IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOVING AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY SIGNALS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Burstow, of Horsham, in the County of Sussex,
and 91, Queen Street, Cheapside, in the City of London, Architect, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOVING AND CONTROLLING
RAILWAY SIGNALS.”
Sealed the 15th August 1879, and dated the 17th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Burstow at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th February 1879.
EDWARD BURSTOw, of Horsham, in the County of Sussex, and 91, Queen Street,
Cheapside, in the City of London, Architect. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
MOVING AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY SIGNALS."
My Invention consists in connecting the signal with the rod or wire from the
signalman's box in such a manner that the raising or lowering of the signal shall bo
accomplished while the rod or wire is passing through a portion (namely), the
central part, of the whole distance through which it travels with each complete
movement of the signalman's lever, so that any slight motion of the rod or wire,
such as might be occasioned by the change of temperature, will not when the signal
is either "up" or "down" produce any notion of the signal unless such motion
exceeds the amount provided for.
I find it most advantageous to so arrange the apparatus that the movement of
the signal may be completed while the rod or wire is moving about one third of the
whole distance, and so that when tho signalman moves his lever the first part
(about one third) of the movement of the wire or rod at the signal end produces no
effect on the signal, which remains stationary while this is taking place. The next
portion of about similar extent raises or lowers the signal, as the case may be, and
the remaining portion of the movement (also about one third of the whole) pro-
duces no movement of the signal. The effect of this is that if a slight motion of
the signal end of the rod or wire from the signal box, such, for instance, as may be
Occasioned by a change of temperature, takes place when the signal is at rest, either
"up" or "down," it will not produce any change in the position of the signal unless
such motion of the rod or wire exceeds about one third of the full length of the
pull.
This result may be obtained by a variety of mechanical arrangements, but that
which I find most advantageous and propose to make use of I construct by attaching

page_text: to the lower part of the signal post a strong disk, capable of revolving on a horizontal
axis, and which disk may either be driven by a pinion keyed thereto and in gear
with a cogged quadrant connected with the wire or rod from the signalman's box,
or otherwise caused to revolve so as to perform about three quarters of a revolution
on its axis for each complete motion of the signalman's lever.
On the face of the disk near its edge I fix a stud, projecting therefrom and
working in an opening pierced into or through a plate fixed to the lower part of
the rod which transmits the motion up the signal post to the signal. The opening
in the plate I make with curved edges, the upper and lower edges being formed of
curves of similar radius to that described by the before mentioned stud, with a
recess at one end where the curves meet, and so arranged that during the first part
(about one fourth of a revolution) of the motion of this disk the stud passes along
the curved edge of the opening in the plate without moving it; the stud then passes
into the recess at the junction of the two curves, and during the next part (about
one fourth of a revolution) of the motion of the disk the stud carries the plate along
with it, and thus gives motion to the rod to which the plate is attached and to the
signal. The stud then passes out of the recess, and during the remaining portion
(also about one fourth of a revolution) of the motion of the disk, it passes along
the other curved edge of the opening without removing the plate. The signal will
thus, except when the stud is in the recess, be locked so as to render any accidental
drooping or lowering of the signal other than by means of the rod or wire from the
signalman's box almost impossible.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Burstow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
August 1879.
EDWARD BURSTOW, of Horsham, in the County of Sussex, and 91; Queen Street,
Cheapside, in the City of London, Architect. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
MOVING AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY SIGNALS."
My Invention consists in apparatus for connecting the signal with the rod or wire
from the signalman's lever, whereby the raising or lowering of the signal is accom-
plished while the rod or wire is passing through a portion (namely, the central.
part), of the whole distance through which it travels with each complete reversal of
the signalman's lever, so that any slight motion of the rod or wire, such as might
be occasioned by change of temperature, will not when the signal is either "up
down" produce any motion of the signal which remains locked unless such motion
of the rod or wire exceeds the amount provided for.
"
or
I find it most advantageous to so arrange the apparatus that the movement of
the signal may be completed while the rod or wire is moving about one third of the
whole distance, and so that when the signalman moves his lever the first part (about
one third) of the movement of the wire or rod at the signal end produces no effect
on the signal which remains locked and stationary while this is taking place. The
next portion of the movement of about similar extent raises or lowers the signal, as
the case may be, and the remaining portion of the movement (also about one third
of the whole) produces no movement of the signal which again becomes locked, and.
the effect is that if a slight motion of the signal end of the rod or wire from the
signal box, such, for instance, as may be occasioned by a change of temperature,
take place when the signal is at rest, either "up" or "down," it will not produce
any change in the position of the signal unless such motion of the rod or wire
exceeds about one third of the full length of the pull.
In the annexed Sheet of Drawings the same letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts in all the Figures. Figure 1 represents a side and Figure 2 a front
view of an ordinary railway signal fitted up according to my Invention.
I attach to the lower part of the signal post, P a strong disc A, capable of
revolving on a horizontal axis, and which disc may either be driven by a pinion B
keyed thereto and in gear with a cogged quadrant L which moves on the centre N
together with the arm M to which it is fixed, and which is connected by a chain O
with the wire or rod C from the signalman's lever, or the chain O may be wound
round and have its end fastened to a drum fixed 'on the axle of the disc A, or the
disc may be otherwise caused to revolve so as to perform about three quarters of a
revolution on its axis for each complete reversal of the signalman's lever. On the
face of the disc A near its edge I fix a stud D, projecting therefrom and working
in an opening pierced into or through a plate E fixed to the lower part of the rod F,
which transmits the motion up the signal post to the signal.
I make the opening in the plate E with its upper and lower edges formed of
curves similar to that described by the stud D, with a recess G at one end where the
curves meet, into which the stud D passes, and by means of which it raises or lowers
the signal.
The manner in which this arrangement acts is as follows:-Supposing the signal
to be "up," as shewn in the Drawings, in which position it is balanced and held by
the counterpoises H and I. When the signalman pulls his lever from k to k² the
arm M, and with it the quadrant L, passes into the position shewn by the dotted
lines, and marked M' and L¹, turning the pinion B and the disc A on their axis.
During the first portion (about one fourth of a revolution) of the motion of the
disc the stud D passes along the upper curved edge of the opening in the plate
without moving it; the stud then passes into the recess G at the junction of the
two curves, and during the next part (about one fourth of a revolution) of the

page_text: motion of the disc the stud carries the plate E along with it, and thus gives motion
to the rod F and thus to the signal. The stud then passes out of the recess, and
during the remaining portion (also about one fourth of a revolution) of the motion
of the disc it passes along the lower curved edge of the opening without moving
the plate.
The signal is thus, except when the stud is in the recess, so locked as to render
any accidental drooping or other alteration of the position of the signal other than
such as may be consequent on the action of the wire or rod C almost impossible,
nor does any small motion of the rod or wire C when the signal is at rest, either
"up" or " down," produce any effect on the signal unless such motion of the rod or
wire exceeds the limits stated, or for which the signal is arranged; and, further,
should the signal become released by failure or breakage of any part of the
apparatus the counterpoises will immediately raise the signal.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be
understood that what I claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore
in part recited Letters Patent is, apparatus for actuating and controlling railway
signals, constructed substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purpose set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Burstow, have hereunto set my hand
L
Ant in
work of our Lord One
Signed and sealed by the above
named Edward Burstow in
the presence of
-
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Patent Agent,
91, Queen Street,
Cheapside, E.C.
EDWARD BURSTOW. (L.S.)