IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LOCKING AND INTERLOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS AND POINTS."
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brierley, Frederick Wade Brierley, and
Walter Wright Brierley, all of Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex,
Railway Signal Engineers, and Francis Samuel Reynolds, of Edgware
Road, in the same County, Surveyor, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR LOCKING AND INTERLOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS AND POINTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brierley, Frederick
Wade Brierley, Walter Wright Brierley, and Francis Samuel Rey,
nolds, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 19th January 1875.
We, JOHN BRIERLEY, FREDERICK WADE BRIERLEY, and WALTER
WRIGHT BRIERLEY, all of Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Railway
Signal Engineers, and FRANCIS SAMUEL REYNOLDS, of Edgware Road,
in the same County, Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LOCKING AND INTERLOCKING RAILWAY
SIGNALS AND POIтs,” to be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object the more perfect looking and inter-
looking of switches and faci
il with the signala
AA

page_text: that it will be impossible for the attendant in the signal box who works
the signals to make a mistake and cause a train to run on to a wrong
line of rails, or for him to lower a signal until the proper line is open
for the passage of the train.
•
The switches, points, and signals are worked by hand levers, as is usual i
in all methods of working signals. These hand levers aro inserted into
sockets at their lower ends, which are pivotted on to fixed bearings so as
to enable the upper ends of the hand levers to be moved backwards and
forwards, their lower ends remaining stationary. At a short distance
above their lower extremities the levers pass through hollow drums or 1
barrels, which have helical slots or grooves and notches formed in their
upper and lower periphery. These slots or grooves allow of the backward
and forward motion being communicated to the levers by the operator,
and the notches catch the lever at each end of the slot or groove, so that
they cannot be moved either way when they have once entered the 1
notches. The motion of the levers when being pulled backwards or
forwards along the helical slots communicato a partial rotatory motion to
the drums or barrels.
In order to free the lever from the notches a vertical rod having a flat
head and serving as a treadlo is pivotted to the forward end of the drum
or barrel, and on pressure being brought to bear on the treadle (from the
foot of the operator or otherwise) the barrel will be caused to turn a
portion of a revolution and the hand lever left free to be moved back-
wards and forwards.
In order to bring back the barrel to its original position on the pressure ?
being removed from the treadle, a helical spring is attached to the
opposite side of the barrel, and is made fast to the lower extremity of
the hand lever, so that immediately the pressure is removed from the
treadle (and the lever has made its traverse along the helical slot and
reached the notch at the other end of the slot) the spring will pull back
the barrel into its normal position and lock the lever in its new
position.
The locking and interlocking mechanism is operated from the drums
or barrels, and is effected by means of spindles attached to the drums,
the axes of the spindles and of the drums being the same. On to these 3
spindles are keyed or rivetted one, two, or more narrow collars, some of
which have studs projecting from the upper portion of their peripheries,

page_text: These studs take into forked pieces keyed or sorewed on to reciprocating
rods placed above or below them. Others of the collars on the spindle
shafts are furnished with tail pieces, which serve as locking pieces, and
will prevent the treadles from being pressed down, and consequently the
barrels from being rotated and the hand levers loft free to be moved
backwards and forwards. This locking is effected by means of other tail
pieces, which are firmly attached to the above-mentioned reciprocating
rods, the lower portions of these tail pieces coming immediately above
and at right angles to the tail pieces on the spindle shaft. While in this
O position it will be impossible to depress the treadle to rotate the barrel,
and consequently to work the hand lever, thus forming a perfect system
of looking and interlocking.
In order to connect the switches, points, and signal levers together in
such a way that one lever cannot be moved unless in its proper order, it
3 is only necessary to attach the requisite collars with studs and tails on to
the spindle shafts and reciprocating bars in such a way that until No. 1
lever is down it will be impossible to depress the treadles attached to
Nos. 2 and 3, and consequently to move their respective levers.
As a modification of the above system of locking the points and signals
the same object may be effected by means of cams on the spindle shaft
working within cam rings attached by short links to a rotating rod
placed above and at right angles to the spindle shaft. On to this rotating
rod are keyed or otherwise fixed collars having tail pieces or fingers pro-
jecting from them, these fingers taking into notched collars fixed on the
spindle shaft attached to the lever which works the point or signal that
it is desired to lock. By this means directly the hand lever is pulled
over the barrel will be partially rotated, causing the cam fixed on the
spindle shaft to raise or depress the cam ring and communicate by means
of the short link a partial rotatory motion to the rotatory or locking
shaft, the finger pieces attached to the locking shaft will then be raised
from or depressed into the corresponding notched collars attached to the
lever that is desired to lock or unlock.
In order to lengthen or shorten the arm which is usually made fast to
the socket piece of the hand lever (and to which arm the requisite rods,
wires, and chains for working the signals and points are attached), it has
been found necessary to prolong the holes in the socket piece into which
the arms are fixed, throughout the entire length of the socket piece from.

page_text: one side to the other, so that the length of arm projecting from the
socket piece may be lengthened or shortened at will. The arm should
then, be made fast with a screw, bolt, or pin, as found most convenient.
Should the hand lever work two sets of points or signals it will be
necessary for the socket pieces to have two parallel holes to admit of two 5
arms being inserted into them, and lengthened and shortened as above
described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Brierley, Frederick Wade Brierley, Walter
Wright Brierley, and Francis Samuel Reynolds in the Great Seal 1
Patent Office on the 19th July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Jonn
BRIERLEY, FREDERICK WADE BRIERLEY, and WALTER WRIGHT
BRIERLEY, all of Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Railway Signal
Engineers, and FRANCIS SAMUEL REYNOLDS, of Edgware Road, in tho 1
same County, Surveyor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in tho
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, givo and grant unto us, the said John Brierley, Frederick
Wade Brierley, Walter Wright Brierley, and Francis Samuel Reynolds,
Her special licence that we, the said John Brierley, Frederick Wado
Brierley, Walter Wright Brierley, and Francis Samuel Reynolds, our
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
John Brierloy, Frederick Wade Brierley, Walter Wright Brierley, and
Francis Samuel Reynolds, our 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 "Improved ApparATUS FOR LOCKING and Inter-
LOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS AND POINTS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said John Brierley, Frederick Wade Brierley, Walter Wright
Brierley, and Francis Samuel Reynolds, our oxccutors or administrators, 3
"

page_text: by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said John Brierley, Frederick Wade
Brierley, Walter Wright Brierley, and Francis Samuel Reynolds, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, referenco being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
This Invention has for its object the more perfect locking and inter-
locking of switches and facing points on railways with the signals, so
that it will be impossible for the attendant in the signal box who works
the signals to make a mistake and cause a train to run on to a wrong
line of rails, or for him to lower a signal until the proper line is open for
the passage of the train.
The switches, points, and signals are worked by hand levers, as is usual
in all methods of working signals. These hand levers are inserted into
sockets at their lower ends, which are pivotted on to fixed bearings, so
as to enable the upper ends of the hand levers to be moved backwards
and forwards, their lower ends remaining stationary. At a short distanco
above their lower extremities the levers pass through hollow drums or
barrels, which have helical slots or grooves and notches formed in their
upper and lower periphery.. These slots or grooves allow of tho backward
and forward motion being communicated to the levers by the operator,
and the notches catch the lever at each end of the slot or groove, so that
they cannot be moved either way when they have once entered the
notch. The motion of the levers when being pulled backwards or
forwards along the helical slots communicates a partial rotary motion to
the drums or barrels.
In order to free the lever from the notches a vertical rod, having a flat
head and serving as a depresser, is pivotted to the forward end of the
drum or barrel, and on pressure being brought to bear on the depresser
(from the foot of the operator, or otherwise) the barrel will be caused to

page_text: turn a portion of a revolution, and the hand lever left free to bo moved
backwards and forwards along the helical slot.
In order to bring back the barrel to its original position, on the pressure.
being moved from the depresser, a helical spring is attached to the
opposite side of the barrel, and is made fast to the lower extremity of
the hand lever, so that immediately the pressure is removed from the
depresser (and the lever has made its traverse along the helical slot and
reached the notch at the other end of the slot) the spring will pull back
the barrel into its normal position, and lock the lever in its new
position.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1, Sheet I., is a front elevation of
the frame, with a small portion removed to shew the working parts;
Fig. 2, Sheet I., is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 3, Sheet I., is a
transverso vertical section in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1, showing the
general connection of the several parts of the apparatus.
In Sheet II. Figures 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are enlarged views of tho
locking and interlocking parts of the apparatus.
The locking and interlocking of the signals, points, locking bolts, and
switches is operated from the drums or barrels A, (shown in the detached
views Figures 4 and 4", which are drawn on an enlarged scale,) and is .2
effected by means of spindles a attached to the drums A, the axes of the
spindles and of the drums being the same. On to these spindles a aro
keyed or rivetted one, two, or more narrow collars c, some of which have
studs d (see Fig. 5), projecting from the upper portion of their peripheries.
These studs & take into forked picces e keyed or screwed on to recipro-
cating rods placed above or below them. Others of the collars c on
the spindle shafts a are furnished with tail pieces 9, which serve as
locking pieces, and will prevent the depressers from being pressed down
and consequently the barrels A from being rotated. The hand levers B,
(Figures 1, 2, and 3, will therefore be retained within the notches i, i, of
the barrels A, Figures 4 and 4º, so that they cannot be moved backwards
and forwards along the helical slots of the barrels A. This locking is
effected by means of other tail pieces 2, which are firmly attached to the
above-mentioned reciprocating rods f,f', (see Figures 1 and 5), the lower
portions of these tail pieces coming immediately above and at right a
angles to the tail pieces 7 on the spindle shaft, as shown in Fig. 5,
Sheet II. While the tail pieces and are in this position it will be

page_text: impossible to push down the depresser or treadle in order to rotate the
barrel A and consequently to work the hand lever B, thus forming a
perfect system of locking.
The spring m, Fig. 1, which is attached to the central portion of the
barrel A, and to the lower portion of the hand lever B, is very important
in its effect on the general utility of our Invention. In the first place
although this spring is of considerable power its resistance is easily over-
come by the weight of the body of the signalman on the depresser h,
and on the hand lever being released from the notch in the barrel A. the
spring acts as an auxiliary to pull over or push back the hand lever.
The peculiarity of attachment of this spring m to the barrel A and to the
lever B is such that it always contracts as the lever is passing backwards
or forwards towards the centre of the slot in the barrel A, thus not only
very materially reducing the friction but also greatly lessening the
physical labor entailed on the signalman. By means also of the
recuperative power of this spring we are enabled to work, two, three,
four, or more of the reciprocating rocking bars f at the same time, thus
giving great facilities for attaching the locking apparatus, and con-.
sequently economizing the general apparatus and reducing the pro-
babilities of mistakes or accidents to a minimum.
In back locking it has been found necessary to construct the tail
pieces in a somewhat different manner, otherwise the several hand
levers B might be moved out of their turns, thereby causing com-.
plications which are to be avoided. The construction of these tail pieces
may be seen by reference to Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, Sheet II. In the
Drawing the peculiarity of construction refers more particularly to the
tail pieces attached to the right hand end of the second or back recipro-
cating rod ƒ³, that one attached to the front rod ƒ being of the usual
form. In Fig. 8 it will be seen that the collar c carries two tail pieces,
' and 9, operating in different ways, the hooked tail piece ' abutting
against the tail piece A, in which a segmental slot is cut, and which is
attached to the front portion of the reciprocating bar f' and the small
stud or tail picce * abutting against the hooked tail piece attached to
the rear portion of the reciprocating bar ƒ¹.
In order the better to illustrate our system of locking, interlocking,
and back locking, we will proceed to describe the action of the apparatus,
using for that purpose three of the eighteen levers on the frame, viz.,:

page_text: Nos. 4, 5, and 11, No. 4 being the switch lever; No. 5, the locking
bolt lever; and No. 11 the signal lever. In order to move No. 5, which
is the first to be moved, it is first necessary to push down the depresser
or treadle, which will partially rotate the barrel A, release the lever
No. 5 from the notch in the barrel, and admit of the lever being pulled
forward along the helical slot & until it reaches the notch i', when the
barrel will be pulled sharply over to the left by means of the helical
spring m, Fig. 3. The hand lever will be caught in the notch i¹ of the
barrel A, and will be immovable. The effect of this will be that tho
tail piece d on the collar c, which is attached to the spindle shaft a, will
also rotato towards the left, taking with it the forked piece e, which
being firmly attached to the reciprocating rod f', Fig. 6, will move that
rod also to the left. This movement will place the tail piece / on the
reciprocating rod f' out of contact with the tail picce 9 attached to tho
spindle shaft a belonging to hand lever No. 4 (sec Fig. 5), which will
now be unlocked and perfectly free to be pulled over; the same move-
ment will also have the effect of double locking the lever No. 11 by
causing the segmented tail piece l' to advance and bring its lower solid
portion above the hooked tail picce g¹, so that its depresser & cannot be
pushed down and its barrel A rotated to free the lever. The hand lover
No. 4 may now be pulled over after having pushed down its foot
depresser h, when the reciprocating rod f will be pushed to the left by
the rotation of the barrel, which causes the stud d attached to the
spindle shaft a to draw with it the forked piece e attached to the recipro-
cating rod f. This movement of the rod ƒ will carry with it the tail
piece free of the tail piece 9, and thus will partially unlock tho hand
lever No. 11; No. 5 will now be returned to its normal position, the effect
of which will be to totally unlock No. 11 by causing the segmental slot
of the tail piece ♫ to come immediately above the hooked tail picco g',
so that on the barrel A being revolved by the depresser / the tail pieco g¹
will be free to enter the segmental slot of the tail picce 1. The hand
lover No. 11 may now be pulled over, first depressing of course tho
treadle when the hooked tail picce g' will find no obstruction, but will
enter the segmental slot of the tail piece on the reciprocating rod f¹
gradually returning to its original position as the lever advances along
the helical groove in the barrel; neither will the tail piece on the
spindle shaft a meet any obstacle, as the tail picce on the recipro-
cating rod ƒ had previously been withdrawn from contact with it by the
movement of the lever No. 4. When the lever No. 11 is pulled righ

page_text: over and enters the notch i¹ of its barrel A. the effect will be to back
lock No. 5 by causing the small stud or tail piece ³ to fall into a hori-
zontal line with the hooked tail piece on the reciprocating rodf, thus
effectually preventing any backward movement of the reciprocating
5 rod f¹, as shewn in Figures 6, 7, and 8.
It will be easily seen from the above description that it is impossible for
the signalman on duty to make any mistake by pulling over the wrong
lever first; for instance, No. 4 cannot be pulled over until No. 5 has
unlocked it, neither can No. 11 be pulled over until No. 4 is secure and
No. 5 has been returned back to its normal position, and the act of
pulling over No. 11 back locks No. 5 so that the whole system is secure
in every way. In other words, No. 11 being the signal lever (the signal
is always at danger when the lever is in its normal position or pushed
back in the frame) No. 5, or the locking bolt lever is then free to unlock
5 the points, which being done unlocks No. 4, or the switch lever, which
on being pulled over partially freės No. 11, which may be pulled over
as soon as No. 5 has been returned to its normal position, and the signal
may then be lowered to "all right," giving line clear. The signal lever
No. 11 will also have back locked No. 5, so that the signalman will be
) unable to make a mistake, and put back the switch point to its original
position until the signal is again at "danger."
It is important to remark that the twist in the helical slot % of the
barrel A is only equal to the depth of the notches i, i', so that the move- .
ment, which is lost to the barrel by the depression of the treadle h, is
¡-regained by the curve in the slot, that is to say, that when the lever has
been pulled over from the notch i, and has almost entered the notch i³,
the barrel will be in the same position as when the lever rested in the
notch. This is very important, as it constitutes one of the principal
features of our Invention.
Another essential and very important feature in our Invention is the
sharpness of the locking and unlocking, as it will be seen that until the
hand lever has absolutely completed its backward or forward traverse,
and is safo in one of the notches i or of the barrel A, that its relativo
lever or levers are safely locked, and cannot be moved, so that any
danger that might arise from a hand lever being partially pulled over,
and there left in the middle of its traverse, is effectually guarded against.
As a modification of the above system of locking and interlocking
points and signals the same object may be effected by means of cams o,

page_text: spindles a, in combination with the rods and the arms or levers q and
t, as herein set forth.
Fifth. Constructing the shoe to, as shown at Figures 8 and 3" with
horizontal and parallel sockets to 'receive the arms y, y, and adapting
adjusting screws thereto for the purpose of lengthening or shortening
the arms y, as may be required.
1
In witness whereof, we, the said John Brierley, Frederick Wade
Brierley, Walter Wright Brierley, and Francis Samuel Reynolds,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Nineteenth day of
July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.
-
JOHN BRIERLEY.
(L.S.)
FREDERICK W. BRIERLEY. (L.S.)
WATER W. BRIERLEY.
FRAS. S. REYNOLDS.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)