provements in and relating to Fog Signal Apparatus for Railways.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1893-Accepted 7th Oct., 1893
COMI LEIDDI ECIFICATION
Improvements in and relating to Fog Signal Apparatus for
Railways.
I, WILLIAM WELLS of 31, Barnsdale Road, Harrow Road, London, Gentleman,
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 consists of apparatus for placing fog-signals or detonators upon
the railway line by means of a special lever and connections from the signal box or
other convenient position. The fog-signals are in the form of rectangular blocks
and are placed in a line contiguous to one another in an oblong rectangular metal
box provided with a cover and fitted with a lock whereby the box may be opened
for filling it and securely closed again. At one end of the box is fitted a coiled
spring roller to which are connected the two ends of a cord or chain passing over
pulleys at the other end of the box, and around small pulleys or rollers carried by
a sliding block or pusher bearing against the rearmost signal or detonator so as to
continually press the said signals forward as each is pushed out of the box. The
foremost end of the box carries a steel block or propeller capable of sliding in
guides fixed at right-angles to the box and to the line of rails, the front end of
the propeller being recessed to receive the foremost signal and to push it on to the
rail when operated from the signal box or other position. The fog signals are
partly formed of a wooden block having in its upper surface a notch for receiving
the end of a small spring fixed to the top of the box so as to prevent the detonator
being drawn back into the box when the signalman pulls the propeller back into
An electric
the said box and also for holding the signal firmly on the line.
indicator in the signal box gives warning when the fog-signal box is nearly empty.
And in order that my invention and the manner of carrying it into practical
effect may be better understood, I will describe the same with reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a plan of the fog-signal box or receptacle with the cover removed
and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof.
Fig. 3 is a section of the fog signal propeller box or guide showing a fog-
signal in position on the line for being acted upon or exploded by the passage
of an engine and
Fig. 4 is a similar section showing the propeller drawn back ready for pushing
another fog-signal on to the line.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the electric indicator,
Fig. 6 being a horizontal section and Fig. 7 a vertical section of the inner part
thereof.
a represents the fog-signal containing box preferably constructed of cast-iron.
The said box is formed with a raised portion or guide a¹ for containing the fog-
signals or detonators arranged contiguously to one another along the said guide.
At one end of the box a is fitted a coiled spring roller c formed with two pulleys
or drums c c to each of which is connected one end of a cord or chain d. This
cord or chain passes over the two pulleys e e' fitted to the other end of the box
and from these pulleys the cord or chain is brought back and passed through a
longitudinal slot d' formed in each side of the guide al around two small pulleys
or rollers ff carried by a sliding block or pusher g preferably made of brass, and
bearing against the last detonator of the row to feed the latter forward as each one
is used, the spring roller c being previously wound up sufficiently to give the
requisite pressure. The other end of the box is formed with or has attached to
it, at right angles therewith, a receptacle or guide a² for containing a steel block
or propeller h by means of which the foremost detonator is pushed out of the box
[Price S1

page_text: on to the railway line. The receptacle a' may be fitted with brass guides or may
itself be formed of brass for the propeller to travel upon. The propeller h is
connected at ¹ to a rod i connected at its outer end to lever k pivoted at k¹ to a
post and provided with a counter-balance weight k² at its lower end.
The upper
end of the lever k is connected by means of a chain or rod m to an operating
lever preferably placed in the signal-box and fitted with a toothed quadrant similar
to an ordinary signal lever. Figs. 5, 6 & 7 represent an indicator for representing
when the last or nearly the last fog-signal has been used or propelled out of the
box a.
This indicator consists of a wooden case'n marked on its face with
divisions according to the number of fog-signals contained in the box a and
formed with a vertical slot n' to receive and permit of the travel of a small rod o
provided at one end with a double metal pointer o' and at the other with a weight o³
which rests upon a series of small wooden blocks p of a depth equivalent to the space
between each division on the face of the cover n. The blocks p are arranged one
upon another in a vertical guide or recess at the back of the case. is a slide or
pusher connected by a cord or chains to the lever operating the propeller h, and
provided with an elastic band or spring bringing it back to its normal position
when the cords permits of its doing so.
The operation of my improved apparatus is as follows: When the signal-man
pulls over the lever to indicate that a train may pass, and should the signal at the
time be invisible through fog or otherwise, he likewise pulls over the lever operating
the propeller thus pushing the end detonator out of the box a on to the line u as
represented in Fig. 3, so that the detonator is exploded on the passage of the engine
over it thus indicating that the train may pass the signal. When the fog-signal
is reversed it draws back the propeller into the position shown in Fig. 4 the
disabled detonator being prevented from being drawn back with it by means of a
small spring v fixed to the cover as of the guide a² and entering a notch 6' formed in
the rear part 6 of the detonator (the said part 2 is preferably constructed of
wood); the part 6 then falls down by the side of the line and may be made use
of again by affixing to it a fresh detonator. As the fog-signal lever is pulled over
to deposit a fresh detonator on the line it likewise pulls the cord s, Fig. 5, so as to
draw forward the pusher thus pushing the lowermost block p from underneath
the others until it falls through an opening w into the chamber. Upon the lever
being reversed the cords is slackened, thus permitting the pusherr being drawn
back by the spring t and allowing the blocks p and with them the pointer o¹ to fall
through the space of another division on the face of the case n. When the whole
or nearly the whole of the detonators have been used the pointer o' comes into
contact with two metal studs o³ thus establishing connection with an electric bell
and giving an audible signal. The pointer is then raised by hand out of the case.
the cover n¹ being opened and the blocks p being removed from the chamber and
deposited in the guide or recess q ready for further use.
When all the detonators have been used the pushery is pushed back to its
starting position where it may be fixed by a pin g¹ and fresh detonators placed in
the box a the cover a being removed for this purpose; the said cover is placed
again on the box where it may be secured by a lock a, the pin g' being previously
removed. As each detonator is used the cord d is wound by means of the spring
roller c upon the pulleys el e and the act of drawing back the pusher g to its
starting position unwinds the cord d from the said pulleys and at the same time
winds up the spring drum ready for a fresh start. For increasing the tension of
the spring roller the latter is capable of being removed from the box a, wound up
by hand and replaced again in the box. The box a is fixed by means of flanges a
and bolts to any suitable foundation at the side of the permanent way.
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 :-
1. In fog-signalling apparatus for railways the combination of the box a, the

page_text: spring roller c, the cord d, the pulleys ee¹, the rollers ff, the pusher g, the
receptacle or guide a', the propeller h, spring v, and operating gear i, k and m
substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
2. In combination with the above claimed apparatus the improved fog-signals
or detonators substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
3. The improved indicating apparatus substantially as described and for the
purpose specified.
4. The improved fog-signalling apparatus substantially as described and for the
purpose specified.
F. G. CASSELL,
Of Cassell & Co.,
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, W., Agent for the Applicant.