IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING AND LOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS AND POINTS, AND IN APPARATUS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Carleton Brush, of 15, Clanbrassil Terrace, South
Circular Road, Dublin, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WORKING AND LOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS AND POINTS, AND IN APPARATUS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Carleton Brush at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st March 1881.
JAMES CARLETON BRUSH, of 15, Clanbrassil Terrace, South Circular Road, Dublin,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING AND LOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS AND
POINTS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
This Invention has for its objects the working of railway signals and points by
the application of less manual labour, and at greater distances from the operator
than are at present commonly used.
These objects are attained by employing hydraulic power for actuating the main
levers, to which the signals and points are connected in the usual way. Each lever
is furnished with a hydraulic cylinder having a piston, the rod of which is suitably
connected with the said lever. The two ends of the cylinder are furnished with
proper connections, and a valve or valves, so as to permit of the pressure being
applied on either side of the piston. In the case of signal levers. however the
pressure is only required to be applied in one direction.
In order to lock the levers with a view to preventing conflicting signals being
given I arrange the spindles or levers which work the valves of the hydraulic cylinders
in such a manner that the spindles or levers or the valves themselves may be locked
in their proper positions by sliding bars or other suitable means.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and
of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said James Carleton Brush in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd September 1881.
JAMES CARLETON BRUSH, of 15, Clanbrassil Terrace, South Circular Road, Dublin,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING AND LOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS AND
POINTS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
This Invention has for its objects the working of railway signals and points by
the application of less manual labour, and at greater distances from the operator
than are at present commonly used.
These objects are attained by employing hydraulic power for actuating the main
levers, to which the signals and points are connected in the usual way. By this
means greater force is furnished for working the points and signals than can readily
be commanded by manual power, and consequently signals and points at greater
distances from the operator may be worked, notwithstanding the increased friction
involved in such cases. Each lever is furnished with a hydraulic cylinder having
a piston, the rod of which is suitably connected with the said lever. The two ends
of the cylinder are furnished with proper connections, and a valve or valves, so as
to permit of the pressure being applied on either side of the piston. In the case of
signal levers the pressure is only required to be applied in one direction, as falling
weights are usually used to effect the return motions. I have however considered
it preferable to arrange the apparatus I am about to describe in such a manner as
to work all the levers both ways.
In order to lock the levers with a view to preventing conflicting signals being
given I arrange the spindles or levers which work the valves of the hydraulic
cylinders in such a manner that the spindles or levers or the valves themselves
may be locked in their proper positions by sliding bars or other suitable means.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a point and signal working and locking apparatus
for a series of five levers; and it will be readily understood that a larger or smaller
number of levers may be combined in a similar relative manner, according to the
requirements of each signal station; Fig. 2 is a view partly in vertical section, and
partly in elevation of the same apparatus. A is a cylinder, suitable for use with
fluid under high pressure, and fitted with a piston B and plunger C; D is a passage
open at all times to the fluid under pressure; and E is a passage at the opposite
end of the cylinder, sometimes open to the pipe containing the fluid under pressure,
and sometimes open to the waste pipe; F is a spindle, intended to be rotated by
hand, and having fixed on it eccentrics or cams F¹ and f². These eccentrics or
cams are arranged with their throws in opposite directions, and actuate spindle
valves g¹, g², the former opening and closing the pressure pipe H, and the latter
opening and closing the waste pipe J. These spindle valves are also provided with
springs, as shewn, which I prefer to make of sufficient power to close the valves
against the pressure fluid. The same object may be effected by counterbalance
weights. To the crosshead K of the plunger C the levers for working the points
and signals are attached. The centre line of one such lever is indicated by the
dotted line L. With reference to the piston B and plunger C it will be observed
that the whole of one side of the piston is exposed to the fluid under pressure,
whereas on the other side the pressure is only effective on the annulus formed
between the circumference of the piston as an outer diameter, and that of the

page_text: plunger, as an inner diameter. If now the same pressure per unit of area be
applied on both sides of the piston the effective pressure on the piston side will be
greater than on the annular side, and motion will ensue in the direction of the
crosshead, the fluid on the annular side being forced back into the pressure main.
When however the fluid on the piston side is allowed to pass away to the waste
pipe, and the pressure is consequently removed on that side, the pressure on the
annulus becomes effective, and motion of the piston ensues in the opposite direction.
Upon the pressure being again admitted to the piston side the operation above
described is repeated.
"I will now proceed to describe how I lock the valve spindles F with a view to
preventing conflicting signals being given, and I will refer to the diagramatic
sketch, Fig. 5, which shews separate views of five locking bars, such as are
employed in the apparatus represented in Figs. 1 & 2, and numbered 10, 20, 30, 40,
and 50. Each valve spindle F has an eccentric or cam F¹ fastened on it, and the
locking bars have lugs, slots, or straps F2 engaging with the eccentric or cam, by
means of which the said bars are traversed horizontally. The locking bars are also
provided with slots in suitable positions relatively to certain stops on some one or
more of the other valve spindles. In order to explain the operation of the apparatus
I will trace the effect of a motion of valve spindle No. 1 through an angle of 180°.
It will be seen on reference to, the diagram that the stops M1, M2, M³, are free to
move in the slots provided in the bars 20, 30, 40, when those bars are in the
positions indicated. It will also be observed that the locking bar 10 is free to
reciprocate longitudinally with respect to the stops on spindles Nos. 3 and 4. After
the longitudinal motion of bar 10 has taken place however, solid portions of the bar
arrive above the stops on the spindles, Nos. 3 and 4, and any further forward
rotation of those spindles is opposed and prevented. In a similar manner it will
be seen that the other bars effect similar objects by the same method. It will also
be readily understood that by fixing the stops in their proper positions normally
(as, for instance, the stop on spindle No. 2 engaged in bar 30) a spindle may be
locked until unlocked by some other spindle moving that locking bar (that is to
say, in the present case No. 3 in bar 30); similarly, when the eccentric on
No. 4 valve spindle is turned to the position represented by the dotted line it
presents a stop to bar 50 ready to be locked by a subsequent forward motion of
that bar.
In order that no valve spindle may be worked until a full stroke of the hydraulic
plunger has been completed I employ secondary check locking mechanism of the
following character:-A lever N is mounted on a centre N', and attached at one
end to the crosshead of the plunger. The other end of the same lever is provided
with a wedge shaped piece O, which raises a sliding bar P, suitably guided, which
sliding bar is returned to its norinal position by the action of a spring or weight
on the withdrawal of the wedge piece O. This apparatus will be more readily
understood on reference to the sectional view, Fig. 6, wherein portions of locking
bars Nos. 10 and 30 appear. Bar 10 has two lugs Q, Q, on one of its faces,
between which the bar P sides vertically, which motion it derives from the action
of the wedge-shaped piece O, already referred to. The bar P is also provided with
a guide T, but this is omitted in the Drawing, Fig. 1, in order to avoid confusion.
When the vertical bar P is in the position shewn in Fig. 2 the lugs Q, Q, on
bar 10 are free to pass through the notch P¹ in the bar P; but when the said bar P
is partly or wholly raised by the wedge-shaped piece O a solid portion of the bar P
is presented to the lugs Q, Q, and prevents the spindle which actuates locking
bar 30 being rotated, by reason of the eccentric belonging thereto being confined
between the lugs, slots, or straps F of the said locked bar 30. In a similar manner
movements of the other valve spindles may be controlled, and any working f
them leading to conflicting signals prevented, by providing lugs similar to Q, Q,
on some of the other locking bars, and notches similar to P¹ on some of the other
sliding bars corresponding with P, it being understood that each valve spindle
which is subject to the control of another is provided with its own check

page_text: locking bar P, the others being omitted from the Drawing in order to avoid
confusion.
Fig. 4 indicates the method I adopt for preventing the valve spindles being moved
in a reverse or wrong direction. On each valve spindle F I fix a collar having two
notches R, R¹, on opposite sides of the said collar. I also provide springs S, which
engage with the said notches, as shewn, and when so engaged prevent the valve
spindles being rotated backwards. Their action also serves to indicate to the
operator when he has made a true rotative motion of 180 degrees of a valve
spindle.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not claim generally
the application of fluid under pressure for working railway signals or points, but
I claim,―
1. The combination and use of the apparatus herein described for working and
locking railway signals and points.
2. The arrangement of mechanism consisting of valve spindles, cams, and stops,
in combination with locking bars and slots, substantially as herein described and
for the purposes mentioned.
3. The secondary check locking apparatus consisting of the bar P and notch or
notches P' in combination with the inter-locking mechanism, operating substantially
as described.
4. The combination of the apparatus referred to in either of the two last
mentioned claims with valve spindles or levers actuating valves for controlling the
admission or exit of fluid under pressure to or from engines used for working the
main levers of railway signals or points.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Carleton Brush, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 20th day of September, in the year of our Lord
1881.
JAMES CARLETON BRUSH. (L.S.)