Improvements in Apparatus for Fog-signalling on Railways.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th Dec.. 1890-Accepted, 17th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Fog-signalling on Railways.
I, EDWARD TYER of Ashwin Street. Dalston, London, Electrical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In my Specification No. 10,275 of 1889 I described a method of fog signalling on
railways by arranging on the line suitable arms or triggers connected with the
ordinary semaphore signals, so as to act on electrical contact levers on the train as it
passes and thus to shew to the driver or guard or both, by the kindling of coloured
electrical glow lamps on the train, the position and condition of the semaphore
signals. My present invention relates to more simple and effective apparatus for
this purpose. On the line in the neighbourhood of the semaphore signal, I pivot
between two short guard rails a tongue which, being connected to the signal pull is
moved, like a switch rail, against the one guard rail or the other according as the
semaphore signal is at "safety" or at "danger." From the engine or tender hangs
an arm in such a position and of such length as to enter between the guard rails,
which are bent outwards to form as it were a trumpet mouth, and this arm meeting
the sloping side of the switch tongue is moved to the one side or the other into such a
position that it causes an electrical contact to be made with a battery carried on the
engine or tender, whereby either a red or a green coloured glow lamp is kindled
shewing that the signal is either at "danger" or at "safety." The arm which makes
the contact is retained by spring friction or otherwise in its position, maintaining the
contact and the light until the train reaches a farther part of the line where there are
fixed another pair of guard rails nearly close together and without a tongue between them.
The arm entering the trumpet mouth presented between these guard rails is by them
guided into its middle position, so that the contact previously made is broken and the
light is extinguished. In some cases, where several sets of semaphore signals are
mounted on one post or on several adjacent posts, I provide on the train as many
pairs of coloured lamps, with a contact making arm for each, and I fix on the line a
corresponding number of the guard rails and switch tongues, each set arranged for
operating as above described.
Dated this 25th day of Murah 1800
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Fog-signalling on Railways.
I, EDWARD TYER of Ashwin Street, Dalston, London, Electrical Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what inanner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
In my Specification No. 10,275 of 1889, I described a method of fog signalling
on railways by arranging on the line suitable arms or triggers connected with the
ordinary semaphore signals, so as to act on electrical contact levers on the train as it
passes and thus to shew to the driver or guard or both, by the kindling of coloured
electrical glow lamps on the train, the position and condition of the semaphore
signals. My present invention relates to inore simple and effective apparatus for this
purpose.
On the line in the neighbourhood of the semaphore signal, I pivot between two
short guard rails a tongue which, being connected to the signal pull is moved like a
switch rail, against the one guard rail or the other according as the semaphore signal

page_text: is at "safety" or at "danger." From the engine or tender hangs an arm in such a
position and of such length as to enter between the guard rails, which are bent
outwards to form as it were a trumpet month, and this arm meeting the sloping side
of the switch tongue is moved to the one side or the other into such a position that it
causes an electrical contact to be made with a battery carried on the engine or tender
whereby either a red or green coloured glow lamp is kindled shewing that the signal
is either at "danger" or at "safety." The art which makes the contact is retained by
spring friction or otherwise in its position, maintaining the contact and the light until
the train reaches a farther part of the line where there are fixed another pair of guard
rails nearly close together and without a tongue between them. The arm entering
the trumpet mouth presented between these guard rails is by them guided into its
middle position, so that the contact previously made is broken and the light is
extinguished. In some cases, where several sets of semaphore signals are mounted on
one post or on several adjacent posts, I provide on the train as many pairs of coloured
lamps, with a contact making arm for each, and 1 fix on the line a corresponding
number of guard rails and switch tongues, each set arranged for operating as above
described.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings a plan of the guide rails and tongue by
which the contact arm is moved to either side. Fig. 2 is a plan of the contact arm
and its mounting. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of guide rails and tongue with front
elevation of the contact arm, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the guide rails by which the
contact arm is restored to its middle position A A are the two flaring guide rails
presenting between them as it were a trumpet mouth; B is the tongue pivotted
between them and engaged by an arm projecting up from a sliding rod & which is
connected through a bell crank to the signal pull ³. When the pull 6³ is strained,
the tongue B is moved to the position shown in Fig. 1 against A; when the pull 63
is released, a spring moves the rod back, bringing the tongue B against A'. The
contact arm C is pivotted at d on a frame D projecting down from the underframing
of a guard's van, or it might be from the engine or tender. The lower end of the
arm C is preferably forked as shewn in Fig. 3 to carry a roller C₁which runs in
between the guide rails A A¹ and is deflected to the one side or the other by the
tongue B as indicated by the line C in Fig. 3. On the frame D are two insulated
contacts d d the one connected by wire to the green lamp and the other to the red
lamp, so that according as the arm C is deflected to the one side or the other a spring e
on it makes contact with d or d causing the one lamp or the other to be lighted.
The lamp thus lighted remains in action until the arm Creaches the pair of flaring
guide rails E E', between which it enters and by which it is moved to middle position
making no contact either with doc d². RR are the main rails between which the
guide rails A A and E E' are situated, the former A A' in the neighbourhood of the
semaphore signal, and E E' some distance beyond.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, what I claim in respect of
apparatus for fog signalling on railways by the lighting of coloured lamps on the
train, is :-
1. In combination with a pivotted contact arm projecting down from the train a
pair of flaring guide rails having between them a tongue connected to the semaphore
signal, by which the contact arm is moved to the one side or the other according as
the signal is at "safety" or at "danger," substantially as described.
2. In combination with the contact arm above referred to a second pair of flaring
guide rails by which the contact arm is moved back to middle position, substantially
as described.
Dated this 17th day of December 189
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.