Improvements in Apparatus for Operating Detonating Signals on Railways.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1895-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Operating Detonating Signals on
Railways.
I, HENRI LOUIS ENTHOVEN, of 8 Rue du Helder, Paris, France, 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 :-
It is usual during foggy weather, for railway-servants to place detonating signals
on the rails in order to warn engine-drivers that the line is not clear; but this
arrangement involves many inconveniences as it is not only necessary to send
a man, sometimes a considerable distance, to place the signal in position but
it is also requisite to send to take it off when the line has again become clear.
Apparatus according to the present invention enables the operations of placing
the detonator in position and removing it to be effected automatically at the same
time as the visual signals are actuated. When modified in a way hereinafter
described, the apparatus can also be operated directly by a station-master or
other official, this operation being independent of the automatic operation just
mentioned.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shows the complete apparatus in elevation ;
Fig. 2 is a section :
Fig. 3 is a plan partly in section ;
Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the bar hereinafter called the train
bar; and
Figs. 4 & 5 are respectively an elevation and a plan showing more particularly
the mode of actuation independent of the automatic operation.
In Figs. 4 & the full lines iudicate the position of the apparatus when
inoperative, and the dotted lines indicate its position when ready to operate.
My apparatus comprises a box in which is placed a disc B which carries twelve
(or any other suitable number) of tubes G containing the detonators.
A is a rod connected to an oscillatory piece V which is itself connected with the
corresponding semaphore or other visual signal. The oscillatory piece V is also
connected through a rod J, furnished with a pawl J' for rotating the disc B, to au
arm K of a rack or toothed sector L, which gears into a small toothed wheel on the
axle of which is mounted a finger S.
Each tube G is provided with a cover O, but is open laterally at g and h. Above
the disc B there slides a fork R, which is provided with a slot 8 in which engages
a pin on the rod A and which fork may, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, be arranged to
push upon the rail either one or two detonators at each operation, by suitably
adjusting the distance apart of its branches. The rod A has a jointed connec
tion a b c d e f with a movable pedal or train bar P, which is placed at the side of
the. rail and is mounted on arms or links M N, one of which, N, is fixed on the
shaft fe.
The pedal P through the shaft f, e, is connected with a counter-
'If now, the visual signal be operated so as to put it to "danger," it will, in its
movement, operate the piece V, which will transmit the movement to the disc B
and to the fork R. The rods A & J are arranged in such a way that at each
movement the disc B causes a tube G to advance before the fork R and the said
fork is pushed forward so as to advance upon the rail a detonator Q from the tube
situate in front of it, as indicated in Fig. 3.
weight 2.
If the train pass before the visual signal has been operated to indicate that the

page_text: line is clear, the wheels of the locomotive will pass upon the detonator Q and cause
it to explode and thereby warn the engine-driver. If on the contrary, the visual
signal be operated, for the purpose just mentioned, before the passage of the train,
the piece V and the whole of the apparatus will also be operated. In this movement
the fork R will move back again and the rod J will, through the sector L,
cause the finger S to seize the detonating signal Q and throw it into a hole in the
ground at the side of the rail.
The effect of the jointed connection a b c d e f is as follows
:- -When the train
passes, the pedal P is lowered and inclines the links or arms M, N, so that the arm N
rotates the shaft fe and thereby causes its arm F (Fig. 1) to draw the rod e so as
to cause it to retract the fork R by means of the bell-crank a b c in the same way
as it would be retracted by means of the piece V; after the passage of the train,
the counterweight 2, acting through the shaft fe, arm F, rod cd, and bell-crank a b c,
causes the fork R again to advance and push a detonating signal upon the rail
situate in front of the apparatus.
To prevent the detonating signal from sliding upon the rail, I may place on
each side of the rail one or two small pieces which are carried by a spring and
which will retain the detonating signal in place but will be lowered under the
action of the wheels of a passing train without in any way impeding the motion of
the train.
As will be seen from the preceding description, a passing train has itself to cause
a new detonating signal to advance in substitution for the one that has just been
exploded. Consequently if a second train should immediately follow the train,
there will be a detonating signal to warn the engine-driver of the said second
train although the piece V has not been operated.
I will now point out, with reference to Figs. 4 and 5, how the station-master can
at will and without quitting the station, operate the apparatus independently of
the operation herein before mentioned, so that, if the mechanisn; for enabling him
so to do be not put into action or he broken, the operation of the signals will take
place even with a detonating signal on the rail.
As, on principle, no spring whatever has been used in my apparatus, the operation
is effected simply through the counterweight 2.
As soon as the station-master operates, in the direction of the arrow 4, the
lever 3, which is attached by a wire 5 to the counterweight 2, the said counter-
weight is raised, the pedal P lowered, and the fork R that distributes the
detonators is moved back, into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5, the
pin of the rod A sliding in the slot 8.
"
Whilst the counterweight 2 is maintained in this position, the rod A will
operate if the piece V be moved, but its pin will make a "dead stroke in the
slot 8 and the fork R will not move; the apparatus is, therefore, inoperative.
If, on the contrary, the station-master operate the lever 3 in the direction of the
arrow 10, the counterweight 2 will descend (the visual signal being assumed to be
at "danger"), the pedal will rise again, and the fork R will operate immediately
and distribute detonating signals. The apparatus will then be operative.
It will be evident from Figs. 4 and 5 that in case of the breakage of the wire 5
the counterweight 2 will fall down again automatically and the apparatus will be
operative.
The apparatus as described and shown is operated (1) directly, by means of the
piece V (2) by a passing train, which lowers the pedal P causing the arm N to
rotate the shaftfe and so operate the fork R by means of the jointed connexion ;
and (3) when the station-master or other official operates the lever 3, this operation
being independent of the two operations before indicated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
.
1. In an apparatus for automatically placing detonating signals on the rails of

page_text: railways the combination of the jointed piece V, the connecting rod A, the disc B
carrying tubes G adapted to contain detonating signals, and the fork R adapted to
push the detonating signals upon the rail, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with apparatus of the kind specified in the preceding claim,
of the connecting rod J, the rack L, and the finger S adapted to automatically
withdraw the detonating signal from the rail when required, substantially as set
forth.
3. The combination with apparatus of the kind specified in Claim 2, of the
jointed connexion a b c d e f, the pedal P, the arms or links M N, and the counter-
weight 2 enabling a passing train to automatically substitute on the rail a fresh
detonating signal for an exploded one in order to warn succeeding train,
substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with apparatus of the kind specified in Claim 3, of the
lever 3, the wire 5, and the connexions, enabling a station-master or other official
without leaving the station, to cause the apparatus to operate, this operation being
independent of the automatic operation hereinbefore mentioned so that if this part
of the apparatus be not put into action or be broken the operation of the
detonating signals will take place even if a detonating signal be on the rail
substantially as set forth.
5. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown
in the accompanying drawings, whereby detonating signals can be placed on the
rails of railways by the operation of discs, a train can automatically substitute on
the rail a fresh detonating signal for one that has just been exploded, and which
can be actuated from the station by an operation independent of the herein before
mentioned automatic operation.
Dated this 8th day of June 1895
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.