Improvements in Fog Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fog Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
We, GEORGE WILDE, of 35 Commercial Street Halifax, in the County of
York, Estate Agent, and JOHN JAMES WILDE, of Hemsworth near Wakefield
in the County of York aforesaid, Councillor and Overseer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a new construction and arrangement of apparatus for
automatically placing detonators or fog signals upon railway lines.
In carrying out our invention we place a suitable form of lever near to the
railway line, which lever is operated by the passing of a train.
The lever is arranged in connection with a pawl gearing with a catch wheel
which by means of bevil wheels operates an endless chain carrying fog signals or
detonators which endless chain in its intermittant movement places a fog signal
When
upon the line to be exploded by the pressure of the wheel passing over it.
the first named lever has been operated by the passing train it is held down by a
weighted finger entering into a slot or opening formed in the said lever so as to
prevent the lever rising again and thus setting in motion the endless chain, but as
soon as the train has passed, a bar or rod on the opposite rail is released or set at
liberty which in its movement removes the finger from the slot in the first named
lever permitting it to rise sufficiently high as to be operated by the next passing
train.
Instead of employing the bar or rod just mentioned to set at liberty the signalling
apparatus it may be set at liberty by the signalman operating a lever, but in this
case the catch wheel or wheel and pawi may be in connection with the semaphore
lever. When the fog bas cleared away and the apparatus just described is not
required to be in use, I employ an arrangement of bell crank levers and rods
actuated by the signalman in his cabin for the purpose of disconnecting the
apparatus until it is next required.
Dated this 19th day of January 1895.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Patent Agents.
Improvements in Fog Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
We, GEORGE WILDE, of 35 Commercial Street, Halifax, in the County of
York, Estate Agent, and JOHN JAMES WILDE, of Hemsworth, near Wakefield,
in the County of York aforesaid, Councillor and Overseer, 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 relates to a new construction and arrangement of apparatus for
automatically placing detonators or fog signals upon railway lines.
In carrying out our invention, we employ a lever near to the railway line, which
lever is operated by the passing of a train. The lever is arranged in connection
1

page_text: with a clutch, which by means of bevel wheels acimates an endless chain carrying
fog signals or detonators. The chain in its intermittent movement places a fog
signal upon the line, to be exploded by the pressure of a wheel passing over it.
When the first named lever has been operated by the passing train, it is held by an
inclined lever or weight passing under the lever, so as to prevent the same moving
again, and thus setting in motion the endless chain: but as soon as the train has
passed, a bar or rod on the opposite rail is released or set at liberty, and in its
movement allows the lever to move sufficiently high to be. operated by the next
passing train.
When the fog has cleared away, and the apparatus just described, is not required
to be in use, we employ an arrangement of bell-crank levers and rods actuated by
the signalman in his cabin, for the purpose of disconnecting the apparatus until it
is next required.
Such being the nature and object of our said invention, the following is a
complete description of same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,
in which :-
Fig. 1 is a plan view of apparatus for purpose herein set forth.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of a modified form of apparatus for purpose aforesaid.
Fig. 3 is a side clevation of a detail drawn to an enlarged scale to clearly
illustrate its construction.
According to this invention, at 1. 1 are the rails, at 2 is a lever, beneath which is
placed a dashpot to break the impact of the lever 2 when depressed by a passing
train, one end of the lever 2 is weighted, and the weighted end is by link 3
attached to a disc or lever 4 on the shaft 5, on which is also a clutch 6. On the end
of the shaft 5 is a bevel wheel 7 gearing with a like wheel cast to or on the same
stud as the disc 8. Partly around the disc 8 and two other dises 9. 9, is passed.a
continuous chain of detonators 10. 10, each detonator being carried in a recess or
spring clip in the continuous chain. A like chain of detonators is preferably
placed in a similar position some distance on the line, so that two detonators are
placed in position on the line at the same time, the second chain of detonators being
driven from the first chain by means of bevel wheel 11, shaft 12, and bevel gear on
the other end of said shaft.
When a train passes along the line, the lever 2 is depressed by the first wheel,
and the weighted end is raised, the link 3 pulls the disc or lever 4, and a partial
turn is given to the shaft 5, and the bevel wheels cause the disc 8 to make a partial
revolution, and the continuous chain of detonators is moved until a detonator is
placed in position on the rail (see Fig. 1).
In order that the lever 2 shall not be depressed as every succeeding wheel of
the train passes over it, a bar or rod 13 adjacent to the opposite rail 1 is provided
and mounted on links or arms 14. 14 and fixed to such bar or rod 13 is a lever 15,
the end of which is inclined or wedge shaped at 16, and the inclined portion passes
under the weighted end of the lever 2. When the flanges of the wheels of the
train press against the bar or rod 13, the latter is forced further from the rail 1,
and the inclined end of the lever 15 is pushed under the weighted end of the
lever 2, which is thereby held up, and the opposite end depressed so as to be clear
of the wheels of the passing train.
When the train has passed over the apparatus, weighted levers 17, or springs,
pull the rod or bar 13 close up to the rail 1, and the lever 15 is partially moved
from under the weighted end of the lever 2, which then falls, and in so doing half
of the clutch 6 slips over the other part, and the teeth again engage, so that when
next the lever 2 is depressed and the weighted end raised, a further motion is given
to the parts as herein before described, and the next succeeding detonator in the
chain placed in position on the rail 1.
The apparatus so far as described is entirely self acting and automatic, but it
can be thrown out of gear or disconnected from the signal cabin as follows:-
A forked lever 18 mounted on a fulcrum 19 is connected by wire 20 with the
signal cabin, and by pulling such wire in the ordinary manner, the forked lever 18

page_text: will disengage the clutch 6, so that though the lever 2 may be operated, the
continuous chain of detonators remains stationary.
Or a wire 21 connected with the signal cabin, on being pulled will operate a
disc or lever 22, and the latter turning on its fulcrum 23, will by wire 24 pull
down the light end of the lever 2, and by wire 25 move the bar or rod 13 clear of
At the same time the
the flanges of any wheels which may pass along the rails 1.
wire 26 will pull the lever or finger 27 (see Fig. 3) the opposite end of which will
fold the detonator then on the rail 1 backwards and clear of the rail, as each
spring clip or holding device for the detonators is hinged to the chain to provide
for this.
When the danger or caution signal is taken off, the detonator can at the same
time be removed from the rail by connecting the lever 27 by wire 28 with the
wire for controlling the signal.
Instead of the three discs 8-9-9, there may be employed only two discs 8-9
as shown by Fig. 2, and the clutch 6 may be controlled by spring 29 (see Fig. 1)
or weight, as desired.
In Fig. 1 the detonator is placed on the line by the train to which the detonator
is to signal or warn, but by reversing the teeth of the clutch 6 so that the weighted
lever 2 operates the shaft 5, as the weighted end of such lever 2 falls (see Fig. 2)
the detonator is placed on the rail by the train preceeding the one to which the
detonator is to be discharged, i.e. the detonator is discharged by the train, and
after it has passed, the apparatus automatically places another detonator on the rail.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion. and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
(1.) The general construction, arrangement, and combination of parts constituting
the improved fog signalling apparatus, as and for the purpose herein described, and
substantially as illustrated by Fig. 1 of the annexed drawings.
(2.) A continuous chain of detonators successively moved into position on the
rail 1 by the action of a wheel of a passing train on the lever 2, link 3, disc 4,
shaft 5, and clutch 6, as herein described and substantially as illustrated by Figs. 1
and 2 of the annexed drawings.
1
Antahan 1805
GEORGE WILDE,
JOHN JAMES WILDE,
By their Agents, Brierley & Howard,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax.