IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY FOG SIGNALS
Year: 1884

page_text: THOMAS WHITAKER Contractor of Horsforth near Leeds in the County of York
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
FOG SIGNALS to be as follows:-
At the place where the signals are required to be given, the man appointed to
give the signals, fixes clasps to the sleepers, which are easely fixed and taken of
when required, and attached to the clasps are arms that are easely raised or lowered
when required. A crank is fixed on all the Locomotives which works on a pin
that is fixed to the footstep, or side frame, or guard, or any other part of the
Locomotive more suitable according to the designe's of the Locomotives, Also a
Whistle or Gong is fixed on all the Locomotives, at the nearest convenient place to
the above crank, the lever of the whistle is connected to one of the arms of the
crank by a rod or wire. Also a spring is attached to the lever of the Whistle,
which always keeps the valve of the Whistle closed when not operated upon. The
mode of signaling is as follows, the man that is sent to give the signals, fixes as
many of the clasps to the sleepers as required at convenient distances from each
other, then he raises one or more of the arms that are connected to the clasps
according to the number of the signals required to be given, as the Locomotive
passes the clasp, the crank on the Locomotive comes in contact with the arm on
the clasp, and turns the crank round, and with the crank been connected to the
lever of the Whistle, opens the valve of the Whistle and gives the alarm, as soon
as the Locomotive as passed the arm on the clasp, the spring that is attached to the
lever of the Whistle, closes the valve of the whistle, and turns the crank into
position again ready to receive another signal. Also there can be a clasp allways
a fixture, opposite the near & distant signals, with the arm on the clasp connected
to the present signal wires, so that when the signal man in the cabin puts the
danger signal against the engine driver it raises the arm on the clasp, and if the
engine driver passes the signal through neglect or otherwise the crank on the
Locomotive comes in contact with the arm on the clasp, and gives an alarm.
If a Gong is used in place of a whistle to give the alarm it is worked on the
same principal as described for the Whistle.

page_text: THOMAS WHITAKER. Outwood Lane Horsforth Yorkshire "Contractor" I do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY FOG
SIGNALS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This Invention relates to railway fog signals doing away with the explosive
signals which can only be used once-By this Invention a great saving in expense
is obtained, also there is much less danger to the man who attends to the fog
signals for by this Invention the fog signals are fixed to the outer end of the
sleepers clear of the rails, therefore there is less likelihood of the signalman being
knocked down by the Locomotives than by the old system where the signal man
has to fix them on the rails-By this Invention every Locomotive requires a
cranked lever attached to it working on a pin that is fastened to the step of the
Locomotive or at any more convenient place; also every Locomotive requires a
Gong or Whistle attached to it, or both if preferred, in the nearest and most
convenient place to the above named crank so that the lever or hammer of the
Gong and Whistle may be operated upon by the crank on the step of the Loco-
motive, also the lever or hammer of the Gong or Whistle has a spring attached to
it so that when it is operated upon the spring brings them back into the same
position again ready to receive another signal when required-Also portable and
fixed clasps are fixed to the sleepers at any place where the fog signal is required
to be given; these clasps have an arm attached to them that can be raised or
lowered as required, the portable clasps are in two halves so that they can be easily
fixed or taken off again as required-The mode of working this signal apparatus
with portable clasps is as follows:-At any place where the fog signals are required
to be given the man appointed to give the signal fixes as many of the clasps to the
sleepers according to the number of signals required, then he raises one or more of
the arms which are attached to the clasps, the crank that is on the step of the
Locomotive comes in contact with the arm on the clasp and consequently the
crank turns partly round before it can pass over the arm on the clasp and
consequently the crank comes in contact with the lever or hammer of the Gong or
Whistle and causes it to give the required alarm and when the Locomotive has
passed the arm or the clasp the man in attendance can either push the arm down
or leave it up to be ready to give another signal to the next Locomotive if required―
The following is the mode of working the permanent clasps, these permanent
clasps to be fixed continuously to the sleepers in groups of three the whole length
of the permanent way about one hundred yards apart between each group, or at
any other more suitable distance so that the man appointed to give the fog signals
would have only to go to any of these groups of clasps and raise one or more of
the arms of the clasp according to the number of signals required to be given, this
mode would be very useful, especially in tunnels and underground railways or any
other part of the permanent way so that if any danger or accident should occur to any
train between the present block cabins either the guard or engine man or plate layer
or any other person could at once raise one or more of the arms of the above clasps
both in the rear and front of the train in distress and by this means could stop any

page_text: approaching train at once from either direction until someone could let the signal
man know in the nearest block cabin. Also a clasp is fixed to the sleeper opposite
the near and distant signals, the arm on these clasps to be connected to the rods
or wires that work the arms of the signals so that when the signal is raised to
danger it raises the arm on the clasp and by this means should the engineman
pass the signal when the arm is at danger through neglect, or should the lamp of
the signal by any means have gone out in the night or by the light being covered
over with snow or by any other means the above mentioned arm would give the
engineman warning that the signal is against him and when the danger signal is
lowered the arm on the clasp is lowered at the same time-Also if desired and
thought necessary the lever of the brake on the Locomotives can be connected to
the lever of the Whistle or Gong and by this means at the same time when the
signal of danger is given it would apply the brake to the train.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention I now proceed to describe
in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be carried into practical
effect and in order that the aforesaid description may be fully understood I have
bereto annexed drawings illustrating the above Improvement and have marked the
same with figures and letters.
Inasmuch as this Invention does not apply to the general construction of the
Locomotive I have illustrated part of an ordinary Locomotive on which I have
shewn the above application attached to the same-The accompanying illustration
will be found amply sufficient to explain the application of the above invention to
any design of Locomotive-On the above mentioned Drawings Fig. 1 represents a
side elevation and Fig. 2 an end elevation of a Locomotive with the above
invention attached to them, Fig. 3 is a plan of permanent way shewing the
arrangements of the clasps attached to the sleepers and danger signals Fig. 4 is the
detail of the signal apparatus which is attached to the Locomotive Figs. 5, 6 and 7
is a detail shewing the clasp to be attached to the danger signal Figs. 8, 9 and 10
is the detail of the portable clasps Figs. 11, 12 and 13 is the detail of the
permanent clasps.
A is the Gong and Whistle, Al is the wire or rod which connects the Gong lever
to the Whistle and brake levers, B is the lever or hammer of the Gong, B1 is the
lever of the Whistle, B 2 is the lever of brake, C the spring attached to the levers,
D is the pin on which the lever works, E is to the stop to the Gong lever, F is crank.
fixed on the step of the Locomotives, G is an arm on the crank, H the pin on which
the crank works, I are the arms on the clasps, J is the top frame on the Loco-
motive, K the side frame of the Locomotive, L. is the step of the Locomotive,
M the danger signal, N the pullies guiding the wire that connects the arm on the
clasps to the danger signal, O is the weight and weight box for raising the arm on
the clasp up when the danger signal is raised, P is the chair for supporting the
permanent rails, Q is the clasp fixed opposite the danger, signal R is the pin with
the arm and pulley attached, S is the permanent clasp, T the hinges on which the
arms work, U the portable clasps and V are the sleepers on which the clasps are
fixed.
Having now described and shewn the nature and application of my invention
I do not claim as new any part of the Locomotive itself, but what I do claim as
new is the whole of the signal arrangements as before described and illustrated or
any mere modification thereof.
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