IMPROVE- MENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Mark Walls and John Crompton, of Bolton, in the
County of Lancaster, Engine Drivers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS."
Sealed the 21st November 1862, and dated the 26th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Mark Walls. and John
Crompton, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 26th May 1862.
We, MARK WALLS and JOHN CROMPTON, of Bolton, in the County of Lan-
caster, Engine Drivers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS," to be as follows:-
For the purpose of giving the necessary signal when a train or engine has
passed any certain place or position, and to warn a following train of the
danger, we fix an ordinary, pump with the necessary clack, piston, and tap in
any convenient position near the semaphore or signal post, and feed the pipe
and cylinder with any suitable liquid or air. We connect the semaphore to
the piston of the pump by a connecting rod or other suitable means, and the
connection between the rails and the pump is accomplished by transverse
levers, so that when an engine or train passes over the rails opposite the
semaphore, it acts on one of the transverse levers by means of a tongue or
other apparatus, and by pressing down the lever the arms of the semaphore
are set in the horizontal position; and at any convenient distance from the
said lever we place another transverse lever, which being pressed down by the
weight of the carriage, the same as already described, and being connected
with it by wire or other convenient means, the arms of the semaphore are.

page_text: liberated and fall, but instead of falling suddenly, they can be regulated to fall.
at any required degree of motion, according to the pressure of the liquid or air
acting on the piston of the pump, thus falling gradually, they will not be in
the vertical position until the proper time, as regulated by railway companies
for one train to follow another; and by means of a graduated dial and pointer
we can indicate the exact time between the arms of the semaphore being set
and released; and to prevent a sudden pressure. on the lever or levers as the
weight passes over them, we use springs or any elastic substance between the
rails and the levers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said: Mark Walls and John Crompton, in the. Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, we,. MARK.
WALLS and JOHN CROMPTON, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engine
Drivers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Mark Walls and John Crompton; Her special licence that we; the said Mark
Walls and John Crompton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Mark Walls and John Crompton, our 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 SIGNALS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Mark Walls and John
Crompton, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, 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 we, the said Mark Walls and John Crompton, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say) :—
For the purpose of putting on and taking off railway signals, and also for
shewing the time that one train has passed to the next train coming on the
same line or where the machine is placed, and to warn a following train of the
danger, we fix a pump or cylinder with the necessary clack, piston, and tap in
any convenient position to the semaphore or signal post, and feed the pipe and
cylinder with
any suitable liquid or air. We connect the semaphore to the
piston of the pump by a connecting rod or other suitable means, and the con-
nection between the rails and the pump is accomplished by transverse levers, so
that when an engine or train passes over the rails opposite the semaphore, it
acts on one of the transverse levers by means of a tongue or other apparatus,
and by pressing down the lever the arms of the semaphore are set in the hori-
zontal position; and at any convenient distance from the said lever, we place
another transverse lever, which being pressed down by the weight of the
carriage, the same as already described, and being connected with it by wire
or other convenient means, the arms of the semaphore are liberated and fall;
but instead of falling suddenly, they can be regulated to fall at any required
degree of motion, according to the pressure of the liquid or air acting on the
piston of the pump; thus falling gradually, they will not be in the vertical
position until the proper time, as regulated by railway companies for one
train to follow another; and by means of a graduated dial and pointer we can
indicate the exact time between the arms of the semaphore being set and
released. And to prevent a sudden pressure on the lever or levers as the
weight passes over them, we use a spring or any elastic substance between
the rails and the levers.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the figures
and letters on the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a
transverse elevation, and Fig. 2, a ground plan of the apparatus first acted
upon by the passage of the engine or carriage; Fig. 3, a side view of one of the
parts; Figs: 4 and 5 are enlarged views of the air cylinder; and Figs. 6 and 7,
longitudinal elevations of some of the parts shewn in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 8, an
end view, and Fig. 9, a plan of the releasing apparatus, and Figs. 10 and 11
are enlarged views of the semaphore.
We place cross ways to the rails and a little below them a wrought-iron
lever a, working on the fulcrum b. On one end of this lever we attach a
wrought-iron block c, on which the tyres of the wheels act as they pass along
the line. This block c, when not pressed down, stands a little above the
surface of the rail, so that when the engine, waggon, or carriage passes over it,

page_text: the weight presses down the block, and gives motion to the lever a, the block
working in wrought-iron guides d, fixed to the rail for keeping it in its proper
place. The fulcrum 6, which carries the lever a, is supported on india-rubber
springs, similar to the buffer of an engine, so that when the weight acts upon
the block and depresses the lever, the fulcrum sinks or yields, and thereby
prevents undue strain upon the lever and parts connected with it. To the
other end of the lever a we connect the semaphore or other signal by means of
a chain and levers. When the engine or carriage depresses the block and the
end of the lever a connected to it, the other end of the lever rises and relieves
the chain, and the signal puts itself on by means of a cast-iron balance weight e,
fixed to the signal board. The signal board is thus balanced direct; the weight
being bolted to the end of the signal board, and the centre or pin passing
through the board close to the weight, causes the block of iron to be heavier
than the wood part of the signal, so that when the chain is released the signal
puts itself on.
In order to maintain the lever a in the position it was placed by the
engine or carriage until the same engine or carriage has passed over the
releaser and removed it, we employ a cross shaft f, working in pedestals h,
and fix to it the lever or arm p, and also the L lever 9 carrying a weight on
one of its arms; which weight is for the purpose of bringing the releasing
lever to the rail when the engine or carriage relieves it, and at the same time
to put the lever or arm p under the large lever a, so as to hold it up until
again released. Upon the end of the L lever g we have an expanding coupling,
with right and left-hand screws for lengthening or shortening the wire when
required. We also attach to the end of the wire a coupling made in the shape
of a cone, with the edges cut hollow for the wire to lay in; the wire is made
fast by passing the ends through two holes, and then twisting them across one
another. The whole of this apparatus or machinery is fastened to a strong
cast-iron bed plate m, bolted on two strong sleepers of wood, which pass either
under or over the sleepers of the permanent way of rail, the whole being bolted
together by strong bolts, so that when the road should require to be lifted the
whole of the machine is moved at the same time, and thereby keep the working
part of the machine at its proper distance from the rail. Upon the bed plate m
we fix a fulcrum or pillar o, Fig. 6, for carrying a lever n having ratchets or
teeth cut near the end of it. This ratchet lever is for the purpose of holding
back the arm p when it has been drawn from under the large lever a by the
releaser. When the arm p is drawn from under the lever a it will descend, as
it is made sufficiently heavy to pull the signal board down and place it out of
sight. The ratchets of the ratchet lever » are so constructed as to hold the

page_text: lever in any position that the releaser may pull it, according to the expansion
or contraction of the wire. We also bolt to the bed plate m two guides
or stops i, j, for the large lever a and small lever n, upon the tops of which
guides we apply india-rubber buffers, so as to resist the blow given by the
levers being put so quickly in motion.
Another arrangement for releasing the arm p from the under side of the large
lever a is as follows:-We fix across the machine a ratchet bar a', Fig. 6,
made to stand across the lever or arm p, upon which there are two teeth to
fit into the under side of the ratchet bar, which slides in two cast-iron fixings b²,
so as to keep it in its proper working place. To one end of the bar we couple
the wire as before mentioned, and to the other we fasten a chain which
passes over the pulley c¹, and is attached to the weight d', which is sufficiently
heavy to move the wire the whole length. From the lever n we have two
rods e¹ coupling with a lever f' that fits into the top side of the ratchet bar:
When the large lever a rises and strikes the lever n, it is caused to rise
and the catch lever being coupled by links lifts the catch out of the top side,
and the weight d¹ pulls back the wire and lifts the releaser to the rails. When
the engine runs over the releaser it pulls back the wire, and the arm or lever
being in gear with the bottom side moves with it, the arm is always ready to
fall into its place by having a weight upon the lever as shewn in the Drawings;
this arrangement causes the machine to be in working order so far as the
contraction or expansion of the wire is concerned; thus when the wire contracts
ibe ratchet lever moves one or more teeth according to the contraction that
takes place, or when the wire expands, the weight pulls up the wire tight, and
the bar rises over one or more teeth of the arm, according to the expansion
that takes place. This plan can be worked alone or in conjunction with the
mode first mentioned to suit the places required.
The arrangement for timekeeping, and for shewing what time has elapsed
after a train has passed over the machine, is as follows:-We employ one or
more cylinders or pumps, each fitted with a piston, ram, or bucket connected
with the large lever a by means of a rod and socket joint. When an air
cylinder is used as shewn at l, Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5, it has a solid air-tight
pistou x, and a passage for the air, which passage forms a connection from
the top to the under side of the piston. Upon the cover of the cylinder we
attach a small valve box, and inside we have one or more valves made of any
elastic metal or material, these valves are for the purpose of letting the air
escape quickly. When the piston is at the top, the valve closes, and when the
valves are shut the piston cannot go down until the air is let out from the
under side of the piston; this is done by means of a small opening in the cover.

page_text: communicating with the top and under side of the piston. In this opening is
fitted a conical plug upon the end of a screw z, the screw passing outside the
valve box, the opening can be contracted or enlarged according to the time
required for the piston to fall, for example, one to five or ten minutes, or more
if required for the signal to fall. When a pump, is used, we connect to it a
vessel containing water or other suitable liquid, and joint the rod of the ram
or bucket to the lever a the same as with the air cylinder. Between the vessel
and cylinder of the pump we employ a clack having a small hole. When the
Jever a is raised, and pulls up the ram or bucket, the clack rises and allows
liquid to pass from the vessel into the cylinder of the pump, and when the lever a
falls, the ram or bucket descends and forces back the liquid into the vessel
through the small hole in the clack, the time taken for the liquid passing
through the hole indicating the time that the train has passed the first portion
of the apparatus, the hole being contracted or enlarged according to the time
required for the ram or bucket to descend to its, lowest position, and cause
the signal to fall.,
....
1.
Having described the cylinder and pump, we now explain the communi-
cation to the semaphore or signal; the large lever being attached to the
signal board by; means of a chain and levers as before described, we fix
upon the outside of the post a dial shewing the number of minutes that the
signal is required to indicate. Upon the centre pin we fix a finger pointing
to the figures on the dial; when the pin moves by the lever being put in
action the finger moves also, and shews the number of minutes that have
elapsed after the train has passed over the putter-on if looked at before the
time of its falling. We can apply this arrangement to any kind of signals.
. We connect the putter-on and releaser by a strong wire rope, supported
upon a post having pulleys to carry the wire rope. The releaser is constructed
as follows: We employ one or more levers t transverse with the rails, one
end being jointed to the rail by a strong bolt and joint u. Upon the lever we
have a block r and guides s, on the rails similar to the putter on. The other
end of the lever is connected by a link to the lever v, or to a wheel or quad-
rant as may be required. From the top end of the lever we couple the wire
rope with a similar coupling as at the putter-on end. The releaser is put in
motion the same way as the putter on, that is, by the engine or carriage wheels
pressing down the block r, and putting the wire and parts connected with it
in motion, and pulling the arm or lever from under the large lever. When
pressed down, the lever remains so until it is lifted again from the other end
by means of the weight before mentioned. The apparatus can be worked and
applied either with or without the cylinder or timekeeper, and can be made

page_text: to put on a signal which remains on until taken off by hand. Or it can also
be made to work by hand at any distance required by means of a hand lever
connected to the wire if found requisite. The apparatus can also be made to
ring a bell at any reasonable distance either by the putter-on or by the
releaser. When desired we connect the block c of the putter-on and the
block r of the releaser each to a lever or treddle jointed to the side of the rail
or to the sleeper. The lever inclines a little above the surface of the rail, so
that the wheels of the engine or carriage may act gradually upon the apparatus,
and thereby prevent too sudden shock.
Having now described the nature and particulars of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
understood that we claim,-
First, the employment of cross levers and apparatus connected therewith,
for putting on and taking off railway signals.
Secondly, the employment of buffers and elastic materials for preventing
strain upon the levers and parts connected with them.
Thirdly, the mode of balancing the signal board direct by means of a metal
weight attached at its end near the centre of motion.
Fourthly, the improved modes of coupling and connecting the ends of the
wire:
And, fifthly, the employment of cylinders or pumps worked by air or liquid,
for measuring the time taken by the engine or train for passing from the
putting on to the releasing apparatus, as all such improvements are herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Mark Walls, for and on behalf of
myself and the said John Crompton, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said Mark Walls, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agents,
Manchester.
MARK WALLS. (L.S.)