Improvements in the Actuating Levers and Locking Apparatus Used for Signalling on Railways
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1888
RE
Complete Specification Left, 19th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 27th Aor., 1889
Improvements in the Actuating Levers and Locking Apparatus Used
for Signalling on Railways,
I SAMUEL TELFORD DUTTON of Marl Bank in the City of Worcester, Civil Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
range
My invention consists First in constructing and arranging the actuating levers of
the locking apparatus in the manner hereinafter described, whereby the handles of
the said lovers are brought within easy reach of the signalman, oven with a long
of stroke, the said handles being situated at the same height or nearly at the
same height above the floor of the cabin both in their front and back positions; it
is hence unnecessary for the signalman to stoop in putting back the levers.
disposition and construction of the levers which I use also tends to equalize the pull
and push of the said levers as well as permit the locking parts being made more
compact and accessible than usual and their construction simplified. I also provide
a foothold for the signalman working the levers as hereinafter described.
The
These improvements I effect by arranging the fulcrum or pivot on which the
actuating lever turns much further from the front or vertical position of the lever
than usual and continuing the lever straight down from the handle part to nearly
the same level as the said fulcrum. The lower part of the lever is bent backwards
nearly at right angles to the principal part of the lever, the lever having the
general figure of the letter L. The angular space at the lower part of the lever is
occupied by a portion of the locking gear which gear is not interfered with when
the levers are moved over. The quadrants at the Hoor line can by this arrangement
be made shorter than usual thereby permitting the signalman to stand nearly over
the fulcrums of the levers with the handles within convenient reach.
The raised quadrant plates are inclined at their rear ends so as to form a foothold
for the signalman in working the levers.
My invention consists further in combining with the actuating levers described,
mechanism so arranged that the operative locking in one position, say, the front.
position of the levers is partly effected by the action of the spring catch or weighted

page_text: handle and catch rod carried by the lever acting upon the front end of an
intermediate motion piece or lever, and on the other or back position of the actuating
levor the completed action of the locking is due to the direct action of the said
lever engaging with and operating on the intermediate motion piece at a point
much nearer its centre than the catch rod does. On the top edge of the intermediate
motion piece a back lock is formed for the actuating lever to engage with as it
moves into its back position.
My invention consists further in combining with the herein before described
actuating levers and intermediate motion pieces, the kind of locks known as the
tappot arrangement, the locking mechanism being fixed over the lever fulcrums and
situated in troughs or channels formed in a casting upon which the lever fulcrums
are supported. I prefer to place the tappets, which are connected with the lower
arms of the intermediate motion pieces, at an inclination to the horizontal, for
compactness and convenience; or the said tappets may be so placed on the floor
between the levers and the front of tlie cabin.
My invention consists further in actuating and arranging the parts for locking in
such a manner that the locking back and front are effected by the motion of the
spring catch lever combined with or permissively regulated by the movements and
position of the said lever acting upon a duplicate or twin tappet in unison with the
other. The construction of the actuating lever herein before described readily
permits motion to be imparted direct to the tappet by the catch rod of the lever,
which in this arrangement is carried straight down the face of the actuating lever,
the inclined end or foot of the catch rod acting on the faces of the tappets working in
a fixed guide box.
The tappets are preferably formed radially with the pivots of the actuating levers.
To ensure the locking and unlocking only taking place when the catch rod and
actuating levers are in their proper positions a twin tappet is provided under the
other tappet and connected to the tappet guide box or lever. The upper tappet
acted upon by the inclined part or foot of the catch rod of the actuating lever
moves over the lower or twin tappet to a short extent when operating on the locking
mechanism.
The channels for the locks are situated over the lever fulcrum and radially thereto;
or if the tappets are operated from the front of the levers the position. of the channels
is relatively changed.
The spring handle catch rod may be made to actuate the tappets in one direction
only, the movement in the other direction being due to a reciprocal motion imparted
to it by the locks being moved by other levers.
I form the locks used with the tappets herein before described of chilled cast iron
with recessed surfaces, the outer edges and sides being enlarged, and chilled..
Dated this 28th day of April 1888.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: for Signalling on Railways.
I SAMUEL TELFORD DUTTON of Marl Bank in the City of Worcester Civil Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of my Invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention consists first in constructing and arranging the actuating levers of the
locking apparatus in the manner hereinafter described whereby the handles of the said
levers are brought within easy reach of the signalman even with a long range of
stroke the said handles being situated at about the same height above the floor of the
cabin both in their front and back positions it is hence unnecessary for the signalman
to stoop in replacing the levers. The disposition and construction of the levers which
I use also tend to equalize the pull and push of the said levers as well as permit the
locking parts being made more compact and accessible than usual and their construc-
tion simplified. I also provide a foothold for the signaluian working the levers as
pivot
hereinafter described. These improvements I effect by arranging the fulcrum or
on which the actuating lever turns much further from the back or vertical position of
the lever than usual and continuing the lever straight down from the handle part to
nearly the same level as the said fulcrum. The lower part of the lever is bent
forwards nearly at right angles to the principal part of the lever the lever having the
general figure of the letter L.
The angular space at the lower part of the lever occupied by a portion of the
locking gear which gear is not interfered with when the levers are moved over. . The
quadrants at the floor line can by this arrangement be made shorter than usual
thereby permitting the signalman to stand nearly over the fulcrums of the levers with
the handles within convenient reach.
The raised quadrant plates are inclined at their front ends so as to form a foothold
for the signalman in working the levers.
My invention consists further in combining with the actuating levers described
mechanism so arranged that the locking in one position, say, the back position of the
levers is partly effected by the action of the spring catch or weighted handle and
catch rod carried by the lever acting upon the rear end of an intermediate motion
piece or lever and on the other or front position of the actuating lever the completed
action of the locking is due to the direct action of the said lever engaging with and
operating on the intermediate motion piece at a point much nearer its centre
than the catch rod does. On the top edge of the intermediate motion piece a back
lock is formed for the actuating lever to engage with as it moves into its front
position.
My invention consists further in combining with the herein before described
actuating levers and intermediate motion pieces the kind of locks known as the tappet
arrangement the locking mechanism being fixed over the lever fulcrums and situated
in troughs or channels formed in a casting upon which the lever fulcrums may be
supported. I prefer to place the tappets which are connected with the lower arms

page_text: of the intermediate motion pieces at an inclination to the horizontal for compactness
and convenience; or the said tappets may be so placed on the floor between the levers
and the front of the cabin.
My invention consists further in actuating and arranging the parts for locking
in such a manner that the locking and releasing is effected by the motion of the
spring catch of the lever. The construction of the actuating lever hereinbefore
described readily permits motion to be imparted direct to the tappet off the catch
rod which in this arrangement is carried straight down the face of the actuating lever
and jointed to the tappets which are preferably formed radially with the pivots of the
actuating levers.
The channels for the locks are situated over the lever fulcrum and radially thereto;
or if the tappets are operated from the back of the levers the position of the channels
is relatively changed. The spring catch rod may be made to actuate the tappets in
one direction only the partial movement in the other direction being due to a
reciprocal motion imparted to it by the locks being moved by other levers.
I form the locks used with the tappets hereinbefore described of chilled
cast iron with recessed surfaces, the outer edges and sides being enlarged and
chilled.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation and Figure 2 in side elevation (partly in
section) actuating levers and locking apparatus for signalling on railways constructed
and arranged according to my invention and Figures 3 and 34 are portions of the
same. In Figure 2 the general arrangement of one of the actuating levers and
its motion piece and the connection of the latter with the locking tappet are
represented.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1. 2. 3 and 34.
In Figure 2 the normal or back position of the actuating lever is marked A and the
front or pulled over position, indicated in dotted lines, is marked B.
a a is the actuating lever and a' is the fulcrum or pivot on which the said lever
turns. It will be seen by an examination of Figure 2 that the straight part a of the
lever is prolonged downwards to the level of the fulcrum a' and the lower part a² is
bent forwards nearly at right angles to the principal or straight part a, the fulcrum
or pivot a¹ of the lever being arranged forwards or considerably out of the line of
the straight part of the said lever as represented. By thus constructing the lever
and arranging its fulcrum or pivot the advantages hereinbefore pointed out are
obtained.
e is the quadrant plate in which the straight part a of the lever a a³ works and el is
the raised foothold for the signalman working the levers, the said raised foothold e¹
being formed by inclining the quadrant plates at their front ends as seen in
Figure 2.
b, b² (see Figure 2) is the intermediate motion piece or lever turning on the
centre or fulcrum 63 carried by the fixed part of the apparatus. The lower straight
arm 6 of the motion piece bb is connected to the locking tappet cat b. A portion
of the locking gear is situated in the angular space at the lower part of the actuating
lever a, a which gear is not interfered with when the said lever is pulled over into
the dotted line position B.
On the arm 6 of the motion piece b, 62 is a projection 6° (see Figures 1 and 2 and
the part view Figure 3). "When the lever a is being moved to its forward or dotted
line position B the arm 6 of the inotion piece b, 62 is raised to about one half of the
height indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2 by the action of the loop or guide d³ on
the lower part d of the spring catch rod upon the said arm 6 of the motion piece. As
the lever a approaches the front position B it strikes against the projection 6º on the
part 6 of the motion piece and on the completion of the forward motion of the lever a
the arm is fully raised into the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2.
When the lever a reaches the dotted position in Figure 2 the bottom part d of the
spring catch rod snaps into the notch 6 in the top edge of the arm 6 of the motion

page_text: piece, thereby forming a back lock. The locking when the lever a is in its back
position is effected by the lower part d of the spring catch rod (which part d is guided
and kept against the lever a by the guide d³) operating upon the rear end of the
arm b of the motion piece as seen in Figure 2. The manner in which the bottom.d
of the spring catch rod is connected with the motion piece b is best seen in Figure 3,
the said bottom d of the spring catch rod being provided with a loop or guide.d'
which encloses one of the sides and the edges of the arm b of the motion piece so
that as the spring catch rod is raised or lowered the said arm 6 is raised or lowered
with it.
Figure represents in front elevation and Figure 5 in side elevation the arrange-
ment of my invention in which for front locking the bottom of the catch rod is
connected directly to the locking tappet instead of to the intermediate motion piece.
The locking tappet c is in this case made radial to the centre a' on which the
operating lever a,
a turns; d³ is an extension of the catch rod dsconnected to the
guide de working on the lever a the inner end of the tappet c being, jointed at e² to
the bottom of the catch rod extension d³ as represented. The extension d³ also works
in the guide near the bottom of the lever a.
F
Figure 6 represents the arrangement of my invention for regulating the back
locking as well as the front locking. In this arrangement an additional tappet c³ for
the back locking jointed at to the actuating lever a. In other respects the parts
of the apparatus are the same as those represented in Figures 4 and 5.
Figure 7 represents in elevation and Figure 8 in plan the tappet'c connected to the
extension at the slotted hole d³ of the spring catch rod. In this arrangement the
connecting joint pin c has sufficient play in the slot in the said extension d³ to
prevent any motion being communicated to the tappet c by the snapping of the spring
catch rod into its notch.
*
mi
Figure 8 illustrates the manner in which one of the tappets c operates upon another
parallel tappet : f is a lock on a cross sliding bolt the said lock having inclined
ends suitable to engage in the V shaped notches in the edges of the tappets c and co.
In this figure the tappet is connected to a lever, which lever is supposed to
have been previously worked, thereby freeing the forward movement of the lever to
which tappet c is attached now, when the tappet c is moved in the direction of the
arrow on the said tappet c (Figure 8) the side of the V notch in the tappet c acting
on the inclined side of the lock f engaged in it causes the said lock and the bolt
fixed to it to slide in the direction at right angles to the arrow on c and thereby to
make the opposite end of the said lock to enter the depression in the tappet c and
by acting on the inclined depression in co to urge the said tappet e in the direction
of the arrow on that is in a direction contrary to that in which the tappet c
moves.
It is obvious that although I have only shown the tappets c and c and one lock f
and described the action with special reference to releasing, yet it will be understood
that the interlocking described with reference to Figure 8 may be applied to any
number of tappets and locking bolts, and locking as well as releasing.
In Figures 9 and 10 one of the recessed chilled cast locks f¹ is represented; Figure 9
being a plan and Figure 10 a section of the said lock and parts in connection with
it. These locks are made in cast iron or chill moulds the faces of the said locks being
recessed and their outer flanged edges and sides being chilled and hardened by the
casting process in chill or metal moulds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention of "Improvements in the actuating levers and locking apparatus used for
signalling on railways :'
First The construction and arrangement of the actuating lever and its position
with reference to the fulcrum or pivot on which it turns for the purposes and
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7
of the accompanying Drawing.

page_text: '
Secondly The combination of the actuating lever claimed in claim 1 with the
intermediate motion piece or lever 663 for interlocking purposes generally, the necessary
final movement of the said motion piece for releasing being effected by and upon the
completion of the forward strokes of the said actuating lever substantially as herein
before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 3 of the accompanying
Drawing.
Thirdly The combination of the actuating lever claimed in Claim 1 with the
radial tappets acted upon directly by the spring catch rod instead of by an inter-
mediate motion piece, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 4
and 5 of the accompanying Drawing.
Fourthly The combination of the actuating lever claimed in Claim 1 with the
..locking and releasing tappets respectively c and e³ represented in Figure 6 the former
tappet being actuated by the spring catch rod and the latter tappet by the actuating
lever as described and illustrated.
Fifthly Providing slotted holes at the lower ends of the catch rods, and connecting
the radial tappets thereto, by means of joint pins, the positions of the said pins, when
the actuating levers are normal being at the lower ends of the said slotted holes, for
the purposes and to the extent that when the snapping action of the spring catch rod
takes place motion is not communicated to the tappet as herein before described and
..illustrated in Figure 7 of the accompanying Drawing.
Sixthly The arrangement of tappet and locks herein before described and illustrated
in Figure 8 by which the motion of the operating tappet in one direction produces in
the tappet operated upon motion in the contrary direction.
Lastly Making the locks of the tappet bolts of chilled cast iron and with recessed
faces as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying
Drawing.