IMPROVE- MENTS IN SIGNAL APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR THE PREVENTION OF RAILWAY TRAIN COLLISIONS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SIGNAL APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR THE PREVENTION OF RAILWAY
TRAIN COLLISIONS."-A communication from abroad by Mr. Antoine
Grivel, junior, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, Civil Engineer.
Sealed the 18th February 1862, and dated the 2nd September 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
"September 1861.
I,. WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR THE PREVENTION OP
RAILWAY TRAIN COLLISIONS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to self-acting apparatus for indicating to the driver of
a train whether the line is clear & the preceding train at the proper distance
ahead or not. The tender or other part of the train is furnished with an
inclined bar of wood, which, by acting on a roller forming part of the appa-
ratus will move a pointed bar of sd apparatus into position to signal a sub-
sequent train that the line is blocked. This apparatus is not disengaged until
the train passes beyond a corresponding apparatus placed at a suitable distance
ahead, connected to the before-mentioned by wires. These apparatus, which
are placed at suitable distances apart on the line, are connected alternately to

page_text: each other by wires, that is to say, the first apparatus is connected to the third,
the second to the fourth, & so on. On the locomotive is placed an indicating
dise & bell, which are put in action by means of a crank acted on by the
pointed bar before mentioned, which causes the disc to turn a quarter of a
circle, & at the same time the clapper on the stem of the disc strikes the signal
bell & warns the engine driver that the line before him is clear.
This apparatus is represented in the annexed Drawing, in which Fig. 1 is
an elevation of the apparatus when indicating a "line clear"; Fig. 2, an ele-
vation of the apparatus when indicating "line blocked"; Fig. 3 is a plan,
showing the form of the pointed bar & the disposition of the apparatus; Fig. 4
shows a section of the apparatus on-line 1, 2, Fig. 3; Figs. 5 & 6 show two
arrangements, one vertical, the other horizontal, of an apparatus for a single
line of railway; Figs. 7 & 8 show side and end elevations of a compensator
for regulating the expansion & contraction of the wires connecting the
different apparatus, Fig. 8 being a section on line 3, 4, Fig. 7, representing
the arrangement of the chains on the compensating pulley.
M, locomotive, on which is placed the double signal consisting of a disc &
bell; A, tender, on which is placed tho tapered or inclined bar T; B; pointed
bar, mounted on axis D; C, catch, mounted on axis D¹; E cast-iron frame,
forming a support for the axes D, D'; F, pulley, mounted on axis F; on which
is wound a chain G, having a counterbalance weight H, whicli also serves to
keep the catch C in a continual state of tension; I, tapered bar, depending
from bearings 1' on the tender, which, in acting on the friction roller J, pro-
duces the motions of the pointed bars B for indicating "line clear," as in
Fig. 1, & "line blocked," as in Fig. 2; L, indicating disc; M', support for
the disc; N, bearing of same; O, crank, fixed to the stem of the disc, whereby
it is placed in connection with pointed bars B; P, clapper for sounding bell P¹;
Q, chain; fixed to the end of jointed bar B, passing over pulley R, & connected
to wire R¹, for establishing connection between the different pointed bars, as
seen by wire R", uniting Figs. 1 & 2

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clark, my Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, my:
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, 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 SIGNAL
APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR THE PREVENTION OF RAILWAY, TRAIN COLLISIONS," a:
communication to him from abroad by Mr. Antoine Grivel, junior, of 29,
Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, Civil Engineer, 'upon the condition (amongst
rothers) that I; the said William Clark, my executors 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..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William, Clark; 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, reference, being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed
and to 'the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to self-acting apparatus for indicating to the driver
of a train whether the line is clear and the preceding train at the proper dis-
tance, ahead or not. (The tender or other part of the train is furnished with an
inclined bar of wood, which, by acting on a roller forming part of the appa-
ratus, will, move a pointed bar of said apparatus into position to signal a sub-
sequent train that the line is blocked. This apparatus is not disengaged until
the train passes beyond the corresponding apparatus placed at suitable distance.
ahead, connected to the before mentioned by wires. These apparatus, which
are placed at suitable distances apart on the line, are connected alternately.to'
each other by wires, that is to say; the first apparatus is connected to the third,
and the second to the fourth, and so on. On the locomotive is placed an indi-
cating disc and bell, which are put in action by means of a crank, acted on by.
the pointed bar before mentioned, which causes the disc to turn a quarter of a
circle, and at the same time the clapper on the stem of the disc strikes the

page_text: signal bell, and warns the engine driver that the preceding train has not passed
the apparatus in connection with which the signal (of the line being blocked)
is given.
'
is
The apparatus is represented in the annexed. Drawing, in which Fig. 1 is.
an elevation of the apparatus when indicating a "clear line"; Fig. 2, an
elevation of the apparatus when indicating line blocked"; Fig. 3 is a plan,
showing, the form of the pointed bar and the disposition of the apparatus;
Fig. 4 shows a section of the apparatus on line 1, 2, Fig. 3; Figs: 5 and 6
show two arrangements, one vertical, the other horizontal, of an apparatus for:
a single line of railway; Figs. 7 and 8 show side and end elevations of a com
pensator for the expansion and contraction of the wires connecting the different-
apparatus, Fig. 8 being a section on line 1, 2, Fig. 7, and representing the
arrangement of the chains on the compensating pulley.
M, locomotive, on which is placed the double signal, consisting of a disc and
bella, tender, on which is placed a tapered bar ; b, pointed bar, mounted
on axis d; c, catch, mounted on axis d'; e, cast-iron frame, forming a support
for the axis d, f, pulley, mounted on axis f', on which is wound a cliain g,
having a counterbalanco weight h, which also serves to keep the catch c in a
continual state of tension; , tapered bar, depending from supports i on the
tender, which, in acting on the friction roller j, produces the motions of the s
pointed bars 6 for indicating "clear line," as in Fig. 1, and line blocked, as at
Fig. 2 indicating disc; m, support of the disc; n, bearing of same; o,
crank, fixed to the stem of the disc, whereby it is placed in connection with
pointed bars b; p, clapper for sounding bell p; 7, chain, fixed to the end of
pointed bar b, passing over pulley r, and connected to wire, for establishing
connection between the different pointed bars, as seen by wire, uniting
Figs. 1 & 2s, cast-iron frame, serving as support for shaft t, carrying
pulley, on which the slack is taken up; the pulley is held in position by
means of plates; u, u¹; axis, on which pulley t turns; v, axis of small pulley
v, on which is a chain x, carrying compensating weight a; y, wire, connected
to the extremity of needle bof-signalling apparatus; y, wire attached to 'catch
of signal apparatus.
"
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of por-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
First, the signal apparatus borein before described and represented in the
annexed Drawings, placed on a line of railway for indicating the state of the
line, as herein-before described.
Secondly, I claim the peculiar arrangement of the wires in connection with
1
.

page_text: the apparatus termed the compensator, in order to counteract their expansion
and contraction, so as always to keep them at the same degree of tension, as
before described.
Thirdly, I claim the indicating disc and bell placed on the engine, for
warning the driver that the line is blocked before him, as herein-before
described.
Fourthly, the arrangement, combination, and action of the various appa-
ratus herein-before described and represented, as and for the purposes above
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane.
W. CLARA.
(L.8.)