attached to each of
the fixed red arms, the lamps being at a convenient distance apart so that they
may readily be distinguished at a distance, and when neither of the red arms
is covered by a white arm, then both the lamps have a red glass in front of
them, thus indicating danger, but when one of the white arms is raised so as
to cover one of the red arms it is caused to raise the glass from in front of the
lamp carried by that arm, thus making the safety signal as before. A more
convenient arrangement however, as it requires but one lamp, is that repre-

page_text: sented in the Drawings. A lamp K is attached to the top of the post A. The
pivot L of the arms or screens C³, C³, is prolonged through the post A, and
carries the spectacles M, which move freely on it as a centre, and are so con-
trolled by the springs N, that, when not in gear with the cam P, the red glass
will be kept in front of the lamp, indicating danger, this position corresponding
to the intermediate position of C¹, C³, before mentioned. When, however, the
arm or screen C¹ covers the arm B¹, thereby indicating that the main line is
open, then the cam P engages with the one side of the spectacle and thrusts it
aside, so as to allow the white light to be seen, making thereby the safety
signal as before, and when C² covers B3, shewing that the siding is open, then
the cam P engages with the other side of the spectacle and thrusts it aside so
as to bring the green glass in front of the lamp and making the caution
signal. If it be wished to make the signal serve for both the engine
driver in front and the pointsman behind, then the same arrangement is
made on the other side of the post, the lamp being made to shew both
ways.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact details described, but what I claim is the arranging railway
point signals so as to shew whether the points are in a proper position
by causing the lever which works the points also to actuate screens to
cover or uncover semaphore arms or other similar danger signals as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William George Laws, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
W. GEO. LAWS. (L.S.)