IMPROVEMENTS IN SEMAPHORE AND OTHER ELEVATED SIGNAL LIGHTS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEMAPHORE AND OTHER ELEVATED SIGNAL LIGHTS and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of the invention is to so construct a lamp case containing the signal
glasses and to so arrange the lamp within the said case that the signal glasses may
be changed without in any way jarring the lamp itself which is so suspended from
within the case that it can be elevated into' or lowered from the case without the
party operating the lamp being required to ascend to or approach the said case;
and it consists essentially of a hollow case having one or more openings provided
with glasses of contrasting colours and held in an elevated position, an ordinary.
lamp being so suspended from within the case that it can be elevated into or
lowered from the case without the case being approached by the operator.
In Figure
is shown this improved semaphore located near the Railway track,
the semaphore being thrown out to indicate danger.
Figure 2 represents this device when applied to a switch lamp.
Figure 3 represents this semaphore in which the moveable jacket, hereafter
explained is covered by an outer case, or weather protector, the hollow form of the
post is also represented in this figure.
Figure 4 represents this semaphore utilised as a station signal.
Figure 5 represents a detail of the outer casing.
Figure 6 is a detail of the opened metal cases; within which the signal lamp is
suspended.
•
Figure 7 is an alternative form of the jacket shown in Figure 6.
In semaphores as now constructed the lamp is contained within a case supported
on the end of a vertical rod or shaft which is caused to revolve with the movement
of the semaphore arm so that the lights exposed on the line shall correspond with
the position of the arm of the semaphore.
As these movements are effected' very rapidly, particularly when the danger
signal is thrown into position, the jar to the lamp contained within and which
moves with the revolving case is very severe, soon. injures the lamp in some cases
the light within the lamp has in this way been put out.

page_text: A still further objection to the present style of semaphore is the fact that in
order to trim or light the lamp it is necessary for the man in charge of the
semaphore to ascend to the elevated position where the lamp is situated.
This necessitates an expensive structure and is in other ways objectionable all of
which objections are overcome by the adoption of this invention.
As the details of this invention can be considerably varied in their construction
and application two or three different forms are shown which suggest how changes
may be made without altering the main principle of the invention.
In figure 1. A represents a hollow post having a hollow metal case B fixed to its
top, which case is shaped substantially as shown in Figure 6; the opened spaces a
in this latter figure being covered in Figure 1. by a jacket C. which is fitted on to
the case B so that it will move freely up and down on the said case in order to close
the opening a in the said case as shown in Figure 1. or to move upwardly on the
case so as to expose the said openings.
F is a semaphore arm pivotted on the post A and connected to the jacket C by
the rod E the said connection being so arranged that when the arm F is extended
horizontally as shown in Figure 1, the jacket C is drawn down by the rod E, over
the openings a or when the semaphore arm is down the jacket C shall be moved
vertically clear of the said openings.
With the view of operating the semaphore arm F a sheave pulley is placed on its
pivotted spindle on opposite sides of which the ropes or chains, G and H are fixed.
These ropes extend down the post A around the pulley 'h and thence to the large
sheave pulley I to which they are connected and which operated by the handle J
in the usual manner so that by turning the sheave pulley I on its pivot the
semaphore F is either raised or lowered as required.
Instead of placing a fixed lamp within the hollow post A an endless chain K is
attached to an ordinary lamp L carried in the cage as shown in Figure 3 or
attached to the chain in any suitable manner, this chain is carried over a pulley c
placed at the top of the case B so that the lamp L attached to the said chain may
be elevated into the case B or brought down to the opening M made in post A and
shown in Figure 3.
By this arrangement it will be seen the necessity for ascending the semaphore is
obviated as the lamp may be got at through the opening M and trimmed or lighted
as required.
In ordinary cases the jacket C will be exposed as shown in Figure 1, but if
desired to protect it from the weather an outer case D is provided shown in detail
in Figure 5 and represented in position in Figure 3.
This case fits around the jacket C, sufficient space between the outer case D and
the inner metal case being left to allow free vertical movement of the jacket C.
On reference to figure 5 it will be noticed that the case D is provided with four
lugs b rivetted on the top edge of the outer case D. These lugs are intended to
rest upon the top of the case B when the outer case D is slipped over it, the
thickness of these lugs bold the case D sufficiently far from the case B to leave
enough space between the two, to permit the free movement of the jacket C which
as before stated surrounds the case B.
Attention is drawn to the fact that the jacket C which contains the signal
glasses of the ordinary description is adjusted entirely independent of the lamp,
consequently the signals may be changed without jarring or in any way affecting
the burning of the lamp.
In figure 7 the jacket C is shown provided with a double set of glasses N.
When the jacket C is made with the two rows of glasses as shown in Figure 7
there will be no open spaces around the lamp, the lower row of glasses being
arranged to indicate one set of signals while the second set of signals will be
exhibited by lowering the case C till the upper row of Glasses come opposite to
the lamp.
In figure 2 this invention is shown applied to the switch in this application the
lamp is carried on the rope or chain exactly in the same way as has already been

page_text: described so that the said lamp may be carried up into the hollow case B shown in
Figure 2 or lowered from it for the purpose already mentioned.
When made for a switch lamp the metal case B is simply a metal case having an
opened bottom and provided with the ordinary signal glasses N. No sliding jacket
is necessary as the case B turns with the switch target, but as the lamp is suspended
within the case B, from its centre on the flexible chain, no appreciable jar is
imparted to the lamp by the movement of the target.
The metal case B is shown located on the top of the hollow post A but it will of
course be understood, that a solid post would answer, provided a clear space below
the metal case B, is left so that the signal lamp may be raised into or lowered from
the said case, a hole in the bottom of the case sufficiently large for the admission of
the lamp, being always left.
It will also be necessary although none are shown to provide means for locking
the lamp, and elevating the chain, so that the lamp when once elevated into
position cannot be lowered or otherwise tampered with. It will also be advisable
to place a balance weight on the elevating chain K, so as to balance the lamp and
thereby enable it more readily to be raised.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A hollow case having one or more openings provided with glasses of
contrasting colours and held in an elevated position in combination with an
ordinary lamp so suspended from within the case that the said lamp may be
elevated into or lowered from the case without the party operating it being
required to ascend to the said elevated case.
2. A hollow case having an open bottom and provided with means for adjustably
suspending a lamp within it, in combination with a moveable jacket having signal
glasses, and provided with mechanism by which the glasses within it may be
moved from or in front of the lamp, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. A hollow case having an open bottom and provided with means for adjustably
suspending the lamp within it, in combination with the jacket having glasses
within it and connected by the bar to the semaphore arm, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
4 A hollow case having an open bottom and provided with means for adjustably
suspending a lamp within it, and having a jacket with glasses arranged to be
adjusted in front of the lamp, as specified, in combination with an outer case
designed to surround the jacket and provided with glasses or openings so located as
to be in front of the lamp when suspended within the case.
5. An outer case provided with lugs and having glasses inserted in it as specified,
in combination with the hollow case provided with a sliding jacket having glasses
and arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.
6. A hollow case having an open bottom and a pulley, located at its top, in
combination with the chain, to suspend and operate the lamp substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
7. A lamp glass having one or more openings, in combination with a moveable
jacket fitted to the case and having signal glasses of contrasting colours, the said
jacket being so arranged that it may be readily adjusted for the purpose of
bringing different glasses opposite to the opening in the lamp case.
71°
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