IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR LOCKING FACING POINTS OR SWITCHES OF RAILWAYS."
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stroudley, of Inverness, Scotland, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR LOCKING
FACING POINTS OR SWITCHES OF RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stroudley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
July 1866.
I, WILLIAM STROUDLEY, of Inverness, Scotland, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND
APPARATUS FOR LOCKING FACING POINTS OR SWITCHES OF RAILWAYS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in the use of locking slides which prevent the
wheels of the locomotive from passing on the wrong side of facing points or
tongues, and in the additional security in detecting any fault in the working
of the points, as from the construction of the slides they will not work unless
'the points are quite close and in good order for a train to pass over. A
slide or lock is applied to the tongue or moveable rail of the main line, by
which it is held open, and another slide or lock is applied to the tongue or

page_text: moveable rail of the crossing line by which it is held shut to the approaching
train. These slides are to be actuated by a weigh bar with a short lever;
the weigh bar may be worked by a weighted lever or bar, or from the
platform by means of rods; in the latter case the points or switches would
also be worked by rods from the platform; in either case the wire from the
distant signal should be worked by the weighted lever, so that the all right
signal cannot be given until the points are locked and quite safe for the coming
train to pass over. This arrangement prevents the points from being locked
to any but the main line, and prevents the risk of the train being turned on
to the siding by accident or negligence on the part of the attendant, nor
would they lock if by any accident the tongue of the crossing line had lost the
connection with the main line tongue by the breakage of the rod, and as the
slide will only pass over the point of the moveable tongue when it is quite
shut there is no risk, as at present, of the flange of the engine wheel passing
on the wrong side from the points being imperfectly closed. With regard
to junctions on double or on single lines of railway the slides are also worked
by a weigh bar and levers, but the slides lock either the main or branch
line. The main or branch lines may also be locked independently of each
other by separate levers, and so in connection with their respective signals.
The weigh bar moves the slide to lock the branch line, and a hollow weigh
bar or tube and lever is employed to lock the main line. The advantages
of these methods are increased safety, saving in time and wear and tear
from trains not requiring to reduce their speed to such a great extent
as at present. On single lines of railway a.considerable saving in pointsmen's
wages will be effected, as in case of siding points which require to be held
by the pointsman for every train an expense is incurred. By the use
of this lock they may be left without attendance, the guards of trains
which are intended to enter the siding carrying a key to fit a padlock
by which the slides may be secured. At crossing stations the pointsmen may
be reduced in number by working the points from the platform, and the locks
also in connection with distant signal. At junctions or points that cannot be
seen from the pointsman's box, as at night or in fogs, the slides would at once
detect whether the points were out of order or imperfectly closed, and at the
same time prevent them springing open as they sometimes do when held by
hand only.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Stroudley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
STROUDLEY, of Inverness, Scotland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Stroudley, Her special licence that I, the said William Stroudley, my.
éxecutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Stroudley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR LOCKING FACING POINTS OR SWITCHES OF
RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Stroudley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said.
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Stroudley, do hereby declare
the nature of 'my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-:
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following!
statement:-
This Invention consists in the use of the locking slides (shewn in the
Drawing as a and b, which slides may be wrought as shewn, or in any other
convenient manner) to prevent the wheels of the engine passing on the wrong
side of the facing points or tongue, and in the additional security in detecting,
any fault in the working of the points, as from the construction of the slides
they will not work unless the points are quite close and in good order for a
train to pass over. The advantages claimed for it are extreme simplicity, slight
cost, non-liability to get disarranged, increased safety, and a saving in time, wear
and tear from trains not requiring to reduce their speed to such a great extent

page_text: as at present. On single lines of railway a considerable saving in pointsmen's
wages will be effected by its adoption, as in case of siding points which require
to be held for every train. By the use of this lock they may be left without
attendance, the guards of trains that wish to enter the siding carrying a key
to fit the padlock by which the slides may be secured. At crossing stations
the pointsmen may be reduced in number by working the points from the
platform, and the locks also in connection with the distant signal. At junctions
or points that cannot be seen from the pointsman's box, as at night or in fogs,
the slides would at once detect whether the points were out of order or imperfectly
closed, and at the same time prevent their springing open as they sometimes
do when held by hand only.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Drawings annexed are a side elevation, plan, and
two cross sections of lock as applied to facing points on a single line of
railway.
a is the slide or lock by which the tongue or moveable rail of the
main line is held open, and 6 is the slide or lock by which the tongue or
moveable rail of the crossing line is held shut to the approaching train. These
slides may be wrought by a weigh bar c with short levers d, which weigh bar
may be wrought with a lever e, as shewn, or may be wrought from the platform
by means of rods; in the latter case the points or switches will be wrought by
rods from the platform also; in either case the wire from distant signal should
be wrought by the lever e, so that the "all right" signal cannot be given until
This
the points are quite locked and safe for the coming train to pass over.
arrangement prevents the points being locked to any but the main line, and
prevents the risk of the train being turned into the siding by accident or
negligence on the part of the attendant; nor would they lock if by any accident
the tongue of the crossing line had lost its connection with the main line tongue
by the breakage of the rod f, and as the slide will only pass over the point of
the moveable tongue when it is quite shut there is no risk, as at present, of
the flange of the engine wheel passing on the wrong side from the points being
imperfectly closed.
Figs. 5 and 6 are arrangements which may be more suitable for junctions
on double or single lines of railway.
In Fig. 5 the slides a and b are wrought by a weigh bar and levers,
as before described, but the slides are. so arranged as to lock either the main
or branch line.
Fig..6 is an arrangement by which the main or branch lines may be locked
independently of each other by separate levers, and so in connection with

page_text: their respective signals. c is the weigh bar with lever d which moves the
slide 6 which would lock the branch line; 9 is a hollow weigh bar or tube,
which with its lever h would lock the main line.
Having now described my said Invention, and the manner in which the same
is to be performed, I would remark that I do not limit myself to the precise
details and configuration of parts herein described, as the same may be slightly
modified or varied without in any degree departing from the principles on
which my Invention is based; but what I claim and desire to be secured to
me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent are the "Improvements in
Locking Facing Points or Switches of Railways," substantially as herein
specified and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Stroudley, have hereunto set
my band and seal, this Twenty-second day of January, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
year of
5
Witness,
JOHN W. BUTTLE,
Millburn,
Inverness.
WILLIAM STROUDLEY. (L.s.)