IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY FOG SIGNAL APPARATUS "
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Coleman and Isaac Henson both of Derby in the
County of Derby, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY FOG
SIGNAL APPARATUS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Coleman & Isaac
Henson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd December
1882.
JOHN COLEMAN and ISAAC HENSON both of Derby in the County of Dorby.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY FOG SIGNAL APPARATUS
"
The apparatus is intended to place explosive signals on to the rails of railways-
it can either be worked by the ordinary semaphore signal wire or by a separate
wire. The apparatus consists of a vertical cylindrical reservoir in which explosive
signals of the ordinary form may be piled in a-row one above the other-the lower
part of the reservoir may be below the ground level and the explosive signals be
raised upwards in the reseroir by a moveable bottom drawn upwards by a
weighted cord. The reservoir can so be placed comparatively near to the rail
which it could not be if it stood upwards above the rail. Above the top of the
reservoir and at a short distance from it is a fixed stop plate for the uppermost
signal to rest against. The space between top of reservoir and stop plate is just
sufficient to allow of the top signal being pushed away edgewise. A horizontal
lever arm is provided to push the signals forward along a channel provided for
the purpose one by one from the top of the reservoir and place them on to the top
of the rail
The lever arm near its end has a dovetail slot formed in it-the signals have a
stem projecting from them the rear end of which is split longitudinally and bent
Bidewise in the opposite directions so as to form a spreading end to enter this slot.
When the lever arm is turned towards the rail away from the reservoir a slide
comes above the column of explosive signals in the reservoir and prevents them
from rising when the lever arm is turned back away from the rail its end is
carried past the top of the reservoir and pushes back this slide-the column of
explosive signals then rises until the uppermost signal comes against the fixed stop
plate-the spread out end of the stem of the uppermost signal at the same time
enters the dovetail notch on that side of the lever arm which is next to the rail.
When the arm is again turned to move it towards the rail it pushes the upper-
most explosive signal before it and places it on to the top of the rail. If when the

page_text: arm is again turned back the explosive signal has not been fired the arm carries
it back to the top of the reservoir. If on the other hand the signal has been
exploded the fragments detach themselves from the arm or if any remain they
either drop away through a hole in the bottom of the channel which loads from
the top of the reservoir to the rail or if large pieces of the case of the exploded
signal remain attached to the stem their form will be distorted so that they cannot
enter the passage leading back to the reservoir the two parts of the spreading rear
end of the stem then yield and as the arm is drawn back they escape from the
dovetail notch in it.
A
The lever arm we turn backwards or forwards in the following manner.
second and shorter arm of the lever has upon it a pin-this enters a slot formed
in the disc of a toothed wheel-the central part of this slot is made radial to the
centre of the wheel-the two ends of the slot are curved and concentric with the
wheel. Gearing with the toothed wheel is a rack which is coupled to the signal
wire. When the rack is moved end wise by the wire it turns the toothed wheel
and the radial portion of the slot in it acts upon the pin of the shorter lever arm
and turns the lever the required distance. The concentric curved ends of the slot
do not turn the lever but serve to allow for variations in the distance that the
rack may be moved. In place of using a rack other means might be adopted for
causing the slotted disc to be turned by the movement of the signal wire.
Or in place of the disc of the toothed wheel being slotted the longer lever arm
may be attached to it and the rack have only a sufficient number of teeth upon it
to turn the toothed wheel the distance required.
In this case the toothed wheel may have fast with it a disc with two slots
formed in it from its circumference one for a pin at one end of the rack bar to
enter when the rack is moved in one direction and the other for another pin at the
other end of the rack bar to enter when the bar is moved in the opposite direction,
the pins being so placed as to enter the slots just when the rack teeth at the centre
of the bar have been all carried past the toothed wheel and no longer gear with it
the toothed wheel is thus locked and held by one or other pin entering the slot
formed to receive it.
In order that the fog signal apparatus may at pleasure be connected with or
disconnected from the signal wire so as to be put into or out of action as required
and also in order that either one two or more explosive signals may be placed on
to the rail by two or more apparatus at distances apart from one another I employ
a bar which is drawn to and fro by the signal wire.
By the side of this bar but at a somewhat lower level I place another bar or
bars which have vertical slots cut into them from their upper edge. These bars
can be lifted by the action upon them of a bell crank lever or levers or otherwise and
the slots in them then made to engage with pins on the first mentioned bar which
is coupled to the semaphore signal wire. The bars are of different heights so that
when lifted a distance one bar only becomes engaged with the bar coupled to the
wire when raised a further distance a second bar becomes engaged with the bar
coupled to the wire and so on.
The turning of the crank lever or levers to lift the bars or the actuating of
other mechanism for lifting the bars is effected by a wire passing to the signal
cabin. Each separate bar which can thus be connected to or disconnected from
the bar coupled to the signal wire is by a wire connected up with one end of the
rack of one fog signal apparatus another wire is connected to the other end of the
bar and has a counterweight attached to it by which the wires are kept in tension,
thus when any of the slide bars are connected to the bar coupled to the signal
wire the fog signal apparatus in connection with that slide bar is brought into
action.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Coleman & Isaac Henson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd June 1883.
JOHN COLEMAN and ISAAC HENSON both of Derby in the County of Derby.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY FOG SIGNAL APPARATUS
"
The apparatus is intended to place explosive signals on to the rails of railways-
it can either be worked by the ordinary semaphore signal wire or by a separate
wire. The apparatus consists of a vertical cylindrical reservoir in which explosive
signals of the ordinary form may be piled in a row one above the other-the lower
part of the reservoir may be below the ground level and the explosive signals be
raised upwards in the reservoir by a moveable bottom drawn upwards by a weighted
cord. The reservoir can so be placed comparatively near to the rail which it could
not be if it stood upwards above the rail. Above the top of the reservoir and at a
short distance from it is a fixed stop plate for the uppermost signal to rest against.
The space between top of reservoir and stop plate is just sufficient to allow of the
top signal being pushed away edgowise. A horizontal lever arm is provided to
push the signals forward along a channel provided for the purpose one by one from
the top of the reservoir and place them on to the top of the rail.
The lever arm near its end has a dovetail alot formed in it, the signals have a
stem projecting from them the rear end of which is split longitudinally, and
bent sidewise in the opposite direction so as to form a spreading end to enter
this slot.
When the lever arm is turned towards the rail away from the reservoir a slide
comes above the column of explosive signals in the reservoir and prevents them
from rising-when the lever arm is turned back away from the rail its end is
carried past the top of the reservoir and pushes back this slide-the column of
explosive signals then rises until the uppermost signal comes against the fixed stop
plate the spread out ond of the stem of the uppermost signal at the same time
enters the dovetail notch on that side of the lever arm which is next to the rail.
When the arm is again turned to move it towards the rail it pushes the upper-
most explosive signal before it and places it on to the top of the rail. If when the
arm is again turned back the explosive signal has not been fired the arm carries it
back to the top of the reservoir. If on the other hand the signal has been exploded
the fragments dotach themselves from the arm or if any remain they either drop
away through a hole in the bottom of the channel which leads from the top of the
reservoir to the rail or if large pieces of the case of the exploded signal remain
attached to the stem their form will be distorted so that they cannot enter the
passage leading back to the reservoir the two parts of the spreading rear end of the
stem then yield and as the arm is drawn back they escape from the dovetail notch
in it.
The lever arm we turn backwards or forwards in the following manner. A second
and shorter arm of the lever has upon it a pin--this enters a slot formed in the disc
of a toothed wheel-the central part of this slot is made radial to the centre of the
wheel-the two ends of the slot are curved and concentric with the wheel. Gearing
with the toothed wheel is a rack which is coupled to the signal wire. When the
rack is moved endwise by the wire it turns the toothed wheel and the radial
portion of the slot in it acts upon the pin of the shorter lever arm and turns the
ever the required distance. The concentric curved ends of the slot do not turn the
ever but serve to allow for variations in the distance that the rack may be moved.
In place of using a rack other means might be adopted for causing the slotted
lise to be turned by the movement of the signal wire.

page_text: Figure 1 shews a plan view and Figure 2 a vertical section of apparatus arranged
as above described-Figures 3 and 4 shew a plan and longitudinal section of the
detonator signal.
A is a vertical reservoir containing the supply of detonating signals-B is a
moveable bottom drawn upwards by a weighted cord C in the manner shewn-Dis
a stop plate above the top of the reservoir. E a channel from the top of the
reservoir to the rail-F is a lever turning on a fixed pin at F-A shorter arm of
this lever carries a truck which enters a groove G¹ cut in a disc G which can bo
revolved around a fixed pin at G-Teeth are formed around the circumference of
the disc these gear with a toothed rack H which at one end is coupled to the
signal wire and at the other and to a weighted cord which tends to draw it in a
direction away from the wire-The two end portions of the slot in the disc are
concentric one end portion being nearer to the centre of the disc than the other―
the central portion of the slot connects together the concentric end portions and is
preferably radial as shewn-In this way when the rack is moved endwise in one or
other direction the lever arm F¹ will be turned either into the position shewn by
full lines in Figure 1 or into the position shewn by dotted lines in the same figure.
In the arm F¹ near its end a dovetail slot F³ is formed for the tail ends of the stems
of the detonator signals to fit into-When the arm F¹ is turned back into the position
shewn by dotted lines in Figure 1 the slot in the arm is above the top of the
reservoir containing the detonator signals and in such a position that the tail end
of the stem of the uppermost detonator signal in the reservoir can rise up into it--
The supply of detonating signals in the reservoir can therefore rise until the upper-
most detonator rests against the plate D-When the arm F¹ is turned into the
position shewn by full lines in Figure 1 it carries the detonator forward along the
channel E and places it on to the top of the rail I-If the detonating signal is then
exploded by a wheel passing over it the fragments either detach themselves from
the arm or if large parts of the case remain attached to the stem they cannot be
drawn back by the arm F¹ into the channel E when this arm is moved back away
from the rail the tail end of the stem of the detonator signal yields as above
explained and so escapes from the slot in the arm-If no large portions of the case
remain attached to the stem the stem is drawn back with the arm and drops away
through a hole J in the bottom of the channel E-K is the slide which by a
weighted cord L is drawn into the position shewn in Figure 2 whenever the lever
arm F is turned towards the rail it then comes above the column of detonating
signals in the reservoir and keeps them from rising-When the lever arm F¹ is
turned back it comes against this slide and pushes it back also.
The stem of the detonator signal with its dovetail or spreading end we form of a
tube M slit longitudinally in which at one end two slits are made on opposite sides
of the tube and these are spread outwards away from one another to form the
dovetail or spreading end. The opposite end of the tube we secure to the case of
the detonator as described in a Provisional Specification lodged by us N° 1294 in
the present year.
A single slit is formed longitudinally in this end of the tube and the end of
the tube is flattened out as shown at M¹. A tubular stem formed in this way is
shown at Figure 5. The case of the detonator is formed of two discs cach dished
or formed with a flange around its circumference as shewn-The flange of one disc
goes inside the flange of the other-the flattened end M' of the stem is placed
between them and the outer flange of the one disc is closed on to the flange of the
other disc the flattened end M¹ is thereby held between them as shewn.
In place of the disc of the toothed wheel G being slotted as shewn at
Figures 1 and 2 the longer lever arm Fl may be attached to it as shown at
Figure 6 and the rack H have only a sufficient number of teeth upon it to turn the
toothed wheel G the distance required.
In this case the toothed wheel may have fast with it a disc L with two slots L¹
formed in it from its circumference one for a pin L' at one end of the rack bar H
to enter when the rack is moved in one direction and the other for another pin L³

page_text: at the other end of the rack bar to enter when the bar is moved in the opposite
direction the pins being so placed as to enter the slots just when the rack teeth at
the centre of the bar have been all carried past the toothed wheel and no longer
gear with it the toothed wheel is thus locked and held by one or other pin
entering the slot formed to receive it.
In order that the fog signal apparatus may at pleasure be connected with or
disconnected from the signal wire so as to be put into or out of action as required
and also in order that either one two or more explosive signals may be placed on
to the rail by two or more apparatus at distances apart from one another we
employ apparatus arranged as shewn at Figures 7 and 8-In this apparatus A is a
bar which is drawn to and fro by the signal wire.
By the side of this bar but at a somewhat lower level we place another bar or
bars BCD which have vertical slots cut into them from their upper edge-These
bars can be lifted by the action upon them of a bell crank lever E or otherwise
and the slots in them then made to engage with pins A' on the bar A. The bars
are of different heights so that when lifted a distance one bar B only becomes
engaged with the bar A-when raised a further distance a second bar Ċ becomes
engaged with the bar and so on.
The turning of the crank lever E to lift the bars or the actuating of other
mechanism for lifting the bars is effected by a wire F passing to the signal cabin.
Each separate bar BCD which can thus be connected to or disconnected from the
bar A is by a wire G connected up with one end of the rack of one fog signal
apparatus such as herein before described another wire is connected to the other
end of the rack and has a counter weight attached to it by which the wires are
kept in tension. Thus when any of the slide bars BCD are connected to the
bar A the fog signal apparatus in connection with that slide bar is brought into
action.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
performing the same we would have it understood that we claim as
improvements in railway fog signal apparatus.
our
First. The construction of railway fog signal apparatus substantially as herein
before described and illustrated in the drawings annexed-The combination of the
vertical reservoir A with moveable bottom B mised upwards by a weighted cord
or chain the stop plate D the channel E and lever arm F¹ acting together
substantially as described.
Second. The combination of apparatus for controlling whether one two or inore
fog signal apparatus shall be connected with or disconnected from a signal wire
substantially as herein before described and illustrated at Figures 7 and 8.
In witness whereof we the said John Coleman and Isnac Henson have
hereunto set our hands and seals this nineteenth day of June in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.