IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR LOOKING AND FOR ACTUATING OR SETTING IN MOTION THE LOCKING AND INTER- LOCKING GEAR USED OR INTENDED TO BE USED FOR REGULATING OR GOVERNING THE ACTION AND MOVEMENT OF RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER
Year: 1867

page_text: went grante
IN SAXBY, of the
Firm of Saxby and Farmer, of Kilburn, Railway Signal
Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR LOOKING
AND FOR ACTUATING OR SETTING IN MOTION THE LOCKING AND INTER-
LOCKING GEAR USED OR INTENDED TO BE USED FOR REGULATING OR
GOVERNING THE ACTION AND MOVEMENT OF RAILWAY POINTS AND
SIGNALS IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER," bearing date at Westminster,
the Twentieth of July One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
seven, No. 2119.
DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION proposed to be
entered by the said John Saxby and John Stinson Farmer, as
assignee of a half share in the said Letters Patent, dated July the
Twentieth, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, pursuant
to the Statutes in that case made and provided.
WHEREAS Her Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent under
the Great Seal of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster,

page_text: the Twentieth day of July One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven,
in the thirty-first year of Her reign, did give and grant unto the said
John Saxby, his executors, administrators, and assigns, the sole privilege
of making, using, exercising, and vending the said Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR
LOCKING AND FOR ACTUATING OR SETTING IN MOTION THE LOCKING AND INTER-
LOCKING GEAR USED OR INTENDED TO BE USED FOR REGULATING OR GOVERNING
RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER," within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, for and during the term of fourteen years thence next ensuing.
And whereas, in pursuance of a proviso in the said Letters Patent con-
tained, the said John Saxby, did, within six calendar months next after
the date of the said Letters Patent, cause a Specification in writing,
under his hand and seal, purporting to describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
to be duly filed in the Great Seal Patent Office.
And whereas, since filing the said Specification, we, the said John Saxby
and John Stinson Farmer, have discovered that the said Invention is not
ascertained and described with sufficient precision, and that some of the
claiming clauses contained in the said Specification are too wide and
indefinite, and in particular that one of the claims may be construed to
be a claim for the application of an addition to the vertically sliding
bolt or stop as a mechanical contrivance for locking generally, which
is a claim more extensive and general than we are desirous of making,
or being supposed to make in and by the said Specification.
And whereas certain clerical errors have been discovered in the said
Specification, which we desire to be corrected.
And whereas we, the said John Saxby and John Stinson Farmer,
thereupon became and are desirous of limiting the said claiming
clauses and correcting the clerical errors above referred to, and of
disclaiming, altering, and amending the said Specification in manner
following, and without extending the exclusive right granted by the
said Letters Patent.
For these reasons we insert in brackets in line thirty-four of page four
of the Queen's Printers' copy of the said Specification, after the words
"in applying," the words " (in the manner and for the purpose herein-
after described)." We substitute in line 8 of page 7 for the comma after
the word connection a bracket thus (; and in line 31 of page 9 we sub-

page_text: "
"
stitute for the word converted the word connected; and in line 29 of
page 13 for X, X, we substitute x, x; and in line 2 of page 14, for the
words sliding lever we substitute sliding bar; and in line 9 we omit the
word simply; and in line twenty of page fourteen we insert after the
words "to be understood that" the following words, "no claim is made
generally for the addition to the vertically sliding bolt constituting an
elongation of the spring catch below the quadrant, or to any use of
"the spring catch so elongated, except when used in combination as
herein described, and as claimed in the following claiming clauses, but."
We strike out the first, and second, and fourth, and seventh, and cighth
claiming clauses, and we strike out the word "third" in the beginning
of the third claiming clause; and we substitute for the word "fifth" the
word "also," and for the word "sixth " the word "also," in the
beginning of the fifth and sixth claiming clauses respectively; and the
said Specification when disclaimed, altered, and amended will read
as follows:-
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SAXBY, of the Firm of Saxby and Farmer, of Kilburn, Railway Signal
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Saxby Her special license that I,
the said John Saxby, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Saxby, 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 MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES
AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR LOCKING, AND FOR ACTUATING OR SETTING IN MOTION
THE LOCKING AND INTERLOCKING GEAR USED OR INTENDED то BE USED FOR
REGULATING OR GOVERNING THE ACTION AND MOVEMENT OF RAILWAY POINTS AND
SIGNALS IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Saxby, 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

page_text: 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 John Saxby, 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying
Sheets of Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in applying (in the manner and for the purpose
herein-after described) to the vertically sliding bolt or stop usually
fitted at the front or back of the hand lever or lever handle used or
employed for acting upon or moving railway points and the signal
apparatus of railways an addition whereby or through which the point
or signal lever is secured or held in any pre-arranged position, whilst
certain portions of the locking or interlocking gear may by the
action of the operator's hand on the lever of the sliding bolt be acted
upon so as to lock and unlock such portions of the signal or point
locked or unlocked. Thus this lever locking apparatus may be employed in the double
^
apparatus as should be capacity of acting upon or being acted
upon in turn by the main locking gear or apparatus through the
movement of the hand of the operator or signalman upon any one
of the sliding bolts, and moreover any one sliding bolt or projection
therefrom or addition made thereto may be made to lock or unlock another
sliding bolt, or the sliding bolts of any number of other lever handles
or hand levers, and in its turn be locked or set free by the movement
of one or more sliding bolts as may be pre-arranged according to any
required combination of bolting and unbolting of the levers irrespective
of, in combination with, or in addition to the locking of the levers near
to their respective fulcrums by means of any of the sliding or vibrating
bars or lock plates heretofore used.
For the purpose of applying my Invention to most of the well-known
arrangements of railway point and signal apparatus heretofore in use, I
prefer either to lengthen the sliding bolt so as to continue it sufficiently
low down upon the hand lever as to command the locking apparatus,
or to some point below the quadrant which will admit most readily.
of the attachment or addition thereto of the actuating piece or portion
of the apparatus as hereafter described, or to add or affix such extension
and portion of the apparatus to the front of the sliding bolt above

page_text: the quadrant, or in some equally convenient mechanical manner to
fit on to and fix such addition by bolting, screwing, or coupling. In
certain cases or for some purpose such additional parts or pieces may
be added to the sliding bolt upon the hand lever above the quadrant
or notched rail into which the sliding bolt is intended to take or fasten.
For the purpose of actuating the sliding bars of locking apparatus I
prefer for some purposes to attach to the sliding bolt or wedge-shaped
plate which may work on or against a bar vibrating on a fixed stud
attached to the framing of the apparatus, the movement of the wedge
or bevilled plate being in this case vertical instead of horizontal, as
heretofore in main locking gear constructed according to Inventions
previously patented by me; or the bevilled plate or wedge-shaped
fitting upon the sliding bolt or catch rod may upon the lever being
moved from one position into another be made to act upon cither
vibrating locking bars or longitudinally sliding plates or locks so as
to engage with or take into notches or slots therein or studs, lugs, or
other form of projections therefrom, and thus the movement of the
main hand lever (signal or point) from one point of rest to another,
and whilst acting upon or giving motion to the corresponding point
or signal (as the case may be), may also act upon or give motion to
some portion of the main locking gear, as the hand lever carries with
it its sliding bolt and the additional lock piece or other fitting secured
or fixed thereto. The main locking gear or apparatus, or the further
additional locking gear for locking other sliding bolts or catch rods,
can thus during the movement of the hand lever back and forth be
called into action, and the sliding up or down of the sliding bolt by
the movement of the spring catch of the hand lever may be caused
to perform those functions as well as the action upon other sliding
bolts for the purpose of fastening them or setting them free when
their respective hand levers have been brought to rest.
Instead of either of the modifications of the wedge-shaped plate
heretofore described, I prefer for some purposes to attach a bell crank
to the hand lever by means of a stud, plate, or projecting lug, one arm
of this bell crank being connected to the sliding rod, the other arm
being connected with or caused to act upon a horizontal sliding bar by
means of a long stud which permits of the necessary travel of the hand
lever, and thus gives motion to a bar when the sliding bolt is moved (or
raised) in order to free the catch which holds the hand lever in its

page_text: position. For some other purposes I prefer, instead of either of the
foregoing, to attach to the sliding bolt of the hand lever a notched or
serrated plate or a clip, which may surround the hand lever and have a
series of grooves or notches at the back, front, and sides thereof, and
studs or projecting bosses may be fitted thereunto, and may be so applied
that vibrating bars moved by horizontally sliding bars shall move into
or be received by the grooves, notches, or studs, and thus the sliding
bolt may be prevented from moving or being moved so as to free the
catch of the hand lever from the notch in the quadrant; but the said
sliding bolt locking gear may be acted upon for the purpose of releasing
it or setting it free (and so permit of the hand lever being moved back
or forth) by the movement of any other sliding bolt, or by the movement
of more than one sliding bolt, or by the movement of the main locking
apparatus, either directly through the movement back or forth of the
hand lever, or indirectly during the movement back or forth of a free
hand lever, or during the time of such movement by the joint action of
the hand lever and the movement of the sliding bolt belonging thereto
from one position into some other, and thus a further combination of
movements for locking and unlocking can readily be produced in
addition to and beyond securing the hand lever in either its forward,
backward, or intermediate position on the quadrant, bar, or frame of the
signal apparatus. Similar locking effects may be produced upon the
attachment to the sliding bolt by the action of the slides only, the slides
having projections instead of being formed as before described, so that
upon certain levers being moved these slides shall pass into the notches
or between suitably disposed studs or pins or other projections from the
sliding bolt and hand lever, and so prevent the former being moved, and
also retain the hand lever in its proper position. Instead of either of the
additions to the sliding bolt and hand lever herein-before described a
rocking shaft or shafts, or one or more cranks, may be fitted on to or
fixed to the front or back of the levers, and which rocking shafts or
cranks shall be moved both to and fro by means of and by direct and
rigid a connection (and without the employment of balance weights)
with those levers required to effect the locking of others, so that by
having projections on them which shall be brought into the notches, or
above, below, or between the studs of the sliding bolt and lever, the
sliding bolt will be prevented from moving up or down, and thus lock
the hand lever in its proper positions, and prevent its acting except some
other movement is employed to set it free, or unless it be acted upon by

page_text: some other point or signal connection by which it is intended to be
governed, or by the movement of some other sliding bolt either by or
during the action of the operator's hands upon the sliding bolt, or during
the moving of the signal or point lever through the arc of a circle, as
herein-before described. For the purpose of preventing the undue
straining of the locking plate and gear through the operation of the
operator's hand upon the spring catch or handle of the sliding bolt, I
either affix to the lever handle a plate or cheek (or there may be one on
each side of the lever) having notches therein corresponding with those
in the end of the sliding bolt (or with the notched, slotted, or other form
of piece fitted thereto); or instead thereof I fit into the side or sides of
each hand lever a stud or studs corresponding with similar studs or pro-
jections upon the side of the sliding bolt, so that the vibrating or other
bar or plate employed for locking will be held between these studs or
projections and cannot be bent upward or strained. The levers may be
forged to the requisite shape or form with the required slots, grooves, or
projections therein or thereon.
By the present Invention I regulate the action upon the locking
apparatus by or through the movement either of the sliding bolt of the
hand lever alone, or of the lever handles and the sliding bolts jointly,
and I also cause the locking or interlocking apparatus in its turn to act
upon and secure some of the hand levers through or by means of the
movement of the sliding bolts or spring catch rods of some one or more
of the hand levers.
In the four Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed I have shown
locking apparatus constructed according to the present Invention, and
in each of the views illustrating modifications in the details I have
shown attached to the lower end of the sliding rod (or it may be a
prolongation thereof) an addition or extension, to which is attached one
of the mechanical appliances herein-before described and as therein
shewn, and such mechanical contrivance or apparatus may be screwed or
otherwise attached to the sliding bolt at the end, to the front, or to each
side thereof, and either pass between the quadrant bars or on each side
of them, and may extend downward to the level of the main locking
apparatus or below the main locking gear.
In Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a plan view to a small scale of a double main
line of railway showing a simple junction for a branch double line
thereout of, i.e., a main up and down and a branch up and down line

page_text: are there shown for the purpose of illustrating the action or mode of
working some one or more of the modifications of locking apparatus
herein-after described more in detail and illustrated in certain of the
views in the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 2 (Sheet 1) is an elevation or back view (with the main
framing in section) of one hand lever (A), having fitted to the sliding
bolt (b) thereof a wedge or double bevilled plate (c) Figure 3; is a side
elevation of Figure 2 showing the same lever in two positions, by
reference to which the arrangement of the spring catch handle and the
locking apparatus will be better understood; the main framing is also
shewn in section. Figure 4 is a plan view of the same arrangement of
locking apparatus intended to be operated or brought into action by the
movement of the sliding bolt. In this plan a cross section of three
levers is shewn, but (for the sake of clearness) one set only of the
vibrating bars has been shewn, the notch in the vibrating bar being
intended to receive and allow to pass therethrough one bevilled edge of
the vertical sliding bevilled plate (c), whilst the vibrating bar in which
no notch is provided is caused to move out of the way of the bevilled
plate or wedge piece connected to the sliding bolt when it is raised (or
lowered, as the oase may be) and the opposite bar is brought above the
shoulder of the plate and caused to lock the lever in the required position.
The two vibrating bars, which are mounted at one end upon studs, are
kept parallel to each other and in their proper positions by means of
a traversing or longitudinally sliding bar to which they are connected
at the opposite end.
Figure 5 is an elevation or back view of a hand lever showing the
sliding bolt and locking apparatus connected therewith, (K) being
right-angled crank arm or bell crank mounted on a stud plate or
lug (a) fixed to and projecting from one side of the hand lever, One
end of the bell crank has a slot hole in which a pin projects or is made
to enter from the face of the sliding rod or a continuation thereof, so
that when the sliding rod is moved up or down the bell crank is caused
to move on its stud or centre, and the other or pendent end of the bell
crank is made to act upon, take into, or engage with the sliding
bar (D) by means of a projection therefrom (c), by which either the
spring catch of that lever may be secured or held fast or the moving of
the spring catch handle of the hand lever preparatory to moving the
hand lever out of its normal position will through the movement of the

page_text: longitudinally sliding bar (D) in the direction shown by the arrow
interpose the shoulder of a vibrating locking bar behind or in front of
some other hand lever, or unto the slot or groove of or between the pro-
jections from some other sliding bolt, or the sliding bolt of some other
lever handle, as will be readily understood on reference to the plan view,
Figure 6, where it will be seen that the motion of the sliding bar D,
caused by the motion of the pendant arm of the bell crank (K) in the
direction of the arrow causes the shoulder of the vibrating bar J to move
behind its appropriate lever, which is thereby prevented from moving.
In Figure 5 the main framing is shewn partly in section.
Figure 7 (Sheet II.) is a side view shewing two hand levers mounted
in a frame which may contain, as shown on the plan view, Figure 8,
nine hand levers, as required, for the purpose of working and protecting
a simple junction. In this view the lower part of the hand lever is
surrounded with a sliding socket or clip (c), which is shown with five
bars and four grooves and attached to and forming a prolongation of the
sliding bolt or catch rod (B) in any convenient manner, so that it is free
to slide up and down on the hand lever. Into the grooves or notches in
the sliding socket (C), and either at the front, back, or sides thereof, as
hereafter explained, a hook or projection from a rocking shaft, as in
Figure 8, where two rocking shafts G and G¹ are connected to the hand
lever by means of rods (h), or as in Figure 9, where the projection (d)
from a longitudinally sliding bar (D) is made to take into the front (or
the back) of the sliding socket C, or a vibrating bar (F) is caused to
move into or out of a groove in the side of the sliding socket (C), or by
the movement of some other hand lever, the several parts of the said
Figures 7, 8, and 9 being respectively as follows:-C, the socket or clip,
free to slide up and down the levers A, and connected to the spring
catch B; G, G, are the rocking shafts, which are connected to the
levers A, A, by means of the rods h, h, so that the movement of the
lever A causes a partial rotary motion to be imparted to the rocking
shafts G, G, and thus the hooks g, g, are caused to enter the grooves
formed in the sliding clips C, C, which is prevented from moving, and
consequently the catch rod B is held down in the notch in the quadrant,
and the lever A is locked, whilst the sliding bolt or bolts of some other
levers are set free.
T
T
10

page_text: of the levers and locking apparatus by which the traffic in such a
junction as that shewn in Figure 1, Sheet 1, may be worked with safety.
In this series of illustrations several series of locking plates and
apparatus, which are shewn at different levels at Figure 10, as also
the back locks as well as the front locks, are arranged and shewn as
separate or unconnected layers, so arranged and displayed one above
the other on the Sheet as to render them intelligible. Here several
modes of locking are shewn, and the back and front locks, as in Figures
13, 16, and 18, are shown as being connected and operated together by
means of the centrally pivoted lever or beam E. A', A², &c. are the signal
and point levers which actuate the sliding bars by means of bell cranks K,
to which they are connected, as before explained in Figure 9, Sheet 2.
Upon the sliding bar D tongues, locking bits, or projections d¹, d², etc.
are formed in such positions that the motion of the sliding bar D when
actuated by any particular hand lever causes projections to enter into
the groove of the sliding pieces C where requisite, as the sliding piece C
is connected to the spring catch B. Whenever the tongue (d) enters one
of the grooves in C the spring catch is prevented from rising, and thus
that lever is locked.
In order to illustrate the method of working the points and signals in
conjunction with one another, as performed by this portion of my Inven-
tion, we will take, as an example, a simple junction, as shown upon a
small scale in Figure 1, Plate 1, the point and signal levers belonging to
which are shewn in Figures 10 to 18 in Plate 3. In this case the levers
Nos. 3 and 8 work the points, and the levers 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 work the
various signals connected therewith, the lever No. 19, being the distant
signal, is unconnected with the others. Upon referring to Figure 1,
Plate 1, it will be seen that the lines are numbered as follows, viz.,
I. is the up main line; II., the down main; III., the up branch; and
IV., down branch. When all the levers are in their normal position, or
that shewn in Figures 11 to 18, Plate 3, the signals are at "danger,"
and the points are right for the " up main" and the "down branch."
Now as the points of the up main line, worked by lever No. 3, are in
the proper position to allow of a train passing along the up main line, it
is evident that the signals which affect the working of the up main line
Nos. 2 and 5 may be free to move to "safety," but that no signal should
be permitted to go to " 'safety" that affects the up branch line, and
consequently the levers Nos. 1 and 4 which work those signals are

page_text: locked by having the tongues d' and d* inserted in their respective
grooves in the sliding pieces C and C+, Figure 11, Plate 3. Again,
supposing the signals 2 and 5 which, as before mentioned, are free to
move, are placed at "safety," they each lock the point lever No. 3 in
its normal position, i.e., its proper position for a train to pass on the up
main; these two motions will be seen by referring to Figures 14 and 17
respectively, thus upon moving lever No. 2, Figure 14, to the position
shown in the dotted lines the sliding bar D is caused to move in the
direction of the arrow, and the tongue D' is inserted into one of the
grooves in the sliding piece C³, which being connected to the spring
catch B prevents it from rising, and consequently locks the lever, as
before explained. In like manner the signal lever No. 5, Figure 17,
when pulled over to the position shown in the dotted lines causes the
slide D, to which it is connected, to travel in the direction of the arrow,
and the lever No. 3 is again locked in a similar manner to that just
described. It will thus be seen that when the points of the "
up main"
are in the proper position for a train to pass along the line the " up
branch" signals are locked to "danger," and the "up main" signals
are free to move, and again when the up main signals are moved to
"safety," so as to allow a train to pass along, the points (worked by
lever No. 3) are locked or prevented from being opened until after the
train has passed and the signals returned to " danger." By this illus-
tration the entire working of a junction, such as shewn in Figure 1,
Plate 1, can readily be understood from the following schedule shewing
the duty performed by each of the levers :-
Lever 1 actuates the distant signal of the up branch line III.
2
33
the distant signal of the up main line I.
3
the point of the up lines I. and III.
Lever 4 actuates the station or junction signal of the up branch III.
5
6
وو
"
وو
"
main line I.
down main line IT

page_text: Charm must be permitte
pass along the down
main the point lever Number 8 is locked in its normal position,
the points being right for the down branch, consequently if any train
was coming along the down line it would be turned into the down
branch.
Lever No. 2 (the distant signal of the up main line I.) when pulled
over to "safety" or the position shewn in the dotted lines, Figure 14,
locks the point lever No. 3 in its normal position, or that in which the
points are right for the main line, and while No. 3 is thus locked the
signal levers Nos. 1 and 4, Figure II., which actuate the up branch
signals are locked to danger. By opening the point lever No. 3 so as
to allow a train to pass along the "up branch the up and down main
signal levers are locked and the up branch signals unlocked, as before
explained. By opening No. 4, the station or junction signal of the
up branch,"
a similar action is effected as by that described for No. 1;
the distant signal for the same line of rails, No. 5 lever, being the station
signal of the up main line, also performs a similar locking to the distant
signal No. 2 of the same line of rails.
"
Lever No. 6. -The station signal of the down main line when pulled
over to the position shewn in the dotted lines, Figure 18, locks the point
lever No. 3 of the up line in its normal position, so that no train can
pass along the up branch, and also locks the point lever No. 8 in its
open position, or that position in which the points are "all right" for
the down main. No. 7, the station or junction signal of the down
branch line, when pulled over into the position shewn in the dotted
lines, Figure 15, locks the point lever No. 8 in its normal position, or
that position in which the points are right for the down branch, and
lever No. 8 when in its normal position and the points are right for the
down branch locks to "danger" the signal lever No. 6, which actuates
the signal for the down maine; but when pulled over into that position
shewn by the dotted lines, Figure 12, so that the points are right for the
down main, the signal lever No. 6 is free to move; but the distant signal
of the up branch No. 1, the station signal of the up branch No. 4, and
the station signal of the down branch No. 7 are all locked. It will
thus be seen that whichever way it is wished to allow a train to pass all
the other lines which could possibly interfere with its safe working are
blocked by the signals, the point levers actuating the signal levers, and

page_text: the signal levers again acting upon the point levers in such a manner
that is impossible to give a contradictory signal.
or
In Sheet 4, Figure 19 is a side elevation of frame, partly in section,
with one lever, and Figure 20 is a detached plan view of the locking
apparatus of Figure 19. In the detached plan three levers are shewn in
cross section, the centre lever being broken off above the connecting rod K
employed for sliding the locking plate back and forth; a staple or
L-shaped projection d from the sliding locking plate being used is
employed to enter into a notch in the tail end of the sliding bolt C, and
the side cheek or plate a of the lever handle A. Although only one sliding
plate D is shewn in Figure 20, several plates may be placed one above
another as may be required, only 3 such plates being shewn in side
elevation, Figure 19. In this case when the sliding plate D is actuated
by any lever and caused to move in the direction of the arrow the
L-shaped tongue d enters party into one of the grooves at C at the foot
of the spring catch rod B, and partly into the corresponding grooves in
the cheeks a, and by this means any strain thrown on the tongue d is
borne by these cheeks, which are firmly fixed to the lever A, and form
as it were a self-contained resistance to such upward straining of the
locking plates or bars. The notches at C in the tail portion of the
sliding bolt B upon the latter being raised are brought opposite to the
divisions left between the notches in the cheeks or side plates a fitted to
the hand levers, so that the L-shaped or hook projection d of the sliding
plate cannot enter thereinto.
^
Figure 21 is a side elevation (with the main framing in section) of a
somewhat similar arrangment of locking apparatus to that shewn in
Figures 19 and 20 so far as relates to the notched end C of the sliding
bolt B and the notched cheek plates a corresponding therewith fitted to
the side of the hand lever A, but in addition to the staple hook or
L-shaped projection d from the sliding locking bar D or horn piece X
is also shewn for the purpose of receiving the pendant end of a crank
arm K which is mounted upon a stud in a plate k fitted upon the side
of a hand lever A. This crank arm is set in motion by the sliding up
or down of the sliding bolt B. These two modifications are shewn in
Figure 22 in connection with the same sliding locking bar; the fol-
lowing being a more detailed description of the action of the apparatus
shewn in Figures 21 and 22:-K is a bell crank working on a fixed pin
fitted to a bracket which is bolted to the side of the hand lever A.

page_text: One arm of this bell crank is connected to the sliding bolt B, and the
other or pendant arm passes down between two lugs, horns, or ears x, x,
formed on or attached to the sliding bar D. When, therefore, the spring
catch B is raised in order to free the lever A the arm of the bell crank
attached thereto is also raised, and consequently the pendant arm
working between the lugs or horns x, x, is caused to move horizontally,
and the sliding bar D is moved along in the direction of the arrow, and
the L-shaped tongue D locks the corresponding levers. Should, however,
the spring catch B not be in its proper position the tongue will be
prevented from entering, consequently the sliding bar D cannot move,
and therefore the bell crank K is held in its normal position and locks
the lever to which it is connected.
Figure 23 is a detached plan of a somewhat similar arrangement to
that just described in Figures 21 and 22, the sliding bar D being
actuated by the spring catch B through the medium of the bell crank K,
but in this case instead of or in addition to the sliding bar D having
L-shaped pieces d two horns or lugs y, y, are so placed, one on each side
of any other lever, as shewn in the front (or it may be on a back slide,
(as in Figures 13, 16, 18, Sheet 3,) so as to perform a similar function
(when the lever is pulled over), so that the sliding bar D is prevented
from moving, and consequently the spring catch B is unable to move
the bell crank K to which it is attached, and therefore the lever A is
locked.
On reference to the several illustrations in the 4 Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, as also to the herein-before contained description
thereof, it will be clearly seen that the object sought to be accomplished
by this Invention is not to fix the sliding bolt or catch rod of some one
or more hand levers in the notch of the quadrant by or through the
movement of another hand lever whilst moving through the arc of a
circle, as such an action is only positive or effective at the end of the
stroke of the hand lever, and quite dormant and inoperative during any
portion of the travel of the hand lever, and as such would be quite
inadequate for the purpose of locking or securing the hand levers and
preventing the confliction of the signals with the points or signals with
signals.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and in the herein-before in part recited Specification set
forth the manner in which I prefer to put my said Invention into

page_text: practice, I wish it to be understood that no claim is made generally
for the addition to the vertical sliding bolt constituting an elongation
of the spring catch below the quadrant, or to any use of the spring catch
so elongated, except when used in combination as herein described, and
as claimed in the following claiming clauses; but what I claim is,
the modes or methods herein described of utilizing the movement of
the sliding bolts of the point and signal hand levers for the purpose of
effecting the necessary locking and unlocking action upon some one
or more sliding bolts of the levers or the levers themselves, either
irrespective of or in conjunction with the movement or motion of the
hand lever upon which the sliding bolt or catch rod then being operated
is mounted or fitted.
Also locking or unlocking by the movement of one sliding bolt, and
before moving the hand lever to which. it is attached, the sliding bolt or
bolts of some other hand lever or levers, or the hand levers themselves,
as herein-before described.
Also actuating the locking gear of railway point and signal apparatus
wholly or in part by the movement of the sliding bolt or vertically
sliding catch rod, prior to or independent of the motion or movement
of the hand lever to which it is attached, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Saxby, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
18, Danso
Adelphi, W.C.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Saxby and John Stinson
Farmer, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifteenth
day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty nine
JOHN SAXBY.
(L.S.)
JNO. S. FARMER. (L.S.)

page_text: This is the document referred to in our Petition to the Commissioners
of Patents for Inventions for leave to file a Disclaimer and Memorandum
of Alteration, and mentioned in the said Petition as being annexed
thereto.
10
mmissione
atents
entions.
I hereby grant my fiat, giving leave to the above-named John
Saxby and John Stinson Farmer to file in the Great Seal Patent Office,
with the Specification to which the same relates, the above written
Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration.
Temple,
R. P. COLLIER,
9th August 1869.
Attorney General.

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Saxby, of the Firm of Saxby and Farmer, of
Kilburn, Railway Signal Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR LOCKING
AND FOR ACTUATING OR SETTING IN MOTION THE LOCKING AND INTERLOCKING
GEAR USED OR INTENDED TO BE USED FOR REGULATING OR GOVERNING THE
ACTION AND MOVEMENT OF RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS IN RELATION TO
EACH OTHER."
Sealed the 24th December 1867, and dated the 20th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Saxby at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th July
1867.
I, JOHN SAXBY, of the Firm of Saxby and Farmer, of Kilburn, Railway
Signal Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR
LOCKING, AND FOR ACTUATING OR SETTING IN MOTION THE LOCKING AND INTER-
LOCKING GEAR USED OR INTENDED TO BE USED FOR REGULATING OR GOVERNING THE
ACTION AND MOVEMENT OF RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS IN RELATION TO EACH
OTHER," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in applying to the vertically sliding bolt or stop
usually fitted at the front or back of the hand lever or lever handle used or
employed for acting upon or moving railway points or the signal apparatus of

page_text: railways, an addition whereby or through which the point or signal lever is
secured or held in any prearranged position, whilst certain portions of the
locking or interlocking gear may be by the action of the operator's hand on
the lever of the sliding bolt acted upon so as to lock and unlock such portions
of the signal or point apparatus as should be locked or unlocked, and thus
this lever-locking apparatus may be employed in the double capacity of acting
upon or being. acted upon in turn by the main locking gear or apparatus
through the movement of the hand of the operator or signalman upon the
sliding bolt; and moreover any one sliding bolt, or a projection therefrom or
addition made thereto, may be made to lock or unlock another sliding bolt, or
the sliding bolts of any number of other lever handles or hand levers, and in
its turn be locked or set free by the movement of one or more sliding bolts as
may be pre-arranged according to any required combination of bolting and
unbolting of the levers, irrespective of, in combination with or in addition to,
the locking of the levers near to their respective fulcrums by means of any of
the sliding or vibrating bars or lock plates heretofore used.
For the purpose of applying my Invention to most of the well-known
arrangements of railway point and signal apparatus heretofore in use,
I prefer
to lengthen the sliding bolt, so as to continue it sufficiently low down upon
the hand lever as to command the locking apparatus, or to some point below
the quadrant which will admit most readily of the attachment or addition
thereto of the actuating piece or portion of the apparatus as hereafter
described; and in certain cases for some purposes such additional parts or
pieces may be added to the sliding bolt upon the hand lever above the
quadrant or notched rail, into which the sliding bolt is intended to take or
fasten. For the purpose of actuating the sliding or vibrating bars of locking
apparatus I prefer to attach to the sliding bolt a wedge-shaped plate, which
may work on a fixed stud attached to the framing of the apparatus, the move-
ment being vertical instead of horizontal; or instead of the wedge-shaped
plate I attach one arm of a bell crank carried by the hand lever, the other
arm being attached to (or acting upon) a horizontal sliding bar by means of a
long stud which permits of the travel of the hand lever, and this gives motion
to a bar when the sliding bolt is moved (or raised) in order to free the catchi
which holds the hand lever in its position. For some purposes I prefer
instead of the foregoing to attach to the sliding bolt of the hand lever a
notched or serrated plate, or a clip which may surround the hand lever, and
have a series of groves or notches at the back, front, and sides thereof, and
studs or projecting bosses may be fitted thereunto, and may be so applied that
vibrating bars moved by horizontal sliding bars shall move into or be received

page_text: by the grooves, notches, or studs, and thus the sliding bolt may be prevented
from moving or being moved so as to free the catch of the hand lever from
the notch in the qnadrant. A similar effect may be produced by the action of
the slides only, the slides having projections instead of being formed as before
described, so that upon certain levers being moved these slides shall pass into
the notches or between suitably disposed studs or pins or other projections
from the sliding bolt and hand lever, and so prevent the former from
being moved, and also retain the hand lever in its proper position. Instead
of either of the foregoing additions to the sliding bolt and band lever a
rocking shaft or shafts or one or more cranks may be fitted on to or fixed to the
front or back of the levers, and which rocking shafts or cranks shall be moved
both to and fro by means of and by direct and rigid connection with those
levers required to effect the locking of others, so that by having projections on
them which shall be brought into the notches, or above, below, or between
the studs of the sliding bolt and lever the sliding bolt will be prevented from
moving up or down, and thus lock the hand lever in the prearranged position,
and prevent its acting except some other movement is employed to set it free,
or unless it be acted upon by some other point or sigual connection by which
it is intended to be governed, or by the movement of some other sliding bolt,
either by or during the action of the operator's hand upon the sliding bolt, or
during the moving of the signal or point lever through the arc of a circle.
For the purpose of preventing the undue straining of the locking plates and
gear through the action of the operator's hand upon the sliding bolt I either
affix to the side of the lever handle a plate having notches therein corre-
sponding with those in the end of the sliding bolt (or the notched, slotted, or
other form of piece fitted thereto), or instead thereof I fit into the side or sides
of each hand lever a stud or studs corresponding with similar studs upon the
side of the sliding bolt, so that the vibrating or other bar or plate employed
for locking will be held between the studs. The levers may be forged to the
requisite shape or form with the required slots, grooves, or projections therein
or thereon.
By the present Invention I regulate the action upon the locking apparatus
through the movement either of the sliding bolt of the hand lever or of the
lever handles for working railway points or switches and the signals of rail-
ways; and I also cause the locking or interlocking apparatus to act upon and
secure the hand levers through or by means of the movement of the sliding
bolts of such hand levers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Saxby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SAXBY, of the Firm of Saxby and Farmer, of Kilburn, Railway Signal
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Saxby, Her special licence that I, the said John Saxby,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Saxby, 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
MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR LOCKING AND FOR
ACTUATING OR SETTING IN MOTION THE LOCKING AND INTERLOCKING GEAR USED OR
INTENDED TO BE USED FOR REGULATING OR GOVERNING THE ACTION AND MOVEMENT
OF RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Saxby, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 John Saxby, 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheets of
Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in applying to the vertically sliding bolt or stop
usually fitted at the front or back of the hand lever or lever handle used or
employed for acting upon or moving railway points and the signal apparatus
of railways an addition whereby or through which the point or signal lever is
secured or held in any prearranged position, whilst certain portions of the

page_text: locking or interlocking gear may by the action of the operator's hand on the
lever of the sliding bolt be acted upon so as to lock and unlock such portions of
the signal or point apparatus as should be locked or unlocked; thus this lever
locking apparatus may be employed in the double capacity of acting upon or
being acted upon in turn by the main locking gear or apparatus through the
movement of the hand of the operator or signalman upon any one of the
sliding bolts; and moreover any one sliding bolt or a projection therefro:n or
addition made thereto may be made to lock or unlock another sliding bolt, or
the sliding bolts of any number of other lever handles or hand levers, and in
its turn be locked or set free by the movement of one or more sliding bolts, as
may be prearranged according to any required combination of bolting and
unbolting of the levers, irrespective of, in combination with, or in addition to,
the locking of the levers near to their respective fulcrums by means of any of
the sliding or vibrating bars or lock plates heretofore used.
For the purpose of applying my Invention to most of the well-known
arrangements of railway point and signal apparatus heretofore in use I prefer
either to lengthen the sliding bolt so as to continue it sufficiently low down
upon the band lever as to command the locking apparatus, or to some point
below the quadrant which will admit most readily of the attachment or
addition thereto of the actuating piece or portion of the apparatus, as here-
after described, or to add or affix such extension and portion of the apparatus
to the front of the sliding bolt above the quadrant, or in some equally con-
venient mechanical manner to fit on to and fix such addition by bolting,
screwing, or coupling. In certain cases or for some purpose such additional
parts or pieces may be added to the sliding bolt upon the hand lever above
the quadrant or notched rail, into which the sliding bolt is intended to take or
fasten. For the purpose of actuating the sliding bars of locking apparatus I
prefer for some purposes to attach to the sliding bolt a wedge-shaped plate,
which may work on or against a bar vibrating on a fixed stud attached to the
framing of the apparatus, the movement of the wedge or bevilled plate being
in this case vertical instead of horizontal, as heretofore in main locking gear
constructed according to Inventions previously patented by me; or the
bevilled plate or wedge-shaped fitting upon the sliding bolt or catch rod may
upon the lever being moved from one position into another be made to act
upon either vibrating locking bars or longitudinally sliding plates or locks so
as to engage with or take into notches or slots therein, or studs, lugs, or other
form of projections therefrom, and thus the movement of the main hand lever
(signal or point) from one point of rest to another, and whilst acting upon or
giving motion to the corresponding point or signal (as the case may be) may

page_text: also act upon or give motion to some portion of the main locking gear as the
hand lever carries with it its sliding bolt, and the additional lock piece or
other fitting secured or fixed thereto. The main locking gear or apparatus or
the further additional locking gear for locking other sliding bolts or catch
rods can thus during the movement of the hand lever back and forth be called
into action, and the sliding up or down of the sliding bolt by the movement
of the spring catch of the hand lever may be caused to perform those functions
as well as the action upon other sliding bolts for the purpose of fastening them
or setting them free when their respective hand levers have been brought
to rest.
Instead of either of the modifications of the wedge-shaped plate heretofore
described I prefer for some purposes to attach a bell crank to the hand lever
by means of a stud plate or projecting lug, one arm of this bell crank being
connected to the sliding rod, the other arm being connected with or caused to
act upon a horizontal sliding bar by means of a long stud which permits of
the necessary travel of the hand lever, and thus gives motion to a bar when
the sliding bolt is moved (or raised) in order to free the catch which holds the
band lever in its position. For some other purposes I prefer instead of either
of the foregoing to attach to the sliding bolt of the hand lever a notched or
serrated plate, or a clip, which may surround the hand lever, and have a series
of groves or notches at the back, front, and sides thereof, and studs or pro-
jecting bosses may be fitted thereunto, and may be so applied that vibrating
bars moved by horizontally sliding bars shall move into or be received by the
groves, notches, or studs, and thus the sliding bolt may be prevented from
moving or being moved so as to free the catch of the hand lever from the
notch in the quadrant; but the said sliding bolt locking gear may be acted
upon for the purpose of releasing it or setting it free (and so permit of the
hand lever being moved back or forth) by the movement of any other sliding
bolt, or by the movement of more than one sliding bolt, or by the movement
of the main locking apparatus, either directly through the movement back or
forth of the hand lever, or indirectly during the movement back or forth of a
free hand lever, or during the time of such movement by the joint action of
the hand lever and the movement of the sliding bolt belonging thereto from
one position into some other, and thus a further combination of movements
for locking and unlocking can readily be produced in addition to and beyond
securing the band lever in either its forward, backward, or intermediate
position on the quadrant bar or frame of the signal apparatus. Similar
locking effects may be produced upon the attachment to the sliding bolt by the
action of the slides only, the slides having projections instead of being formed

page_text: as before described, so that upon certain levers being moved these slides shall
pass into the notches, or between suitably disposed studs or pius or other pro-
jections from the sliding bolt and hand lever, and so prevent the former being
moved, and also retain the band lever in its proper position. Instead of either
of the additions to the sliding bolt and hand lever herein-before described a
rocking shaft or shafts, or one or more cranks, may be fitted on to or fixed to
the front or back of the levers, and which rocking shafts or cranks shall be
moved both to and fro by means of and by direct and rigid connection, and
without the employment of balance weights) with those levers required to
effect the locking of others, so that by having projections on them which shall
be brought int the notches, or above, below, or between the studs of the
sliding bolt and lever the sliding bolt will be prevented from moving up or
down, and thus lock the hand lever in its proper positions and prevent its
acting, except some other movement is employed to set it free, or unless it be
acted upon by some other point or signal connection by which it is intended
to be governed, or by the movement of some other sliding bolt, either by or
during the action of the operator's hands upon the sliding bolt, or during the
moving of the signal or point lever through the arc of a circle, as herein-before
described. For the purpose of preventing the undue straining of the locking
plates and gear through the operation of the operator's band upon the spring
catch or handle of the sliding bolt I either affix to the lever handle a plate
or cheek (or there may be one on each side of the lever) having notches
therein corresponding with those in the end of the sliding bolt (or with the
notched, slotted, or other form of piece fitted thereto), or instead thereof I
fit into the side or sides of each hand lever a stud or studs corresponding with
similar studs or projections upon the side of the sliding bolt, so that the
vibrating or other bar or plate employed for locking will be held between
these studs or projections, and cannot be bent upward or strained. The
levers may be forged to the requisite shape or form with the required slots,
groves, or projections therein or thereon.
By the present Invention I regulate the action upon the locking apparatus
by or through the movement either of the sliding bolt, of the hand lever alone,
or of the lever handles and the sliding bolts jointly; and I also cause the
locking or interlocking apparatus in its turn to act upon and secure some of
the hand levers through or by means of the movement of the sliding bolts or
spring catch rods of some one or more of the hand levers.
In the four Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed I have shown locking
apparatus constructed according to the present Invention, and in each of the
views illustrating modifications in the details I bave shown attached to the

page_text: lower end of the sliding rod (or it may be a prolongation thereof) an addition
or extension to which is attached one of the mechanical appliances berein-
before described and as thereon shewn, and such mechanical contrivance or
apparatus may be screwed or otherwise attached to the sliding bolt at the end,
to the front, or to each side thereof, and either pass between the quadrant
bars or on each side of them, and may extend downward to the level of the
main locking apparatus, or below the main locking gear.
In Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a plan view to a small scale of a double main line
of railway showing a simple junction for a branch double line thereout of, i.e.,
a main up and down and a branch up and down line are there shown for the
purpose of illustrating the action or mode of working some one or more of
the modifications of locking apparatus herein-after described more in detail, and
illustrated in certain of the views in the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 2 (Sheet 1) is an elevation or back view (with the main framing in
section) of one hand lever (A) having fitted to the sliding bolt (b) thereof a
wedge or double bevilled plate (c); Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 2
shewing the same lever in two positions, by reference to which the arrange-
ment of the spring catch handle and the locking apparatus will be better
understood; the main framing is also shewn in section. Figure 4 is a plan
view of the same arrangement of locking apparatus intended to be operated
or brought into action by the movement of the sliding bolt.
In this plan a
cross section of three levers is shown, but (for the sake of clearness) one set
only of the vibrating bars has been shown, the notch in the vibrating bar
being intended to receive and allow to pass therethrough one bevilled edge
of the vertical sliding bevilled plate (c), whilst the vibrating bar in which no
notch is provided is caused to move out of the way of the bevilled plate or
wedge piece connected to the sliding bolt when it is raised, (or lowered as the
case may be), and the opposite bar is brought above the shoulder of the plate
and caused to lock the lever in the required position; the two vibrating bars
which are mounted at one end upon studs are kept parallel to each other and
in their proper positions by means of a traversing or logitudinally sliding bar
to which they are connected at the opposite end.
Figure 5 is an elevation or back view of a hand lever shewing the sliding
bolt and locking apparatus connected therewith, (K) being a right-angled
crank arm or bell crank mounted on a stud plate or lug (a) fixed to and pro-
jecting from one side of the hand lever. One end of the bell crank has a
slot hole in which a pin projects or is made to enter from the face of the
sliding rod or a continuation thereof, so that when the sliding rod is moved
up or down the bell crank is caused to move on its stud or centre, and the other

page_text: or pendent end of the bell crank is made to act upon, take into, or engage with
the sliding bar (D) by means of a projection therefrom (c), by which either
the spring catch of that lever may be secured or held fast, or the moving of
the spring catch handle of the hand lever preparatory to moving the hand lever
out of its normal position will through the movement of the longitudinally
sliding bar (D), in the direction shown by the arrow, interpose the shoulder
of a vibrating locking bar behind or in front of some other hand lever, or unto
the slot or groove of or between the projections from some other sliding bolt,
or the sliding bolt of some other lever handle, as will be readily understood
on reference to the plan view, Figure 6, where it will be seen that the motion
of the sliding bar D caused by the motion of the pendant arm of the bell
crank (K) in the direction of the arrow causes the shoulder of the vibrating
bar J to move behind its appropriate lever, which is thereby prevented from
moving. In Figure 5 the main framing is shewn partly in section.
Figure 7 (Sheet II.) is a side view showing two hand levers mounted in a
frame which may contain, as shown on the plan view, Figure 8, nine hand levers
as required for the purpose of working and protecting a simple junction; in
this view the lower part of the hand lever is surrounded with a sliding socket
or clip (C), which is shown with five bars and four grooves, and attached to
and forming a prolongation of the sliding bolt or catch rod (B) in any con-
venient manner, so that it is free to slide up and down on the hand lever.
Into the grooves or notches in the sliding socket (C), and either at the front,
back, or sides thereof, as hereafter explained, a hook or projection from a
rocking shaft, as in Figure 8, where two rocking shafts G and G¹ are con-
nected to the hand lever by means of rods (h), or as in Figure 9 where the
projection (d) from a longitudinally sliding bar (D) is made to take into the
front (or the back) of the sliding socket C, or a vibrating bar (F) is caused
to move into or out of a groove in the side of the sliding socket (C), or by
the movement of some other hand lever; the several parts of the said
Figures 7, 8, and 9 being respectively as follows:-C, the socket or clip free
to slide up and down the levers A, and converted to the spring catch B;
G, G, are the rocking shafts which are connected to the levers A, A, by means
of the rods h, h, so that the movement of the lever A causes a partial rotary
motion to be in parted to the rocking shafts G, G, and thus the hooks g, g,
are caused to enter the grooves formed in the sliding clips C, C, which is
prevented from moving, and consequently the catch rod B is held down in the
notch in the quadrant, and the lever A is locked whilst the sliding bolt or bolts
of some other levers are set free.
In Sheet 3, Figure 10 shows a side elevation of the frame containing

page_text: several levers, whilst Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 are plans of
the levers and locking apparatus by which the traffic in such a junction as
that shewn in Figure 1, Sheet 1, may be worked with safety. In this series
of illustrations several series of locking plates and apparatus which are shown
at different levels at Figure 10, as also the back locks as well as the front
locks, are arranged and shewn as separate or unconnected layers, so arranged
and displayed one above the other on the Sheet as to render them intelligible.
Here several modes of locking are shown, and the back and front locks, as in
Figures 13, 16, and 18, are shown as being connected and operated together
by means of the centrally pivoted lever or beam E; A1, A2, &c. are the signal
and point levers which actuate the sliding bars by means of bell cranks K to
which they are connected, as before explained in Figure 9, Sheet 2. Upon
the sliding bar D tongues, locking bits, or projections d', d³, etc. are formed in
such positions that the motion of the sliding bar D when actuated by any
particular hand lever causes projections to enter into the groove of the sliding
pieces C where requisite; as the sliding piece C is connected to the spring
catch B whenever the tongue d enters one of the grooves in C the spring catch
is prevented from rising, and thus that lever is locked.
In order to illustrate the method of working the points and signals in con-
junction with one another, as performed by this portion of my Invention, we
will take as an example a simple junction as shewn upon a small scale in
Figure 1, Plate 1, the point and signal levers belonging to which are shewn
in Figures 10 to 18 in Plate 8. In this case the levers Nos. 3 and 8 work
the points, and the levers 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 work the various signals
connected therewith; the lever No. 9 being the distant signal is unconnected
with the others. Upon referring to Figure 1, Plate 1, it will be seen that
the lines are numbered as follows, viz., I. is the up main line; II., the down
main; III., the up branch; and IV., down branch. When all the levers are
in their normal position, or that shewn in Figures 11 to 18, Plate 3, the
signals are at "danger," and the points are right for the "up main," and the
"down branch." Now as the points of the up main line worked by lever
No. 3 are in the proper position to allow of a train passing along the up main
line it is evident that the signals which affect the working of the up main
line Nos. 2 and 5, may be free to move to "safety," but that no signal
should be permitted to go to "safety" that affects the up branch line,
and consequently the levers Nos. 1 and 4 which work those signals are
locked by having the tongues & and d inserted in their respective grooves in
the sliding pieces C¹ and C, Figure 11, Plate 3. Again supposing the
signals 2 and 5, which as before mentioned are free to move, are placed at

page_text: safety "they each lock the point lever No. 8 in its normal position, i.e., its
proper position for a train to pass on the up main; these two motions will be
seen by referring to Figures 14 and 17 respectively; thus upon moving lever
No. 2, Figure 14, to the position shown in the dotted lines the sliding bar D
is caused to move in the direction of the arrow, and the tongue d³ is inserted
into one of the grooves in the sliding piece C³, which being connected to the
spring catch B prevents it from rising and consequently locks the lever as
before explained. In like manner the signal lever No. 5, Figure 17, when
pulled over to the position shewn in the dotted lines, causes the slide D to
which it is connected to travel in the direction of the arrow, and the lever
No. 3 is again locked in a similar manner to that just described. It will
thus be seen that when the points of the "up main" are in the proper position
for a train to pass along the line the "
up branch"
signals are locked to
danger," and the "up main" signals are free to move; and again when
the up main signals are moved to "safety," so as to allow a train to pass along,
the points (worked by lever No. 3) are locked or prevented from being opened
until after the train has passed and the signals returned to "danger." By
this illustration the entire working of a junction such as shewn in Figure 1,
Plate 1, can readily be understood from the following schedule sbewing the
duty performed by each of the levers :-
66
Lever 1 actuates the distant signal of the up branch line III.
2
"
the distant signal of the up main line I.
3
"
4
وو
the point of the up lines I. and III.
the station or junction signal of the up branch III.
5
"
"
"
6
"
"
"
7
دو
""
"
8
"
"
"
minin line I.
down main II.
down branch line IV.
9
"
points of the down lines II. and IV.
distant signal of the down lines II. and IV.
Now upon referring to Plate 3 it will be seen that when lever No. 1 (the
distant signal of the up branch line III.) is pulled over into the position shown
in the dotted lines, Figure 13, it locks the point lever No. 3 in its open
position, i.e., the safe position for the up branch; and as it is evident that
no train must be permitted to pass along the down main, the point lever
Number 8 is locked in its normal position, the points being right for the
down branch, cousequently if any train was coming along the down line it
would be turned into the down branch.
Lever Number 2 (the distant signal of the up main line I.) when pulled
over to "safety," or the position shown in the dotted lines, Figure 14 locks the

page_text: point lever No. 3 in its normal position, or that in which the points are right
for the main line; and while No. 3 is thus locked the signal levers Nos. 1
and 4, Figure 11, which actuate the up branch signals are locked to danger.
By opening the point lever No. 3 so as to allow a train to pass along the "up
branch"the up and down main signal levers are locked and the up branch
signals unlocked as before explained. By opening No. 4 the station or
junction signal of the "up branch," a similar action is effected as by that
described for No. 1, the distant signal for the same line of rails, No. 5 lever,
being the station signal of the up main line also performs a similar locking to
the distant signal, No. 2, of the same line of rails.
Lever No. 6. The station signal of the down main line, when pulled over to
the position shewu in the dotted lines Figure 18, locks the point lever No. 3
of the up line in its norual position so that no train can pass along the up
branch, and also locks the point lever No. 8 in its open position, or that
position in which the points are "all right" for the down main. No. 7, the
station or junction signal of the down branch line, when pulled over into the
position shewn in the dotted lines, Figure 15, locks the point lever No. 8 in
its normal position, or that position in which the points are right for the down
branch; and lever No. 8, when in its normal position and the points are right
for the down branch, locks to "danger" the signal lever No. 6, which actuates
the signal for the down main, but when pulled over into that position shewn
by the dotted lines, Figure 12, so that the points are right for the down main,
the signal lever No. 6 is free to move, but the distant signal of the up branch
No. 1, the station signal of the up branch No. 4, and the station signal of the
down branch No. 7, are all locked. It will thus be seen that whichever way
it is wished to allow a train to pass all the other lines which could possibly
interfere with its safe working are blocked by the signals, the point levers
actuating the signal levers, and the signal levers again acting upon the point
levers, in such a manner that it is impossible to give a contradictory signal.
In Sheet 4, Figure 19 is a side elevation of frame, partly in section, with
one lever; and Figure 20 is a detached plan view of the locking apparatus
of Figure 19. In the detached plan three levers are shown in cross section,
the centre lever being broken off above the connecting rod K employed for
sliding the locking plate back and forth. A staple or L-shaped projection d
from the sliding locking plate being used or employed to enter into a notch in
the tail end of the sliding bolt C and the side cheek or plate a of the lever
handle A. Although only one sliding plate D is shewn in Figure 20, several
plates may be placed one above another, as may be required, only 3 such
plates being shown in side elevation, Figure 19.
In this case when the sliding

page_text: plate D is actuated by any lever and caused to move in the direction of the
arrow the L-shaped tongue d enters partly into one of the grooves at C, at
the foot of the spring catch rod B, and partly into the corresponding grooves
in the cheeks a, and by this means any strain thrown on the tongue dis borne
by these cheeks, which are firmly fixed to the lever A, and form as it were a
self-contained resistance to such upward straining of the locking plates or bars.
The notches at C in the tail portion of the sliding bolt B, upon the latter
being raised are brought opposite to the divisions left between the notches in
the cheeks or side plates a fitted to the hand levers, so that the L-shaped or
hook projection d of the sliding plate caunot enter thereinto.
Figure 21 is a side elevation (with the main framing in section) of a some-
what similar arrangement of locking apparatus to that shewn in Figures 19 and
20, so far as relates to the notched end C of the sliding bolt B, and the notched
cheek plates a corresponding therewith, fitted to the side of the hand lever A,
but in addition to the staple hook or L-shaped projection d from the sliding
locking bar D a horn piece X is also shewn for the purpose of receiving the
pendant end of a crank arm K, which is mounted upon a stud in a plate k,
fitted upon the side of a hand lever A. This crank arm is set in motion by
the sliding up or down of the sliding bolt B. These two modifications are
shown in Figure 22 in connection with the same sliding locking bar. The
following being a more detailed description of the action of the apparatus
shewn in Figures 21 and 22. K is a bell crank working on a fixed pin l,
fitted to a bracket k, which is bolted to the side of the hand lever A. One
arm of this bell crank is connected to the sliding bolt B, and the other or
pendant arm passes down between two lugs, horns, or ears x, x, formed on
or attached to the sliding bar D. When therefore the spring catch B is raised
in order to free the lever A the arm of the bell crank attached thereto is also
raised, and consequently the pendant arm working between the lugs or
horns X, X, is caused to move horizontally, and the sliding bar D is moved
along in the direction of the arrow, and the L-shaped tongue D locks the cor-
responding levers. Should however the spring catch B not be in its proper
position the tongue will be prevented from entering, consequently the sliding
bar D cannot move, and therefore the bell crank K is held in its normal
position, and locks the lever to which it is connected.
Figure 23 is a detached plan of a somewhat similar arrangement to that just
described in Figures 21 and 22, the sliding bar D being actuated by the spring
catch B through the medium of the bell crank K, but in this case instead of or in
addition to the sliding bar D having L-shaped pieces d two horns or lugs y, y,
are so placed one on each side of any other lever, as shewn in the front, (or

page_text: it may be on a back slide (as in Figures 13, 16, 18, Sheet 3,) so as to perform
a similar function (when the lever is pulled over), so that the sliding lever D
is prevented from moving, and consequently the spring catch B is unable to
move the bell crank K to which it is attached, and therefore the lever A is
·locked.
On reference to the several Illustrations in the 4 Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, as also to the berein-before contained description thereof,
it will be clearly seen that the object sought to be accomplished by this Inven-
tion is not simply to fix the sliding bolt or catch rod of some one or more hand
levers in the notch of the quadrant by or through the movement of another
hand lever whilst moving through the arc of a circle, as such an action is only
positive or effective at the end of the stroke of the hand lever, and quite
dormant and inoperative during any portion of the travel of the hand lever,
and, as such, would be quite inadequate for the purpose of locking or securing
the hand levers, and preventing the confliction of the signals with the points,
or signals with signals.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in the herein-before in part recited Specification set forth the
manner in which I prefer to put my said Invention into practice, I wish it
to be understood that what I claim is,-
First, the mechanical contrivances and apparatus herein described for
locking and for actuating or setting in motion the locking and interlocking
gear used or employed for regulating or governing the action and movement
of railway points and signals in relation to each other.
Second, the mechanical contrivances and apparatus herein-before described,
and as illustrated in Figures 2 to 23 inclusive, for locking and unlocking the
lever handles of apparatus employed for working and controlling railway points
and signals.
Third, the modes or methods herein described of utilizing the movement of
the sliding bolts of the point and signal hand levers for the purpose of effecting
the necessary locking and unlocking action upon some one or more sliding
bolts of the levers, or the levers themselves, either irrespective of or in con-
junction with the movement or motion of the hand lever upon which the
sliding bolt or catch rod then being operated is mounted or fitted.
Fourth, the modes or methods herein-before described and illustrated in the
several Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed of mechanically securing for a
time such of the band levers of point and signal apparatus as should be held
or secured, whilst also in like manner and at the same time setting free some
other lever or levers which should be set free for rendering them capable of

page_text: having their position changed when necessary for the purpose of working with
perfect safety the traffic through junctions and into and out of stations and
sidings.
Fifth, locking or unlocking by the movement of one sliding bolt, and before
moving the hand lever, to which it is attached the sliding bolt or bolts of some
other hand lever or levers, or the hand levers themselves, as herein-before
described.
Sixth, actuating the locking gear of railway point and signal apparatus,
wholly or in part by the movement of the sliding bolt or vertically sliding catch
rod, prior to or independent of the motion or movement of the hand lever to
which it is attached, as herein-before described.
Seventh, the use or employment of the several mechanical contrivances
and connections herein-before described, and the mechanical equivalents for the
same, introduced and applied between the spring catch of railway point and
signal hand levers, and the main locking gear for the purpose of locking by
the movement of the main locking gear, or some projection from or addition
thereto, the sliding bolt or spring catch of railway point and signal levers, as
herein-before described.
Eighth, locking the sliding bolts of railway point and signal hand levers by
means of connections or fittings applied or added to the spring catch or sliding
bolt thereof, and to the sliding or vibrating locking apparatus, and preventing
some part of the main locking apparatus in connection therewith being moved
through the interposition of some other lever or levers, and so holding or
retaining in him the sliding bolt, and also the hand lever to which it is
fitted, as berein described, and more particularly as illustrated by Figure 23
in the 4th Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Saxby, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
W. H. SMITH,
18, Salisbury Street,
Adelphi, W.C.
JOHN SAXBY. (L.S.)