IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS FOR LOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS AND POINTS
Year: 1884

page_text: We STANLEY CHARLES CUTHBERT CURRIE of Clarges Street Piccadilly W.,
Gentleman and ILLUIS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of N° 2 Great George Street
Westminster S.W., Civil Engineer both in the County of Middlesex do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS FOR
LOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS AND POINTS to be as follows:-
The objects of our Invention are to provide simple safe and economical means
by which railway signals (whether semaphore arms or ground lamps or other
shape) and points can be locked.
With these objects in view we take any ordinary distant signal post and signal
arm as shown in Figures 1 and 2 in the accompanying Drawings. The Drawings
illustrate the signal arm worked electrically by means of the magnet M but any
other means may be employed to work it, such for instance as the ordinary manual
power or pneumatic power. Figure 1 represents the signal arm a at danger fixed
on the spindle b and actuated by the crank which is connected with the bell
crank by the rod q at the centres c and d. The bell crank t revolves upon the
centre g and the centre e at the other extremity of the bell crank is on the line l, m.
This centre e is connected to the centre i by the rod p and the centre i is
connected to the spindle h by the lever arm x which is fastened to and revolves
with the spindle h. The spindle his supported by the bracket j and on it and
revolving with it are the lever arm x and disc o. This disc may be substituted by
a bell crank or other, arrangement. There is a chain or wire or rope u fastened
to the disc o and wound partially round it and the other end of the chain or wire
or rope is fastened to the magnet M and is actuated by it (of course it may be
actuated by any other means, manual pneumatic or otherwise). The three
centres e h and i are it will be noted in. the line l, m as shown in Figure 2.
In order to lower the signal arm a the centre c, of the crank r has to describe
the arc c, c¹ and the centres d and e of the bell crank t describe the arcs d, 8 e and f
but this cannot be done as long as the centre e is in the line 7, m because the
centre e is attached to the centre i by the rod p.
In order then to lower the signal arm the centre of the lever arm x must be
raised above the line l, m and made to describe the arc i, k see Figure 2 and this is
done by the chain or rope u revolving the disc o and bringing the lever arm & and
rod
P and bell crank t into the positions shown in Figure 2. It is then evidenţ

page_text: that as long as the centres e h and i are in the line l, m it is impossible by any
pull of the rod q on the centre d to move the bell crank and thus the signal arm a
when it is brought to a position of danger as shown in Figure 1 by the weighted
lever wis automatically locked by mechanical means without the aid of any
catches or electrical methods. We prefer to allow the weighted lever to fall rather
below the position shown in Figure 1 and this is regulated by the stop v in which
case the centre i falls somewhat below the line l, m and any pull on the centre d of
the bell crank t pulls the weighted lever w still more firmly against the stop v and
increases the efficiency of the locking of the signal arm a at danger. Figure 3
represents another form of signal arm arrangement the centre e of the piece t to
which one end of the rod p is attached is equivalent to the centre e on the bell
crank t. Figures 1 and 2 and the centre spindle / on which the spectacle piece w
is fastened and turns represents the centre h in Figures 1 and 2 while the centre i
in the spectacle lever w to which is attached the other end of the rod p is equivalent
to the centre of the lever arm x Figures 1 and 2. It will thus be seen that the
three centres e h and i are in the line l, m as in Figures 1 and 2.
There is a disco or other arrangement fastened on the spindle h as in Figures 1
and 2. In order to lower the signal arm a which is fastened to the piece t. It is
shown lowered in Figure 4. The centre e must describe the arc e, f and centre i
must describe the arc i, k but as before explained this is impossible as long as these
centres are in the l, m. In order then to lower the signal arm a as shown in
Figure 4 the centre i must be raised from the line l, m by the rotation or partial
rotation of the spectacle piece w round the centre h and this is effected by the
rope, wire or chain u pulling round the disc o as described in Figures 1 and 2.
When the spectacle piece w which acts as a weighted lever falls against the
stop it effectually locks the signal arm a at danger as in Figure 3 and the
remarks on this in the description of Figures 1 and 2 apply to Figures 3 and 4.
In the foregoing particulars we have given certain shapes of signals merely as
illustrations and it is evident that there may be many other ways of arranging the
various parts of signals whether semaphore or discs or ground lamps and they may
be actuated electrically or by manual or pneumatic power.
The objects of our Invention are to lock mechanically as herein before described
without the aid of catches and complicated gearing railway signals and points by
means of the locking arm as herein before described that is to say by means of the
three points e h and i being brought into the same line or nearly the same line
when the signal arm is at danger and when the point is moved in the position
where it is required to be. This is the only claim we intend to make. Of course
the locking gear in connexion with the points would be by preference put beneath
the ground.

page_text: We STANLEY CHARLES CUTHBERT CURRIE of Clarges Street Piccadilly W.
Gentleman and ILLUIS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of N° 2 Great George Street Westminster
S.W. Civil Engineer both in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS FOR LOCKING RAILWAY
SIGNALS AND POINTS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
:
The objects of our Invention are to provide simple safe and economical means by
which railway signals (whether semaphore arms or ground lamps or other shape)
and points can be locked.
With these objects in view we take any ordinary distant signal post and signal
arm as shown in Figures 1 and 2 in the accompanying Drawings. The Drawings
illustrate the signal arm worked electrically by means of the magnet M but any
other means may be employed to work it such for instance as the ordinary manual
power or pneumatic power. Figure 1 represents the signal arm a at danger fixed
on the spindle b and actuated by the crank which is connected with the bell
crank by the rod q at the centres c and d. The bell crank t revolves upon the
centre g and the centre e at the other extremity of the bell crank is on the line 1 m.
This centre e is connected to the centre i by the rod p and the centre i is connected
to the spindle h by the lever arm which is fastened to and revolves with the
spindle h. The spindle is supported by the bracket j and on it and revolving
with it are the lever arm x and disc o. This disc may be substituted by a bell
crank or other arrangement.
There is a chain or wire or rope u fastened to the disc o and wound partially
round it and the other end of the chain or wire or rope is fastened to the magnet M.
and is actuated by it (of course it may be actuated by any other means, manual
pneumatic or otherwise). The three centres e h and i are it will be noted in the
line l, m as shown in Figure 1.
In order to lower the signal arm a the centre c of the crank r has to describe the
arc c, c¹ and the centres & and e of the bell crank t describe the arcs d, 8 and e and f
but this cannot be done as long as the centre e is in the line L, m because the
centre e is attached to the centre i by the rod p.
In order then to lower the signal arm the centre i of the lever arm x must be
raised above the line l, m and made to describe the arc i, k see Figure 2 and this
is done by the chain or rope u revolving the disc o and bringing the lever arm
and rod p and bell crank t into the positions shown in Figure 2. It is then
evident that as long as the centres e h and i are in the line 7, m it is impossible by
any pull of the rod q on the centre d to move the bell crank t and thus the signal
arm a when it is brought to a position of danger as shown in Figure 1 by the
weighted lever wis automatically locked by mechanical means without the aid of
any catches or electrical methods. We prefer to allow the weighted lever to fall
rather below the position shown in Figure 1 and this is regulated by the stop v in
which case the centre i falls somewhat below the line l, m and any pull on the
centre d of the bell crank t pulls the weighted lever w still more firmly against
the stop v and increases the efficiency of the locking of the signal arm a at danger.
Figure 3 represents another form of signal arm arrangement the centre e of the
piece t to which one end of the rod p is attached is equivalent to the centre e on
the bell crank t Figures 1 and 2 and the centre spindle h on which the spectacle
-piece w.is fastened and turns represents the centre h in Figures 1 and 2 while the
centre in the spectacle w to which is attached the other end of the rod p is

page_text: equivalent to the centre i of the lever arm & Figures 1 and 2. It will thus be
seen that the three centres e hand i are in the line l, m as in Figures 1 and 2.
There is a disc o or other arrangement fastened on the spindle h as in Figures 1
and 2. In order to lower the signal arm a which is fastened to the piece t, the
centre e must describe the arc e, f and the centre i, must describe the arc i, k but
as before explained this is impossible as long as these centres are in the line l, m.
In order then to lower the signal arm a as shown in Figure 4 the centre i must
be raised from the line l, m by the rotation or partial rotation of the spectacle
piece w round the centre h and this is effected by the rope wire or chain u pulling
round the disc o as described in Figures 1 and 2. When the spectacle piece w
which acts as a weighted lever falls against the stop it effectually locks the signal
arm a at danger as in Figure 3 and the remarks on this in the description of
Figures 1 and 2 apply to Figures 3 and 4.
Of course a locking bar may be used in connection with points and should be
so used in order that trains may lock any points they are travelling over during
their passage over them.
In the foregoing particulars we have given certain shapes of signals merely as
illustrations and it is evident that there may be many other ways of arranging the
various parts of signals whether semaphore or discs or ground lamps, and they may
be actuated electrically or by manual or pneumatic power.
The objects of our Inventon are to lock mechanically as herein before described
without the aid of catches and complicated gearing railway signals and points by
means of the locking arm as herein before described that is to say by means of the
three points e and i being brought into the same line or nearly the same line
when the signal arm is at danger and when the point is moved in the position
where it is required to be.
This is the only claim we intend to make of course the locking gear, in connexion
with the points, would be by preference put beneath the ground.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: The locking of railway signals and points by means of the locking
arm as herein before described that is to say by means of the three points e h and i
being brought into the same line or nearly the same line when the signal arm is at
danger, and when the point is moved in the position where it is required to be,
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
--
1001
I. A. TIMMIS,
Agent for the Applicants,
2, Great George Street, S.W.