Improvements in Interlocking Levers in Railway Point and Signal Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd J n., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Oct., 1890-Accepted, 17th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Interlocking Levers in Railway Point and Signal
Apparatus.
We JOHN PATRICK O'DONNELL of 2 Great George Street Westminster in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, and WILLIAM SMITH of 8 Geneva Road
Brixton in the County of Surrey, Engineer, and ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of
2, Great George Street Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has reference to that class of interlocking known as the tappet
or plunger kind.
In signal cabins, apparatus is provided for preventing the working of conflicting
levers and also to ensure that certain levers are worked in correct rotation. In con-
nection with each lever a tappet is arranged to cross slides, upon which, locks are
mounted. The said slides work in troughs or recessed passages.
It is well known that the said tappets can be either actuated directly by and
through the movement of their respective levers or through the movement of the
catch handle attached to such levers.
The former is known as lover locking, the latter as "catch handle" or "preliminary
actuation " locking.
In addition to these two distinct kinds of interlocking there is another class, which
is a combination of the two, that is, a distinct tappet actuated by the lever and
another tappet actuated by the catch handle, the two combined for interlocking
purposes working as one.
With our invention we actuate the tappet by the movement of the catch handle for
locking purposes and for the purposes of releasing the tappet is actuated by the
movement of the catch handle, the movement of the lever being also necessary.
The catch handle is projected downwards in the direction of the fulcrum of the
lever. We preferably attach to the drop box a similar strip of metal to the catch
handle projection on the outer edge of the lever.
These projections are connected together by a small plate, the plate being on the
side of the lever. To the middle of this plate one end of a link (say No. 1) is fixed,
the other end of the said link being connected to a cross bar. The said cross bar is
pivotted to the lever.
The lower end of this cross bar is formed hammer or T shaped. The tappet is
connected by another small link (say No. 2) to the upper side of the cross bar
preferably between the upper end and the centre pin upon which it works. At
suitable distances on either side of the lever and preferably near its fulcrum bars (of
any section) are fixed the length of the locking apparatus for the purpose as the lever
is moved of actuating the cross bar, or in certain positions of the lever preventing its
actuation.
The action is as follows:-In the normal position of the lever when the catch
handle is raised link No. 1 actuates the cross bar nearly but not quite to the centre
line of the lever. The tappet is moved say one inch by this action and all locking is
effected. The lever itself is now moved and just at the completion of its stroke the
hammer end of the cross bar, strikes or comes in contact with the bar in front of the
lever and is moved to the other side of the centre of the lever, the tappet being moved
by this action say three inches further forward.
Upon the catch being now put down the link and cross bar are actuated and the
tappet moved further forward still say one inch. This completes the releasing.
It is thus seen that for releasing the pulling up of the catch handle, the moving of

page_text: the lever, and the putting down of the catch must all be gone through before the
correct releasing is effected.
The same action in reverse order is required to be gone through before the back
lock is taken off the releasing lever.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1890.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
Agent for the said Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Interlocking Levers in Railway Point and Signal
Apparatus.
We, JOHN PATRICK O'DONNELL of 2 Great George Street Westminster in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, WILLIAM SMITH of 8 Geneva Road Brixton
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, and ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of 2 Great
George Street Westminster in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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:-
:-
Our invention has reference to that class of interlocking known as the tappet or
plunger kind.
The interlocking is provided in apparatus for preventing the working of conflicting
levers and also to insure that certain levers are worked in correct rotation. In con-
nection with each lever a tappet is arranged to cross slides upon which locks are
mounted. The said slides work in troughs or recessed passages. It is well known that
the said tappets can be either actuated directly by, and through the movement of
their respective levers or through the movement of the catch handle attached to such
levers. The former is known as lever locking the latter as catch handle or preliminary
actuation locking.
In addition to these two distinct kinds of interlocking there is another class which
is a combination of the two, that is a distinct tappet actuated by the lever and
another tappet actuated by the catch handle, the two combined for interlocking
purposes working as one.
With our invention we actuate the tappet by the movement of the catch handle for
locking purposes and for the purposes of releasing, the tappet is actuated by the
movement of the catch handle the movement of the lever being also necessary. The
catch handle is projected downwards in the direction of the fulcrum of the lever. We
preferably attach to the drop box a similar strip of metal to the catch handle pro-
jection on the outer edge of the lever. These projections are connected together by a
small plate, the plate being on the side of the lever but not directly connected to the
lever. To the middle of this plate one end of a link is fixed, the other end of the
said link being connected to a cross bar or T piece. The said cross bar or T piece is
pivoted to the lever. The lower end of this cross bar is formed hammer shaped or
like a T. The tappet is connected directly to (or by another small link) the upper
side of the said cross bar preferably between the upper end and the centre pin upon
which it works. At suitable distances on either side of the lever but preferably near
its fulcrum, bars of any section are fixed the length of the locking apparatus for the
purpose as the lever is moved of actuating the cross bar, or in certain positions of
the lever preventing its actuation. As a substitute for these bars projecting pieces or
forked pieces may be cast on the shoes which support the lever.
In order that our said invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 illustrates a general side view of our apparatus.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the lever with the shoe detached from the framing.
Figure 3 represents an enlarged side view of the details for the actuation of the
tannots

page_text: Figure 4 is a plan of an ordinary lock bar worked on the tappet principle.
The same letters refer to the same parts in the several figures of the drawing.
A is the lever, B the catch handle, C the drop box, D the plate connected to a
prolongation of the downright rod from the catch handle on the one side and
the strip on the other side of the lever from the drop box, E is the connecting link,
one end of which E¹ is centred to the plate D and the other end of it E2 centred to
the T piece, F is the T piece centred to the lever at A¹, A2 is the fulcrum of the
lever, G is the shoe which supports the lever, H is the tappet, K is the angle iron bar
on the left hand side and L the angle iron bar on the other side. In the plan
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 are the tappets actuated by the four levers, O is a lock sliding
between the two tappets 5 & 6.
The action of our invention is as follows :-
When the lever is in its normal position as shown in Figure 1 and the catch handle
is raised, the drop box C, plate D, connecting link E and hammer F are moved into
the dotted position marked 2 in Figure 3 by its action the tappet H is also moved and
all the locking is effected. When the signalman now works his lever towards the
centre of the segment, the connecting link and hammer become central with the lever
as illustrated in the dotted lines marked 3 in Figure 3 and a further movement is
given to the tappet by the movement of the lever. As the lever is now moved to
complete its motion, but before the catch handle is put down, the end F3 of the
hammer F strikes against the plate K and tilts the link and cross bar beyond the
centre to the left thereby giving a further movement to the tappet as is shown in
the dotted position numbered 4 in Figure 3. When the catch handle is put down
the drop box C, plate D and connecting link E are pressed downwards, and the hammer
moved on its centre to the dotted position shown numbered 5 in Figure 3 a consequent
movement being thereby given to the tappet H which completes the releasing for the
required levers. The reverse action takes place in going back. It is thus seen that
for releasing, the pulling up of the catch bandle, the movement of the lever and the
putting down of the catch handle must all be gone through before the releasing is
effected. The reverse action is required to be gone through before the last back lock is
taken off the releasing tappet.
We lay no claim to anything illustrated in Figure 4 as this simply illustrates the
ordinary method of interlocking. It will be seen that the movement of the tappet 5
would place the lock out of the notch 5ª and into the notch 6ª in the tappet 6 which
would thereby lock the said lever 6. This is sufficient to describe the principle upon
which tappet locking is actuated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
(1st). In interlocking apparatus for railway point and signal levers in conjunction
with each lever and its spring catch rod, is a connecting link and a T piece pivoted to
the lever and actuated by the catch handle connected to the said link, and a
tappet connected to the said T piece, the whole arranged and operating substantially
as and for the purposes herein set forth.
(2nd). In interlocking apparatus for railway point and signal levers arrangements
whereby a continuous movement in the same direction is given to the tappet to effect
a release substantially in the manner described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1890.
JOHN F. O'DONNELL,
Agent for the said Applicants.