Improvements in Placing Detonators on and Removing same from the Rails of Railways.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1895
. Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1896-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Placing Detonators on and Removing same from
the Rails of Railways.
1, BERTRAM CHAPLIN of "The Firs," Bilton Road, Rugby, in the County of
Warwick, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has reference to improvements in placing detonators or fog
signals on the rails of railroads and removing them therefrom.
"
•
At the present time these signals, that is, detonators, are placed by fogmen on
the line when signals are in the "Danger" attitude, to indicate to drivers the
locality and the position of the signal. When the signals are lowered to the
Safety" attitude it is customary, and indeed is the proper practice, for the fogmen
to remove the detonators from the line so that a driver may not receive by sound
a signal to stop when the visual semaphore arm is in the "Safety" attitude which
would indicate authority to proceed.
It is well known that fogmen's lives are frequently lost and serious injury arises
through them crossing lines to place detonators on the rails, or through
endeavouring to remove them when the signal has been lowered to the "Safety'
attitude.
33
It is obvious to railroad men that a device by means of which the detonators
may be placed on the rails and removed therefrom without the fogmen actually
coming in contact with the rail is desirable. My invention has this for its.
object.
The nature of my invention is as follows:-
1 provide at the end of a stick or pole of the desired length a pair of jaws.
The upper or lower, as is desirable, is a fixed jaw terminating in a hollow tube
into which the pole or stick is inserted; the other jaw, which is the movable one,
is fashioned in the shape of a crank with a rod connecting it to a catch-handle
at the end of the pole which the fogman grasps. A spring or other means
between the catch-handle and the pole may be employed to ensure that the jaws
are normally holding a detonator.
Either forming part of the herein before described device for placing detonators
on the rail, or separate therefrom, I arrange a device for removing the detonators
from the rail. This consists in a hollow receptacle the back end of which is
closed, the forward bottom portion of which is shaped so as to be thrust
underneath the detonator, the detonator moving into the hollow portion and being
swept from the line. Farthest from the hole is a downward projection which
forms the means of rapidly setting it in position on the line.
This device for removing the detonators can be formed as part of the fixed jaw
herein before referred to in that device for placing detonators on the rails, or it
may be employed as a separate device having a separate pole and being used
entirely for the removal of detonators.
It is obvious that modifications may be made in the action of the jaws, for
instance the movable jaw may not be fashioned in the shape of a crank, but my
invention is essentially a device for releasing a detonator on to its position
on the rail and removing it therefrom by apparatus such as herein described.
[D7

page_text: It would be desirable in lieu of the present lead clips by which a detonator is
fixed to the rail that steel springs should take their place, rounded on their lower
sides to form an. easy passage over the rail clipping the web underneath.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1895.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
70 & 71 Palace Chambers, Westminster, London, S.
Agent for the said Applicant.
Improvements in Placing Detonators on and Removing same from
the Rails of Railways.
1, BERTRAM CHAPLIN, of "The Firs," Bilton Road, Rugby, in the County of
Warwick, Gentleman, 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:-
My invention has reference to improvements in placing detonators or fog
signals on the rails of railroads and removing them therefrom.
At the present time these signals, that is, detonators, are placed by fogmen
on the line when signals are in the "Danger" attitude, to indicate to drivers
the locality and the position of the signal. When the signals are lowered to the
Safety " attitude it is customary, and indeed is the proper practice, for the
fogmen to remove the detonators from the line so that a driver may not receive
by sound a signal to stop when the visual semaphore arm is in the "
attitude which would indicate authority to proceed.
Safety'
"
It is well known that fogmen's lives are frequently lost and serious injury
arises through them crossing lines to place detonators on the rails, or through
endeavouring to remove them when the signal has been lowered to the "Safety'
attitude.
"
It is obvious to railroad men that a device by means of which the detonators
may be placed on the rails and removed therefrom without the fognien actually
coming in contact with the rail is desirable. My invention has this for its
object.
The way in which I carry out my invention is as follows, reference being made
to the accompanying drawing in order that it may be better understood and more
readily carried into effect.
Figure 1 is a side view of my invention, showing the rail in section, with the
usual detonator with lead clips shown on the rail in the machine.
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a modification of Figure 1.
a
a 19 a wooden pole, ba catch-handle and c a connecting rod from the
catch-handle to the movable jaw d clipping the detonator. e is a fixed detonator
jaw and a fixed lead clip jaw. is movable lead clip jaw and g¹ is the
fulcrum of g; g is the point at which rod h is fulcrumed, and h is a connecting
rod operating the movable lead clip jaw g. jis the detonator in position on the
rail are the lead clips beneath the detonator. k is a spring kept in 4
position by a pin or small bolt normally keeping the jaw g at its widest position.
is a scoop or projecting tongue for sliding underneath a detonator and removing
it from the rail when the signal is lowered to the "Safety" attitude, or when it
is desired to remove a detonator from the rail.
The action of my invention is as follows:-
In order to place a detonator between the jaws d and e the catch-handle bis
slightly pressed towards the pole which action (the jaw d being moved towards
5

page_text: the catch-handle thereby) allows the detonator to be placed between jaws d and e,
and on the catch-handle being released the detonator itself is clipped. The lead
clip is bent round to fit the jaw and the machine is moved on to the rail in the
position shown in Figure 1. On the fogman now depressing to the full extent.
the catch-handle b, the jaw d is released, the detonator is freed, and the rod c
operating rod through the slot i, moves the lead clip jaw g towards the rail and
forces the lead clip j¹ round the top of the rail into the web, similar to clip shown
in the figure. The release of the catch-handle frees the jaw g and the machine is
withdrawn from the rail. The jaw g is so arranged, through slot i, that it is not
operated to depress the lead clip until the last movement of the catch-handle next
the pole.
If a detonator is required to be removed from the rail the clip or projection Z
is moved underneath the detonator and the pole moved upwards withdrawing the
detonator.
In Figure 3 the slot i is at the end of the rod c (or it may be in the clip jaw g)
instead of being in the position shown in Figure 1, the piece being abolished.
The connecting rod c is thus continuous from the catch-handle through to the
jaw g.
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 :-
1. An improved device for placing detonators on the rails and removing them
therefrom, substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
2. An improved device consisting of two sets of jaws, the upper jaws clipping
the detonator itself and the lower jaws being the lead clip on to the head of the
rail, the whole operated by means of a catch-handle or its equivalent at the end
of a pole, substantially as described for the purposes specified and as illustrated
in the accompanying drawing.
3. An improved device for removing detonators from the rail consisting of
a pole with a tongue or scoop at its end which on being inserted between the
detonator and the rail removes the former, substantially as berein described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1996.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
70 & 71 Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.