AN IMPROVED SIGNALLING APPARATUS TO BE USED ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Gledhill and William Gledhill, both of
Slaithwaite, in the County of York, Rug Makers, for the Invention
Scaled the 13th July 1875, and dated the 16th January 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Gledhill and
William Gledhill at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 16th January 1875.
We, GEORGE GLEDHILL and WILLIAM GLEDHILL, both of Slaithwaite,
in the County of York, Rug Makers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SIGNALLING APPARATUS TO BE USED ON
RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to improvements in signals constructed to act
on the block system, and the object of our Invention is to render such
signals self-acting, whereby when one train is between two given points,
the conductor of a second train is made aware of the fact by means of
the signal raised by the former train in passing the first point, which
signal remains raised until the preceeding train has passed the second

page_text: point, when the signal is lowered, and the following train is then at
liberty to proceed.
>
Our apparatus is constructed as follows:-The chain for raising the
signal is attached to one end of a slide block, and to the other end of the
said slide block is another chain or rod connected with one arm of a
bell-crank lever. By means of a suitably placed lever acting on the
other arm of the bell-crank lever the block is drawn or caused to slide
in its bearings when a train passes over the said lever, and the signal is
raised, and by means of a catch lever which falls into a notch in the
slide block it is prevented from falling after the train has passed. At a
suitable distance from the signal is the lowering apparatus, which
consists of a similar slide block connected by wire with the catch lever
for keeping the first-mentioned block in position. The second slide
block is actuated in similar manner to the first one by the train passing
over and acting on a suitably placed lever. The blocks are returned to
their original positions by means of counterbalance weights.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Gledhill and. William Gledhill in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 16th July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
GLEDHILL and WILLIAM GLEDHILL, both of Slaithwaite, in the County
of York, Rug Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said George Gledhill and William
Gledhill, Her special licence that we, the said George Gledhill and
William Gledhill, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said George Gledhill and William Gledhill, our.
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

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED SIGNALLING APPARATUS TO BE USED ON RAILWAYS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said George Gledhill and
William Gledhill, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their bands 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Gledhill and William
Gledhill, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 construction of our apparatus will be readily understood by
reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, which is marked with
letters of reference, the same letters refering to the same parts in the
various views or Figures; A and B are the rails or permanent way, C the
signal post, and D the signal. To the pin upon which the signal works
is attached a crank arm a connected by link or rod to the lever arm b,
on one end of which is a balance weight c, and to the other end a cord
or chain d. This cord or chain is attached to one end of a block E
capable of sliding in the supports or bearings e, and to the slide block is
also connected the cord or chain F passing round the pulley f and
attached to the bell-crank lever G. This chain F can be regulated by
screw f¹ when necessary. H is a lever hinged at 7 and connected by
link i to the bell-crank lever G.
The accompanying Drawing represents the signal lowered, but it will
be seen that a train travelling in the direction of the arrow will depress
the lever H, which is so placed that the rims or flanges of the wheels
pass directly over it, and this depression of the lever will be communi-
cated to the bell-crank lever, and from it by the cord F to the slide
block E, causing it to slide in its bearings and slaken the cord or
chain d. The counterbalance weight is thus allowed to fall and the
signal is raised. The catch K takes into the notch % and prevents the
block E from returning to its original position. This takes place when
the train passes over the lever L which is hinged at similarly to the
lever H, and connected by link m to the bell-crank lover M, which is

page_text: attached by rod n to the slide block N. Over this slide block is a
vertical lever P to the top of which is attached a cord p communicating
with the arm R at the signal box. On the bottom of the lever P is a
hinged piece r. The passage of the trains over the lever L causes the
block N to slide in its bearings, the raised catch s passing underneath the
hinged piece », which is so hinged as to move only in one direction. As
soon as the train has passed completely over the balance weight S causes
the block N to return to its original position. In doing this the catch s
comes in contact with the stop piece causing the lever P to hilts, and
thus tightening the cord p and lowering the end of the arm R. This
arm is hinged at t and the other end rests underneath a pin fixed in. the
catch K; when the cord 2) is tightened the motion of the arm R lifts the
catch, and the slide block E is drawn back to its first position by the
counterbalance weight T, thus tightening the cord d and lowering the
signal. The cord pis balanced by weights o so that the arm R and
catch K can act freely when next required.
·
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and shewn by
Drawings how the same is to be performed or carried into practical
operation, we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves
to the precise details of construction or arrangement, as the same may
be varied without departing from the essential features of our Invention,
neither do we claim the whole of the parts above referred to, but
we do claim as our Invention is,--
Firstly. The combination and arrangement of mechanism or apparatus
whereby. the signal is raised when a train passes a certain point on the
line, substantially as herein shewn and described.
Secondly. The combination and arrangement of mechanism whereby
the signal is lowered, substantially as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Gledhill, for and on behalf
of myself and the said William Gledhill, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
GEORGE GLEDHILL. (L.S.)