Improved Means for Mechanically Placing and Removing Railway Fog Signals.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Mechanically Placing and Removing Railway
Fog Signals.
1 EDWIN WOODHEAD of 36 King Henry's Road, Primrose Hill, London,
Railway Officer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of the present invention is to provide means for placing detonating fog
signals upon a railway line and removing them therefrom, without endangering the
life of the signalman, who frequently, under existing circumstances, is obliged to
cross and recross one line to reach another whereon detonators have been or are to
be placed. As the result of thus frequently crossing the lines, it sometimes happens
that the man is knocked down by a train or engine passing one line, when he is
trying to reach and get away from the other line to place or remove signals.
To avoid danger to himself, the signalman will sometimes, if he has but little time
to cross, remain in a safe place, and allow the signals to remain on the line, thereby
stopping trains when the line is clear, and causing unnecessary delay.
Detonators are usually placed in pairs on the same line, about 10 yards apart.
A man can work a single line well enough from one side, but in the case of double
or more lines, where he has to cross over to place or remove the detonators clipped
onto the rail 10 yards apart or thereabouts, the task is attended with considerable
danger.
According to the present invention, I mount near the rail whercon the detonators
are to be placed, groups of weighted tumblers slung upon rods suitably placed,
parallel to the rail, and about on a level with the head thereof. These tumblers
are so adjusted that normally they hang vertically at the side of the rail, but clear
thereof, and project upward a nose whereon the detonator (to which is soldered a
suitable fastening) is fitted. Beneath the tumblers are fingers or catches fixed
radially upon a rotating rod lying parallel with line of rails. The rotation of this
rod will cause the catches one after the other to strike the tails of their respective
tumblers, and bring them into a horizontal position, thereby placing the detonators
on the line, and keeping them there until the rod is further rotated.
The rotation of the rod is effected through a tooth wheel keyed thereon, and a
rack bar in gear with the said toothed wheel, and extending transversely across the
line or lines.
A hand lever is provided for reciprocating the rack bar, and a sector rack with
notches is provided in connection with the hand lever, to fix the parts when in
position, and to enable the signalman to know how many, and which of the detonators
he has caused to explode, or taken off without exploding.
After all the detonators held by the tumblers have been exploded, the signalman
can take an opportunity to replace them without danger, as he is not compelled
to hasten across a line to remove detonators, to avoid stopping an approaching
train.
It will be understood that the groups of tumblers and catches are so placed
that each, as it comes into play, is the regulation distance from the corresponding
catch and tumbler of the next group, and in this way the detonators are always
presented or removed in pairs the proper distance apart.
To remove a pair of detonators from the line, it will only be necessary to free
the tumblers from their catches by slightly rotating the shaft upon which the catches
are mounted the tumblers will then, by their own balance weight, raise the

page_text: detonators clear of the rails, and, by a further movement, the tumblers will be
locked off, and can be subsequently restored.
Dated this 21st day of January 1891.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Means for Mechanically Placing and Removing Railway
Fog Signals.
I EDWIN WOODHEAD of 36 King Henry's Road, Primrose Hill, London,
Railway Officer, 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:-
The object of the present invention is to provide means for placing detonating fog
signals upon a railway line, and removing them therefrom, without endangering the
life of the signalman, who frequently, under existing circumstances, is obliged to
cross and re-cross one line to reach another whereon detonators have been or are to
be placed. As the result of thus frequently crossing the lines, it sometimes happens
that the man is knocked down by a train or engine passing over an intervening line,
when he is trying to reach and get away from the other line, to place or remove
signals.
•
To avoid danger to himself, the signalman will sometimes, if he has but little
time to cross, stay in a safe place, and allow the signals to remain on the line,
thereby stopping trains when the line should be signalled clear, and causing
unnecessary delay.
Detonators are usually placed in pairs on the same line, about 10 yards apart.
A man can signal an outer line of rails well enough from the outer side, but in the
case of having to fog-signal double or more lines, where he has to cross over to
place or remove the detonators clipped onto the rail 10 yards apart or thereabouts,
the task is attended with considerable danger, especially where the traffic is
frequent.
According to the present invention, I mount near the rail whereon the detonators
are to be placed, groups of weighted tumblers slung upon rods suitably placed
parallel to the rail, and about on a level with the head thereof. These tumblers
are so adjusted that normally they hang vertically at the side of the rail, but clear
thereof, and project upward a nose whereon the detonator is fitted. Beneath the
tumblers are arms fixed radially upon a rotating rod lying parallel with the line of
rails. The rotation of this rod will cause the radial arms, one after the other, to
strike the tails of their respective tumblers, and bring them into a horizontal
position, thereby placing the detonators on the line, and keeping them there until
the rod is further rotated.
The rotation of the rod is effected through a tooth wheel keyed thereon, and
a rack bar in gear with the said toothed wheel, and extending transversely under
the adjoining line or lines.
A hand lever is provided for reciprocating the rack bar, and a sector rack
with notches is provided in connection with the hand lever, to fix the parts
when in position, and to enable the signalman to know how many, and which,
of the detonators he has caused to explode, or taken off without exploding.
After the detonators held by the tumblers, or some of them, have been exploded,
the signalman can take an opportunity to replace them, when he can do so without
danger, from an approaching train.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure illustrates, in sectional end view, mechanism for placing the detonators
upon a line, and removing them therefrom, when required.

page_text: Figure 2 shews, in end view, gear for operating the mechanism shewn in
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross section of the neck of one of the tumblers for carrying
the detonators.
Figure 4 is a back view of a tumbler with the detonator thereon.
A is the ordinary rail; bare two of a group of weighted tumblers slung
upon the rod B, which is mounted parallel with the rail, at about the level of
the head thereof, in the cheeks c, of which there are two to each group, bolted
firmly to and between the sleepers.
The weighted tails of the tumblers keep them normally in the vertical position
of (Fig. 1).
To the opposite end of the tumblers are secured the detonators D, preferably
in the following manner.
The detonator D may be of the ordinary form, with attachment pieces d d of
soft flexible metal, as usual. To attach the detonators to the tumblers, the former
are first secured to tin plates F (see Fig. 4), by passing the attachment
pieces dd through a slot therein, and lapping them round the plates. These
plates, preferably strengthened by a corrugation f, are then dropped into
guides in the neck of the tumblers, and secured by turning up the end
slightly (see Fig. 1). To withdraw the tin plate after the signals have. been
exploded, the turned-up end is pressed back towards the tumbler, when. it can
be pulled out of the neck of the tumbler, Fig. 3.
The tumblers, of which there may be four in a group, are caused,. in their
turn, to exchange their vertical position for a horizontal one, thereby laying a
detonator upon the line by the four radial arms to g³, which are separately
secured through the bosses at G, upon a rod K, which extends parallel with
the rails, and is capable of rotation in suitable bearings.
The four radial arms to g³ are arranged so as to strike the weighted tails
of the tumblers as they rotate with the rod K. Thus, supposing that there are
four tumblers in the group bb₁ 23, g would act upon b, g¹ upon b¹, gupon b²,
and upon 63, consecutively.
The rod is rotated by means of the tooth wheel k and rack L (see
Figure 2), the latter being, through any suitable connection, operated by a hand
lever M, which may be provided with a spring catch m, for engaging, with
notches in the segment rack N. The connection for operating the rack, bar
may be either direct, as shewn in Figure 2; or arrangements of levers and wires
or rods and weights, such as are well understood in the working of fixed signals
from a distance may be employed.
In this way, in case of a fog suddenly appearing, the signalman having the
lever of such an apparatus in or near his cabin, may lay and work his fog signals
at a distant.signal, and prevent delay which may arise before it is possible to
call the fogmen and get them to come on duty.
In working fog signals, it is usual to work them in pairs, as previously
explained, placing them about 10 yards apart; the groups of four tumblers and
radial arms for operating, are therefore arranged in duplicate 10 yards apart,
connected by the rod K, which is actuated, however, by a single lever.
To enable the fogman to work his signals without the possibility of mistake,
the segment rack is provided with a number of pin holes O (see Fig. 2), for
receiving a pin attached by a short chain o to the lever. The length of the
chain o
is such, that when the pin is in the hole next behind the lever, the latter
can be advanced only one notch, the notches being so arranged as to indicate
the positions for putting each of the detonators upon the rail.
In the drawing (Fig. 2), the lever is shewn out of action, by the spring being
down in the first notch.
To bring the first pair of detonators into position, the lever is slightly advanced,
and then the pin put in the hole in the rear.

page_text: A further advance of the lever to the second notch, causes the arm g to lift
the weighted tail of the tumbler b, and bring the latter into the horizontal
position shewn in Fig. 1. The chain o prevents the too great advance of the
hand lever, which would otherwise cause the arm g to slip from beneath the
tumbler, and bring the arm g' to bear against the next tumbler b'.
When it is desired to remove the detonator from the rail unexploded, as
continually happens, a backward movement of the lever will accomplish the
object. The pin forms a suitable stop, and constitutes a record that the same
detonator is still available when required. q is a check or recoil bar for
preventing the tumblers from completely turning over under the influence of
the explosion, or too great force in using the lever. Q is another bar carried
by swinging arms from the rod B, the function of this bar Q being to bear
against the front of the lower portions of the tumblers and steady them, being
capable, at the same time, of giving way when the arms g to are carried
backwards by the return of the lever M. The position of the pin changed after
each explosion, so as to ensure a fresh detonator being ready when required.
With a mechanical appliance such as I have described, it will be seen that a
fog or other signalman, will be able to economize his detonators by removing
them when it is right to do so, instead of leaving them to be uselessly exploded,
merely because it would be dangerous to remove them without such appliance.
Furthermore, a man is saved many journeys across the lines, and can, moreover,
choose a safe moment for replacing one or more exploded signals, without waiting
for the whole group to be expended.
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. Apparatus for placing and removing fog signals, consisting of weighted
tumblers, radial arms operating thereon, a rotating shaft whercon the arms are
fixed, and mechanism for causing the rotation of the shaft, substantially as
explained with reference to the drawings.
2. The means herein shewn and described with reference to Figure 4, for
attaching the fog signals to the weighted tumblers.
3. The means herein shown and described with reference to Fig. 2 of the
drawings, consisting of lever, sector rack, chain, pin, and pin holes, for working
the rod, wire, lever, or other connection with the operating rack, in such a
manner as to ensure at each movement of the lever, the proper amount of rotation
of the shaft K, and to provide an indication as to which and how many of the
detonators are available for use, substantially as explained.
Dated this 15th day of October 1891.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.