IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG OR ALARM SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS, AND IN ATTACHING FOG OR ALARM SIGNALS TO THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Jenkins, of Gravelly Hill, in the County of
Warwick, Shipping Tackle Manufacturer, and William Price, of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Blacksmith, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FOG OR ALARM SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS, AND IN ATTACHING FOG OR
ALARM SIGNALS TO THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Jenkins & William
Price at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th June 1880.
THOMAS JENKINS, of Gravelly Hill, in the County of Warwick, Shipping Tackle
Manufacturer, and WILLIAM PRICE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Blacksmith. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG OR ALARM SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS, AND
IN ATTACHING FOG OR ALARM SIGNALS TO THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS."
Our Invention consists in constructing fog or alarm signals for railways, and in
attaching fog or alarm signals to the rails of railways, in the manner herein after
described.
In constructing the said fog or alarm signals according to our Invention we
make them of an oblong figure and wedge shaped longitudinally. In making the
powder case of the signal we take an oblong trough shell having a semi-circular
end, the flange of the said shell being deepest at the said semi-circular end, and
gradually diminishing in depth as it approaches the other and straight end. In
the middle of this trough shell the nipples or anvils on which the percussion caps
are placed for discharging the signal are soldered. We make a similar but larger
and deeper trough shell in which the gunpowder is placed, the two charged shells
being connected together by a closing process in the ordinary way. We enclose
this powder case in another shell or covering of the same shape as, but longer and
deeper than, the shells of which the powder case is made, the flange of the outer
shell being closed upon the inner case. A fog or alarm signal of an oblong and
wedge shaped figure, the thick end being rounded, is thereby produced, that face
of the signal which is to bear upon the rail being flat and without projecting
parts.
By enclosing the powder case in the outer shell the fog signal is made water-
proof, and its liability to injury from damp and moisture is reduced to a minimum.
[Price 6d1

page_text: For the purpose of still further protecting the fog signal from damp and moisture
we prefer to coat the shells with a coating of ordinary gas tar.
Instead of fixing the nipples or anvils to one of the shells of the powder caso, a
loose compound anvil or nipple may be used. In this modification the pegs of the
nipples are passed through holes in the shell, the upper ends of said pegs or nipples
projecting slightly above the shell. Upon these pegs or nipples the percussion
caps are placed. The length of the said caps is such that their charged ends do
not touch the tops of the pegs or nipples, so that the signal cannot be discharged
until by a blow or by pressure the said charged ends of the percussion caps are
crushed upon the tops of the pegs or nipples. The accidental discharge of tho
signal is thereby effectually prevented.
We attach the fog or alarm signal to the railway rail by means of a spring
wire clip having semi-circular ends. We connect the said spring clip to the thin
end of the wedge shaped signal by making an end strip on the outer or covering
shell of the signal, and closing the said end strip around the middle of the spring
clip so as to form a long knuckle or eye in which the spring clip may turn. Or
the middle of the end strip may be partly separated from the other part and closed
around the middle of the spring clip. The end strip described is made in one
piece with the outer or covering shell by the stamping or raising process by which
the shell is made.
In attaching the signal to the rail the semi-circular ends of the spring clip are
expanded and allowed to close or contract upon the edges and underside of the head of
the rail. The signal is thereby fixed to the rail very securely and with great ease, the
act of fixing the clip ensuring the central position of the signal on the rail. From
the central position which the signal occupies on the rail its detonation is effected
with great certainty. The signal is by preference 50 placed on the rail that its
narrow or thin end is presented to the wheel of the advancing locomotive.
Instead of making the fog signal wedge shaped, as described, it may have the
same thickness throughout. Our improvements in attaching fog or alarm signals
to the rails of railways may be applied to fog or alarm signals other than those
constructed as herein described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Jenkins & William Price in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th December 1880.
THOMAS JENKINS, of Gravelly Hill, in the County of Warwick, Shipping Tackle
Manufacturer, and WILLIAM PRICE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Blacksmith. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOG OR ALARM SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS, AND
IN ATTACHING FOG OR ALARM SIGNALS TO THE RAILS OF RAILWAYS."
Our Invention consists in constructing fog or alarm signals for railways, and in
attaching fog or alarm signals to the rails of railways in the manner herein after
described.
In constructing the said fog or alarm signals according to our Invention we make
them of an oblong figure and wedge shaped longitudinally.
We
In making the powder case of the signal we take an oblong trough shell having
a semi-circular end, the flange of the said shell being deepest at the said semi-circular
ond, and gradually diminishing in depth as it approaches the other and straight end,
In the middle of this trough shell the nipples or anvils on which the percussion
caps are placed for discharging the signal are soldered. We make a similar but
larger and deeper trough shell in which the gunpowder is placed, the two charged
shells being connected together by a closing process in the ordinary way.
enclose this powder case in another shell or covering of the same shape as, but
longer and deeper than, the shells of which the powder case is made, the flange of
the outer shell being closed upon the inner case. A fog or alarm signal of an
oblong and wedge shaped figure, the thick end being rounded, is thereby produced,
that face of the signal which is to bear upon the rail being flat and without
projecting parts.
By enclosing the powder case in the outer shell the fog signal is made water-proof,
and its liability to injury from damp and moisture is reduced to a minimum.
Instead of fixing the nipples or anvils to one of the shells of the powder case, a
loose compound anvil or nipple may be used. In this modification the pegs of the
nipples are passed through holes in the shell, the upper ends of the said pegs or
nipples projecting slightly above the shell. Upon these pegs or nipples the
percussion caps are placed. The length of the said caps is such that their charged
ends do not touch the tops of the pegs or nipples, so that the signal cannot be
discharged until, by a blow or by pressure, the said charged ends of the percussion
caps are crushed upon the tops of the pegs or nipples. The accidental discharge of
the signal is thereby effectually prevented.
We attach the fog or alarm signal to the railway rail by means of a spring wire
clip having semi-circular ends. We connect the said spring clip to the thin end of
the wedge shaped signal by making an end strip on the outer or covering shell of
the signal, and closing the said end strip around the middle of the spring clip, so as
to form a long knuckle or eye in which the spring clip may turn. Or the middle
of the end strip may be partly separated from the other part, and closed around the
middle of the spring clip. The end strip described is made in one with the outer or
covering shell by the stamping or raising process by which the shell is made.
In attaching the signal to the rail the semi-circular ends of the spring clip are
expanded, and allowed to close or contract upon the edges and underside of the
head of the rail. The signal is thereby fixed to the rail very securely and with
great ease, the act of fixing the clip ensuring the central position of the signal on
the rail. From the central position which the signal occupies on the rail its
detonation is effected with great certainty. The signal is by preference so placed
on the rail that its narrow or thin end is presented to the wheel of the advancing
locomotive. Instead of making the fog signal wedge shaped, as described, it may
have the same thickness throughout.

page_text: Our improvements in attaching fog or alarm signals to the rails of railways
may be applied to fog or alarm siguals other than those constructed as hercin
described.
'
We will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing,
the manner in which our Invention may be performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent the two oblong and wedge shaped shells of which the
powder case of the fog or alarm signal is made; Figure 1 representing the lower
shell in plan and longitudinal section; and Figuro 2, the upper shell in plan and
longitudinal section. The bottom shiell is marked a, and the top shell is marked b.
Each of the shells a, b, has a semi-circular end marked a³, b², and the flanges a³, b³,
of the said shells are deepest at the said semi-circular ends a³, b², and gradually
diminish in depth as they approach the straight ends a, b. The said shells a, b,
have thus besides an oblong figure in plan, a wedge shaped figure longitudinally, as
seon in the sections, but the said shells may have the same thickness or depth
throughout. The top shell b is slightly deeper and larger than the bottom shell a,
so that the latter may be enclosed in it. The bottom of the under sholl a is flat, as
represented. In the middle of the under shell a the combined nipples or anvils o,
on which the percussion caps are placed for discharging the signal, are soldered.
After the bottom shell a has been charged with gunpowder, and the top shell 6 has
been placed upon the charged bottom shell, the two shells are connected together at
their edges by a closing process in the ordinary way. The powder case thus made
is enclosed in another shell or covering marked d, represented in plan and section
in Figure 3, the edge of the said outer shell & being turned upon the underside of
the flat bottom of the powder case.
Figure 4 represents in longitudinal section a fog or alarm signal made as
described. In the said Figure 4, a, b, are the shells of the powder case; c, the
nipples or anvils carrying the percussion caps, and d is the outer shell or covering.
A fog or alarm signal thus made has an oblong and wedge shaped figure, the thick
end being rounded, and that face of the signal which is to bear upon the rail is flat
and without projecting parts, as represented in the Drawing.
In using a loose anvil for carrying the percussion caps, we take a bottom shell a³,
of the kind shown in Figure 5, and a top shell 65, of the kind shown in Figure 6,
the said top shell being perforated with holes at c, c, e, for the heads of the loose
compound nipple to pass through. Figure 7 represents in plan and section the
loose nipples detached marked f, and Figure 8 represents in longitudinal section a
fog or alarm signal composed of the two shells a, 65, Figures 5 and 6, the nipples f,
Figure 7, and an outer or covering shell d, of the kind represented in Figure 3.
The nipples f, are furnished with grooves for facilitating the passage of the flash to
the gunpowder of the fog signal. When tho two shells, Figures 5 and 6, are
connected together, the upper ends of the nipples project slightly above the top
shell 65, and upon the said projecting nipples the percussion caps are placed, but
the charged ends of the said percussion caps do not touch the tops of the pegs or.
nipples; hence the signal cannot be discharged until, by a blow or by pressure, the
said charged ends of the percussion caps are crushed upon the tops of the pegs or
nipples. Great safety in the transit of the fog signals is thereby secured and their
accidental discharge is effectually prevented.
The anvils or nipples ƒ, instead of being loose, may be soldered to the bottom
shell.
This part of our Invention may also be applied to ordinary fog signals.
For the purpose of attaching the fog or alarm signal to the railway rail, we
attach to the thin end of the wedge-shaped signal a spring wire clip having semi-
circular ends.. We connect the said clip by making on the end of the outer or
covering shell Figure 3, and in one piece with the said sbell, by the stamping or
raising process by which the said shell is made, a strip h. We fold the end of the
strip upon itself, in the manner shown in Figure 9, and afterwards bend its
projecting part at right angles, as seen in Figure 10. From the part thus formed
a long knuckle or eye h³ is made, as illustrated in Figure 11, the said knuckle or.
•

page_text: eye being closed upon the spring clip g, so as to secure it to the fog signal, the said
clip being capable of turning in the knuckle or eye h³. The end of the covering
shell d, carrying the fixing knuckle h³, has the curved form represented in
Figures 4 and 8 after the said covering shell has been closed upon the powder case.
Instead of making an eye or knuckle in the end piece on the covering shell d
of the fog signal the said end piece may have a trough form given to it, as illus-
trated in Figure 12, by raising the middle part out of the plane of the end parts
and passing the middle of the spring clip g through the trough thus formed, as
illustrated in Figure 13. The trough is marked h* in Figures 12 and 13.
Figure 14 represents in side elevation and Figure 15 in end elevation a fog
signal made according to our Invention connected to a railway rail by means of
the spring clip g. Figure 16 represents a front view of the fog signal detached
from the rail. The semi-circular ends of the spring clip g are best seen in
Figures 15 and 16. In attaching the fog signal to the rail, the semi-circular ends
of the spring clip g, g, are expanded and allowed to close or contract upon the
edges and underside of the head of the rail, in the manner best seen in Figure 15.
By an examination of Figures 14 and 15 it will be seen that the act of fixing
the clip g, g, ensures the central position of the signal on the rail, and by its
central position on the rail its detonation is effected with great certainty. The
signal is by preference so placed on the rail that its narrow or thin end is presented
to the wheel of the advancing locomotive.
Figure 17 represents in side elevation an ordinary circular fog signal provided
with a spring clip g for fixing it to the rail according to our Invention, the
covering shell of the said ordinary fog signal being furnished with the means
herein before described for connecting the clip to the signal.
Having now described the nature of our Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our
Invention,―
First. Making fog or alarm signals for the rails of railways of an oblong figure
and wedge-shaped longitudinally, or oblong and of the same thickness or depth
throughout, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing.
Secondly. The arrangement of parts for preventing the accidental discharge of
fog or alarm signals for the rails of railways, herein before described and illustrated
in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The spring clip, having semi-circular ends, for attaching fog or alarm
signals to the rails of railways, herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, and the means described and represented for connecting
the said spring clip to the outer or covering shell of the fog or alarm signal.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Jenkins and William Price, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.