IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY POINTS AND SWITCH BARS, 441 PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brierley, Frederick Wade Brierley, and
Walter Wright Brierley, all of Kilburn, in the County of Middle-
sex, Railway Signal Engineers, and Francis Samuel Reynolds, of
Edgware Road, in the same County, Surveyor, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY POINTS AND SWITCH BARS,
441
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brierley,
Frederick Wade Brierley, Walter Wright Brierley, and Francis
Samuel Reynolds at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 9th April 1875.
We, JOHN BRIERLEY, FREDERICK WADE BRIERLEY, and WALTER
WRIGHT BRIERLEY, all of Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex,
Railway Signal Engineers, and FRANCIS SAMUEL REYNOLDS, of
Edgware Road, in the same County, Surveyor, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY

page_text: POINTS AND SWITCH BARS, AND IN THE MEANS OF LOCKING THE SAME," to be as
follows
-
The object of this Invention is to secure the facing points on a line of
railway in such a way as to prevent them from being accidentally
displaced, and thereby frequently leading to serious accidents. This is 5
effected by means of vertical locking bolts, which are made to work up
and down in holes made in the hollow tic, and which are made to rise
and lock the facing points, whatever may be the position given to them
by the signalman in charge.
The up-and-down motion of the bolts is effected by means of a horı- 1
zontal bar having inclines on its upper and lower edges, and which is
worked by levers in the usual manner, or the same result may be
effected by means of bell-crank levers.
[In connection with the vertical locking bolts is a switch bar, which
has a vertical rising and falling motion communicated to it by similar 1
arrangements to those employed to work the bolts. The two horizontal
bars or bell-crank levers are worked from the same lever, and arc
connected together by a bell crank. The switch bar is made to rise by
the same movement that causes the withdrawal of the bolts, thereby
indicating that the points are unlocked and in an unsafe condition. 2
The horizontal bar which works the bolts is elongated beyond the end
of the hollow tie in which it is placed, and is made by any suitablo
means to work a ground disc to indicate to the driver or guard that
the points are open or shut, as the case may bc. As regards trailing
points a very powerful spring is adapted thereto in any convenient 2
manner for the purpose of keeping the point against the main rail.
When an engine enters the point it will force it back and allow the
engine or train to pass, but the point will be immediately closed
again by the force of the spring when the last wheel has passed the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Brierley, Frederick Wade Brierley, Walter
Wright Brierley, and Francis Samuel Reynolds in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th October 1875.

page_text: BRIERLEY, all of Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Railway Signal
Engineers, and FRANCIS SAMUEL REYNOLDS, of Edgware Road, in the
same County, Surveyor, send greeting
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Brierley, Frederick Wade
Brierley, Walter Wright Brierley, and Francis Samuel Reynolds, Her
special licence that we, the said John Brierley, Frederick Wado
Brierley, Walter Wright Brierley, and Francis Samuel Reynolds, our
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as wc, the said
John Brierley, Frederick Wade Brierley, Walter Wright Brierley, and
Francis Samuel Reynolds, our 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, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY POINTS
AND SWITCH BARS, AND IN THE MEANS OF LOCKING THE SAME," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said John Brierley, Frederick
Wade Brierley, Walter Wright Brierley, and Francis Samuel Reynolds,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 we, the said John Bierley, Frederick Wade
Buerley, Walter Wright Bricilcy, and Francis Samuel Reynolds,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thercon (that is to say).—
The object of this Invention is to secure the facing points on a line of
railway in such a manner as to prevent them from being accidentally
displaced, which frequently leads to serious accidents. This object 15

page_text: effected by means of vertical locking bolts, which are made to work up
and down in holes made in the hollow tic, which acts as a transverse
sleeper. These locking bolts are made to rise and lock the facing
points, whatever may be the position given to the latter by the signal-
man in charge.
The up-and-down motion of the bolts is effected by means of a hori-
zontal bar having inclines on its upper and lower edges, and which bar
is worked by levers and rods in the usual manner; or the same result
may be effected by means of bell-crank levers
In connection with the vertical locking bolts is a switch bar, which
has a vertical rising and falling motion communicated to it by similar
arrangements to those employed to work the bolts. The two horizontal
bars or bell-crank levers are worked from the same lever,-aud are
connected together by a bell crank. The switch bar is made to rise by
the same movement that causes the withdiawal of the bolts, thereby
indicating that the points are unlocked and in an unsafe condition.
The horizontal bar which works the bolts is elongated beyond the end
of the hollow tie in which it is placed, and is made by any suitable
means to work a ground disc to indicate to the driver or guard that the
points are open or shut, as the case may be. As regards trailing points
a very powerful spring is adapted in any convenient manner to the rod
which works the points for the purpose of keeping the point against the

page_text: Fig. 4 shows the switch bar lowered, or in the corresponding position
to that shewn in Fig. 1 of the bolts, and therefore indicating that the
points are locked.
Fig. 5 is a general plan view of the apparatus in the positions indicated
in Figures 1 and 4, that is, the points are locked and the switch bar
lowered ready for a passing train. This Figure also shows the connection
of the switch points with the ground disc.
Fig. 6 is a cross section of the switch bar taken on the line A, B, of
Fig. 4.
In Figures 1 and 2 a, a, are the permanent rails, and b, b, the switch
points that must be opened or closed for the passage of a train on to the
main or branch line of rails, as may be desired. c, c, are the vertical
locking bolts, and d, d, are the horizontal bars, which pass through
slots in the bolts c, c, and raise or depress the locking bolts. These
bars d, d, arc actuated by the bell crank c and rod e¹, which are
operated from the signal box (by the signalman in charge) in the usual
manner.
The mode of working is as follows:-The points band locking bolts c
being in the position shewn in Fig. 1 it is desired to change the points,
so that the train may be shunted from the main to a branch line. It
is first necessary to lower the locking bolts c, c This is effected by the
signalman pulling over that lever in the signal box, which is connected
to the bell crank and rod e, e¹. This would have the effect of pulling
the horizontal bar d from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that indicated
in Fig 2, at the same time the inclines d', d, on the horizontal bar d
would pull down the locking bolts c, c, which would leave the switch
points free to be pulled over into the dotted position shewn at Fig. 2,
when the horizontal bar d would be pushed back to its original position
as shown in Fig. 1, thereby raising the bolts c by means of the incline dª
pushing against the slot in the bolts c, and thus locking the points in
their new position.
The motions of the switch bar shewn in Figures 3 and 4 are precisely
similar to those of the bolts shewn in Figures 1 and 2, and as the rods
or levers for working the switch bar are connected by a bell crank ƒ (see
5 Fig. 5) to the same rod as works the bolts c the motions of the switch
bar g and locking bolt c are simultaneous.

page_text: The switch bar g is secured or firmly held on to the top of the slotted
vertical sliding bolts c', c', through which passes the horizontal bar d¹ in
precisely the same manner to that used for raising and lowering the
bolts, and shewn in Figures 1 and 2 The vertical bolts c¹, c', which
hold and support the switch bar 7 slide up and down in bearings
attached to a clip h, which is clipped on and holds firmly to the
underneath portion of the permanent rail a, as will be seen by referring
to the detached view, Fig. 6 The horizontal bar d¹ owing to its
length is supported upon rollers 2, which greatly reduce the friction.
The bar is held in its place by small pins ¹ placed above the
rollers 2, so that the bar a' cannot misc from constant contact with the
rollers 2.
It is important here to remark that the horizontal bard, Figures-1
and 2, for working the locking bolts, and the horizontal bar d¹ in
Figures 3, 4, and 5 always act together, so that when the bolts c, c, of
Figures 1 and 2 are up and the points consequently locked in the
desired position the switch har g, Figures 3 and 4, is down, and on the
contrary, when the locking bolts c are drawn down and the points are
consequently unlocked the switch bar g will be in an elevated position,
as shown at Fig. 3, and the signal is securely locked at "danger."
Therefore if the driver allows his train to pass while the points are
unlocked he must have done so in the face of the "danger" signal, and
on passing he will inevitably crush the clevated switch bar g, which will
therefore be a tell-tale against him.
Fig 7 represents a plan for imparting a certain amount of clasticity
to the rods which work the trailing points, so that should a train in
backing through points when set against it force back the trailing point
the rod would yield and allow the flanges of the wheels to pass without
straining or breaking the rods in connection with the points This
clasticity is obtained by adapting to the rod y, which works the trailing
points k, l, an elliptic or other sping 7, which collapses or clongates as
may be required.
Пaving now described our Invention of "Improvements applicable
to Railway Points and Switches, and in the Means of Locking the
same," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, we claim as the Invention secured to us by Letters Patent as
aforesaid,―

page_text: First. Locking the points of railways by means of vertical bolts
worked by inclines or cams on a horizontal bar, as herein set forth.
Second. Enclosing the locking apparatus within a hollow sleeper or
tic, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Third The combination with the apparatus for locking the points of
the vertically rising and falling switch bar actuated by inclines on a
horizontal bar, as herein set forth.
Fourth. Adapting to the rods for working trailing points a spring, as
and for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, wc, the said John Brierley, Frederick Wade
Brierley, Walter Wright Brierley, and Francis Samuel Reynolds,
have hereunto set our hands and scals, the Eighth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred
and seventy-five.