Improvements in Railway Fog Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Fog Signalling Apparatus.
Sir FREDERIC HENRY SYKES, Baronet, 8 (4) Hyde Park Mansions, and
Holcombe House, Dawlish, Devon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
When he desires to stop a train in a fog a railway signal man pulls a lever to
which is attached a wire cord or rope, and at the other end to what I will call a
semaphore placed at a distance. The effect of the pull will be to lower on to a
post to support it-the said semaphore. Attached to the engine's tender & (on its
side) is affixed on pivots or hinges, a frame of metal held by a spring catch. If
the driver wants to know if the signals are against him, he sets out the frame at
A right angle & that is all he has to do. The signal man wanting to stop the train,
lowers the semaphore to rest across (at a right angle) on the support post & the
frame-thus set out-collides with the semaphore & is knocked back into position
against the side of the tender, at the same time, the blow causes an alarm gong-
fixed on the tender-to sound, apprising the driver of the engine that he must stop
his train:
Dated this 27th day of January 1896.
FREDERIC HENRY SYKES,
8 (4) Hyde Park Mansions and Holcombe House, Dawlish, Devon.
Improvements in Railway Fog Signalling Apparatus.
I, Sir FREDERIC HENRY SYKES, Bart. of 17 Lancaster Gate, in the County
of London, and Holcombe House, Dawlish, in the County of Devon, 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:-
This invention for improvements in railway fog-sigualling apparatus has for its
object to provide a simple and efficient automatic apparatus that shall indicate to
the engine driver or other official on a train the position of the signals, and
thus prevent trains over-running signals cet against them, in foggy and thick
weather.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings
Fig. 1 is a part side elevation shewing the improved fog-signalling apparatus,
and Fig. 2 is an end clevation of the game.
Figs. 3 and 4, and 5 and 6 are similar views to Figs. 1 and 2 shewing slight
modifications of construction.
The shaft C mounted in suitable bearings on the engine or vehicle frame carries
a depending wing or lever A and also ou its end a cam D on which rests a roller F
mounted ou a lever E having its fulcrum at G and connected by a rod H to a pawl I
kept in position by a spring. The shaft L mounted in bearings on the permanent
way carries on one end a bracket B and on the other end a lever M jointed to a

page_text: communication to the signal-box so that the bracket B can be raised by the
signal-man when desired into the path of the depending wing A on the engine or
vehicle. On the passage of the engine or vehicle the wing A will be moved to one
side by coming into contact with the raised bracket B, and by doing so will turn
the shaft C with the cam D, which raises the lever E and consequently the rod H
causing the pawl I to glide over the tail-piece of the hammor K, aud in returning
by its own gravity to raise the hammer K, and having passed a certain point to
free the tail piece of the hammer and allow it to strike the gong X or give other
suitable indication.
.
In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the wing A is replaced by a
horizontal lever N carrying a roller O. The bracket B and connected parts is
replaced by a hinged bar P that can. he raised at one end by the cranked lever R
to form an inclined plane. The lever N with its roller O will then be raised whilst
the engine or vehicle proceeds, and with this lever, the lover S (which is fixed to
the same shaft as N) will also be raised; and also the rod H operating the .bell
hammer K.
In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 a pneumatic connection is provided.
When the bar P is raised the roller O on the lever N will roll up the bar and be
raised and through the connecting link C compress the bellows and force air
through a pipe T to a whistle and so sound the whistle..
The operation is as follows: The signalman in his box having set signals
against a running train, desires to stop it, and. to effect this, he pulls a lever
connected by a cord to the apparatus or appliance on the permanent way which
then operates upon the apparatus fixed to the engine or vehicle and causes a
hammer to strike a gong, or a whistle to sound, attached also to the engine or
vehicle to warn the driver of the engine, who brings up his train.
When the
train is brought up he whistles to apprise the signalman thereof, who replies as an
answer with one stroke of a gong or bell fixed to the signal box. When the
signalman desires the train to start and the line is clear, he strikes the gong or bell
twice, which indicates that all is right.. Three strokes is an indication that caution
and slow speed is necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion aud in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A railway fog-signal apparatus.consisting of a depending lever on the engine
or vebicle, a pivoted bar or bracket on the permanent way connected to a signal
lever so that it can be raised or lowered into the path of the depending lever, an
indicating apparatus on the engine or vehicle and a means for connecting the
depending lever to the indicating, apparatus, substantially as described for tho
purpose set forth.
2. The railway fog-signalling apparatus substantially as described with referenco
to Figs. 1 and 2.
3. The railway fog-signalling apparatus substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 3 and 4.
4. The railway fog-signalling apparatus substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 5 and 6.
Dated this 7th day of August 1896. ·
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.