IMPROVED SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS, PART OR PARTS OF WHICH SHUT OFF THE STEAM FROM THE ENGINE AND OPERATE STEAM BRAKES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Davidson and Charles Duffy Williams,
both of the Town and County of Southampton, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS, PART OR PARTS OF
WHICH SHUT OFF THE STEAM FROM THE ENGINE AND OPERATE STEAM
BRAKES."
Sealed the 20th March 1874, and dated the 10th October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Davidson and
Charles Duffy Williams at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 10th October 1873.
We, CHARLES DAVIDSON and CHARLES DUFFY WILLIAMS, both of the
Town and County of Southampton, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention of "IMPROVED SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS, PART OR
PARTS OF WHICH SHUT OFF THE STEAM FROM THE ENGINE AND OPERATE STEAM
BRAKES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its obiects

page_text: Second. To shut off the steam from the cylinders of the engine.
And, Third. To apply a steam brake to the driving wheels of the
engine.
"
The mechanism by which the aforesaid objects are accomplished
consists of a box placed at any suitable position, either between the
rails or at one side of the line of railway. This box has a moveable lid,
which is raised to an inclined position by the act wherewith the
signalman raises the signal to the "danger position," it being corre-
spondingly lowered when the signal is lowered to the "line clear
position. A radial arm moving on a centre and coupled to the lever
wherewith the signalman operates the signal raises and lowers the lid, as
required. To the engine is fitted an arm carried upon a shaft or stud,
in such a position that on coming into contact with the upraised lid or
cover of the box herein-before referred to it is moved round upon its
axis, at the same time moving downwards another lever upon the same
axis, to which is attached an end of a rod, coupled at its other end to a
bell-crank lever carried on the upper part of the boiler, or at any other
required position corresponding to the arrangement of the engine to
which the apparatus is applied. The bell-crank lever is coupled at one
place to the throttle valve, so that the steam is immediately shut off
when the lower lever comes in contact with the upraised lid, as herein-
before mentioned. At another place the bell-crank lever is coupled to a
steam whistle of a different tone to the ordinary steam whistle, so that
its sound immediately indicates to the driver and guard of the train that
the "danger signal" has not been duly watched. That part of the bell-
crank lever which operates the whistle simultaneously opens a valve in a
steam pipe communicating with the steam brake cylinders, so that the
brakes are simultaneously applied and the train retarded.
In order to more particularly direct the attention of the guard of a
train in the event of running past the signals when at "danger position,"
a crank similar to that already set forth as fitted to the lower part of the
engine is attached to the guard's van, which is connected to apparatus
for striking a gong or bell therein.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Davidson and Charles Duffy Williams in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
DAVIDSON and CHARLES DUFFY WILLIAMS, both of the Town and
County of Southampton, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Charles Davidson and Charles Duffy
Williams, Her special license that we, the said Charles Davidson and
Charles Duffy Williams, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Charles Davidson and Charles Duffy Williams,
our executors, administrators, or 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 SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS, PART OR PARTS OF WHICH
SHUT OFF THE STEAM FROM THE ENGINE AND OPERATE STEAM BRAKES,” upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Charles Davidson and
Charles Duffy Williams, by an instrument in writing under our 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
апи
Duffy Williams, 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, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked.
therein, that is to say :-

page_text: First. To warn the driver and guard of a train that a signal is at
danger," although the driver may fail to see it, either from fog,
negligence, or other cause.
Second. To shut off the steam from the cylinders of the locomotive.
Third. To apply a steam brake to the driving wheels of the loco-
motive.
The mechanism by which the aforesaid objects are accomplished
consists of a box placed at any suitable position, either between the rails
or at one side of the line of railway. This box has a moveable lid,
hinged in the centre, which is raised (so as to present a double inclined
plane) by the act wherewith the signalman raises the signal to the
'danger" position, it being correspondingly lowered when the signal is
lowered to the "line clear" position. A radial arm moving on a centre
and coupled to the lever wherewith the signalman operates the signal
raises and lowers the hinged lid, as required. To the locomotive engine
is fitted a double lever carried upon a shaft or stud, in such a position
that on coming into contact with the upraised lid or cover of the box
herein-before referred to it is moved round upon its axis, carrying with
it and moving downwards another lever upon a different axis, to which
is attached an end of a rod coupled at its other end to a bell-crank lever
carried on a shaft at the upper part of the boiler, or at any other
required position corresponding to the arrangement of the engine to
which our apparatus is applied. The bell-crank lever is also coupled to
the throttle valve, so that the steam is immediately cut off when the
lower lever comes into contact with the upraised lid, as herein-before
mentioned. On the shaft which carries the bell-crank lever is fixed
another lever coupled to a steam whistle of a different tone to the
ordinary steam whistle, so that its sound immediately indicates to the
driver and guard of the train that the danger signal has not been duly
observed. The same lever which operates the whistle simultaneously
opens a valve in a steam pipe communicating with the steam brake
cylinders, so that the brakes are instantly applied and the train retarded
or stopped.
In order to more particularly direct the attention of the guard of a
train in the event of running past the signals when at "danger" position,
an apparatus similar to that already set forth as fitted to the lower part

page_text: of the locomotive is attached to the guard's van, and connected to
apparatus for striking a gong or bell therein.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we
now proceed more particularly to describe the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed is a side
elevation of a locomotive engine, shewn fitted with our improved signal,
cut off, and brake apparatus.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of part of a guard's van with a portion of
the side broken away, in order to show the apparatus for striking a gong
placed at the interior of the van.
The box A is placed on the permanent way and close to the line of
rails, having a moveable cover or lid C, which is hinged to the box A by
the pin a, and at its centre the two parts forming the lid C are hinged
together by the pin c. The shaft B, which is moved upon its axis by
any convenient connexion with the signal mechanism has fixed upon it
a radial arm D. A bracket E, secured to the side or framing of the
locomotive carries at its lower extremity on the shaft F the double
lever G. The lever G has at its lower end a roller H, and at the other a
roller I, the periphery of which is in contact with the lever J carried
upon the stud K. The lever J is coupled to the bell-crank lever L by
the rod M. The bell-crank lever L fixed upon the shaft N is connected
to the throttle valve lever O by the rod P. Upon the shaft N is fixed
another lever Q, by which through the connecting rod R. and levers S, T,
the whistle U and steam valve V are operated. The steam valve V
communicates with the brake cylinders ✗ through the pipe Y. On the
pipe Y, and between the valve V and brake cylinders X, is placed a
three-way cock Z, operated by the rod and handle b. The bracket d,
attached to or formed upon the brake cylinders X, is a guide upon
which slides the guide block e, supporting the head of the piston rod f.
The connecting rod g couples the piston rod f to the brake lever h,
which is attached by the stud i to the side framing of the locomotive.
The brake blocks are attached to the lever on either side of the
stud i, as shewn. By operating the lever h the brake blocks / are
placed in contact with or withdrawn from the peripheries of the driving
wheels of the locomotive.

page_text: The signal box and lower part of the apparatus, as shewn upon the
guard's van at Figure 2 is similar to that applied to the locomotive, as
herein-before described.
The rod M connects the lever J to the lever L fixed to the shaft N.
A striker V fixed upon the shaft N acts upon a gong W suspended in
the guard's van.
The apparatus is operated as follows:- -When the signal is at the
position signifying "line clear," the lever D upon the shaft B lies in the
box A in a horizontal position, as indicated by the dotted lines, and the
hinged lid or cover C lies horizontally beneath the level of the rails and
clear of the roller H, so that trains may pass the box A without its
coming in contact with the apparatus applied to the locomotive and
guard's van; but should the signal be thrown into the danger
position, the shaft B will make one-quarter of a revolution, raising the
lever D from a horizontal position to a vertical position, causing the
moveable cover O to rise in the centre, and present on either side an
inclined plane. The roller H at the lower extremity of the double
lever G comes into contact with this inclined plane, and the apparatus
on the passing train is thrown into the position indicated by the dotted
lines, which through the combination of levers, shafts, and connecting
rods herein-before described, shuts off the steam, sounds the whistle, and
applies the brakes to the driving wheels of the locomotive, or strikes the
gong in the guard's van, whereby the train is retarded or stopped,
and the attention of the driver and guard called to the danger signal.
To withdraw the brakes and cause the apparatus to assume its original
position, it is necessary only to turn the three-way cock Z, which shuts
off the pressure of steam coming through the valve V, and allows the
steam in the front part of the brake cylinders ✗ to escape to the
atmosphere.
To stop the sounding of the whistle U, to close the valve V, and place
the mechanism again in the position for being acted upon by the inclined
lid C, the engineman operates a handle x fixed on the shaft N; or these
results may be obtained by counterweights or springs fixed at suitable
parts of the apparatus.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, we would

page_text: observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and construction of
apparatus whereby audible signals are given to the driver and guard of a
train (and which is or may be used in conjunction with the present
modes of signalling), the steam shut off from the cylinders of the
locomotive, and steam brakes applied simultaneously, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Davidson, on behalf of the
said Charles Duffy Williams and myself, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-four.