Improved Means applicable for Use in Fog-signalling on Railways.
Year: 1894

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means applicable for Use in Fog-signalling on Railways.
I, HERBERT ALFRED LUCAS BARRY, of Stanley House, London Road, Forest
Hill, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for placing fog-signals in operative position
on railways; the apparatus being adapted for being worked from the signal-cabin
or other distant point without exposing the operator to danger from passing trains.
Fog-signalling apparatus constructed according to my invention is intended to
be placed alongside the railway track, and comprises a receptacle in which a number
of fog-signals are stored and feed-apparatus adapted to take one fog-signal at a
time from the receptacle and to place and hold it upon the rail.
The receptacle in which the fog-signals are stored consists of a tubular container
arranged vertically above a slide; the latter being in connection with the operating
rod which is worked from the signal-cabin. The slide operates to advance one
fog-signal at a time to a position where it may be seized by a pair of gripping
tongs pertaining to the feed-apparatus; each fog-signal being furnished with a
projecting tang adapted for being gripped by the jaws of the said tongs.
The apparatus for placing the fog-signals successively upon the rail comprises
the gripping tongs above referred to, and mechanism for operating the same in the
manner hereinafter described. The gripping tongs are mounted to pivot about a
centre and move through an angle of 90° or thereabouts. This movement is
derived from the operating rod which extends from the signal-cabin, and is imparted
through a rack and toothed sector or equivalent mechanical device. Concentric
with the pivot of the gripping tongs are two notched discs or cams formed and
arranged in such a manner in relation to one another and to the gripping tongs as
to effect the following operations :-The gripping tongs, having seized a fog-
signal, vibrate horizontally through an arc of 90° or thereabouts, thereby bringing
the fog-signal into position upon or immediately over the rail. During the return
movement of the gripping tongs, the jaws thereof remain closed until the arm has
arrived in a position intermediate between the rail and the container; whereupon
the jaws open and discharge the tang of the exploded fog-sigual or release the
unexploded fog-signal, as the case may be. The gripping jaws remaining open,
the return movement of the tongs is continued until the original position is reached,
whereupon the jaws close upon the tang of the next fog-signal, which has by this
time been moved into the position vacated by its predecessor.
Dated the 7th day of November 1894.

page_text: Improved Means applicable for Use in Fog signalling on Railways.
1, HERBERT ALFRED LUCAS BARRY, of Stanley House, London Road, Forest
Hill, in the County of Kent, Engineer, 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 apparatus for placing fog-signals in operative position
on railways; the apparatus being adapted for being worked from the signal-cabin
or other distant point without exposing the operator to danger from passing trains.
Fog-signalling apparatus constructed according to my invention is intended to
be placed alongside the railway track, and comprises a receptacle in which a number
of fog-signals are stored and feed-apparatus adapted to take one fog-signal at a
time from the receptacle and to place and hold it upon the rail.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan and Fig. 3 an end view of apparatus
constructed in accordance with this invention.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew in plan and side elevation the upper notched disc or cam;
Figs. 6 and 7 being corresponding views of the lower notched disc or cam.
Fig. 8 is a plan view designed to illustrate the arrangement of the apparatus
when in working position, with the gripping tongs holding a detonator upon
the rail.
The receptacle A in which the fog-signals a are stored consists of a tubular
container, arranged vertically above a slide. This slide is preferably formed by
connecting two bars B B' by means of a yoke b. The bar B carries a
pusher The slide B B is connected with the operating rod which is
worked from the signal-cabin by means of a lever Chaving its fulcrum at c.
This lever C is formed with an enlarged head C₁, resembling a T-head,
which is provided with a slot of peculiar formation.
Into this slot, pins
or rollers 262, projecting from the under side of the yoke b, work. The
slot is so arranged that in the event of the connections between the signal
cabin becoming elongated or shortened (loose or tant), the lever C will still
perform its functions even though it may not have arrived at the limit of its
movement. On moving the lever in the direction of the arrow, the pins & partake
of a rolling motion along the slot; the central projection c effecting the movement
of the slide (B B¹). By means of the pusher the slide advances one fog-signal
at a time and brings it to a position where it may be seized by a pair of gripping
tongs DD' pertaining to the feed-apparatus; each fog-signal being furnished with
a projecting tang adapted for being gripped by the jaws d d' of the said tongs.
The apparatus for placing the fog-signals successively upon the rail comprises
the gripping tongs D D' above referred to, and mechanism adapted for closing and
automatically opening the jaws and for bringing the detonator into operative
position, as hereinafter described. The upper arm D of the gripping tongs is
mounted on a pivot E about which it moves through an angle of 90° or thereabouts;
this arm carrying the upper or fixed jaw d. The lower or movable jaw d' is hinged
at to the upper arm D, and is also hinged at d to the lower arm D'. The
arm D passes between the cheeks D2 and is furnished at its rear extremity with
antifriction rollers d' d³. This movement of the gripping tongs is derived from the
operating rod or wire (not shown) which extends from the signal-cabin and which is
connected with the outer extremity of the lever C, the said movement being
imparted through a rack B³, on the bar B', and a toothed sector F or equivalent
mechanical device. Concentric with the pivot E of the gripping tongs D D' are
two notched discs or cams G, H. The disc G is formed with a recess g whereof

page_text: one side g¹ is arranged radially or thereabouts, while the other g³ constitutes an
inclined plane, the operation of which will be hereinafter explained. This disc G
carries on its periphery a cam-piece 9³, and on its under side the toothed sector F.
The upper disc H is formed with a recess arranged radially; the inner end of
this recess being capable of alignment with the deeper part of the recess g in the
lower disc G. A stop h¹ projects from the upper face of the disc H, in which
latter are drilled two holes *° for a pin h on the tail-piece I to engage with
at certain periods in the working of the apparatus. B3 B4 are guides for the
rack-bar B.
In order that the jaws d d' may take a firm hold of the tang of the detonator,
they are by preference corrugated as shown. If necessary, the tang of the detonator
inay also be corrugated. Ŏr the jaws may be plain and the tang corrugated or
vice versa.
The whole apparatus is arranged on a bed-plate K; the ends k k whereof are
disposed at or about a right angle to the rail.
In the drawing, the apparatus is shown as having withdrawn a detonator from
the receptacle A and brought the tang thereof under the upper jaw d of the tongs.
In order to transfer this detonator to the rail, the following operations are
effected :-
The lever C is pulled in the direction of the arrow C*, whereupon the rack-bar B₁
moves in the direction of the arrow B*. Simultaneously with the movement of the
rack B2, the lower disc G, through the medium of the toothed sector F, is caused
to turn in the direction of the arrow G*; the roller d riding up the incline g² and
causing the jaws d d to seize the tang of the detonator. The disc G in rotating
takes with it the tongs bearing the detonator, brings the cam-piece g³ round and
lifts the pin of the tail-piere I out of engagement with the upper disc H, thus
rendering the latter free to rotate. Both discs now rotate together, until the
hole h³ arrives beneath and receives the pin h, whereupon the upper disc is again
prevented from rotating and the tongs are brought against the stop h¹; thus
assuming the position of danger, shown in the diagram, Fig. 8. During the first
part of the return movement, the upper disc H remains stationary, the lower disc G
moving by itself until the part g¹ of the recess g comes against the tongs and brings
them to about the mid-position between the rail and the container; whereupon the
cam 9, by acting on the tail-piece I, frees the disc H. The deep parts of the
in the discs G, H having arrived in such a position that they coincide,
the rollers d d pass into them and the jaws d d are released. The spent detonator
(or, in the event of its not having been required for use, the unexploded detonator)
is dropped, and the continued movement brings the tongs, with its jaws still open,
back to its original position (Fig. 2). Meanwhile the pusher has brought
another detonator into position with its tang projecting beneath the upper jaw d.
The lower jaw d¹, by reason of its pivot d² being disposed behind the centre of
the hinge d³, falls out of contact with the upper jaw d by gravity.
recesses 9,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. The improved fog-signalling apparatus constructed or operating substantially
as described, and adapted to withdraw a detonator from a receptacle, to place it
upon the rail and there to hold it; the spent detonator, (or, if not used, the
unexploded detonator), being discharged from the apparatus during its return
movement.
2. The improved fog-signalling apparatus, constructed substantially as herei
described, and comprising a receptacle for the detonators, a slide for withdrawing
the same one by one from the receptacle, and a rack and toothed sector operating
in conjunction with discs or cams to cause a pair of gripping tongs to seize a
detonator, to transport it to and to hold it upon the rail, and ultimately to release
the spent detonator during the return movement of the apparatus.
3. In fog-signalling apparatus of the kind herein referred to, the employment of

page_text: a lever such as C operating a slide B and pusher 61 for effecting the withdrawal of
the detonator from the receptacle A, substantially as herein described.
4. In fog-signalling apparatus of the kind herein referred to, the employment of
a toothed bar B', in conjunction with discs or cams G, H to effect the closing of
the gripping tongs, the transference of the detonator to the rail and on the return
movement the opening of the gripping tongs to release the spent detonator,
substantially as herein described.
5. In fog-signalling apparatus, the combination, with the receptacle A, of the
bar B B', carrying a pusher and rack B2, toothed sector F, discs or cams G, H
and gripping tongs D D', substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
6. The combination, with the discs or cams G, H, of the pivoted tongs D D' and
gripping jaws d d¹, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated the 9th day of September 1895.