IMPROVE- MENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harrisson, of 25, New Church Road, South
Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS."
Sealed the 17th November 1857, and dated the 20th May 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harrisson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th May 1857.
I, JOHN HARRISSON, of 25, New Church Road, South Hackney, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improved method of working junction
signals, that is to say, the signals at those places where two branch lines of
railway run into one main line. Heretofore at such places the pointsman has
had to work six levers, two to move the points, and two on each of the signal
posts of the two branch lines. Now, this Invention consists in connecting the
signals with the switch levers, so that the act of setting the switch throws the
signals into such a position as to prevent any train advancing but that for
which the switch is set. For this purpose there are in connection with each of
the switch levers, besides the ordinary rods for working the switches, other rods,
which pass under the telegraph posts. These posts have each of them two signal
arms, one to regulate the up trains and the other the down trains of the
branch line to which the post belongs. All these arms are, when left to them.
selves, kept elevated by means of a weight, so as to signal "danger." When
the switches are put over to one side or the other, then the rod passing under
the telegraph posts is drawn in one or other direction, and this rod having two
stops on it, one under each post, in whichever .direction the rod moves one or.

page_text: other of these stops comes in contact with one or other of two levers, and raises
one of the weights in connection with a signal arm, and allows the arm to
descend. If the switch lever is moved in the other direction, the lever and
weight in connection with the signal arm of the other post are acted on, and
consequently the arm is lowered. The other signal arm of each post is
similarly actuated by the other switch lever. In order that the switches may
be worked independently of the signals when required, the rod passing under
the signal posts is not permanently fixed to the switch lever, but is attached
thereto by a clutch, and when the signals are by this clutch disconnected from
the switch levers, they necessarily both stand at "danger."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Harrisson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th November 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HARRISSON, of 25, New Church Road, South Hackney, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Harrisson, Her special licence that I, the said John
Harrisson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Harrisson, 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
RAILWAY SIGNALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Harrisson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, 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 I, the said John Harrisson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object an improved method of working junc-
tion signals, that is to say, the signals at those places where two branch
lines of railway running into one main line. Heretofore at such places
the pointsman has had to work six levers, two to move the points,
and two on each of the signal posts of the two branch lines. Now,
this Invention consists in connecting the signals with the switch levers,
so that the act of setting the switch throws the signals into such a posi-
tion as to prevent any train advancing but that for which the switch is
set. For this purpose there are in connection with each of the switch levers,
besides the ordinary rods for working the switches, other rods which pass
under the telegraph posts. These posts have each of them two signal arms,
one to regulate the up trains and the other the down trains of the branch line
to which the post belongs. All these arms are, when left to themselves, kept
elevated by means of a weight, so as to signal "danger." When the switches
are put over to one side or the other, then the rod passing under the
telegraph posts is drawn in one or other direction, and this rod having two
stops on it, one under each post, in whichever direction the rod moves one or
other of these stops comes in contact with one or other of two levers, and
raises, one of the weights in connection with a single arm, and allows the arm
to descend. If the switch lever is moved in the other direction, the lever and
weight in connection with the signal arm of the other post are acted on, and
consequently the arm is lowered. The other signal or arm of each post is
similarly actuated by the other switch lever.. In order that the switches may
be worked independently of the signals when required, the rod passing under
the signal posts is not permanently fixed to the switch lever, but is attached
thereto by a clutch, and when the signals are by the clutch disconnected from
the switch levers, they necessarily both stand at "danger."
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe. the Drawing hereunto
annexed:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a perspective view, and Figure 2 is a side elevation, of junction
Figure
perspective
аци Figur
5 signals of the ordinary semaphore arrangement combined, according to my
Invention, with other apparatus, which causes them to act in unison with the
switches. a is the main line, and b and c are the two lines into which it
branches; d is the semaphore telegraph post belonging to the line; 6 and e

page_text: is that belonging to the line c; the two arms of each post are worked by
descending rods in the usual way, and these rods are connected with bell-
crank levers ff, attached to the posts. In Figure 2 the levers, which are
in front of the posts, are. shown by black lines, and those which are behind
are shewn by blue lines in order to avoid confusion. On the horizontal arm
of each of the bell-crank levers a weight 9 is hung, which has a tendency to
keep the signal arm constantly up at "danger," and at the end of the vertical
arm of each crank lever there is a fork, which embraces a rod h passing to
one of the switch levers i, and capable of being worked backwards and
forwards by it; and there is another rod j attached to each of the switch
levers to work the tongue rails k, l, m, and n in the usual way. The rods h
have fixed to them stops o, o, and when one of these rods is moved in one or
other direction by the switch lever, it allows one of the weights 9 previously
held up by it to. fall, and lifts its signal arm to "danger," and then (as the lever
passes the vertical position) it lifts another of the weights g, so as to allow
the corresponding signal to fall to "caution." By this arrangement it will be
seen that the act of moving the points sets the signals, so as to allow those.
trains to advance, which can do so with safety. But in working the point
levers there is one combination of them which must be avoided, otherwise
a collision might occur between the up train of one branch line and the down
train of the other, and this position of the switch levers is marked on the
guide through which they work (not shewn in Drawings), in order that it may
be avoided. If this one precaution is observed no collision can occur unless
the signals are disregarded. When it is desired to work the points without
lowering the "danger" signals, it can be done by putting the foot on one of
the treddles
P, which disconnects the corresponding rod h.
I would remark that, although I have shewn my Invention as adapted to
semaphore signals, I have only done so because I consider that the best.
arrangement; but signals, arranged according to other systems, may without.
difficulty be worked with the switches, in the way which I have described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harrisson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
JAMES G. JONES.
JOHN HARRISSON. (L.S.)