Improvements in Audible Railway Signalling Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Audible Railway Signalling Apparatus.
We, JOHN ARTHUR CARTER, of 13, Howard Street, Bradford in the County
of York, Engineer, JOSEPH HAYES, 26, Jonas Gate, Bradford aforesaid,
Electrical Engineer, and GEORGE CARTER, of 13, Howard Street, aforesaid,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for giving audible signals
on railways particularly applicable for use in foggy weather.
We employ a spring or weighted lever pivoted in such a manner that it is
operated by a wheel flange or other part of passing trains and is thereby brought
violently in contact with a spring or weighted block supporting a detonating signal.
The detonating signals are fed from a hopper one at a time on to said block by
means of an endless chain actuated by a lever and paul and ratchet arrangement
coupled to or in connection with said spring lever. A catch or detent is provided
to engage said spring lever each time it is operated and retain such lever in the
position to which the wheel flange forces it or out of action until such detent is
disengaged therefrom by means of an electro-magnet provided for that purpose.
.
An electric bell may be provided in the signal box to ring when the spring lever
is operated or an electric indicator may be provided for that purpose and also to
indicate when the detonating signals are in position and the number contained in
the hopper.
Dated this 17th day of March 1892.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Audible Railway Signalling Apparatus.
We, JOHN ARTHUR CARTER, of 13, Howard Street, Bradford, in the County.
of York, Engineer, JOSEPH HAYES, of 26, Jonas Gate, Bradford aforesaid,
Electrical Engineer, and GEORGE CARTER, of 13, Howard Street, aforesaid,
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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for giving audible signals
on railways particularly applicable for use in foggy weather.
We employ a spring or weighted lever pivoted in such a manner that it is
operated by a wheel flange or other part of passing trains and is thereby brought
violently in contact with a spring or weighted block supporting a detonating signal.
The detonating signals are fed from a hopper one at a time on to said block by
means of an endless chain actuated by a lever and paul and ratchet arrangement
coupled to or in connection with said spring lever. A catch or detent is provided
to engage said spring lever each time it is operated and retain such lever in the
position to which the wheel flange forces it or out of action until such detent is
disengaged therefrom by means of an electro-magnet provided for that purpose.
An electric bell may be provided in the signal box to ring when the spring lever
is operated or an electric indicator may be provided for that purpose and also to
indicate when the detonating signals are in position and the number contained in.
the hopper.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings forming a part of.

page_text: in each of the figures.
WARACAL CARE OF cate corresponding pat va
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of our improved apparatus with a
portion broken away so as to reduce the length and show it on a larger scale.
Figure 2, is a plan view of the same with the top of the box or casing
removed.
Figure 3, is a cross section on the line a, 6 Figure 1.
The apparatus is contained in a cast iron or other suitable casing A and con-
sists of an endless chain B mounted on the two chain wheels C and C¹ pivoted in
bearings formed in the sides of the case. The chain. wheels C and C¹ are of
polygonal form each side being the size of one link of the chain. The chain
wheel C is operated intermittently by the ratchet wheel D so as to move the
chain B in the direction of the arrow the length of one of its links at each move-
ment. The chain B passes through and forms the bottom of the hopper E in
which a supply of detonators F are placed one above the other. The links of the
chain B each have a circular recess G in the face in which the detonators fit and
the opening H in the bottom of the hopper is only wide enough to allow one
detonator to pass through at a time so that at each movement of the chain one
detonator passes from the hopper and is carried towards the spring block J at each
successive movement of the chain. The head K of the weighted lever L is placed
close to the line M so that the flange of the leading wheel of a passing train
depresses said head and the hammer piece L' attached thereto strikes the detonator
carried by the chain beneath (and supported by the block J) with sufficient force
to explode it the same as if it were placed directly upon the line M. The lever L
is rigidly secured to the rocking shaft N mounted in bearings in the standards O
projecting from the sides of the box A and a weight P sufficiently heavy to raise
the head of the lever and also operate the mechanism feeding the detonators is
secured to the rear end. Before however this weight can raise the head of the
lever the detent lever Q mounted upon the stud R engages the catch or atop S in
the collar T rigidly secured to the shaft N and holds the parts in this position until
the train has passed. The lower end of the lever Q forms an armature U of an
electro magnet V secured to the bracket W fixed to the side of the box A. The
electro magnet is so connected and arranged that it may be magnetically excited
from a switch in the signal box and thus attracting the armature U operates the
detent lever so as to disengage it from S and allow the weighted end of the lever L
to fall to the position shown in the drawings. As the lever assumes this position
it partly turns the rocking shaft N thereby vibrating the arm X rigidly secured to
it and the end of this arm is connected by the rod Y to the lever Z loosely mounted
upon the shaft or spindle A' upon which the chain wheel C and ratchet wheel D
are rigidly secured. The paul B¹ engaging D is pivoted to the lever Z and each
time the lever is vibrated through the medium of the rod Y said paul moves the
ratchet wheel round the distance between its teeth thereby operating the chain
wheels and chain so as to bring a new detonator onto the spring block J. Each
time the lever L is pressed down by a passing train the paul B₁ is moved back by
the above described mechanism so as to engage the next tooth of the ratchet.
The head K of the lever L is tee shaped as shown in Figure 3 with each arm of
the tee rounded so that the flange of the wheel operates it without excessive
shock and when moving in either direction. The portion of the lever immediately
behind the head is made to fit between the vertical guides C' C* formed in the
standard D' secured to the bottom of the box A.
The chain wheel C has short studs or projections E¹, E¹ in each face of its
periphery which studs project through the slots F', Fi formed in the bottom
of the recesses G and force the shells of the exploded detonators out of such
recesses and drop them into the recess H' in the bottom of the case A. A
lid J¹ is fitted over the recess to allow said shells to be removed.
A contact piece K¹ in electrical communication with the signal box is connected
to the arm X or other convenient part of the mechanism so that when the
4

page_text: mechanism is operated by the weighted lever it rings a single stroke bell or gives
the signal man visible indication that the apparatus is in working order. An
electric alarm may be fitted upon the hopper E consisting of a light lever arranged
to fall when the detonators are almost finished and thereby complete an electric
circuit arranged to ring an alarm bell in the signal box but we make no claim
thereto.
The switch for closing the circuit of the magnet is preferably fitted with a spring
arranged to normally keep it open so that as soon as the signal man releases the
switch lever it automatically passes to the open position.
It is obvious that the core of a solenoid may be employed to operate the detent
lever instead of an electro magnet.
To compensate for the difference in the depth of the wheel flanges of passing
trains the block J is capable of a certain amount of vertical motion. It is mounted
upon the cylindrical bolster L* secured upon the cross piece M₁ of the standard and
is supported upon the spiral spring N¹ placed between the underside of the block
and M¹.
Two three or more appariti may be placed a suitable distance apart so that two
three or more detonators may be successively exploded.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-.
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
1. An audible railway signalling apparatus consisting of mechanism adapted to
be operated by a passing train so as to explode a detonator and then be held in an
inoperative position by a catch or detent until released by an electro-magnet or
the like, substantially as herein shown and described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
2. The combination with audible railway signalling apparatus of an electric con-
nection with the signalling station arranged to communicate an audible or visible
indication to the signal man each time the apparatus is operated, substantially as.
herein shown and described.
Dated this 17th day of December 1892.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.