IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALS IN RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Packer, of St. John's Hill, New Wands-
worth, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SIGNALS IN RAILWAY TRAINS."
Sealed the 24th February 1865, and dated the 30th August 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Packer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th August 1864.
I, JOHN PACKER, of St. John's Hill, New Wandsworth, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of.the.said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SIGNALS IN RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in raising by any suitable mechanical contrivance
the lamps which are used for lighting railway carriages to such a height.
above the roofs of the carriages that the guard of the train or other servant
of the railway company will be enabled at night to see the lights, which may
be colored lights; and in having in combination with the apparatus for raising
the lamps.an.arm or semaphore, which is raised above the roof of the carriage.
either at the same time and by the same apparatus as the lamps, or may.be.
raised independently of the lamps, and thus constitute a day signal, which will
be visible to the guard. of the train, or other servants of the railway company:

page_text: Also in having some apparatus in combination with the above that will make
a noise, if required, to attract the attention of the guard or any servant of the
railway company, thus forming a sure and efficient signal between the
passengers and the guard of the train or other servants of the railway com-
pany either by night or day. One of the methods that I propose to employ
for raising the lamp or semaphore, or both together, is by having a weight
heavier than the parts to be lifted, which will be connected to the lamp or
semaphore, or both together, by a chain passing over pullies or by levers,
which weight, when set free by means of a trigger or handle worked by the
passenger inside the carriage, will at once lift the signal, either the lamp or
the semaphore, or both together. If it is desirable, springs may be. used
instead of weights. And for making a noise, I propose to ring a bell or
striking a gong on the top and outside the carriage by a hammer or clapper,
that will be set free by the passenger inside the carriage working a handle or
trigger.
Another method I propose for making a noise is to explode an explosive
compound, such as fog, signals, by a similar apparatus or by the same appa-
ratus as proposed for ringing the bell or gong. These signals may be worked
in combination or seperately.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Packer in the Great, Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PACKER, of St. John's Hill, New Wandsworth, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Packer, Her special licence that I, the said John- Packer,
my-executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John.
Packer, 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 SIGNALS

page_text: IN RAILWAY TRAINS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Packer, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their bands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Iuvention, and in what manner
5 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 John Packer, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
O formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:'
My Invention consists in raising by, suitable mechanical contrivances, the
lamps used for lighting railway carriages to such a height that the guard of
the train or other servants of the railway company can see the light at night,
and in having in combination with the apparatus for raising the lamps arms or
semaphores, which are raised above the roofs of the carriages. Also in having
.some apparatus in combination with the above that will make a noise or
attract the attention of the guard of the train, thus forming a sure and efficient
signal from the passengers to the guards of the train or other servants of the
railway company, either by night or by day. The methods that I propose to
employ for raising the lamps and semaphore are by levers and springs, as
shewn on the, accompanying two Sheets of Drawings; and the method of
exploding the fog signals or other explosive substances is by a punch fixed to
the main lever.
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying two Sheets of Drawings, in which the same letters of reference are
used to represent the same parts in each machine.
In Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a plan of a sigual in railway trains; Fig. 2, cross
section; and Fig. 3, an elevation.
A is the ordinary railway carriage lamp as placed in the roof of the railway
carriage; B is the roof of the railway carriage; C is the casing of the.lamp;
D is the lid of the casing working on the hinge E; F is a lever with fulcrum
on binge E, which is made to keep down the lamp in place, being held by a
catch or trigger G. The other end of this lever F is connected to a spiral
spring I, which is in tension ready to pull the lever F and also the lid D
into a vertical position; on the lid D are fixed two semaphores or signal
arms I, which are also raised with the lid D.. The lamp A rests upon a
spiral spring K, which is compressed-and is sufficiently strong to lift the lamp
p to its position to shew danger as soon as the cross bar or lever F is free.

page_text: The handle L inside the carriage is connected to the trigger G by the-rod M,
and the spiral spring N is so arranged that it keeps the trigger G always in
position to catch hold of the end of the cross bar F the moment it is pressed
down into its place. The lenses O are fixed in the lamp casing C in such a
position that when the light A¹ of lamp A is lifted up to the focii of the
lenses the guard or engine driver, or both, can see the light. The dotted lines
on Fig. 2 are meant to indicate the position of lamp A, lid D, and sema-
phores I after the handle L has been pulled to indicate danger.
In Sheet 2, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a signal in railway trains ;
Fig. 2 is an elevation; and Fig. 3 is a plan.
A is an ordinary railway carriage lamp in place in the roof of the railway
carriage; B is the roof of the railway carriage"; C is the casing of the lamp;
D' is a ring on which the lamp is supported, which has two pins E to work in
slots made in the casing of the lamp, and to receive the forked ends of the
lever F; E is the handle inside the carriage and communicates with the
lever F by means of a rod I; K is a guide for the lever F, and has on one of
the inner sides a ratchet to prevent lever F rising up when once pulled down.
The spring L works into the ratchet and prevents the upward motion... M is
a punch fixed to the lever F for the purpose of compressing and exploding
the fog signal N or other explosive substance placed upon the seat O, which
seat has a hole through its centre to allow the punch M to pass into after
exploding the "fog signal." The counterbalance weight P on the end of the
lever F is to partially balance the weight of the lamp, and therefore less force
is required to lift the lamp into such-a-position-that the guard or engine
driver can see the light A' through the lenses Q, which lenses are fixed in the
casing C. The semaphore or arms R are fixed on the pins E, and are
therefore lifted up with the lamp to indicate "danger." S is a casing for the
semaphores when down.
.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of the said improve-
ments, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to
the exact details herein set forth, as such may be varied or modified without
-departing from the principle thereof; but I claim,
Firstly, the raising of the lamps used for lighting railway carriages..to
glasses or lenses to be affixed or otherwise to the existing or other cases
which are or may be affixed on the roofs of railway carriages for containing
the lamps to constitute a night signal..
Secondly, the combination of arms or semaphores with the lamps to be raised
by the same mechanical contrivance, or independently, to constitute a day

page_text: And, Thirdly, the combination of the explosion of "fog signals" or other
explosive substances at the time of raising the lamp or semaphore.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Packer, have hereunto set iny
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named John Packer, in
the presence of
R. W. WILKINSON,
18, Gt. George St.,
Westminster.
JOHN PACKER. (L.S.)