IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR USE IN SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN FOGGY WEATHER
Year: 1883

page_text: ·PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederick Venables at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th January 1883.
FREDERICK VENABLES of Hadley Green in the County of Middlesex, Land Agent
and Surveyor IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR USE IN SIGNALLING ON RAILWAYS
PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN FOGGY WEATHER
The object of my improvements is to afford means for signalling between persons
on or adjacent to the line or permanent way and the driver or others in charge of
a train, capable of being brought instantaneously into use on an emergency arising,
and of being put out of position for action as soon as the occasion shall have passed
away,
In the use of the ordinary "fog signals" of the detonating kind placed by manual
labor on the lines of rails great uncertainty of action, delay in application on sudden
emergencies and arduous exertions on the part of the inen, are found to be
unavoidable in practical working besides the great cost of such labor.
To avoid these evils and obtain the advantages referred to I provide on the near
side of the rails to be protected a long inclined rail or plane, which plane works at
one end on a centre or bearing and at some distance from its opposite or forward
end it is borne by an excentric, or crank, or other suitable support capable of
raising it into position or lowering it out of position to act on a projecting part
from the engine in passing it-This supporting part to the incline may be "pulled
on" or brought to its operating position constantly by the action of a weight or
other suitable means and may bo "pulled off" or taken out of action when it is
not desired to exert any signalling action by a lever or other power at the Station,
Signal box or other suitable place where control is desired to be exerted acting
through a chain or other connection thereto The forward portion of the inclined
plane or that part beyond the point where the raising and lowering may be effected
I find it convenient to shape with a reverse incline but of shorter length to the
longer incline so that if an engine be driven back on the line or is proceeding for
instance "up" on the "down" line the part depending therefrom acted on by the
incline will not meet too sudden a jerk or strain.
This part dependent from the engine consists of a hinged cranked and jointed
arm or lever carrying a truck or bowl at its lower extremity and at its centre of
motion it is borne by a bracket from the engine framing the other portion of this
[Price 9d1

page_text: cranked arm is connected by links or connections to a rod or chain passing up to
act on another rod or spindle operating a whistle having connection with the
boiler This whistle may be additional of the ordinary signalling whistle for starting
and other purposes and of much more sonorous quality or tone
It will generally be found advantageous for this fog whistle (to be so pulled on)
to remain in operation until pulled off specially by the engine man and with this
object I weight the upper end of the cranked lever accordingly.
In some cases it may be useful to substitute for a whistle a horn or bell signal or
other audible signal
"fore-
For cases where Engines are run alternately "front" formost and "rear
most the spindle operating the whistle is carried through in like manner to the other
side and is operated by parts which are adapted to act in an identical manner on
such whistle when similarly operated by the incline.
Stops prevent the various parts from moving too far in any direction and the
pendent levers are so connected to the parts they operate that they do not act when
moved in a direction contrary to their proper direction of action
Another modification of the apparatus is adapted to sound a signal in like manner
in the guards van or other vehicle but the parts do not materially differ in their
general arrangement from those already-described
The inclined moveable rail or plane may be arranged so as to be temporarily and
quickly placed in position on the line wherever found convenient and useful to give
immediate notice to an engine man or others on the train of warning or danger
Buch for instance as repairs in progress in front or other impediment to safe or too
rapid progress