IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John King, of Heanor, in the County of Derby,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR SIGNALLING
ON RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 2nd June 1863, and dated the 10th December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John King at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
December 1862.
I, JOHN KING, of Heanor, in the County of Derby, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR SIGNALLING
ON RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object "Improvements in Apparatus used for
Signalling on Railways." For these purposes at intervals along the line of rail-
way telegraphing stations are erected containing ordinary clockwork capable
of rotating a pointing instrument, suitable when brought into position to be
acted on by the clockwork and thus indicate the driver of the next train
within what period (within a given
given time) the preceding train has passed
the station. Near each of these stations there is situated a bar, over which
the wheels of the passing train press as the train passes the station, by which
the bar is depressed, which causes it to act on mechanism consisting of con-
'necting rods and cranks interposed between the moveable bar and the clock-
work, in such manner that an axis carrying a disc or surface is then set at
liberty and brought into position, so as for a time to be acted on by the clock-
work, and caused to rotate during such time. This axis carries an arm or

page_text: pointing instrument, which by daylight can be seen at a distance, and such
pointer by its position in respect to a dial, before which it is caused to pass by
the clockwork, indicates the time which has intervened since the passing of a
previous train, unless such intervening time exceeds the period that the
pointer is arranged to be acted on by the clock work. The dial is arranged to
be illuminated at night, and such is the case in regard to colored glass screens
if any be used with the pointing instrument, by which means the time which
has intervened since the passing of a previous train is indicated at night. The
disc or surface when released by the bar before mentioned, being depressed by
a passing train, is by its own gravity caused' to assume its normal or starting
position, and is again brought into communication for a time with and is
acted on by the clockwork.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John King in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
KING, of Heanor, in the County of Derby, Lace Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her'Letters
Patent; bearing date the Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John King, Her special licence that I, the said John King,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John King, 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
APPARATUS USED FOR SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
.others) that I, the said John King, my exécutors 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.

page_text: • NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John King, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used for
signalling on railways. For these purposes at intervals along a line of railway
telegraphing stations are erected containing ordinary clockwork capable of,
rotating a pointing instrument suitable when brought into position to be,
acted on by the clockwork and thus to indicate to the driver of the next
train within what period' (within a given time) the preceding train has passed
the station. Near each of these stations there is situated a bar, over which.
the wheels of the passing train press as the train passes the station, by which
the bar is depressed, which causes it to act on mechanism (consisting of con-
necting rods and cranks) interposed between the moveable bar and the clock,
work, in such manner that an axis carrying a disc or surface is then set..at
liberty and brought into position, so as for a time to be acted on by the clock-
work, and caused to rotate during such time. This axis carries an arm or
pointing instrument, which by daylight can be seen at a distance, and such
pointer by its position in respect to a dial, before which it is caused to pass
by the clockwork, indicates the time which has intervened since the passing
of a previous train, unless such intervening time exceeds the period that the
pointer is arranged to be acted on by the clockwork. The dial is arranged to
be illuminated at night, and such is the case in regard to colored glass screens if
any be used with the pointing instrument, by which means the time which has
intervened since the passing of a previous train is indicated at night. The
disc or surface when released by the bar before mentioned being depressed by
a. passing train, is by its own gravity caused to assume its normal, or starting
position, and is again brought into communication for a time with and is
again acted on by the clockwork...
Having thus: stated the nature of my said Invention; I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents in the upper portion one of two front views of apparatus
arranged according to my Invention, and in the lower portion a sectional view
of as much of the apparatus as is required to signal on one line of rails;
Figures 2 and 3 represent respectively on a larger scale a front view and end
view of the clockwork which operates the pointers. The several corresponding
parts in each of the Figures are lettered alike..

page_text: Along a line of railway there are erected at intervals hollow pillars having
a round, square, or other shaped stem, as is shown at Figure 1: At the upper
part of each hollow pillar I place clockwork, capable of rotating a pointing
instrument B for each dial. The clockwork is kept going by means of a:
weight attached to a cord or chain passed over a pulley, and wound round the
drum C, the unwinding of which is governed by the pendulum E, escape-
ment E¹, and the several wheels D, D1, D2, D3, and D. The axle of the:
drum O projects beyond the plates F, and is provided (when there are two.
dials) with two ratchet wheels G, G, which are secured fast to and revolve:
with the axle of the drum C. At the front of each ratchet wheel G is. a.
disc H, provided with a collar or boss, in which a nick or notch His cut..
The hollow axis of the disc H is provided with a pointer B and 'counter-
weight B; the graduated dials may be attached to the plates F. of the.
clockwork, or may form portions of the case, as shewn at Figure 1. Each
plate F is provided with bearings. I, which carry a spindle K, on which. is
secured a lever L, the lower end of which takes into the notch H¹ when the
clock has moved the disc H, and consequently the hand:B to the greatest
distance to which its movement is limited. On one end of each of the;
spindles K is a cranked lever M. To the lower ends of the levers M are
attached the ends of the spring M¹, by which a constant pressure is maintained
upon the bosses of the discs H by the lower ends of the levers L which are
fixed on the spindles K. The discs H are moved by friction upon the ratchet
wheels G, excepting during such portions of time as the pressure of the
levers L is taken off by the upper ends of the levers M being pulled down by
rods N during the passage of trains, at which time the pointers B return to
their starting points. After the passage of a train the lever L. which has
been acted on by the train again presses on the boss of the disc H, and the
pointer B will be again carried forward until it has arrived at the point at
which it is arranged to stop, or until the passing of the next train, if such
train passes before that time. Hence the time will be denoted since the
passing of the last train, unless such intervening time exceeds the period the
pointer is arranged to be acted upon by the clock work, which is constantly
kept going. The levers M are pulled down in the following manner by the
upper ends of two rods N, which are made adjustable in their length: The
lower ends of the rods N are attached to bell-crank levers N', which; by
connecting rods N³ attached at one of their ends to their bell-crank N¹, are at
their other end attached respectively to two levers N³ secured to rocking shafts
working in bearings secured to sleepers, or other equivalent foundation. On
the upper side of each of the rocking shafts (one of which only is shewn) is a
..

page_text: bar or plate N', over which the wheels of a passing train press. Each
rocking shaft is also provided with a weighted counterpoise lever N', which
may be contained in a box or trough N³, as shewn.
In the Drawing, Figure 1, only one of the arrangements of parts is shewn.
The connecting rod N³ of the other arrangement passes beyond the other line
of rails, and is connected with a like arrangement of parts N³, N', No. The
counterpoise B¹ of each dial is so placed that it will be interposed between the
light or lights in the case and the disc A. The spaces between the figures on
the dials may be glazed with white or colored glass, and may be illuminated
by gas or other lights at night.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the mechanical parts separately; but what I claim is, the combined
arrangement herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John King, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said John King, in the presence of
G. B. ROTHERA,
Sol., Nottingham.
JOHN KING. (LS.)