Improvements in Apparatus for Giving Audible Signals on Railways.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 29th Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Giving Audible Signals
on Railways.
I JOHN WILLIAM FLETCHER of 93.Chatham Street Edgeley Stockport in the County
of Chester Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows: :-
The object is to provide apparatus under control of the attendant in the ordinary
signal box for giving audible signals on railways whereby the necessity of posting
signal men along the line during foggy weather is avoided.
Apparatus under my invention consists essentially in the combination of means
hereafter specified or other suitable means for giving audible signals, with an
electrical circuit having a controlling switch to be operated by the signal box
attendant and a contact maker and breaker disposed to be operated by the passage of
a locomotive or vehicle over the rails and electro magnetic apparatus for actuating the
appliances which give audible signals.
A battery of any suitable form generates the electricity used in the circuit. The
contact maker and breaker operated by the locomotive or vehicle is preferably actuated
by the depression of the rail over which the locomotive or vehicle passes.
Apparatus for giving audible signals by means of detonaters consists essentially
of a magazine of cartridges an impact piece or electrical fuse and an electromagnet
for causing the impact piece or fuse and magazine to operate.
Further apparatus for giving audible signals consists of a whistle foghorn or like
appliance actuated by an air current produced by an electromotor and air compresser
in the circuit above mentioned.
D
11
تيمي
+1 1000
Per pro J. T. KING,
J. Johnson,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Giving Audible Signals
on Railways.
I JOHN WILLIAM FLETCHER of 93 Chatham Street Edgeley, Stockport in the county
of Chester, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object is to provide apparatus under control of the attendant in the ordinary
signal box for giving audible signals on railways whereby the necessity of posting
signal men along the line during foggy weather is avoided.
Apparatus under my invention consists essentially in the combination of means
hereafter specified or other suitable means for giving audible signals with an electrical
circuit having a controlling switch to be operated by the signal box attendant and a
contact maker and breaker disposed to be operated by the passage of a locomotive or
vehicle over the rails and electro magnetic apparatus for actuating the appliances
which give audible signals.
A battery of any suitable form generates the electricity used in the circuit. The
contact maker and breaker operated by the locomotive or vehicle is preferably
actuated by the depression of the rail over which the locomotive or vehicle passes.
Apparatus for giving audible signals by means of detonators consists essentially of

page_text: causing the impact piece or fuse and magazine to operate.
Further apparatus for giving audible signals consists of a whistle fog horn or like
appliance actuated by an air-current produced by an electromotor and air compressor
in the circuit above mentioned.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a view of the general construction and arrangement of apparatus under
my invention for giving audible signals on railways. 1 represents electrical apparatus
for giving audible signals by means of detonators and is more particularly with
reference to figs. 2, 3 and 4. 2 indicates a switch at a signal box, and 3 a battery
connected to the switch and to earth. 4 indicates a main line wire leading from the
switch to a shunt piece on the detonator apparatus 1. 5 indicates a shunt wire
leading from the shunt piece on the detonator apparatus 1 to a contact maker 6. 7 is
a shunt wire leading from the shunt piece on the detonator apparatus to a contact
breaker 8. The contact makers and breakers 6 and 8 consist of levers 9 connected
to the wires 5 and 7, pivotted at 10 and having the line 11 resting on their short
ends; the long ends being arranged to make or break contact with pieces 12, 13
connected to the wires 14 and 15 leading to earth plates. The contact maker and
breaker are usually in advance of each other along the same rail, but may be on
opposite rails of a pair as shown.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-An indicator is placed in the signal
box to show when circuit is completed. In case of fog the attendant at the signal
box operates the switch to connect the main line wire 4 to earth, and when a
locomotive passes over the line above the contact maker lever the short end of the
lever is depressed the long end is raised and the circuit is completed to earth through
the contact piece 12, a current passes through electro magnet coils the shunt piece
is moved and the earth connection is then made through the contact piece 13.
At the same time the detonator is fired. When the engine passes over the contact
breaker 13 the current is stopped, the shunt piece falls back to its normal position
and the apparatus is reset to fire a fresh detonator.
Fig. 2 is an elevation, fig. a plan, and fig. 4 an end view of the detonator
apparatus 1 above mentioned, 14 is the frame 15 detonator magazine free to rotate
on an axis. 16 weight for giving motion to the magazine. 17 ratchet teeth on
the magazine. 18 escapement for allowing one tooth of the ratchet to pass at a
time so as to bring all the detonator cartridges into position. 19 sliding rod for
firing the cartridges and also for actuating the escapement by means of a cam and
arm 20. 21 armature and striking piece hinged at 22 to the frame 1. 23 electro
magnets. 4 main wire connection. 5 contact maker connection. 7 contact breaker
connection as herein before set forth. 27 shunt piece and armature. 28 electro
magnet extension. It will be obvious that step by step motion may be given to
the magazine by many forms of mechanism and that the cartridges may be fired by
an electric fuze instead of by a striking piece.
The action of the apparatus is as follows. When the electric circuit is completed
by the locomotive passing over the contact maker as hereinbefore set forth the
current enters at 4 passes through the electro magnet coils and away to earth
through 5. When contact is made with the piece 12 as hereinbefore set forth the
passage of the current excites the electro magnets and extension 28 so that the
armature 21 is drawn towards the magnet, the rod 19 is struck and the cartridge is
fired, at the same time the extension 28 is magnetised and the shunt 27 is drawn
over so as to make circuit through the contact breaker 13. When the locomotive
passes over the contact breaker as hereinbefore set forth the current is stopped, the
electro magnet extension 28 ceases to act and the shunt piece 27 returns to its
normal position at the same time the armature 21 is released and returns to its
normal position together with the rod 19. When returning to its normal position

page_text: the rod 19 acts by the cam 20 on the arm 20* so as to operate the escapement 18
and allow the weight 16 to rotate the magazine and bring another cartridge into
position. When all the cartridges have been fired they are replaced by fresh
ones.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modification of detonater apparatus under my
invention, here a train of wheels 29 and a catch 30 are used instead of the ratchet
teeth and escapement. The action is similar to that of the striking train of a clock.
The same letters refer to equivalent parts in figs. 2, 3 and 4.
Fig. 6 is an end view, and fig. 7 a side elevation of a modification of apparatus
under my invention for giving audible signals used in manner. similar to the
apparatus hereinbefore described. 31 is an electro-motor of any usual construction
arranged to give motion to a worm 32 and operate a worm wheel 33: the worm
wheel 33 gives motion by means of a connecting rod 34 to a bellows 35: 36 is an
elastic reservoir of usual construction connected to the bellows and 37 is a fog
horn coupled to the reservoir: 27 is the shunt piece connected as hereinbefore set
forth. In all the views like letters denote the same parts. When contact is made as
herein before stated, the electro motor is actuated and the fog horn is caused to sound
until contact is broken.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
First. The combination with apparatus for giving audible signals of contact
makers and breakers and a single electrical actuating circuit for the purpose set
forth.
Second. The combination of single apparatus 1 switch 2 main wire 4 contact
maker and breaker 12 and 13 and shunt 27 for the purpose set forth.
Third. Detonator firing apparatus substantially as set forth under figs. 2 to 5.
Fourth. Fog signal apparatus substantially as set forth in figs. 6 and 7.
Fifth. The combination of an electric motor air compressor sound producer and
battery connections substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 11th day of January 1890.
Per pro J. T. KING,
*J. Johnson,
Agent.