Improvements in and connected with Fog-signalling Apparatus for Railways.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Aug., 1900-Accepted, 13th Oct., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Fog-signalling Apparatus
for Railways.
We, EUGENE MAGNIN and LÉOPOLD MAGNIN, both of Draguignan, Var, in the
Republic of France, Electricians, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This apparatus, in its simplest form, consists solely of a metallic tube each of
the ends of which is provided with a device to receive the sound of the explosion
of a fog signal, and bring it to the hearing of the driver.
This simple arrangement, however, whilst ensuring that the sound of the
detonation of a fog signal shall be heard, does not otherwise afford sufficient
security, as mistakes may occur as to the nature of the sound, since the breaking
of the coal, or even thunder during a storm, may produce sounds which may be
mistaken for that of a fog signal.
It is therefore of great importance to produce before the eyes of the driver a
durable record of the detonations, and for this purpose we make use of the
following apparatus:-
To the extremity of a tube brought from the neighbourhood of the point where
the fog signal explodes, is fixed a cylindrical chamber, in which fits and moves
freely but accurately a cylindrical piston or plug.
The front or outer side of this piston is hollowed and is provided round its edge
with a ring or crown of projecting sharp triangular teeth. These teeth, when
the apparatus is in its normal position are a short distance back from a sheet
of white paper which is stretched in front of them in a rectangular frame itself
held in place upon the outer end of the chamber, by screws.
At one side of the cylinder are made two circular holes at a sufficient distance
apart, and connected by an external pipe or passage, one of the holes communi-
cating with the supply pipe to the cylinder, and the other being exactly opposite
to an opening in the cylinder communicating. with the open air; and the piston
has through it a transverse hole corresponding, when at the outer end of its stroke,
with the last mentioned hole in the cylinder. A suitable guide prevents the
piston from turning round.
The apparatus is adjusted in a somewhat inclined position, to prevent the risk
of any shaking or jars bringing the teeth carried by the piston against the paper at
the wrong time.
The action of the apparatus described is as follows: At the moment when the
leading wheel of the locomotive passes over and explodes a fog signal placed on
the rail, the latter, and the parts of the wheel, prevent the expansion of the gases
of explosion, the principal part of which is directed forward, and is received in
the open expanded end of the tube first described.
The pressure thus caused upon the air contained in the tube is transmitted to
the back of the piston in the chamber, which is accordingly driven forward, and
this movement causes the teeth carried by the front of the piston to pass through
and completely cut out a circular disc from the sheet of paper stretched in front
of them. This disc forms a visible signal, and moreover as it falls it discloses
a corresponding recess in the front of the piston, which recess is painted red so
that the attention of the driver is called to it.

page_text: For the same reason that the sound of the explosions may not afford absolute
security, so that a visible signal is also provided, we provide (in case the driver
should not happen to see the appearance of the signal) apparatus by which the air
brake ordinarily used may be automatically set in action without the intervention
of the engine driver.
The fog signal is made of such shape that when fixed upon the rail by
flexible or elastic strips in the usual way, its height is such that the life guard
of the engine passes freely over it, and it then comes in contact with and raises
sufficiently the end of an inclined lever pivotted above to a plate upon the engine,
and provided with a spring by which its end is kept pressed down. In this position
a vertical arm of this lever supports the outer end of a horizontal lever fixed upon
the plug of a cock in the air tube of the brake, which in this position shuts off
the passage through the air tube. A spring tends to open the cock when the lever
is released.
When the lower end of the lever passes over the fog signal upon the rail, it
is raised, and frees the lever upon the plug of the cock, which is opened by the
spring and opens a communication through the air pipes of the brake, and com-
pressed air passes to the controlling apparatus of the latter, in which a pivotted
valve is fitted, which by the pressure of the air above it closes the opening to the
expanded sound pipe already described in front of the wheel (which is not made
use of in this case). The air passes, therefore, to the paper registering device already
described, which it operates.
The compressed air in thus operating the piston causes the latter to open a
communication at the end of its stroke at the moment when the disc of paper is
cut as already described, through the transverse hole through it, between the hole
at the side of the cylinder and a corresponding hole at the opposite side of the
cylinder communicating, through a whistle, with the open air, into which therefore
the compressed air in the main air brake pipe passes.
If, for want of pressure in the main air pipe, or for other reason, this brake
does not come properly into action, the explosion of the fog signal is still utilized
the pressure produced passing along the expanded ended pipe, into the controlling
device, opening the pivotted valve which in the last-described case had closed the
pipe, and turning it over so that it closes the other or brake air pipe, until the
pressure of the air admitted into the latter is sufficiently great to return the valve
to its first position, closing the indicator pipe, and itself operating the brake.
In the novel apparatus described, in addition to the visible and lasting indica-
tion which is given, and to the automatic operation of the brake, there is the
advantage that the sheets of paper used may be numbered, stamped, and signed
or initialled, by the company or government authority, and kept in duplicate
(one for use, the other in reserve), for the engineers, so as to form an effective
check upon the latter.
The apparatus also provides absolute proof of the placing or not of signals
upon the line.
Finally, for further information, a bent lever might be suitably arranged, one
arm of which could be operated by the movement of the piston, whilst the other
arm would operate in connection with a distance measurer, so as to show the exact
point where the explosion of a fog signal took place.
This would be of interest for railway companies, to facilitate the necessary
enquiry as to accidents happening on their system, either upon the line, or in a
station.
Dated this 27th day of November 1899.
EDWARDS AND CO.,
Chartered Patent Agents,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London.
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Fog-signalling Apparatus
for Railways.
We, EUGENE MAGNIN and LÉOPOLD MAGNIN, both of Draguignan, Var, in the
Republic of France, Electricians, 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 and accompanying drawing
that is to say:-
This apparatus, in its simplest form, consists solely of a metallic tube each of
the ends of which is provided with a device to receive the sound of the explosion
of a fog signal, and bring it to the hearing of the driver.
This simple arrangement, however, whilst ensuring that the sound of the
detonation of a fog signal shall be heard, does not otherwise afford sufficient
security, as mistakes may occur as to the nature of the sound, since the breaking
of the coal, or even thunder during a storm, may produce sounds which may be
mistaken for that of a fog signal.
It is therefore of great importance to produce before the eyes of the driver a
durable record of the detonations, and for this purpose we make use of the
following apparatus:-As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a side view of part of a locomotive engine, fitted with our apparatus.
Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are detailed views, and sections, on a larger scale,
of different parts of the apparatus.
REGISTRATION ON PAPER.
To the extremity of a tube a (Figure 1,) brought from the neighborhood of
the point where the fog signal explodes, is fixed a cylindrical chamber g in which
fits and moves freely but accurately a cylindrical piston or plug (Figure 2).
The front or outer side of this piston is hollowed at c, and is provided round its
edge with a ring or crown of very small projecting sharp triangular teeth, cutting
at their two edges. These teeth, when the apparatus is in its normal position, are
a short distance back from a sheet of white paper d which is stretched in front
of them in a rectangular frame e, itself held in place upon the outer end of the
chamber g by screws f.
At one side of the cylinder 9 are made two circular holes h. ', at a sufficient
distance apart, and connected by an external pipe or passage i, and the piston b
has also through it a transverse hole j corresponding with the holes h and h¹. A
suitable guide prevents the piston from turning round, a groove in the head k fitting
upon a rib z in the chamber g.
This apparatus for registration on paper is adjusted in a somewhat inclined
position, to prevent the risk of any shaking or jars bringing the teeth carried
by the piston against the paper at the wrong time.
ACTION OF THE REGISTERING DEVICE.
The action of the apparatus described is as follows:-At the moment when
the leading wheel of the locomotive passes over and explodes a fog signal placed
on the rail, the latter, and the adjacent parts of the wheel, prevent the expansion
of the gases of explosion, the principal part of which is directed forward, and is
received in the open expanded end a² of the tube (Figure 7).
The pressure thus caused upon the air contained in the tube is transmitted by
the air in the tubes and a to the back of the piston b in the chamber, which
is accordingly driven forward, until the part & comes in contact with the front
of the chamber g, and this movement of the piston causes the ring of teeth carried

page_text: by the front of the piston to pass through, and (as the stroke is greater than the
depth of the teeth), completely cut out a circular disc from the sheet of paper d
stretched in front of them. This disc forms a visible signal, and moreover as it
falls it discloses the corresponding recess e in the front of the piston, which recess
is painted red so that the attention of the driver is called to it."
ACTION OF THE AIR BRAKES.
For the same reason that the sound of the explosions may not afford absolute
security, so that a visible signal is also provided, we provide (in case the driver
should not happen to see the appearance of the signal) apparatus by which the air
brake ordinarily used may be automatically set in action without the intervention
of the engine driver.
The fog signal y is made of such shape (as shewn in the sections Figures 5
and 6) that when fixed upon the rail by flexible or elastic strips 2 in the usual
way, its height is such that the life guard of the engine passes freely over it,
and it then comes in contact with and raises sufficiently the end of an inclined
lever pivotted above at m to a plate upon the engine, and provided with a spring
by which its lower end is kept pressed down. In this position, the upper end of
the vertical arm of this lever supports the outer end o¹ of a horizontal lever o
fixed upon the plug of a cock p in the air tube of the brake, which in this position
shuts off the passage between the air tubes q, r. A spring tends to open the
cock when the lever is released.
The expanded end a² of the pipe a¹ is, together with the other parts described,
carried by a bracket fixed to the frame or other part of the engine.
WORKING OF THE APPARATUS.
When the lower end of the lever 7 passes over the fog signal y upon the rail,'
it is raised, and frees the lever o upon the plug of the cock p, which is opened by
the spring until it meets the stop s (Figure 7) and opens a communication
through the air pipes q and r of the brake, and the compressed air of the brake
passes between and to the controlling apparatus in which a valve u pivotted
at is fitted, which by the pressure of the air above it closes the opening to the
expanded sound pipe 2 in front of the wheel (which is not made use of in this case
when the compressed air brake is operated). The air passes, therefore, by the
tube a to the paper registering device already described, which it operates.
The compressed air in thus operating against the back of the piston b causes the
latter to open a communication at the end of its stroke at the moment when the
disc of paper is cut as already described (see Figure 2) through the transverse
hole in the piston between the hole (opening to the pipe ) at the side of the
cylinder, and a corresponding hole at the opposite side of the cylinder communi-
cating, through a whistle v with the open air, into which, therefore, all the com-
pressed air contained in the main air brake pipe passes, and the brake is operated.
If, for want of pressure in the main air pipe, or for other reason, this brake
does not come properly into action, the explosion of the fog signal, when the
wheel passes over it, is still utilized, the pressure produced passing along the
expanded ended pipe ², and the pipe a to the registration device where the paper
disc is cut, and the red signal shewn, into the controlling device, opening the
pivotted valve u which in the last described case had closed the ripe q and turning
it over so that it closes the other or brake air pipe until the pressure of the air
admitted into the latter is sufficiently great to return the valve to its first position
closing the indicator pipe, and uncovering the brake air pipe.
In the novel apparatus described, in addition to the visible and lasting indica-
tion which is given, and to the automatic operation of the brake, there is the
advantage that the sheets of paper used may be numbered stamped and signed
or initialled by the company or government authority, and kept in duplicate
(one for use, the other in reserve) for the engineer, so as to form an effective
check upon the latter, who would be unable to deny having received the signal

page_text: to stop, from the impossibility of shewing the two sheets intact, should he have
any interest in concealing the truth.
The apparatus also provides absolute proof of the placing or not of signals
upon the line.
Finally, for further information, a bent lever might be suitably arranged, one
arm of which could be operated by the movement of the piston whilst the other
arm would operate in connection with a distance measurer, so as to show the exact
point where the explosion of a fog signal took place.
This would be of interest for railway companies, to facilitate the necessary
enquiry as to accidents happening on their system, either upon the line, or in a
station.
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 :-
1. The combination of a suitable fog signal arranged upon the rail, with a
lever turning upon a centre fixed on the engine, a disengaging lever upon the
plug of a cock upon the compressed air pipe of a brake, and a signalling or
warning device in view of the engine driver, the said device exhibiting a red disc,
and whistling at the same time, when the lever comes in contact with the fog
signal.
2. The combination of a suitable fog signal, arranged upon the rail, with a
tube situated so as to receive part of the expanded gases produced by the explosion
of the fog signal, and with the apparatus described and claimed in Claim 1.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1000
EDWARDS AND Co.,
Chartered Patent Agenis,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London.