Improved Apparatus or Means for Producing Signals, Sounds or Alarms on Railways, and in Dwelling Houses and other places.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Loft 14th July 1898-Accepted. 20th Aug. 1898
Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Loft 14th July 1898-Accepted. 20th Aug.. 1898
Improved Apparatus or Means for Producing Signals, Sounds or
Alarms on Railways, and in Dwelling Houses and other places.
I, NATHANIEL FORTESCUE, of 215, Mare Street, Hackney, County of London,
Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improved apparatus or means for producing signals,
sounds or alarms on railways and in dwelling houses and other places.
The invention hereinafter described consists of providing in or out of such
signal box or boxes or underneath such or any necessary distance away therefrom
a cylinder or other shaped vessel or accumulator to contain compressed air such
cylinder, vessel or accumulator is charged by an air pump preferably firmly
fixed thereto the pressure being indicated by a gauge fixed to crown or top of
cylinder vessel or accumulator or any other part that may be necessary.
The cylinder vessel or accumulator can be placed in any railway signal box
or beneath or any distance from such signal boxes and in all cases will be under
the control of the signalman who may be in charge and the before mentioned
pressure gauge will always indicate to such signalman the amount of compressed
air such cylinder vessel or accumulator has in store for operation by trains that
may be travelling over any indicator or levers laid parallel to or otherwise in the
track.
From the crown or tops of my cylinder vessel accumulator pipes or otherwise
I. provide and fix beneath my before mentioned pressure gauge a stop cock for
the purpose of controlling at all times the compressed air in pipes from cylinder
vessel or accumulator. I further provide and fix any length of iron piping from
such cylinder vessel or accumulator to carry my compressed air through such pipes
any given distances required such pipes may be laid alongside or brought to
side of metals crossing underneath or through such metals to any distance
required containing compressed air from my cylinder vessel or accumulator such
compressed air when released from such compression will give a long, a short or
a continuous siren blast or hooting sound, thus giving necessary intimation to
drivers of trains what caution is necessary also to platelayers and others travers-
ing on foot thereby avoiding serious accidents and loss of life hitherto so fre-
quently occurring.
The lengths of pipe running below the usual line of railway rails or along
through or crossing underneath such rails the end of such pipe is in connection
with any noisy instrument such as a bell mouthed trumpet or otherwise and
inside such bell mouthed trumpet or otherwise I fix any kind of whistle as an
additional accessory or hooter which shall give a still more shrill siren blast or
hooting the end of my proposed pipes laid below the lines or crossing beneath
or otherwise shall be supplied with certain leverage mechanism that shall be
means of discharging the compressed air when the trains travel over such lines of
railway.
I further propose that my invention can be largely employed by railway com-
panys erecting one or more large air compression works to work out my invention

page_text: in its entirety on a large and beneficial way by the use of power so that it can
be applied to every class of railway signalling to trains in motion thereby giving
all necessary caution to drivers platelayers and others whose occupation in the
various railway companys employment compels them to be on or about the
metals.
•
As to my burglar alarm I use on a small scale my cylinder vessel or accumu-
lator in such manner as to be applicable for fixing in any room mansion house
or any other place as a burglar alarm such being in its entirety as before fully
described for railway signalling the piping of such running to the exterior of
the wall of any house or place most conveniently provided with a bell mouthed
trumpet or otherwise containing in such bell mouthed trumpet hooter or other
device with ordinary loud sounding whistle or otherwise necessary to summons
police assistance when required.
N. FORTESCUE.
.
H. Gardner,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said N. Fortescue.
Improved Apparatus or Means for Producing Signals, Sounds or
Alarms on Railways, and in Dwelling Houses and other places.
I, NATHANIEL FORTESCUE, of No. 215, Mare Street, Hackney, in the County of
Tondon, Contractor, 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 an improved apparatus or means for producing signals,
sounds, or alarms on railways, and in dwelling houses, and other places.
The invention hereinafter described consists of providing in or out of such
signal box or boxes, or underneath such, or any necessary distance away therefrom,
a cylinder or other shaped vessel or accumulator to contain compressed air, such
cylinder vessel or accumulator is charged by an air pump preferably and firmly
fixed thereto, the pressure being indicated by a guage fixed to crown or top of
cylinder vessel or accumulator, or any other part that may be necessary.
The cylinder. vessel or accumulator can be placed in any railway signal box,
or beneath, or any distance from such signal boxes, and in all cases will be under
the control of the signalman who may be in charge, and the before mentioned
pressure guage will always indicate to such signalman the amount of compressed
air such cylinder vessel or accumulator has in store for operation by trains that
may be travelling over any indicator or levers laid parallel to or otherwise in the
track.
From the crown or tops of my cylinder vessel accumulator pipes or otherwise,
I provide and fix beneath my before mentioned pressure guage, a stop cock for
the purpose of controlling at all times the compressed air in pipes from cylinder
vessel or accumulator. I further provide and fix any length of iron piping from
such cylinder vessel or accumulator to carry my compressed air through such pipes
any given distances required, such pipes may be laid alongside, or brought to
side of metals, crossing underneath or through such metals to
any distance
required containing compressed air from my cylinder vessel or accumulator, such
compressed air when released from such compression will give a long, a short, or
a continuous siren blast or hooting sound, thus giving necesary intimation to

page_text: drivers of trains what caution is necessary, also to platelayers and others travers-
ing on foot, thereby avoiding serious accidents and loss of life hitherto so fre-
quently occurring.
The lengths of pipe running below the usual line of railway rails, or along,
through, or crossing underneath such rails the end of such pipe is in connection
with any noisy instrument such as a bellmouth trumpet, or otherwise, and
inside such bellmouth trumpet, or otherwise, I fix any kind of whistle as an
additional accessory or hooter which shall give a still more shrill siren blast or
hooting. The end of my proposed pipes laid below the lines or crossing beneath
or otherwise shall be supplied with certain leverage mechanism that shall be
means of discharging the compressed air when the trains travel over such lines of
railway.
I further propose that my invention can be largely employed by railway com-
panies erecting one or more large air compression works to work out my invention
in its entirety on a large and beneficial way, by the use of power, so that it can
be applied to every class of railway signalling to trains in motion, thereby giving
all necessary caution to drivers, platelayers, and others whose occupation in the
various railway companies employment compels them to be on or about the
metals.
As to my burglar alarm, I use on a small scale my cylinder vessel or accumu-
lator in such manner as to be applicable for fixing in any room, mansion, house,
or any other place as a burglar alarm, such being in its entirety as before fully
described for railway signalling, the piping of such running to the exterior of
the wall of any house or place most convenient, provided with bellmouth trumpet
or otherwise containing in such bellmouth trumpet hooter or other device with
ordinary loud sounding whistle, or otherwise necessary to summons police assis-
tance when required.
My invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 plan of permanent way and signal box with my invention in connection.
Figure 2 side elevation of modified arrangement of appliance. Figure 3 plan of
same.
The invention shown at Figure 1, A is a pipe in connection with air reservoir B
into which air can be forced to the desired pressure by the pump C, said pipe
being blocked by the tap D, otherwise the pipe between B and D remains charged
with air.
A train passing in the direction shown by the arrow operates by its engine
wheel or otherwise the lever E, and thus opens the valve of the siren, hooter, or
whistle F, the sound of which is of sufficient volume and as a warning to the
driver or the guard that the semaphore G is at danger and against his progress,
so that he can stop. H is a whistle or sound producer operable by the signalman
from his cabin who can by manipulating the hand lever J sound said signal as a
hooter, siren, or whistle to inform the engine attendant that he can proceed with
the train.
The train, supposing it has moved ahead as signalled before it reaches the
cabin I, presses the lever K of the block valve D and thus by a sound producer
at L signals to the cabin attendant that the train driver has acknowledged the
come on signal received from the appliance H.
"
"
According to Figures 2 and 3, two separate pipes 'A, A¹ are fitted and both are
charged with air from the pressure cylinder or drum B filled by the pump C as
before. The pipe A has the distance or stop siren, hooter, or whistle F operable
by the lever E by the train, or by hand, if desired, as an indication of the train's
arrival thereat, which the signalman can acknowledge by single sound on the
hooter or sharp whistle on the appliance H of the pipe A', to which other sounds,
such as three sharp sounds, or two sharp and one long sound can be given for the
driver to proceed according to a prearranged code.
The apparatus is less costly than any other devised for the purpose, it is efficient

page_text: in its action, and the pipes which are of the ordinary gas barrel type can be
screw jointed up to suit any distance, they can be curved, placed in cuttings, on
viaducts, and in fact can be led in any direction to suit circumstances without
skilled labour, such as alongside the line, under the permanent way or on posts.
I have only shown my invention in connection with a railway, but the same
apparatus or appliances can be fitted to air charged pipes generally where such
signals are required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The apparatus shown on the annexed drawings for sound signalling on rail-
ways and for general purposes, as set forth.
2. The combination of air pump C, air compression cylinder or drum B, pipe A
or pipes A, A', with sirens, hooters, and other sound producers D, F, H, operable
substantially in the manner and for the purposes explained.
The day of my love.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Nathaniel Fortescue.