IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James McHardy, of Brussels, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, but at present residing at Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY SIGNALS."
Sealed the 2nd February 1872, and dated the 5th August 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James McHardy at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents with his Petition, on the
5th August 1871.
I, JAMES MC HARDY, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, but at
present residing at Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to dispense with the use of the ordinary
explosive fog signals and also the usual distance signals employed on
railways. To this end I adapt a small lever or arm to the most con-
venient position on the funnel of the engine, and I connect this lever
with the valve of the ordinary whistle, so that when the lever is moved

page_text: either backward or forward the whistle will be opened, and thereby made
to give the signal during fogs or other occasions to the engine driver.
The lever is moved in either direction by coming against an arm or
tappet attached to a signal post, or the tappet may be adapted to a hori-
zontal signal bridge which extends across the line, so that when
required to denote danger the signal tappets on the bridge may be
turned or lowered by means of a hand lever and connecting rod so
as to bring it into a position to strike the lever on the funnel as the
engine passes under the signal bridge, and thus the whistle will be
opened and sound an alarm. According to circumstances two or more
of these signals may be placed at certain distances from each other;
the first may be a signal to slacken speed, the second to stop, or a third
may be employed if required. In this way if the danger or encum-
brance has passed away before the engine arrives at the second or last
signal bridge or station, as the case may be, the tappet will be drawn
up out of the way of the lever on the funnel, and the engine driver
will find there is no second signal, and will therefore proceed. If he
receives the signal to stop he will not move any further until the signal
to advance is given by striking a bell or gong placed at the proper dis-
tance from the signal, and which may be rung or struck from the station
by a signal lever and suitable connections.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James McHardy in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES 2
MC HARDY, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, but at present
residing at Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year of 3
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James McHardy, Her special licence that
I, the said James McHardy, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James McHardy, my executors, adminis- a

page_text: trators, 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 James
Me Hardy, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 James McHardy, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
-
The object of this Invention is to dispense with the use of the
ordinary explosive fog signals, and also the usual distance signals
employed on railways. To this end I adapt a small lever or arm to
the most convenient position on the funnel of the engine, and I
connect this lever with the valve of the ordinary steam whistle, or a
whistle provided for the purpose, so that when the lever is moved either
backward or forward the whistle will be opened and thereby made to
give the signal during fogs or on other occasions to the engine driver.
The lever is moved in either direction by coming against an arm or
tappet suspended centrally above the line of rails.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shown one mode of carrying
out the object of the Invention, Fig. 1 is a side view of a locomotive
engine on which the lever and apparatus above mentioned is carried;
this view also shews a rafter or cross beam extending over the railway
and carrying the movable tappet; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.
A is the tappet lever mounted on a projecting arm or bracket secured
to the funnel of the engine. The upper end of this lever projects above
the top of the funnel so that it may strike against any object that may
be placed in its road, although the funnel itself will pass under such
object. The lower end of the lever A is forked, and to both of these

page_text: forked ends are attached chains a, a, both of which are joined at a* to
the chain a', which then passes underneath the two guide pulleys b, b,
and is led up to and attached to the lever 6' of the valve or cock of the
whistle B, so that when such cock is opened steam will be admitted to
the whistle B, and an audible signal will be made. The tappet C is
suspended in journals carried by the rafters or cross beams C₁, C³,
extending over the line of rails and carried by signal or other posts.
On the axle of this tappet is mounted a short arm or lever c, which is
connected by a rod to the bell crank lever c¹, which by means of rods
and chains c² is connected with a suitable operating lever handle situated
at the station from which it is desired to set the signals. The tappet C
may be attached to or supported on a canty lever carried by a signal
post, or it may be adapted to a horizontal signal bridge which extends
across the line. When it is required to denote danger the signal
tappet C on the cross beam or bridge may be turned or lowered by
means of the hand lever at the station which is connected as before
described by means of the rods or chains c³ with the tappet C. By this
means the tappet C may be lowered into the position to strike the
lever A on the funnel as the engine passes under it; the lever A will
thereby be thrown into the position shown by dots in Fig. 1, and thus
the chains a will be drawn in the direction of the arrows and pull down
the lever of the steam valve or cock, and the whistle B will be opened
and made to sound an alarm. The engine driver may then return the
levers of the apparatus to their normal position shewn in the Drawing in
readiness to receive other signals. This return of the rods A and b¹ to
their original position is effected by means of the rod 62 and lever 6³
indicated by dots in the Figure; or the restoration of these levers to
their original position may be rendered automatic if desired. Two or
more of these signals according to circumstances may be placed at
certain distances from each other; the first may be a signal to slacken
speed and the second a signal to stop, or a third may be employed if
required, so that if the danger or obstruction has passed away before the
engine arrives at the second or last signal bridge or station, as the case
may be, the tappet C may be drawn up into the position shewn by dots
in Fig. 2 and out of the way of the lever A on the funnel. The engine
driver will then find there is no second signal, and will therefore proceed
on his journey. If however he receives the signal to stop he will not
move any further until he receives the signal to advance, which may be
given by striking a bell or gong placed at the proper distance from the

page_text: signal, and which may be rung or struck from the station by a signal
lever and suitable connections in the ordinary manner.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Railway
Signals," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I claim, as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as afore-
said, adapting to any convenient part of a locomotive engine a lever
or other equivalent device connected to or with the steam cock or
whistle, and so arranged that as the locomotive travels along the line
such lever may be struck by a tappet or its equivalent placed in its road
for the purpose, and thus produce an audible signal to attract the
attention of the driver as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James McHardy have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JAMES MC HARDY. (L.S.)