IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING RAILWAY POINT AND SIGNAL LEVERS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Baker, of Kennington, in the County
of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND
APPARATUS FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING RAILWAY POINT AND SIGNAL
LEVERS."
Sealed the 18th September 1869, and dated the 24th March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Baker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th March 1869.
I, FREDERICK BAKER, of Kennington, in the County of Surrey, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING RAILWAY POINT AND SIGNAL
LEVERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in means and apparatus whereby those levers
in a signal box that require to be locked are instantaneously secured by
operating one lever only in the series, while those levers in the series
that do not require to be secured are not interfered with by the locking
apparatus, thus preventing a signal from indicating "line clear" at a
junction or other part of a railway, until all points leading across or

page_text: in connection with the line by which a train is passing are locked, thus
preventing the numerous accidents that happen to railway trains at
junctions, stations, and other similar parts of a line of railway.
The series of lovers is arranged in a suitable framework, and the
locking gear, which may be either above or below the floor level, is so
contrived in connection with the frame that any one lever can be taken
from the series and another inserted in its place without interfering with
the working of the remainder of the levers, thus materially reducing
the expense and time wasted in repairs; and my improvements are
effected by the following arrangement of apparatus:-Attached to the
point or signal lever proper is another smaller lever, which when
operated upon by the signalman forms part of the handle of the main
lever. On the said main lever being reversed the small lever which
works on a pivot fixed thereto is pressed by the hand to the top or
handle of the main lever, and lifts a catch which disengages the said main
lever from the quadrant, and at the same time raises the arm of a third
lever below, which depresses by means of a small crank fixed on a
horizontal shaft a certain number of catches or hooks fixed on the same
shaft, the which catches or hooks instantaneously engage in eyes fixed
in suitable positions on those levers that require to be locked by the
lever operated upon, the signal lever corresponding to the point lever
being also locked until the points are open by means of a curved arm
or stop operated by the point lever projecting against a pin or projection
on the signal lever, thus preventing the signal from being lowered until
the points are open, and at the same time locking all other points leading
across or in connection with the line of rails by which a train is about
to pass.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Baker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th September 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
BAKER, of Kennington, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the

page_text: thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Frederick Baker, Her special
licence that I, the said Frederick Baker, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick Baker, 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 MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING
RAILWAY POINT AND SIGNAL LEVERS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Frederick Baker, 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 Frederick Baker, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that is
to say):-
This Invention consists in means and apparatus for effecting the
instantaneous locking of railway point and signal levers, whereby all
levers in the series that from their operation on certain points and signals
would occasion accident to a passing train are instantaneously locked,
and kept so locked until the lines antagonistic to them are clear, while
those levers in the series that do not require to be locked are not inter-
fered with by the locking apparatus, thus rendering it impossible for a
signal to indicate "line clear" at a junction or other part of a railway
until all points leading across or in connection with the line by which
a train is passing are locked, thereby preventing the numerous accidents
that happen to railway trains at junctions, stations, and other similar
parts of a line of railway.
I will proceed to describe my Invention with reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a back view, and Fig. 2

page_text: a side view of a series of three levers, lever No. 1 actuating the main
signal, No. 2 the branch signal, and No. 3 the branch points.
Although I have only shewn three levers in the Drawings, it will be
readily understood that by adding to the various parts any number of
points and signals can be actuated by this apparatus with equal efficiency
and certainty.
The shafts or pivots on which the various hooks or catches, stops, and
actuating cranks work, are arranged in suitable diagonal frames or
supports a, b, placed at the same or nearly the same angle or inclination
as the levers when pulled over.
The main signal lever c, No. 1, is here shewn locked by the hook d
passing over the pin e affixed to the catch rod f, that takes into the
notch g in the quadrant h, thus the main line is blocked by means of
the signal, and the said catch rod f cannot be disengaged from the
notch g for the lever to be pulled over to indicate "line clear" until
the pin thereon is released from the hook by the branch point lever i,
No. 3, as hereafter described.
The branch signal lever j, No. 2, and the branch point lever i, No. 3,
are here shewn pulled over the pin k on lever No. 3 holding up the curved
lever and therefore depressing the crank m, which by means of the
connecting rod n holds down the crank o on the same shaft p as the
hook d, thus preventing the catch rod f on the main signal lever c from
being pulled over, and indicating "line clear," as before mentioned.
If it is desired to block the junction and leave the main line clear,
the signal lever j, No. 2, is first pushed over, then the branch point
lever i, No. 3, but in pushing over this latter the catch rod q thereon
acts upon and raises the curved lever 7, and therefore the stop 8 on the
same shaft t, by which means the signal lever No. 2 is prevented from
being pulled over until released by the said point lever No. 3, because
the square or other shaped stud u abutts against the said stop & before
the lever is pulled over. When the branch point lever No. 3 is pushed
right over the hand lever operating the catch rod q is left free and
falls down to its normal position in the notch w in the quadrant x, and
there maintains the lever till again brought into operation, and at the
same time depresses the curved lever 1, thereby raising the crank m,
which by means of the connecting rod n raises the crank o on the same
shaft p as the catch or hook d, thus raising the latter out of contact

page_text: with the pin e, and leaving the main line signal lever c free to be
pulled over. By raising the catch rod f on this lever the curved end y
of the double-cranked lever is raised, thereby depressing the other end,
which by means of the connecting rod a depresses the crank b¹ on the
same shaft c¹ as the hook or catch d', and causes it to engage with the
pin or projection e¹ on the catch rod q, thereby preventing it from being
disengaged from its notch wo and preventing the lever No. 3 from being
pulled over till released by the lever No. 1.
Thus it will be evident that instantaneous locking and unlocking of
all antagonistic points and signals results from this arrangement without
the employment of sliding bars or other uncertain means, thus effecting
the greatest certainty and safety in all manipulations. connected with this
branch of railway management.
The locking gear may, if desired, be placed above the floor level f',
as shewn in blue, by which means a greater quantity of levers can be
arranged in one frame, and the apparatus be more easily situated for
repairs, additions, or other purposes, and any one lever can be taken
from the series and another inserted in its place without interfering with
the working of the remainder of the levers, thus materially reducing
the expense and time consequent on repairs..
I prefer to fix the quadrants as shewn in Fig. 1, where g¹, g', g¹, are
plates, having projections h', h¹, h¹, thereon, against which the curved
plates forming the quadrants are bolted or otherwise secured, the part /*
forming a secure support against which the foot of the signalman can
bear in pulling over the levers. This forms a very simple and economical
arrangement, but any other method of attaching the quadrants may be
employed.
I also prefer to form the bearings for the main levers, as shewn in
Fig. 1, where , i, i, are bearings, having their ends close together
so that the pins cannot slip out, the end pins being countersunk as
shewn. In cases where there are a number of levers placed closer
together than here shewn the bosses or projections j, j, j, are not
required, as shewn in detail Fig. 3, but the sides or ends of the bear-
ings are arranged close together to effect the same purpose.
many cases, as for instance, where a lever has to lock only one or two
other levers, it is not necessary that the shafts carrying the cranks and
catches should pass through the whole length of the frame, thus space
is left for the insertion of other shafts in a line with these short shafts,
In

page_text: by which means much space and economy of material is gained. In
some cases where a great quantity of levers are required to be placed
in one signal box, the locking may be carried below the bearings i, i¹, i,
in which case the operation of some of the parts would be reversed, but
the same object would be attained.
With most of the present construction of locking apparatus the
signalman can by giving a sudden jerk or otherwise pull two levers over
together, thereby defeating the object for which locking is employed;
but by my system this is impossible, as both the levers are locked at
the same time.
This Invention may either be used separately or in conjunction with
an Invention for which I obtained Provisional Protection dated the
9th day of July 1869, No. 2066, for improvements in means and appa-
ratus for opening, closing, and securing railway level crossing and other
gates, in which case the locking and unlocking apparatus communicates
also with the gate lever.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of my said Inven-
tion, I claim,-
First. The instantaneous locking and unlocking of all antagonistic
point and signal levers by means of the apparatus herein shewn and
described, without the necessity of employing slide bars for that
purpose.
And second. Arranging the levers and locking gear so that one or
more levers may be disengaged from the series without the necessity of
removing any of the other levers or interfering with the locking arrange-
ments, as herein described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Baker, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
F. BAKER. (L.S.)