Improvements relating to Locking Signals and Points of Railways.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 3rd July, 1891--Accepted, 8th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Locking Signals and Points of Railways.
We JESSE DRAGE, of Ash Cottage, Eastleigh, near Southampton, Civil
Engineer, EDGAR WILLIAM VERRINDER, of Holly Lodge, St. John's Hill,
New Wandsworth, S.W., Traffic Superintendent, and JAMES PHILIP ANNETT,
of The Elms, Eastleigh, near Southampton, Signal Superintendent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
:-
The object of this invention is to provide for detecting the positions of the
facing points and facing point locks on railways, and the invention consists in a
novel arrangement of parts whereby not only this object is effected, but the locking
of the points is also attained.
In carrying out this invention, we make use of the arrangement of signal and
point lock apparatus described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to us,
dated 31st May 1888, No. 7967, more particularly with reference to Figs. 10 and 11
of the drawings, in which the notches on two separate bars in connection with the
respective switches, had to coincide, in order that certain operations could be
performed; and we combine with this apparatus a rock shaft set at right angles to
the rails, and arranged so as to work by means of arms, when moved in one
direction, a plunger or plungers of the facing point lock, the locking bar or bars,
and also to free detecting blades, or their equivalent, which work in the aforesaid
notched bars, so that the signal may be lowered. When this rock shaft is moved
in the opposite direction, the detecting blades will be returned to their normal
position.
The connection between this rock shaft and the signal and point lock apparatus,
will be by means of a slotted plate connected to one arm on the shaft, and sliding
on the top of the signal and point lock apparatus, and through the slot of which
the levers to actuate the detecting blades work.
The detecting blades are connected by rods to the signal levers, while their levers
are connected to the same levers by wires.
The rock shaft is connected by a rod to a lever in the signal box in the usual
manner.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1890.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Locking Signals and Points of Railways.
We JESSE DRAGE, of Ash Cottage, Eastleigh, near Southampton, Civil
Engineer, EDGAR WILLIAM VERRINDER, of Holly Lodge, St. John's Hill,
New Wandsworth, S.W., Traffic Superintendent, and JAMES PHILIP ANNETT,
of The Elms, Eastleigh, near Southampton, Signal Superintendent, 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:-
The object of this invention is to provide for detecting the positions of the
facing points and facing point locks on railways, and the invention consists in a
novel arrangement of parts whereby not only this object is effected, but the locking
of the points is also attained.
In carrying out this invention, we make use of an arrangement of signal and

page_text: point lock apparatus similar to that described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to us dated 31st May 1888, No. 7967, with reference to
Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawings, in which notches on two separate sliding bars
in connection with the respective switches, had to coincide, to receive feathers or
blades or other sliding bars, in order that certain operations could be performed,
and we combine with this apparatus a slotted sliding plate, a facing point lock
plunger or plungers, a safety-bar or bars, and, at right angles to the rails, a rock
shaft suitably connected with the above named parts, and actuated by a rod from
the signal cabin.
The rocking of the shaft in one direction serves to lock the points, push over the
safety bar, and shift the sliding plate, so as to release the sliding bars carrying the
feathers or blades, or their equivalent (hereafter termed detecting blades), which
work in the aforesaid notched bars, and permit the signal to be lowered.
The rocking of the shaft in the opposite direction will unlock the points, pull
back the safety bar, and draw back the sliding plate. The detecting blades will
then be returned to their normal position out of the notches, the danger signal will
be raised and locked, the notched bars will be released, and the points free to
move.
Through the slot in the plate sliding on the top of the detecting apparatus,
levers to actuate the detecting blades work, and until this plate is moved, the levers
cannot be operated.
The detecting blades are connected by rods or wires to the signal levers, and the
blade-actuating levers are also connected to the signal levers by wires or rods, as
may be found most convenient.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of so much of the permanent way as will be necessary
to explain our invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the detecting mechanism, and
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same.
A represents the main line, and A' the main line switch. B represents the branch
line, and B the branch line switch. The switches A¹ and B are connected
together by the spacing bar C, formed with slots to receive the plunger or locking
bolt of the point-lock apparatus D. The points will be moved in the usual manner
by a separate lever (not shewn). E is the safety bar. The above named parts
are well known, and are of the ordinary construction.
F is a rock shaft arranged transversely of the line, and actuated, through an arm
keyed thereon, from the signal cabin, by means of the facing-point lock-lever with
which it is connected by a rod a. Connected with arms of the same rock shaft E,
are the plunger of the point locking apparatus D, and the safety bar E.
The detecting mechanism, the general construction of which is similar to the
signal and point lock apparatus described in our former Patent above referred to,
consists of a box G, provided with bearings for the pivots of levers H. The cover
of the box is formed of a slotted plate G¹, sliding in suitable guides, and actuated
by means of a rod b, connected with an arm of the rock shaft F. I I are slotted
bars sliding longitudinally of the box G, and provided on their under sides with
feathers or blades I¹ of different sizes and depths (see Fig. 3). These bars are
connected by rods c d respectively with the main and branch signal levers.
с
The levers H are also connected with the signal levers by wires or rods c¹, d',
and with the signals by the rods or wires c2d2.
The switch A is provided with a bar A2, and the switch B¹ with a bar B².
The end of each of these bars is flattened, and is formed with different sized notches,
corresponding to the size and depth of the feathers or blades I' on the bars I, and
both bars A2 B2 pass side by side transversely through the box G. When the
same sized notches in the two bars A2 B2 coincide, the corresponding blades I¹ can
pass through them.
These notches can only coincide when the connection between the two switches
is perfect. If, from any cause, the spacing bar C becomes disconnected from either

page_text: switch, the notched bars A2 B2 will not move together, and consequently the notches
will not coincide. The signal-man therefore will not be able to get his levers over,
and he will thus detect that something is wrong with the points, and he will not be
able to pull off the signals.
The action of the apparatus will be as follows:-Assuming the point's connections
are sound, and the signalman wishes to continue a train on the main line, he will
set his points as shewn in the drawing, by means of his point lever. He will next
pull on his facing-point lock lever, which, through the rod a and rock shaft F, will
throw the plunger D into a slot, to lock the points in that position; will slide the
plate G forward, and thereby release the levers H of the detecting apparatus; and
will push over the safety bar E. He will then pull on his main signal lever, and the
notches of the bars A2 B2 coinciding, and being in line with the detecting blade of
the main signal, he will be able to pull over his lever, and pull off the main signal,
so that the train can proceed. When the train has passed, the signal can be raised
without unlocking the points, by reason of the length of the slots in the sliding
plate G¹.
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. The arrangement of locking and detecting mechanisms as herein shown and
described.
2. The combination of a point lock plunger D, a rock shaft F, and safety bar E,
with the sliding plate G¹ of the detecting mechanism, as and for the purpose set
forth.
3. The combination, in the detecting device, of the levers H, the detecting blade
bars I, the notched bars A2, B2, with the sliding locking plate G¹, all substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1891.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.