Mechanical Bell Striking Gear for Signalling Trains in Foggy Weather or to Caution Drivers at any other Time.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Feb., 1900-Accepted, 12th May, 1900
Mechanical Bell Striking Gear for Signalling Trains in Foggy
Weather or to Caution Drivers at any other Time.
...
THOMAS SAMUEL SPEARING, 245, Lancaster Road, Notting Hill, London, W.,
Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is for abolishing the use of detonators or men to attend to
them and to caution engine drivers at any other time when is signals are at
danger by striking a suitable bell crank lever on engine and ringing bell. The
following being a true discription. Iron box or framwork 9 feet long 9 in. high
6 in. wide made of 1 in. wrought iron with sliding bar 2 in. x in. iron
working on rollers with two rule jointed strikers attached 4 feet apart and kept
in position when signal is at danger or signal wire breaks by a suitable weight
and when the signal is pulled off it brings the strikers level with top of box
and clear of bell-crank fever on engine. This invention can be fixed to any
railway sleepers and signal wires without any alteration to them.
Describing bell striking gear on engine the bell is fixed at the most convenient
place near the driver and acted upon by a double striker which is worked with
weighted cranks and rods fixed to the side of the engine with the striking lever
brought down near the leading wheel of the engine low enough to come in
contact with the striking gear which is fixed on the sleepers and in connection
with the signal and signal cabin.
Describing bell on or near signal the bell is fixed upon the signal post level
with the engine drivers head and the striker is fixed to the signal rod so that
when his signal is at danger, which he can tell by the bell lever on the engine
coming in contact with the striking gear which is fixed on the sleepers, and
causing bell to ring on the engine, and allow the driver to pull up slowly to
his signal and then he will hear the bell ring which is fixed on the signal,
when the signal is pulled off for right away.
Where it is not convenient to fix the bell upon the signal it may be fixed
upon a post or other structure and connected with the signal wire.
Dated this 28th day of June 1899.
:
Mechanical Bell Striking Gear for Signalling Trains in Foggy
Weather or to Caution Drivers at any other Time.
THOMAS SAMUEL SPEARING, 245, Lancaster Road, Notting Hill, London, W.,
Carpenter and Joiner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
mine 11

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention is an improved method of mechanical fog signalling, or for
signalling trains at any other time, with communication to engine driver and
signalman, and signal to signalman so as to insure the safer working of trains
at any time without the use of detonators.
By ringing a bell fixed on the engine near the engine drivers head with
suitable rods and cranks brought down near the leading wheel of the engine,
coming in contact with two rule jointed strikers which are fixed by the side of
the rails and when the signal is at danger it will ring the bell on the engine
and so make it impossible for the engine driver to pass a signal when at danger
without knowing it and when the signal is pulled off for right away it will ring
a bell which is fixed on the signal and show a special lamp light and bring the
rule jointed strikers down into a box or frame and clear of the bell crank lever
which is fixed on the engine and when the signal arm drops it will ring a bell
or gong which is fixed in the signal cabin to let the signalman know when the
signal is set for right away and a rocking bar is connected with the rails with
weighted cranks so to keep it level with the top of the rails so that when a
train passes over it, it will will press the bar down which will pull a wire and
ring a bell or gong which is fixed in the signal cabin.
This is a necessary precaution in extremely foggy weather and where there
is more than one train passing at the same time.
This invention can be fixed to any railway engine signals or sleepers without
any alteration to them and electric bells may be used with this invention to
work with the same gear.
Fig. 1 side elevation of strikers fixed to sleepers this consists of a box or
frame made with 1" iron or any other suitable material, 9 feet long or more
if necessary, 9" high and 9" wide and 1.6" long at each end, and the centre
23" wide with sliding rod at B, 21" x 2" iron or steel in centre working on
rollers at A, on incline plane with 2 rule jointed strikers at E, 4 feet or more
apart 9" above top of the box or frame and kept in position when signal is at
danger or the wire breaks by a suitable weight at D and when the signal is
pulled off it brings the rule jointed strikers at E, level with the top of the
box or frame and clear of the bell crank lever on the engine.
These strikers can be made singly and fixed at any suitable distance apart.
Fig. 2 description of bell striking gear fixed on the engine. The bell is fixed
at the most convinent place near the driver and acted upon by a double striker
which is worked with weighted cranks and rods fixed to the side of engine with
striking lever brought down near the leading wheel of the engine low enough
to come in contact with the striking gear at E which is fixed on the sleepers
and in connection with the signal and signal cabin.
Fig. 3 is plan of striking gear box or frame shewing wheels at C, and D
and strikers at E pulled in level with top of box or frame for right away.
Fig. 4 is end section shewing rule jointed strikers at E at danger.
Fig. 5 description of bell and special lamp fixed on the signal.
The bell is bracketed out from the signal post level with the engine drivers
head and the ratchet strikers at G, which is a suitable cog wheel with a steel wire
striking hammer fixed to it with a plate and thumb screws to enable it to be
easly replaced, and a toothed rack at G, to fit the cog wheel, fixed to the signal
rod so that when the signal is pulled off at G, for right away it will ring the
bell loud enough for the engine driver to hear.
And a lamp at H, is fixed under the bell with darker or lighter red and green
spectacles as the case may call for and the spectacles fixed to the existing signal
rod an electric bell, can be used with this gear description of communication
from signal to signal cabin.
This is an iron rod fixed to the top of the existing signal rod close under
the signal arm and brought down to the bottom of the signal post with a crauk

page_text: at J, at the bottom with wire running to the signal cabin and fixed to a rachet
bell striking gear which is pulled back with a spring or suitable weight at F,
so that when the signal arm drops it will ring the bell or gong fixed near the
signalman in the signal cabin at F an electric bell can be used with this gear.
Fig. 6 description of rocking bar and bell gear for signalling trains going
out of section or passing signal cabin. This consists of a bar of 2" x 3" angle
or tee iron or steel about 20" long or more if necessary working on weighted
cranks at L, fixed to the rails so that the top of the bar is level with the top
of the rails and when the train runs over the bar the flange of the wheels will
press the bar down and pull a double crank (Fig. 7) at M, which is jointed to
the back end of the bar at N, and connected with a bell or gong in signal
cabin at O, to which a rachet at P, worked with a spring or weight with double
strikers at P', to work both ways with the bar which is fixed to the rails. An
electric bell can be used with this gear.
Fig. 8 end section of rails shewing mode of fixing cranks to rails.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be peformed I declare that what
1 claim is:-
An improved method of mechanical railway train signalling for foggy weather
or at any other time as fully described in specifications and drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1900.
THOMAS SAMUEL SPEARING,
Applicant.