APPARATUS FOR LAYING FOG SIGNALS UPON RAILWAYS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Smith at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th February 1880.
WILLIAM SMITH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
APPARATUS FOR LAYING FOG SIGNALS UPON RAILWAYS."
This Invention relates to an automatic fog signal apparatus.
"IMPROVED
The apparatus consists of a box or suitable case containing a number of
detonating signals similar to those now used on railways (or they may be other
forms).
The apparatus is to be fixed near to the distant or holme signal, by which it
would be controlled. The case containing the detonators may be fixed eithor
parallel to or at an angle with the main rails; inside the case is a slide and weight
which draws or forces up the signals to one end of the case, opposite which is a
slot sufficiently large to allow of one signal only being pushed through on to the
rail.
The end detonator is pushed on to the rail by a pin connected to a bell-crank
lover, such lever being actuated by the front wheel of the engine running over and
depressing a bar parallel to the rails.
If the distant signal is "off," or at its "all right" position, the apparatus is
locked by a rod, bolt, or other means connected with the signal, so that the bar
can then be depressed by the wheels without putting on a detonator in front of
the wheel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th August
1880.
WILLIAM SMITH, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
APPARATUS FOR LAYING FOG SIGNALS UPON RAILWAYS."
"IMPROVED
This Invention relates to an automatic fog signal apparatus. The apparatus
consists of a box or suitable case containing a number of detonating signals similar
to those now used on railways (or they may be of any other form).
The apparatus is to be fixed near to the distant or home signal, by which it would
be controlled.
The case containing the detonators may be fixed either parallel to or at an
angle with the main rails. Inside tho caso is a slide and weight or spring which
draws or forces up the signals to one end of the case, opposite which is a slot
sufficiently large to allow of one signal only being pushed through onto the rail.
The end detonator is pushed onto the rail by a pin connected to a bell-crank
lever, such lever being actuated by the front wheel of the engine running over and
depressing a bar parallel to the rails.
If the distant signal is “off,” or at its "all right" position, the apparatus is
locked by a rod, bolt, or other means connected with the signal, so that the bar
can then be depressed by the wheels without putting on a detonator in front of
the wheel.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked
the same with Figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof:-
"
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawings is a side clevation (partly in section), and Fig. 2
a plan view of a portion of a line of railway with my Invention shown as applied
thereto.
a, a, are the main lines of the permanent way supported in the usual manner by
the sleepers b, b.
Just inside one of the rails a, a, and parallel thercto is a rail or bar c, c, carried
upon levers d, d, and held up about level with the rails a, a, (or rather higher) by
means of weights e, e.
When an engine or carriage passes over this portion of the rails, the flange of
the wheel depresses the rail or bar c, c, and after it has passed over, the weights c, c,
cause the bar c, c, to return to its normal position.
One of the levers d* is in the form of a bell-crank (or rocking shaft and two
levers), and its upper arm carries a pin working in a slot at one end of a rod or
bar ff, the other end of which is connected by a link f¹ to a curved arm or
pusher" g, g, which places the fog signals on the rail, the rod f,f, being actuated
for that purpose by means of a weighted lever h, h, whenever it is released by
the depression of the rail or bar c, c; i, i, is a guard rail (or small switch) to
prevent the arm or pusher g, g, from pushing the fog signal off the rail.
In Fig. 1 the fog signals are shown as placed one above the other in a tube k, k,
and forced outwards by a coiled spring, but as above described they may be
arranged in any other suitable manner, so long as one is kept always presented in
front of the arm or "pusher" J, G.
In order to prevent the apparatus from placing the fog signal on the rail when
the "distant" or "home" signal is not at "danger," I arrange a bolt l, l, which is
connected by means of a bell-crank lever m, m, and rod n, n, to the signal in such

page_text: a way that when the signal stands at "danger," the bolt l, l, is withdrawn, as shown
at Fig. 2, and the apparatus is then in such a position that the depression of the
rail or bar c, c, by a passing engine or carriage will cause it to place a fog signal
on the rail just in front of the wheel, but as the signal is moved over to "line
clear," the bolt l, l, is moved in front of a projection on the arm or "pusher” ġ, g,
and prevents it from moving.
In this case the depression of the rail or bar c, c, merely moves the pin of the
lever d* along the slot of the rod or bar f, f, and no fog signal is placed on the
rail. Thus it will be evident that the fog signal is only placed on the rail when
an engine or carriage is approaching a signal which stands at "danger."
Instead of the rail or bar c, c, a switch might be so arranged as to be pushed
outwards by the flange of the passing wheel and actuate the mechanism in an
analogous manner.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention, the improved
apparatus for laying fog signals upon railways, as herein before described and
illustrated by the Drawings annexed, or any mere modification or imitation thereof
constructed and operating in substantially the same manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Smith, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this Twenty fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.