Improvements in Audible Railway Signalling.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 26th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 21st May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Audible Railway Signalling.
We ANNIE ELIZA SHELLEY of Wellington Road Smethwick in the County
of Stafford and ROBERT HENRY FITZSIMONS of Owen Street Tipton in the
County aforesaid Wine and Spirit Merchant do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :—
Our present invention relates to audible railway signalling apparatus the object
thereof being to make certain improvements in the apparatus described by us in
joint with Thomas Robert Shelley in a Patent granted A.D. 1891 and numbered
2629 to attain which we employ instead of a wheel or magazine arranged with
partitions a magazine arranged with a number of holes similar to the magazine of
a repeating rifle or revolver and we preferably fix the said improved magazine in a
vertical position and arrange it on the outer side of what is generally known as the
four footway.
Our said improved magazine can be arranged in a box constructed with a hinged
or other covering and it may work on a central pin
or shaft.
The said improved magazine can be worked round or fed in any of the ways
described in the. before mentioned Patent numbered 2629 A.D. 1891 that is to say
for instance we employ a parallel bar arranged with weighted bell cranked links
which is depressable by the action of the flanges of the wheels of a passing train
and when so depressed it moves a connecting rod and operates a lever pivotted or
fulcrumed at a position on the outer side of the rail.
The outer end of said pivotted lever is arranged to either operate a haminer
which is worked by a spring or weight and constructed so as to strike a cartridge
or ordinary detonator fixed or placed in the holes formed in the magazine.
Where the magazine is arranged similarly to a repeating rifle or revolver we
employ ordinary blank cartridges and the operating lever worked from the
depressable parallel bar works a spring or other trigger which when pulled or
pressed in one direction revolves or feeds the magazine so as to bring a cartridge
in position ready to be exploded by the striking hammer that is to say the pulling
or pressing of a trigger simultaneously moves the striking hammer to firing
position and brings a charged cartridge into position. In some cases we employ
a discharging rod which may be worked by means of second pivotted lever
connected to the depressable bar and arranged to drive out of chambers or holes
of the magazine the exploded cartridge. Our improved magazine is arranged with a
back or breech plate and it may have any suitable number of holes or chambers
arranged preferably in circles.
We employ two or more hammers according to the number of circles of holes
or chambers used, and each hammer is arranged to explode a cartridge or
detonator in its respective circle as will be well understood.
The said hammers may be worked from the same parallel or depressable bar or
each hammer may be worked by means of a separate parallel bar. The said bars
may be placed at any suitable distance apart so that the required interval between
each explosion is secured.
We in some cases arrange the said improved magazine so that when the whole
of the cartridges are exploded it can be taken bodily from rest of the apparatus
and a similar magazine already charged can be placed in its stead.
Where preferred a barrel or sounding tube may be arranged to extend from
the chamber or hole containing the cartridge in the magazine in any direction in
order to conduct the sound of the explosion.

page_text: We would have it understood that instead of the said magazine being fixed in a
vertical position it may be placed horizontally or obliquely as desired.
Where an audible signal is required such as the sound of a bell or gong or a
horn we dispense with the magazine and arrange the hammer or a trigger to
operate by means of the parallel or depressable Bar or bars aforesaid a suitable
bell or gong and in the case of a, horn the said hammer in its movement
compresses sufficient air to blow the horn in the ordinary way.
Dated the 25th day of May 1891.
H. F. BOUGHTON, M.I.M.E.,
London, Sheffield, Barnsley, Agent,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Audible Railway Signalling.
ANNIE ELIZA SHELLEY, Wellington Road Smethwick in the County of
Stafford, and ROBERT HENRY FITZSIMONS Owen Street Tipton, in the County
aforesaid Wine and Spirit Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The aims of the invention are primarily to make an improved manner of
apparatus for audible signalling on railways, the object being to make certain
improvements in the apparatus described by us in conjunction with Thomas
Robert Shelley in a Patent granted A.D. 1891 and numbered 2629, to attain which
we use instead of a disc containing partitions to hold the ordinary detonators, a
magazine or disc arranged with a number of holes similar to the magazine of a
revolver or rifle, and the drawings shew the apparatus in a vertical position
although it can be fixed in any position as desired.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1. is a plan shewing one rail of permanent way with the levers that operate
the machine, also the lever by which the bar over which the train passes is
depressed.
Fig. 2 shews a distant signal in elevation, with the wire which works same.
Fig. 3 shows a section of permanent way, and depressible bar, also the apparatus
in elevation.
Fig. 4. shews a side view of the apparatus.
Fig. 5. shews a plan of machine with lever that connects same with lever that is
worked direct from pressure of vehicles passing over.
Fig. 6. detail of sound tube and hole for cartridge.
Fig. 7. detail of shaft of liammer and side pieces.
Fig. 8. detail of catch with section of lever and spring.
Fig. 9. detail of gong with striking apparatus.
Fig. 10. detail of fog horn.
Fig. 11. detail of cartridge.
The magazine is worked in any of the ways described in the beforementioned
Patent No. 2629 A.D. 1891 or shewn by the drawings accompanying this, we
employ a parallel bar secured in position by the means of links and brackets,
secured to the rail, and is pulled back to its normal' position after a train has
passed over by means of the spiral spring (a in Fig. 1-3-denotes rail on which
train travels, on Fig. 1. 3 denotes chairs supporting rail a. c Fig. 1. 3-denotes
sleepers supporting chairs b-d. Fig. 1. 3 denotes the parallel bar, and Fig. 1.
the spiral spring e. e. e. e. Fig. 1 are stops secured to bar d. which engage with
ends of levers n. and g.
ff Fig. 1 are fulcrums for levers n and g.
g. Fig. 1. lever operating from wire on to bar d.
h. Fig. 1. 2. is wire from signal to lover a

page_text: Fig. 2. is wire from signal cabin to signals.
Fig. 2. is rod working arm of signal.
k. Fig. 4. 5. cogs on outer edge of disc m. 1. on Fig. 3. 4. 5. is covering to
machine in iron or other material. m Fig. 3. 6 is the disc. n. Fig. 3. 4. 5. 8. 9. 10 is
the lever operating the disc. o Fig. 3. 4. 5. is centre pin of disc m. p Fig. 3. 4. 5
upright bar operating on disc m. Fig. 3. 4. 5 spiral spring on bar p. Fig. 3.
4. 5 cog operating discs. Fig. 3. 4. 5 paul on cog. Fig. 3. 4. 5 bottom plate to
bar p. Fig. 4. 5 wedge piece to raise p.- Fig. 4. 5 lever working . w Fig. 5
slotted hole at E. n. 2. Fig. 4. 5. 8 catch that works plunger or hammer,
Fig. 4. 8 spring keeping a in position. y Fig. 4. 5. 7 solid side pieces when spring
is for hammer. Fig. 4. 5 fixed piece or hammer shaft to form resistance for
spring y Fig. 4. 5. 7. shaft round which spiral spring works 2. Fig. 4. 5 slotted
joint in jaw shape, connecting hammer with lever. Fig. 4 fulcrum to lever.
Fig. 4. 6. sound tube either straight or curved. Fig. 4. 5. 6 space for
cartridge Fig. 3. 5 lever connected to n. to operate fulcrimed plunger
Fig. 5. plunger to remove discharged cartridge operated on by and
spiral spring. Fig. 9. a. a represents wooden supports bb, fulcrum for lever, c. c.
c. c. hammers with spring dd. gong. c. e. space for lamp if required worked with
gong and to give lights in unison with sound Fig. 10. ff lever hinged to g. g.
and secured to n. Fig. 1. 3. 4. 5. 9. g. g. hinge secured to bellows and f. f.
h. h. opposite side of bellows fixed to ground. jj bellows in leather or other
material. 1. 1. valve for admission of air. k. k. m. m. throttle containing
mechanism to produce required tone and mouth of horn. Fig. 11. o. o. powder or
other explosive p. p. detonating cap. g. q. flange round top of cartridge
n. n. packing of bottom of charge. When the bar before described is depressed it
actuates the mechanism in the following manner bringing about the required end
the depression of the bar which moves it in both a horizontal and vertical way, it
operates on the bar n, which is fulcrumed at f. by means of e. e. secured to bar d.
this motion operates on the hammer or hammers which explodes the cartridges
which are proposed to be similar to ordinary blank cartridges see Fig. 11. the
manner in which the bar n. operates on the hammer is thus, when it is moved in
direction of dotted line Fig. 5. it presses the catch against lever fulcrumed at
and thus draws the hammer away from the cartridge after the bar n. with stop &
has passed below, and past the end of lever the spring draws the hammer rapidly
back and in so doing it explodes the cartridge. The same motion of bar n. also
moves lever or bare thus forcing wedge. piece w under t' thus raising p. the
required height, during such motion the cog. . revolves freely as it is not checked,
after the tram has passed over and the bar d. is pulled back and raised into its
normal position, it forces the lever n back in so doing the catch presses against
the lever before described and the lever causes the catch to sink to a level with
top of bar or lever . which allows n to continue in its motion, towards its original
position after catch has passed under the lever, it is again raised by means of
spring and is then again ready to again operate on lever fulcrumed at ¹ to
explode another cartridge, as the lever is being forced back again it also causes
the wedge u to move from under t which allows to force the bar p. to its original
position, in this motion the teeth or cogs of p. engage with k and being kept from
revolving freely in its downward motion by paul s. it draws the disc m. round
sufficient to bring another cartridge into position to be operated on by hammers,
the said cartridges being contained in holes two or more rings deep as required
and shewn of Fig. 3. the disc m can only move the exact distance as the bar
when in position rests on the top of lever . The first motion described of lever n.
also pushes lever and this operates on fulcrumed lever or plunger which
penetrates the hole and forces out the discharged cartridge which motion extends
the spring, which spring as soon as lever is removed to its normal position,
immediately withdraws the lever from the hole "".
p.
The lever g is fulcrumed like n. and is used for lowering the bar d when signal
is at line clear so that when the wheels pass over the flanges, they do not touch

page_text: g
bard and therefore do not operate on lever n. with its attendant results. When is
pulled by lever from the signal box it draws which pulls lever in the
direction of dotted line at same time as it lowers the arm of signal by means of
rod, which lowers the bar d after wires h' and are liberated from the signal box,
bard is raised to normal position by spring d' as described. The gong is operated
on, in case it be used in lieu of the disc mor horn Fig. 10 or in conjunction with
either or both by the lever n. before described, when the lever fulcrumed at b. b. is
moved it forces the right hand spring cc outwards until passes clear of the lever,
when spring c. c returns with a force sufficient to cause the head to strike the
gong dd a severe blow, and when returns to its proper position it forces the lever
contrary way which causes the left-hand spring c. e to be operated on in a similar
manner. The horn Fig. 10 is operated on by . which depresses the bellows
causing a sound to be emitted from the mouth of k. k. and on the return of a the
valve 7. . is opened and the bellows refilled with air. The disc m. can be made
interchangeable if required or filled anew on the ground, and if desired the
horn Fig. 10 or gong Fig. 9. could be operated on by the hammer that strikes the
cartridge instead of by the lever n. direct as here shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same has to be performed, we, declare that what
we claim is:
1. In a parallel bar before described and operated on by the wheels of passing
train as claimed by us in Patent 2629, 1891.
2. In a revolving disc moveable or fixed for purpose of loading and made
substantially as shewn for the discharge of cartridges.
3. In a meaus of forcing from the holes the discharged cartridges also for
revolving the disc, a required distance after each explosion.
4. In a means for lowering the parallel bar by means of lever as shewn
operated when.signal is lowered.
5. In a use of gong or fog horn, by means of the parallel depressible bars, as
shewn and described by the drawings attached.
Dated this 25th day February 1892.
A. E. SHELLEY.
R. H. FITZSIMONS.