IMPROVEMENTS IN ⚫ POINT' INDICATORS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James John Stevens, of Darlington Works, South-
wark, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
⚫ POINT' INDICATORS FOR RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 15th July 1862, and dated the 18th January 1862..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James John Stevens at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th January 1862.
I, JAMES JOHN STEVENS, of Darlington Works, Southwark, in the County
of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN POINT' INDICATORS FOR RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention is intended to indicate to the person in charge of the working
of the points, when such points are at a distance from him, the proper action
or otherwise of the points which he desires to work.
For this purpose I erect at the side of or opposite to the points a pillar, on
the upper part of which there is a diaphragm of any desired shape divided
into two parts capable of being separated and of being brought close together..
I make, by preference, the lower part of the disc movable while the upper
part is stationary. By a chain or bar I connect the movable part to a wheel
or pulley at the bottom or lower part of the pillar, and to this wheel I also
connect a rod attached to the "fly" rail. The point is worked by the attendant

page_text: through chains, wires, or rods by means of a pull-over lever in the ordinary
manner, and upon the "fly" rail being brought in contact with the main rail
the parts of the disc are separated or are closed, according to the manner in
which the indicator is set to act. The attendant has thus indicated to him
that the points have acted in the manner he has desired, or that they have not
so acted, when he take measures accordingly. In order to render this a
night as well as a day indicator, I erect at the back of the disc a lamp with
colored glasses, which may be made by showing a different color, or by not
showing any light at all to indicate that the points have acted properly or the
reverse. In some cases I make my indicator double, that is to say, I cause
it to face both to the attendant and to the driver of the train, and thus
indicate to both parties in opposite directions at the same time. Although I
have only described the diaphragm as divided into two parts, it will be readily
understood it may be separated into three or more parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James John Stevens, in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 18th July 1862.
1981
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
JOHN STEVENS, of Darlington Works, Southwark, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,' the
said James John Stevens, Her special licence that I, the said James John
Stevens, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James John Stevens, 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
POINT INDICATORS FOR RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said James John Stevens, 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
1..

page_text: 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 James John Stevens, do hereby declare
the nature of my said. Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention is intended to indicate to the person in charge of the working
of the points, when such points are at a distance from him the proper action
or otherwise of the points which he desires to work.
For this purpose I erect at the side or opposite to the points a pillar, on
the upper part of which there is a diaphragm of any desired shape divided
into two parts capable of being separated, and of being brought close together.
I make, by preference, the lower part of the disc movable, while the upper
part is stationary. By a chain or bar I connect the movable part to a wheel
or pulley at the bottom or lower part of the pillar, and to this wheel I also
connect a rod attached to the "fly" rail. The point is worked by the
attendant through chains, wires, or rods by means of a pull-over lever in the
ordinary manner, and upon the "fly" rail being brought in contact with the main
rail the parts of the disc are separated or are closed, according to the manner
in which the indicator is set to act. The attendant has thus indicated to him
that the points have acted in the manner he has desired, or that they have
not so acted, when he can take measures accordingly. In order to render this
a night as well as a day indicator, I erect at the back of the disc a lamp with
colored glasses, which may be made by shewing a different color, or by not
shewing any light at all to indicate that the points have acted properly or the
reverse. In some cases I make my indicator double, that is to say, I cause
it to face both to the attendant and to the driver of the train, and thus
indicate to both parties in opposite directions at the same time. Although I
have only described the diaphragm as divided into two parts, it will be readily
understood it may be separated into three or more parts.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2 is a side elevation of one of my
point indicators. Figure 1 shews its connection to the fly rail. A is a pillar, which
may be of iron or wood; B is a plate, fixed on the upper part of the pillar;
C is a movable plate, free to be moved up and down by a chain D passing
over a pulley a and fixed to the pulley E, which is connected by the rod F to
the fly rail G; H is a stop fixed on the pillar A, upon which the movable
plate C rests when at the bottom of its course. Figure 3 is a section on the
line a, a, Figure 1; and Figure 4 is an elevation of the upper part of tho

page_text: pillar, shewing the indicator shut. In order to make the indicator a night as
well as a day signal I fix a lamp I, and I fit colored glasses in the upper part
of the pillar, as shewn at Figures 1 and 2. The colored glasses are fixed in
a frame, which rests at bottom upon the movable plate C, and this frame
rises and falls with the movable plate, as indicated by the dotted lines, and at
the back of the fixed plate B, for the purpose of shewing the white and green
glasses, I cut away portions from the fixed and movable plates. For the
proper working of the points it is necessary that the fly rail should be either
entirely open or wholly closed; when open the movable plate is separated to
its fullest extent, rests upon the stop, and the white glass is visible at the
bottom of the fixed plate B indicating "all clear," as shewn at Figure 1;
when, on the contrary, the point is closed and the fly rail rests against the
main rail, the movable plate C is raised to the top of its course, and comes in
contact with the bottom of the fixed plate B, and the green glass indicating
caution is visible. In the event of the fly rail being stopped from getting
home in one direction or the other, the movable plate C does not reach the
end of its course, and exposes the red glass indicating danger. Should the
reverse movements be required in the indicator then the pulley E is shifted
from the axis 6 to the axis c on the pillar A.
Figure 5 is a front elevation, and Figure 6, a side view of an indicator for
shewing a signal both to the attendant working the points and to the engine
drivers. A is the pillar, to the upper part of which metal plates B, B, are
fixed; these plates terminate at top in eyes, which receive and form
bearings for the axis C. The movable indicator plate P fits into or is formed
in a piece with a socket D, a fixture on the axis C; E, E, are quadrant
frames, keyed or otherwise fixed tight on the axis C; the lower part of the
frames carries colored glasses, which move opposite apertures in the plates B, B,
to allow of the passage of light from the double-glassed lamp F placed
between them, and on the top of the pillar A; G is a fixed plate, upon which
the movable indicator plate rests, say, to indicate the points right for a branch
line; and H is another fixed plate, against which the movable plate rests, to
indicate, say, the points right for the main line; I is a guide rail between
the plates G and H. The fly rail is connected to the movable indicator plate
through a T-lever K connecting rods L, L, and a cross bar M, keyed or other-
wise fixed on the axis C. As in the indicator first described, if the fly rail
should not get home in one direction or the other, the indicator plate does
not reach one or other of the fixed plates G, H, and the red glasses appear to
shew danger both to the engine drivers and to the pointsman.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, the construction
and employment of indicators connected to the fly rail of points on railways
acting substantially in manner and for the purposes herein-before described,
with reference to Figures 1 and 2, and Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James John Stevens, have hereunto set
.my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of July One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
JAMES JOHN STEVENS. (L.S.)