Improvements in or connected with Railway Points or Switches.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 22nd June, 1892-Accepted, 13th Aug.. 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Railway Points or Switches.
I, ARTHUR GEORGE EVANS of 116 Palace Chambers, Bridge Street,
Westminster in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
At the facing points of railways it is the usual practice, whether the points are
single line facing points and therefore facing in one direction only, or double facing
points, that is to say facing points in both directions, to provide a safety bar
working in connection with and operated by the same lever which operates the
plunger, locking the points in the desired position before the signal is given for the
passage of a train.
It is well known that the object of the safety bar is to prevent the points from
being reversed during the passage of a train over the said points. It will thus be
readily seen that if the lever operating the facing point lock and bar is reversed
between the passage of a train from the signal to the points, and the bar reversed
with the lever, that the signalman is free to reverse his points during the passage
of a train and render an accident liable by splitting the train in two.
My invention consists in improvements whereby I retain, as at present, the
operation of the bar by the usual plunger lever set apart in the signal box for
bolting the points, but I also make the movement of the point lever operating the
points give the bar a movement also, so that if the lever locking the points should
be reversed before the train arrived at the points then the reversal of the points
themselves will be prevented as the bar will still have to make a further movement'
in connection with the facing switch points.
The way in which I carry out my invention is as follows:-
Two levers as usual are set apart in the signal box, one to operate the points and'
the other to plunge them. The bar, as usual, is arranged in front of the switch
points and operates in connection with them. Working in connection with the rods
which operate the points and the plunger, I connect a sway beam. To the middle
of the sway beam is arranged a separate connection by means of crank and rod'
connections to the bar.
Assuming that the points are normal and that it is required to plunge them for
the passage of a train, the point-lock lever is operated, the points in the normal
position form a fulcrum, the sway beam is operated to plunge the points, and works
the bar. If now the point-lock lever is immediately reversed the bar returns to
the position in which it was before the plunger lever was operated, but the action of
moving the points also gives an operation to the bar, and as the safety bar cannot
be moved if a vehicle is on it and as the points cannot be moved without the bar,
the points would remain normal until the last vehicle had gone over the bar. Again,
should the points require to be moved, in moving over the point lever a motion is
given to the sway beam which moves the points and also moves the bar one of its
movements, equal to a complete movement as now; in the course of moving the
plunger lever the points are plunged and the bar is given a second movement.
s obvious, with reference to the bar, that a movement completing an angle of
90 degrees, as now, and worked by means of the usual rocker castings, would effect
my result, that is to say that a motion could be given to the bar when the points
are operated, but when the plunger is moved the bar would return to its normal
position, and the reverse would take place in reversing the two levers.
It
It is also obvious that the double bar operating on bevels provided on suitable
brackets or chairs, as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to
O'Donnell, Timmis and Smith No. 18720 dated 22nd day of November 1889 is also

page_text: applicable as from the normal position to the right is one movement and again from
the normal position to the left for another movement, would be the two movements
suitable for the operation of the bar by the point lever as one distinct movement
and by the plunger lever as another distinct movement. or again with this last. form
of bar two movements can be obtained in the same direction, that is to say that the
outside of the double bevel on the bar may be against the bevel on the chair, and to
the middle of the double bevel would be one movement and to the other side of the
bevel would be another movement.
-
Dated this 23rd day of September 1891.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
Agent for said Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Railway Points or Switches.
I, ARTHUR GEORGE EVANS, of 116 Palace Chambers, Bridge Street,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 :-
At the facing points of railways it is the usual practice, whether the points are
single line facing points and therefore facing in one direction only, or double facing
points, that is to say, facing points in both directions, to provide a safety bar
working in connection with and operated by the same lever which operates the
plunger, locking the points in the desired position before the signal is given for the
passage of a train.
It is well known that the object of the safety bar is to prevent the points from
being reversed during the passage of a train over the said points. It will thus
be readily seen that if the lever operating the facing point lock and bar is reversed
between the passage of a train from the signal to the points, and the bar reversed
with the lever, that the signalman is free to reverse his points during the passage
of a train and render an accident liable by splitting the train in two.
My invention consists in improvements whereby I retain, as at present, the
operation of the bar by the usual plunger lever set apart in the signal box for
bolting the points, but I also make the movement of the point lever operating the
points give the bar a movement also, so that if the lever locking the points should
be reversed before the train arrived at the points then the reversal of the points
themselves will be prevented as the bar will still have to make a further movement
in connection with the facing switch points.
The way in which I carry out my invention is as follows:-
Two levers as usual are set apart in the signal box, one to operate the points and
the other to plunge them. The bar, as usual, is arranged in front of the switch
points and operates in connection with them. Working in connection with the rods
which operate the points and the plunger, I connect a sway beam. To the middle
of the sway beam is arranged a separate connection by means of crank and rod
connections to the bar.
Assuming that the points are normal and that it is required to plunge them for
the passage of a train, the point-lock lever is operated, the points in the normal
position form a fulcrum, the sway beam is operated to plunge the points, and works
the bar. If now the point-lock lever is immediately reversed the bar returns to the
position in which it was before the plunger lever was operated, but the. action of
moving the points also gives an operation to the bar, and as the safety bar cannot
be moved if a vehicle is on it and as the points cannot be moved without the bar,
the points would remain normal until the last vehicle had gone over the bar. Again,
should the points require to be moved, in moving over the point lever a motion is
given to the sway beam which moves the points and also moves the bar one of its
movements, equal to a complete movement as now; in the course of moving the

page_text: It.
plunger lever the points are plunged and the bar is given a second movement.
is obvious, with reference to the bar, that a movement completing an angle of
90 degrees, as now, and worked by means of the usual rocker castings, would effect
my result, that is to say that a motion could be given to the bar when the points.
are operated, but when the plunger is moved the bar would return to its normal
position, and the reverse would take place in reversing the two levers.
It is also obvious that the double bar operating on bevels provided on suitable.
brackets or chairs, as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to
O'Donnell, Timmis & Smith, No. 18720, dated 22nd day of November 1889, is also
applicable as from the normal position to the right is one movement and again fromi.
the normal position to the left for another movement, would be the two movements.
suitable for the operation of the bar by the point lever as one distinct movement.
and by the plunger lever as another distinct movement, or again, with this last form
of bar two movements can be obtained in the same direction, that is to say that the
outside of the double bevel on the bar may be against the bevel on the chair, and
to the middle of the double bevel would be one movement and to the other side of
the bevel would be another movement.
In order that my invention may be better understood and more readily carried.
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawing hereunto annexed.
The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures of the drawing.
Figure 1 is a plan of a railway junction.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of sleepers and bevel chairs illustrating the-
locking bar fitted with the double bevel blocks and friction rollers.
a is the locking bar, 6 are the rod and crank connections from the bar, to the-
rod 6 which latter is connected to the centre of and is actuated by the sway beam c..
d are the switch points of the junction, e is the stretcher bar of the switch points,.
fis the plunger, g are the connections from the facing point lock lever in the signal
cabin to the plunger f, h are the connections from the facing point lever in the
signal cabin to the facing points d. k are the double bevel blocks fixed to the
bar a; k¹, k, k³, k* are the bevels of the said blocks k; l, m, are the friction rollers.
fixed in the points of the bevels of the blocks k; o, p, are the right and left bevels.
on the chairs r.
The working of my invention is as follows:-
moves.
Assuming the points d are normally right as shown, connections are not moved..
The signalman moves over his facing point lock lever, actuates connections
sway beam c into the dotted liness, plunger f is inserted and rod 6' and
connections bare moved in the direction of the arrow the locking bar a being
therefore actuated. The facing signal for the left hand road is therefore lowered
and if replaced before the train arrives at the points d, should the signalman also.
replace the facing point lever and withdraw the plunger f, he is absolutely
prevented from working his facing points (reversing them) during the passage of a.
train as the wheels of the engine or vehicles must be first on the bar a before
arriving at the points d and the working of the points in any position must also.
actuate bar a through connections h, operating sway beam c. In the case herein-.
before mentioned sway beam would assume the dotted position t.
C
In the other condition where the points dare first required to be moved,.
connections operate the sway beam c into the dotted position t (thereby also.
working bar a), then the facing point lock lever moves connections g. operating the
sway beam c into the straight dotted position v, inserting plunger f, locking the
points d and also operating the bar a. Again, if the signal and facing point lock
levers be reversed before the train has arrived at the points d, the signalman cannot.
operate the said points d during the passage of the train for the same reason as
hereinbefore described.
As will be seen in Figure 2, assuming the bar a to be in its normal position,.
working the point lever operating d moves the bar a through the friction rollers l
rising and moving on the bevels p so that the middle space to is over 'the bevels on.

page_text: i
the chair r.. Now when the facing point lock lever is worked a second movement is
given to the bar by the rollers m rising and moving on the bevels p of the chair r.
The return motion is similar, the result being that whenever the point lever or
the facing point lock lever is moved, the bar a is also moved.
Stops may be arranged to ensure a definite movement in each operation of
the bar.
It is obvious that other modifications may be arranged in lieu of bevel blocks to
effect precisely the same results, which results, effected by the two levers herein-
before mentioned, I claim as novel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In railway signalling, apparatus whereby a locking bar is moved every time
the rod operating the points and every time the rod operating the plunger are
worked, substantially as described and illustrated on the drawing and for the
purposes specified.
c operating a locking bar
2. In railway signalling, a locking bar provided with bevel blocks (with or
without friction rollers) working upon bevels provided on special chairs or brackets,
substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
3. In railway signalling, a sway beam such as
substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
4. In railway signalling, apparatus whereby the rod operating the points also
operates the locking bar substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
5. In railway signalling, apparatus whereby two levers each performing its
separate duty, operate a bar common to the two, substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
!. Dated this Twenty-second day of June 1892.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2, Great George Street, Westminster, London, S. W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.