IMPROVED LEVER APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES."
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Burleigh, of 4, Adelphi Place, Cold-
harbour Lane, Camberwell, for the Invention of. "IMPROVED LEVER
APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES."
Apparatus FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Burleigh at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd June 1872.
I, BENJAMIN BURLEIGH, of 4, Adelphi Place, Coldharbour Lane,
Camberwell, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED LEVER APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES," to be as follows:-
The switch lever is so constructed that the points can be balanced
in either direction in the following manner :-The lever handle with
balance weight attached is fixed on a pivot over the fulcrum and kept´in
place by means of a pin. On removing the pin the lever handle can be
turned round in the opposite direction, which has the effect of balancing
the points the other way, so that a switch can be left open for either

page_text: line as may be desired. The advantage being great in facilitating the
working of goods, sidings, or branch lines. The lever can also be used
as an ordinary balance lever.
The balance weight in the form of a disc is attached to the lever
handle by a pin, the handle having pin holes at intervals for the purpose
of adjusting the weight. The balance weight is coloured red on one
side and white on the other to shew an engine driver on which side the
points are balanced by the colour presented to his view, and in some
cases at night I propose to fix a lamp with two colours to the lever
handle for the same purpose to act as a signal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Burleigh in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
BURLEIGH, of 4, Adelphi Place, Coldharbour Lane, Camberwell, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Burleigh, Her special license that
I, the said Benjamin Burleigh, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Benjamin Burleigh, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "IMPROVED LEVER APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Benjamin Burleigh, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Burleigh, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement: —
The switch lever is so constructed that the points can be balanced in
either direction in the following manner :-The lever handle with balance
weight attached is fixed on a pivot over the fulcrum and kept in place
by means of a pin. On removing the pin the lever handle can be turned
round in the opposite direction, which has the effect of balancing the
points the other way, so that a switch can be left open for either line
as may be desired. The advantage being great in facilitating the
working of goods, sidings, or branch lines. The lever can also be used
as an ordinary balance lever.
The balance weight in the form of a disc is attached to the lever
handle by a pin, the handle having pin holes at intervals for the purpose
of adjusting the weight. The balance weight may be coloured red on
one side and white on the other or otherwise marked so as to show an
engine driver on which side the points are balanced by the colour or
mark presented to his view, and in some cases at night I propose to
fix a lamp with two colours to the lever handle for the same purpose
to act as a signal.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
I claim is, the rotary motion of the lever handle and weight for setting
the switch points in either required direction, and the mode of indicating
by disc or by lamp the way in which the points are balanced as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Burleigh, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.