An Automatic Fog Signal for Railways.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1592-Accepted, 5th Nov., 1892
An Automatic Fog Signal for Railways.
CHARLES HENRY HANDFORD, Prospect Road, Old Whittington near
Chesterfield, Engine Driver, & ALFRED COOPER, Prospect Road Old
Whittington, near Chesterfield, Fitter 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 arrangement has for its object the producing of a self acting bell sound
worked by the wheels of engines & carriages as they pass along the line of rails,
thereby saving the labour of a fog signal man & cost of detonators as at present
in use.
The arrangement is worked by means of levers & rods as hereafter described :-
A shows distant signal at danger, B, wire from signal man at box which throws
off & on the distant signal A. When signal A is at danger the switch C is shut
close up to the rail, D is the spring keeping switch C in contact with rail. The
switch C is connected directly to a rod which gives the bell alarm on E
when worked.
Suppose engine & train to be moving in the direction indicated by arrow and
that the distant signal A is at danger, as shewn on accompanying drawings, the
switch C being close up to rail, the engine & carriage wheels will move the
switch C from the rail, which will after the passage of each wheel, be forced back
to the rail by the V spring D. As the switch C is opened the rod & hammer to
bell E works on its centre F & the hammer moves from the bell E. As the
switch C is forced back by the V spring D, the bell E is struck by its hammer
giving out the alarm as each wheel passes the switch C enabling the bell sound to
be heard throughout the length of the train, so that both engineman & guard may
be aware of the signal A being at danger. The switch C is set by signal man,
being connected directly to signal A or worked independently from signal box.
The rod working switch C at signal A end is connected to signal lever as shewn
at H. The rods theu run on rollers from signal A to bell crank lever I ; from
thence to switch C being loosely placed against the switch as per detail J. When
signal man pulls signal A off, alright, switch C is then opened from the rail & the
trains pass without contact with switch C thereby producing no alarm sound on
bell E. The switch C is centred & works on an axle or pin K and the V spring D
on an axle or pin L. The V spring D works in a sliding chair made to suit. The
attachment of bell rod to switch C is shewn by detail M. The alarm bell E is
attached to a vertical post by means of a bracket N which is provided with a long
slotted bolt hole to allow for ready adjustment of bell E to give a greater or less
stroke of bell hammer. The distant signal A is worked in just the present manner.
Providing the distant signal is on the opposite side of rails to that shewn on accom-
panying drawings, the levers & rods may be made to answer the same purpose by
a similar arrangement.
In summer time or at any time the fog signal is not required, the V spring D
may be removed & switch C opened or removed, or all rods, levers &c. connected
with the signalling arrangement may be detached, so as to reduce the power
required from signal man's lever. The levers & rods required must of course
be properly proportioned & have all necessary rollers, slides &c. wherever
required.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1). The switch C.
こ
2). The arrangement of rod as shown by detail J in contact with switch C.
3). The arrangement & working of the fog signal, as herein described.
Dated this 4th day of October 1892.
CHARLES HENRY HANDFORD.
ALFRED COOPER.