Improvements in Railway Danger and Fog Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Danger and Fog Signalling Apparatus.
I CHARLES JAMES TURNER of 140 Upper Kennington Lane, London,
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 :-
The object of this invention is to ring an electric bell on a locomotive in
the event of a driver passing a signal set at danger, and with this apparatus
applied fog signals would be dispensed with for immediately the engine passed the
signal post the bell would ring, warning the attendant of the danger, and when the
warning was received the bell could be stopped and the apparatus put into gear
again by simply pressing down a lever placed near at hand on the platform of the
engine; but until this was done the bell would continue to ring.
Signal devices which are operated by passing trains are not new but those
previously known present the disadvantages of being too complicated or to take
up too much space to be of practical use but in this invention the whole arrange-
ment would be worked by means of the weight and lever now in use on all signal
posts for working the signals so that no alteration in the present mode of signalling
would be required.
The working of this invention will be readily understood by referring to the
drawings which accompany this Specification.
Figure 1 is a view of a pair of rails and signal post fitted with the apparatus.
A is a shaft leading from the signal post under the rail to B, which is a bearing
and on the other end of the shaft is another bearing bolted to the post. C is a
lever keyed on to the shaft A. and is exactly in the centre of the rails and when
the signal is at "danger" the lever is in a vertical position but when at "all
clear" is in a horizontal position resting on a sleeper below the level of the rails.
D is another lever placed on the shaft at the side of the track and acts as a
balance to C so that the shaft can be easily turned and it also acts as a support
to C when the lever G (Figure 2) attached to the tender comes in contact
with it.
F, is a rod connecting a small lever (keyed on to A) with E the balance weight
and lever now in use for working the signals which is in this invention used also
for turning the shaft A backwards and forwards.
Figure 2 is a view of the apparatus for working the electric bell the casting
being bolted to the bottom of the tender; the lever G being exactly between the
two wheels.
G, is a lever the bottom part of which extends below the top of C (Figure 1)
the upper end extends above the bottom of the levers H, H, and preventing them
from coming into contact. H, H, are two small wrought iron levers with a copper
plate attached to them and to each of the copper plates is fitted an electric wire,
one leading to the electric bell and the other to the battery. The wrought iron
levers are made with an arm to each of which extend through a slot in the casting
to H¹.
I, I are two steel springs fitted to the backs of H, H, thus forcing them
together.
K, K, are two spiral springs for keeping the lever G steady and counteracting
the force of the blow when & comes in contact with C.
It will now be seen that when the signal is set at danger and C is in a vertical
position, if the engine passes the signal the lever G comes in contact with C
knocking G backwards and carrying the smaller end from between the levers H, H,

page_text: and allowing the copper plates to come together thus connecting the current by
means of two wires and ringing the bell.
When it is desired to silence the bell the diamond pointed rod J is forced down
from above between the two small levers at H' thus separating them and allowing
the lever G to fall into mid-position again. The rod J is again raised and the
apparatus is then ready for the next signal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said.inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
The apparatus and means hereinbefore described for mechanically and electrically
producing signals on railways by or from passing trains, all as set forth and sub-
stantially as shown on the annexed drawings.
1
1000
33
TOUR May of
1030
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said C. J. Turner.