IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING BY MEANS OF ELECTRICITY
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Ernesto Spagnoletti, of the Telegraph
Department, Great Western Railway, Paddington, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
Sealed the 29th March 1870, and dated the 18th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Ernesto
Spagnoletti at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 18th October 1869.
I, CHARLES ERNESTO SPAGNOLETTI, of the Telegraph Department,
Great Western Railway, Paddington, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING BY MEANS OF ELECTRICITY," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
signalling by means of electricity.
In order to construct a telegraphic needle which will not be liable
to be demagnetised by atmospheric electricity I form the needle in two

page_text: parts, by preference of soft iron. These parts are connected together
at the centre by means of brass or other non-magnetic material. Each
part of the needle has in one piece with it a part of its axis or pivot,
that is to say, the portion of the axis on one side of the needle is of
a piece with one end or limb of the needle, and the portion of the axis
on the other side of the needle is of a piece with its other end or
limb. In close proximity with the axis are two poles of a permanent
electro-magnet or magnets so arranged as to induce magnetism of
opposite polarities into the two parts of the axis, and consequently into
the two parts of the needle which are of a piece with these parts re-
spectively. The needle thus constructed is actuated by coils in which
the electric current is caused to pass in the usual way.
In apparatus for signalling in railway trains when a signal is being
made from one end of the line it is possible to alter this signal by means
of the finger keys at the receiving end. In order to render such alteration
of the signal impossible I arrange electro-magnets in the circuit, and
when a current is passed such electro-magnets attract their armatures.
Each of these armatures gives motion to a lever with a block upon it,
and when the armature is drawn towards its magnet the block is brought
into such a position as to stand in the way of the finger key and prevent
it from being worked. In this way all the finger keys become locked
except that which by its depression is causing the current to pass,
and in this case the finger key being in the way of the block stops its
movement.
In order to convey electric signals in railway trains it is necessary to
make an electric communication between the carriages. For this
purpose I attach by flexible connections to the ends of the carriages
couplings, consisting in each case of a spring clip and a cone.
The clip
consists of four springs arranged so as to form a four-sided clip, into which
the cone, which is also metallic, is thrust in order to make contact. Each
carriage carries at either end both a clip and a cone, so that the carriages
may be coupled either end foremost. The coupling or connection being
in each case double all risk of imperfect metallic connection between the
carriages is also removed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Ernesto Spagnoletti in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
ERNESTO SPAGNOLETTI, of the Telegraph Department, Great Western
Railway, Paddington, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Charles Ernesto Spagnoletti, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles Ernesto Spagnoletti, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Ernesto Spagnoletti, 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 APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING BY MEANS OF ELECTRICITY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Ernesto Spagnoletti, my exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Charles Ernesto Spagnoletti, 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 :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
signalling by means of electricity.
In order to construct a telegraphic needle which will not be liable to
be demagnetized by atmospheric electricity I form the needle in two
parts, by preference of soft iron. These parts are connected together at
the centre by means of brass or other non-magnetic material. Each part

page_text: of the needle has in one piece with it a part of its axis or pivot, that is to
say, the portion of the axis on one side of the needle is of a piece with
one end or limb of the needle, and the portion of the axis on the other
side of the needle is of a piece with its other end or limb. In close
proximity with the axis are two poles of a permanent or electro-magnet
or magnets so arranged as to induce magnetism of opposite polarities
into the two parts of the axis, and consequently into the two parts of the
needle which are of a piece with these parts respectively. The needle
thus constructed is actuated by coils in which the electric current is
caused to pass in the usual way.
In Figure 1 a and b are two parts of a divided needle or magnet of
soft iron or steel fixed together at x, but with a piece of brass or non-
magnetic material between the two parts. I prefer to make the joint by
brazing or soldering. a¹ and 6' are the two parts of the axle with the
pivots at their ends; these parts are of a piece with a and b respectively.
c is a permanent or an electro-magnet inducing magnetism in the
divided needle or magnet a, b, through the parts of its axle a¹, b¹. The
magnet c is perforated or slotted for the free passage of the axle; dare
the coils in connection with the line wire. If the magnet o be an electro-
magnet a current is transmitted through its coils from the local battery
by means of a relay called into action by the current passing from the
line wire.
In apparatus for signalling railway trains when a signal is being made
from one end of the line, it is sometimes possible to neutralize this signal
by means of the finger keys at the receiving end. In order to render
such alteration of the signal impossible I arrange electro-magnets in the
circuit, and when a current is passed such electro-magnets attract their
armatures. Each of these armatures gives motion to a lever with a
block upon it, and when the armature is drawn towards its magnet the
block is brought into such a position as to stand in the way of the finger
key, and prevent it from being worked. In this way all the finger keys
at both ends of the circuit become locked except that which by its
depression is causing the current to pass, and in this case the finger key
being in the way of the block stops its movement.
Figure 2 is a front view, and Figure 8 is a side view (each with some
of the parts removed) of apparatus thus arranged. When in use two
such apparatus at distant stations are connected together by a line wire.
a is a dial having an indicator (not shown in the Drawing) of such

page_text: construction (as is well understood) as to indicate the passage of a
current in the line wire, and whether such current be positive or nega-
tive; b and c are two finger keys coupled with a battery in such manner
that by depressing one or other of them a positive or a negative current
may be sent through the line wire. This current produces an indication
on the dials of the two instruments, and in train signalling it is frequently
desired to continue this indication for a considerable time, and the key
producing it is during such times locked or pinned down. At such times
the other finger keys of the two instruments should not be depressed,
and to prevent it the levers d, d, and the electro-magnets e, e, are
provided. The levers d turn on centres at d¹ and carry armatures
opposite the poles of the electro-magnets e, e. The coils of the electro-
magnets are coupled with the line wire, so that when in consequence of
the depression of any finger key a current is caused to flow through the
line wire all the armatures are attracted and the levers d move in such
manner as to carry the blocks d* at their lower ends in between the ends
of the finger keys not previously depressed, and the fixed stops f pro-
vided immediately over them. In the case of the finger key which
causes the passage of the current in the line wire, as it is already
depressed its block is unable to enter and is inoperative.
levers may be used as relays.
The said
In order to convey electric signals in railway trains it is necessary to
make an electric communication between the carriages. For this
purpose I attach by flexible connections to the ends of the carriages
couplings consisting in each case of a spring clip and a cone.
The clip
consists of four springs arranged so as to form a four-sided clip, into
which the cone, which is also metallic, is thrust in order to make contact.
Each carriage carries at either end both a clip and a cone, so that the
carriages may be coupled either end foremost. The coupling or connection
being in each case double all risk of imperfect metallic connection
between the carriages is removed.
Figure 4 is a side view of an electric coupling thus constructed with
its parts coupled; Figures 5 show similar parts detached. a, a, are cords,
each containing a wire or electric conductor which is in metallic con-
nection with a forked metal end b, one prong of which terminates in
four springs 6', 6', and the other in a cone b². Every carriage being
provided at each end with such a coupling arrangement when a train is
made up the parts are worked together, as is shown in Figure 4. If at

page_text: any time either from accident or neglect any strain be thrown on the
electric couplings they will part without injury.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,―
First. The constructing telegraph needles in two parts connected at
the centre, and each having a portion of the axis of a piece with it, such
needles being magnetized through the axis by induction, substantially as
herein described.
Second. I claim the arranging train signalling apparatus in such
manner that the depression of one finger key and the passage of an
electric current in the line wire causes the other finger keys to become
locked, substantially as herein described.
Third. I claim the arranging railway carriages with electric couplings,
each coupling consisting of two similar spring clip and cone pieces,
substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Ernesto Spagnoletti, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
C. E. SPAGNOLETTI. (L.S.)