IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter West, of Euston Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS."
Sealed the 25th September 1863, and dated the 1st April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter West at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st April 1863,
I, WALTER WEST, of Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the working of railway signals at a distance, by
means of self-adjusting apparatus, by which the expansion or contraction of
the wire from atmospheric or other causes is compensated for.
In carrying out my Invention, that part of the wire, chain, or cord nearest to
the pull over lever is wound round a grooved wheel, and attached at a point
thereon, and a suitable weight is suspended at the extremity of the wire, chain,
or cord. The grooved wheel is free to move on its own axis, so that the
weight will always keep a tension on the wire, chain, or cord. When it is
necessary to work the signal I secure the pull-over lever to the wheel by
means of a self-acting clutch, which enables me to actuate the wheel by simply
pulling over the lever.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Walter West in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th September 1863.
. TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
WEST, of Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Walter West, Her special license that I, the said Walter West,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Walter
West, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WORKING RAILWAY SIGNALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Walter West, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 Walter West, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to bo particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to the working of railway signals at a distance, and
consists in the employment of a novel arrangement of self-adjusting apparatus,
by means of which the expansion or contraction of the wire used for trans-
mitting motion to the semaphore or other signal is compensated for, and tho
complete and rapid action of the signal ensured.
In carrying out my Invention, I wind that part of the wire, chain, or cord
nearest to the pull-over lever round a grooved wheel, and attach it to the
wheel at any given spot, carrying over the end of the wire, and suspending a
weight from its extremity. The grooved wheel is free to move on its own
axis, so that the weight will always keep a tension on the wire, chain, or cord.

page_text: In order to work the signal, I rock the wheel by means of the pull-over
lever, which is provided with a self-acting clutch so arranged as to grip the
wheel when the lever is set in action and rock the wheel, thereby putting such
tension on the wire or chain as will ensure the change of the distant signal.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figs. I., II., III., represent three forms of
clutch suitable for the purpose. The arm A is centred on the same axis C as
the wheel, and carries the moveable axis B, on which the pull-over lever D
is centred. In Fig. 1, the lower end of the lever D, when in action, simply
presses on the periphery of the wheel; in Fig. II., the lever is armed with a
shoe or friction block d, which spreads the bearing and renders the parts the
more durable; in Fig. III., tho wheel is provided with a lateral projecting
flango F, on both sides of which the lever presses by means of the
studs d, d.
Figs. IV. represent, in side and edge views, the complete apparatus for
taking up the slack of the wire or chain. The clutch here shewn is that of
Fig. III., but without the arm A. The apparatus is drawn as out of action,
the danger signal being supposed to be up. The weight of the lever D bearing
on the point M, and held by the hook at C, keeps the clutch clear of the
wheel E, which is thus free to be acted on by the pendent weight W. P
shews the position of the lever when the clutch first comes into action upon
the wheel E, and-P³ its position when the signal is down, the lever at that
time resting on the stop at R.
Figs. V. shew in side and edge views the application of the clutch repre-
sented in Fig. II. When not in action, the arm rests on a stop R in the
frame, and the weight of the lever is supported by a shoulder on the arm,
against which the shoe rests. P¹, P, here shew the positions of the lever as
before.
When it is necessary to have an intermediate apparatus, the wire from the
signal passes round the wheel E, as above explained, and the wire from the
pull-over lever is attached to an arc H, as shewn in side. and edge views at
Figs. VI. This arc is fitted with the clutch, and an arm and weight F, G,
keep it down against a stop at M, when not in action. In the side view, a
portion of the supporting post is removed, to shew more clearly the con-
struction of the working parts.
As the motion by this apparatus is constant and certain, caution signals can,
if required, be shown by it with accuracy at a distance, by providing suitable
stops to hold the lever. The flange or flanges of the wheel E are smooth
surfaces, but they may be roughened or ratcheted in any way, if thought
desirable; in such case, however, the action will be less perfect.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in
Working Railway Signals," and explained the manner of carrying it into
effect, I would have it understood that what I claim under the above in part
recited Letters Patent is, the self-compensating signal apparatus constructed
and operating as above described.
In witness whereof I, the said Walter West, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
WALTER WEST. (L.B.)