IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTING RAILWAY SIGNAL WIRES
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 9th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 10th June, 1887.
JAMES PHILIP ANNETT Eastleigh near Southampton Signal Foreman do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTING RAILWAY SIGNAL
WIRES, to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to secure greater safety in the working of Railway
Signals, by providing a simple and ready means by which the signalman can quickly
adjust the signal wires, without his having to leave the signal box.
This I perform in the following manner, on the tail of an ordinary signal lever of
a locking apparatus, in place of the existing shackle I fix a stud or a projecting piece
of metal, having a round hole tapped in it through which I pass a rod having a thread
of the required length cut on it above and below the stud or projecting piece, this rod
carry up so as to pass through the floor of the signal. box behind the levers of the
locking apparatus, where I fix a plate having a suitable hole for it to pass through,
and on the upper end of the rod that projects above the floor, I have either a loose or
a fixed handle that will enable the signalman to turn the rod round in either
direction.
I
To the lower end of the rod that projects below the stud piece on the lever tail,
I provide a swivel to which the wire is attached in any well known manner, instead
of to the ordinary shackle. The action. of the apparatus being that if the wire
between the signal box and the signal is too slack, the signalman without leaving the
signal box can by turning the handle in one direction, raise the rod to which is
attached the swivel and wire, so taking up the slack wire and adjusting it in such a
manner that the signal will work properly; and if the wire should be too tight, he
can by turning the handle in the opposite direction, slacken the wire to the proper
degree of tension required for the signal to work accurately. In pulling over the
signal lever the upper end of the rod works freely through the hole in the plate that
is fixed on the floor of the signal box, but does not in any way add to the labour of
working the signal.
In soine cases I arrange so that the rod does not move up and down above the floor
when the signal lever is worked.

page_text: JAMES PHILIP ANNETT Eastleigh near Southampton Signal Foreman do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to secure greater safety in the working of Railway
signals by providing a simple and ready means by which the signalman can quickly
adjust the signal wires without his having to leave the signal box.
This I perform in the following manner on the tail of an ordinary signal lever of a
locking apparatus in place of the existing shackle I fix a stud or projecting piece A
having a round hole B tapped in it through which I pass a rod C having a thread of
the required length cut on it above and below the stud or projecting piece A this rod C
I carry up so as to pass through the floor of the signal box behind the levers in the
locking apparatus where I fix a plate D having a suitable hole E for it to pass through
and on the upper end of the rod C that projects above the floor I have either a loose
or a fixed handle F that will enable the signalman to turn the rod C round in either
direction. To the lower end of the rod C that projects below the stud piece A on
the lever tail I provide a swivel G to which the wire is attached in any well known
manner instead of to the ordinary shackle.
The action of the apparatus being that if the wire between the signal box and the
signal is too slack the signalman without leaving the signal box can by turning the
handle in one direction raise the rod C to which is attached the swivel G and wire
so taking up the slack wire and adjusting it in such a manner that the signal will
work properly and if the wire should be too tight he can by turning the handle in the
opposite direction slacken the wire to the proper degree of tension required for the
signal to work accurately.
In pulling over the signal lever the upper end of the rod (Fig. 1 works freely
through the hole E in the plate D that is fixed on the floor of the signal box but does
not in any way add to the labour of working the signal.
In some cases 1 arrange so that the rod C does not move up and down above the
floor when the signal lever is worked as shown in Fig. 2 where the rod C terminates
in a link H or its equivalent which works freely up and down in the link H' without
moving the handle F up and down or as shown in Fig. 3 I do not carry the rod C
above the floor but terminate it with a square J or suitable shaped end & provide a
corresponding key preferably with a bell shaped end K.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I claim is.
The method of adjusting Railway Signal Wires substantially as described and as
shown on figs. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Dated: 71 1
1000