IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR AND IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF WORKING AND GOVERNING RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Saxby, of Brighton, Signal Manufacturer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR AND IN THE MODE
OR METHOD OF WORKING AND GOVERNING RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS."
Sealed the 15th January 1861, and dated the 19th July 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Saxby at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th July
1860.
I, JOHN SAXBY, of Brighton, Signal Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AND IN THE
MODE OR METHOD OF WORKING AND GOVERNING RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS," to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to further improvements upon Inventions patented by
me on the Twenty-fourth day of June, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
six, the number whereof is 1479, and on the Eleventh day of October, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, numbered 2258, respectively, in
connection with the working and governing of railway points, and the
signalling apparatus employed on railways. It consists in introducing certain
novel contrivances and arrangements of parts more particularly connected with
the hand levers, cranks, and fittings at the signalling platform, station, or box
from whence the signals are transmitted and the points opened or closed, or
from whence directions or indications for those purposes are given by.
mechanical means through levers, cranks, and rods worked by a signal man.

page_text: Instead of working the hand levers each independently and trusting to
taking "off" a signal or closing a point singly and by band when another signal
has been put "on" or another point has been closed, or vice versa, and
instead, also, of several points having each to be closed or opened singly by
hand when some other point or points have been opened or closed, or when
several signals corresponding with certain points have each to be put "up" or
"down" when some other signal or signals have been worked, and in each
case where the said points, or the signals in connection therewith, have to be
attended to separately and independantly of the act of opening or closing some
other point or points, or of the putting "on" or taking "off" some other
signal or signals, I, by my present Invention, am enabled to so pre-arrange,
connect, and work, and by this means so to govern the working of any number
of points, and the signals connected therewith, or belonging thereto, by the act
of working one hand lever, or any greater number of hand levers; so that when I
open one set of points all that should be closed whilst that set is open have the
hand levers and apparatus belonging thereto locked or secured. And when
the said set of points are in their turn closed, those that should be open, or
should be free to be opened, have their hand levers set free; and in like
manner I cause the moving of any one hand lever to operate as may be
desired upon any other lever or set of apparatus, whether for working points or
signals. For this purpose I place between each hand lever, or in any corre-
sponding part of the mechanism, and in any convenient position, a vibrating
bar, plate, or lover, having a stop or stud, either in the form of a wedge or
inclined projection on the face thereof, and at or near to one end. This
vibrating lever works on a stud or centre, and at the other end it is connected
to a rod or bar, which in turn is connected to any other similar vibrating bar,
plate, or lever, or to several thereof, each having a similar stop or stud upon
its face or edge, or having more than one of such stops or studs projecting
therefrom. Upon moving the hand lever back or forward, it comes in contact
with or retreats from, and thus causes the vibrating bar, plate, or lever
between it and the next hand lever to move in one direction or another, and
thus, whilst its position and value as an agent is determined by the angle it is
caused to make, it in turn acts upon the other vibrating bar, plate, or lever,
with which it is connected, or upon as many of such as it may be connected
to or with; and as the hand lever which is worked passes the projecting stop
or stud on its vibrating bar, plate, or lever, the projecting stop or stud of each
of the other vibrating bars is opposed to the hand lever, or brought in front or
at back thereof, as the case may be; and by this means they are automa-
tically stopped or secured from being moved or released, or set free, as the

page_text: case may be; and when several hand levers of the sets of apparatus have been
connected so as to be acted upon by one, then any one of the number being
worked by hand acts upon the single lever of the connected set, or vice versa.
Thus I am enabled by the present Invention to put it out of the power of the
signal man to give a contradictory signal, and out of the power of the points-
man to have the points contradicting the signals, or the points contradicting
each other, by which a train may be turned on to a road upon which it was
not intended it should go, and thus, notwithstanding the number or complexity
of the points and signals in connection therewith, the working of such points
and signals is rendered perfectly simple, and free from error or confusion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Saxby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
January 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SAXBY, of Brighton, Signal Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Saxby, Her special licence that I, the said John Saxby, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Saxby,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
AND IN THE MODE OR METHOD OP WORKING AND GOVERNING RAILWAY POINTS AND
SIGNALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Saxby,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Saxby, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and accompanying Sheet of Drawings:-
This Invention relates to further improvements upon Inventions patented by
me on the Twenty-fourth day of June, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
six, the Number whereof is 1470 and on the Eleventh day of October, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, numbered 2258 respectively, in con-
nection with the working and governing of railway points, and the signalling
apparatus employed on railways. It consists in introducing certain novel
contrivances and arrangements of parts, more particularly connected with the
hand levers, cranks, and fittings, at the signalling platform, station, or box,
from whence the signals are transmitted, and the points opened or closed, or
from whence directions or indications for those purposes are given by mechanical
means, through levers, cranks, and rods worked by a signalman.
2
"
Instead of working the hand levers, each independently, and trusting to
taking "off" a signal, or closing point singly, and by hand, when another
signal has been put "on" or another point has been closed, or vice versa, and
instead also of several points, having each to be closed or opened singly by
band, when some other point or points have been opened or closed, or when
several signals corresponding with certain points having each to be put "up"
or "down" when some other signal or signals have been worked; and in each
case where the said points, or the signals in connection therewith, have to be
attended to separately. and independently of the act of opening or closing some
other point or points, or of the putting "on" or taking "off" some other signal
or signals, I, by my present Invention am enabled to so pre-arrange, connect,
and work, and by this means so to govern the working of any number of
points, and the signals connected therewith or belonging thereto, by the act of
working one hand lever, or any greater number of hand levers, so that when
I open one set of points, all that should be closed whilst that set is open, have
the hand levers and apparatus belonging thereto locked or secured; and, when
the said set of points are in their turn closed, those that should be open or
should be free to be opened, have their hand levers set free; and in like
manner cause the moving of any one hand lever to operate, as may be
desired, upon any other lever or set of apparatus, whether for working points
or signals; for this purpose I place between each hand lever, or in any corre
sponding part of the mechanism, and in any convenient position, a vibrating
bar, plate, or lever, having a stop or stud, either in the form of a wedge or
inclined projection on the face thereof; and at or near to one end, this vibrating
lever works on a stud or centre, and at the other end it is connected to a rod
or bar, which in turn is connected to any other similar vibrating bar, plate, or

page_text: lever, or to several thereof, each having a similar stop or stud upon its face or
edge, or having more than one of such stops or studs projecting therefrom.
Upon moving the hand lever back or forward, it comes in contact with, or
retreats from, and thus causes the vibrating bar, plate, or lever between it and
the next hand lever, to move in one direction or another; and thus whilst its
position and value as an agent is determined by the angle it is caused to make,
it in turn acts upon the other vibrating bar, plate, or lever with which it is
connected, or upon as many of such as it may be connected to or with; and as
the hand lever, which is worked passes the projecting stop or stud, on its
vibrating bar, plate, or lever, the projecting stop or stud of each of the other
vibrating bars is opposed to the hand lever, or brought in front or at back
thereof, as the case may be; and by this means they are automatically stopped
or secured from being moved or released, or set free, as the case may be, and
when several hand levers of the sets of apparatus have been connected, so as
to be acted upon by one, then any one of the number being worked by hand,
acts upon the single lever of the connected set, or vice versa.
Thus I am enable by the present Invention to put it out of the power of
the signalman to give a contradictory signal, and out of the power of the
pointsman to have the points contradicting the signals, or the points contra-
dicting each other, by which a train may be turned on to a road upon which it
was not intended it should go; and thus, notwithstanding the number or
complexity of the points and signals in connection therewith, the working of
such points and signals is rendered perfectly simple and free from error or
confusion.
Instead of horizontally vibrating levers or plates having projections or
formed with studs or horns projecting therefrom for the purpose of locking or
stopping the travel or motion of the vertical hand levers, when by the position
of such horizontally vibrating levers or plates they are required to stop certain
of the vertical hand levers, whilst setting others free or "leaving them capable
of being moved from the pre-arranged mode of working and connecting of
such levers by means of connecting bars. I employ parallel moving bars
having T and L-shaped, or other suitably shaped projections therefrom, for the
purpose of holding or retaining within such projections or overhanging pieces,
the vertical hand levers whenever such bars are moved in either one direction
or another, for the purpose of locking or setting free certain of the levers con-
nected with and operating upon (say for instance) the points and also the
semaphore station, and day and night signals, so that they cannot be contra-
dictory or otherwise at variance; thus, one or more such parallel sliding bars so
made may be placed one above the other, and made to slide or travel in guide

page_text: pieces, so as to ensure their being held firmly in position whilst being free to
traverse. And thus upon moving the lever which operates the down point,
the several signals which would be acted upon are correspondingly free to move
or are held fast as the case may be. In like manner the hand lever for
opening and closing the up point is made to act upon and influence the signals
both immediate and distant belonging thereto, and thus no contradiction or
confliction can ensue. In connecting the main and branch station signals and
the main and branch distant signals with the respective points "up and
"down," the extreme movement from one end to the other of their travel
determines the position which may be assumed by the other parts of the con-
necting apparatus, and thus perfect accordance is ensured, and an insufficient
amount of throw or a want of positive action in the hand levers connected with
either the "up" or the "down" points would make itself at once apparent,
and thus become a self-acting check.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings illustrating my Invention, I have
shewn at Figures 1 and 2, the arrangement of horizontally vibrating levers
having notches or projections by which tho signal levers are stopped or
set free; and Figure 3 shews the arrangement of sliding bars with T and L-
shaped projections, one sliding bar being placed over the other; and I
have also shewn at Figure 4 a sectional elevation to a smaller scale of
the general arrangement of apparatus for working the day and night signal
points at a station, and the main and branch distant signals in connection
therewith. And these views illustrate the modes or methods in which I prefer
to arrange the several parts composing the apparatus for working railway
points and signals in conjunction and in such a manner that they shall not be
contradictory.
The arrangement and disposition of the hand levers for working the several
signals and points in accordance with my present Invention, is somewhat
similar to that shewn in the Drawings accompanying the Specifications of my
previous Patents herein-before referred to. Instead, however, of arranging the
hand levers so that such of them as belong to "points" are connected with the
corresponding signals, but are independent of and unconnected with any other
sets of signals or points; in which case, they may be accidentally or otherwise
made contradictory, or be incorrectly arranged, by which means confusion of
traffic and the risk of collision is produced, or actual collision may ensue. I
introduce beneath the floor or platform of the signal box or station a series of
either vibrating bars, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, or reciprocating or sliding
bars or plates, having in each case projections or stops on the face thereof,
forming "locking plates," as shewn at Figure 3, for the purpose of acting upon

page_text: the series of hand levers, in such a manner that upon working one of the hand
levers, or any greater number of hand levers opening one set of points and the
corresponding signals, all that should be closed whilst that set remains open,
have the band levers and apparatus belonging thereto effectually secured or
"locked," and I am thus enabled to place it out of the power of the signal
man to give a contrary signal, and also prevent the pointsman having the
points and signals contradicting each other.
In accordance with one of the modes or methods in which I prefer to dis-
pose the series of levers and the intervening mechanism for working railway
points and signals in conjunction, according to my present Invention, I com-
pactly arrange the several hand levers for working the points and signals, both
station and distant, so as to be readily accessible to and under the command of
the man on duty. At one or at both sides of the lower extremities of each
hand lever, I place a vibrating lever or bar of a wedge-like or other suitable
shape, and having one or more suitable indentations therein, so as to form a
"locking plate," which works on pivots at one extremity upon a stud or fixed
centre, while the other extremity of such vibrating lever or "locking plate" is
attached by means of a pin to a connecting piece or link, to which, by means
of a pin or pins, any one or more of the vibrating bars formed, as described,
are similarly attached, in order to ensure the simultaneous and correct working
of the corresponding points and signals.
Thus, upon working a given band lever which is free to act upon its corre-
sponding vibrating lever or levers formed as herein-before described, and so
causing it or them to move in one direction or the other, such vibrating lever
or levers or locking plates simultaneously act upon such of the other vibrating
levers to which those immediately operated upon are connected, and in such
manner, that the recessed portions forming the shoulder pieces of these latter
vibrating levers or "locking plates" are opposed to or brought either in front
or at back of their respective hand levers, and which in this case it is indispen-
sable should not be free to be operated upon, and thus render it impossible to
have the signals and points contradicting each other, which hand levers by
this means become effectually "locked" or kept in that position, in which it
is indispensible they should remain, to allow of the proper and safe working of
the various lines of rails, more especially at junctions, where it is of the utmost
importance to exercise the greatest vigilance and use every precaution in order
to preserve the safe working of the traffic on the intersecting lines of rails.
In accordance with another mode or method of arranging the working parts
according to my Invention, I prefer to dispense with the series of vibrating
levers or locking plates herein-before described, and proceed as follows:-I

page_text: provide two or more plates or bars, free to be moved back or forth, and I
attach the lower extremities of the hand levers for working the respective
points to a short connecting and reciprocating or sliding bar, which is caused
to move back or forth as the case may be, according to and in the direction
which the lever handle is worked; the other extremity of each of such hand
levers is provided with a stud or pin, which passes through and is free to work
in the slotted or grooved extremity of a vibrating or connecting link or lever
pivotting on a fixed centre, somewhat similar to a "bell-crank " motion, but
having one of the arms shorter than the other; the extremity of each such
short arms being attached by means of a suitable stud or pin, as will be seen
on reference to Figure 4. Figure 1 being a general view to an enlarged scale,
taken on the top of the platform, and Figure 2 a plan view, taken underneath
the platform and exhibiting the mode in which the horizontal vibrating levers
herein-before referred to are arranged and connected together, for the purpose
of effecting the objects sought to be obtained by the present Invention, and as
on reference to such plans and the references thereupon made, the respective
connections will be readily understood, it will be unnecessary to do more than
refer to the difference of the levels on which the views (Figures 1 and 2) are
taken, being the cause for the apparent changes in the positions of the hand
levers, which usually lie at an angle instead of being perpendicular.
Now, in Figure 8, the arrangement of the signals is not identical with
Figures 1 and 2, but the positions in which the levers are there shewn as
being secured or incapable of being removed, exhibits so thoroughly this mode
of putting my present Invention into practice, that any literal reference to the
parts is rendered unnecessary.
Figure 4 shews a general arrangement of the semaphore signals, with the
combined station and distant signal lamps and the station points.
Having now described my said Invention, and in the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings I have illustrated (Figures 1, 2, and 3) two of the modes in
which I prefer to carry out my present Invention, I wish it to be understood
that what I claim is,-
First, the arrangement and mode of working points and signals in connec-
tion, and in such a manner that they cannot be contradictory, as herein-before
described.
Second, the arrangement of horizontally vibrating or sliding locking bars or
plates, for the purposes herein set forth, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3 in the
accompanying Drawings.
Third, the combining together of the station and distant signals with the
points by means of the lever, for operating which all the signal levers which

page_text: should be secured or be prevented from moving are held fast, and those which
should be set free or be capable of moving are left open, in the manner and for
the purpose as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Saxby, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
JAMES STEVENSON,
19, Salisbury St., W.C.
JOHN SAXBY. (L.B.)