Improvements connected with Fog and like Signalling on Railways.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 3rd Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Fog and like Signalling on Railways.
I JAMES ALFRED SHELTON of Messrs. Smalpage & Son, 41 and 43. Maddox
Street, Regent Street, London, Tailor, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain mechanism or appliances to be placed alongside
railway rails to be brought next one of the rails, for a passing engine to act upon
when the semaphore arm is at danger so that a loud sound can be given to indicate
to the driver that he is passing the danger signal should the atmosphere be hazy, or
in the case of fog when the signal cannot be seen.
For the purpose of my invention I arrange a frame upon rollers to move on rails
laid transversely to the permanent way preferably on the cross sleepers and work-
able by the semaphore pull rod or chain. This frame contains a balanced lever
one end being provided with a roller weight and the other with a snap releaser for
operating a hammer for striking a gong arranged within a drum or chamber from
which the volume of sound is increased and escapes from a trumpet shaped outlet as
The roller (weight) is so placed that the flange of the engine wheel
or an appliance on the engine strikes and slides over and in contact with the roller
which becomes depressed to release the striker.
from a syren.
The roller recovers its position by a spring.
נים
1
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said J. A. Shelton.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Fog and like Signalling on Railways.
I, JAMES ALFRED SHELTON, of Messrs. Smalpage & Son, 41 and 43 Maddox
Street, Regent Street, London, Tailor, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to certain mechanism, or appliances to be placed alongside
railway rails to be brought next one of the rails for a passing engine to act upon
when the semaphore arm is at danger, so that a loud sound can be given to indicate
to the driver that he is passing the danger signal should the atmosphere be hazy, or
in the case of fog when the signal cannot be seen.
My invention will be clearly understood by referring to the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 is a plan of part of the permanent way of a railway with my invention
in position when the line is clear.
Figure 2, part perspective elevation of a railway with the invention close to one
rail, and a distant signal semaphore set at danger.
Figure 3; part sectional elevation of the apparatus on an enlarged scale.
A, A, is a frame provided with rollers B, B, for movement on rails C, C, by the
pull and push action of the rod D from a signal box, through the intervention of
the bell crank E affixed to the frame A, and to the pull rod respectively, the bell
crank being pivoted at F to a prop in the ground.
G is the weight roller in the frame A, and carried by an arm H projecting from
one end of the shaft I which is journalled in the frame A for free motion, said shaft
being otherwise controlled by the spring J.
The shaft I has a tappet lug K near its opposite end to press upon a jointed
[DQ27
..

page_text: tooth L of the striker arm M, which is on a separate pivot shaft N also journalled
in the frame A. The striker, or hammer P is within range of a gong Q, when the
frame and its appurtenances are pulled for the wheel G to be next the rail of the
railway, and when the wheel G is depressed by the flange of an engine wheel in
passing, the gong Q is struck by the hammer P, and gives out a large volume of
sound by the aid of the trumpet shaped mouthpiece or syren R which forms an
upward termination of the box S in which the gong is placed, said box S being a
fixture, and independent of the frame A.
The frame A when required may be a permanent fixture alongside the rail, in
which case,
the hammer P and gong Q would be placed in line with each other, as
shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, the wheel G, arm H, and shaft I being
in this case preferably pivoted to the arms H¹, H, of a supplementary arbor I¹
journalled in bearings fixed to the frame A. Said arms H¹, arbor I with the
lever H form an equivalent and is a substitute for the bell crank lever E, Figure 1,
for lowering the roller G beyond the flange periphery of the wheels when the
distant signal is off instead of, as in the former case, moving the whole frame and
appliances bodily from the rail.
If the signal is at danger the wheels of the approaching train depress the
roller G and arm H attached to the arbor I' which turns in the arms H'.
During the partial rotation of the arbor I', the lug K moves the hammer P
over to strike the gong Q, which then rebounds by gravity to strike another
gong Q¹.
When the signal is pulled down, the pull rod D moves the lever H" over, and
lowers the parts G, H, I, and H, bodily. D' is a post containing lamps for the
purpose of starting the train, the colour semaphore being shifted by the same
signal rod D.
If it be desired to produce a percussive sound like from a fog signal or detonator
a number of them can be placed in a tube and be allowed to drop into the receiver R
of the plate S in succession, the plate S being moved round by the paul T on the
motion of the pull rod D for placing them under the counterpoise U of the
roller G, the drop of which weight will be sufficient to explode them. This
detonator signalling may be used alone with my frame and apparatus, or in
conjunction with the gong soundings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The construction and employment of a movable frame provided with balance
depression wheel and sound actuating gear, and its connection with the pull rod of
a railway signal, as and for the purpose set forth and arranged as represented in
the annexed drawings.
2. In conjunction with a movable frame, as above described, a fixed gong box
with trumpet shaped outlet for increasing the volume of sound from a gong, as set
forth with reference to the annexed drawings.
3. The arrangement of apparatus as shown in the drawings, in which the
depression of a roller by the wheel flange of a passing train can sound a
signal, as set forth, said sound being intensified by the syren like trumpet affixed
thereto.
4. The arrangement of apparatus shown at Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, by
which two or more consecutive sounds or an explosion of a detonator can be
produced from the action of the wheel flanges on a depressing roller alongside the
rail, as described.