IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALS TO BE USED ON RAILWAYS, OR FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1852

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Godfrey Wilson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
'the 29th October 1852.
(Void by reason of notice to proceed not having been given within the
time prescribed by the Act.)
I, JAMES GODFREY WILSON, of Lindsey House, Chelsea, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALS TO BE USED ON RAILWAYS,
OR FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, firstly, of an apparatus or instrument for sig-
nalizing on railways, which shall, by means of its construction and
arrangement, be set in motion by any passing train, and continue in
motion for the space of time for which such instrument or apparatus
may be regulated; say, for instance, ten or fifteen minutes, or more or
less; indicating each minute by a hand on a graduated dial face, with
the regularity of a time piece, and thus denoting the time elapsed
between the then passing train and the train in advance, at the point or
part of the railway where the said signal may be fixed. Secondly, this

page_text: Invention consists in the arrangement and construction of certain me-
chanical and electrical or electro-magnetic arrangements and apparatus,
which shall be self-acting to the extent of time and space to which the
same may be limited or regulated, and which shall be simultaneous in
their action with, or be set in motion by, any passing train on the
railway, on which the said signals may be fixed. The apparatus or
instrument may be so constructed and arranged, that as well as being
set in motion by any passing train at the point on the line of railway
where the same may be fixed, it can be set in motion at any distance
from the place it may fixed, either by an advancing or retiring train.
By reference to the annexed sketch of the instrument and arrange-
ments the Invention will be fully comprehended, although the minor
mechanical arrangements and details may be varied as necessary to suit
different situations.
Figure 1, represents a front view in elevation of the apparatus or
signal. Figure 2, is a side elevation of the same, having a portion of
the side case removed, and shewing in part the internal connections and
arrangements, as also its connection with the rail. Figure 3, is a view of
part of the internal arrangement of the dial or signalizing portion. Figure
4, is a sectional view of part of Figure 2. The dial or face of the signal
is graduated for 12 minutes, but may be made more or less, in accordance
with the internal clock movement. I make use or apply an ordinary
train or clock movement, inade to go some considerable time without
winding up, the position of which is indicated by letter f, Figure 2, to
which is attached a long hand or pointer g. To the clock movement is
(also) attached a wheel or disc h, having four small notches cut on the
edge, equi-distant from each other, the space between each notch being
regulated by the number of minutes denoted on the dial face of the
signal. This wheel or disc h, represents each space between the notches
as 12 minutes; that is to say, it would take 12 minutes in performing
one fourth part of its revolution, and exactly the same time as the hand
passing over the visible part of the face of the dial. The uumber of
notches cut on the edge of the wheel or disc h, will be regulated by its
diameter and the time it is to be in motion. i, is a small pallet or lock-
ing piece, lightly hung on its centre of motion. k, is an electrical coil,

page_text: haying a piece of soft iron 1, on its face; attached to its hones or legs,
4..is an ordinary battery, similar. to those in use for electrical purposes.;
6,61, are the conducting wires between the coil k, and the battery a;
the wire b, is connected direct to one of the poles of the battery. The
wire 61, is carried from the coil to within a short distance of the battery
terminating in any convenient form for making up the circuit of elec
tricity. with facility; the other portion of the connecting wire 61, is
attached to the opposite pole of the battery and to the rod or wire n,
which is fixed on the end of the lever c; the, lever c, rests in the
bracket d, which forms its fulcrum, the end to be acted upon passing
upwards through the side or edge of the rail e, a little above its surface;
P.P.P.P.p, are guides, through which the conducting wires and parts
by which the circuit of the electrical current is made complete are
passed; o, is a piece of non-conducting material connecting the rod n,
to the end of the lever c, and is introduced as a medium to prevent the
electricity passing downwards.
The action of the apparatus may be thus described:-The wheel
of the engine or carriage of the train, on passing over the end of
the lever c, depresses it; the rod n, which is connected with the
opposite end of the lever, is thus raised, and comes in contact with
the end or terminal of the conducting wire 61, thus making the
electrical circuit complete between the battery a, and the coil k. The
piece of soft iron on the face of the coil, by the action of the electric
fluid, becomes a magnet, and attracts the pallet or locking piece i,
thus releasing the wheel or disc h. The clock movement is by this
action set free, and continues going, the hand indicating the minutes,
until the partial revolution of the wheel or disc h, brings the next notch
on its edge in rotation under the locking piece i, which falling into the
notch or space, as illustrated in Figure 4, stops the clock movement.
By the arrangement before explained, of the regulation of the space
between the notches on the edge of the wheel or disc h, and the number
of minutes to be denoted on the dial face of the signal, the locking or
stopping of the clock movement is made simultaneous with the arrival
of the hand or pointer g, at the last graduation of the dial face. To
ensure the falling of the locking piece i, and prevent its being held by

page_text: any residual electricity in the face of the coil, a small delicate spring q,
is placed above it, of just sufficient strength to bring it down if neces-
sary. Half the circle of the face of the signal is transperent and
graduated, half of the hand or pointer only being visible at once. By
this arrangement one end of the hand is always ready for action at the
starting point on the face of the dial or signal. By reference to Figure
3, it will be seen that the signal is constructed with the transparent or
glass faces, the pointer or hand being between or inside, thus rendering
it visible from either side. I propose to render the signals visible at
night or in foggy weather, by illuminating by the electric light or other
light, by the aid of reflectors, and to render the the lighting or illumi-
nating simultaneous and continuous with the action of the signal.