Improvements in Fog-signalling Apparatus for Railways.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1894-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fog-signalling Apparatus for Railways.
I, GEORGE Woon, of Bold Street, Moss Side, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Joiner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
In fog-signalling on railways as ordinarily practised detonators are placed upon
and secured to the rails by the signal man and this is both a dangerous and very
exposed occupation. This invention is designed to provide an appliance or
apparatus whereby these detonators may be placed upon the rails or removed
therefrom as desired.
It consists essentially of apparatus constructed with a receptacle to contain a
number of the detonators a passage or shoot through which they are conveyed to the
rail, a lever and spring pusher by which they are pressed forward from the receptacle
when required to be placed on the rail and a sliding base by which the apparatus
as a whole can be moved backwards or forwards the lever being connected by a
wire or other similar device to a quadrant or other lever in the signal box or other,
station.
In carrying out the invention I provide a receptacle capable of containing a
number of the detonators ordinarily known as fog signals. This receptacle is
preferably vertical and the detonators fall of their own gravity or it may if desired
be inclined or horizontal and the detonators pushed forward by a spring. Below or
at the discharge orifice of this receptacle is a horizontal or approximately horizontal
base onto which the detonators are delivered. One end of this base plate extends
to the rail and preferably fits into a notch cut therein. This base plate is covered
in and forms a passage or shoot for the detonators to travel along.
Behind the discharge orifice of the receptacle I place a sliding pusher or plunger
drawn back by a spring and moved forwards by a pivoted lever of any suitable
construction and by this pusher the detonators are pushed forward towards the
rail, each time the pusher is drawn backwards a fresh detonator drops down in front
of it.
The lever which actuates the pusher is preferably constructed with a slot in the
shorter end to engage with a pin on the pusher and at the other end is connected
with a wire or rods which in turn is attached to a lever in the signalling box or
cabin. The arrangement is preferably such that the drawing back of the lever
pushes forward the pusher.
The base on which the detonators are pushed forwards to the rail is also made to
slide and held in normal position by a spring. By drawing this back the detonator
can be removed from the rail. This may either be actuated by the same lever that
pushes forward the detonators or by a separate lever or wire attached direct
thereto. The wire which actuates the lever and pusher is in the signal box or
cabin connected either to the quadrant lever by which the signals are actuated or
to separate levers as found most desirable or convenient.
Three of these apparatus may be placed at each signal so that one, two or three
detonators as may be required by the signal to be given can be placed on the line
and they are so connected to the levers in the signal box as to be worked either
separately or together as found most convenient.
It is evident that the movements in either direction may be produced by the
lever and in the reverse direction by a spring or its equivalent.
By this invention I consider that fog-signalling will be completely under the
'
1

page_text: control of the signalman in the box and all risk arising out of placing the
detonators on the line by hand will be avoided.
Dated this 24th day of October 1893
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.

page_text: The slide G is connected to the pusher F by the pin ƒ passing through a slot c¹ iu
the base plate C and working in a slot o in the slide so that the travel of the
pusher F is only about half the travel of the slide G.
The end of the base plate C next to the rail D is provided with a recess c under
which a sliding plate J is placed to receive the detonators as they are pushed
forward by the pusher F. The plate J is connected by the pin ; to the same
slide G that actuates the pusher F and travels the same distance as the slide G so
that it moves about twice the distance of the pusher F. The object of this
movement is such that the detonator may be drawn back sufficiently far to be
clear of the rail D without being removed from its position on the plate J.
Near
the end of the shoot formed by the plate C and arched cover E is pivoted a small
pawl K to remove the spent detonator from the plate J when it is drawn back..
Two other pawls k are placed in contact with the detonators to prevent any
tendency of their being jerked forward by the movement of the slide G when the
pusher F is moved forward.
The plate J on which the detonators are carried forward to the rail D may be
placed on a level with the top of the rail or with the base of the rail. In the
former case a small notch is cut in the rail into which the end of the plate carrying
the detonator fits and the detonator is exploded by the direct action of the wheel
upon it. In the latter case a small bracket L is fitted to the rail upon which the
wheel acts and the base of this bracket comes in contact with the detonator to
explode it.
The bracket L by which the detonator B is exploded is fitted to slide up and
down at the side of the rail and is provided with a counterweight M on a lever m
by which it is nominally kept in a raised position to allow of the detonators being
slid under it.
The end of the plate J is provided with a hinged or pivoted finger or catch N
projecting up at the end. This catch is fixed to the underside of the plate and
when the plate is moved towards the rail the catch is raised up and held as long as
it is in contact with the base of the rail for the purpose of drawing back the
detonator with the plate when it is drawn back. When the plate J is drawn back
until the catch N is clear of the rail it drops down and the spent detonator is
forced off by the pawl K.
The slide G with the pusher F and sliding plate J are actuated by the cranked
lever H and weight W the upper end of the lever working in a socket g¹ in the
under side of the slide G and the lever H is connected to and operated from the
signal box or cabin. Or the apparatus may be worked by a handle or lever placed
alongside and connected to the pusher F.
The connection may be made either direct to a lever in the signal box or cabin
specially provided for the purpose or it may be with the lever and rods which
actuate the signal and this latter is the method I prefer and I have illustrated two
arrangements for 80 connecting the apparatus.
Referring more especially to Fig. 1, the cranked lever H is moved about its axis
by a lever R upon which it rests. The lever R extends across under the lever H
and is pivoted at one side on the pin r and at the other end is supported by a
swinging links pivoted to the end of another weighted lever S. The weighted
lever S is connected by the wire or chain s¹ to the counterweight or lever T on
the signal post T¹ so that when the signal is at danger or "up" against the train
the lever S is allowed to fall and the cranked lever H moves the detonator forward
to the rail D but when the signal is down the lever S is raised and it raises the
lever R and the cranked lever H and draws the detonator back clear of the
rail D.
To render the apparatus automatic and to remove the spent detonator I place
alongside the rail Da supplementary rail or bar V which is depressed by the.
passage of the wheels over it and thereby raises the weighted lever S actuating
the cranked lever H and drawing back the plate J until the detonator is discharged
over its end. The rail or bar V is supported upon two or more levers v one of

page_text: which is fixed to the shaft or spindle s¹¹ the downward movement of the rail V
rotates the spindle s¹¹ and raises the lever S. On the same spindle s¹¹ is a second
lever S connected by a chain m¹ with the lever m to lift the counterbalance
weight M and allow the bracket L to remain down when the plate J and detonator
are removed. The lever R is cranked at its free end and the link s is formed with
a slot and connected to the chain s¹ by a chain s" so that when the signal is down
and the lever S lifted the links is drawn back to engage with the cranked end of
the lever R whereas when the lever S is raised by the action of the wheel on the
bar V the links is not drawn back and the lever H and the plate J are moved
double the distance backwards. In the first case the plate J is drawn back
sufficiently far for the detonator to be clear of the rail D and bracket L and in
the second case the plate J is drawn back to discharge the spent detonator and
receive a fresh one and at the same time the pusher F is operated to push forward
another detonator from the magazine A.
:
Referring to Figs. 7 to 12 a modified arrangement for connecting with the signal
and actuating the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 is illustrated. The cranked lever H
by which the apparatus is actuated is moved backwards and forwards by the action
of a second lever P acting on an arm p on the spindle h rotating the spindle;
movement is given to the spindle to which the lever P is attached by the
weighted lever S. As the lever S is raised either by the chain s which connects
with the signal or by the bar V being depressed by a passing wheel it raises the
lever R and rotates the spindle the motion of which is transmitted by the
levers P and p and the spindle h to the cranked lever H. As in the previous
arrangement the depressing of the bar V by a passing wheel draws back the
plate J the full extent but the movement of the signal lever only moves it half.
the distance. This is effected by making the face of the lever P inclined and the
spindle capable of being drawn back so that the moving of the spindle and
lever P allows a certain amount of movement of the latter before acting on the
arm p. The spindle is drawn back by the chain when the signal is moved
and it is returned when released by hanging weight. The counterweight M.
and lever m are raised by the pull of the lever S¹ on the chain m' when the
spindle is rotated by the depressing of bar V.
When desired an additional lever such as Y may be connected to the apparatus
to indicate by ringing a bell on the engine that the detonator or fog signal has been
exploded by that engine. This is of service where up and down signals are placed
together and there is the possibility of two engines passing the signal post at the
same time and the drivers not being able to tell which engine_exploded the
detonator. This lever is pivoted with the end adjacent to the rail D heavier than
the other end and is raised when the lever S rests upon it and lowered when the
lever S is lifted.
Each movement of the apparatus may be recorded in the signal box or cabin to
indicate how many detonators B remain at any given time in the magazine A.
This may be done by a lever such as y which is caused to move each time the
presser is drawn back and by means of a cord moves an indicator placed in the
signal box or elsewhere.
The magazine A may be of the shape shown in Fig. 13 with one chamber to
contain the detonators B or it may be made with two or more chambers and
arranged so as to turn round to deliver first from one and then from the other. In
Fig. 14 a magazine with six such chambers is shown.
By this invention I consider that fog-signalling will be completely under the
control of the signalman in the box and all risk arising out of placing the detonators
on the line by hand will be avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1. A fog signalling apparatus for railways constructed with a magazine to hold

page_text: a supply of detonators, a passage or shoot leading therefrom along which the
detonators are conveyed to the rail, a pusher to push forward the detonators as
they are required, a sliding base plate at the end of the shoot to receive the
detonators by which they can be moved to and from the rail as required, and a
lever for actuating the apparatus connected to a lever or with the signal box by
any suitable connecting wire substantially as described and shown.
2. In apparatus for fog signalling on railways the combination of the magazine A
to contain the detonators, the shoot formed of the fixed plate C and the curved
cover E along which the detonators pass to the rail D, the pusher F by which the
detonators are pressed forward, the sliding plate J which receives them from the
shoot, the slide G and pivoted lever H by which the pusher F and sliding plate J
are actuated, the pivoted finger or catch N for drawing the detonator back with
the plate J and the pawl K for discharging the spent detonator with or without
the bracket L and pivoted lever M substantially as described,
3. An apparatus for fog signalling on railways constructed and arranged
substantially as herein described and shown either with reference to Figs. 1 to 6
or Figs. 2 and 7 to 12.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.