IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING GATES ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Silas Paul Baker, Timber Merchant, of Whitton,
near Hounslow, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING GATES ON
RAILWAYS."
Scaled the 6th September 1870, and dated the 28th March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Silas Paul Baker
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th March 1870.
I, SILAS PAUL BAKER, Timber Merchant, of Whitton, near Houn-
slow, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOCKING AND
UNLOCKING GATES ON RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
locking and unlocking gates on railways. For this purpose I arrange
by the side of the line of railway a treadle bar in such a position that
a train in passing along the line shall depress the treadle and shall in
so doing act through suitable levers or instruments on a rod or wire

page_text: passing to the gate to be locked and unlocked, where it gives motion
to a locking plate or bolt, which in one position allows the gate to work
freely, and in another locks it fast, a train then in approaching the gate
comes on the treadle and so moves the locking plate or bolt as to fasten
the gate to prevent persons entering upon the line. When the train has
passed the gate it acts on a second treadle which again moves the locking
plate or bolt and sets the gate free. Or by a simple arrangement the
gate may be unlocked after a short measured interval of time after
locking. This may be effected for example, by coupling the locking
plate or bolt with a weighted piston working in a cylinder containing
liquid. When the gate is locked by moving the locking plate or bolt,
the piston is simultaneously raised, the liquid passing it by a valve.
The weighted piston when it again descends withdraws the locking
plate or bolt, but its descent is retarded by the liquid, which can only
pass the piston in this direction by a small passage provided for the
purpose, and so by regulating the size of this passage any desired interval
of time can be insured between the locking and unlocking of the
gate.
Similar arrangements are provided in connection with cach of the
lines of rails so that the gate may be locked whenever there is a train
approaching in either direction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Silas Paul Baker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SILAS PAUL 2
BAKER, Timber Merchant, of Whitton, near Hounslow, in the County
of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty- 3
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Silas Paul Baker, Her special licence
that I, the said Silas Paul Baker, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Silas Paul Baker, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and 3

page_text: 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 APPARATUS FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING GATES ON RAILWAYS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Silas Paul 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 Silas Paul Baker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
locking and unlocking gates on railways. For this purpose I arrange
by the side of the line of railway a treadle bar, in such a position that
a train in passing along the line shall depress the treadle, and shall in
so doing act through suitable levers or instruments on a rod or wire
passing to the gate to be locked and unlocked. Where it gives motion
to a locking plate or bolt which in one position allows the gate to work
freely and in another locks it fast, a train then in approaching the gate
comes on the treadle, and so moves the locking plate or bolt as to fasten
the gate to prevent persons entering upon the line. When the train
has passed the gate it acts on a second treadle, which again moves the
locking plate or bolt and sets the gate free. Or by a simple arrange-
ment the gate may be unlocked after a short measured interval of
time after locking. This may be effected for example by coupling the
locking plate or bolt with a weighted piston working in a cylinder con-
taining liquid. When the gate is locked, by moving the locking plate
or bolt the piston is simultaneously raised, the liquid passing it by a
valve. The weighted piston when it again descends withdraws the
locking plate or bolt, but its descent is retarded by the liquid, which
can only pass the piston in this direction by a small passage provided
for the purpose, and so by regulating the size of this passage any desired
interval of time can be ensured between the locking and unlocking of

page_text: the gate. Similar arrangements are provided in connection with cach
of the lines of rails, so that the gate may be locked whenever there is a
train approaching in either direction.
Figure 1 shows a diagram view of the manner in which I prefer to
arrange the apparatus; Figure 2 is a transverse section taken at the
line A, B, Figure 1. In these Figures a is the central axis of a
turnstile gate; b, a ratchet wheel on the lower end thercof; c is a
corresponding wheel, which can be raised up to engage with and lock
the wheel to prevent its turning in one direction, or can be lowered to
disengage it therefrom, and allow it to turn in both directions. This
wheel has fast with it a plate d, the ends of which embrace the fixed
rods d', these rods form guides to keep the wheel c in position, and also
prevent its turning round, so that whenever the wheel c is raised to
engage with the wheel the turnstile is locked and prevented from
turning in a direction to prevent any one passing on to the line, but the
gate is always free to turn in a direction to allow persons to pass off the
linc. e, e, are treadle levers placed at any desired distance along the
line from the gate, say about 500 yards, these levers are placed close up
to one of each pair of rails and stand up as shown level with the line
of rails; this line is marked x, x. When a train as it approaches the
gate passes over the lino where these levers are situated the levers
are depressed by the flanges of the wheels passing over them, and
a lever which is linked to them is also simultaneously depressed.
To the end of this lever is attached a chain or wire cord; this chain
or cord is led over a roller k, and is attached to a rod which is carried
on guide rollers, and at its end has attached to it a chain which
is passed around and attached to one or other of the shafts h; onc
of these shafts is for the locking apparatus connected with the up line,
and the other for the locking apparatus connected with the down line.
When the lever g is depressed by the passage of a train over the treadle
leverse the chain attached to its end is drawn downwards over the
roller; the axis his thus caused to make a half revolution, and a cam
or eccentric at its end is then brought round into such a position that

page_text: the end of a weighted lever m which rests upon it is lowered whilst the
opposite end of this lever raises the wheel c and locks the turnstile to
prevent its turning in a direction to allow any person to pass on to the
line. When the train has passed beyond the gate it acts upon other
treadle levers e* which by a lever g and chain or cord and rod connected
therewith turn back the axis to its former position, and so allow the
locking wheel c to descend and the turnstile again to turn in both
directions. A similar arrangement of treadle levers and wires or cords
The wires or
is provided both for the up line and for the down line.
cords for the up line are connected to one of the axes h whilst the
wires or cords for the down line are connected with the other axis, so
that whenever a train is approaching the gate from either direction the
gate will be locked and prevented from turning, and similarly unlocked
after the train has passed the gate. In cases where the shunting of
trains has to be provided for the locking of the gate may be effected by
treadle levers, as above described, and the unlocking effected by a
counterbalance weight after the train has passed the levers; two sets of
treadle levers placed at a short distance from one another and connected
to the same wire or chain, may in this case be employed so that as a
train is passing over the treadle levers one or other of the levers may
be kept held down by the wheels of the train. In the case of a single
line of rails treadle levers for locking the gate may be placed at any
desired distance along the line on each side of the gate and beyond these
other treadle levers for again unlocking the gate after the passage of a
train.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner in
which I prefer to carry the same into effect, I would have it understood
that what I claim is, the combinations or arrangements of apparatus
herein described for locking and unlocking railway gates.
In witness whereof I, the said Silas Paul Baker, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty-seventh day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
SILAS PAUL BAKER. (L.S.)