IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL INDICATOR APPARATUS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Botten of 113 Grove Road Victoria Park in the
County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL
INDICATOR APPARATUS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Botten at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th September 1883.
.
HENRY BOTTEN of 113 Grove Road Victoria Park in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL INDICATOR APPARATUS
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in signal indicator apparatus and
is applicable more especially for engine room telegraphs for steam ships for railway
carriages to indicate from station to station for tramcars, lifts, offices, factories also
for railway trains, for signalling, from passengers to guard or from guard to guard
or to engine driver or for other such like purposes.
For this purpose I employ as heretofore an axis to which a step by step
revolving motion may be given-on the axis may be mounted a disc having the
several orders or signals marked upon it at distances apart around the circumference
any one or other of which can by giving a step by step movement to the axis be
brought behind an aperture in a fixed front plate or behind a transparent space in
a colored glass. Or the axis might carry a drum and the signals be marked upon
the drum in lines parallel with the axis and similarly the drum might be mounted
behind a slotted front plate or colored glass front. Or two drums carrying an
endless band upon which the indications or signals are marked might be used-or
a band to be wound off from one drum on to another forwards or backwards as
required. Or the axis might carry a pointer to be brought opposite to any point
of the circumference of a fixed dial plate having signals marked around its
circumference. To give a step by step revolving motion to the axis I employ an
escapement lever engaging with the teeth of an escapement wheel fixed on the
axis. A lever arm standing out from the axis of the escapement lever I couple by
a link to the longer arm of a lever-the shorter arm of which is when the
apparatus is to be worked by electricity coupled by another link to the armature
of an electro magnet. In some cases I employ a pawl or weighted bell crank lever,

page_text: to engage with the teeth of the wheel to prevent backward motion. Preferably I
make the armature to move on an axis at one end whilst at its opposite end it is
linked to the lever as above explained. In this way the escapement lever may be
rocked through a considerable arc by a comparatively small movement of the
A wire projecting from the armature may carry a hammer to strike
against a bell each time that the armature is attracted to the magnet thus calling
attention to those in charge.
arinature.
In some cases the escapement lever may be caused on its upward stroke to
raise a pawl or weighted crank lever out of gear with the teeth of the escapement
wheel.
Whenever a current is passed through the coils of the electro magnet the
armature is attracted and the toothed escapement wheel is by the action upon it of
one arm of the escapement lever turned a distance equal to half the distance
between the teeth of the wheel and when the current is interrupted and the
armature drops the escapement wheel is turned another half tooth.
The transmission of the electric currents to the coils of the electro magnet may
be controlled by an ordinary finger key make and break contact apparatus or in
other ways.
In place of the above arrangement a slide jointed to the armature might be
made to carry two pawls to act with an escapement wheel on the axis in such
manner that when the armature is attracted one pawl acts upon the escapement
wheel and turns it one half tooth and when the armature drops from the magnet
the other pawl turns the escapement wheel another half tooth: Or the armature
might be coupled with a toothed are mounted on a pin or axis and the toothed arc
be made to gear with a pinion loose on the axis to which a step by step movement
is to be given and having fast with it a ratchet wheel into the teeth of which a
spring pawl carried by a disc on the axis is made to engage so that when the
armature is attracted the axis is moved a distance but when the armature moves
from the magnet the pawl slips over the teeth of the ratchet wheel and the axis is
not turned back with it. The axis may be prevented from turning too freely by
friction applied to it.
If the apparatus is to be worked by pneumatic hydraulic or mechanical means
then in place of the armature above mentioned being rocked by the action upon it.
of an electro magnet the armature would be replaced by a lever to be rocked by
the pneumatic hydraulic or mechanical mechanism employed. When pneumatic or
hydraulic mechanism is used a pipe would be employed terminated at each end
with flexible bellows the solid end of one bellows would be coupled to the
lever above mentioned. This bellows would be inflated whenever the other was
compressed and would be contracted whenever the other was inflated. Or cylinders
fitted with pistons might be used in place of the bellows.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Botten in the Patent Office on the 6th March 1884.
HENRY BOTTEN of 113 Grove Road Victoria Park in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL INDICATOR APPARATUS
"
This invention has for its object improvements in signal indicator apparatus and
is applicable more especially for engine room telegraphs for steam ships for railway
carriages to indicate from station to station for tram cars lifts offices factories also
for railway trains for signalling from passengers to guard or from guard to guard
or to engine driver or for other such like purposes.
For this purpose I employ as heretofore an axis to which a step by step
revolving motion may be given on the axis may be mounted a disc having the
several orders or signals marked upon it at distances apart around the circumference
any one or other of which can by giving a step by step movement to the axis be
brought behind an aperture in a fixed front plate or behind a transparent space in
a colored glass. Or the axis might carry a drum and the signals be marked upon
the drum in lines parallel with the axis and similarly the drum might be mounted
behind a slotted front plate or colored glass front. Or two drums carrying an
endless band upon which the indications or signals are marked might be used-or
a band to be wound off from one drum on to another forwards or backwards as
required. Or the axis might carry a pointer to be brought opposite to any point
of the circumference of a fixed dial plate having signals marked around its
circumference. To give a step by step revolving motion to the axis I employ an
escapement lever engaging with the teeth of an escapement wheel fixed on the axis.
A lever arin standing out from the axis of the escapement lever I couple by a link
to the longer arm of a lever—the shorter arm of which is when the apparatus is to
be worked by electricity coupled by another link to the armature of an electro
magnet. In some cases I employ a pawl or weighted bell crank lever to engage
with the teeth of the wheel to prevent backward motion. Preferably I make the
armature to move on an axis at one end whilst at its opposite end it is linked to
the lever as above explained. In this way the escapement lever may be rocked
through a considerable are by a comparatively small movement of the armature.
A wire projecting from the armature may carry a hammer to strike against a bell
each time that the armature is attracted to the magnet thus calling attention to
those in charge.
In some cases the escapement lever may be caused on its upward stroke to raise
a pawl or weighted crank lever out of gear with the teeth of the escapement
wheel.
Whenever a current is passed through the coils of the electro magnet the
armature is attracted and the toothed escapement wheel is by the action upon it of
one arm of the escapement lever turned a distance and when the current is
interrupted and the armature drops the escapement wheel is by the other arm
again turned a short distance and locked.
The transmission of the electric currents to the coils of the electro magnet may
be controlled by an ordinary finger key make and break contact apparatus or in
other ways.
Figure 1 shews a front elevation, Figure 2 shews a front elevation with the face
opened and the indicator disc removed and Figure 3 shews a horizontal section of
a signal indicator apparatus constructed as above described.
In these figures A is the casing of the apparatus. B is a metallic frame fixed
within the casing.-C is an axis carried by two plates B¹ which form part of the
frame. On the axis is the escapement wheel D.-E is the escapement lever the
axis of which is also carried by the two plates B-E' is an arm projecting from
the escapement lever-it is connected by a link F with the longer arm of a lever G
the shorter arm of which is by a link H coupled to one end of the armature I

page_text: which at its opposite end can rock on a pin J.-K is an electro magnet secured to
the metallic frame B above the armature. The armature has an arın I' extending
from it this arm projects through a slot in one side of the casing and carries a
bammer L to strike against a bell M each time that the armature is drawn to the
magnet. The hammer also serves as a weight to draw down the armature
whenever it is not drawn upwards by the magnet.
On the axis C is also a metallic disc N to the face of which a disc O of paper or
cardboard may be held by a nut P screwing on to the end of the axis.-QQ are
the terminals to which the ends of the insulated wire coils of the electro magnet
are coupled. The axis C is prevented from turning too freely by slight friction
applied to it either in its bearings or by a pad resting against it. R is the front
plate of blackened glass with a transparent space at R¹ through which the orders
or calls marked upon the cardboard disc O can be seen whenever by the revolution
of the disc they are brought behind it.
In the drawings I have shewn the escapement wheel as being formed with
twelve teeth so that any one or other of twelve different signals may be brought
behind the transparent portion of the front plate but the escapement wheel may be
formed with any other desired number of teeth according to the number of signals
which the apparatus may be arranged to give.
An apparatus of the above kind is to be used both at the place from which the
orders are sent and also at the place at which they are to be received. At the
place from which the orders are to be transmitted or calls made is also placed a
finger key by depressing which an electric circuit can be completed through an
insulated wire led from one instrument to the other and so each time that the disc
of one instrument is rotated the other rotates in unison with it.
The person
sending an order or call can in this way see what order or signal is displayed at
the place at which the ordered signals are to be receiverl.
The apparatus may as shown at Figure 3 be constructed to exhibit the signals
both at the front and back of the apparatus or it might be arranged to exhibit
them at the front only. It is also evident that in place of the axis C of the
apparatus being made to carry a disc or discs it might carry a pointer to work
in front of a dial plate around the circumference of which the several orders or
signals are marked. It is also evident that the axis might if desired be prolonged
and made to carry a drum upon which the various signals or orders are marked in
lines parallel with the axis and that it might be turned by the means above
described with step by step movement so as to exhibit any one or other of the
signals or orders through a slot or transparent portion of a face plate set in front
of it.
In place of the above arrangement a slide jointed to the armature might be
made to carry two pawls to act with an escapement wheel on the axis in such
manner that when the armature is attracted one pawl acts upon the escapement
wheel and turns it a distance and when the armature drops from the magnet the
other pawl turns the escapement wheel still further and locks it.
Or the pawls and escapement wheel might be used simply to control the distance
turned by the axis at each of its step by step movements and the turning of the
axis of the wheel be mainly effected by a toothed arc coupled to the armature and
made to gear with a toothed pinion on the axis.
In this case I mount the pinion loosely on the axis and make the pinion fast
with a ratchet wheel also loose on the axis and cause a pawl carried by a disc
which is fast on the axis to engage with the teeth of this ratchet wheel so that
when the armature is attracted the axis is moved a distance but when the armature
moves from the magnet the pawl slips over the teeth of the ratchet wheel and the
axis is not turned back with it. The axis may be prevented from turning too
freely by friction applied to it.
Figure 4 shews a front view partly in section and Figure 5 a vertical transverse
section of apparatus constructed in the above manner.
In these figures the axis C of the apparatus is shewn as carrying a long drum

page_text: upon which the signals are marked in lines parallel with the axis but it might
carry a disc or pointer as previously described. D is the escapement wheel fast on
the axis C. K is the electro magnet-I the armature H a link coupled to its
end-S is a toothed are coupled to the link H and gearing with a pinion T which
can turn loosely around the axis C. U is a ratchet wheel which also can turn
loose around this axis and which is fast with the pinion T. V is a spring pawl
carried by a disc N which is fast on the axis C this pawl engages with the teeth
of the ratchet wheel U. W. X. are the two teeth which are to control the
movement of the escapement wheel as above stated-one is shewn to be carried by
the armature the other by the link H.
When the armature is drawn upwards by the magnet the upper tooth Wi
first raised clear of the teeth of the escapement wheel the toothed arc is then
raised and turns the axis C a distance and at the completion of the upward
movement of the armature the lower tooth X engages with the teeth of the
escapement and ensures the axis C being turned. When the armature drops the
tooth W again engages with the teeth of the escapement wheel.
The Drawing shews the disc N as forming one end of the drum upon which
the orders or signals are marked. Figure 6 shews this disc carrying the spring
pawl V and also shews the ratchet wheel with which the pawl engages.
If the apparatus is to be worked by pneumatic hydraulic or mechanical means
then in place of the armature above mentioned being rocked by the action upon it
of an electro magnet the armature would be replaced by a lever to be rocked by
the pneumatic hydraulic or mechanical mechanisin employed. When pneumatic
or hydraulic mechanism is used a pipe would be employed terminated at each end
with flexible bellows-the solid end of one bellows would be coupled to the lever
above mentioned. This bellows would be inflated whenever the other was
compressed and would be contracted whenever the other was inflated. Or cylinders
fitted with pistons might be used in place of the bellows.
Figure 7 shews a front view and Figure 8 a vertical section of pneumatic signal
apparatus constructed in the above manner. In these figures the armature is
replaced by a lever I and the electro magnet is replaced by a flexible bellows K
to the top plate of which the lever I is coupled in other respects the mechanism
for giving a step by step movement to the axis C is the same as shown in Figures
1, 2 and 3 except that the axis C carries a drum in place of having a disc
mounted upon it and the drum is made to give movement as shewn to an endless
band Z upon which the orders or signals are marked.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and the manner of performing
the same I would have it understood that I claim.
First The combination of the electro magnet K armature I, link H lever G,
link F, escapement lever E and escapement wheel D fast upon an axis which
carries a disc or drum or pointer or gives motion to an endless band upon which a
series of orders or signals are marked substantially as described.
Second-The modification of the above mechanism in which pneumatic
apparatus is employed instead of an electro magnet to give movement to the
armature I.
Third The modified construction of the apparatus substantially as described
and illustrated with reference to Figures 4. 5 and 6.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Botten have hereunto set my hand and
Seal this fifth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and eighty four.