IMPROVED MEANS FOR MAKING SIGNALS ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Hallen, of Cornwall Road, Lambeth, in the
County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, and William Holland Kingston, of
Bandon, in the County of Cork, Ireland, A.B., Trinity College, Dublin,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Hallen and
William Holland Kingston at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 14th August 1856.
We, EDWARD HALLEN, of Cornwall Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
Civil Engineer, and WILLIAM HOLLAND KINGSTON, of Bandon, in the County
of Cork, Ireland, A.B., Trinity College, Dublin, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS FOR MAKING SIGNALS ON RAILWAYS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of such mechanical contrivances or arrangements
connected with signals at either end of the terminus or station as will cause an
engine, train, or carriage of any description used on railways, to shew on its
progress to the station the "danger signal," which signal will remain exhibited
till the engine train or carriage on its onward progress towards the next station

page_text: removes it, and substitutes the "all right" or some other signal (if considered
necessary) to indicate that the line is clear for another engine or train to
approach, thus preventing the accidents arising from negligence, mistake, or
otherwise on the part of the attendants in not shewing the proper signal.
At the terminus, or when the engine or train which has arrived does not
proceed beyond the station, it will be necessary to shunt it to a siding, or lie by
clear of the line, and in these cases our Invention enables the station master or
person in charge by means of an index or tell-tale (when he sees the line is
clear) to alter the danger signal, and give notice to an approaching engine or
train that the line is clear.
This Invention ensures the proper signals being at all times shewn for the
direction & guidance of the engine drivers and guards.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Hallen and William Holland Kingston in the Great
Seal-Patent Office on the 14th February 1857.
S
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
HALLEN, of Cornwall Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer,
and WILLIAM HOLLAND KINGSTON, of Bandon, in the County of Cork, Ireland,
A.B., Trinity College, Dublin, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Edward Hallen and William,Holland Kingston, Her special licence that we,
the said Edward Hallen and William Holland Kingston, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assignis, or such others as we, the said Edward Hallen and
William Holland Kingston, 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 THE MEANS FOR MAKING SIGNALS ON RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Edward Hallen and William Holland Kingston, 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.

page_text: nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Edward Hallen and William Holland
Kingston, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 (that is to say) :-
Our Invention consists of a lever or levers, switch or switches, or other
suitable means, singly or in pairs, moving horizontally, vertically, or at any
desired or suitable angle, connected with the signal posts or apparatus in such a
manner, that, being acted on by the wheel or wheels of the engine or first
carriage of the train (when the engine does not precede the train) by that of
any carriage of what kind soever used on railways by some part or parts of the
engine or carriage, or by some suitable addition made to such engine or
carriage, the lever or levers, switch or switches, or other suitable means
aforesaid, will, when the engine, train, or carriage, is approaching a station or
terminus, cause the "danger" sigual to be made at the distance or other signal
posts (as determined on) at each end of the station (at the approaching distance
post or other post or place at the terminus,) and remain till in its onward pro-
gress it arrives at the distance post at the other end of the station, when it
changes the signal it previously made to "all right," or such other as may be
determined on for the guidance of the engine drivers and others. Our Inven-
tion indicates at all times in the terminus station or other place appointed for
the purpose to the person in charge the signal made, and calls his attention to
any alteration that may be made in it. It also affords him the means, without
leaving his station or office, of instantaneously making the "danger" signal
when an engine, train, or carriage is being shunted, or when
any obstacle
may
be on the line of rails, which would risk the chance of accident or collision with
a following engine train or carriage, and of altering it to "all right," or other
signal, as aforesaid, when the line is clear. Our Invention can be made by
acting on a "tell-tale" clock, to register the times when the "danger" signal
is made and altered, thus inducing a sharper look out on the part of the drivers
and others for the signals, from a knowledge that the signal made at any time
can be proved with certainty, and consequently that there is no room for con-
flicting testimony between the signal man (as at present) and the engine
drivers and others, in cases of collision or other accident, as to whether the
proper signal was made by the one and neglected by the others, or vice versa.
Our Invention is also applicable to tunnels, deep cuttings, sharp curves, or

page_text: such other places as it is particularly requisite to protect from risk of collision
or accident.
We now proceed to describe, accompanied by Drawings, in what manner
and by what various means our said Invention is to be performed, using as far
as possible the same letters to denote similar parts. Figs. 1 and 1' in No. 1
Sheet represent a general plan of our signal apparatus at a terminus, where
in Fig. 1 an engine E is shown as arrived, having opened the lever and
turned a revolving signals to danger on the distance post A when it passed it,
which previously stood at "all right," as shown by the dotted lines; at the
same the signal arms at B in the office or other situation adopted is also
turned to "danger," and can apprise those in charge, by the same action acting
on-a-bell or alarum, that a train is passing the distance post and is entering the
terminus. The same motion (if required) can also operate upon a "tell-tale"
clock to indicate what signal is made and the time that it is made. In this
position the danger signal will remain until an engine, carriage, or train on
leaving the terminus shall pass the lever on its way out without altering the
"danger" signal till it arrives at another lever further on, which is shut, and
which, on its being opened by the engire, pulls a wire or rope c, wound round
a pulley connected with the distance post just passed, and closes its lever 1, and
in so closing, turns the signals back to the dotted line "all right." The endless
line from A to B is fastened to and winds round each, so that a power may bo
applied at either to move the other.
Fig. 1 shows the lever at a terminus, as last described, and shows the
signals s and s¹ at "all right" ready for another train to enter. T, ₁l, g₁ll, 111,
show the rails of the line.
Fig. 2 shows a general view of our plan of making signals at a station on
a single line. Here the levers are shown closed at the distance posts A, A, at
either end of the station, and the signals s, s, and s' show "all right," and
the farthest levers l', ', at either end are open. We will now suppose the up-
train approaching a station; the engine driver seeing "all right" passes the
lever l, which is open, and his engine forces back the lever l, which pulls a rod
a, fastened to a line or rope winding round the distance posts A, A, and index
post B, which turns the signals to "danger," and closes the levers 7, 1, at the
extreme distance pullies p', pl. On leaving the station, an engine passes the
nearest lever 1, which is open, and on arriving at the farthest lever l'
opens it,
which pulls a line (as before described) connected with it and A, A, and B,
and shuts the levers 1, 1, which operation shows "all right" signals at the
distance posts A, A, and index post B. This index may also act upon an
"alarum" or a "tell-tale" clock, in a similar manner as at a terminus.

page_text: Fig. 3 shows the working of the signals on a double line. In this case
the levers and open and shut alternately, so that when one is shut the
other is open.
If it be a train on the up-line approaching a station, the engine driver
secing the all right signals forces open the lever with his engine, which
pulls the line connected with the station post A and index post B, which will
then show the danger signals at A and B at the same time, and the opening
of the lever at A shuts the lever at p, which, on being opened when the
train leaves the station, will reverse the danger signals s and s¹ to "all
right" by a backward action of the lines attached to the levers and which
operation of opening the lever shuts the lever at the opposite end of the
station, and leaves the signals s & s' at "all right," and the lever ready for
another train to arrive. The same apparatus is used on the down line. The
index post B has the same means of applying its motion to the "tell-tale."
clock and "alarum" in this instance as in those previously described.
Fig. 4, in Sheet 3, shows also a general plan of working signals on a single
line by levers in pairs, with connecting rods attached to the levers to make them
act simultaneously,. or each pair of levers may work the signals without these
connecting rods. In this plan the train is shown at the station, and the levers
at A, A, are both open, the engine having forced them open on entering the
station. As they are connected together, as in the before described plan, by lines
from one to the other passing round pullies p, p, and p', p', p', p', and station
posts A, A, and index posts B, B, and fastened to levers 1, 1, at either end of
the station, and to levers , l, at the extreme ends of the apparatus, the
whole will be in motion at the same time whenever the engine opens or shuts
the levers. On leaving the station, the engine will pass the pair of levers lat
A, which are open, without moving any levers or signals, but in passing the
next two pullies p', p', it will open their levers l', and by opening them will
shut the levers at each end of the station, and will open the levers at the
extreme opposite end of the apparatus. This closing of the levers at the
signal posts A, A, at either end of the station will cause the signals to turn
round to "all right" at A, A, and at the index posts B, B, and at the same
time operate upon the "alarums" and "tell-tale" clocks, as described in Figs..
1, 2, and 3 of Plate I.
Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 of Sheet 1 are drawn to a scale of one inch to the
foot. Figs. 5 and 6 show a pair of iron levers 1, 1, working over the tops of
the rails of the line alluded to in Fig. 4, working on centre pins h, h, at one end,
coupled together. with iron connecting rods d, d, attached to a small iron beam f.
working on a centre pin properly fixed to a bar firmly fixed to the rails of the

page_text: line, the office of which is to make the levers 1, 1, work simultaneously.
Another plan of connecting the levers is shewn where d, d', e and g may
perform the same office. The levers in this instance show the connection with
the distance post, by means of an iron bar a working on a centre pin at the
lever 1, and on a pin which couples it to the distance post A. Each lever lis
shut and put on at "all right," and has an equal inclined faco (or it may be
curved next the rail in the middle of the bar between the pins, so that the
end opposite the fulchrum may be thrown out a greater distance than the
centre of the lever when it is opened by the engine wheel to its fullest extent,
in which case the levers and other connections are altered to the position
W. H. K. distance W. II. K.
shown by the dotted lines, and the station A post A with the signals
and lanthorn attached to its top turns round to danger, shewing the
red light R. L. or other color determined on, and fronts the line, to be
seen by following trains: a white light W.L. is seen by night when
the lever is shut-to-indicato-all-right." The line c, c, c, is made of wire
rope, rods of iron supported on rollers connected together, A or other flexible
materials, to wind round the distance posts A, A, or B, or wire-jointed wire
rope, links, chains, or other contrivances, to cause them to revolve either
way to alter the signals. These rops, or rods, or wires can be fastened to
W. H. K. or other W. H. K.
W. H. K. and links W..K.
spiral springs to regulate the expansion and contraction of the material.
The post B may be worked by a capstan bar, or mitre wheels, or any
mechanical contrivance to turn it, for the purpose of altering the signals in
case of shunting trains, &c. is a lever, working on a pin at the fulchrum
end, and having a weight won the other end to keep the lever pressing on
the ends of the large levers 7, 1, to render their pull on the bar a steady.
The end at i works between guides, and the end j is made broad to cause a
greater friction.
Fig. 6 shows the position of the ends of the levers 7, 7, at the opposite end
of the station to A, where they are shown open, the reverse of the other end,
and work the signals similarly to those at the other end. These forms of
levers may be used in pairs and not coupled, or the same form of lever may
be only on one rail to work on one side of the line.
Fig. 7 shows a lever to fit to the rail, similar to the regular switch, and
curved, so as to suit the opening which is required at the opposite end of the
lever. It is connected with the distance post in a similar manner to those
in No. 5, with a lever b pressing on it.
Fig. 8 shows a lever worked by a bar k, shewn on Fig. 10. This bar is fixed
W.HI.K. or carriage W.11.K.
to the framework of the front of the engine A and works on a pin, to allow

page_text: W.H.K. or carriage W.11.K
W.H.K. or carriago W.ILK.
it to turn back should the engine run back on the line and cause it to
strike the lever. When the engine A is going forward and arrives at the lever
opposite to the distance post, the bar k strikes the lever l'and forces it when
open to , shown by the dotted lines, and pulls back the bar a, as in Fig. 5,
and acts upon the pulley attached to the fixed distance post A, the same as
upon the revolving distance post A in Fig. 5. This pulley wheel, whose
axle runs to the top of the distance post, turns the signals and light fixed to it
to "danger" or "all right," as in Fig. 5.
Fig. 9 shows the lever opened at the other end of the station.
Fig. 10 shows part of the front of the engine with the bark attached.
Fig. 11 shows a section of the front of the engine, and how the bar k is fixed
to it, and the guide bars m, m, to keep it steady.
Fig. 12 shows two levers running over the top of the rails; the one marked
I is moved by the outside rim of the wheel of the engine, and is entirely on the
outside of the rail; the other marked ' is moved by the inside rim of the wheel:
Figure 16 shows a section of the rail, and shows how the inside rim of the
wheel acts upon the lever ; and Figure 17 shews a section across the rail,
and how the outside rim of the wheel acts upon the lever l.
Fig. 13 shows a lever, whose top is slightly above the top of the rail, but
does not run over it but touches it, bent so as to be acted upon very close to
the fulchrum.
Fig. 14 shows a lever outside the rail and close to it, with an inclined
plane from either end, so that when the wheel presses upon it it is depressed;
which pressing down causes a rack to work in a toothed wheel and gives a
quadrant turn to the pulley o, round which a line works, connected with a
similar apparatus at the other distance post, to raise the lever at that end.
When the lever p is depressed, it pulls a line a, which is wound round the
pulley q, which turns the axle, and this axle, running to the top of the distance
post, turns the signal and lanthorn attached to the same, as in Fig. 5; a
weight w winds also round the pulley q, to steady the descent of the lever.
An elevation of this lever is shown at 1, where the dotted outline behind the
rail shows the part behind the rail, and the clear line above the rail the incline of
the upper side of the lever on which the wheel presses in its onward progress.
Fig. 15 shows a lever / above the outside of the rail, but not across it, where
the outside rim of the wheel operates upon it, and is so bent that the wheel
shall act upon it close to the fulchrum.
Fig. 18 is a section across the rail, and shews the position of the wheel,
with its inside and outside rim operating upon each, to give a backward
motion to the rods a and a to act upon the signals.

page_text: Fig. 19, Plate 3, shows the elevation and plan of the revolving signal post
and light of Figs. 5 and 6, Plate 1, with the red light shown for danger by
night, and signal arms s, s, standing across the lines of the rails for day.
Fig. 20 is a plan of a fixed distance post A, which can be applied to the
levers in Figs. 5 and 6, Plate 1, and the signals and lights made to revolve by
fixing them to the top of the iron axle, which fixed to the horizontal pulley
worked by the rod a; but in this instance, as the lever is shut the danger
signal would not show; a weight w hangs to this pulley to give additional
steadiness to the pull of the rod a.
Fig. 21 shows an elevation of a distance post worked like Fig. 19, but inside
a-hollow-column-of-cast-iron,-and-the-signals-and-lights-are-fixed-to-a-cross-
piece of iron welded on the top of the wrought-iron axle running up the centre
of the column..
"
Fig. 22 shows a plan and elevation of a distance post, where it is shown
that a, in pulling round the pulley 9, to which is fixed a horizontal mitre wheel,
which turns an upright one which revolves round a pin, which runs through
the post, and is screwed thereto; at the other end of this pin is a hole bored
to receive the upper end of the axle of the mitre wheel attached to the
pulley q. At the back of this upright mitre wheel is a pulley, cast to it, round
which a line passes up to the pulley at the top of the post, which lifts a
semaphore on the other side of the post, and which when lifted, covers the
lamp, which is fixed to the side of the post with a red glass in the short arm of
the semaphore, and shows danger. The white light in the lamp shows "all
right" when the semaphore is dropped.
Fig. 23 shows another plan of raising and falling the semaphore, which is
done by the upright mitre quadrant wheel having a toothed wheel at the back,
which moves a rack fixed to a bar having another rack at the top working into
a quadrant toothed wheel, to raise and fall the arm. The short arm covers
and uncovers the lamp, as in Fig. 22.
Fig. 24 shows another plan of working a semaphore, by having a rack
moved in a horizontal direction by the rod a to give motion to the horizontal
pulley round which the line c, c, winds. On the upper side of the rack is
another rack which works an upright quadrant, at the back of which is a
pulley which works a line running over the pulley p, which lifts the arm, as
before.
Fig. 25 shows another plan by which the semaphore is worked, by having
the rod a working on a joint rivetted into a piece of iron, in which two holes
are on each side of the rod; or these holes are to receive the ends of the lines
which are fastened to this plate. The lower wire rope winds round the

page_text: horizontal pulley and works the lines c, c, backwards and forwards; the upper
line passes round an upright pulley working close to the post, which works
another pulley on the top of the post to raise the semaphore.
Fig. 26 shows a as a line which pull the pulley 9 round to move c, c,
which operation turns the axle, which, running to the top of the post, works in
a collar there and turns the revolving arm and lanthorn.
The before-mentioned descriptions of the Drawings show that the means
"for making signals" by our Invention are self-acting, and that the "danger'
signals are never put up except there really be "danger;" and should a train
W. H. K. or terminus W. H. K.
run into a station A when the danger signal is up the engine driver is the
party blameable, not the system.
"
In addition to our Invention being self-acting, we have provided means, as
shown, for the signals being altered by hand; for should it be necessary to do
anything at a station, terminus, or other place protected in the manner we
have described after the train has left the station and made the "all right
signals, it will be necessary on these occasions for the "danger" signals to be
shewn, and for this purpose the index signal post B is provided; and we have
preferred placing it in an office or some place not common to all, so that none
but those intrusted with such an important duty can alter the signals, and it
being placed, as nearly as circumstances will permit, centrally between the
distance posts, the alterations can take place with as little delay as possible; or,
should it be deemed advisable to dispense with this intermediate index post B
it will not prevent the train making the danger and all right signals itself, as
before, at the distance posts at either end of the station; but the power to
alter the signals by hand must be applied at either or both of the distance posts
by a capstan bar, or other mechanical means.
Having particularly described and ascertained, accompanied by Drawings,
various means by which our said Invention is to be performed, it must be
clearly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the proportions, forms,
or positions of the different parts as shewn in the accompanying Drawings,
as these may be varied according to circumstances or locality, so long as these
are so constructed as to carry into effect our said Invention.
That we do not confine ourselves to using similar kinds of levers, switches,
or other suitable means, or means of working them at each signal post, as our
plans for working the levers, switches, or other suitable means to make and
alter the signals may be variously combined; for instance, Fig. 5 may be used
to make the "danger" signal, and Fig. 6 to alter it, and so with others; nor do
we confine ourselves to making the levers, switches, or other suitable means
to act by a pull, as by altering the position of the connecting red or link

page_text: and other requisite parts these can be made to make and alter the signals by
a thrust.
That we do not claim all the separate parts as our Invention; but that
what we do claim are the following, viz:-
The combination of the several parts to carry into effect our said Invention.
The particular forms given to the levers or switches working the signals
when acted on by the engine, carriage, or train, which forms allow the engine,
carriage, or train to travel in both directions without the intervention of a
switch or pointsman.
The use of levers, switches, or other suitable means singly or in pairs at the
approaching and departing ends of the station to make and alter the requisite
signal or signals.
The use of levers or switches in pairs to ensure the proper action of the
wheels, or other parts of the engine, train, or carriage, or of any suitable
addition made to same, to act on them as herein-before described...
The means by which the signal posts are connected with each other-and-the-
index at the terminus or station or other place appointed, by which the signals
are not only made and altered simultaneously at the extreme ends of the
station by the engine, train, or carriage, but which also enable the person in
charge to alter the "all right" or other signal made by the departing engine,
train, or carriage to the "danger" signal, should there be any obstruction on
the line, and to change it to "all right" again when he has ascertained that the
line is clear.
The use of friction levers to steady the action of the levers or switches when
being acted on by the engine, train, or carriage.
The combined action of levers or switches when used in pairs by means of
the connecting lines, rods, or links shewn in the Drawings, or by other means
W.H.K. same object. W.II.K.
effecting the A
Employing the aforesaid means for making and altering signals on single as
well as double lines of railways.
Employing the aforesaid means for making and altering signals to shew at
the approaching distance post, and in the office, or other appointed place at the
terminus, whether the line is clear or not.
Employing at the terminus, station, office, or other appointed place, an
index to indicate at all times the signal or signals made at the distance post or
posts, alter same when required, and register, by acting on a "tell-tale" clock
the time when each signal or signals were made and altered.
The "tell-tale" clock being totally inoperative as a "means for either
making or altering the signals herein-before described in this our Specifica-

page_text: tion," may be used or not, as desired. We mention it solely as we believe, for
the reasons previously stated, that its use would induce more attention on the
part of the engine drivers and others to the signals made by the means
specified in this our Invention.
The means of making signals at the distance posts at both ends of a station
or place to be guarded without the intermediate index post B, before.
described,
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Hallen and William Holland
Kingston, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day
of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-seven.
EDWARD HALLEN.. (L.S.)
W. H. KINGSTON.
(L.8)