IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALIZING AND STOPPING RAIL
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Fredric Goble, of 15, Fish Street
"Hill, in the City of London, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALIZING AND STOPPING RAIL-
"Hill, in the City of London, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALIZING AND STOPPING RAIL-
Sealed the 11th April 1854, and dated the 12th October 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Fredric
i
Goble at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 12th October 1853.
I, GEORGE FREDRIC GOBLE, of 15,, Fish Street -Hill, in the City of
London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SIGNALIZING AND STOPPING
RAILWAY TRAINS" to be as follows:-
My improvements relate, first, to a peculiar arrangement of self-
acting apparatus. by means of which an alarm steam whistle or a
gong or bell can be sounded; secondly, a novel construction of steam
whisle; thirdly, a mode of establishing a communication for sig-
malizing between the guard and engine driver; and, fourthly,
a con-

page_text: tinuous chain brake by means of which the entire train may be locked
and firmly bound together, thereby facilitating its stoppage.
And for the better understanding of my said improvements I will
now proceed to give the details thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1, represents my arrangement of self-acting apparatus for giving
an alarm on the road. I recommend its being placed at the head of
the train, and therefore near the funnel of the locomotive, where a
steam whistle A, must be fixed, having the handle connected with the
chain or rod B, C, the end C being fastened to a crank D; forming
part of a flap or swing frame E, here shown in section, attached by
the bolt a, to the fore part of the locomotive framing F. The flap E
may be about the width of the space between the rails; and its lower
edge may be on a level with the height of the rails or thereabouts, and
it is intended to strike against any obstacle placed between the rails,
and thereon sound the whistle A. Projections for this purpose may
be made to act mechanically at certain distances from stations on the
line; and in all such instances the swinging of the flap E backwards
and forwards will pull the chain B, C, by the crank D, and cause a
whistle, gong, or bell at A, to give the required warning.
Fig. 2, is a section of my improved steam whistle. A is a screw
steam pipe; B', the whistle; a, the valve acted on by the spring and
screw within the steam-tight head or casing C; D', the handle, the
screwing of which regulates the steam escape through c', c¹.
My mode of signalizing between the guard and engine driver con-
sists in providing each carriage with a chain, which may be con-
veniently placed under the floor of the same, and have their ends con-
nected by split links or other suitable means. Being fastened at one
end to the engineer's whistle, or one of different tone, the guard can
immediately operate on it by the signal chain.
My continuous chain brake is one of great mechanical power, and
can be applied with speed and safety by manual labour, or be made self-
acting. I will suppose it designed to lock each carriage in a train, in
which case one axle or one wheel at least of each should have a drum
attached thereto, in any manner most desirable for affording the desired

page_text: strength; but the axle of the locomotive, tender, or other vehicle must
be provided with a toothed pinion, working into a spur wheel connected
with a drum similar to the others described, and a chain or chains of
sufficient length being provided, one end is to be secured firmly to
the drum on the locomotive or other vehicle, and one or more turns of
the chain is to be made on each drum of cach carriage throughout the
train, and made fast to the last drum. It is thus evident that on the
axle pinion and adjoining spur wheel being thrown into gear the car-
riages will be drawn as close as the buffers will permit, and the chain
will perform the part of a brake on each wheel. It is to be understood,
however, that the first and last carriages or any number may be acted
on as here recommended.
I wish it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to any parti-
cular dimensions, materials, or situation of the several parts described,
so long as the described results are the same, and in accordance with the
object of my improvements. And I do declare that what I claim as
my improvements are, namely,-first, the peculiar arrangement of a
self-acting train signal; second, the novel construction of a steam
whistle; third, the mode of signalizing between the guard and engine
driver; and, fourth, the continuous chain brake, as described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Fredric Goble in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th April 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE FREDRIC GOBLE, of 15, Fish Street Hill, in the City of London,
Civil Engineer, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Fredric Goble, Her special
licence that I, the said George Fredric Goble, my executors, adminis-

page_text: trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Fredric Goble,
iny executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agred
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully inight 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 SIGNALIZING AND STOPPING RAILWAY
TRAINS,"
upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said George
Fredric Goble, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal;
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 George Fredric Goble, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer
tained in and by the following statement:"
My improvements relate, firstly, to a peculiar arrangement of self-
acting apparatus by means of which an alarm steam whistle or a gong
or bell can be sounded; secondly, to a novel construction of steam
whistle; thirdly, to a mode of establishing a communication for sig-
nalizing between the guard and engine driver; and, fourthly, to a
continuous chain brake, by means of which the entire train may be
locked and firmly bound together, thereby facilitating its stoppage,
each wheel may be acted on separately, if desired.
or
And for the better understanding of my said improvements I will
now proceed to give the details thereof, reference- being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters inmarked thereon.
^
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, represents my arrangement of self-acting apparatus for
giving an alarm on the road.. I recommend its being placed at the
head of the train, and therefore near the funnel of the locomotive,
where there must be fixed a steam whistle-A, having the handle con-

page_text: nected with the chain or rod B, C, the end: C being fastened to a
crank D, forming part of a flap or swinging frame E,. here shown in
section, attached by the bolt a to the fore part of the locomotive,
framing F. The flap E may be about the width of, the space between.
the rails, and its lower edge may be on a level with the height of the
rails or thereabouts, and it is intended that, it should strike against any
obstacle placed between the rails and thereon operate the whistle A;,
Projections for this purpose may be made to act mechanically at certain
distances from stations on the lines, and in all such instances the
swinging of the flap E backwards and forwards will pull the chain,
B, C, by the crank D, and cause a whistle, gong, or bell A, to give the
required warning.
Figure 2, is a section of my improved steam whistle. A¹ is a screw;
steam pipe; B', the whistle; a', the valve, acted on by the spring and
screw within the steam-tight head or casing C.; D, the handle, the
' of which regulates the steam escape through cl, c¹.
screw
My mode of, signalizing between the guard and engine driver con-
sists in providing each carriage with a chain, which may be conveniently
placed under the floor of the same, and have their ends connected: by:
split links or other suitable means. Being fastened at one end to the
engine" whistle, or one of different tone, the guard can immediately,
operate on it by the signal chain.
My continuous chain brake is one of great mechanical power, and
can be applied with speed, and safety by manual labour, or can be made
self-acting. I will suppose it designed to lock each carriage in a train,
in which case one axle or one wheel at least of each should have a
drum attached thereto in any manner most desirable for affording the
required strength; but the axle of the locomotive, tender, or other
vehicle must be provided with a toothed pinion, working into a spur
wheel connected with a drum similar to the others described, and a
chain or chains of sufficient length being provided, one end is to be
secured firmly to the drum on the locomotive or other vehicle, and one
or more turns of the chain must be made on each drum of each car-
riage throughout the train, and be made fast to the last drum, to act
similarly to a ship's tiller, chains, and screws. On the axle pinion and

page_text: the adjoining spur wheel being thrown into gear they are inade to.
operate on a double action screw so arranged as to grip the sides of the
wheel in a manner effectually to prevent its rotation. It is to be
observed, however, that the first and last carriages, or any number, may
be acted on in like manner.
. I wish it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to any par-
ticular dimensions, materials, or precise situation of the several parts
described, so long as the desired results are the same, and in accordance
with the character of my Invention. And I do declare that what I
claim as my improvements are, namely,-first, the peculiar self-acting
signal apparatus; second, the novel steam whistle; third, the chain.
train signal communicaion; and, fourth, the chain and the clip brakes,.
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Fredric Goble, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
G. F. GOBLE. (L.S.)