Improvement in Railway and other Signals.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar-, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 11th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Railway and other Signals.
MILES WILLIAMS 86 Queens Road Bootle Liverpool Manufacturing Chemist
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the improvement in railway and other signals
and consists in substituting plain white or coloured enamelled iron, copper, tin or
other metal plates to existing wood or metal signals, ground or lamp signals
signal arms engine van signal box and other loose or fixed signals. The real object
of the invention is to obtain an effective permanent bright plain white or coloured
enamelled surface metal plate signal which can be substituted for or attached to
existing signals; thus producing a durable always bright and effective coloured
signal which does not require to be constantly renewed and recoloured. The
present painted signals are quickly discoloured and effaced and require to be
constantly repainted to make them effective and are only really effective for a
short time after being painted or coloured.
I do not confine myself to any process of enamelling or to any form of signal
and the enamelling and the signal may be the present or any improved form.
Dated this 21st day of March 1891.
MILES WILLIAMS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Railway and other Signals.
MILES WILLIAMS 86 Queens Road Bootle Liverpool Manufacturing Chemist
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention has for its object the improvement in railway and other signals
and consists in substituting plain white or coloured enamelled iron steel copper tin
or other metal plates or in fixing such enamelled metallic plates to existing wood
or metal signals or enamelling the present metal signals-semaphore and signal
arms ground engine van signal box and other loose and fixed signals. The real
object of the invention is to obtain an effective permanent bright plain white or
coloured enamelled surface metal plate signal which can be substituted for or
attached to existing signals or enamelling the present metal signals thus producing
a durable always bright and effective coloured signal which does not require to be
constantly renewed and re-coloured.
The present painted signals, signal arms and semaphores are quickly discoloured
and effaced and require to be constantly repainted to make them effective and are
only really effective for a short time after being painted or coloured. To enamel
the signals-the metal signal plates are first rendered bright and thoroughly
cleansed by acid or other chemical and water, the surface of such plates is then
covered where required on one or both sides with a species of vitreous varnish or
highly transparent and fusible glass called "frit"
Hux
or paste" coloured
with metallic oxides and other substances producing the desired colour and then
fused by heat upon the plates with the blow-pipe or in a suitable furnace. I do not
confine myself to any precise process of enamelling or to any form of signal and
the enamelling and the signal may be the present or any improved form.
"
6i

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. White or coloured enamelled metal plates for railway and other signals
semaphore & signal arms.
2nd. Adapted for substituting or attaching to existing signals.
3rd. Durability and brightness of colour.
4th. Requiring no painting or recolouring.
5th. Always effective & more readily distinguished.
Dated this 10th day of Decembar 1901
MILES WILLIAMS.