IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND LOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Maddock, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CONTROLLING AND LOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS."
Sealed the 21st March 1873, and dated the 26th September 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Maddock at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th September 1872.
I, JOHN MADDOCK, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND LOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS," to be as
follows:-
The Invention relates to an arrangement of mechanism for more
effectually working the "block" or other system upon railways, whereby
a signalman at one station is enabled to have a certain amount of control
over the signals at another station, and consists principally in the
employment and use of a vibrating bar or rocking lever made of steel or

page_text: other suitable material, which I fix in any convenient position upon the
ordinary signal and points locking frame. This bar or rocking lever is
caused to rise and fall by an electro-magnet worked by an ordinary
electric battery, so that when the signalman at one station (say B) is
desirous to control the signals of another station (say A) he causes an
electric current to be communicated to and act on the magnet (at A),
which attracts and raises one end of the vibrating bar or locking lever
into position, the other end of which falls into a slot or notch in the
signal levers or slide bar of the ordinary or other locking machinery, and
thereby locks and controlls the signals until the train has passed, and he
thinks fit to release then.
In order to insure the signalman that he has control of the signals at
the other station when the electric contact is complete, the current is
continued on to a return wire back to the signal station, and is there
connected to a bell or other indicator which gives assurance that the
signals are locked.
This apparatus may also be used in addition to the ordinary dial
instruments now generally in use for working the block system of
railways.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said John Maddock in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MADDOCK, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Maddock, Her special license that I,
the said John Maddock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Maddock, 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

page_text: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CONTROLLING AND LOCKING RAILWAY SIGNALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Maddock, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Maddock, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :—
This Invention relates to an arrangement of mechanism for more
effectually working the "block" or other system upon railways, whereby
a signalman at one station is enabled to have a certain amount of control
over the signals at another station, and consists principally in the
employment and use of a vibrating bar or lever, which I fix in any
convenient position upon or near the ordinary signal and points locking
frame. This bar or lever is caused to vibrate by an electro-magnet
worked by an ordinary electric battery, so that when the signalman at
one station (say B) is desirous to control the signals of another station
(say A), he causes an electric current to be communicated to and act ou
the magnet (at A) which attracts the vibrating bar or lever into a slot or
notch in connection with the signal levers or slide bar of the ordinary or
other locking machinery, and thereby locks and controls the signals
until the train has passed and he thinks fit to release them, or the passing
of the train may be made to release them automatically.
In order to insure the signalman that he has control of the signals at
the other station, when the electric contact is complete, the current is
continued on to a return wire back to the signal station, and is there
connected to a bell or other indicator which gives assurance that the
signals in the rear of the train are locked.
This apparatus may also be used in addition to the ordinary dial
instruments now generally in use for working the block system of
railways.

page_text: Fig. 2 represents a side view of an ordinary point or signal lever, to
which is applied electrical locking apparatus according to my Invention;
Fig. 1 represents a side view, and Fig. 3, a front view of the electro-
magnetic locking mechanism drawn to an enlarged scale.
a is a vibrating bar mounted on a pivot at its upper end in a con-
venient position near the point or signal lever. On the bar a is fixed the
armature e of an electro-magnet b, connected by a conducting wire d to
the distant station. The lower end of the bar a faces a notch fin a
disc g fixed on an axis h, from which projects an arm i connected by 1
an adjustable rod k to one end of a curved lever / mounted on a pivot on
the framing of the point and signal apparatus. n is one of the ordinary
levers for working a point or a signal, with its catch rod o worked by
the spring catch handle q, and catching into notches p in the quadrant.
A stud on the catch rod o projects under the curved lever 1, so that 1
when the lever is held down, the catch rod o cannot be raised out of
the notch p, and consequently the lever n cannot be moved. This
happens when the signalman at a distant station, by transmitting a
current of electricity through the wire d and coil of the magnet b, causes
the armature e to be attracted, whereby the bar d is drawn into the
notch (as shown in Fig. 3), and the disc g and its axis h are thus held
fast. The arm i and rod k being thus held the lever I cannot be raised,
and the catch rod o is thus kept down in the notch p, whereby the lever n
is locked in its forward position.
When it is desired that a lever should also be locked in its backward 2
position the lever / may be made of the form indicated by the dotted
line (Fig. 1). On the electrical current through the wire d being
The bar a then
stopped, the magnet 6 ceases to attract the armature e.
moves out of the notch f, as indicated by the red lines in Fig. 3. The
disc g with its axis and arm i being thus left free to turn, the lever is 3
released, the catch rod o can be raised out of the notch p, and the lever n
can be moved. At the sides of the bar a are fixed springs and u, con-
nected by conductors with bells or other signalling instruments at the
distant station, which serve to indicate the position of the bar a, whether
it be to the one side, causing contact to be made by the spring t, or 3
to the other side causing contact to be made by the spring u.
The

page_text: signalman at a distance is thus informed whether the locking above
described by the movement of the bar a has been effected or not.
is a repeating signal connected to the electrical circuit of the
magnet b, so that when a current passes through the coil of the
magnet a relay is actuated, whereby the semaphore arm of the signal v
is raised, indicating to the signalman that the lever is locked.
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 controlling and locking railway point and signal
levers by means of electro-magnets brought into operation by clectric
currents transmitted from distant stations, but I claim,―
First. Locking a point or signal lever by causing its spring catch rod
to be held down into the notch of its quadrant by the action of a detent
or vibrating bar attached to the armature of an electro-magnet put in
operation from a distance, substantially as herein described.
Second. Combining with the locking mechanism, such as has been
above referred to, an electrical signal or indicator, so as to show at a
distance that locking has been effected, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Maddock, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witnessed by
GEORGE DAVIES, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JOHN MADDOCK. (L.S.)