IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ebenezer Entwistle, of Blackburn, in the County
of Lancaster, Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
SIGNALS."
Sealed the 19th April 1872, and dated the 12th December 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ebenezer Entwistle
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th December 1871.
I, EBENEZER ENTWISTLE, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster,
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of certain improvements in a method of
working railway signals, patented by myself and Joseph Raw, bearing date
May the 8th, 1871, and numbered 1236.
Instead of the inclined lifting rail and its connections and leg lever,
as set forth in the before mentioned Patent, I place alongside the rail in

page_text: the same place two levers link jointed at one end' together; the outer ends
are connected to two short shafts on which shafts are keyed balance
levers with adjustable weights on them, which I make of such length
and size as to counterpoise the inner or linked ends of such levers when
liberated by the train having passed. To the centre links of the connec-
tion between the two inner ends of these levers I connect a chain or
equivalent, and pass it round two suitable pullies, thence to the sound,
sight, or light signal named in my before-mentioned Patent, I likewise
connect it by similar means to my liberating apparatus in conjunction
with the same. Or instead of using such inclined lifting lever and leg
lever before-mentioned, I may place a bow lever linked at each end to
two short shafts as before-mentioned, with similar balance levers, weights,
and chain connections, as herein-before set forth.
When the train comes in contact with the before-mentioned levers or
lever, its action or tendency is to slacken all the wires or equivalents
connected with the apparatus.
This is a special feature in these my improvements not noted in the
before-mentioned Patent.
Instead of using the sliding catch as in the before-mentioned Invention
for setting the signals, I place on or in any convenient part of the line a
catch wheel and lever, or equivalent, connected with such apparatus,
which is brought in contact with a provision on the last carriage of the
train, thus liberating the apparatus and shewing the line to be clear and
free from all obstruction. But should any part of the train break away
and be thus left behind, then the signals remain set and signify that the
last carriage has not passed.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions-of the-Letters
. Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Ebenezer
Entwistle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st June 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EBENEZER 3
ENTWISTLE, of Blackburn; in the County of Lancaster, Agent, send
greeting:

page_text: $
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and-successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Ebenezer Entwistle, Her special licence that
I, the said Ebenezer Entwistle, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Ebenezer Entwistle, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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
SIGNALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Ebenezer
Entwistle, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months.
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ebenezer Entwistle, 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 (and accompanying Drawings), that is to say: -
My Invention consists of certain improvements in a method of working
railway signals, patented by myself and Joseph Raw, bearing date May
the 8th, 1871, and numbered 1236.
Instead of the inclined lifting rail and its connections therein set
forth, I place alongside the rail a, a, in Fig. 1 of the accompanying
Drawings two levers b, b, joined together at one end by a link, the
other ends being keyed to shafts c, c, on which shafts are keyed ballance
levers d, d, with the adjustable weights e, e, which I make of such
length and size to counterpoise the inner or linked ends b, b, of such
levers when liberated by the train passing. f,f, is a chain or equivalent
secured at one end to small pulley F, and the other end to link
joint of b, b, levers; 9 is another chain or equivalent secured at one
end to large pulley f; to the other end is connected a double ŝ link
or equivalent, to which is attached a wire, chain, or other substitute m,
which passes over pulley h, thence to the light, sight, or sound

page_text: signals. Wire or its equivalent 7 is also joined to the double S link
and passes over pulley i, and passes on to the liberator as shewn in the
Drawings of the before-mentioned Patent.
F
Fig. 2. a, a, represents the ordinary rail; 6', 6', is a bow lifting rail
bolted at one end to chair c¹, by pivot bolt d', one end of which is secured
to the above chair; the other end forms the pivot for bow rail to freely
work on; the lip e of bow lifting rail 61, 6¹, is connected to crank f¹ of
shaft g¹ by pins passing through link h. Crank f¹ is secured to shaft g¹,
which passes through chair, and then through pedestal, and lever k¹
is keyed to the other end of shaft g³, and connected to lever by, con-
necting bar m; lever and grooved pulley n¹ are keyed to shaft o', which
shaft is supported by pedestal pl. q' is a wire chain or other equivalent
attached at one end to pulley n¹ by a set screw, then passing on to dotted
lever 21, of Fig. 3 for signal, then coupled to a flat chain or its equivalent
n³, passing round dotted pullies 83 and 2 (which is secured to dotted post
w², which works, on a pivot bolt secured to post); the end is then con-
nected to weight v² by an S link.
A, A, A, in Fig. 2 shews a stationary frame for the apparatus; B is a
link secured at one end to connecting bar by a cottered pin passing
through them both; one end of the sliding rack D is connected to the
other end of the link B by chain C. or its equivalent. To the other end
of rack D. chain. E is connected the other end of such chain or its
equivalent by double S link F. G is a flat chain or equivalent.connected
at one end to double S link F, and the other end to weight H, by
S link, these links being large enough to allow the lever J to drop into
when required. J is a lever fulcrumed at one end to frame A by a stud,
the other end drops into the links of flat chain G, and in the centre it is
connected to catch lever L by connecting rod K. Wire chain or its
equivalent I is secured at one end to pulley I, 1, and the other end -is
secured to lever 2 by a pin passing through the link and lever; 3 is a
ballance weight to counterpoise the signal arm and spectacles of the
ordinary lamps if required. 4-is a pivot bolt securing ballance lever 2 to
signal post 5; 6. is a rod connecting crank to signal arm shaft in post 5,
and ballance lever 2, by pins passing through them both; 7 is a right
and left handed screw joint for regulating length of connecting rod 6. M
is a wire chain or their equivalant passing on to drop catch N, in slide O,
in Fig. 3, and, connected to flat. linked chain P, which passes round
pulley Q and R, and connected to weight T. w³ is a moveable catch which

page_text: drops in the flat chain n³, which is bolted to post y' by pivot bolt z, at one
end of which is a ballance weight 1. 2, in Fig. 4 is a dotted connecting
rod connecting the other end of dotted lever x, for signal No. 1 to dotted L
lever 3. This dotted Ŀ lever is connected to dotted crank 5 of dotted bow 6,
in Figs. 3 and 4. This dotted bow 6 is supported by the dotted brackets 7.
The lever a and 2 in Fig. 4 is for sound signal No. 2, and is a similar
lever to dotted lever x for signal No. 1, with like ballance weights,
also drop catch 62, and drop catch w³ which drops in similar chain to n³,
connected to weights e by wire chain or other equivalent passing over-
pullies c and d³. f, end of lever a² of sound signal No. 2, is connected
to L lever h in Fig. 4 by bolts to the end of connecting rod g; lever h* is
connected to crank j* of bow k* by bolts to connecting rod ends * The
bow is supported by brackets *, *.
In Fig. 3. the dotted parts not before described are, I is a frame with
upright stands 2, with slots and small pullies in such slots; the flat linked
chain n³ and P and slide O pass through these slots and rest upon these
small pullies; 3 is a wire chain or other substitute connected to weight
4 round pulley 5.
Fig. 4. The parts not before described are, There is a flat linked chain
ns and n; o is a wire chain or equivalent; p* and q* are pullies; r¹ is
ballance weight; & and are pullies; w' a ballance weight.
Fig. 5. a is the ordinary rail; 6³, end of bow lever; c³, the chair;
d³, shaft; e³, lever; f5 is a pedestal; 9%, framework; h, h, pedestals;
us, shaft; jo, lever; k³, a pulley; 1, a wire; m³, a lever; n³, connecting
rod; o, joint; p³, signal arm.
Fig. 6. a is the ordinary rail; 6%, bow lever; c, chairs; d, shaft;
e, pedestal; fe, framework; 98, pedestal; he, shaft; is connecting
bar; 1, lever; k³, pulley; 1, lever; m³, signal post; nº, signal arm;
p³, o, rack; p, catch lever; 96, a pulley; r, ballance weight.
Fig. 1 of my Drawings shews one way in which I apply my apparatus,
being a plan of the two linked levers.
Figs. 2 and 3, elevations of my bow lifting rail and sound signal
apparatus; Fig. 4 is a plan of my sound signal apparatus; Fig. 5 is a
side elevation of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 a plan of the same.
Having described the different parts of my apparatus in detail, and
their uses, I will now proceed to describe its action in full.
.

page_text: When the train passes on the ordinary rail a of Fig. 2, the flange of
the wheels press down the bow or other levers b, b, acting upon crank f
revolving shafts g and o, and moves forward connecting bar m, which
slackens wire or equivalent M, q, and wire or equivalent 1, which lets
down ballance lever 2, which puts up signal arm p³ in Fig. 5. Wire Mand
flat chain P, or their equivalent when slackened is drawn by weight. T,
in Fig. 3, which draws slide rack D, which is held by which is held by
catch lever L; this keeps the signal up for danger until liberated as
described hereafter. The wire or equivalent q when slackened is drawn
by weight b² which allows weight end of dotted lever x for sound signal
No. 1 to drop, which raises the dotted sound. signal bow 6, placed in
centre of the line, as shewn in Fig 3, which remains in that position until
the train is past over the second signal No. 2 which is put on in the
same manner as signal No. 1 and slackens. Similar wire, flat linked
chains, &c, as before described, which allows the weight end of
lever a for sound signal No. 2, as shewn in Fig. 3, and the moveable
catch 6 of lever a², when droped presses against the tooth in slide, o,
and presses it forward, which allows the drop catch N to drop into flat
linked chains P, which is connected to weight T by wire or equivalent M,
and by so doing raises weight T, and permits weight. H in Fig. 2.to.drop,
and the links of flat chain G acts upon lever J, which draws catch
catch L, and thereby liberates the first signal denoting the line to be clear.
I can also liberate the signals by reversing the wire M or equivalents,
and placing a bow lever in the centre or any other convenient part of
the line, to be acted upon by a friction roller or equivalent attached to
the last carriage or portion of a train.
Having now described my Invention and the several ways in which it
is worked, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise details I have had occasion to refer to, as many variations
may be made without deviating from the principle or main features of
my Invention, but what I claim as secured to me herein is.-
First. The sliding rack D and catch L, or their (mechanical)
equivalents as and for the purposes herein specified.
1
L
First. The sliding rack D and catch L, or their (mechanical)
equivalents as and for the purposes hercin specified.

page_text: EBENEZER ENTWISTLE. (L.S.)