IMPROVEMENTS IN GIVING SIGNALS ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
EDWARDS, of Shoreditch, in the County of Middlesex, Warehouseman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eleventh day of December, in the fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Edwards, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said John Edwards, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Edwards, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GIVING SIGNALS
ON RAILWAYS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that
I, the said John Edwards, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Edwards, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked 5
thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
My Invention relates to the using of a series of lamps for night signals;
and by the different combinations of the lamps when exposed or closed,
various agreed-on signals may be communicated from a train of carriages to a
station, or from a station to a train, or from one train to another.
And, secondly, my Invention relates to giving signals by day, by combining
the use of a series of thin plates, and by the different changes which may be
obtained by turning some edgewise and presenting others to view, a similar
mode of giving signals may be obtained. And in order that the Invention may
be most fully understood, I will proceed to explain more in detail the means
which I pursue: at the same time, I would remark that many variations may be
resorted in carring out the Invention. It will be evident that the more lamps
which are used in one constellation the more extensive may be the communi-
cation made; but as the extent of communication required from and to
trains of carriages will not require to be very varied or extensive, I will
suppose that four lamps are used as the set or constellation, and each lamp so
arranged as to be closed or open to view. I may here remark, that I am aware
that at stations on railways there are lamps used, by which it is indicated to a
coming train whether it is to stop or proceed beyond a lamp, and there are
also surfaces used for like purposes for the day; but there
making a communication to a coming or passing train, or between two trains:
I do not, therefore, claim the use of lamps generally, nor the use generally of
but my
Invention
surfaces capable of being turned edgewise or surface wise;
has for its object the using of several lamps or surfaces in such manner as
to obtain varied communications thereby, according to the different com-
binations which may be made by closing and opening the various lamps in
different orders and combinations in respect to each other; and the same
observations apply to the use of thin surfaces for day signals, which are used
by the edgewise view of any of them indicating the same character as the
closed lamp, and the flat view indicating the open lamp. These matters will
be better understood by the example given by the annexed Diagram, when the
same is explained. I have not thought it necessary to shew the framing for
carrying the lamps, as the same may be according to the positions of their
placing and the convenience offered by the carriage, and such may also be said
no means of

page_text: in respect to those at the stations, taking care, however, that they are placed
at such an elevation as to be scen as far off as possible. I will, for example,
suppose four lamps to be used, which I consider to be the most eligible
number for ordinary purposes, and I have marked the lamps A, B, C, and D.
When the lamp C is blinded, the lamps A, B, D, form a triangle, of which A is
the pointing lamp, and signifies that the train is on the left-hand rails; when
D is blinded, A, B, C, form a triangle, of which B is the pointing lamp, and
signifies that the train is on the right-hand rails; blinding and opening the
pointing lamp may signify "I see you," and the quickness or slowness with
which that is done will indicate the speed at which the train is procceding;
blinding the lamps C, D, may signify "Stop, we want to speak to you;"
opening all the four lamps may signify that a train has stopped; blinding the
pointing lamp may signify "All is right;" blinding all the lamps except the
pointing lamp may signify whatever is thought best. The blinding and
opening the lamps is done by means of a frame made of iron or other suitable
materials, to which is attached the blinds, as will be seen by reference to
the accompanying Drawings. E, F, blinds attached to the frame V, V, for
blinding the lamps A, B, C ; G, I, blinds for the lamp C; H, K, blinds for the
lamp D; L, M, handles to the frame which works in slides in the trough
N, O, P, Q; S, T, cross bars attached to the iron frame to hook the slides G or
H to, when desired to blind either of the bottom lamps without blinding the
lamp immediately over it. The above indications are only given as examples
of what may be done, but the same will be arranged in order to suit tho
particular requirements of a railway. In obtaining telegraphic signals by
daylight, according to the same plan, but instead of lamps, thin sheets of
metal or other material to be used, of round or other shape, the face of the
said piece of metal to be presented to the eye instead of the lamp not blinded,
and the edge to represent the lamps blinded, as represented by Figure 2.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I
claim is the mode of using a series of lamps or surfaces, and obtaining and
giving signals or communications on railways by the varied combinations
which may be had by the changing of the relation or position which the lamps
or surfaces have with respect to each other.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Edwards, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
JOHN (L.s.) EDWARDS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eleventh day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1842, the aforesaid John Edwards came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
toner of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-two.