AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING THE LOCOMOTIVE DRIVERS, STOKERS, GUARDS, AND OTHER PERSONS ON RAILWAYS BY MEANS OF SIGNAL ROCKETS DISCHARGED FROM THE CARRIAGES ON THE RAILWAY ORÁ RAILWAYS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Seymour, of No. 2, Wellesley Villas,
Brentford Road, Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING THE LOCOMOTIVE
DRIVERS, STOKERS, GUARDS, AND OTHER PERSONS ON RAILWAYS BY MEANS OF
SIGNAL ROCKETS DISCHARGED FROM THE CARRIAGES ON THE RAILWAY ORÁ
RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Seymour at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th May 1875.
I, JOHN SEYMOUR, of No. 2, Wellesley Villas, Brentford Road,
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declaro the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNALLING THE Loco-
MOTIVE DRIVERS, STOKERS, GUARDS, AND OTHER PERSONS OF RAILWAYS BY MEANS
OF SIGNAL ROCKETS DISCHARGED FROM THE CARRIAGES ON THE RAILWAY OR
RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
I place on the roof of every carriage a small frame so contrived that
it will hold two small signal rockets at a certain angle of elevation, the
one rocket pointing forwards and the other backwards, but both set at

page_text: the same angle and fired by the same pull or trigger by means of a
friction tube or tubes, or otherwise; they may be fired both at the same
time or separately, as may be desired; the flight of the rocket and the
angle at which it is placed is so contrived that the rocket is thrown
over the heads of the locomotive engineer, stoker, or guard, striking the
ground a certain distance in front. The great advantage of this signal
is that it is fixed to each carriage, and is totally independent of the
others; and whichever way a carriage is turned one of the rockets will
fly forward.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said John
Seymour in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN:
SEYMOUR, of No. 2, Wellesley Villas, Brentford Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Seymour, Her special licence that
I, the said John Seymour, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Seymour, 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, usc, excrcise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND
Apparatus for Signalling the LOCOMOTIVE DRIVERS, STOKERS, GUARDS, AND OTHER
PERSONS ON RAILWAYS BY MEANS OF SIGNAL ROCKETS DISCHARGED FROM THE
CARRIAGES ON THE RAILWAY OR RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Seymour, my executors or admini-
strators, 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

page_text: performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office on or before the Eighth day of December One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-five.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Seymour, 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, that is to say:—
I place on the roof of every carriage a small frame, so contrived that
it will hold two small signal rockets at a certain angle of elevation, the
one rocket fronting forwards and the other backwords, but both set at
the same angle and fired by the same pull or trigger by means of a
friction tube or tubes, or otherwise; they may be fired both at the same
time, or separately, as may be desired; the flight of the rocket and the
angle at which it is placed is so contrived that the rocket is thrown
over the heads of the locomotive engineer, stoker, or guards, striking the
ground a certain distance in front. The great advantage of this signal
is that it is fixed to such carriage and is totally independant of the
others; and whichever way a carriage is turned one of the rockets will
fly forwards.
On discharge of the rocket a semaphore will rise, at the same time
ignite a piece of magnetic wire for the purpose of shewing from which
carriage the signal has been given, either by day or night.
'
The speed of the flight of the rockets is calculated so as to exceed the
greatest speed of a train; say, sixty miles per hour, the rockets will fly
at a speed of at least one hundred miles per hour, or at any other con-
venient speed.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention I declare that
I claim as my Invention the use of signal rockets on railway carriages,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Seymour, have hereunto set.
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
T ATMAND