IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL INDICATORS APPLICABLE TO MINING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Ramsoy, of Upsal Pit, near Eston, in
the County of York, Engine Brakesman, and John Cooke, of
Darlington, in the County of Durham, Mining Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL INDICATORS APPLICABLE TO MINING
AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 21st August 1868, and dated the 25th February 180S.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Ramsey and
John Cooke at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 25th February 1868.
We, ROBERT RAMSEY, of Upsal Pit, near Eston, in the County of
York, Engine Brakesman, and JOHN COOKE, of Darlington, in the
County of Durham, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL INDICATORS APPLICABLE TO
MINING AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:—
This Invention consists in certain combinations and arrangements of
mechanism in the construction of indicators applicable to signalling
purposes, especially in connection with mine shafts, lifts, tramways,
Price Gd.]

page_text: railways, and telegraphs. The signals are given and recorded by means
of a bell and indicating and registering dials, the mechanism by which
the same are actuated being operated from the place whence the signal
is communicated by a chain, wire, or bar. In signal indicators of this
class as hitherto constructed, when a second or further signal has been
given, the movement of the pointer on the indicating dial has been
added to the former movement, thus giving the wrong signal and leaving
the attendant dependent upon the bell or the number of raps which he
noted at the last signal. By the present Invention this objection is
obviated, and if at any time after a brief interval another signal is given
the pointer on the indicating dial slips back automatically to zero before
shewing it, whilst the registering apparatus shews the signals which
have been sent since the last automatic re-adjustment of the whole
indicator.
The arrangement of the apparatus is as follows:-The main dial is
marked with numbers, letters, or words according to any desired code,
the pointer being attached to the spindle of a ratchet wheel and revolved
by means of a volute spring. The ratchet wheel is acted upon by a
catch attached to a "catch bar," which latter also actuates the bell
hammer and is worked by the signal wire or bar, a back catch ** being
placed so as to gear into the ratchet wheel and hold the same in position
after it has been revolved, and until the "catch bar is ready again for
action. The catch bar" is brought back to its normal position by
means of a spring, the force of which is transmitted by a lever connected
with a cataract of oil or other liquid (such as is well known and under-
stood,) which lever retains the cataract bar after action, until by the
next signal being given it liberates the same, thus allowing the cataract
spring to put the back catch" out of gear and permits the ratchet
wheel to slip back to zero. The cataract is set by a suitable catch upon
the lever and acts against a spiral spring in the cylinder in which the
liquid is contained.
The registering portion of the indicator consists of as many additional
dials as may be required, the same being placed concentrically upon a
mandril and brought back by volute springs provided for that purpose.
The motive power bringing them into action in rotation is a pin on the
lever, along which traverses a small "catch-bar" (self-acting by means
of the cataract bar) over their respective ratchet wheels of which each
has its own small back catch so connected with the main back catch

page_text: that they are not released when actuated by the cataract, but allow the
By this
whole to go back to zero when re-adjusted automatically.
portion of the apparatus all signals up to a required number which have
been given since the last automatic re-adjustment of the signal indicator
are registered until its next automatic re-adjustment, the registering
dials and the pointer on the main dial being adjusted or brought back to
zero by the same automatic movement of the main back catch" which
projects on the outside of the indicator for the purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Robert Ramsey and John Cooke in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 25th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
RAMSEY, of Upsal Pit, near Eston, in the County of York, Engine
Brakesman, and JOHN COOKE, of Darlington, in the County of Durham,
Mining Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Robert Ramsey and John Cooke, Her
special licence, that we, the said Robert Ramsey and John Cooke, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the sai
Robert Ramsey and John Cooke, 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 SIGNAL INDICATORS
APPLICABLE TO MINING AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst
Cooke, our
others) that we, the said Robert Ramsey and John Cooke,
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

page_text: Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and im
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Robert Ramsey and John Cooke,
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, reference being had to the
annexed Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say-
"
Our said Invention consists in certain combinations and arrange-
ments of mechanism in the construction of indicators applicable to
signalling purposes, especially in connection with mine shafts, lifts,
tramways, railways, and telegraphs. The signals are given and recorded
by means of a bell and indicating and registering dials, the mechanism
by which the same are actuated being operated from the place whence
the signal is communicated by a chain, wire, or bar. In signal indicators
of this class, as hitherto constructed, when a second or further signal has
been given, the movement of the pointer on the indicating dial has
been added to the former movement, thus giving the wrong signal and
leaving the attendant dependent upon the bell or the number of raps
which he noted at the last signal.
By our present Invention this objection is obviated, and if at any
time after a brief interval, another signal is given, the pointer on the
indicating dial slips back automatically to zero before shewing it, whilst
the registering apparatus shews the signals which have been sent
since the last automatic re-adjustment of the whole indicator.
The arrangement of the apparatus is as follows:-The main dia!
is marked with numbers, letters, or words, according to any desired
code, the pointer being attached to the spindle of a ratchet wheel, and
revolved by means of a volute spring. The ratchet wheel is acted
upon by a catch attached to a "catch bar," which latter also actuates
the bell hammer and is worked by the signal wire or bar, a "back catch"
being placed so as to gear into the ratchet wheel and hold the same
in position after it has been revolved and until the catch bar" is
ready again for action. The catch bar" is brought back to its normal
position by means of a spring, the force of which is transmitted by
a lever connected with a cataract of oil or other liquid (such as is well
understood), which lever retains the cataract bar after action until
by the next signal being given it liberates the same, thus allowing the

page_text: cataract spring to put the back catch" out of gear and permits the
ratchet wheel to slip back to zero. The cataract is set by a suitable
catch upon the lever, and acts against a spiral spring in the cylinder
in which the liquid in contained. The registering portion of the indicator
consists of as many additional dials as may be required, the same being
placed concentrically upon a mandril and brought back by volute
springs provided for that purpose. The motive power bringing them
into action in rotation is a pin on the lever, along which traverses a
small catch bar (self-acting by means of the cataract bar) over their
respective ratchet wheels, of which each has its own small back catch
so connected with the main back catch that they are not released when
actuated by the cataract, but allow the whole to go back to zero when
readjusted automatically. By this portion of the apparatus all signals
up to a required number which have been given since the last automatic
readjustment of the signal indicator, are registered until its next
automatic readjustment, the registering dials and the pointer on the
main dial being adjusted or brought back to zero by the same automatic
movement of the main back catch, which projects on the outside of the
indicator for the purpose..
We will now proceed to refer to the annexed Drawings, from which
the nature of our said Invention will be more clearly understood.
In Sheet 1, Figure 1 is an external view of the apparatus.
In Sheet 2, Figure represents the internal mechanism, Figure 3
being a sectional view of the same, the lines A, B, and C, D, being
coincident; and Figure 4 a separate view of the before-mentioned self-
acting traversing catch bar. The same letters of reference indicate
similar parts in all the Figures.
22
a is the pointer; b, the indicating dial; c, registering dials; d, main
ratchet. wheel; e, back catch; /, catch bar; g, bell; h, hammer;
i, lever; , registering dial ratchet wheels; , cataract bar; 1, cataract
spring; m, cataract; 7, self-acting ratchet; o, registering dial "back
catches; P, self-acting traversing catch bar; q, registering dial's catch
bar; 7, connection with the main back catch of registering dial back
catches; s, readjusting bar for self-acting arrangement, when the whole
is brought back to zero; t, catch or lever for setting cataract; u, pin
or lever for registering dial's catch bar to be traversed upon; v, back
catch of self-acting ratchet wheel; w, guide for catch acting in main
ratchet wheel;, catch which stops the cataract bar from actuating

page_text: the self-acting arrangement when a pause is made at the top of the
stroke with the main catch bar; y, guide to keep the self-acting catch
from catching the wrong tooth.
Having thus declared and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we would observe
in conclusion that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details
herein-before described, inasmuch as variations may be made therefrom
without departing from the principles or main features of our said
Invention; but what we consider as novel and original, and therefore
claim as constituting the Invention secured to us by the said herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the combination and arrangement
of parts and mechanism in the construction of signal indicators, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and set forth, or any mere modi-
fications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cooke, have on behalf of
myself and the said Robert Ramsey, hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
E. P. H. VAUGHAN,
Patent Agent,
54, Chancery Lane.
JOHN COOKE. (L.S.)