IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY I ran Ha
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Christopher Rapier, of No. 17, Victoria
Street, Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
I ran Ha "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Christopher
Rapier at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 20th April 1869.
I, RICHARD CHRISTOPHER RAPIER, of No. 17, Victoria Street, West-
minster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS AND IN APPARATUS FOR WORKING THE SAME,"
to be as follows:-
According to my Invention I combine the signal lever with the
switch levers at a ailway junction in such manner that the switch
levers cannot be moved until the switch levers have been properly
set. This I do by mounting bars on the switch levers extending
between the signal levers dividing them into sets, and as respects each
switch lever in its motion either way separating the signal levers
which must precede the switch lever in their movements from the
others. I arrange all the signal and switch levers in a frame as usual,

page_text: "
and I call one side of the frame "permission for main line and the
other side of the frame "permission for branch line;" next I arrange
on that side of the frame which is called "permission for branch line "
all those signal levers which show danger to the main line, and on
the opposite side of the frame those signal levers which show danger
to the branch line. These signal levers I arrange in the following
order: Take the case of a double branch line leading out of a double
main line. First, those signal levers (if any) which do not require
to be locked at all; next to these I place the signal levers which
require to be locked by one switch lever, and next I place that switch
lever next those signals which require to be locked by the movement
of either switch lever next the other switch lever, and next those
signal levers which require to be locked by the last-named switch lever,
all the signal levers being placed on the respective sides to show danger
to their respective lines. On each switch lever I fix or weld a hori-
zontal bar (the bar on one lever being a little higher than the bar on
the other lever) of sufficient length to extend across all the signal
levers which require to be locked by that switch lever. Now suppose
either switch lever is brought over to one side of the frame the
horizontal bar rests against those signal levers which ought to be
locked by it, and the signal levers which are ranged on the other side
of the frame can now be drawn over to safety. The side of the frame
which gives permission to the main line gives danger to the branch
and vice versa. When all the levers are one side both main lines are
open, the main line signals are " down," and the branch line signals
are up," and before it is possible to move either switch lever in favour
of the branch the signals of that part of the main line which would be
affected by the movement of the said switch lever must all be brought
to "danger to main line," because they are in front of the horizontal
bar attached to the switch lever, after which the switch lever can be
moved and then the branch signals can follow the switch lever in
favor of the branch but cannot precede the switch lever. When all
the levers are on the side for "permission to branch line" both branches
are open, the signals are "down" for branch and " up "for main line.
The advantages of this system are that the "locking " " is accomplished
without any moving bolts, cranks, screws, or claws, as are usually
found in other locking gear, the long bars on the switch levers which
perform the locking are in sight, and the operater can readily see which
levers can be moved and which cannot. In cases where there are
"

page_text: several branch lines to be controlled from one signal box and where
the movement of one switch lever interferes with the movement of
another switch lever in respect of safety, I arrange such switch levers
so as to lock one another in any convenient manner, but I still preserve
the same arrangement of placing the signal levers which relate to
any particular switch under the control of a horizontal bar fixed to
that switch lever.
I construct a signal post as follows:-Firstly, I make a base plate
either of iron or timber of a size proportionate to the intended height of
the signal post, and on this base plate I make three or more bosses at
equal distances apart and disposed in the form of an equilateral triangle,
a square, or in a circle. Into one of these bosses I fix by screwing or
otherwise a short wrought-iron tube or rod, preferably about two to four
feet long, and on to the top of this tube I screw a diaphragm plate having
the same number of bosses as there are on the base plate, and then
through the next hole of the diaphragm plate I pass another tube
(No. 2) about twice as long as the first tube, and I screw or fix the lower
end of it into the corresponding boss on the base plate, and I then
tighten it in the boss of the diaphragm plate with a key or wedge; next
I screw on to the top of the last-named tube another diaphragm plate,
and then through the next hole of this diaphragm plate I pass another
tube (No. 3) about three times as long as the first tube, also passing it
through No. 1 diaphragm, and fix it into the corresponding boss on the
base plate at the bottom, and so on with any number of tubes or solid
bars, the fourth tube in the circle (if so many be employed) being four
times as long as the first, and the fifth five times as long, and so on.
After one tube has been inserted in each boss I proceed to add further
lengths to each tube and further diaphragm plates, the further lengths
of tubes being all of the same length until I get near to the top of the
intended signal post, and then the last series of lengths diminish at
finishing just in reverse order as the first lengths increased, thus bringing
all the tubes to the same length at finishing. It will be seen that each
diaphragm plate has one boss into which the tubes are screwed, and in
all the other bosses the tubes are tightened up by keys or wedges. In
screwing on the diaphragm plates care must of course be taken to bring
the diaphragms concentric with each other so that the tubes may enter
the bosses freely. The holes which require to be screwed may be lined
with gun-metal bushes, or they may have wrought-iron ferrules or
thimbles (such as are used in putting gas pipes together) fixed in them,

page_text: Each succeeding diaphragm plate should have its bosses at a smaller
radius from the centre than the preceding diaphragm plate, and the
bosses should also have a proportional inclination, and then the signal
post will be large at the bottom and will taper towards the top. I also
prefer to use smaller tubes or rods as the post gets higher, and the
lengths of the tubes may be tapered if desired. The use of tubes of
different lengths at each end of the post, and of similar lengths in
the middle, ensures that the joints of adjacent tubes do not occur at
the same part of the post, each succeeding joint being at the next
diaphragm.
Another plan is to have all the tubes of the same length, and to make
those diaphragms where the joints occur of greater substance and with
deeper bosses than the other diaphragms. In this case I do not screw
the tubes into the diaphragms, but at the joints of the tubes I use
ferrules or thimbles similar to those used in joining gas pipes, and the
joint diaphragm fixes tight on to these thimbles or ferrules. For this
purpose I also use a ferrule or thimble made truly conical, and I taper
the holes in the bosses of the diaphragm; this enables the diaphragms
to be more readily put on and taken off. I further utilise these dia-
phragm plates as follows:-On the top diaphragm I cast or fix suitable
bearings for carrying the pivots of the signal arms; on another
diaphragm I cast or fix a suitable provision for fixing the signal lamps
and the bearings for the colored glasses for night use; on another I fix
the handles for working the signals, and to some of them a
guide may
be fixed for guiding the lamp when it is necessary to haul it up and
down for the purpose of trimming or lighting. I also pull the lamp up
and down on the following plan:-Near the bottom of the signal post I
fix a pulley, and also another pulley a little higher up than the lamp,
and I attach a long chain to the top of the lamp and pass it over the
two pulleys, and attach the other end of the chain to the under side of
the lamp, which can thus be readily pulled up or down with greater
facility; and also in case of the lamp sticking it can be pulled down as
well as pulled up. The chain may have a counterweight attached to it
so as to balance the lamp if desired. When the lamp is pulled up to the
top it is secured by the chain being fastened to a hook for that purpose
near the bottom of the post.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Christopher Rapier in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 20th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
CHRISTOPHER RAPIER, of No. 17, Victoria Street, Westminster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give:
and grant unto me, the said Richard Christopher Rapier, Her special
licence that I, the said Richard Christopher Rapier, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Christopher Rapier, 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 SIGNALS AND IN
APPARATUS FOR WORKING THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Christopher Rapier, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Richard Christopher Rapier, 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:-
I construct a signal post as follows:-Firstly, I make a base plate
either of iron or timber of a size proportionate to the intended height of
the signal post, and on this base plate I make three or more bosses at
equal distances apart and disposed in the form of an equilateral triangle,
or square, or in a circle. Into one of these bosses I fix by screwing or
otherwise a short wrought-iron tube or rod, "preferably about two to four

page_text: feet long, and on to the top of this tube I screw a diaphragm plate
having the same number of bosses as there are on the base plate, and
then through the next hole of the diaphragm plate I pass another tube
(No. 2) about twice as long as the first tube, and I screw or fix the
lower end of it into the corresponding boss on the base plate, and I then
tighten it in the boss of the diaphragm plate with a key or wedge; next I
screw on to the top of the last-named tube another diaphragm plate, and
then through the next hole of this diaphragm plate I pass another tube
(No. 3) about three times as long as the first tube, also passing it
through No. 1 diaphragm, and fix it into the corresponding boss on the
base plate at the bottom, and so on with any number of tubes or solid
bars, the fourth tube in the circle (if so many be employed) being 4
times as long as the first and the 6th five times as long, and so on. After
one tube has been inserted in each boss I proceed to add further lengthis
to each tube and further diaphragm plates, the further lengths of tubes
being all of the same length, until I get near to the top of the intended
signal post, and then the last series of lengths diminish at finishing just
in reverse order as the first lengths increased, thus bringing all the tubes
to the same length at finishing. It will be seen that each diaphragm
plate has one boss into which the tubes are screwed, and in all the other
bosses the tubes are tightened up by keys or wedges. In screwing on
the diaphragm plates care must of course be taken to bring the
diaphragms concentric with each other so that the tubes may enter the
bosses freely. The holes which require to be screwed may be lined with
gun metal bushes, or they may have wrought-iron ferrules or thimbles
(such as are used in putting gas pipes together) fixed in them. Each
succeeding diaphragm plate should have its bosses at a smaller radius
from the centre than the preceding diaphragm plate, and the bosses
should also have a proportional inclination, and then the signal post will
be large at the bottom and will taper towards the top. I also prefer to use
smaller tubes or rods as the post gets higher, and the lengths of the tubes
may be tapered if desired. The use of tubes of different lengths at each
end of the post and of similar lengths in the middle ensures that the
joints of adjacent tubes do not occur at the same part of the post, each
succeeding joint being at the next diaphragm. I further utilize these
diaphragm plates as follows:-On the top diaphragm I cast or fix
suitable bearings for carrying the pivots of the signal arms; on another
diaphragm I cast or fix a suitable provision for fixing the signal lamps
and the bearings for the coloured glasses for night use; on another I fix

page_text: the handles for working the signals, and to some of them a guide may be
fixed for guiding the lamp when it is necessary to haul it up and down
for the purpose of trimming or lighting. I also pull the lamp up and
down on the following plan:-Near the bottom of the signal post I fix a
pulley and also another pulley a little higher up than the lamp, and I
attach a long chain to the top of the lamp and pass it over the two
pulleys and attach the other end of the chain to the under side of the
lamp, which can thus be readily pulled up or down with greater facility,
and also in case of the lamp sticking it can be pulled down as well as
pulled up. The chain may have a counterweight attached to it so as to
balance the lamp if desired. When the lamp is pulled up to the top it
is secured by the chain being fastened to a hook for that purpose near
the bottom of the post.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings shows a railway signal post thus
constructed. a is the base plate, with three bosses upon it receiving the
wrought-iron tubes b, b, one of which is of a length to reach to the first
diaphragm c', another to the second diaphragm c³, and the third to the
diaphragm. In the middle of the post the tubes are all of a length to
pass over three of the intervals between the diaphragms, and at the top
of the post three tubes of different lengths are employed, as at the bottom.
One of the diaphragms is shown separately to a larger scale in plan at
Figure 2, and in elevation partly in section at Figure 3. The boss c❤
in which the tube is screwed is bushed, as is shown, and the bushing is
secured in its place by a key. In the other two bosses the tubes which
pass continuously through them are simply fastened with keys. The
uppermost diaphragm c, as is shown, carries the signal arm or arms and
is so made as to form a suitable finish to the post. The diaphragm c³
carries the handle or handles for working the signals.
carries the colored signal screens for night use, and
which passes an endless chain, and the lamp d is attached to this chain,
which also passes around a pulley on the diaphragm c. e is a weight
attached to the chain to balance the lamp. In place of arranging the
lamp so that it has to be lowered for lighting, when gas is used, I run
a lighter up to the burner by means of the endless chain, as is shown at
Figure 4.
The diaphragm c
also a pulley over
A convenient way of erecting signal posts constructed according to
my Invention is to form a block of concrete around the foot of the
post as is indicated in Figure 1.

page_text: Another plan on which I construct signal posts according to my
Invention is to have all the tubes of the same length, and to make those
diaphragms where the joints occur of greater substance and with deeper
bosses than the other diaphragms. In this case at the joints of the
tubes I use ferrules or thimbles similar to those used in jointing gas
pipes, and the joint diaphragm fixes tight on to these thimbles or ferrules.
For this purpose I also use a ferrule or thimble made truly conical and
I taper the holes in the bosses of the diaphragm. This enables the
diaphragms to be more readily put on and taken off. The joint dia-
phragms are in this case made in the manner shown in the sectional
part of Figure 3, all the bosses having similar ferrules or thimbles,
which may be simply fitted into conical holes in the diaphragms or
may be further secured by keys.
Another modification is to use the tubes all in short lengths to extend
only from one diaphragm to the next, and to make the diaphragm
double, as is shown at Figures 5. The tubes are keyed or otherwise
fixed into the sockets on the diaphragms, and the two parts of the double
diaphragm are butted together and bolted the one to the other.
I would have it understood that I do not claim as respects this part
of my Invention the use of several tubes in a group, but I do claim
the methods described of combining such tubes and the application
thereto in the manner described of the signal arm screens and hand
levers and the endless chain for raising and lowering the lamp or lighter.
According to my Invention I combine the signal levers with the
switch levers at a railway junction in such manner that the switch levers
cannot be moved until the signal levers have been properly set. This
I do by mounting bars on the switch levers extending between the signal
levers, dividing them into sets, and as respects each switch lever in
motion either way separating the signal levers, which must precede the
switch lever in their movements from the others. I arrange all the
signal and switch levers in a frame as usual, and I call one side of the
frame "permission for main line," and the other side of the frame
"permission for branch line." On cach switch lever I fix or weld a
horizontal bar (the bar on one lever being a little higher than the bar on
the other lever) of sufficient length to extend across all the signal levers
which require to be locked by that switch lever. The signals are so
coupled with the signal levers that if I arrange on that side of the frame
which is called "permission for branch line" all those signal levers

page_text: which belong to the main line, and on the opposite side of the frame
those signal levers which belong to the branch line, all the signals will
be then standing at danger. The bars on the switch levers extend over
the switch levers in such manner that on either switch lever being
brought over to one side of the frame the horizontal bar upon it rests
against those signal levers which ought to be locked by it when in this
position, and the signal levers which are ranged on the other side of the
frame are no longer locked by this lever. The side of the frame which
gives permission to the main line gives danger to the branch, and vice
versa. When all the levers are on one side both main lines are open,
the main line signals are "down," and the branch line signals are "up;"
and before it is possible to move either switch lever in favour of the
branch the signals of that part of the main line which would be affected
by the movement of the said switch lever must all be brought to "danger
to main line," because they are in front of the horizontal bar attached
to the switch lever, after which the switch lever can be moved, and then
the branch signals can follow the switch lever in favor of the branch,
but cannot precede the switch lever. When all the levers are on the
side for "permission to branch line" both branches are open, the signals
are "down" for branch and "up" for main line. The advantages of
this system are that the "locking" is accomplished without any moving
bolts, cranks, screws, or claws as are usually found in other locking gear,
the long bars on the switch levers which perform the locking are in
sight, and the operator can readily see which levers can be moved and
which cannot. In cases where there are several branch lines to be
controlled from one signal box, and where the movement of one switch
lever interferes with the movement of another switch lever in respect of
safety, I arrange such switch levers so as to lock one another in any
convenient manner, but I still preserve the same arrangement of placing
the signal levers which relate to any particular switch under the control
of a horizontal bar fixed to that switch lever.
Figure 6 is a front view, and Figure 7 a side view of junction signal
levers thus arranged. The right-hand side of Figure 7 is the "per-
mission for main line," and the right-hand side "permission for branch
line." The levers are all shown on the right-hand side, so that the
points are set for the main line, and the main line signals are down.
a and b are the locking bars on the switch or point levers. In Figure 6
it will be seen that the bar on the down points lever stands in front of

page_text: the down branch junction signal lever and behind the down main
junction signal lever, and the bar on the up points lever stands also
behind the last-mentioned signal lever, behind the up main junction and
distant signal levers, and in front of the up branch junction and the up
branch distant signal levers. The down distant signal lever is left
uncontrolled, or other means of locking may be adapted to it if desired.
I claim as respects this part of my Invention, the combining locking
bars with the switch or point levers, such bars locking the signal levers,
substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Christopher Rapier, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.