Improvements in Detonator Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 6th Nov., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Detonator Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
I, WILLIAM JAMES BONSER, of Colebrooke House, 29 Highbury New Park, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to detonator signalling apparatus for railways and com-
prises further improvements on the invention described in the Specification of
prior Letters Patent granted to me No. 7633 A.D. 1895.
According to my present invention I so provide that after a detonator has been
exploded by a train passing along the rails, a fresh detonator on the endless
chain will be automatically moved to such a position when the ordinary semaphore
signal is "pulled off" by the signalman that when the signal is next set to danger
the detonator will be in the exploding position, but so long as the detonator
remains unexploded the operation of putting the semaphore signal "on" and
"off will have no effect upon the endless chain that carries the detonators.
For the purposes of my invention I secure to one of the pulleys or wheels around
which the endless chain that carries the detonators passes a toothed wheel and I
provide a pivoted lever controlled by a spring or by a balance weight adapted
when free to engage one of the teeth of the said toothed wheel in such a manner
that when the arm which carries the endless chain is withdrawn from under the
rails by the operation of "pulling off" the semaphore signal the toothed wheel
aforesaid will be turned through a partial revolution and the endless chain will
be moved to bring another detonator to the exploding position. If however the
aforesaid controlled lever is held back against the pull of its spring so as to
be disengaged from the toothed wheel the latter will not be turned when the
semaphore signal is operated and therefore no change will be made in the
position of the endless chain. I control the position of the controlled lever auto-
matically as follows, that is to say, I provide a bar which rises and falls with the
striking pin by which it is supported. The said bar moves in a guide and forms
an abutment for the aforesaid controlled lever to bear against. In it is formed
a depression in such a position that when the striking pin is driven downwards
so as to explode a detonator, the bar descends sufficiently to bring the said
depression opposite the controlled lever whereupon the latter is drawn back by
its spring or balance weight and caused to engage with the toothed wheel; but
so long as the striking pin is maintained in the elevated position by the
detonator the lever cannot enter the depression and the said lever is therefore
kept out of engagement with the toothed wheel.
To ensure the lifting of the striking pin to allow the detonator to pass under
it when the arm carrying the endless chain moves under or towards the rail
I provide a lever pivoted to the said arm. This lever has an inclined upper face
which slides under the lower end of the pin and gradually raises the pin to
such a height that the detonator can pass under it. The lever being pivoted
as stated to the arm, it can escape freely past the pin when the arm is moving

page_text: away from the rail. The lever may be weighted to bring it th its upright position
after it has escaped from the pin. The recess in the vertically moving bar that
supports the controlled lever aforesaid has an inclined side so that when the
said bar is raised along with the striking pin the lever is caused to slide out of
the recess.
In certain circumstances, it may be desirable, after a detonator has been
exploded by a passing train, to bring into position a fresh detonator without
requiring to actuate the semaphore signal or the arm carrying the endless chain.
In such cases the replacing of the exploded detonator may be effected either by
the action of a separate lever to be moved by the man in the signal box or by
the following arrangement, that is to say: adjacent to the inner side of the outer
rail I provide a bar carried by two or more pivoted arms and controlled by
balance weights which keep the bar in such a position that it can be acted upon
and depressed by the flanges of the wheels of the engine and vehicles passing
over it. The upper face of the bar at each end is sloped or inclined to facilitate
the passing on to it of the flanges of the wheels. As soon as the train has
passed, the bar will rise again to its normal position and in so doing an arm
connected thereto will move the endless chain and bring up a fresh detonator
to the exploding position. The actuation of the chain may be effected through
intermediate chain or other gearing and a star wheel with which the aforesaid
arm engages. The said arm is provided with a pivoted finger that will slide
over the teeth of the star wheel in one direction without moving said wheel but
will operate to turn said wheel on its return.
The star wheel is mounted on the arm that carries the endless chain and
detonators so that when the signal is pulled "off," the said wheel will be removed
from the reach of the actuating arm and consequently will not be affected by a
passing train while the signal is "off."
The inclined har will have such length that it cannot rise until a train has
passed and thus the operation of bringing forward a fresh detonator will not
commence until the whole train has cleared the bar.
vated this 26th day of November 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Detonator Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
I, WILLIAM JAMES BONSER, of Colebrook House, 29 Highbury New Park, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to detonator signalling apparatus for railways and com-
prises further improvements on the invention described in the Specification of
prior Letters Patent No. 7633 A.D. 1895 granted to me.
According to my present invention I so provide that after a detonator has been
exploded by a passing train a fresh detonator carried by the endless chain of
my aforesaid apparatus will, when the ordinary semaphore signal is "pulled off
by the signalman, be fed or moved forward to such a position, that when the
signal is next set to danger a fresh detonator will be in the exploding position,
but so long as the detonator remains unexploded the operation of putting the
semaphore signal "on" or "off" will not feed or move forward the endless
chain

page_text: In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is a plan of my improved apparatus in the position it occupies when
the semaphore signal is "off" or at safety.
Figure 2 is a similar view of the said apparatus in the position it occupies
when the signal is "on" or at danger.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus when in the position shown in
Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 1.1. of Figure 3.
Figures 5 and 6 are similar views to Figures 1 and 2 but shew a modification
of the apparatus.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of the modified apparatus when in the position
shewn in Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view shewing the manner of connecting this appara-
tus with the levers in the signal cabin so that when used in conjunction with a
distant signal" the said apparatus can be operated either independently of or
simultaneously with the lever operating the distant signal."
AA are the rails of the permanent way. B is the endless chain which carries
the detonators D. C is an oscillatory arm for supporting the chain, and C is
a pivot about which such arm oscillates for the purpose of bringing the detonators
in a position to be acted upon by a passing train. Care rollers or sprocket
wheels carried by the said arm Cand around which the said chain B passes. E is
the striking pin by which the detonator is exploded. All of the above parts are
similar to the corresponding parts referred to in the Specification of my aforesaid
patent.
Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 4 the sprocket wheel C is pro-
vided with a ratchet wheel beneath which is a lever or long pawl c¹ pivoted
at and controlled by a spring is a retaining pawl for preventing the
ratchet wheel from turning backward. The aforesaid lever c has at its end
nearest the toothed wheel e a pin which, when permitted to do so, engages with
the ratchet wheel c during the withdrawal of the arm C from under the rail A
and thereby causes the aforesaid ratchet wheel to be turned through a partial
revolution and the endless chain B to be moved or fed forward a sufficient distance
to bring another of its detonators to the exploding position. If however the
lever be held, against the pull of its spring, so that its pin lies out of
engaging position with the ratchet wheel c the latter will not he turned when
the arm C is shifted as above stated and the semaphore signal operated; therefore
no change will be made in the position of the endless chain B. To control the
position of this lever c automatically so that the feeding of the endless chain
shall not take place unless the striking pin E has been operated to explode a
detonator, I provide the said striking pin with a bar e which rises and falls
therewith. The lower end of this bar moves in a guide or recess e and forms
an abutment for the tail of the aforesaid lever to bear against. It is formed
with a recess or depression in such a position that when the striking pin E
is driven downward to explode a detonator, the bar e likewise descends and brings
the said depression opposite the said lever c', whereupon the tail of the latter
immediately enters the recess, under the influence of the spring c³, and the pin c
is thereby permitted to come into a position to engage with the ratchet wheel c.
So long as the striking pin E is maintained in the elevated position represented
in Figure 3 the tail of the lever el cannot enter the depression e and the said
lever cannot therefore assume a position to operate the ratchet wheel when the
arm C is shifted from under the rail A.
To ensure the lifting of the striking pin E so as to allow the detonator to pass
beneath it when the arm C is moved into position under the rail, I provide on
the said arm a pivoted lever having an inclined upper face which slides
under the lower end of the pin E as the arm moves inwardly beneath the rail

page_text: and thus raises the pin to such a height that the detonator can pass freely under
it. The said lever by reason of its pivotal connection can escape freely past the
pin when the arm C is moving away from the rail, the weighted end of bringing
it to its upright position again after it has passed the pin E. The recess or
depression in the vertically moving bar e has an inclined side e, so that when
the said har is raised together with the striking pin, the tail of the lever ' is
forced laterally out of the said recess against the resistance of the spring e, in
which position the said lever is held by the bar e until the latter is depressed
by a passing train. The pressure with which the said lever is caused to bear
against the bar e by the spring keeps the bar and the striking pin E in
their raised position after the arm C is withdrawn from under the rail A if
the said pin E has not been previously forced down to explode a detonator by a
passing train. In other words the said lever e' is prevented from coming into
position to engage with the ratchet wheel e and move or feed the chain B forward
unless the said pin E has been previously depressed sufficiently to explode the
detonator.
C
The above described apparatus is intended more particularly for use with the
"home signals" and is coupled to the semaphore signal as represented in
Figures 1 and 2 so that at each operation of said semaphore signal the arm C is
caused to swing about its pivot.
In certain circumstances as for instance when the apparatus is used in con-
nection with the "distant signals" it may be desirable, after a detonator has
been exploded by a passing train, to move or feed the endless chain forward to
bring into position a fresh detonator independently of the actuation of the signal
arm or of the arm C. If such movement or feeding of the endless chain is to
be effected independently of the semaphore arm I provide a separate lever r
(Figure 8) within the signal cabin so that the signal-man can operate the arm C by
such lever. If the movement or feeding of the said endless chain is to be
effected independently of the movement of the arm I employ the arrangement
illustrated in Figures 5 to 7 wherein I have shewn, adjacent to the inner side
of the rail A, a bar a carried by two pivoted arms a a² and controlled by a
weight which normally keeps the said bar a in such a position that it can
be acted upon and depressed by the flanges of the wheels of the engine and
vehicle passing over it. The upper face of the bar is at each end sloped or
inclined to facilitate the passing on to it of the flange of the wheels. As
soon as the train has passed, the bar a will, under the influence of the weight a',
rise again to its normal position and in so doing will cause a pivoted finger at
on the arm a to act upon a star wheel geared with the sprocket wheel (and
thereby move or ferd forward the endless chain a sufficient distance to bring a
fresh detonator to the exploding position without the necessity of moving the
arm as was described in the arrangement illustrated in Figures 1 to 4. When
the bar a is depressed by a passing engine or carriage the said finger at by
reason of its pivotal connection to the arm a², slides over the teeth of the star
wheel without moving the latter. When however, the bar rises and the arm a
moves in the opposite direction the said pivoted finger is prevented from turning
about its pivot by the lug a bearing against the stop a and the said finger thus
actuates the said star wheel. is a retaining pawl for preventing the star
wheel wheel from being turned in a backward direction. The said star
wheel is, as already stated, mounted on the arm C that carries the endless chain
and detonators, so that when the signal is pulled "off," and the arm C removed
from under the rail, the said star wheel will be removed from the reach of the
pivoted finger a on the actuating arm a² and consequently will not be affected
by a passing train while the signal is "off."
In order to keep the bar a depressed when the said arm C occupies this position,
I connect the end of the said bar to the arm C by a chain ", so that the swinging
of the arm (away from the rail A will exert a pull on said chain and thereby
depress the bar a a suflicient distance to keep it out of contact with the flanges.

page_text: of the wheels of a passing train. This arrangement prevents the apparatus from
being actuated at those times when the detonators are not required to be used.
The bar is of such length that when depressed by a passing train it cannot
rise again until the whole train has passed over it and thus the operation of
bringing forward a fresh detonator by the movement of the arm a will not occur
until the entire train has passed over the bar.
The striking pin E may be connected to the said bar a by a chain E¹ which,
when the bar is depressed, allows the striking pin to be struck by the bar to
explode the detonator below it, the detonator being at this time supported by
an inclined surface on the arm C. When the said bar returns to its normal
elevated position under the influence of its weight a the striking pin E is raised
by the pull exerted thereon through the said chain E.
In order to limit the extent to which the bar a can rise I provide a stop a
on the web of the rail A, the said stop being so situated that the arm a will
come into contact therewith when the bar a rises to its full extent as shewn in
Figure 7.
By providing a separate lever for actuating the arm C of my apparatus as
illustrated in Figure 8 I am enabled to swing the arm C about its pivot to bring
the detonators into a position to be exploded by a passing train, without the
necessity of operating the lever y controlling the semaphore signal. Or I can
operate the said lever y and the semaphore arin to which it is connected without
actuating the arm (." Or again I can temporarily connect these two levers.c
and y together and then operate the semaphore signal and the arm C simul-
taneously.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim in detonator signalling apparatus of the kind herein before referred to is:--
1. The combination with the oscillating arm and the endless chain carrying
the detonators, of feed mechanism which is arranged to be operated substantially
as described and for the purposes specified.
2. The striking pin provided with means substantially as described for
keeping the feed mechanism in its inoperative position until said pin is
depressed.
3. The combination with the oscillating arm, the endless chain and the feed
mechanism, of a depressible bar mounted on one of the rails of the permanent
way and capable of occupying a position to be acted upon by the wheels of a
passing train substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
4. A detonator signalling apparatus constructed to operate substantially as
described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying
drawings and for the purposes specified.
Doted this 26th day of August 1897
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.