IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND OTHER SIGNAL APPARATUS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James John Frederick Stevens, of Darlington
Works, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND
OTHER SIGNAL APPARATUS."
Sealed the 22nd May 1868, and dated the 5th March 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James John Frederick
Stevens at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th March 1868.
I, JAMES JOHN FREDERICK STEVENS, of Darlington Works, Southwark,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND
OTHER SIGNAL APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention relates to the construction of the
signal posts, and consists in connecting the four uprights by means of
latticework which converges towards the centre, that is to say, that
the latticework is composed of four zig-zag pieces extending lengthwise
of the post, the outer corners or angles of the zig-zags being connected
to the uprights, while the inner corners or angles of the four pieces
meet in the centre, where they are connected together by rivetting,

page_text: welding, or otherwise. The whole construction is such that a horizontal
section through the post represents the form of a cross. The uprights
may be of angle, T, or other iron, and one of them forms the slide for
the signal lamp.
The second part of my Invention relates to means of preventing the
lamp falling to the bottom in case the lifting chain breaks. For this
purpose I connect a wedge to the slide, and when the chain breaks the
lamp falls quicker than the slide and jams the wedge against the slide.
Instead of the wedge any other suitable contrivance acting in a similar
manner may be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James John Frederick Stevens in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 4th September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
JOHN FREDERICK STEVENS, of Darlington Works, Southwark, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, 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 me, the said James John Frederick Stevens, Her special
licence that I, the said James John Frederick Stevens, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James John
Frederick 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY AND OTHER SIGNAL
APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James John Frederick 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 Inven-
tion, 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

page_text: Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James John Frederick 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:-
The first part of my Invention relates to the construction of signal
posts, and consists in connecting the four uprights by means of lattice-
work which converges towards the centre, that is to say, that the
latticework is composed of four zig-zag pieces extending lengthwise
of the post, the outer corners or angles of the zig-zags being connected
to the uprights, while the inner corners or angles of the four pieces
meet in the centre, where they are connected together by rivetting,
welding, or otherwise. The whole construction is such that a horizontal
section through the post represents the form of a cross. The uprights
may be of angle, T, or other iron, and one of them serves for the signal
lamp to slide upon. Although I have spoken of four uprights, that
being the number usually employed in the construction of signal posts,
yet I do not limit myself to that number.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation of an iron
signal post constructed according to my Invention; Figures 2, 3, and 4
are sections on the lines A, A, B, B, and C, C, respectively of Figure 1.
a, b, c, and d, are four uprights secured at their upper and lower ends
in any usual manner; e, f, g, h, are four zig-zag pieces forming lattice-
work; these pieces extend lengthwise of the post as shewn, the outer
corners or angles of the zig-zags being connected to the uprights at the
points i, i, while the inner corners or angles of the four pieces meet in
the centre, where they are connected together by rivetting or otherwise.
As before stated the construction is such that a horizontal section
through the post represents the form of a cross, as seen in Figure 3. The
upright d serves for the lamp to slide upon.
The second part of my Invention relates to means of preventing the
lamp falling to the bottom in case the lifting chain breaks. For this
purpose I connect a wedge to the slide, and when the chain breaks the
wedge is jammed against the upright. This part of my Invention is
represented in Figures 5 and 6.

page_text: A is the lamp slide, and B the upright on which the slide travels;
C is a chamber at the lower end of the slide; D is a wedge placed loosely
and point uppermost in the chamber C. The chamber C is open at the
back to allow the wedge to press against the upright B. When the
lifting chain E breaks the slide A in falling jams the wedge D against
the upright, the lamp is thus prevented from falling to the bottom of
the signal post.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as the
improvements in railway and other signal apparatus,-
First. Constructing signal posts with latticework converging to and
secured at the centre, as herein-before described and represented in
Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The arrangement or means for preventing the signal lamp
falling to the bottom in case the lifting chain breaks, as herein-before
described and represented in Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James John Frederick Stevens, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of September
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
J. J. F. STEVENS. (L.S.)