IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WORKING SWITCHES AND SIGNALS OF RAILWAYS." WORKING SWITCHES AND SIGNALS OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lancaster Owen, of Newport, in the County
of Monmouth, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
WORKING SWITCHES AND SIGNALS OF RAILWAYS."
WORKING SWITCHES AND SIGNALS OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 22nd February 1867, and dated the 25th August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lancaster Owen
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th August 1866.
I, WILLIAM LANCASTER OWEN, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR WORKING SWITCHES AND SIGNALS OF RAILWAYS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of an improved arrangement of that description of
apparatus for working the switches and signals of railways, in which the
switches and signals are locked when in certain positions. For this purpose
the several levers work side by side in segmental frames, and are provided
with segmental tail pieces working through slots in the ends of the frames.
These tail pieces are formed to correspond with the curvature of the segmental

page_text: parts of the frames, so that they lie along the same when the levers are in
the forward position. The segmental frames are slotted transversely just in
front of the levers when these are in the backward position, and a sliding
bolt works backwards and forwards through these slots, whereby it is made
capable of alternately locking the one lever or set of levers in the one frame
when in its or their backward position, while the other lever or levers is or
are left free to move. By this arrangement it will be seen that if the one
lever or set of levers is locked in the backward position, as described, and
the other lever or levers is or are moved forward, then the before described
tail piece or pieces in covering the transverse slots in their respective frames
will prevent the sliding bar or bolt from being moved back out of its position
in front of the first named lever or levers, and these will consequently be
effectually locked in their backward position when the other lever or levers
is or are in the forward position. If the latter is or are now moved into the
backward position, thus opening the slots in the frames again, the sliding
bar can now be moved in front of the same, thus locking it or them while
the other lever or levers is or are now free to move into the forward position,
in which position the tail pieces thereof in their turn prevent the unlocking
of the other lever or levers. In some cases slots are also formed in the tail
pieces in certain positions, so that when the levers are moved into such
positions that such slots correspond with those in the frames, the sliding bolt
or bolts may pass through them and lock the levers in such positions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Lancaster Owen in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LANCASTER OWEN, of Newport, in the County of Monmouth, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Lancaster Owen, Her special licence that I, the said William
Lancaster Owen, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Lancaster Owen, 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

page_text: 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 WORKING SWITCHES AND
SIGNALS OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Lancaster Owen, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Lancaster Owen, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same.
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention consists of an improved arrangement of that description of
apparatus for working the switches and signals of railways, in which the
switches and signals are locked when in certain positions. For this purpose
the several levers work side by side in segmental frames and are provided
with segmental tail pieces working through slots in the ends of the frames.
These tail pieces are formed to correspond with the curvature of the segmental
parts of the frames, so that they lie along the same when the levers are in the
forward position. The segmental frames are slotted transversely just in front
of the levers when these are in the backward position, and a sliding bolt
works backwards and forwards through these slots, whereby it is made capable
of alternately locking the one lever or set of levers in the one frame when in
its or their backward position, while the other lever or levers is or are left free
to move. By this arrangement it will be seen that if the one lever or set of
levers is locked in the backward position as described, and the other lever or
levers is or are moved forward, then the before-described tail piece or pieces,
in covering the transverse slots in their respective frames, will prevent the
sliding bar or bolt from being moved back out of its position in front of the
first-named lever or levers, and these will consequently be effectually locked
in their backward position when the other lever or levers is or are in the
forward position. If the latter is or are now moved into the backward position
thus opening the slots in the frames again, the sliding bar can now be moved
in front of the same, thus locking it or them, while the other lever or levers
is or are now free to move into the forward position, in which position the
tail pieces thereof in their turn prevent the unlocking of the other lever or

page_text: levers. In some cases slots may also be formed in the tail pieces in certain
positions, so that when the levers are moved into such positions that such slots
correspond with those in the frames, the sliding bolt or bolts may pass through
them and lock the levers in such positions.
Having thus set forth the nature of my Invention, I will now proceed more
particularly to describe the manner of performing the same.
Figures 1 to 3, on Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings, show an arrange-
ment of my improved apparatus adapted for working a station and a distant
signal in conjunction with one switch; Figure 1 shows a front elevation,
Figure 2. shows an end elevation, and Figure 3 shows a plan of the san:e;
similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in each of the Figures.
In this arrangement A and B are signal levers working in the segmental
frame E and upon one and the same pin a as a fulcrum; and C is a switch
lever working in the segmental frame E¹ and upon the pin c as a fulcrum.
Each lever has a tail piece marked respectively A¹, B, C, of a curved form
corresponding with the segmental framing E, E¹, so that when the levers are in
their forward position, as the lever C in Figure 1, such tail pieces lie between
the cheeks of the segmental framing; when the levers are moved into the
'backward position the tail pieces pass through slots or apertures formed in the
framing at e. At F, F, slots are formed in both segmental frames E, E',
just in front of the levers when these are in their backward position, and in
these slots a sliding bolt D works backwards and forwards, so as to be situated
alternately either in front of the levers A and B when these are in the
backward position, or in front of the lever C when this is in the backward
position, the length of the sliding bolt being such that when it is moved in
front of either the levers A, B, or the lever C, it leaves the other lever or levers
free to move. The connections of the levers A, B, to the signals, and of the
lever C to the switch, is so arranged that when the switch lever is in its
backward position the corresponding signal is given by placing the signal
levers in the forward position, and vice versa. Now it will be seen that if
the switch is required to be so placed that C must be in the backward position,
then, in order to move the levers A, B, into the corresponding forward
position, the bolt D must first be slid in front of the lever C, thereby locking
the lever in this position, while by the moving forward of the levers A, B,
the tail pieces A³, B', thereof close the slots F in the framing E, and thus
prevent the moving back of the bolt D and the liberation of the switch lever,
so long as the signal levers are in the forward or any intermediate position.
In like manner, when the switch lever has to be moved into the forward
position, the bolt D must first be slid in front of the signal levers, thus

page_text: locking them in the corresponding backward position, and the bolt is prevented
from liberating the signal levers by the tail piece C¹ of the switch lever closing
the slots F¹ in the frame E¹. The switch lever may also be locked in the
forward position if required by inserting a pin through the eye g in a bracket
G fixed to the framing, and into a corresponding hole in the lever. The signál
levers are held in any required intermediate position by means of pawls H
attached thereto, taking into notches formed on the segmental framing in the
usual manner. The pins a and c on which the levers turn are carried by
bearings I formed on the base of the framing E, E¹.
Figures 4 and 5 on Sheet I. of the Drawings show respectively a side and
end elevation of an arrangement which only differs from the foregoing one in
that the bearings I for the levers are formed below the bottom of the framing
instead of above it; that the two frames are connected together by wrought
iron bars J; that the locking bolt D is not situated quite so close in front of
the levers; that the signal levers are of a greater length; and that the
bracket G is omitted. The mode of action is precisely the same as in the
first arrangement, and the various parts are designated by the same letters of
reference, and need therefore not be further described...
Figures 6 to 18 on Sheet II. of the Drawings show my Invention applied
to a ten lever frame for an ordinary double junction; Figure 6 shows an
end elevation; Figure 7 shows a side elevation; Figure 8 shows a plan of
the framing with the levers remove:l; Figure 9 shows a front elevation of the
switch levers 5 and 6 detached; Figures 10 and 11 show respectively a front
and side elevation of the signal levers 1, 2, 7, and 8 détached, and Figures 12
and. 13 show respectively a front and side elevation of the signal levers 3, 4, 9,
and 10 detached.
In this arrangement No. 1 lever is for the distant signal to up branch
line; No. 2 is for signal to up branch line; Nos. 3 and 4 are respectively
for distant signal and signal to up main line; Nos. 5 and 6 are respectively
for switch to up line and switch to down line; Nos. 7 and 8 are respectively
for signal and distant signal to down main line, and Nos. 9 and 10 are
respectively for signal and distant signal to down branch line.
The mode in which the segmental tail pieces of the several levers, in
combination with the sliding locking bolts, effect the locking of one lever
or set of levers in position, while the other lever or set of levers is or are in
the corresponding position, is precisely the same as in the first described
arrangement, the only difference being in the number and position of the
several locking bolts D, of which there are in this case five, and in the

page_text: consequent variation in the relative position and form of the several segmental
tail pieces.
It will be observed that the locking bolts D', D³, and D, work in slots F
formed in the segmental framing E, and the segmental tail pieces A¹, A³, A³,
A5, A7, and As, of the levers 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8, which act in connection
with these bolts, are consequently in a position corresponding with the
segmental framing E. The locking bolts Ds and D³, on the other hand,
work in slots F¹ formed below the segmental framing E, and the segmental
tail pieces B³, B4, B5, B6, Bº, and B of the levers 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, upon
which these bolts act, are consequently formed with a smaller radius than
the others, so as to correspond with the position of the bolts D2 and D³ below
the segmental framing E. The bolt D¹ acts upon the signal levers 1 and 2,
and upon the switch lever No. 5, by means of the projection or lug b³ formed
on the tail piece B' thereof. The bolt D³ acts upon the signal levers 3, 4,
and the switch lever 5; the bolt D³ operates the locking of the switch levers
5 and 6 in their relative positions; the bolt D effects the locking of the
switch lever 6, by the lug & formed on the tail piece B°; and the signal
levers 7, 8, in their relative positions; and the bolt D³ acts upon the signal
levers 9, 10, and the switch lever 6. The switch levers 5 and 6 are provided
with spring catches K in a well known manner for holding them in position,
and the signal levers have pawls as before described. The levers are all
mounted upon one and the same spindle L carried by the wrought-iron base M
of the framing E.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which it is to be.performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details of the several arrangements for carrying my
Invention into practice as shown on the accompanying Drawings, as these
may be variously modified. without departing from the nature of my Invention ;
I am also aware that it has already been proposed to lock switch and signal
levers in their relative positions by forming segmental tail pieces on the signal
levers, which are locked by sliding pieces attached to and actuated by the switch
levers, and I in no way claim such an arrangement; but what I claim is, the
before described combined arrangement of switch and signal levers, wherein all
such levers are provided with segmental tail pieces, acting in combination.with
one or more sliding locking bolts, passing through apertures in the framing and
worked by the band of the operator, in such manner that the one lever or set
of levers is or are locked in its or their position by means of the tail piece of
the other lever or levers and of the locking bolt or bolts, when such other

page_text: lever or levers is or are in the corresponding position to that of the first-named
lever or levers, substantially as herein-before set forth with reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lancaster Owen, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness to signature,
DAVID DANIEL JAMES.
WILLIAM LANCASTER OWEN. (L.S.)