1842.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



421 



Fi£. 1. 



Fig. 2. 



F.: 



tte expectations entertained of their eificacy. Detailed drawings of the 

 signals and machinery accompany the paper. 



The following description of the apparatus we have obtained from Mr. 

 Curtis, which will more fully explain his ingenious inventions than the pre- 

 ceding brief minutes of the Institution. 



Fig. 1, is a front view and section of the apparatus, with a round signal 

 field descending into view from a bojiiug. The arrangement of the con- 

 trivance is as follows : — By the left or " near " side of the Rail, at a suitable 

 distance, and at a proper height to be cleared by the steps, and other pro- 

 jections of the engines or carriages, is fixed a trigger or camb, to the end of 

 a horizontal shaft, revolving on bearings, upon a sleeper of wood or stone, 

 properly secured, and is furnished with a counterweight. The trigger is 

 made to the radius of 1 ft. G in., of strong wrought iron, and for the pur- 

 pose of securing a smooth surface, is covered with a plate of brass ; at the 

 other end of the shaft is a double joint, from which rises an upright rod, 

 secm-ed by guides, to the wall or framework ; the upright I'od terminates in an 

 obUque hnk and l)ent neck, working in a bearing, at the point of which neck 

 is a hammer head, which, as tlie trigger by the side of the rail is depressed, 

 is forced inwards, and drav.n back again by the counterweight of the hori- 

 zontal shaft on which the trigger is fixed. 



The signal field is fixed on a lever, having its fulcrum or bearing at about 

 one-sixth of its length from the other end, and is sustained out of sight, that 

 is, behind the boxing, by pins placed equidistant at three points upon a ring 

 fixed upon the centre arbor of wheelwork, whicli centre arbor is immediately 

 opposite to the hammer head of the bent neck of the upright rod, and re- 

 ceives its blow. The centre arbor being forced in, and thus withdrawing the 

 pin from holding the end of the signal lever, releases it, and it falls by its 

 own weight. The wheelwork of which the motion is sustained by a weight, 

 and which when holding the signal lever is kept motionless, is now set in 

 action, and the ring having the three pins revolves, and the pin next in ro- 

 tation travels towards the end of the lever, consuming three minutes and a 

 half before it comes in contact j when in contact it gradually depresses the 

 end of the lever, and raises the signal ; the white plate now leaves the red 

 compartment, and passes on the green, and the upper limb of the field is 

 withdrawn from view, and continues to rise with the white plate, in the 

 green compartment, till it is wholly out of sight, and tlie white plate appeai-s 

 GO the black compartment, and arrives at its resting place, whereby the 

 wheelwork is stopped. 



At night the lamp being lighted, the colours of the glass indicate the 

 signal according to the same periods, viz. : three minutes and a half red, 

 and six minutes and a half green light, and afterwards exhibiting the white 

 light. 



The wheelwork is so arranged that 40 trains may act upon it for one 

 winding up. It comprises a wheel working into that attached to the barrel, 

 the arbor of which wheel is elongated and made square, and carries the ring 

 npon which the three equidistant pins are placed, which ring is fixed on a 

 ioss, made to shde backwards and forwards npon the square elongated end 

 of the arbor, furnished at the back, or between the ring and the face of the 

 frame of the wheelwork, with a spiral spring to drive the ring with the three 

 pins back to its working position, when forced in by the hammer; the only 

 other wheels necessary are those leading to the escapement, which consist 

 of a simple balance wheel. A striker must be attached to the engines or 

 tenders, made of ash, or other long grained wood, 4 ft. long, and in. wide, 

 cut lengthways of the grain, and inclining to the extent of oue-third the 



length from each end towards the centre, the intermediate one-third being 

 left straight, and so fitted that it shall depress the camb or trigger 2 in. 



rig. 2, is another apparatus, with a fan of two colours, one-third red, and 

 two-thirds green, enlosed within a suitable boxing, having a triangular 

 opening. The wheelwork and action are precisely the same. The train 

 passing and acting on the trigger, the fan falls aud presents its red portion 

 in the opening, and on being drawn back its green portion, and being at the 

 extremities fimiished v.ith glass of those coloms to correspond, so as to pass 

 before a lamp, gives the colour signals at night. The fan signal must be 

 erected upon a pedestal, at a convenient distance from the side of the rail, 

 and high enough to insure its being visible to the drivers of engines. 



Fig. 3, is the third mode of arrangement, that of the signal mast, wliich 

 is made to tiurn one quarter, thereby exhibiting a change of figure. 



The machinery apphed to this is of the same nature as the foregoing, but 

 placed horizontal instead of vertical, and in place of a lever being released 

 from the pins, as in t/iem, a sector, with teeth working on a bearing or 

 gudgeon into a segment attached to the mast, is employed. A weight and 

 line is fixed to the mast, which upon one of the pins being released from its 

 hold, as in the other arrangements, draws the mast round one quarter, ex- 

 hibiting thereby the signal to indicate " stop " or " danger ;" three minutes 

 and a half are consumed in the approach of the pin to the end of the 

 sector, and six minutes and a half from the time the pin comes in contact, 

 tUl it has drawn the mast back again, and restored the signal of '■ safety." 

 A lamp is fixed on a stationary standard, but is enclosed in a three-sided 

 lantern, with coloured glass, red, green, and white lantern traversing with 

 tlie mast, in front of the lamp, showing thereby the colours according to the 

 position of the mast : red, green, or white. 



One apparatus is placed at thi; south entrance of the Primrose Hill tunnel, 

 and an engine fitted for the purpose of operating upon it, which it has done 

 since the autumn of last year, and still continues to do daily with the 3 

 o'clock train. And on the Great Western Railway the (/irte distinct forms, 

 above described, liave been erected at the Paddington Terminus. 



END OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE SESSION, 1842. 



The Institution will resume their Meetings on Tuesday, the 10th of 

 January next. 



YORKSHIRE ARCHITECTURAL SOCIETY. 

 First Report, read at the General Public ileetiny, October 'th, 1842. 



A REPORT of the past, as connected with a society which awaits its formal 

 constitution at the present meeting, must of course be meagre ; l)ut the mem- 

 bers have a right to know how tlie Yorkshire Architectural Society originated, 

 with what support, witli what field of usefulness before it, and with what 

 prospects of success. 



When several persons had already expressed a wish that in this county, 

 which presents perhaps the host field' of architectural study in the kingdom, 

 an .Architectural Society should lie formed, several of the clergy of the dio- 

 ceses of York and Ripon having been invited to attend, a meeting was held 

 at Leeds, the Rev. tiie Vicar in the chair, on the 26th of July last. At this 

 meeting, with the approbation of many who n ere absent, and with the united 



N2 



