IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SIGNALS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Turner, of Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, Elastic Web Manufacturer, and Thomas Yates, of the same
Place, Chemist and Druggist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY SIGNALS."
Sealed the 5th September 1861, and dated the 6th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Turner and Thomas
"Yates at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 6th June 1861.
We, HENRY TURNER, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Elastic Web
Manufacturer, and THOMAS YATES, of the same Place, Chemist and Druggist,
do horeby, declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
SIGNALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in railway signals. Forthis
purpose we fix a lamp to the engine on a moveable upright shaft in the most
convenient place for the engine driver to see. The lamp is a square one, with
two of its sides white, and the other two one green and the other red, or it may
(the remainder of the apparatus being slightly modified) be made with three
slides only, white, green, and red. A sheet of iron or other metal is fixed to
and elevated above the top of each of the two sides of the lamp, the one on
the same side with the green glass is painted green, and the other on the side
with the red glass is painted red. The lamp when lighted will serve as a
signal in the dark or in fogs, and the painted iron plates projecting above will
do for signals in daylight. To the bottom part of the upright shaft there are
attached two catch wheels, so arranged as to be actuated by pawls or drivers
attached to two levers fixed to the side of the engine. When a signal is given

page_text: one of these lovers (or both of them in succession) is pressed in by apparatus
herein-after described, and the pawl or driver gives a quarter revolution to the
axis. There is a stop formed on the lever to prevent the pawl or drivor
turning the axis too far round. The signalman has two handles for each line
of railway,each of which handles actuates a pulley, and to this pulley wire or
gearing is also attached and conveyed along the railway to another similar
pulley on a shaft, on which is fixed an oxcentric. This excentric when turned
forward to the line, as the engine is passing it, prosses in one of the levers fixed
to the side of the engine, the excentric is actuated by the signalman moving
the handle, and when it presses on the lever it turns the moveable upright
shaft on the engine, and with it the lamp, as above described.
When no
signal is required the excentrics are to be turned in, so that trains may pass
without coming in contact with them. When the train is travelling the white
side of the lamp shines across the front of the boiler,or in any direction which
the engine drivor may prefer; when the signalman on the line wants to give
a signal he does so by means of the handles, pulling one handle to signify
"caution," thus causing the lamp, when the engine passes, to turn round from
the white side to green, or he pulls both handles so as to give the lamp too
quarter turns, and present the red-side-forward; and thus signify "danger."
Suitable apparatus is applied to enable the engine driver to turn back the
lamp to its original position after receiving a signal. The lamp can also be
made to operate on the whistle of the engine by attaching appropriate gearing
from the lamp to the whistle, so that the whistle shall also give notice of the
signal. The same kind of lamp with upright moveable shaft, and the other
gearing and apparatus already named, may also be applied to the guard's van,
and thus theguard may receive a signal simultaneously with the one received
by the driver, so that the guard may pat on the break at the same time
the driver shuts off the steam. In case of a train breaking down, a signal may
be conveyed from the end of the points to the next station, however long the
distance, by fixing similar shafts and similar pullies and excentrics,, but only
one pair of wires will be required. The excentrics may be fixed at any
convenient distance from each other; for example, if the distance is seven
miles from station to station, and the excentrics are half a mile apart,
supposing a train breaks down midway betwixt the stations the fireman,driver,
or guard will only have to get down and pull the wire which runs by the side of
the line to the next station; this will turn out all the eccentrics, and thus give
a signal to the pointsman at that station, and also stop any train which may be
already on the road. The pointsman may also have a signal given him by
having gearing so attached as to set an alarum in motion inside his box, and

page_text: caution, a ranway comision need never occt on account of defective signals.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Turner and Thomas Yates in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
TURNER, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Elastic Web Manufacturer,
and THOMAS YATES, of the same Place, Chemist and Druggist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Henry Turner and Thomas Yates, Her special licence that
we, the said Henry Turner and Thomas Yates, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry Turner and
Thomas Yates, 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 RAILWAY SIGNALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Henry Turner and Thomas Yates, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us or them, 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 mouths next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Henry Turner and Thomas Yates, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what mannor the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in railway signals. For
this purpose we fix a lamp to the engine on a moveable upright shaft in the
most convenient place for the engine driver to see. The lamp is a square one
with two of its sides white, and the other two one green and the other red, or

page_text: it may (the remainder of the apparatus being slightly modified) be made with
three slides only, white, green, and red. A sheet of iron or other metal is
fixed to and elevated above the top of each of the two sides of the lamp, the
one on the same side with the green glass is painted green, and the other on
the side with the red glass is painted red. The lamp when lighted will serve
as a signal in the dark, or in fogs, and the painted iron plates projecting above
will do for signals in daylight. To the bottom part of the upright shaft there
are attached two catch wheels so arranged as to be actuated by pawls or
drivers attached to two levers fixed to the side of the engine. When a signal
is given one of these levers (or both of them in succession) is pressed in by
apparatus herein-after described, and the pawl or driver gives a quarter revo-
lution to the axis. There is a stop formed on the lever to prevent the pawl or
driver turning the axis too far round. The signalman has two handles for
each line of railway, each of which handles actuates a pulley, and to this
pulley, wire, or gearing is also attached and conveyed along the railway to
another similar pulley on a shaft on which is fixed anexcentric. This excentric
when turned forward to the line as the engine is passing it, presses in one of
the levers fixed to the side of the engine, the excentric is actuated by the
-signalman-moving-the-handle, and when it presses on the lever it turns the
moveable upright shaft on the engine, and with it the lampas above described.
When no signal is required, the excentrics are to be turned in so that trains
may pass without coming in contact with them. When the train is travelling
the white side of the lamp shines across the front of the boiler, or in any
direction which the engine driver may prefer. When the signalman on the
line wants to give a signal, he does so by means of the handles, pulling one
handle to signify "caution," thus causing the lamp when the engine passes
to turn round from the white side to green, or he pulls both handles so as
to give the lamp two quarter turns, and present the red side forward, and thus
signify "danger." Suitable apparatus is applied to enable the engine driver
to turn back the lamp to its original position after receiving a sigual. Tho
lamp can also be made to operate on the whistle of the engine by attaching
appropriate gearing from the lamp to the whistle, so that the whistle shall
also give notice of the signal. The same kind of lamp with upright moveable
shaft, and the other gearing and apparatus already named may also be applied
to the guard's van, and thus the guard may receive a signal simultaneously
with the one received by the driver, so that the guard may put on the break
at the same time the driver shuts off the steam.
In case of a train breaking down, a signal may be conveyed from the end
of the points to the next station, however long the distance, by fixing similar

page_text: shafts, and similar pulleys and excentrics, but only one pair of wires will be
required. The excentrics may be fixed at any convenient distance from each
other. For example, if the distance is seven miles from station to station, and
the excentrics are half a mile apart, supposing a train breaks down midway
betwixt the stations, the fireman, driver, or guard will only have to get down
and pull the wire which runs by the side of the line to the next station, this
will turn out all the excentrics, and thus give a signal to the pointsman at
that station, and also stop any train which may be already on the road.
The pointsman may also have a signal given him by having gearing so
attached as to set au alarum in motion inside his box. And thus with the
application of this Invention, and the exercise of ordinary caution, a railway
collision need never occur on account of defective signals.
And in order that our said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings here-
unto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation; and Figure 2 a plan of apparatus such as
herein before referred to. a is a vertical axis fixed in suitable bearings
usually on the side of the engine; b is a lamp with a white glass on one side,
a greon on another side, and a red on a third; c is a disc at the top of the
lamp, green on one side, and red on the other; d, d, are wheels made with
notches at their peripheries to receive the pawls or drivers c, e, which are
mounted on levers f,f. These levers turn on an axis y, also carried by the
engine. The pawls e are furnished with springs, which cause them to bear
constantly against the wheels d, d, and the levers have also springs which
press them outwards from the engine, and they are furnished with guides g¹,
which both serve to support them, and also to limit their outward movement;
h, h, are eccentrics mounted on axes by the side of the line, they are each
connected with a wire such as is employed to actuate the distance signals in
common use. By means of these wires, and when the same are drawn up by
apparatus at a distant point, the excentrics can be turned into such a position
that when the engine running along the line passes them, they will press the
levers inwards, turn the lamp 6 partly round, and so give the required signal.
A modification of the arrangement before described is shown in Sheet 2
of the Drawings. In this case the lamp in place of being turned partly
round has glasses of different colors brought up in front of it, to give the
signals required.
a is a lamp mounted on the engine, or in other convenient position on the

page_text: train; is a frame containing three pieces of glass, white, green, and red;
c, c, are guides on the frame of the lamp, in which the frame b is capable of
sliding up and down; d is a rod attached to the frame b, and descending from
it, at its lower end, a roller dis moun: el; e is one of the rails on which the
train runs, it has connected to it by the stud or axis a bar y, this bar when
at its lowest position lays by the side of the rail, and the roller d¹ as the
engine carrying it travels along passes over the bar without coming in contact
with it. The bar g however is capable of being raised either to the position
marked gl, or to that marked g², this is done by the arms h¹ and h², also
mounted on stud axes fixed in the rail e. Attached to the arm sh' and h² are
quadrants and 2, to which traction cords and are attached, and when
either of these is drawn tight it brings the corresponding arm into a vertical
position, and raises the bar g to the position g'or g, as the case may be.
When the bar is in either of these positions, the roller d' in passing will come
in contact with it, and be raised together with the frame b, and glass carriol
thereby. When by means of the cord and arm ', the bar has been raised
to the position g', the frame b will be raised to such an extent as to bring the
green glass in front of the lamp so as to cause the light to appear green, and
similarly when the.bar-g is raised by the cord and arm to the position.
the frame will be raised so as to bring the red glass in front of the lamp.
In order to retain the frame b in any position to which it may be raised,
spring catches are employed which take into ratchet teeth-on-the-guides e, c.
The engine driver or other person can allow the frame b- again to descend
after it has been raised by releasing the catches from the teeth.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the exact details described; but what we claim is the arranging
apparatus as herein described, so that a lanp on the engine or other part
of a train may be acted on by apparatus on the line, so as to cause it to..
show a light of the distinctive color required.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry Turner and Thomas Yates, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.