Improvements in or relating to Fog or Audible Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Fog or Audible Signalling Apparatus
for Railways.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK GASCOYNE, of 7, Shakespeare Street, in the City of
Nottingham, Artist in Stained Glass, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for giving audible signals
to the driver of a railway train or engine in foggy or other weather, when the
ordinary signals are indistinguishable, and its object is to provide simple in-
expensive and efficient apparatus for this purpose, which will not readily get
out of order or fail in its action.
In carrying out this invention I employ a whistle or horn which may be placed
on the engine or tender, and operate it by means of pneumatic pressure obtained
from bellows or a cylinder and piston placed on the engine or tender, the said
bellows or piston being operated by one or more striking parts placed on the
permanent way.
The bellows may be formed in a well known manner by two rectangular
pieces of wood or other suitable material which are hinged together and form the
top and bottom, the sides being enclosed by flexible material connected to the
edges of the top and bottom. It is also provided with an air inlet fitted with a
non-return valve, and an outlet to which the whistle or horn may be directly,
connected, or the latter may be placed in any convenient position on the engine
or tender, and be connected by a tube to the bellows.
The bellows are preferably placed on the underside of the step on the tender,
and may be secured by bolting the top of the bellows thereto, the position how-
ever of the bellows is optional. The bottom of the bellows which will fall by
its own weight is provided with a curved striking part placed parallel with the
rails, which engages with and is raised together with the bottom of the bellows
by the striking parts on the permanent way, and the whistle or horn is thus
sounded.
The striking parts on the permanent way are placed outside the rails so as to
be in a line with the striking part on the bellows, and at each signal station two
or three of the said striking parts with suitable spaces between them may be
employed, according to the particular requirements or system of signalling
employed on the railway to which they are applied.
For example one fixed and one adjustable or two adjustable striking parts may
be employed, or one fixed and two adjustable, the latter being so arranged that
they may be moved out of the line of the striking part on the bellows and thus
be out of action.
Each striking part on the permanent way is formed preferably of timber with
a curved, upper surface to engage with the striking part on the bellows. The
fixed striking parts may be secured permanently to the sleepers or other con-
venient part, whilst the adjustable striking parts are provided at their ends with

page_text: axles which are mounted in bearings secured to the permanent way so that they
are adjustable angularly in a plane at right angles to their length, or to the
rails.
With this arrangement a short angular movement moves the adjustable strik-
ing parts out of line with the striking part on the bellows.
Each adjustable striking part is provided with an arm which is connected by
a link to a bell-crank-lever, and the latter may be directly connected to the line
wire which operates the ordinary signal with which the striking part is operating
in conjunction.
Where two adjustable striking parts are employed in connection with one
ordinary signal, one striking part may be moved out of action when the ordinary
signal is set at caution, and the other when the ordinary signal is set at line clear.
This may be effected by operating the two levers for adjusting the striking
parts by means of cam surfaces one of which is brought into action when moved
a certain distance and both when said cam surfaces are moved to their full extent.
The cam surfaces are connected to and are operated by the line wire and the
amount of the movement of the latter thus determines the position of both strik-
ing parts.
When a cylinder and piston is employed the latter may be connected to a lever
which engages with the striking parts on the permanent way.
With the foregoing arrangement no extra work is entailed in the signal cabin,
the apparatus may also be moved from one side of the engine or tender to the
other, when the tender is running first, or duplicate apparatus may be employed
for this purpose.
If preferred the bellows may be operated through the intermediary of an arm
or lever which will take the strain caused by the sudden impact of the two strik-
ing parts.
Dated this 10th day of Januar 1808
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Fog or Audible Signalling Apparatus
for Railways.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK GASCOYNE, of 7, Shakespeare Street, in the City of
Nottingham, Artist in Stained Glass, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for giving audible signals
to the driver of a locomotive railway engine in foggy or other weather when the
ordinary signals are indistinguishable, or at any time either in conjunction with
or independently of the ordinary signals, and its object is to provide simple,
inexpensive, and efficient apparatus for this purpose, which will not readily
get out of order, or be effected by the weather, and thus be liable to fail in its
action.
In carrying out my invention I employ a whistle or horn which may be placed
on the engine or tender, and operate it by means of pneumatic pressure obtained
preferably either from bellows, or a cylinder provided with a piston, placed on
the engine or tender, the said bellows, or the piston of the cylinder being operated
by a lever, actuated by striking parts placed on the permanent way, and the
whistle or horn thus sounded.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and
Fig. 2 an end elevation showing my invention applied to a locomotive engine,
part only of the latter being shown."
Fig. 3 is an elevation.
Fig. 4 a plan, and
Fig. 5 a vertical cross section showing part of the apparatus detached.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The bellows or pneumatic arrangement for operating the whistle or horn
together with the striking lever (see Figs. 3-4 and 5) are both preferably con-
nected to a foundation plate A. As shown in the drawings the bellows com-
prises a flexible and preferably cylindrical casing 13 the upper end of which is
attached to a circular rim A' (see Fig. 5) on the plate A, and the lower end to
a circular plate C. The flexible casing B is prevented from collapsing by a wire
coil 1 (see Fig. 5) placed in its interior, this coil D also acts as a spring and
assists in returning the plate C to its normal or lower position, in which it is shown.
The bottom plate C is raised and air thus forced out of the casing B by means
of a striking lever E, the end E of which is pivotted in an extension A² of the
plate A, whilst at a point E2 which is midway between its two extremes, the said
lever is connected to a lug or lugs C₁ on the plate C.
The latter is thus raised by raising the free end E3 of the lever E. The down-
ward movement of the lever may be limited and its normal position thus
adjusted, by a nut screw S¹, mounted in a bracket S, secured to or forming part
of the extension A2 of the foundation plate A.
The air passes from the casing B or bellows, along a passage F (see Fig. 5)
formed in the foundation plate A, to a valve casing G connected to or formed
integrally with the plate A. This valve casing G is provided with an inlet G¹
and an outlet G2, both of which are normally closed by preferably ball
valves H H which rest on corresponding valve seats I I¹.
The apparatus described is preferably secured to the step J (see Figs. 1 and 2)
of the engine or tender, by means of the foundation plate A which is bolted
thereto, and the outlet opening G2 of the valve casing G is connected by a pipe K
to a whistle or horn L placed in any convenient position on the engine or tender.
Between the valve casing G and whistle or horn L, I preferably place an air
receiver M, into which the air is first delivered or compressed, this not only takes
the air rapidly from and relieves the pressure on the bellows, but also prolongs
the sound of the whistle or horn, some time after the lever E has been raised to
its extreme height, when the engine is travelling very fast.
The end of the lever is raised as the engine travels forward, by rails or
striking parts N placed in the requisite positions on the permanent way. The
end N of the rail N is pivotted to a bracket O secured to the permanent way,
whilst the end №2 is free and is supported between a forked bracket P' which is
also secured to the permanent way.
Normally the whole of the upper face of the rail N is below the end E3 of the
lever E, but the end N2 of the former is raised as shown, in dotted lines so as to
form an incline, by means of a cam Q. This cam is placed between the fork in
the bracket P and is mounted on a shaft Q which has a bearing in the said
bracket.
The outer end of the shaft Q¹ is provided with a pulley R on which is a chain,
cord, or the like the free end of which is connected to the wire which operates
the corresponding semaphore signal.
When the latter is raised the shaft Q and cam Q are rotated a quarter of a
revolution and the end N2 of the rail raised as described. When in this position
the lever E of a passing engine will be raised by the inclined rail N and the
whistle or horn sounded, thus indicating to the driver that the signal is against
him.

page_text: If desired two or more rails N may be employed in connection with each signal
station, one of which may be fixed and the others adjustable as described. They
are in this case arranged one after the other with a suitable interval between
them, in order to sound the whistle or horn once or more for each signal.
If preferred the bellows may be formed by a top and bottom of suitable shape
hinged together, and their edges connected together by flexible material, in a
well known manner.
When a cylinder provided with a piston is employed, the former is placed
in the same position as that occupied by the casing 13, and the piston rod con-
nected to the lever E.
With the foregoing arrangement no extra work is entailed in the signal cabin,
as the striking parts on the permanent way may be raised by the ordinary signal
raising mechanism.
The apparatus may also be constructed so that it may be moved from one side
of the engine or tender to the other, when the tender is running first, or duplicate
pneumatic apparatus may be employed for this purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In fog or audible signalling apparatus for railways the employment on the
engine or tender of apparatus such as bellows or a cylinder and piston actuated
by striking parts on the permanent way for forcing a current of air through a
sound producing instrument connected thereto, substantially as described.
2. In a fog or audible signalling apparatus for railways the combination with
bellows such as A B C placed on the engine or tender of a whistle or horn K
connected to the said bellows a striking lever such as E for operating the bellows
and striking parts or rails such as N on the permanent way for raising the lever E
substantially as described.
3. In a fog or audible signalling apparatus for railways the combination with a
cylinder provided with a piston placed on the engine or tender of a whistle or
horn K connected to the said oylinder a striking lever such as E for operating the
piston and striking parts or rails such as N on the permanent way for raising
the lever substantially as described.
4. In a fog or audible signalling apparatus for railways the combination with
bellows such as A B C or a cylinder and piston of a whistle or horn connected to
the bellows or cylinder an air receiver such as M a non-return valve such as H¹
between the air receiver and bellows or cylinder and a striking lever such as E
for actuating said bellows or piston substantially as described.
5. In a fog or audible signalling apparatus for railways the combination with
a striking lever such as E on the engine or tender of a striking part or rail
such as N pivotted at N¹ to the permanent way a forked bracket such as P for
supporting and a cam such as Q mounted on a shaft Q₁ for raising and lowering
the free end Na of the said rail substantially as described.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete fog
ior audible signalling apparatus for railways substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated : 10th
SO 1000