Improvements in Illuminating Railway Lines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 6th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Illuminating Railway Lines.
I, WILLIAM EZRA FERGUSON, of 119, Chestnut Street, Mont Clair, in the
County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Ship
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a device for illuminating railway lines and has for its
object to provide means whereby one or more lights may be placed between the
rails without interfering with the traffic and further to place the lights in such
manner that they will not interfere with the vision of the driver.
According to my invention, the illuminating devices, which are preferably electric
lamps, may be supported by hangers pendent from a board which is of a length
equal to the width between the ends of the rails, the ends of the board being made
to engage with the inner faces of the webs of the rails and the board or plate being
wedged securely in place by wedge blocks which engage with the board between
the battens on the ends of the board and its outer extremities and rest upon the
inner flanges of the rails. The retaining devices for the lights may, however, be
varied as well as the lights themselves and the board may be entirely omitted, the
supports for the lights being in that event preferably fastened to the s'eepers or to
the surface of the ground between the sleepers. The board, however, is preferable
as it has a tendency to prevent the current of air created by a passing train from
extinguishing the lights. The lights may be arranged transversely between the
rails and pointing in opposite directions, or they may be placed longitudinally
of the rails, and they may be used doubly or singly, or may be placed at or near
the centre of the track, or close to one of the rails thereof, and they are protected
in such manner as not to interfere with the vision of the driver. The lights are
located below the tread of the rails and also below the heads and consequently the
lights are in no-wise interfered with by a passing train. This mode of illuminating
tracks is especially adapted for use in tunnels and upon bridges. In the former
case, that portion of the tunnel, namely the bottom, where the smoke or fog is
always the thickest, is illuminated and the rays of light readily penetrate the gloom
and may be observed by the driver and guard in all kinds of weather.
1
W. E. FERGUSON,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Illuminating Railway Lines.
I, WILLIAM EZRA FERGUSOx of 119, Chestnut Street, Mont Clair, in the
County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Ship
Mechanic, 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 :-
My invention has for its object to enable railway lines to be illuminated by
means of lights placed between the rails, without interfering with the traffic or
affecting the vision of the driver.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the views.

page_text: Figure is a central longitudinal section through a line, illustrating the
application thereto of the device.
Figure 2 is a transverse section, taken practically on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and
Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the device removed from the rail.
In carrying out the invention, a board or plate 10 is usually employed of a
length equal to the space intervening the webs of the opposing rails of the line.
The board is usually provided upon its under face near each end with a batten 11
and between the battens a series of hangers 13 is arranged pendent from the
board, in which hangers the lights 14 are located. The lights preferably employed
are electric lamps and those shown in the drawings are of that description, two
lamps being oppositely located in each hanger and all the lamps upon the board
are brought in circuit in the usual manner. When the board 10 is employed, the
ends of the board are made to engage with the inner faces of the webs of the
rails, as illustrated in Figure 2, and the board or plate 10 is wedged firmly and
securely in place through the medium of wedge blocks 15, which blocks engage
with the board between the battens and its outer extremities and rest upon the inner
flanges of the rails, as is likewise best shewn in Figure 2, being held in place
through the medium of spikes or equivalent fastening devices, but the character
of the retaining devices for the lights may be varied as well as the character of the
lights, and the board 10 may be entirely omitted, the supports for the lights being,
in that event, preferably fastened to the sleepers or to the surface of the ground
between the sleepers. The board, however, is preferable as it has a tendency to
prevent the current of air created by a passing train from extinguishing the lights.
I desire it to be distinctly understood that, although the lights are shown as
arranged transversely between the rails and as pointing in opposite directions, the
lights may be placed longitudinally of the rails and they may be used doubly or
singly or may be placed at or near the centre of the line or close to one of the
rails thereof. In fact, the lights may be arranged in such manner that they will
not interfere with the vision of the driver.
It will be observed that these lights are located below the tread of the rails and
also below the heads, so that the lights are not at all interfered with by a passing
train. This mode of illuminating lines is especially adapted for use upon tunnels
and upon bridges. In the former case, that portion of the tunnel, namely the
bottom, where the smoke or fog is always the thickest, is illuminated and the rays
of light readily penetrate the gloom and may be observed by the driver and guard
in all kinds of weather.
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 a railroad, one or more lights placed between the rails and arranged to
admit of trains passing over them, as and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination, with the rails of a railway line, of lights located adjacent
thereto and below the treads of the rails, as and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination, with the rails of a railway line, of a light located between
the rails or adjacent to one of the rails, the adjustment being such as to admit of a
train passing over them, as and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination, with a railway line, of lights located between the rails in
such a manner as to admit of trains passing over them and a shield located above
the lights, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 30th day
TONDA
W. E. FERGUSON,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.