IMPROVED MECHANISM AND ARRANGEMENTS. FOR WORKING TELL-TALE AND OTHER. SIGNALS AND SWITCHES.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ford, of Reading, in the County of
.
Berks, Railway Truck Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MECHANISM AND ARRANGEMENTS. FOR WORKING TELL-TALE AND OTHER.
SIGNALS AND SWITCHES.".
Sealed the 2nd October 1874, and dated the 30th May 1874.

page_text: .
the shackle now in use. On this arm I place a moveable or adjusting
hollow chuck arm to receive a pulley to work with the centre pulley,
a vertical rod working through the floor up to the quadrant attached to
the lever; this lever works the repeater or tell-tale or gong. The wire
or chain also will work through the floor to the ratchet. In locking
gear boxes there is a space below the floor to allow the arm to be three or
four feet from the floor line which gives space for the arm and lever to
work a distance from the ratchet. The ratchet can be placed in any
convenient part in the box or on the machine; this wire runs from the
ratchet to the travelling link or guide bar with a pulley or pulleys in its
centre working between cheeks, one of these checks being made
portable to allow of putting in a wire or chain; this chain goes round
the pulley in the centre of the link or guide bar, the chain wire from
the ratchet being attached at one end of the link or guide bar to pull
up the slack when necessary, that is, when the self-acting lever requires
readjusting which occurs when the contraction has run out or upon
expansion to put the lever in its right position; this being governed by
the tell-tale arm or signal which acts with it. If the contraction be
run out and the lever comes in contact with the frame, this brings the
repeater down and shows the contraction of the wire or chain, same
being under control in letting out with the ratchet, and the same on
taking up as before stated. The wire passes round the pulley on the link
and round the pulley at the bottom of the self-acting lever to the ordinary
signal lever. Around the pulley in link of another pulley (at the one
end at top of self-acting lever with a portable cheek arm to receive
pulley), the wire or chain runs over the pulley on one side down at the
back of another pulley in a solid cheek arm to the distant or any other
signal with the ordinary arm and weight attached to it. This vertical
lever works in a pair of cheeks or stands between or at the centre or as
near as you can conveniently get it; these may be coupled together if
required. The link works in brackets or guides or rollers, and can be
elevated to suit any incline.
Should there be any objection to the lever in the check frame being
sloped by the stretcher between the quadrant, the whole of this
arrangement can be taken out and leave the quadrant and lever free
between the quadrant, as the centre pin that it works on will keep the
1

page_text: Although I prefer the quadrant it can be dispensed with if thought
desirable, provision being made in the cheeks to work against the long
boss on the lever which forms a guide for the same. This arrangement
I term an endless contraction and expansion apparatus, as I can get any
practicable quantity of slack taken up by lengthening the link and
enlarging the ratchet wheel in the box.
Another arrangement I sometimes use is fixed on a plank with a cast-
iron plate with a centre pin for the lever to work on. The lever has a
long boss to receive a tie welded on the lever to keep it in position on
the lever plate; this lever plate has a circular raised surface, such lever
having two projecting arms which may be either portable or fixtures.
This lever has cheeks the same as in the arrangement above described,
and also stretchers between the cheeks to keep same in position at the
ends, such arrangements of lever being to suit station yards where a
vertical lever would be objectionable; the whole can be put into a box
and work under the line of rails. Should it not be required to repeat
the signalling the link or bar can be dispensed with, and the wire or
chain is fixed at a little distance from the lever.
The arrangements for gong ringing and to ring between by the guard
of the train, that is, between the blocking boxes, to repeat both ends at
once may be used gongs to be fixed to the box, and to repeat same as a
signal.
When I wish to apply my above described mechanism to actuate
switches I employ therewith the following arrangements which sometimes
I find it convenient to use independently, that is to say :-I adopt a
system of interacting projections double inclined planes or teeth, one
member of this system being by means of lever arrangements put in
motion through the intervention of the signal wires or otherwise, and
operates upon the corresponding member or members, same being
directly connected to the switch or meeting points. To the said
projections double inclined planes or teeth are when required made
removable, whereby I am enabled to alter the guaging of the opening of
tongues of switches.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Ford in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th November 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FORD, of Reading, in the County of Berks, Railway Truck Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of May, in the ycar of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Ford, Her special licence that
1, the said John Ford, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Ford, 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 "IMPROVED MECHANISM AND ARRANGE-
MENTS FOR WORKING TELL-TALE AND OTHER SIGNALS AND SWITCHES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Ford, 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 immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Ford, 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:-
I place a ratchet in a frame or box on the floor or on the machine in
the locking gear box, and underneath this ratchet I place an arm or
lever working on a pin, but at the ordinary distance from where it works
on its centre in the ordinary signalling lever. A vertical rod works
through the floor up to the quadrant attached to the lever; this lever
works the repeater or tell-tale. The wire or chain will also work
through the floor to the ratchet. In locking gear boxes there is a space

page_text: below the floor to allow the arm to be three or four feet from the floor
line which gives space for the arm and lever to work a distance from
the ratchet. The ratchet can be placed in any convenient part in the
box or on the machine. The wire runs from the ratchet to the travelling
link or guide bar with a pulley or pulleys in its centre or other position
working between cheeks. This chain goes round the pulley in the
centre, but I prefer to place same at the end (as shown in Drawings) of
the link or guide bar, the chain wire from the ratchet' being attached at
one end of the link or guide bar to pull up the slack when necessary,
that is, when the self-acting lever requires readjusting which occurs
when the contraction has run out or upon expansion to put the lever in
its right place, this being governed by the tell-tale arm or signal which
acts with it. If the contraction be run out and the lever comes in
contact with the frame, this brings the repeater down and shows the
contraction of the wire or chain, same being under control in letting out
with the ratchet, and the same on taking up as before described. The
wire or chain passes round the pulley on the link, and is secured to
shackle at the bottom of the self-acting lever. The chain from the lever
working tell-tale passes around pulleys in lever (at the top the self-acting
lever has a portable check arm to receive pulley), the wire or chain run's"
over the pulley on one side down at the back of another pulley in a solid
check arm to the distant or any other signal with the ordinary arm and
weight attached to it. This vertical lever works in a pair of cheeks or
stands between or at the centre of same as near as you can conveniently
get it; these may be coupled together if required. The link works in
brackets, guides, or rollers, and can be elevated to suit any incline..
Should there be any objection to the lever in the cheek frame being
sloped by the stretcher between the quadrant, the whole of this
arrangement can be taken out and leave the quadrant and lever free
between the quadrant as the centre pin that it works upon will keep the
frame together, and by reason of each check being bolted down to a bed
plate with flanges on each side the whole will be made square.
Although I prefer the quadrant it can be dispensed with if thought
desirable, provision being made in the cheeks to work against the long
boss on the lever which forms a guide for same. This arrangement I
call an endless contraction and expansion apparatus as I can get any
practicable quantity of slack taken up by lengthening the link and
enlarging the ratchet wheel in the box.

page_text: •
Another arrangement I sometimes use is fixed on a plank with a cast-
iron plate with a centre pin for the lever to work on. The lever has a
long boss to receive a tie welded on the lever to keep it in position on
the lever plate; this lever plate has a circular raised surface, such lever
having two projecting arms which may be either portable or fixtures.
This lever has cheeks the same as in the arrangement above described,
and also stretchers between the cheeks to keep the same in position at
the ends, such arrangement of lever being to suit station yards where a
vertical lever would be objectionable; the whole can be put into a box
and work under the line of rails.
The arrangements for gong ringing and to ring between by the guard
of the train (that is, between the blocking boxes) to repeat both ends at
once gongs may be used fixed to the box and to repeat same as a
signal.
When I wish to apply my above described mechanism to actuate
switches I employ therewith the following arrangements which I
sometimes find it convenient to use independently, that is to
say, I
adapt a system of inter-acting projections, double inclined planes, or
teeth, one member of this system being by means of lever arrangements
put in motion through the intervention of the signal wires, rods, or
otherwise, and operates upon the corresponding member or members,
same being directly connected to the switch or meeting points. The
said projections, double inclined planes, or teeth, are when required
made removable, whereby I am enabled to alter the guaging of the
opening of tongues of switches.
Having thus far particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, I will now in compliance with the afore-
said condition in said Letters Patent contained proceed to more fully
and particularly describe and ascertain the same by the help of the
Drawings accompanying these presents, as follows, wherein is par-
ticularly described and ascertained in what manner the said Invention
is to be performed or carried out in practice :-

page_text: rod or spindle secured to lever to which is attached the tell-tale N; J is
joint rod or crank arm attached to. lever K, such joint rod working the
locks; P is pulley round which wire or chain O is passed, such pulley P
being secured in frame P¹ by spindle or bolt p.
In Figures 5, 6, and 7, O is chain or wire; I¹ are standards on frames
secured to plate I². The frames I¹ are made with holes or openings so
as to admit of the link I being raised or lowered as desired; Q¹ is
standard carrying pulley Q, said standard being made similar to I¹ and
for a like purpose to admit of the pulley being raised or lowered; R is
pulley attached to end of link I by spindle or bolt r.
In Figures 8, 9, and 10, F' is standard carrying compensating lever S by
means of spindle or bolt s, said frame being secured to frame F²; S¹ is
check secured to lever S, carrying pulley U by pin p¹, the pulley U₁ being
secured between the hollows of lever S by pin p²; T is sliackle for wire
or chain E; O is wire or chain; V is counterbalance weight for keeping
lever S in position.
In Figures 11, 12, and 13, a is tooth; b, the tooth slots made in slide
bar d. The tooth which works in the slots 6 is attached or cast with the
levere which is hung free to move on spindle f; g is counterbalance
weight attached to lever e. In this bar or lever e is a slot or opening,
or openings h through which passes or pass a pin i which secures the
joint rod to the said lever e, and at the end of k is the lever f
which is attached to the spindle f¹, and at the other end off is the
ordinary bell crank which works the teeth from the ordinary locking
apparatus. To the end of the slide bar & is fixed the ordinary bell
crank which closes the points. I prefer to apply the arrangements shown
in Fig. 10, contained in my Letters Patent No. 2673, A.D. 1872, in
working the points, the lever f in this case being attached at » (Fig. 10)
in said Patent No. 2673, A.D. 1872; and also the tongue facing
the meeting points is used, such tongue being worked as therein set
forth in connection with my present arrangements herein set forth.
According to my arrangements different modes of signalling may be
adopted as it can either be worked off the ordinary lever, and take up
the slack, or may be worked from the ratchet arrangement with or
without the necessity of taking up the slack, also it may be worked
from the ratchet direct to the compensating lever and tell-tale from
said lever

page_text: When the whole of my improved arrangements are worked without
tell-taling the wire or chain runs from the ratchet A, Figures 1, 2, and 3,.
to the end a of link I (Fig. 5). The wire or chain from lever in
ordinary machines runs over pulley Q round pulley R to the distant
signal, or it may run instead of direct to the distant signal from said
pulley R to and over pulley U in compensating lever S, thence round
pulley U¹ to the distant signal. But when tell-tale and gong signalling
is desired then the chain or wire E from ratchet (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) goes
to compensating lever S, and is attached by shackle T to said lever.
The chain or wire O from the tell-tale apparatus (Figure 4) runs round
pulley P, and direct to the compensating lever S, passing over the pulley
U, and thence to U₁ to the distant signal, and when this arrangement is
adopted I prefer to work the signal direct from my ratchet arrangements,
as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. To the upper end at c of compensating
lever S a shackle may be attached to which is secured a wire or chain
running from the ratchet in signal box in advance of the one from where
the signal is given; now in working this arrangement of tell-tale signalling
the signal is given, say from the ratchet arrangement, and the motion is
given to the compensating lever S by reason of the wire or chain being
attached to same which runs and is secured to shackle T, such motion is
conveyed by the chain or wire O to the distant signal, and as this wire or
chain Oruns from the tell-tale apparatus shown in Figure 4, it follows
that at the same instant as the signal is given from the ratchet
arrangements that the distant signal is pulled over, and the tell-tale is
brought to its proper position showing by it that the signal has been
properly effected.
When my apparatus is used solely for the purpose of taking up slack,
then the wire or chain from the ratchet B (Figures 1, 2, and 3), runs to
the end a of the link I (Figure 5), the wire or chain from the ordinary
lever going over the pulleys Q and R to the distant signal.
The link arrangements shown in the Drawing can be arranged to lay
longitudinally instead of vertical as shown and also with reference to the
compensating lever shown in Figs. 8 and 9, this instead of as is shownin
said Figures standing in a vertical position may be placed parallel with the
ground, as in Figs. 10 a and 10 b, and a box or covering placed over same,
in which case the lever would be placed out of view, and this form I
think is preferable in the case where the arrangements are used in
station yards. The weight 2 is attached by shackle to the lever by wire

page_text: or chain which passes over pulley q', the weight passing down into the
earth; this weight serves the purpose of taking up the slack or letting
out on contraction of the wire or chain. In both the vertical and
horizontal levers they are placed at an angle of 45° degrees.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed
or put in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the herein-described In-
vention of Improved Mechanism and Arrangements for Working Tell-tale
and other Signals and Switches," as herein-before set forth and described
and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings wherein the following
are important and peculiar features, namely:-The arrangement and
connection with (1) the ratchet; (2) the sliding link; (3) the
compensating levers; (4) the inclined planes, projections, or teeth for
securing the facing points of switches; (5) the tongue in connection
with the facing point arrangements. It being understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise mechanical details shown in the Drawings,
nor do I claim the same except when adopted and used substantially as
herein-before set forth and described and illustrated by the said
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ford, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
JOHN FORD. (L.S.)
Witness,
T. MORGAN,
Secretary,
Inventors' Patent Right Ass"., Limited,
21, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, S.W.