Lever and Gate Locking Arrangement for the Avoidance of Danger at Level Crossings on Railways.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th' Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 15th Feb. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Lever and Gate Locking Arrangement for the Avoidance of
Danger at Level Crossings on Railways.
GEORGE SMELT Signal-fitter 78 Rolls Road Upper Grange Road Bermondsey:
London, S.E. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
the
An ordinary railway signal-lever is fixed in a quadrant and placed on one side of
the permanent way near the crossing gates. Two signals are connected with this
lever, in opposite directions-one for the upline; and one for the down line-each
being about five hundred yards from the crossing, measured along the line.
When the lever stands in its normal position, the signals will be "off," and the
gates will be locked, the lever being for this purpose held by a lock marked A.
The lock A is placed on the side of a small box which is bracketted upon
quadrant or lever guard; and within this box are two locks marked B and C
respectively. The keys which fit B and C locks will respectively open gates Band C
if removed and applied to the gate locks, so that if any person were in possession
of key A he could gain possession of 'keys Band C as follows:-Key 'A would be'
put in the lock and turned, then the lever would have to be pulled over within
its quadrant, putting the two signals to danger, and also releasing the lid of the
box. This release is caused by a slide working between the box and the bracket,
and: connected with the lever. It is now possible to turn both B and C keys
within the box in order to take them out and use them to open the gates, but in
doing so they shoot their respective bolts in such a way as to lock the lever in its
pulled-over position. Also the gate locks B and C are so arranged that it is
impossible to remove their keys for the purpose of placing them back in the
quadrant box without closing the gate bolts. Of course when the keys are replaced
in the quadrant box and turned in their sockets the lever may be pulled back to its
normal position to let the trains pass. It is therefore clear that my invention
provides that the gate keys cannot be obtained and the gates opened, until the
lever places.the signals to danger, and that the keys cannot be replaced in the box
on the lever quadrant until the gates have been again locked; so that the signals
are compelled to stand at danger whenever the gates are open.
In some cases more than one signal-lever is required and then I arrange that.
both or all shall be placed at danger before the gate keys can be removed.
Dated this 15th day of March 1895.
GEORGE SMELT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
A Lever and Gate Locking Arrangement for the Avoidance of
Danger at Level Crossings on Railways.
1, 'GEORGE SMELT, of 78 Rolls Road, Bermondsey, London, in the County of
Surrey, Signal Fitter, 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 :-
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1 and 2 shew a general view of a level crossing and gates, supplied with

page_text: my apparatus. Signals a and b, of the usual pattern, are provided, the former we will
say for the "up" line, and the latter for the "down" line, and these are connected
by chains rods or wires to the lever gear at c, the operation of which, as I will shew,
raises the semaphores whenever the gates are to be opened, and lowers them only
when the gates are closed and locked. Upon the lever quadranty is carried
a bracket, supporting a box j. That person only who carries an "A" key can
open this box, and none other. Applying his "A" key then, he releases the bolt of
the "A" lock, shewn at the base of the box j, but yet he cannot open the lid of the
box. His next operation is to pull the lever fhard over to the left, thus raising
the semaphores and shewing the signal " Danger." Only after thus moving the
lever may the operator open the lid of the box i, which he now proceeds to do.
The operation, however, of opening the box, shoots another bolt, which holds
lever in the leftward position until the operator shall choose to shut the box lid
again. Within the box are found two keys marked "B" and "C" respectively,
and meant for opening certain locks marked also "B" and "C," which fasten
the gates and respectively. But these keys, when discovered within the box j,
are found placed in keyholes in locks again marked "B" and "C," and they may
not either of them be removed until they have been separately turned within the
last-mentioned locks, so as to shoot the bolts. The shooting of the bolts of these
locks still further secures the lever fin its leftward position, so that the motions
that have now been given to bolts "A," "B," and "C" connected with the box j must
every one be reversed before the lever f can be moved to the right so as to allow
the train to pass. Assuming that the operator has obtained possession of the
keys "B" & "C," he now proceeds to the gate locks separately so-named,
and applies the respective keys. The gate locks e e are fastened upon the gates
themselves, and the lock bolts engage with bolts dd, placed upon the gate posts (it
may be sometimes convenient to reverse these positions). Before the gates are
opened the lock bolts are understood to be engaged with the gate bolts. The
operator applies the keys "B" and "C" to the locks e e, each to its respective lock:
upon turning the key in the proper direction the gate bolt d may be withdrawn and
the gate opened. The lock e is however so constructed (as will hereafter be shewn)
that its key cannot now be withdrawn until the gate is again closed and the bolt a be
shot. The consequence is therefore .that the signals, which were placed at
Danger" before opening the gates, still remain at "Danger" until at least the
gates are closed and re-locked, and both the keys ("B" and "C") are replaced in
the box j. This being done, and the lid of closed, there is nothing now to prevent
the lever being moved to the right hand position, thus putting the signals at
Line clear," by lowering the semaphores. Finally, it must be noticed (as will
be explained hereafter) that the lever must be moved to the right before the
operator goes away, for only after that is done can he turn the master-key "A" in
order to release it and take it away with him and the shooting of the lowest bolt,
thus performed, also locks the lever, so that the signals cannot be again changed
without the intervention of the key "A."
6.
:
It remains to shew in detail how the lever gear and locks are arranged so as to
permit and secure that the aforesaid operations shall be correctly and sequentially
performed.
Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations of the lever gear and box. Fig. 3 is a side elevation
of the lever and quadrant: Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the box, shewing the lid
opened and turned through an angle of 90 degrees. The key "A" being placed
in the lock m, which is of any ordinary construction, shoots or releases a bolt.
which, entering a slot S in the plate t, serves to hold the lever when in the
position, on account of the connection between fand t through the links uu and
bell-crank lever v.
The position of the lever corresponds to "Line clear," and
position y to " Danger." Bolt "A" being released, lever may be placed at g,
pulling plate t to its lowest position as shewn. Now the door to is provided with a
short lever a, and when the former is opened, the bolt is shot through the plate
as is shewn in Fig. 4. But the hole in the plate is so arranged that this cannot

page_text: happen until the plate t is in its lowest position, namely when the lever is at .
Nextly the keys "B" and "C" may be removed. Their locks, and
P n, are only
of an ordinary description, but the keys can only be removed by shooting the
bolts, and this again cannot be done till t is in the position shewn. Further, on
account of the already explained positions of the holes in t corresponding to the
bolts p, n, and Y, keys "B" and "C" must be returned and the bolts withdrawn,
and the door also closed releasing y, before t can be raised by putting the lever j
over to . Although locks p and a are of ordinary pattern they are so arranged
that the keys can only be taken out when the bolts are shot. It is also seen, from
what has been said, that when lever is at r, bolt m may be shot by means of
key "A," and here again it is arranged that the key can only be removed when
the bolt is shot. The rod connects the hand lever with the chain lever a, b.
and while chain a₁ goes to the "down" signal, chain b, is attached to the " up
sigual.
key "A
"
Fig. 5. shews the gate lock and bolt when fastened, and Fig. 6. the same when
unfastened.
In both cases the lock plate, Fig. 7, has been removed. The gate
bolt d is provided with a handle for withdrawal, and has two slots or notches cut
upon itself, a fer the reception of the lock bolt, and for the moving of a lever g.
The lock case e contains the sliding lock bolt f, and four bolt levers or there-
abouts. All these levers are pivoted on a stud h, in the usual manner, and all
but one (g) are of the usual pattern, having a slot of T form, in which lies a
rectangular stud & riveted to the bolt f. As shewn in the figures the back levers
marked having a rightward tendency, while the lever has a leftward tendency.
In Fig. 5 the key is being placed in position. It is next turned leftward, this
moving levers leftward also, and the bolt is at the same time moved downward,
j
the new position of levers permitting the stud k to thus move. When however the
has arrived at the position shewn in Fig. 6, the lever has sprung over
the stud k so as to hold it and prevent the bolt being moved either upward or
downward. The projection m, by reason of the pressure of the key on lever ? has
meanwhile pressed upon the bolt d so as to force it a short distance to the left: a
further movement of d in a leftward direction releases the gate, which may now
he opened. So long, however as bolt d is withdrawn the key "A" cannot be
turned or removed in any way. Suppose now the gate be closed and the bolt of he
shot to the right, the projection mis caught, and the levery moved rightwards,
thus releasing stud k. The spring then comes into action, and the bolt is shot
upward, placing the key A in position for withdrawal. Instead of procuring
the upward motion of the bolt by the action of the spring q, it may be caused
by turning the key "A" rightward, but a slight frictional brake must be introduced
by means of a side spring on the bolt.
::
It follows from my description that the gates cannot be opened without placing
the signals at "Danger," and the signals cannot be placed at Line clear" without
first locking the gates and thus danger is largely avoided.
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A lever apparatus for working signals at level crossings, in intimate com-
bination with the keys, and therefore the locks of the level crossing gates,
substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
2. In such a lever apparatus, the intercepting plate Fig. 3. in combination with
the lever fand also in combination with the locks "B" "C" and "A" and the
bolt y operated by the door w-substantially as described, and for the purposes
set forth.
3. In locks for level-crossing gates, used in conjunction with the lever apparatus
before described, the bult d when notched as shewn and for the purpose set
forth.
4. In locks for level-crossing gates, the lever g and spring n, in combination with

page_text: the other parts of the lock, and to be operated at times by the bolt d,' substantially
as described and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 14th day of December 1895.
WILFRID J. LINEHAM,
2 Leyland Road, Lee, London, S.E., Agent for the Applicant.