SELF-ACTING REGULATOR FOR THE VARIATIONS. IN THE LENGTH OF METALLIC WIRES EMPLOYED IN WORKINGRES EMPLOYED IN WORKING' SIGNALS ON RAILWAYS, &C., WHEŃ CAUSED BY ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERA- TUBE
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Paul Prince, of Derby, in the County of Derby,
Civil "Engineer," for the Invention of a " SELF-ACTING REGULATOR FOR
THE VARIATIONS. IN THE LENGTH OF METALLIC WIRES EMPLOYED IN WORKING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Paul Prince at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th April 1872.
"
I, PAUL PRINCE, of Derby, in the County of Derby, "Civil Engineer,"
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for a SELF-ACTING
REGULATOR FOR THE VARIATIONS IN THE LENGTH OF METALLIC WIRES EMPLOYED IN
WORKING' SIGNALS ON RAILWAYS, &C., WHEŃ CAUSED BY ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERA-
TUBE,” to be as follows
The Invention consists of the employment in the middle of the length
of the working wire of a signal, a cylindrical revolving drum, over which
the wire proceeding from the lever passes to a hook which carries a
'

page_text: weight; the wire is attached to the hook by one of two loops connected
to the hook. Another wire is attached to the hook by the other loop,
passes back over and partly round, and is fastened to the drum, then
passes off under side the drum to the signal.
The hook above referred to carrying the weight, and being suspended
by the two wires over the drum, is so arranged that should the wire
between the actuating lever and the drum at any time break, the weight
immediately falls off the hook and allows the signal to fall on to
danger.
When the signalman works the lever to put on the signal the wire 1
between the lever and the drum is pulled towards the lever which
revolves the drum, and the weight ascends. This action slackens the
wire passing to the signal when the weight at the signal pulls the signal
on. When the signalman works the lever to put off the signal, the wire
between the lever and the drum is pulled towards the drum by the action 1
of the weight falling; this reverse action on the wire passing to the
signal pulls the signal off.
In the above arrangement the working wire is constantly maintained
at a uniform tension by the action of the weight ascending or decending
whenever there is any variation in the length of the wire resulting from 2
variations of temperature, therefore the actuating length and tension of
the wires being always proportionately the same, the working of a signal
on or off from corresponding workings of the lever will be always the
same notwithstanding any variation in length of the wire from the
above cause.
2
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Paul Prince in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Paul
PRINCE, of Derby, in the County of Derby, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
30

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Paul Prince, Her special licence that I,
the said Paul Prince, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Paul Prince, 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 a "SELF-ACTING REGULATOR FOR THE
VARIATIONS IN THE LENGTH OF METALLIC WIRES EMPLOYED IN WORKING SIGNALS
ON RAILWAYS, &C., WHEN CAUSED BY ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Paul Prince, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Paul Prince, 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 :---
The Invention consists of the employment of a cylindrical drum with
centre axle resting in fixed bearings placed at the middle of the length
of the working wire of a signal. The wire proceeding from the signal
lever passes over this drum downwards, and is attached to one of the
loops of a double-looped hook which carries a weight; another wire is
attached to the other loop; this wire passes back over and partly round
the drum, is fastened thereto, and then passes under side to the signal.
The double-looped hook above referred to is formed in two similar
parts and connected by a hinge joint, as shewn in the Drawing. Should
the wire at any time break between the signal lever and the drum the
weight falls that part of the hook to which the broken wire is attached
and slides off it to the ground; the wire being thus relieved of the weight,
the weight ut the signal immediately puts the signal to "danger."
When the signalman works the lever to put the signal "on," the wire
between the lever and the drum is pulled towards the lever and the

page_text: When
weight ascends; this action slackens the wire passing from the drum to
the signal, the weight at the signal then puts the signal "on.”
the signalman works the lever to put the signal "off," the wire between
the lever and the drum is slackened, and the weight at the drum being
greater than that at the signal pulls the signal "off."
In the above arrangement the working wire is constantly maintained
at a uniform tension by the action of the weight ascending or descending
whenever there is any variation in the length of the wire resulting from
the variations of temperature, therefore the actuating length and tension
of the wires being always proportionately the same the working of a
signal “on” and "off" from corresponding workings of the lever will
be always the same.
Differently constructed signals may require differently proportioned
parts and altered arrangements; but what I claim as my Invention is,―
First. The above described mechanical arrangements for maintaining
an approximately accurate actuating length of signal wires, &c., at
variable temperatures.
Second. The double-looped hook as above described, for releasing the
weight and causing the signal to go to "danger" when a wire breaks.
In witness whereof, I, the said Paul Prince, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
W. BOSWORTH,
Fleet St.,
Rose Hill,
Derby.
PAUL PRINCE. (L.B.)