for Railways.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 5th Aug., 1887.
for Railways.
I GEORGE SIMS SPENCER of 30 Rawdon Street, Church Street, Derby in the
county of Derby, 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 has for its object improved means or apparatus for placing detonating
signals on railways and for removing the same.
Fig. 1. is a plan of detonator box with cover and top plate of bracket removed
shewing the top grip open.
Fig. 2. is the same as above with the top grip closed (note the position of
connecting rod.
"
Fig. 3. is the same but both grips are open and it shews a detonator placed on
the line.
Fig. 4. is a side elevation of the detonator box with part of the side removed
shewing interior.
Fig. 5. is an end elevation of box shewing both grips closed as seen in Fig. 2.
Fig. 6. is a cross section of detonator box on lines e. f. looking forward.
Fig. 7. is a vertical section on line a-b Fig. 2.
Fig. 8. is the same on line c-d.
.
Fig. 9. is an elevation of bottom grip as seen when clutching a detonator stem it
shews also the slot upon which the clutching part works.
Fig. 10. is a vertical section on line g. h.
Fig. 11. is an elevation of the lever and dummy signal with connections in signal
box in their different positions.
Referring to Drawings and letters thereon A is a pulley fixed on a shaft or
spindle B fitted in the box or case, containing the working parts of the apparatus,
placed by the side of the line as shewn. The upper end of this shaft or spindle B
carries a catch or pawl C which is keyed to the shaft B and can be arranged to drop by
gravity or spring pressure and so enter any one of the four holes in a bevel wheel D
which is loose on the shaft B and turning with it when the pawl Centers any one of
its holes.

page_text: E is a bevel pinion mounted on a shaft or spindle F working towards the line and
which carries an archimedian screw F¹ by which the signals are fed forward as
hereafter described.
To the pulley A is attached the end of a connecting rod G, which works the
gripping device for feeding the signals on to the line or taking them off as hereafter
described.
Referring now to Figs. 11 I shew a bell crank lever G₁ pivotted in the signal box
to which is attached a wire or connection G² going from the signal box to the pulley A
over the same and round a small idle pulley A and having its end attached to a
balance weight or other counterpoise. When the bell crank lever in the signal box is
in the upright position a detonator should be placed on the line and when the bell
crank lever is in the position shewn in dotted lines the detonator has either been put
back in the box or exploded, if exploded, the act of pulling down the lever puts back
the top grip as shewn in Fig. 2.
Assuming the lever to be in the position shewn in dotted lines and upon raising it
to the upright position the large pulley A is turned round a quarter of a circle in the
direction of the arrows see Figs. 1 and 2.
This revolves the axle B a quarter of a circle and by means of the pinion E carried
by the shaft F. the Archemedian screw F¹. is revolved so pushing forward a detonator.
The detonators are mounted on strips of wood metal or other material j and are
made in the shape of a figure 9 or 6 which figure allows them to be turned over on
the inlined plane as hereafter described.
The aforesaid strips of wood or metal or other material lie on each thread of the
screw F¹.
Upon pulling down the lever as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 11, the weight or
counterpoise on the wire or other connection from the signal cabin, which as before
described passes round the large pulley A and over the small pulley A', will pull back
the large pulley a quarter of a circle and so pull out the pawl or catch C from the
last hole and let it drop in the next hole in wheel D. It is then ready for the next
upward motion of the bell-crank lever in the signal box.
The movements and length of travel of the aforesaid lever are the same as the
ordinary distant signal levers in common use in signal boxes so that when a fog comes
on connection may be made and both semaphore and detonator apparatus worked with
or by one lever if thought fit.
When a detonator is put back again into the box or case placed by the line, the
stop block Z prevents the one put back from going the full quarter of a circle
therefore the catch does not go far enough back to fall into the next hole in the
bevel wheel D.
To prevent the Archimedian screw F¹ revolving too far by jerking the said bell
crank lever in the signal box I attach a projection i (see Fig. 10) on to the pulley A
which comes in contact with the pinion E when the pulley has revolved a quarter of
a circle, this prevents further motion of the pinion E and of course of the bevel
wheel D so that on a detonator being put back in the box or case the point of the
catch or pawl C cannot drop into the next hole because this action prevents the bevel
wheel D coming round too far. If the bevel wheel D revolved too far the front of
the box or case would contain more detonators than the grippers could conveniently
take. The projection is devised to obviate this. By the side of the end of the
Archimedian screw F¹ I arrange an inclined plane or surface H so that as the
detonators carried by the said screw ride up the same they are gradually turned over
and the foremost is presented flat to the gripping device for placing the same on the
rail or removing it therefrom.
Underneath the box lid and attached to it is a spring or weighted plate I to keep
the stem of the detonator down while the grippers M. N. are clutching it, see Fig. 5.
The stop block Z in the mouth of the box (Figs. 5 and 6) allows the detonators to
emerge but will not permit of their return the full quarter circle. J is a projection
on the bottom gripper to which is attached a wire or connection going to a bell
crank L (see dotted lines Figs. 1 and 2) fixed on the shaft B from this bell crank La

page_text: wire or connection K¹ goes to the signal cabin where it operates a dummy signal K³
as shewn in Fig. 11 carried by a pulley K' over which the wire K¹ passes and is
attached to a weight or counterpoise below, thus the movements of the foremost
detonator are reproduced by the dummy or duplicate. The connecting rod G works
the upper gripper N and is attached to the pulley A on the shaft B on which is
mounted the bell crank L to which bell crank is connected the wire K going to the
bottom gripper. As shown in Fig. 1. the connecting rod G is pulled back and the top
gripper is out the full quarter of a circle and the lower gripper is in the box having
gone under the stem of a detonator.
This is the normal position, a quarter of a revolution of pulley A by the action of
the bell crank lever G' will feed up a detonator by the screw F and at the same time
bring the upper gripper N as the connecting rod & goes forward towards the railway
the stem of the detonator being now between the grippers, see Figs. 2. 7 and 9. Å
further quarter circle revolution of the pulley A as in Fig. 3 pulls out the top gripper
and brings the bottom one with it if detonator stem is between them owing to the
wedging of the detonator stem between both grippers and if no detonator stem has
come in between, the bottom gripper cannot be pulled out nor the dummy or duplicate
moved in the signal box thus shewing that no detonator is gripped for putting on the
railway therefore the top gripper comes out by itself and that action feeds up another
detonator to fill the place of the missing one; the foregoing operations being
performed and detonator thus supplied it is held over the line or rail by the two
grippers and can now be exploded by a passing engine or train.
The bottom grip M is formed in two parts M. M³, M³ having a slot in which a
pin
m works.
The wheel of the engine or carriage on exploding the detonator presses down the
heel plate or latch part on the grip M and so releases the stem of the detonator.
The weighted wire K attached to the bell crank lever L immediately pulls back the
bottom grip to the position shewn in Fig. 1 as it swings back the latch part of the
grip M is forced into the required position for stopping another detonator by passing
up an inclined plane O by the side of the end of the screw F. There is a stop P on
the bottom plate of a bracket on the box or case for the bottom grip to abut against
when in the position shewn in Fig. 3. If, when the detonator is in the position shewn
in Fig. 3, it is not advisable to explode it, a backward quarter revolution of pulley A
will replace it in the detonator box; all these movements are reproduced by the
dummy in the signal box.
As it may be desirable to register every detonator exploded, a lever Q may be
pivotted to the side of the box or case with one end immediately under the heel plate
of the bottom grip where the explosion occurs, at the other end of this lever is a punch
or marker R, see Fig. 4, which will punch holes in, or otherwise mark or impress on
strips of paper cardboard metal or other suitable material on a disc or drum S which
is turned by a small worm Ton the shaft F which said worm T drives a worm wheel U
on the spindle of which is placed the disc or drum S.
At each explosion of a detonator the heel part or latch M³ of the bottom grip M
presses down on one end of lever Q causing the puncher or marker R to punch mark
or impress the ribbon or strip on the disc or drum S.
Again a small worm or other traversing device on the shaft or axis of the disc or
drum S may shift it laterally at each revolution and so cause rings of marks round the
disc or drum.
A ratchet brake V see Fig. 4 as will be understood prevents reverse motion of the
shaft F which can only rotate in one direction.
If desired the dummy signal may be arranged to punch holes, mark or impress
paper or other substance in signal box by attaching a hammering punch or similar
device to the moving end of aforesaid duplicate underneath which a traversing and
markable material may be put on which every explosion may be recorded, and in each
5 case such apparatus may be locked out of signal-man's reach if required.
At the side of the top gripper N I pivot an arm W with a wedged shaped
projection underneath W₁ Fig. 8. this falls by gravity or may be assisted by a plate

page_text: like spring on the cover of the box between the two grippers M and N which are at
this point slightly hollowed out to receive it, the object of this is to keep the detonator
stem from getting loose in the grippers when a detonator is put back in the box by a
sudden motion of the lever which might cause the top gripper to return quicker than
the bottom one in which case the detonator stem would be slackened as will be
understood.
When the top gripper comes back to clutch another detonator stem the arm W
slides up the inclined plane X which is fixed to the box front and thus allows the
latch part of the top gripper to get well beyond the distance stem, the above
operation is repeated with every detonator, the grippers by this device holding the
stem with a firm grip until the detonator is exploded or released by some other heavy
pressure from above.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is.
1. In railway detonating signal apparatus arranging dummy or duplicate signal
apparatus in the signal box and connected with the main apparatus putting the
detonators on or removing them from the line whereby the said dummy or duplicate
apparatus can reproduce the working of the said main apparatus substantially as
described.
2. Arranging railway detonating signal apparatus so that the act of explosion of the
detonators shall cause a punch or marker to punch mark or impress a travelling strip
or ribbon at each act of explosion and so record the number of detonators used and the
fact thereof substantially as described.
3. In railway detonating signal apparatus the use of an Archimedian screw as a
means of feeding the detonators forward to the rail substantially as described.
4. In combination with the Archimedian screw F, the inclined planes H. O.
substantially as described.
5. In a railway detonating signal apparatus the arrangement and combination of
jointed grippers M. N constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposes
described.
6. The means of locking the two grippers when clutching the detonator stem so that
the detonator cannot be got out from between the grips until the heel plate of the
lower gripper M be pressed down substantially as described.
7. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming my improved railway
signalling apparatus substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of May 1887.