Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 5th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July, 1888
WILLIAM THOMAS FOLKS 30 Mark Lane, London E.C., Wine & Spirit
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An electrical or other mechanical automatic contrivance to be fixed about one niile
from each level crossing so that a train in passing over this contrivance would cause a
Bell or Gong to ring continuously at level crossing, until train has passed when
another contrivance would silence the Bell or Gong.
The Bell or Gong may be affixed to a disc with "danger" painted therein, and for
night use a red lamp may be attached to the disc. The action which sets the Bell or
Gong in motion would make the lamp & disc visible, & the silencing of Bell or
Gong would obscure both.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Alarm Signalling Apparatus for Level Crossings of
Railways.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS FOLKS, 30 Mark Lane, London, E.C. Wine and Spirit
Merchant, 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 alarm signalling apparatus so arranged that when a railway
train passes along a part of the line at some distance from a level crossing, it causes
an electrical current to be transmitted for actuating a visible or audible signal, as I
will describe referring to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a side view partly in
section, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the electric contact apparatus which I
employ to be acted on by the passage of successive wheels. Fig. 3 is a section showing
a modified form of the casing, when it is desired to keep it sealed against access of
dust, damp, &c. The wheel W in running along the rail R presses by its flange on
the sloped head H of a rod B which is fitted to slide vertically in a bush C and is
urged upwards by a spring S. The lower end of the rod B is made with a suitable
contact point P which, on the rod B being depressed makes contact with a metal
plate M fixed on a sheet of caoutchouc D or other suitable elastic material. Wires LL
connected respectively to the rod B and to the plate D communicate with a battery or
other source of electricity and such signalling apparatus as may be desire i, as for
instance a bell or gong to give an audible signal or a signal arm, coloured lamp
glass, or an electric lamp to give a visible signal. The contact apparatus may be
enclosed in a wood or metal box E with lid F as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, or it
may be enclosed, as shewn in Fig. 3, in a metal box G made in two parts screwed
together. In order to prevent access of dust or damp through the bush C I prefer to
fix to it and to the rod B a piece of caoutchouc or other flexible tube K which yields
as shewn when the rod is depressed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
In automatic electrical signalling apparatus for railways the combination of the
vertically sliding rod B having sloped head H and contact point P, the spring S, and
the flexibly supported contact plate M, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 5th day of June 1888.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.