IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE ALARM SIGNALLING APPARATUS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William John Brower, of 23 Rood Lane, in the City of,
London, Civil Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE
ALARM SIGNALLING APPARATUS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William John Brewer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th January 1883.
WILLIAM JOHN BREWER, of 23 Rood Lane, in the City of London, Civil
Engineer IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE ALARM SIGNALLING APPARATUS
My invention relates to portable alarm signalling apparatus, especially designed
for use on railways, and actuated by any approaching train, in order to intimate
to workmen or others employed on the line the approach of such train, at such a
distance before its passage as to allow of their moving from the track, and to serve
other purposes.
My said invention consists essentially of a gong or bell (or other suitable
sounding device) actuated from a pedal by an electrical curront. The pedal is
jointed to a suitable cross-piece or lever between the rails, which is spring pressed
or counterpoised so that its normal altitude shall bring it under the pressure of the
Banges of the wheels of a passing train. It is mounted in any suitable frame,
which is provided with spikes or screws, to fix it in position, or with clips to grip
the underside of the rail or other convenient part. In such case an earth
attachment for the electrical circuit is made if required.
I cause the agitation of the pedal, imparted to it by the passing train, to
rapidly make and break an electrical circuit, or to maintain that circuit constantly
closed, which by an insulated line wire operates an electric gong or bell at the
desired distance ahead of the train, and close to the working party it is desired to
warn.
A suitable battery for creating the electrical circuit may be conveniently carried
in the pedal frame, and the attachment of the frame to the ground, the rail, or
the sleeper, by spikes, clips, or screw pile, forms the necessary contact of the
electrical circuit to earth.

page_text: Similarly the bell or gong attached by an insulated line wire, along the ground
to the striking pedal, is also firmly driven or screwed into the earth or sleepers, so
as to make the other connection to earth of the electrical circuit.
This apparatus is also applicable to give signals to the drivers of approaching
trains; as to the safety, or otherwise, of the track, when undor repair or destroyed
by accident. Two gongs, conveniently of different sounds, or other signals by
lantern or otherwise, may conveniently in this case be used, one at the point where
the pedal is placed, and the other at the point where the working party is situnted.
The drivers alarm gong can be kept constantly sounding, or a red light or other
danger signal constantly exhibited, by keeping the electrical circuit closed, under
the control of the working party, whilst the gong near the latter party may bo
operated only on approach of the train.
This apparatus is also useful in the case of fogs or level crossings, in which case
the apparatus is fixed with a gong by the signal-man at a suitable distance from a
station or crossing, to give audible warning to the driver of his approach thereto.
So long as the electrical circuit is closed by the signal man the gong or other
danger signal will strike loudly or be otherwise conspicuous to the driver of the
train, to warn him of danger. When the necessity for its use in the absence of
fog has ceased, the extemporised signal may be removed, and kept in store by the
signal-man for future use

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William John Brewer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th July 1883.
WILLIAM JOHN BREWER, of 23 Rood Lane, in the City of London, Civil
Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE ALARM SIGNALLING APPARATUS
"
My invention relates to portable alarm signalling apparatus, especially designed
for use on railways, and actuated by any approaching train, in order to intimato
to workmen or others employed on the line the approach of such train, at such a
distance before its passage, as to allow of their moving from the track, and to serve
other purposes.
My said invention consists essentially of a gong, bell, or flashing light (or other
suitable sounding or visible device) actuated from a pedal by an electrical current.
The pedal may be jointed to a suitable cross-piece or lever between the rails,
which is spring pressed or counterpoised, so that its normal altitude shall bring it
under the pressure of the flanges of the wheels of a passing train. It is mounted
in any suitablo frame, which is provided with spikes or screws, to fix it in
position, or with clips to grip the underside of the rail or other convenient
part. In such case an earth attachment for the electrical circuit may be made if
required.
I cause the agitation of the pedal, imparted to it by the passing train, to rapidly
make and break an electrical circuit, or to maintain that circuit constantly closed,
which by an insulated line wire operates an electric gong or bell or other visible
device at the desired distance ahead of the train, and close to the working party
it is desired to warn.
A suitable battery for creating the electrical circuit may be conveniently carried
in the pedal frame or in the gong box, and the attachment of the frame to the
ground, the rail, or the sleeper, by spikes, clips, or screw pile, may form the
necessary contact of the electrical circuit to earth, or if desired a return wire may
be used.
Similarly the bell or gong attached by an insulated line wire, along the ground
to the striking pedal, is also firmly driven or screwed into the earth or sleepers, so
as to make the other connection to earth if required of the electrical circuit.
This apparatus is also applicable to give signals to the drivers of approaching
trains, as to the safety, or otherwise, of the track, when under repair or destroyed
by accident. Two gongs, conveniently of different sounds, or other signals by
lantern or otherwise, may conveniently in this case be used, one at the point
where the pedal is placed, and the other at the point where the working party is
situated or the driver of approaching train is expected. The drivers alarm gong
can be kept constantly sounding, or a red light or other danger signal constantly
exhibited, by keeping the electrical circuit closed, under the control of the working
party, whilst the gong near the latter party may be operated only on approach of
the train.
This apparatus is also useful in the case of fogs or level crossings, in which case
the apparatus is fixed with a gong by the signal-man at a suitable distance from a
station or crossing, to give audible warning to the driver of his approach thereto.
So long as the electrical circuit is closed by the signal man, the gong or other
danger signal will strike loudly or be otherwise conspicuous to the driver of the
train, to warn him of danger. When the necessity for its use in the absence of
fog has ceased, the extemporised signal may be removed, and kept in store by the
signal-man for future uso.

page_text: In order that my invention may be the better understood I now proceed to
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereto annexed reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my portable alarm signalling
apparatus, in which A is the pedal, conveniently of spring steel, alongside the rail,
and which by its own elasticity remains in such a position as shall bring it under
the pressure of the flanges of the wheels of a passing train.
This spring tread or pedal is shown in detail in plan in Figure 2 and in elevation
in Figure 3.
The pedal is attached at its root to a foundation plate B and clip C so as to
enable it to be firmly fixed to a sleeper. A spike b and a set screw c serve to aid
its more secure attachment to the ground and sleeper.
Underneath the pedal A is a button or projection a, which, when the pedal is
depressed, comes into contact with an insulated strip of metal D. To this insulated
strip D is attached a wire E by a binding screw d, bringing an electrical current
from a battery in the box F. When the pedal is depressed, metallic contact is
made between the pedal and the insulated strip D, thus completing the electrical
circuit to earth, or to a return wire if preferred.
The box F, shown in sectional detail in Figure 4, carries the necessary battery
or batteries f and the alarm bell or gong G. It is conveniently fixed by a spike
in any required position to convey a warning of the approach of a train to a gang
of plate layers or to other persons.
The electrical current from the battery is made to pass round an electro-magnet
or magnets g, so as to operate by well known mechanism a vibrating hammer to
strike the gong or bell G.
Figure 5 shows an alternative form of pedal apparatus, the pedal A being the
binged cover of a box B, which may conveniently contain the battery f. On the
underside of the lid of the box, is an insulated button or projection a, which,
when the lid is depressed against the reaction of the spiral spring H, by the tread
of the flanges of a passing train, comes into metallic contact with the insulated
metallic spring strip D. One pole of the battery or batteries fis connected to the
insulated button a, and the return wire, from the electrical circuit, through the
bell or gong apparatus, is connected to the metallic spring strip D. The contact
then between the button a and the strip D, closes the electrical circuit through the
bell apparatus, thus causing it to sound by well known means.
Figures 6 and 7 show, in side and end elevation respectively, another form of
my pedal apparatus. The pedal A is in the shape of a bow spring attached at its
two ends to a base plate B, which can be spiked to a piece of timber, or otherwise
fixed, so as to bring the pedal alongside the rail, and in the proper position to be
depressed by the flanges of the wheels of a passing train.
To the underside of the bow spring is affixed an insulated button or projection, a,
carrying a metallic ring K, and sliding on a guide pin L round which may be
placed the spiral spring if required. As the bow spring A and the button a is
depressed the metallic ring K makes electrical contact between the two fingers M
and N, thus completing the electrical circuit from a battery in the gong, or bell
apparatus, and causing it to sound as before.
-
Figure 8 shows the general elevation of a sounding bell and signal light
apparatus of which Figures 9 and 10 are a detailed elevation and plan.
G is the bell or gong, and with the usual electro magnet and striking hammer g.
P is a signal lantern with a coloured disc Q, which is caused to vibrate across
the light by the bob and electro magnet R, (a well known electrical appliance)
when the electrical circuit is flowing.
The current is caused to flow and the bell and flashing lantern to give their
respective signals of the approach or passage of a train, by the pedal apparatus,
herein before described, being depressed, and electrical contact closed, by the
flanges of the passing wheels.
Where continuous contact is required by the lengthed depression of the pedal, I

page_text: fix a bar S Figure 11 with one end attached to the pedal A and with the other
supported on a sleeper T, at a suitable distanco away, so that two or more of the
wheels of the passing train remain continuously upon the treadle. I make this
bar to fold horizontally in jointed lengths, or to draw telescopically, or a steel
strip which can be rolled up for convenience in carrying from place to place.
If desired a pair of coloured or darkened discs may be exactly balanced upon a
knife edge, instead of the single hanging disc as shown. A pair of electro-magnets
can in this latter case be used one at each end at suitable angles so as to give a
double flashing light of different colours of groat sensitiveness.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my invention and the
methods of carrying the same into effect be it known that what I consider novel
and desire to protect by Letters Patent is :-
First. The combination of a portable pedal apparatus operated by the passing
flanges of railway carriage wheels, to close electrical contact, with a portable bell,
gong, lantern, or semaphore alarm signal, electrically connected thereto, and
operated by the said pedal apparatus, substantially as described.
Second. In a portable alarm signalling apparatus the construction of the pedal
apparatus in alternative forms, substantially as described in reference to Figures 2,
3, 5, 6, 7, and 11.
Third. In a portable alarm signalling apparatus the construction of the bell,
gong, or lantern alarm, substantially as described in reference to Figures 4, 8, 9,
and 10.
In witness whereof I, the said William John Brewer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this seventh day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sighte thun
Witness
SAM. P. WILDING
23 Rood Lane, London. E.C.
Patent Agent.
W¼ Jª BREWER, (L.S.)