New or Improved Means of and Apparatus for Fog-signalling on Railways.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Means of and Apparatus for Fog-signalling on
Railways.
I, ERNEST ALBERT BENNETT BOWDEN, of 5, Brook Villas, Grosvenor Road,
Hanwell, in the County of Middlesex, Railway Clerk, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
"
My invention relates to that class of mechanical fog-signalling apparatus in which
some part of or attachment to the locomotive engine is adapted to strike against
some part of a stationary apparatus placed upon the ground near the rail and
connected with the signal so as to be moved into the line of travel of the above-
mentioned locomotive part or attachment when the distant or other signal is at
danger whereby an alarm signal is given. In this class of mechanical apparatus as
hitherto constructed it has always been found in practice that owing to the speed
of the locomotive and the strength of materials at command, the force of the blow
or impact of the moving part with the stationary part has been so great as to
break, bend, or otherwise sooner or later render unreliable or useless this class
of apparatus and for that reason, so far as I know, it has always hitherto
failed.
The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which will with absolute
certainty and mechanical accuracy and with practically no liability to derangement
or failure in any circumstances, cause a gong, whistle, or other sonorous alarm to
be called into action at every operation of my apparatus, and which said sonorous
alarm must continue in operation and indicate danger until the apparatus is
re-arranged by the engine man for a subsequent operation.
The essential difference from all foregoing inventions and apparatus and the
essential feature of my invention is that the striking part of or attachment to
the locomotive which is set to come in collision with the danger arm of the
ground apparatus is intended to break and must be broken by the impact of its
collision with the stationary part placed in its line of travel, and the immediate
result of such fracture is to call into operation the alarm.
My invention comprises means and apparatus for effecting this purpose and also
means for feeding automatically or otherwise the breakable material which is
intended to be broken to its proper position wherein it may or may not require
the extraneous assistance of the engine man to adjust, and this proper
adjustment or resetting alone will serve to throw the alarm or the like out of
action.
In carrying out my invention I employ a ground apparatus which has an arm or
lever adapted to be moved with the signal and from the signal box in such manner
that when the signal is at danger it will stand in an operative position at suitable
distance from the rail, but when the signal is at safety it is moved away from
operative position. This movement may be effected by any suitable connection
with the ordinary signal levers or wires operated from the signal cabin. The
ground apparatus is so weighted and arranged that any breakage of the connecting
wires will cause its danger arm to swing automatically to operative position. Such
ground apparatus is placed near the outer side of each rail to provide for engines
running tender first.
The part upon the locomotive engine which is intended to strike the danger arm
of the ground apparatus consists of a sufficiently tough but fragile and readily
breakable material, such for example as a rod or tube of wood, glass, earthenware,
papier maché, or the like, and this material serves as the medium for holding the

page_text: alarm inoperative when in safe running position. The fragile rod is placed in an
open-ended tube situated vertically or practically so on one side of the foot-plate
of the engine. Beneath the open-ended tube is disposed a step or stop fixed to a
lever, which lever by a suitable system of levers or other mechanical devices
is connected with the alarm in operation indicating danger, that is to say, if it be a
whistle it is normally open and sounding. The levers may also be connected with
a whistle the valve of which is blown open by the pressure of steam behind it when
released by the breaking of the fragile material.
When the fragile material has been placed in the tube, power. is applied to it by
the engine man in such manner as to depress the foot step or stop underlying it
and thereby through the connecting levers close the whistle or shut off any other
alarm employed.
This is the normal running position, but the instant the fragile part is broken
from any cause, as when it strikes the stationary part at danger, the foot step is
automatically raised by the action of said weights or springs, a change of the
position of the connecting levers at once ensues and the whistle or other alarm is
instantly called into action and will so remain until a fresh fragile part has been
placed in position and adjusted to close, reset, or stop the alarm device as above
described.
According to my invention also I may provide a feed wheel or device adapted
to hold a number of fragile rods or parts, and arranged in such position in regard
to the said tube that a small movement thereof will serve to allow a replacing
fragile rod to fall into the tube, and this feed motion may be automatically effected
after. each fracture by suitable spring and stop action or by hand or gear if desired.
The pressure to be applied to the fragile part by the engine-man may be effected
by means of a simple ram-rod or other equivalent mechanical device adapted to
perform the object, namely, to press down the fragile rod to such position as to
operate the connection and put and hold out of action the alarm. The apparatus
upon the locomotive is intended to be always ready for use, otherwise the alarm
will continue to sound, but the ground apparatus may if desired be disconnected in
fine weather.
Dated this 14th day of November 1802
J. C. CHAPMAN,
Agent.
•
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Means of and Apparatus for Fog-signalling on
Railways.
1, ERNEST ALBERT BENNETT BOWDEN, of 5, Brook Villas, Grosvenor Road,
Hanwell, in the County of Middlesex, Railway Clerk, 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 relates to that class of audible mechanical fog-signalling apparatus
in which some part of or attachment to the locomotive engine is adapted to strike
against some part of a stationary apparatus placed upon the ground near the rail
and connected with the signal so as to be moved into the line of travel of the
above-mentioned .locomotive part or attachment when the "distant
signal is at " danger," whereby an alarm signal is given.
"
or other
In this class of mechanical apparatus as hitherto constructed it has always been
found in practice that owing to the speed of the locomotive and the strength of
materials at command the force of the blow or impact of the moving part with
the stationary part has been so great as to break, bend, or otherwise sooner or
later render unreliable or useless this class of apparatus, and for that reason, 30
far as I know, it has always hitherto failed.
1

page_text: The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which will with absolute
certainty and mechanical accuracy and with practically no liability to derangement
or failure in any circumstances, cause a gong, whistle, or other sonorous alarm to be
called into action at every operation of my apparatus, and which said sonorous
alarm must continue in operation and indicate danger until the apparatus is
re-arranged by the engine man for a subsequent operation.
It is a recognised principle in railway signalling that every signal should have
the "danger" position as its normal one, so that on any failure of connections or
parts the signal shall fly to "danger" and not remain "all right."
The means I employ carry out this principle and comprise the use of two
co-acting apparatus, one upon the locomotive, the other upon the ground.
The essential features of my invention lie in the use and special arrangement
upon the locomotive engine of a fragile rod in combination with a steam whistle
or other alarm, the valve of which is always open to full boiler pressure, and
which when in safe running position is always held to its seat against boiler
pressure by means only of the said fragile rod through suitable connections:
therefore by whatever cause such rod is broken or removed from its position the
boiler pressure must instantly lift the valve and sound the alarm. This apparatus
is used in connection with the ground apparatus and the said fragile rod is arranged
in such position as to strike and be broken by an arm thereof which comes in its
line of travel when the signal is at "danger," or when any accident to or
derangement of the connections occurs.
My invention comprises means and apparatus for effecting this purpose and also
means for feeding automatically or otherwise the breakable material which is
intended to be broken to its proper position wherein it may or may not require the
extraneous assistance of the engine inan to adjust, and this proper adjustinent or
resetting alone will serve to throw the alarm out of action.
I will describe my invention in reference to the accompanying drawings in
which similar letters refer to similar parts.
Sheet 1 shows a ground apparatus of suitable kind. Fig. 1 is a back elevation
and Fig. 2 a vertical section; Fig. 3 is a general plan of the ground arrangement
and connections.
The ground apparatus consists of a casing A of cast metal fitted with a
central rotary spindle a having two arms B: b. projecting through slots in the
casing. The upper arm B is the striking arm for the locomotive apparatus, and
when in operative position it stands at suitable distance from the rail, but when the
signal is at " safety "it is moved away from operative position. This movement
is effected through the lower arm b which is forked and engages the arm c of a bell
crank C which is connected to the sigual and the signal cabin by wires w. w as
illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3 and as will be readily understood. The other
arm c of the bell crank is weighted as shown so as to fall from "safety" position
(shown dotted) on release or fracture of the wire wo and so infallibly return the arm B
to the "danger" position. This apparatus is simple and suitable, but any other
similar kind of ground apparatus may be employed, the construction forming no
essential part of my invention. Such ground apparatus is placed near the outer
side of each rail and connected to work in unison as illustrated in Fig. 3 to
provide for engines running tender first.
Sheet 2 illustrates the locomotive attachment. Fig. 4 is a general perspective
view; Fig. 5 a side elevation showing the striking parts in contact; Fig. 6 is an
enlarged sectional elevation of the rod storing and feeding apparatus; Fig. 7 a
cross section through magazine; Fig. 8 a side elevation of same; Fig. 9 au
enlarged section of whistle, also showing its arrangement.
R, Figs. 4 and 5, is the fragile rod in position for striking the danger arm B of
the ground apparatus. These rods are of sufficiently tough but fragile and readily
breakable material, as for example, wood, glass, earthenware, or the like; and they
are arranged to stand one above another, end on end, in the feed tube. F is the
feed tube fixed vertically or at any desired angle on the near side of the foot-plate

page_text: or cab of the locomotive so as to be clear of platforms and all other structures. It
is open at its bottom end, and at its top is arranged the storage magazine M which
contains a supply of the fragile rode R stored one behind another in a line, and
constantly pressed forward to the feed tube orifice f by springs m. m acting on a
back plate m'. The lid m² of the magazine is removable for filling but weather-
tight, and by same or by the position of the knobs m³ hereinafter described the
engine man can always ascertain the number of rods stored, and replenish same
at convenient times as required. Hand knobs m³ project through side slots m* for
conveniently holding back the back plate m' during filling. Above the magazine
the feed tube F is extended as at F¹ and contains a short ram rod H provided with
a suitable handle and spring rack lever adapted to engage certain external rack
teeth upon the tube F1 as hereinafter explained. It will be noted that the handle,
spring rack lever, and magazine are all arranged so as to be most convenient to the
engine man's hand, and so that their manipulation does not require him to leave
the foot-plate at any time. Beneath the open-ended feed tube F is disposed a step
or stop D fixed to a bar d arranged to slide in guides d', and connected by a system
of levers and bell cranks such as are illustrated at L L to the steam whistle V.
The valve spindle is preferably controlled by a lever S of the third order,
fulcrummed at s and engaging the valve spindle v¹ as shown. A light spring such
as s may be fitted if desired to steady the lever. The base of the whistle valve v
is always exposed to full boiler pressure through pipe P, and hence if not
mechanically held to its seat it is normally blown and held open and sounding.
In use, the lowermost rod R in the feed tube F is thrust down by ram-rod H
and forces down step D, a part of it remaining in the feed tube. This action
depresses the slide bar d, levers L. L., lever S, and valve spindle v¹, and closes
whistle valve v to its seating against boiler pressure, at the same time compressing
spring the rack lever then engages one of the teeth f', and all parts are
secured. The next rod R in the magazine M has now been forced forward by the
springs m into the upper part of the feed tube F beneath ram-rod H ready for the
next operation. This is the normal running position but the instant the acting
rod R is broken, as when it strikes the stationary finger B at "danger," the
boiler pressure blows up the valve v and the whistle sounds, and will continue
sounding until a fresh rod is placed in position and adjusted to close the valve and
stop the alarm as above described.
The apparatus upon the locomotive is intended to be always ready for use,
otherwise the alarm will continue to sound, but the ground apparatus may if
desired be disconnected in fine weather. The position of the ground apparatus
may with advantage be electrically indicated in the signal cabin.
"
From the above description it will be seen that both the ground apparatus and
the locomotive apparatus are designed to inevitably assume and maintain "danger'
positions in case of failure of wires, rods, or other parts. Both parts of the
apparatus are mechanically constant, and hence absolutely reliable. The invention
obviates the necessity for the use of detonators and fogmen, the cost of labour, and
the usual extras involved by the present systems of fog-signalling.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For fog-signalling (audibly) on railways, the arrangement upon the locomotive
engine of a fragile and breakable rod in combination with a whistle or other alarm
the valve of which is always open to boiler pressure, and is only held closed against
same by the fragile rod, for use in connection with a ground apparatus, such as
above described, both apparatus normally having "danger" positions, and being
adapted to operate substantially as above set forth.
2. The engine attachment above described which consists of the arrangement of
a downwardly extended feed tube F wherein rods R are contained end on end and
supplied from the magazine M at the top and adjusted by the band ram-rod H, in

page_text: combination with the stepped sliding bar D, laver connections such as L, S. and
whistle V, the valve o of which is normally open, all substantially as shown, for
the purposes specified.
3. The hereinabove described improved means of and arrangement of apparatus
for fog-signalling on railways, substantially as above describel and illustrated in
the drawings.
Dated this 14th day of August 1894.
For the Applicaut,
J. C. CHAPMAN,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.