IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO RAILROADS AND TO THE ENGINES AND CARRIAGES TO BE WORKED THEREON
Year: 1840

page_text: BIRCHS SPE
ATION..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EUGENIUS
BIRCH, of Cannon Row, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twelfth day of November, in the fourth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Eugenius Birch, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Eugenius Birch, my exors, aduiors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Eugenius Birch, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales; and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO RAILROADS AND TO THE
ENGINES AND CARRIAGES TO BE WORKED THEREON;" in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso that I, the said Eugenius Birch, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and, in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Eugenius Birch, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):-
In constructing railways, and the locomotive and other carriages which run
thereon, it is well known that the velocity at which the carriages run is
.controlled by one or more persons travelling with the carriages; and in case
of any negligence or illness or want of judgment of such person or persons,
there is great liability to accident from a variety of causes; and it is well
known that the class of persons engaged as engineers to locomotive carriages
on railways are not such as can be depended on for steadiness, for judgment,
and for skill. Now the object of this arrangement is so to arrange parts of
railways, and also apparatus applied to engines and to carriages moving
thereon, that the steam of locomotive engines may be wholly cut off from
the engines, or regulated or affected by the simple act of the movement of
the locomotive carriage along the railway, and parts of the apparatus may
be so arranged that persons stationed at particular parts of a line of railway
may bring such apparatus into use; and, further, breaks may be brought into
action independently of as well as by persons travelling with engines and
-carriages, thus materially reducing the possibility of accidents from neglect
.or want of judgment of the persons conducting trains of carriages on railways;
and lights may be shewn and whistles sounded by apparatus applied to
railways and to the engines or carriages moving thereon, to be brought into
use by the movement of the engines and carriages along a line of railway.
I would remark that there may be many variations in the particular details
of the apparatus employed on railways, and on engines and carriages travelling
thereon, in order that the steam to the engines may be cut off or regulated
or affected at determined intervals or places in the line of railway where
required, according to my improvements; and such is the case in the use of
breaks, lights, and whistles; my Invention is, therefore, not confined to the
exact arrangements of apparatus shewn in the Drawings, so long as the same
be so arranged that apparatus or instruments applied at determined places
in the line of. railway shall so act on an apparatus applied to locomotive
.carriages as to cut off or regulate or affect the steam to the engine, to apply
breaks, to sound a whistle, and to shew a light, without depending on persons
travelling with the locomotive, engines or carriages. And in order that the
Invention may be most fully understood, I will proceed to describe the best
means I am acquainted with for performing the same.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS...
Figures 1, 2, and 3 shew an end view, a plan, and an elevation of so much
of a locomotive engine in outline as will enable me to explain part of my
Invention. A is the valve for regulating the flow of steam from the boiler
to the engines. A¹ is a lever or crank affixed to the axis- or spindle of the
valve A, such crank or lever being attached by a pin joint to the crank or
lever B affixed to the axis C, that axis turning in bearings -D at: one side of
the locomotive engine. On the lower end of the axis C is a crank, C¹,
having a wheel or roller C², as is shewn. And it will be seen that the
above-described apparatus when moved will cause the valve to be closed or
opened; and in order. to give motion to the valve A by, the aid of such
apparatus other apparatus is applied at intervals in the line of railway, where
my Invention is to be worked, wherever it is desired to cut off the steam, such
as in coming up to stations, and where it is desired to reduce the supply of
steam to the engines, such as at curves or descending. inclines, the apparatus
so applied to railways being such as to offer a suitable surface; against the
.lower or cranked end of the axis C, in order to that axis being caused to
turu in such manner as to close or partially to close the valve A, according as
it is desired to cut off the supply of steam from the cylinders, or only partly
so to do. And at such places as curves and inclines, where it is desirable at
all times to have the speed of the engine reduced by cutting off the steam,.
I prefer to apply permanent surfaces, such as D¹, D', against which the
roller or wheel at the end of the axis C comes, and by such means the axis
C will be moved partly-round, and thus more or less close the valve A. The
surfaces D', D', shewn in the Drawing, are moveable, and are intended to be
moved into and out of the way by a person on the line of railway, whenever
circumstances may require that the steam should.be cut off from the engines.
The bars D', D'; are joined together at D³, by a pin joint, and at their other
ends they have slots, which move on fixed pins D³; and in order to prevent
any,shock I apply the curved spring surfaces D' to the ends of the bars D'.
The apparatus D₁ is worked by means of an excentric E on an upright axis,
with a lever handle, as is shewn, F. being a rod attached to the pin joint of
the bars D', the other end of the rod F being affixed to a circular strap,
which embraces the excentric. Movement being given to the eccentric will
cause the bars D¹ to produce inclined surfaces by the bars D', or cause, them
to come into a straight line, as will readily be understood on examining the
Drawing. To the apparatus for cutting off the steam may be applied means
of sounding a whistle by the same movement as cuts off the steam. G is a

page_text: connecting rod which is attached by a pin joint to the crank or lever A', the
other end of the rod G being attached by a pin joint to the handle of the
plug of a steam whistle, as is shewn in the Drawing. Figure 1 shews the
means of shewing a light by the same movement as is employed for cutting
off the steam. On the top of the axis C is affixed a cog wheel H, which
takes into and drives a pinion I, which is affixed on the stem of a lamp, and
thus when the steam is cut off by the apparatus of the locomotive engine
having been acted on by suitable means on the line of road, and if it be
a dark night, will also indicate to the guard or other person that the steam
is cut off, and that he should use the breaks under his care, or the lamp or
other light may be used for other indications. I would remark that will be
evident that the apparatus attached to a locomotive engine, and also to a
railway, to work in conjunction with that on the engine, may be varied, though
I believe the arrangements shewn and described to be the best for the purpose;
and although the position of the apparatus may be changed, yet I consider
the side of the engine and the side of the railway to be the most convenient
under all circumstances. It should be stated that the apparatus for cutting'
off the steam, for sounding a whistle, and for shewing a light, may be con-
structed as separate apparatus, and be so arranged that the apparatus applied
on the railway may be also separate for each purpose.
Figure 4 shows the whistle apparatus separately, and is simply worked by a
fixed foot or rod D' at any locality of the railway. The person tending the
engine is to have the ordinary means which he now possesses for cutting off
steam and for sounding a whistle, and he will replace the parts in the proper
position so soon as the circumstance which has rendered it necessary to cut
off the steam by the apparatus D' has been fully attended to, and the engine
is again to progress. In some instances I so arrange the apparatus D' as that
..by the travelling of one locomotive engine or of a carriage it shall be the
means of stopping the next coming train, which will be very desirable under
some circumstances; thus, for instance, supposing that a slow train is after time,
and the person conducting the same is expecting a quick train to come up
with it, the first train may cause the steam of the next engine to be cut off at
every place, when there is apparatus D₁ properly arranged.
Figure 5 shews a plan of part of railway, J being the last carriage
of a slow train behind time, and K the locomotive engine of the fast
train. On the carriage J is applied a lever L, which the guard or
other person sets off into the position shewn, by which means it will come
against the apparatus D on one side of the rail, and push it into a right line,
which will cause the other apparatus D to be inclined in towards the rail, and

page_text: the same will be securely held in that position by a catch M; entering into the
ratchet N, and thus will the apparatus D. so inclined towards the rail cause
the steam to be cut off from the engine of the next train, and the parts will
remain in that state till a person on the railway removes the catch from the
ratchet, and replaces the bars D so that they will not interfere with the
travelling of other engines. Or in place of using the apparatus at Figure 5,
other apparatus may be resorted to, such as is shewn at Figures 6, 7, and 8,
when a simple upright D is to be used in place of the inclined bars before
described. The upright D is affixed to an axis or spindle O, which at its
other end has a curved arm or lever P affixed, which on a projection from a
carriage coming against it will be depressed, and raise the upright D into a
vertical position against its stop Q, where it will be in a position to offer such
an impediment to an arm or crank on the axis C of another locomotive
engine as will cause that axis to be moved partly round, and thus shut the
valve A.
Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12 shew means of affixing uprights D when they are
be used in place of the inclined bars D¹.
I will now proceed to describe how to apply breaks so that they may be
brought into action by suitable apparatus on a railway.
Figures 18 and 14 show a break operating by means of an endless band
or strap, so arranged that when in action the power or momentum which is
driving the carriage onward, and causing one pair of wheels to rotate in
one direction, is the means of creating a tendency of the other pair of wheels
to move in the reverse direction. a, a, are the axes of the wheels, on which
are applied clutch boxes and pulleys b, there being an endless strap or band c on
the pulleys. When the carriage is running, and the clutch boxes are apart, the
axes move more freely in the pulley b. d is an axis moving in bearings at
e, e. On this axis are two forks f, for sliding the clutch boxes, when at liberty so
to do. g is an arm affixed to the axis d, and is constantly pressed on by a
spring h; hence, when set at liberty, the spring will cause the clutch boxes to
be closed, and thus bring the break into action by creating a tendency of the
two pairs of wheels of the carriage to revolve in opposite directions. C is the
axis, and C is the crank or projection which comes in contact with any
suitable apparatus, D', Drawing 1, applied to a railway, as before described.
i is a projection from the axis C, on which the lever or arm 9 is supported
when out of action; but so soon as the axis C is turned partly round, the lever
or arm g will descend and put the clutch boxes in motion.
Figure 15 shows another arrangement of break, and consists of two friction
blocks j,j, carried by the rods k, and 7, 1, the rods 1, 1, having each a slot

page_text: which moves--on an axis a-of-the-wheels. The ends-of, rods-k, k, l, l,-are
attached by pin joints at m, the other ends of the levers l; l, being attached
by a pin joint to the levern, which has its fulcrum at o....The friction blocks
are attached to the rods-k, k, l, by pins passing, freely through the blocks,
and 'allowing slight movement of the blocks in respect to the rods k, l. The
lever - is weighted, and will when at liberty'descend and cause the friction
blocks to come in contact with their wheels, the lever³n being supported by
a projection i from the axis C, when required to be kept out of use.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best manner. I
am acquainted with for performing the same, I would, remark that I do
not confine myself to the details by which the same is described to be carried
into effect, but what I claim as the Invention secured-by the present-Letters
Patent is
u
.j
First, the mode of regulating and cutting: off the steam of locomotive
engines by applying apparatus to railways to act on apparatus in connection.
with a valve when the same are brought into action by the travelling of the
locomotive engine on a railway, and without depending on a person or persons
travelling, with such engine.
Secondly, I claim the mode of applying breaks to the wheels of railway
engines and carriages by applying apparatus to-railway-and-to-railways
engines or carriages in such manner as to be brought into use by the
; travelling of the engines or carriages on the railway, and without depending
on a person or persons travelling with such engines or carriages. ....
Thirdly, I claim the mode of sounding a whistle by applying apparatus
to a railway and to a locomotive engine in such manner as to be brought
into action by the travelling of the locomotive engine on the railway, and
without the aid of any person or persons travelling with such locomotive
engines.
.
Fourthly, I claim the mode of showing a light, by applying apparatus to a
.. railway and to an engine or carriage in such manner as to be brought; into
action by the travelling of the engine or carriage on the railway, and without
the aid of any person or persons travelling with such engine or carriage; and,
Fifthly, I claim the mode of applying breaks whereby two pairs' of wheels
are caused to move in opposite directions, as described in respect to Figures 13
. and 14.
..
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twelfth
day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and forty-one.
EUGENIUS (L.S.) BIRCH.

page_text: year
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twelfth day of May, in the
of our Lord 1841, the aforesaid Eugenius Birch came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-one.