IMPROVEMENTS IN Foo SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Crane Brush, of Enfield, in the County of Meath;
Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN Foo SIGNALS FOR
RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 9th July 1861, and dated the 14th January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Crane Brush at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
January 1861.
I, CRANE BRUSH, of Enfield, in the County of Meath, Ireland, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG SIGNALS
FOR RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new arrangement of mechanism for setting fog
or other danger signals on railways at a distance from a station, and consists
in employing a lever at the station, to which is attached a wire,. said wire
being carried a mile (more or less) from the station, and attached at its
further end to a spring hammer and horizontal lever moving on an axis at or
about its centre. The signals consist of a series of charges of detonating
material placed in or upon a revolving box of many sides, so that as the lever
at the station is raised it so actuates, the wire as to draw up the spring
hammer, and at the same time place the horizontal leyer at right angles across
the rails, so that when the guard iron of the engine comes into contact with it,
it disengages the spring hammer, which causes the explosion of one of the
charges of detonating material. When another signal is required to be set,

page_text: the lever at the station is again drawn up, when the spring hammer and
horizontal lever become set simultaneously, causing the box or charge holder
to revolve sufficiently to bring forward another charge, the action of the whole
being similar to that of a revolving fire-arm. By these means many signals
may be given without the necessity of the personal attendance of the man
ordinarily employed for that purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Crane Brush in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CRANE
BRUSH, of Enfield, in the County of Meath, Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Crane Brush, Her special licence that I, the said Crane Brush,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Crane Brush, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN FOG SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Crane Brush, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Crane Brush, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to a new arrangement of mechanism for setting fog
or other danger signals on railways at a distance from a station, thereby pre-
venting the many accidents which occur at stations from various causes.

page_text: In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, as follows:-I employ a lever at the station, to
which is attached a wire, said wire being carried a mile (more or less) from
the station, and attached at its further end to a spring hammer and horizontal
lever moving on an axis at or about its centre. The signals consist of a
series of charges of detonating material placed in or upon a revolving box of
many sides, so that as the lever at the station is raised, it so actuates the wire
as to draw up the hammer, which is caught by a trigger actuated by the flange
of a passing wheel, which disengages the hammer, and causes the explosion of
one or more of the charges of detonating material. When another signal is
required to be set the lever at the station is again drawn up, and the hammer
set ready for being released by another train, simultaneously causing the box or
charge-holder to revolve sufficiently to bring forward another charge or charges,
the action of the whole being similar to that of a revolving fire-arm. By these
means many signals may be given without the necessity of the personal attend-
ance of the man ordinarily employed for the purpose.
catch into the
The Invention will be better understood, by referring to the accompanying
Drawings, where A is the frame containing the apparatus; C is a polygonal
drum, which may contain any convenient number of faces; on these faces the
ordinary detonating railway signals are fastened by their leaden clips, which
L, L; B is the hammer which is pulled up by the wire fastened
to the shackle E; K is the ratchet rod which moves simultaneously with the
hammer, and by means of the ratchet pul D shifts the polygonal drum one
face every time the hammer is raised; F is a catch which holds the hammer
when it is drawn up by the tail M; G is the balance weight which keeps F
always up (a spring will do as well); H is a rod which is keyed on to F, and
being made of any required length, carries the trigger I beside the rail; N is
a washer of india-rubber, leather, or any other suitable substance capable of
being compressed by the nuts O, and causing sufficient frictiors against tho
frame to keep the polygonal drum steady.

page_text: down to "all clear and the hammer raised" to its full extent. If a train
passes when in this position, although the trigger I is struck by the wheels,
the hammer cannot fall, being held up by the wire. When, however, it is
desired to stop a train, the wire is let out, the vane of semaphore rises to
danger, and the hammer is only held up by the catch F. As soon as the
train comes up the trigger I is struck by the flange of the first wheel, the
catch F is depressed, and the hammer falls and explodes the signal. When
used by itself, the process is precisely similar, only that a separato wire with
balance weight and lever for working it are necessary, in addition to the
apparatus herein-before described.
The following is a method whereby the station porter can be sure of the
signal being set; this is done by having a second polygonal drum actuated in
a similar manner to the first, but placed under the balance weight which keeps
up the trigger, and the catch must be so modified that it will raise the balance
weight sufficiently high to explode or detonating signal when the catch falls in,
by which means the porter will hear if the machine is set or not.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention of " Improvements
in Fog Signals for Railways," and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, I would remark, in conclusion, that I do not confine myself to the
shape, size, or peculiar mechanism of any of the parts individually, as they
may be each varied or modified as circumstances may require, or as may be
found most convenient; but what I claim as my Invention, intended to be
secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent, is the general
arrangement of mechanism as herein described and set forth and shewn by the
Drawings hereto annexed for the purpose herein-before mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said Crane Brush, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
PAT. DAFFY,
Constable of Constabulary,
Enfield, Co. Meath.
CRANE BRUSH. (L.B.)