An Improved Fog Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 17th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 17th Nov.,
1899
An Improved Fog Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
We, MICHAEL GORMAN, Assistant Overseer, of Haydu Villa, Aberbeeg, near
Newport, and CEVAN LEWIS, Hotel Proprietor, of Viaduct Hotel, Crumlin, both
in the County of Monmouth, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention is an improved fog signalling apparatus which is designed to
obviate the necessity of fog signalmen, and it is of equal importance either as
applied to " distance signals" or to at home" signals.
The said invention is characterised by an electric alarm, preferably taking the form
of a bell, the operation of which is primarily controlled by the signal man, and
which is adapted when in circuit to be rung by the passing of an engine or train
over the rail at the particular point where the apparatus is fixed, the said passing
of the engine or train making the electrical circuit if the signal man has got the
signal against the train's passage. One of the principal features of the invention
is that in one form, the deflection or spring of the rail by the passage of a train
over it is utilized for making contact between two terminals in an electrical circuit
which passes through the alarm bell, whilst, in another form, the wheel or some
part of the body of the carriage passing over the rails directly rocks a lever which
operates a contact piece between the two terminals.
In carrying the invention to effect a suitable clamp is fixed upon the lower part
of the rail between two sleepers, and to this clamp is connected the short arm
of a lever which is fulcrummed so that its long arm has a considerable throw
with respect to the small movement of the short arm. The end of the long arm
of this lever carries a contact piece which forms one of the terminals of an
electrical circuit.
Disposed at a suitable distance apart from the contact piece as aforesaid is
the other terminal of the circuit which is controlled by the signal man in the
same manner as he controls the signal, and it is dependent upon the position of
this terminal as to whether the circuit is completed and an alarm given by the
passage of a train over the particular part of the rail: for instance, this terminal
is a shifting one and is brought into the path of the other terminal when the
signal on the signal post is at "danger," but is withdrawn from the path of
the said terminal when the signal on the signal post is lowered or safe." The
operation of this shifting terminal is accomplished by a series or levers or jointed
arms off the same lever bar which operates the signal on the signal post, the said
series of levers being suitably carried either on the signal post or on the permanent
way and being of such a character that very little extra work is given to the
signal man when operating the signal in the ordinary way.
$6
A deflection of the rail at the point between the two sleepers where the lever
is attached to the rail by a clamp is quite three eights of an inch on the passage
of a train and from this displacement sufficient movement is imparted to make
the necessary contact between the terminals.
Instead of depending upon the deflection of the rail for making the contact,

page_text: the short arm of the lever may pass underneath the rail to the inside and its end
arranged to come within the path of the flange of a wheel of a carriage, or an
engine, with a similar result.
The contact between the two terminals may be a mercury one, to ensure the
making of the circuit by the passing of a train positive, but instead of this a
rolling or rubbing contact may be applied, in which event every movement
given to the parts, whether the fog alarm is "on" or 'off," would be to create
a rubbing between the contact pieces.
66
The fog signalling apparatus is so connected to the signal box as to be entirely
suspended at the will of the signul man.
An Improved Fog Signalling Apparatus for Railways.
We, MICHAEL GORMAN, Assistant Overseer, of Haydn Villa, Aberbeeg, near
Newport, and CEVAN LEWIS, Hotel Proprietor, of Viaduct Hotel, Crumlin, both
in the County of Monmouth, 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 is an improved fog-signalling apparatus for railways, designed
to dispense with the dangerous and undesirable work of fog signalmen, and is
characterised by an electric alarm, or a number of such, preferably taking the
form of a bell or bells, adapted to be put into operation and sounded and controlled
by the passage of an engine or a train over the rail at a point where the apparatus
is fixed and by the action of the signalman from his box, the said passage of
the engine or train making an electrical circuit, first made active by the signal-
man, to indicate the condition of the signal to or near which the said apparatus
is applied and fixed. An essential feature of this invention is the utilization
of the deflection or spring of the rail between two sleepers, consequent upon
the passage of a train, to operate an electrical switch or contact piece or to
otherwise make and break an electrical circuit passing through an alarm bell
or one or more alarm bells, the said deflection obviating the necessity of any
clumsy work in the road or track and any attachment of any kind upon the
engine or train.
The amount of deflection of the rail, as aforesaid, is quite three eights of an
inch at the point between two sleepers, and according to this invention this
movement is multiplied by a lever having a short and long arm, the short arm
connected with the rail and the long arm carrying a contact piece moving between
two terminals of an electrical circuit in which are the alarms or bells. Two
alarms or bells of distinct sounds are preferably used, the one being out of the
circuit while the other is in the circuit, the one bell to indicate the signal at
danger," and the other bell to indicate the signal at "safe" and that the train
has passed it. As aforesaid, the circuit is controlled as to which bell is within
it by the signalman, the operation of moving the signal arm cutting out the
one bell and putting in the other, but the completion of the circuit to sound
the alarm is made by the passage of the train over the rails near the signal.
66

page_text: In order to more particularly describe the invention and show it carried into
practical effect annexed is a sheet of drawings indicating in Fig. 1 a diagram
of a railroad and signal post with the invention applied. Fig. 2 and 3 of the
said sheet show separately the apparatus for completing the circuit from the
deflection or bending of the rail, the first of these figs. being a vertical section
and the last a horizontal section. In Fig. 4 is a small appliance (practically a
switch) controlled by the signalman from his box and operating with the signal
arm, for putting into the electrical circuit either one or the other of the bells,
the connection of the parts of this switch being shown in the diagram Fig. 1.
In these figs. a suitable clamp c is fixed upon the lower part of the rail d
intermediate between two sleepers a, a, (see Fig. 1), and to this clamp is suitably
connected the short arm of a lever e fulcrummed at e so that its long arm ea
has a considerable throw in respect to the small movement of the short arm &³.
The end of the long arm of this lever moves a contact piece g, which is adapted
to make and break the electrical bell circuit h by its conducting and non-
conducting contact between two terminals i, , arranged within the said circuit
so as to give a yielding rubbing contact. The contact piece shown in the
drawings is a small drum of insulated material having upon its face let-in
conducting strips electrically connected, and this drum, which is suitably
mounted in bearings 93 93, is rotated to the desired extent by the long arm
through a link g connecting the said long arm with the drum. The greater
part of this mechanism is located within a casing a so as to be water and weather
tight, the short arm of the said lever and also the long arm being attached parts
upon an all-through bar forming the fulcrum e. The lid of the casing is
bolted down to the flanges of the sides of the casing with a boundary packing
-between.
The foregoing part of the mechanism is indicated in diagram in Fig. 1 by the
casing containing it, and the electrical circuit wires leading therefrom are
shown conducted to the contact arm m of the signalman's switch (see Fig. 4)
and to the one pole of the battery or generator o. The contact arm m couples
either the one or the other of the bells n, s, in the circuit, depending upon the
particular contact u or w with which it engages, so that one only of the bells
is in the circuit at a time, the other being cut out.
In Fig. 6 a modification is shown for obtaining the necessary movement of
the levere for operating the contact piece without utilizing the rail deflection.
In this arrangement an arm is jointed at one end to the rail or other fixed
support, and is connected at to the short arm of the lever e, and the flanges of
the wheels of the engine or passing train are utilized for operating it, by forcing
it downwards as it passes over.
Where two bells are used for distinct sounds one denotes the signal at "danger
and the other at "safe."
"
The amount of throw of the long arm of the lever can be adjusted in various
ways, either by shifting the fulcrum or by making the terminals i, a, shifting,
and in extreme cases where the deflection of the rail is extremely small, the
movement of the short arm of the lever may be multiplied by the intervention,
between the long arm and the contact piece, of other levers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: —
First. In apparatus for fog-signalling on railways, utilizing the deflection,
spring or bend of the rail between two sleepers for operating or releasing an
electric switch or other contrivance for setting going alarms, for the purpose
substantially as described.
Second. An apparatus for fog-signalling on railways, characterised by a lever
having a long and short arm and which is moved by the deflection, spring or
bend of the rail on the passage of a train, a switch operated by the long arm of

page_text: the said lever, and electrical connections and alarms controlled in part by. the
signalman, all arranged and operating in the manner substantially as described
and set forth.
Third. In apparatus for fog-signalling on railways, the combination of a de-
flecting or bending rail d, a clamp c, a lever c, a switch operated by said lever,
alarms n and s, electrical connections, and a battery o, substantially as described
and set forth.
Fourth. The arrangement described and set forth in Fig. 6 for rocking the
lever e from the flanges of the wheels for the purpose described.
Dated this 16th day of August 1899.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Also of Liverpool, London and Manchester,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.