An Improvement in Apparatus for Interlocking Railway Points and Signals.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 1st Oct., 1898-Accepted, 5th Nov., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Apparatus for Interlocking Railway Points and
Signals.
I, CHARLES HODGSON, of Canterbury Road, Kilburn, in the County of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
In the Specification of my Patent No. 20673 of 1892 I described apparatus
at a set of points interlocking the point moving rod with the signal pulls in such
a manner that in case of a train coming in a direction to force the points and
shift them from their position in which position they should be locked by the
signal pulls crossing the point rod and engaged in notches of the rod, this locking
would give way allowing the shifting of the points to take place without involving
a breakdown of the interlocking apparatus. This object was attained by making
the notches in the point rod and the edges of the signal pulls which engaged in
these notches of V shape having sloping sides, so that a considerable strain, such
as would result from a train forcing the points could move the point rod lifting the
signal pulls out of the notches, and moving over the point lever. This arrange-
ment, while it is quite effective in providing against a breakdown when the points
are forced, is subject to the objection that the pointsman or other person by
applying considerable force to the lever which works the points, can move the
points notwithstanding that they are locked by the signal pulls crossing them.
My invention relates to a modification of the point and signal interlocking
apparatus described in my previous specification whereby I provide against this
difficulty that is to say, while the locking can give way when the points are
forced by a train, the points cannot be moved by hand from the position in which
they are locked by the signal pulls.
I shall describe this modification referring to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 is a plan and Figure 3 is an end view of a set of
point and signal interlocking apparatus modified according to my invention.
Figures 4 and 5 are side views of the two notched point moving rods shewn
separately.
A A' are the two signal pulls which cross the point rod and are pressed down
on it by a loaded lever B so that the crossing rods are caused to engage in each
others' notches in the usual way. Instead however of having a single point rod
with V notches for engagement of the signal rods, I make the point rod in two
parts the one C whch is directly connected to the point rails by the rod c and the
other D which is indirectly connected as will presently be described to the point
lever worked by the pointsman.
The rod C has the usual V shaped notches in which engage the signal
pulls A A¹, these having V shaped edges. But the additional rod D which is
deeper than C has deeper notches the lower parts of which are V shaped fitting
the edges of the pulls A A¹ but their upper parts have vertical shoulders bearing
against the sides of the pulls A A¹.
On the rear part of the rod C there is a projecting part E with sloping
shoulders e e¹, and on the rod D is pivotted a tumbler F which has projections ƒ fi

page_text: extending over the sloping shoulders ee¹. The tumbler F, is connected by the
rod d to the point lever.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The rods C and 1 being locked by one of the signal pulls A or A' engaged in
their notches, should a train force the points the rod C can move wedging that
pull out of its notch and moving the tumbler F a little till it is disengaged from
the shoulder e or e¹ and thereupon moving freely.
But should the pointsman or other person, by pulling the rod d, attempt to
move the points when they are locked by the signal pull, then the square shoulders
of the notch in the rod 1 bearing against the sides of the pull A or A' effectually
prevents the rod D from being moved while one of the pulls A or A¹ is in its
notch, and therefore no pull of d can move the points.
When the signals are at " danger" the pulls A A¹ are in such a position that
they present notches for the passage of both the rods C and D) which can then
be freely moved by the rod d.
The first part of the movement of d to the left throws over the tumbler F so that
its projection f¹ engages against the shoulder e¹ and then the rest of its move-
ment effects the motion to the left of both rods D and C moving the points over.
In like manner after the points have been moved over and the signals put at
danger" d can be moved to the right first engaging f with e and then moving
the points to the right.
"
Dated this 4th day of February 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
An Improvement in Apparatus for Interlocking Railway Points and
Signals.
I, CHARLES HODGSON, of Canterbury Road, Kilburn, in the County of London,
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:-
In the Specification of my Patent No. 20673 of 1892 I described apparatus
at a set of points interlocking the point moving rod with the signal pulls in such
a manner that in case of a train coming in a direction to force the points and
shift them from their position in which position they should be locked by the
signal pulls crossing the point rod and engaged in notches of the rod, this locking
would give way allowing the shifting of the points to take place without involving
a breakdown of the interlocking apparatus. This object was attained by making
the notches in the point rod and the edges of the signal pulls which engaged in
these notches of V shape having sloping sides, so that a considerable strain, such
as would result from a train forcing the points could move the point rod lifting the
signal pulls out of the notches, and moving over the point lever. This arrange-
ment, while it is quite effective in providing against a breakdown when the points
are forced, is subject to the objection that the pointsman or other person by
applying considerable force to the lever which works the points, can move the
points notwithstanding that they are locked by the signal pulls crossing them.
My invention relates to a modification of the point and signal interlocking
apparatus described in my previous specification whereby I provide against this
difficulty that is to say, while the locking can give way when the points are
forced by a train, the points cannot he moved by hand from the position in which
they are locked by the signal pulls.

page_text: I shall describe this modification referring to the drawings accompanying my
Provisional Specification.
Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 is a plan and Figure 3 is an end view of a set of
point and signal interlocking apparatus modified according to my invention.
Figures 4 and 5 are side views of the two notched point moving rods shewn
separately.
AA are the two signal pulls which cross the point rod and are pressed down
on it by a loaded lever B so that the crossing rods are caused to engage in each
others' notches in the usual way. Instead however of having a single point rod
with V notches for engagement of the signal rods, I make the point rod in two
parts the one C whch is directly connected to the point rails by the rod c and the
other D which is indirectly connected as will presently be described to the point
lever worked by the pointsman.
The rod Chas the usual V shaned notches in which engage the signal
pulls A A¹ these having V shaped edges. But the additional rod D which is
deeper than C has deener notches the lower parts of which are V shaped fitting
the edges of the pulls A A¹ but their upper parts have vertical shoulders bearing
against the sides of the pulls A A¹.
On the rear part of the rod C there is a projecting part E with sloping
shoulders e e¹, and on the rod D is pivotted a tumbler F which has projections f fl
extending over the sloping shoulders ee¹. The tumbler F, is connected by the
rod d to the point lever.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The rods C and D being locked by one of the signal nulls A or A¹ engaged in
their notches, should a train force the points the rod C can move wedging that
pull out of its notch and moving the tumbler F a little till it is disengaged from
the shoulder e or e¹ and thereupon moving freely.
But should the pointsman or other person, by pulling the rod d, attempt to
move the points when they are locked by the signal pull, then the square shoulders
of the notch in the rod J bearing against the sides of the pull A or A¹ effectually
prevents the rod D from being moved while one of the pulls A or A¹ is in its
notch, and therefore no pull of d can move the points.
When the signals are at "danger" the pulls A A¹ are in such a position that
they present notches for the passage of both the rods C and D which can then
be freely moved by the rod d.
The first part of the movement of d to the left throws over the tumbler F so that
its projection f¹ engages against the shoulder e¹ and then the rest of its move-
ment effects the motion to the left of both rods D and C moving the points over.
In like manner, after the points have been moved over, and the signals put at
danger" d can be moved to the right first engaging f with e and then moving
the points to the right.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
In point and signal interlocking apparatus, in combination with the signal
pulls having edges V shaped to engage in corresponding notches of the point
rod, a pair of point rods, the one directly connected to the points and having
shallow notches and a projection with inclined shoulders the other having deeper
square shouldered notches and carrying a tumbler with projections to engage on
the shoulders of the other the arm of the tumbler being connected to the point
lever substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 1st day of October 1898.