IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERLOCKING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY POINTS. CROSSINGS. AND SIGNALS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Robert Sharpe, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Manager of the Williams Railway Patents Company
(Limited), for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERLOCKING APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY POINTS. CROSSINGS. AND SIGNALS."
(Void by reason of the Patentee having neglected to file a Specification in
pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Robert Sharpe at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th August 1880.
CHARLES ROBERT SHARPE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Manager of the Williams Railway Patents Company (Limited).
IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERLOCKING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY POINTS, CROSSINGS,
AND SIGNALS."
This Invention, which relates to improvements in interlocking apparatus for
railway points, crossings, and signals, consists in arrangements whereby horizontal
rocking shafts are combined with vertical rocking shafts provided with projections
and hollows, so as to effect the requisite interlocking and releasing of the levers by
which the points, crossings, and signals of railways are operated, and whereby also
the horizontal sliding bars with projections or hollows ordinarily employed in such
interlocking apparatus are dispensed with.
An interlocking frame constructed according to one modification of the Invention
has the two sets of rocking shafts respectively arranged vertically and horizontally.
Each of the vertical rocking shafts has at its upper end a crank, and at the opposite
side of the frame of the interlocking apparatus a similar crank is carried on a stud.
Each pair of such cranks is connected by a horizontal bar capable of moving by a
swinging action across the top of the framing. Each such horizontal bar has a
projection on it, against which the lever bears, so that as the lever is drawn or
pushed forwards it carries the horizontal bar with it, at the same time moving
round the cranks on the vertical rocking shaft and studs until the radial position
of the cranks carries the horizontal bars out of contact with the levers, which
Davies 31

page_text: being done the lever is free to be drawn or pushed over to the opposite side of the
framing. The horizontal bars may be provided with other checks or stops, whereby
an additional movement of the vertical rocking shafts may be obtained, so as to
backlock or unlock other levers.
The vertical rocking shafts are provided with other cranks and connecting links,
which couple them at the requisite places, according to the arrangement of the
interlocking frame, with other cranks of the horizontal rocking shafts, which are
used to interlock by the projections on them entering into recesses or hollows
placed on the vertical rocking shafts; or this arrangement may be reversed.
According to another modification of the interlocking frame the horizontal bars
hereinbefore described as having a swinging motion are dispensed with, and in
their stead there is substituted a horizontal rocking bar for each lever. Each such
horizontal rocking bar is formed with a twist or helix upon it, and against the
side of each such bar one of the flat sides of a lever bears, the opposite side of the
rocking bar having a guide attached to the lever bearing upon it, so that the
rocking shaft is held between the lever and the guide, and thus any motion of
the rocking shaft, independent of that produced by the lever, is prevented, and the
rocking shaft is therefore at all times locked. The movement of the rocking shaft
herein before described withdraws any obstruction placed in the second set of
rocking shafts at right angles thereto, so that any one of the second set of rocking
shafts is free to fulfile its formation of locking or releasing other shafts of the
first set.