IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF RAILWAY POINTS
Year: 1885

page_text: Railway Points.
I THOMAS ISHERWOOD of 362 Kirkhall Lane, Leigh near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF RAILWAY
POINTS," to be as follows:-
--
This invention is designed for the purpose of indicating or recording the position
of railway points, as a check or tell-tale in case an accident, breakage, or other
failure occurs to the apparatus employed for opening and closing the same from the
Pointsman's Cabin or otherwise. It sometimes occurs that the rods or other parts
forming the connection between the point of operation and the points themselves
become disarranged, damaged, or broken, of which the poinstman is often unaware
until an accident to the passing train takes place. To the sliding or moving rails
forming the points the usual rods and appliances are left intact, thus allowing of
operation as at present constructed and arranged. In applying my invention
I attach to the said sliding or moving rails forming the points, and at a convenient
or suitable distance from the operating rods, a separate rod to each, the opposite
ends of which are pivotted to a double lever. This double lever is mounted on the
end of a bell-cranked or other suitable lever mounted on a centre in suitable fixings
and secured by any convenient means. To the opposite end of the bell-cranked
lever is pivotted a suitable rod and connections carried in the usual manner to the
Pointsman's Cabin or otherwise, the end being connected to any suitable recorder
that indicates open and shut, being placed in any convenient position opposite the
handle that operates the points to which it is connected.
This apparatus operates as follows:-In case all is right with the apparatus for
operating the points the rods attached to the sliding or moving rails move together
with the double lever to which they are pivotted and operates the bell-cranked
lever with the result that the index it operates corresponds with the index of the
handle or lever operated by the pointsman. In case any of the operating apparatus
becomes disarranged or broken, the pointsman can often operate his lever and be
under the conviction that all is right when the reverse is the case, which by my
invention he will be able to see at a glance if the indicators don't agree, for if both
the moving rails don't operate, as would be the case if the coupling rod broke
D

page_text: between them, the rail intact would operate the rod connected to it with the result
that the double lever would be swivelled upon its own centre without operating
the crank or other lever to which it is connected, through which the connections
and indicator would remain stationary by which the pointsman would understand
that some part had failed and that the points had not answered his intentions,
or that the tell-tale apparatus had become disarranged or broken.
EDMUND CHADWICK,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"
Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating the Position of
Railway Points.
I THOMAS ISHERWOOD of 302 Leigh Road, Leigh near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF RAILWAY
POINTS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention is designed for the purpose of indicating or recording the position
of railway points as a check or tell-tale in case an accident, breakage, or other
failure occurs to the apparatus employed for opening and closing the same from
the pointsman's cabin or otherwise. It sometimes occurs that the rods or other
parts forming the connection between the point of operation and the points
themselves become disarranged, damaged, or broken, of which the pointsman is
often unaware until an accident to the passing train takes place. To the sliding
or moving rails forming the points the usual rods and appliances are left intact,
thus allowing of operation as at present constructed and arranged.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and carried into effect
I will now proceed to .describe the drawings hereunto annexed, the letters of
reference being used throughout all the figures to indicate the same or corresponding
parts of my invention.
Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevation of a pointsman's cabin and railway points
with my indicating or recording apparatus applied, and Fig. 2 is a part plan
of same.

page_text: A is the pointsman's cabin; B the handle for operating the points C, C, which are
coupled in the usual way by the rod D, lever E, rod F, lever G, and rod H. The
points or rails C, C, are coupled by the connecting rod 11.
These parts do not constitute any part of my invention as they are the ordinary
appliances at present employed for opening and closing the points C, C, from the
pointsman's cabin or other suitable place according to the position or arrangements
of the various places in the railway system.
My invention is designed to indicate the position of the points C, C, and thus
act as a check or tell-tale in case an accident, breakage, or other failure occurs to
the before named apparatus for operating the said points, which often takes place
and of which the pointsman is unaware until an accident to the passing train
takes place. To one of the points C is attached. the rod K, coupled at the opposite
end to the double lever L: this lever is connected to the lever M by the rod N,
and the lever M is connected with the lever O on the shaft P by the rod R.
The shaft P is carried in the footstep S and top bearing T or in any other con-
venient way, above which is fixed the index board or table J with the indicators
open" and "shut." The top end of the shaft P is provided with the indicator
finger V, which moves with the shaft P and its connections from the points C, C,
when operating the points by the handle B.
"
When the numerous connections are in working order it will be readily seen
that all will move together and that the indicator finger will correspond with the
movement and position of the handle B. If any of the rods, levers, or pins break
or become detached it will be immediately detected owing to the non-movement of
the index finger V which stops instantly the connection is severed, by which the
pointsman-although able to work his handle-will see at a glance that something
has gone wrong with the apparatus for working the points or that for working
the tell-tale.
In another arrangement I attach the rods I, I, to each point or rail C, C, as in
Fig. 4, the opposite ends being coupled to the double lever W. This double lever is
mounted on the end of the bell-cranked lever L to which is attached the connecting
rod N from the point of operation. When the connections are in working order
the points C, C, will move together and operate the rods I, I, and double lever W
simultaneously, with the result that the bell-cranked lever L is swivelled on its
centre and the indicator or tell-tale operated. If a breakage occurs and only one
of the points move, the double lever W swivels on the centre Y and prevents the
movement of the lever L and its connections with the indicator or tell-tale.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of the bell-cranked lever L with the double ended lever W
piyotted thereon.
In case any of the connections between the handle B and the points break or
become disconnected the tell-tale apparatus will remain stationary indicating that
the points have not answered the intentions of the pointsman in moving his
operating handle.
An important feature of this invention is that in case any of the connections
become worn so that the full travel of the points is interferred with it will indicate
the same on the index by the finger V not assuming its correct position at each
end of its movement, thus, if the points only move three fourths of their stated
travel the index finger will stop at three fourths of its travel on the index plate,
which will intimate to the pointsman that some part of the apparatus wants
examining and repairing.
Various kinds of indexes or tell-tales may be employed as desired, such as,
moving models of the points themselves, or indexes attached to the wall in a
vertical or other position, and operated by rods, levers, chains, balance weights,
and other equivalents as substitutes for the shaft P.
If desired (although forming no part of this invention) my improved apparatus
can be employed for locking signals when lowered to signal the train to proceed,
by simply extending the rod N within a movable distance and providing suitable
appliances; the outer end of the rod N is provided with the sliding piece b in the

page_text: fixing c on the signal post Z as in Fig. 2. To the centre d, on which the signal U
swivels, is attached the lever from which the rod g hangs, the opposite end of
the latter fits in a hole in the fixing c. The sliding piece is provided with the
hole corresponding with that in the fixing c to admit the bottom end of the rod g
when placed opposite each other by the tell-tale apparatus, after which the signal U
can be dropped and locked together with the apparatus for working the points C, C,
during which the points cannot be moved or operated until the signal is raised and
the rod g liberated from the hole in the sliding piece b, as shewn in Fig. 3.
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details or
configuration of parts I have shewn and described as the same may be varied and
arranged to suit the various arrangements.in the railway system without departing
from the principle of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The method of indicating or recording the position and movement of
railway points from the points themselves by the application of a tell-tale
substantially as and for the purposes set forth and described.
2. In apparatus for operating a tell-tale employed for indicating or recording the
position and movement of railway points from the points themselves, substantially
as described and shewn on the drawings or any mere modification of the same.
Dated the 23rd day of October 1885.
EDMUND
CHADWICK,
Agent for Applicant,"
92, St. George's Road, Bolton.