Improvements in Lock and Block Signalling on Railways.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 13th. Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lock and Block Signalling on Railways.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT SYKES, Senior, of 15 Vernon Road, High Street,
Clapham, in the County of Surrey, Telegraph Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention has reference to improvements in lock & block signalling on
railways and consists chiefly in modifications whereby my improvements may be
incorporated in any of the known lock & block or single line systems of signalling
now in tise.
It also is a combined instrument, that is, a "sender" and "receiver."
Heretofore in lock & block apparatus considerable parts have been fixed
preferably at the back of the levers to form interlocking between the mechanical
operating levers in the signal cabin and the block instruments. My apparatus
dispenses in a large measure with the majority of this gear by a simple method.
The way in which this result is obtained is that, whereas hitherto the lever itself
has performed the upward movement on a rod necessary to interlock with the
block instrument, with my present invention the movement of the upright rod is
performed by hand but the release necessary to get this upward movement is
given by the section in advance.
Briefly, the working of my invention is as follows:
Assume three sections, A, B and C. It is desirable, in order to get the full
explanation of my invention, to take B as the section in question. All starting
signals are normally locked, therefore, A is powerless to send a train to B; he
asks B's permission by bell or any other method and B gives him sanction by
moving a special lever attached to his block instrument. The moving of this
lever at B enables A, by a release on his starting signal tappet, to work over his
starting signal lever and deflect the arm to allow the train to pass into B's section.
When B moved over the small lever attached to his block instrument he also
moved; attached to this little lever, a slide in which an elongated slot and two
interlocking notches or holes are provided. The backward movement of the slide,
operated in B's instrument, through an upright piece and crank, a commutator
which in its turn moved mechanically an indicator in the instrument at B (which
indicator has three indications) from the normal position of "Line blocked," or
any equivalent indication, to "Line clear," thereby indicating that he had given
sanction to A and that the line was clear for A to send a train. In order for B to
get block sanction from C to send the train on received from A, the lever of the
instrument at B must be moved forward and the slide in moving becomes locked
by a pin which in the travel of the slide drops into a hole in the base of the
instrument, such pin falling by gravity locks the slide in the forward position.
Again, the slide in moving forward also became locked in the second place by tho
fall of a weighted pin into a second recess or notch in the slide; in this position,
therefore, the slide is locked at two points. Underneath the instrument is an
upright rod provided with a bandle for the easy movement of the said rod which
is operated below the floor of the signal cabin and interlocks when in the normal
position by passing through a notch in the tappet of the starting signal lever at B
in the direction of C. This upright rod is normally prevented from being moved
upward to release the tappet and free the lever through a shutter or projection
covering the aperture in the slide attached to the instrument lever preventing its

page_text: upward movement. In order, therefore, that B may send the train which he has
received from A on to C, he must work over his starting signal lever; to do this
he must get sanction from C which sanction when given removes the shutter free
of the slot in the slide and allows B to move upward the upright rod, frees the
tappet of the starting signal lever at B and allows B to move it over and deflect
the arm to the "Safety" attitude. B in moving upward the upright rod passes it
through the slide and through a corresponding hole in a forward projection which
piece or projection is employed to save the shutter froin damage in the upward
thrust of the upright rod. When the upright rod has been moved upward to clear
and release the tappet and the tappet is moved by the starting signal lever at B
the tappet not having another hole in it holds up and backlocks the upright rod
in the moved position and prevents the slide in the instrument at B from being
returned to give "Clear" to A.
"
The train on passing the starting signal at B operates a treadle at any desired
spot in advance and sends an electric current through an electro-magnet,
discharging an armature and raising a projection at the other side of the fulcrum
of the armature, so that one of the locks in the slide connected to the lever of the
instrument. at B. is withdrawn.. B now, in order that he may return his instrument
lever to its normal middle, or "Line blocked position, must first of all return
bis mechanical signal lever to its normal position so that the hole in the tappet is
coincident with the upright rod; the upright rod can now drop through the hole
in the tappet, locking the starting signal lever in its normal or 'back position; and
the slide attached to the lever of the instrument at B cannot even now be returned
until C has pulled forward his lever and slide which action sends a current in the
reverse direction in the commutator at B and works the shutter in the reverse
direction and, knocks the second lock out of the instrument slide at B.
It is obvious that, instead of a separate lever attached to the block instrument,
such as I have described, for the specific purpose of operating the slide, the slide
may be operated by any attachment of existing instruments, the main object being
that the slide (being the important feature of my invention) works to three
positions corresponding to the three positions such as in the single needle block
instruments of the present day.
Dated this 13th day of November 1805
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
70 & 71 Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lock and Block Signalling on Railways.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT SYKES, Senior, of 15 Vernon Road, High Street,
Clapham, in the County of Surrey, Telegraph Engineer, 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 :—
My invention has reference to improvements in lock and block signalling on
railways and consists chiefly in modifications whereby my improvements may be
'incorporated in any of the known lock & block signalling, or single lives systems
of signalling now in use.
It also is a combined instrument, that is, a "sender" and "receiver."
Heretofore in lock & block apparatus considerable parts have been fixed
preferably at the back of the levers to form interlocking between the mechanical
operating levers in the 'sigual cabin and the block instruments. My apparatus
dispenses in a large measure with the majority of this gear by a simple method.
The way in which this result is obtained is that, whereas hitherto the lever itself
1

page_text: has performed the upward movement on a rod necessary to interlock with the.
block instrument, with my present invention the movement of the upright rod is
performed by hand but the release necessary to get this upward movement is
given by the section in advance.
Briefly, the working of my invention is as follows:
Assume three sections, A, B, and C. It is desirable in order to get .the.full
explanation of my invention, to take B as the section in question. All starting
signals are normally locked, therefore A is powerless to send a train to B; he
asks B's permission by bell or any other method and B gives him sanction by
moving a special slide attached to his block instrument. The moving of this
slide at B enables A, by a release on his starting signal tappet, to work over his.
starting signal lever and deflect the arm to allow the train to pass into B's section.
In B's slide attached to his block instrument is made an elongated slot. and two
interlocking notches or holes. The backward movement of the slide operated,
in B's instrument a commutator, and also an indicator in the instrument at B
(which indicator has three indications) from the normal position of "Line:
blocked," or any equivalent indication, to "Line clear," thereby indicating that
he had given sanction to A and that the line was clear for Auto send a train. In
order for B to get block sanction from C to send on the train received from A,
the slide of the instrument at B must be moved forward and the slide in moving
becomes locked by a pin which in the travel of the slide drops into a hole in the
base of the instrument, such pin falling by gravity locks the slide in the forward
position. Again, the slide in' moving forward also became locked in the second
place by the fall of a weighted pin (that is an extension of the armature) into a
second recess or slot in the slide; in this position, therefore, the slide is locked
at two points.
Underneath the instrument is an upright rod provided with a handle for the
easy. movement of the said rod which is operated below the floor of the signal
cabin and interlocks when in the normal position by passing through a notch in
the tappet of the starting signal lever at B in the direction of C. B in
moving upward the upright rod passes it through the slide and through a
corresponding hole in a guide. When the upright rod has been moved upward-
to clear and release the tappet and the tappet is moved by the starting signal
lever at B the tappet.not having another hole in it holds up and backlocks the
upright rod in the moved position and prevents the slide in the instrument at B
from being returned to give "Clear" to A.
The train on pussing the starting sigual at B operates a treadle at any desired
spot in advance and sonds an electric current through an electro-magnet, attracting
an armature and raising a projection or pin on the end of the, armaturo of the.
magnet so that one of the locks in the slide connected to it is withdrawn. B, now,
in order that he may return his instrument slide to its normal middle, or "Line.
blocked" position, must first of all return his mechanical signal lever to its normal
position so that the hole in the tappet is coincident with the upright rod; the
upright rod can now drop through the hole in the tappet, locking the starting,
signal in its, normal or back position, and, the slide of the instrument at B cannot
even now be returned until Chas pulled forward his slide which action, sends a
qurrent in the reverse direction in the commutator at B. and works the armature
of B's unlocking magnet raising the second lock out of the instrument slide at B.
In order that my invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect I will describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings.
:
The drawings illustrate my invention as applied to the three wire system and
also as applied to the one wine system, but will describe the application to the
three wire systein :-
Figure 1 is. a diagram showing the commutator, and springs and slide at B, that
is, the working parts of the instrument at B, and the corresponding working parts
of the instrument at A, together with the starting. signal lover and connections
and the connection between the starting signal, lever and, the block instrument.

page_text: In this figure the instruments for one line only are illustrated say for example the
down line. As the up line instruments would be an exact duplicate there will be
no necessity to illustrate or describe them. In Figure 1 the instruments are
shown in the normal position, that is to say, A is powerless to send a train through
his instrument being locked, the instrument in turn locking the starting signal
lever, and B is free to give sanction but the figure shows the normal condition, no
sanction having been given.
Figure 2 illustrates the instruments shown in Figure 1, but the signalman at B
has pushed in his slide thereby giving sanction to A and A in turn has pulled out
his slide enabling the connecting rod from the starting signal tappet to the
instrument to be moved upward releasing the starting sigual tappet, and the
starting signal lever itself is moved forward to deflect the signal.
Figure 3 is an enlarged view partly in section showing the slide, the electro-
magnet operated by the section in advance, and the electro-magnet at the back of
the instrument operated by the treadle in advance of the section, say B. This
figure also shows the needle coils aud the relay.
Figure 4 is a plan showing the commutator.
Figure 5 is a view of the back of the instrument showing the treadle coil and the
lock on the slide.
.
Figure 6 is a part front elevation partly in section showing the weighted oross
bar working the mechanical indications on the block instrument. These indications
are mechanically operated so that the several words "Line clear," Line blocked, or
"Train on line," are presented to view in accordance with the position of the slide'l
hereinafter referred to. These parts have no electrical connections in operation,
the normal or middle position of the slide 1 presenting the indication "Line
blocked," as shown in Figure 6; on the backward movement of the slide the words
"Line blocked" would be obscured and Line clear" presented, and, corre-
spondingly, when the slide 1 is moved to the forward position the indication "Line
clear" would be removed and "Train on line" presented to view.
The same remarks apply in relution to the operation referred to in regard to
Figure 11, but in lieu of the three indications there are only two by means of a
small semaphore arm instead of the several words "Line clear," "Line blocked,"
"Train on line.”
Figure 7 is a diagram showing the instruments at A and B, similar in
construction and working to those described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the
main difference being that in Figure 7, which illustrates the one wire system, there
is an intermediate movement of pressing a tapper to complete the release on A
whereas in Figures 1 and 2, which illustrate the three wire system, no such
intermediate movement is necessary.
Figures 8 and 9 are side view and plan respectively of my special form of
treadle for deflection by the wheels of a train.
'
Figure 10 is a cross sectional elevation of the single wire instrument.
Figure 11 is a front view partly in section of the single wire instrument with
the cover removed.
The same numbers refer to the same parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
1 is the slide in the instrument at B, 2 is the bevel in the slide and 3 the hole in
connection with the upright rod from the starting signal lever. 4 and 5 are the
front and back notches for the front and back locks of the slide 1, is the slot at
the end of the slide outside the instrument in which a pin from the armature
engages and locks the slide, the said slide being released by the treadle in advance
of the section. Upon tlie slide 1 an insulated block 7 is attached with connecting
strips 8, 9 and 10; 11, 12, 13 and 14 are connecting springs on the left half, aud
15, 16 and 17 are connecting springs on the right of the commutator. 18 is the
electro-magnet at the back of the instrument operated by the treadle in advance of
the section. 19 is an electro-magnet operated by the polarized relay 20 which
latter attracts the armature 21; 22 are tho needle coils, 23 is the needle; 24 is the

page_text: upright rod projecting through tappet 25 of the starting signal lever 26 which
when moved upwards works through the holo 3 in the slide 1. The slide is in
the normal middle position, that is to say, A is locked and cannot send a train in
the direction of B no current travelling. A to send a train must get B's sanction aud
B for this purpose must move his slide backward. This position of B's slide, that.
is, worked or backward position, is shown in Figure 2. When in this position the
commutator and connecting springs 9 and 10 are moved so that when the springs I'l
and 14 are connected together by the connecting piece 8 and springs 12 and 13 are.
connected by the connecting piece 9 a current is set up from the copper end of the
battery 27 through wire 28, spring 13 through the connecting strip 9, and through
the spring 12 to earth, through the zinc end of the battery 27, through wire 29,
spring 11 and connecting strip 8, spring 14 along wire 30 through the instrument.
at A, through coils 22 and deflecting the needle 23 to "Line clear," wire 31 and
polarized relay 20 to earth. The action of the polarized relay 20 attracts the
arinature 21, the current then Hows to contact 32, along wire 33 into spring 17,
along strip 10, through spring 16, along wire 34, through the coil 19, along wire 35
to battery 36. This action, as will be seen on reference to Figures 3 and 4, has
taken the lock 37 out of the slide 1; this has enabled the signalman at A to pull
forward his slide 1 so that the hole 3 in the slide 1 is moved underneath a corre-.
sponding hole 3 in the bracket 39; the signalman is now enabled to raise the rod 24.
out of the tappet 25 freeing his starting signal lever 26 and allowing him to deflect
the arm to give authority for the train to proceed to B. The train on leaving A:
and proceeding passes over the treadle 40 which is deflected and a current is set up
through a local battery 41 along wire 42 to the electro-magnet 18 at the back of
the instrument; this magnet on being momentarily energized raises the lock 43 free.
of the slot 6 in the slide 1 and the clicks 43ª and 43° approach each other
underneath the armature 43, keeping it in the raised position, free of the slide 1,.
until the slide 1 is moved inwards, the thickened portion of which forces out the.
clicks 43 and 43° allowing the armature 43 to drop on to the slide 1 ready to drop.
through the slot 6 when the latter has got opposite the armature. The slide 1 even
now is not free to be returned to the normal or middle position until B has given a.
Beparate sanction for this purpose by pulling his slide 1 forward from the back
position (to which he had previously moved it to give A sanction to send a train).
to the middle position; this action, through the commutator, changes the sending
current to the reverse direction and reverses the needle at A to "Train on line,'
and moves the armature 21 and the relay 20 to the reverse contact placing
springs 15 and 16. in contact. When the slide 1 of the instrument at A was moved
forward to release the starting signal, the lock 37 fell behind the projection 44 on,
the slide 1 and locked it in the forward position. On B as before described pulling
forward his slide 1 to the normal or middle position, sending a current in the
reverse direction, he energizes magnet 19 frees the lock 37 and allows slide 1 at A
to be moved back into the normal or middle position, the lock 37 again falling to
lock the slide 1 of the instrument at A. in the normal or middle position. A being
now in the normal position (in order to illustrate the three movements of the slide),
can move his slide back to give sanction, say to Z in the event of a train coming.
from the rear. This would give the three movements of the slide 1 of the
instruments which are for uses, briefly, as follows:
•
Backward, to give sanction to the rear; to the middle position to give sanction
to the rear to put his slide back to the normal position, and forward to release.his..
own starting signal lever to send the train on. With reference to Figure 7
illustrating the one wire system, the action of the treadle 40 on the coil at the
back of the instrument releasing the slide and the connection to the starting signal
lever, its tappet, the upright rod 24, and the connection to the instrument through 3.
are' precisely the same as shown in Figure 1 and described in relation thereto.
The action of the slide 1 at B and 1 at A in this figure are precisely the same,
that is to say, they work to the three positions. The slides in this figure are
normal; when the slide is pushed backward to give sanction. to A. the connecting.

page_text: "
strips and springs will be as shown in Figure 2 in relation to the three wire
system and the current will practically follow the same course. Briefly it is as
follows::-
Assuming the contacts to be the same as described in Figure 2 at B the current
would go from the copper end of the battery along wire 28 through springs 13
and 12 to earth and from the zinc end of the battery through strips 11 and 14
along wire 45, and in order that the current may continue the tapper 46 must be
depressed making contact with the contact 47, the current then flows along
tapper 46 and the wire 48 from the tapper 49 at A, wire 50 thence through the
semaphore coils 22 along wire 32 to the relay 20 which attracts the armature and
the release through the magnet 19 on the slide at A is precisely the same as that
described in reference to Figures and 2. The wire 51 is connected to the
instruments which in the single wire system are double instruments, for block
working in either direction.
The mechanical indications "Line blocked," "Line clear," and "Train on line"
which are given according to the position of the slide 1 (as herein before referred
to with reference to Figures 6 and 11), are operated to be brought into view by
means of the bevel 2 in the slide 1 acting on the downward projection 63
(Figures 6 and 11) of the weighted cross-bar 64 to one end of which is connected
an upright rod 65 which latter in its turn is connected to and operates the indicator;
in the case of Figure 6 the rod 65 has attached to its upper end a plate or strip
bearing, the words "Blocked," Line clear," and "Train on line," or equivalent
words, and in Figure 11 it would be connected to and operate the small semaphore
arm. It is obvious that according to the position of the projection 63. (Figures 4
and 6) with regard to the bevel 2 in the slide 1, that is to say, whether resting
against the middle or either end of said bevel, so the various indications may be
given.
19 65
The action of the treadle illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 consists that the
depression of the rail forces the pin 52 down, tilts the levers 53 and 54 on their
centres 55 and 56,,the levers 53 and 54 in their turn tilt upwards other weighted
levers 57 and 58, so that contact springs 59 and 60 attached thereto make contact
with terminals 61 and 62; this sets up the local battery as described in Figures 1
and 2 and the current is sent to the magnet at the back of the instrument operating
in the manner described.
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 combination, in interlocking the block instruments with the mechanically
operated levers in the signal cabin, of a slide in the block instrument releasing the
upward thrust of a loose rod, said rod normally locking the starting signal lever,
the operation of the mechanical lever backlocking the block instrument slide,
substantially as described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
2. In a block instrument for interlocking with the mechanical signals, a slide
operating to three positions, first, backwards to give sanction to the rear; second,
forward (to middle or normal position) to enable the signalman in the rear to
replace a similar slide in his instrument after train being sent, thirdly, forward
position (from middle or normal position) for sending trains into the section in
advance, the whole operating substantially in the manner described with reference
to the drawings annexed.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
70 & 71 Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.