Improvements in Locking and Detecting Apparatus for Railway Points and Signals.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1891-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locking and Detecting Apparatus for Railway
Points and Signals.
We JOHN PATRICK O'DONNELL of 2 Great George Street, Westminster in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, WILLIAM SMITH of 8 Geneva Road,
Brixton in the County of Surrey, Engineer, and ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of
2 Great George Street, Westminster in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to certain improvements in locking and detecting the
switch points of railways.
It is usual at a pair of passenger facing points on a railway to provide means for
detecting any fracture in the rod or breakage in the rod working the facing points
and in many cases the rod working the facing point lock, so that unless the points
are properly home and locked in that position the respective signal cannot be given
"All clear."
It is further usual to run the wires from the signal box through apparatus at the
facing points themselves and back to the signals as the means of detection.
Other means of detection consist in employing return rods from the facing points
and facing point lock to the signal cabin and there interlocking with the signal
levers or crossing the signal connections on the ground.
With our invention however we propose to set apart a separate lever in the
signal box for every pair of facing points in a signalling scheme; the normal
position of the said lever would be midway and the rod from it would run to the
facing points and there cross prolongations of the stretcher bar of the switch points
and the connection from the plunger (and if necessary the bar) and would inter-
lock and detect at that spot by any of the known means; for instance suitable
notches could be provided in the rod worked by the separate lever which we
call a detecting lever, at the points so that unless the points were properly home
and the plunger inserted in the stretcher, the lever, which would say move from
its middle norinal position back to release the main line signal, could not be
operated unless the points were set for the main and the points locked for the
main; again the said lever could not be moved from the middle position forward
unless the points were set for the branch and locked for the branch, the detecting
rod having a push and a pull movement, the said lever would according to its
position in the interlocking apparatus lock and release the main and branch stop
signals and the main and branch distant signals.
It is obvious that although we have given preference to one lever working
from the middle position both backwards and forwards yet we do not debar our-
selves from using two levers operating a sway beam, one rod from the said sway
beam being continued to the switch points and there performing the requisite
detecting with the points and facing point locks, the remaining connections in this
case to the sway beam being from its end to the two levers, the movement of the
whole operating, that the movement of one lever gives a push on the rod and the
movement of the other a pull.
Dated this 8th day of October 1890.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
Agent for the said Applicants

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locking and Detecting Apparatus for Railway
Points and Signals.
We, JOHN PATRICK O'DONNELL of 2 Great George Street, Westminster in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, WILLIAM SMITH of 8 Geneva Road,
Brixton in the County of Surrey, Engineer, and ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of
2 Great George Street, Westminster in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Our invention relates to certain improvements in locking and detecting the switch
points of railways.
It is usual at a pair of passenger facing points on a railway to provide means for
detecting any fracture in the rod or breakage in the rod working the facing points
and in many cases the rod working the facing point lock, and further if desirable
the rod working the locking bar, so that unless the points are properly home and
locked in that position and the locking bar also operated the respective signal
cannot be given "All clear."
It is further usual to run the wires from the operating levers in the signal box to
apparatus fixed at the facing points and back to the signals as a means of detection
provided of course that the signal cabin intervenes between the signal and the
points. If the signal or signals should be beyond the points then it is obvious that
the wires will not return but continue in the same line to the signals. Other
means of detection consist in employing return rods from the facing points and
facing point locks and bars if necessary, to the signal cabin and there interlocking
with the signal levers or crossing the signal connections adjacent to the cabin.
With our invention we propose to set apart a separate lever in the signal box for
every pair of facing points in a signalling scheme; the normal position of the said
lever would be midway in the segment and the rod from it would run from
the facing points on suitable supports or rollers and there cross prolongations
of the stretcher bar or separate connections from each tongue of the switch
points, also cross the connection from the plunger, and if necessary the connection
from the locking bar, and would interlock and detect at that spot by any of the
known means.
Suitable notches could be provided in the rod worked by the separate lever
which we will call a detecting lever, at the points, so that unless the points are
properly home and the plunger inserted in the stretcher bar, and the locking bar
correctly operated, the lever which would say move from its middle normal
position backwards to release the main line signal could not be so operated unless
the points were set for the main and the points locked and the bar worked for the main.
Again the said lever could not be moved from the middle position forward unless
protection were given, that is to say, the points properly home, the points properly
locked and the locking bar operated.
The detecting rod actuated by the separate lever has a push and pull movement
and the said lever would according to its position in the interlocking apparatus
lock and release the main and branch stop signals and the main and branch distant
signals according as the points were set for the main or branch. It is obvious that
the locking would be provided in the signal cabin so that apart from the detection
on the ground the lever which would say move backward for the main could
not so move backward unless the point lever was in its proper position for the main
and it could not move forward unless the point lever was in the proper position for
the branch.
It is obvious that although we have given preference to one lever working from
the middle position both backwards and forwards yet we do not debar ourselves

page_text: from using two levers operating a sway beam, one rod from the said sway beam
being continued to say the main detecting lever and the other rod to the branch
detecting lever the detecting rod running from the middle underside of the sway
beam to the detecting box at the points, the movement of the whole operating that
one lever gives a push on the rod and the other a pull.
Finally we also arrange that if economy of levers is desirable or from any known
cause or wish that in either of the applications hereinbefore referred to, that is to
say where one lever is provided working to two positions or where two levers are
provided operating to the one forward position (in the latter a dual action takes
place through a sway beam) that we may operate the stop signal or junction signals
themselves through the same levers which we have described in this invention as
actuating the detecting rod, that is to say, take the single lever working backwards
and forwards, two tails would be arranged on the lever and as the lever is moved
forward detecting the points for the main the wire would be connected to the
opposite tail of the lever and by the same movement might if desirable actuate the
main signal, and again when this said lever is moved forward for the branch,
the branch signal would be connected to its opposite tail and the branch signal
would be operated.
Arrangements might be provided at the detecting box at the points by which
although the action is supposed to be simultaneous both on the detecting rod and
on the signal wire referring to the one direction, say the main, yet the signal itself
could not be operated until say two inches of the movement has taken place of the
detecting slide across the notched blades connected to the points, point lock,
and bar.
In order that our invention may be better understood and readily carried into
effect we will describe the drawing hereto annexed :--
Figure 1 is the only figure.
In this figure, a is the actuating lever in the signal box which we call the
detecting lever. It is in a normal middle position and operates forward to the
e position detecting for the branch and backward to the position detecting for
the main. dare the usual crank and rod connections to the detecting blade e and
e is the detecting blade; is the detecting blade connected to the stretcher bar of
the switch points; is the detecting blade connected to the plunger locking the
points, and is the detecting blade connected to the locking bar. In reference to
the latter it will be observed that should the connection to the locking bar itself
fail but the connection to the plunger itself work correctly, that as the actuating
rod connected to the locking bar performs its action the locking bar does not
operate any of the connections attached to it, that unless the bar so works the
detecting lever could not be operated and the signal for the direction intended to
be given could not be given "All clear." jis the detecting box; k is the stretcher
bar of the switch points; is the plunger locking the points; m is the locking
bar.
The action briefly is as follows:-
In the drawing the points lie normally right for the left hand direction which we
will assume is the main. The lever cannot be moved forward, which is for the
branch but can be moved backward. The notch in the blade connected to the
stretcher bark should be opposite to the blade e of the rod, as far as the blade is
concerned for a free passage, backlocking it after the blade e has been worked.
The points are assumed to be normally unlocked; it is therefore necessary that the
usual facing point lock lever connected to and working the connections marked n,
should be operated so that the plunger is inserted through the stretcher and the
detecting slide y operated so that the notch which is normally foul of e should be
worked to be opposite to it also allowing a free passage. The same remark applies
to the working of the bar so that the movement of the bar through the crank
should operate the connecting slide so that its notch which is also normally foul
of the blade e should be moved into a position to allow a free travel of e which is
operated through the connections d and it passes through the three notches now

page_text: opposite each other, in the three blades f, g, and h, backlocks these three and
allows the signal for the main to be given. Similarly if the points are reversed
the detecting slide is moved with them and another notch, which cannot be a
fouling notch, is moved also opposite the blade e. The same movement of the
point lock lever therefore operates the plunger 7, the bar m, and the detecting
slides g and and takes place in a similar manner with reference to the
branch as described with reference to the main. After these have been operated
correctly the lever a can be moved to e position and the branch signal given
" All clear."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. In railway signalling apparatus arrangements such as described substantially
in the Specification and illustrated in the drawing, for detecting the movements of
switch points, their plungers, and locking bars by the action of a separate lever
and its connecting rods and slide.
2. In apparatus for railway signalling the employment of a separate and distinct
lever working to two positions (backwards or forwards) for the purposes of
detecting the action of switch points, their plungers and locking bars, in com-
bination or separately.
3. In railway signalling apparatus the employment of one lever working in the
usual manner, for detecting one position of the switch points, the locking bar and
the plunger, for the main, and a similar lever with similar appliances for detecting
the branch, substantially as described.
4. In railway signalling the combination of apparatus for detecting the action of
switch points, their plungers, and locking bars, and for operating signals in con-
nection therewith, substantially in the manner herein described.
Dated Gifs on day of my
ICOL
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2, Great George Street, Westminster, London, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicants.