Improvements in Fog-signal Apparatus to be used on Railways.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1889
Complete Specification Left 28th Feb. 1890-Accepted. 19th Apr.. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fog-signal Apparatus to be used on Railways.
We HENRY ATKINSON of 13 Jolley Street, Machinist, and TOM HOOPER of Stockton
Heath, Joiner both of Warrington in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
"
The object of this invention is to construct a simple efficient and self acting
mechanical arrangement for placing detonating fog signals upon the permanent way
of railways by the action of the apparatus which moves the "home or other signal,
so that each time the signal is set to "danger" a "detonator" is automatically placed
upon the rail.
"
The improved apparatus consists principally of a horizontal slide, fixed at right
angles to the line of railway and about level with the top of the rail, in which slide
fits and works a pusher" the front end of which (nearest to the rail) acts against
the "detonators" and the rear end is connected by a rod to the chain or other suitable
part of the ordinary signal apparatus in such a manner as to withdraw the "pusher
whenever the signal is set or allowed to fall to "line clear" position. A weight
attached to another chain passing over a pulley has a constant tendency to force the
"pusher" forwards, which it accordingly does whenever the signal is raised to the
"danger" position.
At the front end of the horizontal slide is fixed (or preferably cast with it) a
vertical slide which projects downwards therefrom into a pit or opening made for
that purpose.
The mouth of the slide opens into the front part of the vertical slide just behind the
mouth thereof, and its inner form is such as to contain a pile or column of
"detonators" which are made in the usual discord form with a tail piece of tin or
other suitable metal soldered thereto, the head of the "detonators" being towards the
rails.
"
In this vertical slide is a "follower" which is constantly raised by a weight and
chains passing over pulleys. This "follower" thus raises the column of "detonators
so as always to maintain the uppermost one against the top of the horizontal slide
and in front of the "pusher."
The mouth of the horizontal slide is close to the level of the rail and it is provided
with a spring or weighted lip which always keeps the mouth closed, but will give
way so as to allow one "detonator" to pass at a time whenever the "pusher" is
drawn forward by its weight.
It will thus be evident that so long as the home or other ordinary signal remains
at the "line clear" position the apparatus remains inactive the uppermost
"detonator" of the pile being just within the mouth of the horizontal slide and in
front of the "pusher.'
Whenever the signal is moved to the "danger" position the "pusher" is thereby
released and its weight is allowed to draw the "pusher" forward and thus thrust the
uppermost "detonator" through the mouth of the slide onto the rail, the spring or
weighted lip still retaining a hold upon the tail piece to prevent the "detonator"
from falling off the rail until it has been exploded by the passing engine.
«
When the signal is returned to the "line clear" position it draws back the
"pusher" and allows the pile of "detonators" to rise so as to present a fresh one
in the horizontal slide in front of the "pusher" ready for the next action.
In order to ensure the proper action of the apparatus the weight which actuates
the "pusher" should be about twice as heavy as that which raises the "follower" and
the pile of "detonators."
Dated this 29th day of May 1889.

page_text: -
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fog-signal Apparatus to be used on Railways.
We HENRY ATKINSON of 13 Jolley Street Machinist, and TOM HOOPER of Stockton
Heath Joiner, both of Warrington in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed; to be particu
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
وو
The object of this invention is to construct a simple efficient and self acting
mechanical arrangement for placing detonating fog signals upon the permanent way
of railways, by the action of the apparatus which moves the "home or other signal,
so that each time the signal is set to "danger
"detonator" is automatically placed
upon the rail.
"
a
Our invention will be readily understood from the following description thereof on
reference to the accompanying drawings.
"
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view (with the lid or cover of the
slide removed) of a fog signalling apparatus constructed according to our invention.
The improved apparatus consists principally of a horizontal slide a fixed at right
angles to the line of railway and about level with the top of the rail bin which slide
fits and works a *
pusher c the front end of which (nearest to the rail) acts against
the "detonators" and the rear end is connected by à rod cx to the chain or
bar
other suitable part of the ordinary signal apparatus in such a manner as to withdraw
the pusher c whenever the signal is set or allowed to fall to "line clear" position.
A weight c, attached to another chain e² passing over a pulley c³, has a constant
tendency to force the "pusher" c forwards, which it accordingly does whenever the
signal is raised to the "danger" position.
or
At the front end of the horizontal slide a is fixed (or preferably cast with it) a
vertical slide a¹ which projects downwards therefrom into a pit or opening made for
that purpose.
The mouth of the slide a¹ opens into the front part of the vertical slide a just
behind the mouth thereof and its inner form is such as to contain a pile or
column of "detonators" d (see Fig. 1) which are made in the usual discord form
with a tail piece of tin or other suitable metal soldered thereto, the head of the
"detonators" being towards the rails.
"6
In this vertical slide a' is a "follower" e, which is constantly raised by a weight f
and chains g passing over pulleys h, h¹. This
follower" e thus raises the column
of detonators
" d so as always to maintain the uppermost one against the top or
lid of the horizontal slide a and in front of the "pusher" c.
The mouth of the horizontal slide a is near to the level of the rail and it is
provided with a spring or weighted lip which always keeps the mouth closed,
but will give way so as to allow one "" detonator" d to pass at a time whenever
the "
pusher" is drawn forward by its weight c¹.
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It will thus be evident that so long as the home or other ordinary sigual remains at
the "line clear" position the apparatus remains inactive the uppermost "detonator
of the pile being just within the mouth of the horizontal slide a and in front of the
pusher" c.
66
Whenever the signal is moved to the "danger" position the "pusher" c is thereby
released and its weight c¹ is allowed to draw the "pusher forward and thus thrust
the uppermost "detonator" through the mouth a*, of the slide a onto the rail
(see Fig. 1).
The spring or weighted lip i still retaining a hold upon the tail piece by pressing
on the pusher c to prevent the "detonator" from falling off the rail until it has been
exploded by the passing engine.
When the signal is returned to the "line clear" position it draws back the
"pusher" c and allows the pile of "detonators "to rise so as to present a fresh one in
the horizontal slide in front of the "pusher" c ready for the next action.
In order to ensure the proper action of the apparatus the weight c¹, which actuates

page_text: "
the "pusher c should be about twice as heavy as that (f) which raises the
"follower" e and the pile of "detonators" d.
In order also to withdraw the detonator from the rail when the line is cleared after
a detonator has been placed thereon and before the latter has been exploded the
pusher c is provided with a small spring k (see detached view Fig. 3) on its underside
near its front end, and this spring runs in and is compressed by an inclined groove m
in the slide a and thus holds the tail piece d¹ of the detonator d firmly.
A groove is also made in the follower e so that the spring k may pass across it when
the pusher c moves forward the last detonator, as shown by the detached plan
view Fig. 4. The spring k will also withdraw the exploded or unexploded signal
from the line, and as the pusher c recedes taking the signal with it, the lip i falls (as
shown by dotted lines) and coming in front of the signal releases it from the pusher c
and as the next detonator advances it pushes the old signal (whether exploded or not)
in front of it until it falls over the rail b into a box provided for that purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
The combination of mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described forming an
improved fog signal apparatus for railways.
Dated the 27th day of February 1890.
GEORGE DAVIES.