Improvements in Fog Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 10th Feb.,
1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fog Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
I WILLIAM PLACKETT, Gladstone Villa, Breaston, Derbyshire, Lace
Manufacturer, 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 :—
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side view of portion of a signal box and the next adjacent
semaphore signal post.
Figure 2 shows in outline the back end of a locomotive engine provided with
signalling apparatus on the right and left sides, together with two semaphore signal
posts at the left of the line of rails.
Figure 3 shows a side view of part of a locomotive engine and the signalling
apparatus on its right side.
Figure 4 is a side view of part of the engine with the signalling apparatus on
its left side, together with a semaphore signal post, the second from the signal box.
Away from a signal box 1, two semaphore signal posts 2 and 3 shown at
Figures 1 and 2 are placed the required distance apart. A lever 4 in the signal
box is connected by wires 5 and chains 6, passed over pulleys 7 to operate the signals
on the posts in the usual way.
The post 2 nearest the signal box is provided with a hand lever 8 capable of
being rocked by an attendant, the lower end of the lever is connected by wires 9
and a right angled lever 10 to a rocking lever provided with a hammer 11 held
away from a bell 12, by a spring 13, attached to the lever 10 at one end, and to a
stud in a convenient part of the signal box at the other end, each time the hand
lever 8 rests upon a stud 14 projecting from the signal post 2. The bell being
struck by the hammer each time the lever 8 is placed by the attendant in the reverse
position to rest upon a stud 15 as shown at Figure 1.
Instead of the right angled lever 10 a chain passed under a pulley may be
employed to connect the wires 9.
Signalling apparatus shown at Figures 2 and 3 placed at the right side of a
locomotive engine, consists of the following parts. At the back end of each loco-
motive engine a plate 16 is bolted to the framing and carries a bell 17 struck by a
hammer at the upper end of a lever 18 free to rock on a stud projecting from the
plate 16, the hammer being pulled towards the bell by a coiled spring 19 attached
at one end to the lever 18 and at its other end to a pin projecting from the
plate 16.
A second lever 20 is free to rock on a stud projecting from the plate 16, the
upper end of the lever passes under the bent outer end of a signal plate 21 having
the upper end of a spring 22 attached to it, the lower end of the spring being
hooked on a stud 23 projecting from the plate 16 and forming a stop to the lever 18
to prevent its hammer resting upon the bell.
While the lever 20 holds the signal plate 21 in the position shown in the figures
it indicates line clear. When pulled by the spring 22 into the position shown by

page_text: the dotted lines 21" it indicates danger or line blocked.
follows:-
-
This is effected as
Near the bottom of the plate 16 a stud projects on which a lever 24 rocks, the
curved upper end of the lever carries a stud 25, as the curved lower end of the lever
strikes against and passes over a vertical plate 26 at the right of the line of rails,
the stud rocks the lever 20 to withdraw its upper end clear of the outer end of the
signal plate 21 to allow the spring 22 to move it to the position 21* to indicate
danger or line blocked.
At the same time the upper end of the lever strikes the lower end of the hammer
lever 18 holding the hammer away from the bell 17, the spring 19 causing the
hammer to strike the bell.
The plate 26 is binged to the top of a box and provided with a lever at the
bottom connected to a chain having one end passed over a pulley 26" and secured to
a weight, the other end of the chain is passed round a pulley 26 and attached to
one end of a rod or wire 27 passed under the rails, the other end of the rod or wire
being attached to a chain 28 passed round a pulley 29 at the left of the line of
rails, the chain 28 being connected to one of the wires 5 or chains 6 by which
the signal man operates the semaphore signals. The plate 26 being raised by
the above means into a vertical position only when the semaphore signals are set at
danger.
When the line is clear the plate 26 is held in a horizontal position by the weight
below the pulley 26. A second plate 26, box, chain, pulleys and weight operated
as before described may be placed intermediately of the signal posts 2 and 3 to
cause the bell 17 to be struck twice.
After each warning of danger, the engine driver will pull the upper end of the
lever 20 backwards and lower the signal plate 21 into position to indicate line
clear.
:
The apparatus is operated as follows:-As the engine approaches the signal
post 3, the first plate 26 by the side of the line of rails causes the bell on the
engine to be struck warning the driver of danger, the signal plate 21 also indicating
danger. If the engine proceeds further the second plate 26 causes the bell on the
engine to be again struck. Then if the engine reaches the signal post 2 nearest
the signal box with the danger signal still shown, the engine is stopped and the
driver or fireman rings the bell in the signal box by the lever 8 attached to the
signal post to indicate to the signal man that the engine waits until he signals
the line is clear.
Iustead of or in addition to the above described signalling apparatus, a signalling
apparatus may be employed, placed at the left side of a locomotive engine shown
at Figures 2 and 4, consisting of the following parts. The back end of the engine
carries a right angled bearing bracket 30 projecting towards the front, on which a
double ended lever rocks, terminating at its upper end in two signal plates 31 and 32,
the lower end of the lever is turned at a right angle to itself and forms a wedged
shaped stop on which the outer end of a signal plate 33 rests when the line is clear,
being held in position by a spring 34 attached to it and to astud projecting from
the back end of the engine.
The semaphore signal on the post 3 furthest from the signal box carries two
metal spring plates 35 on the end nearest the line of rails, these plates give way
slightly when struck by the outer signal plate 32 carried by the engine as it passes
the signal post, at the same time it turns down the signal plates 31 and 32 into the
position shown by the dotted lines 31 and 32* indicating danger. Such movement
withdraws the wedge shaped stop from under the outer end of the signal plate 33
to allow the spring 34 to place the plate in the position shown by the dotted
lines 33 up to a stop pin 36 to indicate danger.
After each warning the driver or fireman by lifting the signal plates 31, 32
upward, the wedge shaped lower end of the lever will engage with the outer end of
the signal plate 33 and place it to indicate line clear, or ready to encounter the next
set of spring plates 35,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The construction and employment on railways of improved fog signalling
apparatus, substantially as described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this Ninth day of January 1894
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Agent.