IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Daws, of Penge, in the County of Surrey,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS, AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 23rd August 1867, and dated the 26th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Daws at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th February 1867.
I, GEORGE DAWS, of Penge, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS,
AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the employment of self-acting signals; constructed
and acting as bereafter described, whereby a train is not allowed to pass one
signal until the previous train has passed two signals in advance.
To the lower end of the rod in connection with the signal arm or arms I
connect a plate free to slide in a slot in the post; this slide has a notch cut
in it into which one arm of a lever is free to take, the other arm being
weighted. The lower end of the slide is linked to one arm of a bell crank
Sever, the other arm of which is in connection with a wire extending along
the line for unlocking a signal, as hereafter described. The shaft on which
the bell crank lever works extends from the post to the line and there carries

page_text: arms (say two), one of which is connected by a link to the free end of a
treadle at the side of the line; the other arm is connected by a wire to an
apparatus, as hereafter described, for indicating to the engine driver, in case,
for example during foggy weather, whether the signal he is approaching is at
clear or danger. As the train passes over the treadle the links and cranks
just described draw down the slide in the post, and it is there held by the
lever taking into the notch; in this position the signal arm is raised to danger,
and will remain so until the lever is withdrawn from the notch, as hereafter
described.
.
The apparatus for indicating to the engine driver the position of the signal
in advance of him consists of a bell crank lever placed by the side of the rail
some distance from the post; the short arm of this lever is in connection
with the wire from the treadle; which on being pulled as the treadle falls
raises the long arm, and thus causes it to project somewhat above the level of
the line of rails. The engine is provided with a lever which as it passes the
projecting rod, should the signal in advance be at danger, comes in contact
therewith and acts on an 'apparatus about to be described for shutting off the
steam on the engine, and sounding a bell to attract the driver's attention.
Upon a lever depending from the frame of the engine I mount & bell crank
having a long and short arm corresponding with the crank on the line; the.
short arm is connected by a jointed rod with the handle for cutting off the
steam, thus when the long arm on the rail is raised as the train passes
the long arm of the crank on the engine comes in contact therewith, is pressed
back thereby, and so drawing down the rod shuts off the steam, and at the
same time causing a rod to strike a gong to alarm the driver.
To render the working of the signals still clearer, I will suppose that there
áre a series of four on the line, No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4. Supposing a
train to have just passed, No. 1 will be thereby set at danger and the lever
raised for shutting off steam from the following train; the train passes No. 2,
which acts similarly, but without affecting No. 1; it then passes on to No. 3.
and at the same time that it sets the signal at danger, it, through the wire
before described, púlls the catch at No. 1 out of the notch in the slide, and
the signal and engine lever are. left. clear for the next approaching train; on
the train passing to No. 4 it acts on No. 2 in a similar manner; thus a train
cannot pass No. 1 signal before the previous train has passed No. 3..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Daws in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE,
DAWS, of Penge, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the
year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Daws, Her special licence that I, the said George
Daws, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Daws, 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 SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Daws, 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 George Daws, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, that is to
say:-
My Invention consists in the employment of self-acting signals constructed
and acting as hereafter described, whereby a train is not allowed to pass one
signal until the previous train has passed two siguals in advance. To the
lower end of the rod in connection with the signal arm or arms I connect a
plate free to slide in a frame fixed at the side of the post; this slide has a
notch cut in it into which one arm of a lever is free to take, the other arm
being weighted; the lower end of the slide is linked to a lever. The shaft on
which this lever works extends from the post to the line, and there carries
two arms, one of which is connected by a link to the free end of a treadle at;

page_text: the side of the line, the other arm is connected by a wire or rod to an appa-
ratus, as hereafter described, for indicating to the engine driver, in case, for
for example, during foggy weather, whether the signal he is approaching is at
clear or danger. As a train passes over the treadle the links and cranks just
described draw down the slide at the side of the post, and it is there held by
the lever taking into the notch; in this position the signal arm is raised to
danger and will remain so until the lever is withdrawn from the notch, as
hereafter described.
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, of the accompanying Drawings show in vertical
section four signal posts fitted with apparatus for working signals according
to my Invention. In practise these posts would be placed about three-quarters
of a mile apart; 1B, 2B, 3B, 4 B, are levers placed at short distances
behind treadles A, B, C, D, which latter are worked by the flange of the wheel
of the engine as it passes along the line of rails. Figure 5 is a plan, and
Figure 6 is an elevation of the works at the signal post in the position they
occupy when the line is clear or "all right;" Figure 7 is a view of the same
parts, but showing the position they occupy after the train has passed along,
and thereby placed them at "danger;" Figures 6 and 7 are drawn on a
somewhat larger scale than the other Figures. Similar letters of reference
refer to like parts in all the foregoing Figures.
The treadle A (and it is the same for the other treadles B, C, and D,) is
connected by a link a and lever b with a cross shaft c, see Figure 5; this
shaft c carries a lever d, which through a link e is in communication with a
rod f leading up the post to the signal arm. Upon the train passing over the
treadle A and pressing it down it by means of the link a and lever 6 causes
the shaft c to turn, and this communicating motion to the lever d, the latter,
through the link e and rod f, places the signal at danger, and the apparatus is
then in the position shown at Figures 3 and 4. The signal and works are
kept in position by a notched plate g attached to the bottom of the rod f; into
this notch when drawn down a small lever h takes, having a backward motion
communicated to it by a back balance lever i fixed on the same pin k.
The apparatus for indicating to the engine driver the position of the signal
in advance of him consists of a bell-crank lever placed at the side of the rail
and about a foot therefrom; some distance in advance of the post the short arm
of this lever is in connection with the wire or rod from the treadle, which on
being pulled as the treadle falls raises the long arm, and thus causes the
curved end to be raised somewhat above the level of the line of rails. The
engine is provided with a lever which as it passes the projecting rod, should
the signal in advance be at danger, comes in contact therewith, and acts on an

page_text: apparatus about to be described for shutting off the steam on the engine and
sounding a bell to attract the driver's attention. Upon a bar depending from
the frame of the engine I mount a bell crank having a long and short arm,
the short arm is connected by a jointed rod with the handle for cutting off the
steam, thus, when the long arm on the rail is raised, and as the train passes,
the lower arm of the crank on the engine comes in contact therewith, is
pressed back thereby, and so drawing down the rod shuts off the steam, and
at the same time causes a rod to strike a gong to alarm the driver. Figure 8
shows this apparatus. is a lever fitted on to that end of the shaft which is
inside the metals; to this lever a rod m is attached extending back some short
distance, say fifty feet, where it is connected with another lever n working on
a short shaft which also carries the long lever 1 B. Upon the train pressing
down the treadle A, as before described, the short lever is turned, pulling the
rod m in the direction indicated by the arrow, thereby raising the curved end of
the lever 1 B some six or seven inches above the level of the line; this lever
by means of an action about to be described shuts off the steam of the engine,
as in foggy weather it is often impossible for the driver to distinguish the
signals. a is the handle for shutting off the steam; 6 is a rod or slide having
a notch on its under side, one side of this notch being bevilled; c is a bell crank,
one arm of which is connected by means of the rod d to a bell crank e with
curved arms, the lower arm having two pulleys or wheels f,f; when the
signal is put at danger the lever or treadle B 3, for instance, is raised some
six or seven inches above the level of the line, and the crank e being hung at
such a distance below the engine that the pulley f at the end of the lower
arm may assist in pushing the crank back, and as this is done the rod d is pulled
downwards, and the upper arm of crank c catching in the notch of the slide b-
pushes it back, and at the same time this slide being attached to the handle a
the steam is shut off; another notch is made in the upper side of this slide, so
that when it is pushed back one end of a lever g is raised, and then suddenly
falling the other end strikes a small gong or bell thereby calling the attention
of the driver.
To render the working of the signals still clearer I will suppose that
there are a series of four on the line No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4. Supposing
a train to have just passed, No. 1 will be thereby set at. danger, and the
lever raised for shutting off steam from the following train; the train passes
No. 2, which acts similarly, but without affecting No. 1; it then passes on to
No. 3, and at the same time that it sets the signal at danger, it, through the
wire before described, pulls the catch at No. 1 out of the notch in the slide,
and the signal and the engine lever are left clear for the next approaching

page_text: train; on the train passing to No. 4 it acts on No. 2 in a similar manner;
thus a train cannot pass No. 1 signal before the previous train has passed
No. 3.
To unlock the signals I fit on the outside of the signal post and on that
side farthest away from the line a slide r, Figure 6, and on one side of this
slide a link is placed hanging from the top pin, the bottom pin projects in
such a manner that when the levers (which is fixed on the shaft or rod
coming from the treadle) is turned from the position shown in Figure 6 into
the position shown at Figure 7, it pushes the slide back. To this slide a wire
or rod is attached, which runs back along the line to the second signal post,
for instance, from Figure 3 to Figure 1, where it is connected to an arm or
lever answering to u working on a pin, which at the same time carries a back
balance lever vand a short lever x, and supposing the signal rod to be drawn
down and locked in the position of Figure 7, and which I will suppose to be
the action of post, Figure 1, with this difference, that it is at danger instead
of all right, then when the train passes the treadle of post, Figure 3, it puts
it at danger, and at the same time, by means of the slide just described, pulls
the wire and draws the lever u of Figure 1 back, causing thereby the small
lever to describe a circle, and in so doing to raise the back balance lever i,
and consequently to take the lever h out of the notch g, when the notch is
immediately drawn up by the weight of the signals and placed into the position
shown at Figure 6. The small link on the slider acts as follows:- When the
lever s moves from left to right it pushes the slide back, but in describing the
circle the lever passes clear of the slide, and the slide returns to its former
position; but when the levers goes back the link is raised to allow it to pass,
and then falling forms a catch, so that the lever may push it back when
required.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
mauner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not limit myself
to the precise arrangements herein-before described, as it is evident that
certain mechanical equivalents could be substituted for certain portions
without departing from the essential features of my Invention; but I claim
as my improvements in signalling on railways and in apparatus connected
therewith,—
First, the construction, employment, and method of action of self-acting
signals, whereby one train is not allowed to pass one signal until the previous
train has passed two signals in advance, all substantially in manner herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the method of and apparatus for indicating to the driver of the

page_text: engine the position of the advance signal, as well as for cutting off the
steam and stopping the engine, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Daws, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven.
GEORGE DAWS. (L.S.)