IMPROVEMENTS IN FOO SIGNALS. AND IN THE MEANS OF WORKING THE SAME
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wheatley, of Openshaw, near Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and William Wheatley, of the
samo Place, Pattern Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOO
SIGNALS. AND IN THE MEANS OF WORKING THE SAME."
Sealed the 22nd May 1857, and dated the 11th December 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wheatley and
William Wheatley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 11th December 1856.
We, THOMAS WHEATLEY, of Openshaw, near Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, and WILLIAM WHEATLEY, of the same Place, Pattern
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FOG SIGNALS, AND IN THE MEANS OF WORKING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
We make the signal of the necessary combustible material hitherto used for
the purpose, and immerse it in any suitable chemical solution to make it
waterproof or impervious to water or a damp atmosphere, and we fix to it.
two clips or arms in the shape of springs, which clip the rail firmly when put
on it, so as to defy the action of the broom displacing it. We also give the
it..
guard or person in charge of the train the means of applying the said signal
to the rails whilst the train is in motion by fixing a tube from the van nearly
in contact with the rail. In this tube we fix a rod or piston, to be worked by
means of a rack and pinion or other convenient contrivance, so that the signal
being placed in the tube, and tho rod or piston being pressed down by the man
in charge turning a wheel to work the rack and pinion or other contrivance,
the signal will be forced on the rail whenever necessary. We also give the
signal man or station master the power of applying the said signal to the rails
by means of the same apparatus to be worked by the stationary wire or rod

page_text: that is now used to work the ordinary, distanco signals, so that if any obstruc-
tion exists at a station the signal can be forced on the rail by the same power
ns the present distance or danger signal is now worked; or the same may be
applied in any convenient position or place even where there is no distanco
signal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Wheatley and William Wheatley in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 11th June 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, WC, THOMAS
WHEATLEY, of Openshaw, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and WILLIAN WHEATLEY, of the same Place, Pattern Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, tho
said Thomas Wheatley and William Wheatley, Her special licence that we,
the said Thomas Wheatley and William Wheatley, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Wheatley and
William Wheatley, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agreo with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
isc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
RENTS IN FOG SIGNALS, AND IN THE MEANS OF WORKING THE SAME," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Wheatley and William
Wheatley, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under
the land and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain tho
nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which the saine was to be
perforined, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that wc, the said. Thomas. Wheatley and William
Wheatley, do hereby declare tho nature of our said Invention, and in what
imanner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say):-

page_text: We make the signal of the necessary combustible or explosive material
used for the purpose, and either enclose it in a soldered air-tight case, or
immerse it in, any suitable solution, to make it impervious to water or the
effects of a damp atmosphere. We also fix to the signal two clips or arms,
curved, similar to springs, so that when pressed over, the rail they-clip it firmly
and prevent the displacement of the signal by the action of the broom. We
also give the means of applying tho said signal to the rail whilst the train is
in motion by adjusting a tubo. or slide from the van or other convenient
position, at the lower end of which tube the signal is held at a short distance
from the rail. In this said tube or slide we place a piston or rod, to bę
worked by means of a rack and pinion, or by the striking off of a spring, so
that the signal may be struck or pressed upon the rail by the person in charge
whenever it is necessary. We also give the signal man or station master the
power of applying the said signal to the rail by means of an apparatus to be
worked by the wire or rod used to work the ordinary distanco signals, so; that
if any obstruction exists at or near a station the signal can be placed upon
the rail by the same wire or rod as the present distance or danger signal is
now worked; or the same may be applied in any convenient position or place
even when there is no distance signals.
:
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings and the letters of reference thereon, in
which the said letters refer to each Figure separately.
Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional elevations of the apparatus applied to a van or
carriage for the purpose of placing the signal on the rail; Fig: 3 is a sectional
plan of the lower part of the same; and Figs. 4 and 5 are views of detached
parts thereof. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus for giving the
station master or signal man the means of placing the signal on the rail;
Fig. 7 is a plan of the same, with the top plate or cover removed in order to
shew the interior; Fig. 8 is an external elevation thereof; Fig. 9 is a plan
of signal and holler adapted for this apparatus; and Fig. 10 is a side view of
the same.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a represents the floor or lower framework of the van or
carriage to which the signal apparatus is attached, to which floor or frame ard
bolted the hangers or supports b, holding by the trunnions c, the tubular
frame d being composed of two pieces, and screwed or bolted together at e;
seen also in Fig. 3. Within the frame d is the tube f, with its lower. end
near the rail g, and supported by the wheel h, turning on a pin in the lugs i,
attached to or forming part of the tube f... The upper end of the said tube is
bell-mouthed, and projects through the floor a, holding another tube j; which

page_text: with the cover or guide k is held fast.
At the lower part of the tube jare
holders, consisting of plates or springs m, seen detached at Fig. 4, notched
at the bottom so as to hold the signal n, which is attached to the clips o;
for keeping it firm whilst pressed on the rail. p is a handle on the top of
the rod 9, the lower part of which rod is screwed into the cylinder r, carrying
a plug of wood s, or of metal covered with leather or other suitable ma-
terial. To the rod q one end of the spring t is attached, its other end being
mado fast to the guide u fixed to the tube j; attached to the cylinder r are
pins v, guided in slots win the tube j and holders m, extending sidewiso
at the top, so as to hold the pins when required. When fog signals are
not necessary, the tubes and wheel can be raised by the handle and
lever y, connected by the rod z to the lugs i; or a direct pull can be given
without the intervention of a lever. When a signal is required to be given,
the person in charge attaches one to the notches of the holders m, and lowers
the tubes fand j, placing the guide wheel h upon the rail g, near which
are the clips o of the signal n. The tubes and are fastened together, and
if the handle p be slightly turned, removing the pins from their supports;
the spring can then exert. its force upon the plugs, which is consequently
forced downwards, pressing on the rail, the signal being held firmly by the
clips, as seen at Fig. 5. The operation can be repeated as often as desired by
lifting out the inner tube, placing another signal in the holders, and making
fast the tubes, then by releasing the spring and pressing the signal on the rail,
thus providing a desideratum which has long been required.
In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 we represent the apparatus for giving the station
master or signal man the means of placing on the rail the signal, which is
enclosed in an air-tight case, and placed in a holder made of brittle metal or
other suitablo material, one form of which is shewn at Figs. 9 and 10.
:
In order to place and hold the signal on the rail we employ a frame or bed
plate a, having an indentation or recess, so that the slide & may move to and
fro when required. At one end of the slide bare spring clamps c, formed as
shewn at d, so as to allow the entrance of the part e of the holder f.
In Figs. 6 and 7 the signal g is shewn placed upon the rail h, the slide and
holder with the signal being advanced forward for the purpose by means of à
rod i, which is connected to the ordinary wire and lever employed for giving
a distance signal or otherwise when required. The clamps when in the
position shewn by the dotted lines are immediately under the case k, forming
part of the cover or top plate 1, which is fixed to the bed plate a by the
screws or bolts m; thus, when the clamps are empty, before arriving at that
position, or at the commencement of operation, a holder and signal can fall

page_text: from the case and be caught by the hollow d of the clamps when desired;
the signal is then advanced onward to the rail h, and there allowed to remain
until crushed, the holder being broken, at the same time the debris of the
holder being removed from the clamps by the punch n, put in operation by
one or more of the wheels of the train acting upon the lever o, to which the
punch is connected; the slide is then drawn back to the position shown by
the dotted lines, another signal and holder enters the clamps, and, if required,
is advanced to the rail to be crushed and exploded, which operation can be
repeated as often as necessity requires by simply maintaining the supply of
signals and holders in the case k and moving them forward to the rail.
Ilaving thus fully described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be distinctly
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact details hercin set
forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the principle
thereof; but we claim as our Invention, and which to the best of our know-
ledge and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm, the arrangement
and construction of fog signals with clips or arms to clip the rails firmly, and
the application of apparatus to enable the guard or person in charge of the
train to apply the said signals to the rails whilst the carriages are in motion;
and also an apparatus to give the signal man or.station master the power of
applying the said signals to the rails by means of the wire or rod that is now
used to work the ordinary distance signals, as such improvements are herein
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Wheatley and William
Wheatley, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
THOMAS WHEATLEY. (L.S.)
WILLIAM WHEATLEY. (L.B.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Thomas Wheatley and William
Wheatley, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.