IMPROVEMENTS IN DETONATING AND LIGHT SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS AND OTHER USES.
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Peter Le'Keux, Gas Engineer, of 32, Seymour
Street, New Town, Deptford, and Frederick Augustus Wishart, Dentist,
of Ivy Cottage, Upper Lewisham Road, New Cross, both in the County
of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DETONATING AND LIGHT
SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS AND OTHER USES.".
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Peter Le'Keux
and Frederick Augustus Wisbart at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 27th February 1866.
We, WILLIAM PETER LE'KEUX, Gas Engineer, of 32, Seymour Street, New
Town, Deptford, and FREDERICK AUGUSTUS WISHART, Dentist, of Ivy Cottage,
Upper Lewisham Road, New Cross, both in the County of Kent, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DETONATING
AND LIGHT SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS AND OTHER USES," to be as follows:
Our: Invention relates to portable signals' applicable to railway trains, or for
use on the line, or on board of ship; or on buildings, or other situations from
which it may be required to make and display signals, and consists of a
portable tube intended to be fixed in a railway carriage or other situation, or
to be held in the hand, such tube containing at one end apparatus or means
of liberating à spring, so as to impel a hammer or striker at the other end,
for the purpose of exploding a charge to produce sound and igniting chemical
material for displaying light. By this means both sound and light would be
produced at the upper or outer end of the tube by the sudden reaction of the
spring previously compressed in the tube.

page_text: A further object of our said Invention is to afford the means of detecting
the number of signals given or the party by whom a signal is given. For
this purpose the discharging spring being previously compressed in the tube is
liberated as required by means of a catch, which is set free by the fusion of a
piece of fusible metal, caused by the ignition produced by the friction of two
suitable chemical substances, neither of which alone is sufficient to produce
ignition by friction.
The composition preferred for this purpose to be spread on a pair of spring
flaps or jaws inserted in the lower part of the tube is made from seven or
eight parts of chlorate of potash and three to five parts of sulphuret of
antimony. These ingredients are combined with a solution of starch, isinglass,
or other adhesive substance. At the part of the flaps or jaws in contact with
the fusible, metal the above composition is or may be amalgamated with a
solution of sugar resin to render it, more inflammable. And the composition
intended to be applied to the passenger's railway ticket or article to be
inserted between the spring flaps or jaws to produce ignition at the lower end
of the tube is preferred to be made of from ten to twelve parts of amorphous
phosphorus and from seven to nine parts of either sulphuret of antimoný or
oxide of manganese, combined with either of the solutions of adhesive sub-
stances above named. Both the above compositions are or may be used with
any suitable gritty or, roughened surface.
The above-stated compositions may be varied, and also the mode of
liberating the discharging spring. The upper end of this spring is connected
to a hammer or striker, which on the liberation of the spring is caused to
strike on a nipple and. explode a charge or charges of detonating material
contained in a chamber or chambers at the upper end of the tube. By the
same action of the spring and striker ignition is produced and conveyed to a
chemical material or materials similar in composition to that of a Bengal
light or other signal light or lights contained in a receptacle at the top of the
tube. The ignition caused by the insertion of the railway ticket or other
article with a suitable composition on it between the spring flaps or jaws in
the tube produces a mark on the said ticket or other article, by which such
insertion of the same may be detected. If required a spring with a barb on
the end; or other suitable instrument, may be applied to the flaps or jaws for
the purpose of more distinctly marking the ticket inserted.. In some cases
the discharging spring and exploding hammer may be, dispensed with and a
quick match substituted.

page_text: SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said William Peter
Le Keux and Frederick Augustus Wishart in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st September 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
PETER LEKEUX, of 32, Seymour Street, Deptford New Town, Gas Engineer,
and FREDERICK AUGUSTUS WISHART, of Ivy Cottage, Upper Lewisham Road,
New Cross, Dentist, both in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Peter Lekeux and Frederick Augustus Wishart, Her
special licence that we, the said William Peter Lekeux and Frederick
Augustus Wishart, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said William Peter Lekeux and Frederick Augustus Wishart, our
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 DETONATING AND LIGHT
SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS AND OTHER USES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said William Peter Lekeux and Frederick Augustus Wishart,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing, under our,.or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain 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 we, the said William Peter Lekeux and Frederick
Augustus Wishart, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our Invention relates to portable signals applicable to railway trains, or for
use on the line, or on board of ship, or on buildings, or other situations from
which it may be required to make and display signals, and consists of a
portable tube or tubes intended to be attached or fixed to a railway carriage
or any other required situation, or to be held in the hand, such tube or tubes

page_text: containing at one end apparatus or means of liberating a spring, so as to
impel a hammer or striker to the other end, for the purpose of exploding a
charge or charges to produce sound and igniting chemical materials for
displaying light. By these means both sound and light would be produced at
the upper or outer end of the tube or tubes by the sudden reaction of the
spring previously compressed in the tube.
A further object of our Invention is to afford the means of detecting the
individual using the signal and also the number of signals used. For this
purpose the discharging spring being previously compressed in the tube is
liberated as required by the means of a catch, which is set free by the fusion
of a piece of metal commonly known as fusible metal. The fusion of this
metal is caused by the ignition produced by the friction of two suitable
chemical compositions, neither of which alone is sufficient to produce ignition
by friction.
The composition preferred for this purpose, and which may be described as
No. One composition, is to be spread on or applied to a pair of spring flaps or
clams made of wood, metal, leather, paper, or any other suitable material, and
which is inserted in the lower part of the tube or tubes. This composition
No. One may be made of from six to eight parts of chlorate of potash, and
two to five parts of sulphuret of antimony, combined with a solution of glue,
starch, gluten, isinglass, resinous gums, or other adhesive substances. At
that part of the flaps or clams in contact with the fusible metal the above
composition may be coated or amalgamated with a solution of sugar resin in
alcohol or other spirit to produce greater inflamability. And a composition
which we describe as No. Two composition, and which is intended to be
applied to the passenger's railway ticket or other article to be inserted between
the spring flaps or clams to produce ignition at the lower end of the tube is
preferred to be made of from ten to twelve parts of amorphous phosphorus
and from seven to nine parts of either sulphuret of antimony or oxide of
manganese, combined with either of the solutions of the above-named adhesive
substances. Either or both of the above No. One and Two compositions are
or may be combined or used with any suitable gritty substance or roughened
surface.
The above compositions may be varied and also the mode of liberating
the discharging spring and striker or hammer. The upper end of this
spring is connected to a haminer or striker, which on the liberation of the
spring is caused to strike on a nipple and explode a charge or charges of
gunpowder or any approved detonating material contained in a chamber or
chambers at the upper end or outer end of the tube. By the same

page_text: action of the spring and striker ignition is produced and conveyed to
a chemical material or materials similar in composition to that of a
Bengal light, or the magnesium or any other light of similar chemical
composition may be used, and which may be colored or otherwise as may
be required. The signal light, which is contained in a receptacle at the
top of the tube, may be made in a case of any convenient material, as paper,
wood, or metal, and is provided with a tube through it, with a quick match
contained therein for the conveyance of fire to the lighting end of signal.
The ignition caused by the insertion of the railway passenger's ticket or
other article prepared with the herein-before described No. Two composition
between the flaps or clams coated with the described No. One composition
produces a mark or defacement on the said. ticket or other article inserted,
by which such insertion of the same may be detected, and, if. required,
a spring with or without a barb or jag or any other suitable marking
instrument may be applied to the flaps or clams or to the lips. of the
slot or opening provided in the outer tube for such insertion, for the purpose
of more distinctly marking the ticket or other article inserted, or for the
purpose of retaining it altogether in the slot or ticket opening as a means
of detection. In some cases we prefer to dispense with the catch, fusille
metal, discharging spring, exploding hammer, or striker and nipple, and
substitute the following arrangement, that is to say, a small inner tube is
connected with the upper or outer part of a larger tube and chambers
containing the detonating and light signals as bef re described, and at the
lower end of this small inner tube is attached a box or frame with
springs fixed therein for the reception of the chemically prepared. flaps or
clams. To these flaps or clams. a quick match is attached, which passing
through the small or inner tube is connected with the chambers or receptacles
containing the detonating and light signals. These chambers, or what may
be called the signal head, are attached to the larger or outer tube by a
socket joint with a slot and pin & with a stout india-rubber band to
form a water-tight connection, and at the bottom or lower end of the larger
or outer tube is a piece of metal to act as a guide to the box containing the
flaps or clams into its proper situation opposite the slot or opening provided
for the insertion of ticket as before described. In some cases it may be
necessary to attach a metal guard or receptacle round the signal light, which
guard or receptacle may be made perforated or otherwise, so as to intercept
any products or residue arising from the combustion of the signal lights. To
provide for self-acting signals in the case of accidental seperation of trains,
the same detonating and light signal is proposed to be used with a modifi-

page_text: cation of either of the before-mentioned means of igniting the same in
combination with a chain, wire, red, or other convenient way of connecting
each signal to the adjoining carriage or carriages.
We do not confine ourselves to any specified length or diameters or shape of
the tubes, as they may be varied to adapt them to the situations or purposes
for which the signals may be required.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the means of carrying
out the same, we now proceed to state our claims :-
1st, we claim the application of sigual lights of colored fire, Bengal lights,
magnesium light, colored or otherwise, in a portable form for railway and
other uses.
2nd, we claim the application of detonating signal or signals in connection
therewith.
. 3rd, the mechanical means of producing and conveying ignition to the
signals.
4th, the application of the quick match for conveying ignition to the
signals.
5th, the application of the composition No. One to the spring flaps or clams.
6th, the use of the passenger's railway ticket or other article as a means of
producing ignition and detection in the use of these signals.
7th, the application of the composition No. Two to the same for the purposes
required.
20 21
We do not herewith make any claim of Invention for the specified ingre-
dients or proportions of the several chemical substances necessary to be used
in the No. One or No. Two compositions in the signal lights of colored fire,
Bengal lights, magnesium lights, colored or otherwise, detonating compounds,
or in the quick match.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Peter Lekeux and Frederick
Augustus Wishart, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this First
day of September, in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and
sixty-six.
WILLIAM PETER LE KEUX. (L.S.)
FRED. A. WISHART.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM PETER LE KEUX. (L.S.)
FRED. A. WISHART.
(L.S.)