Improved Apparatus for Locking and Unlocking the Doors of Railway Carriages and Means for Actuating the same by Pneumatic Pressure.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Locking and Unlocking the Doors of
Railway Carriages and Means for Actuating the same by
Pneumatic Pressure.
We, BERNARD Moss, Gentleman, and JOHN BRACHVOGEL, Mechanical
Engineer, both of the Caulfield Club Hotel, Caulfield, near Melbourne, in the
Colony of Victoria, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
:-
This invention has been devised for the purpose of providing means whereby the
whole of the carriage doors in a railway train may be simultaneously locked or
unlocked, provision being made for the opening of each individual door separately,
should necessity arise therefor.
It consists first in specially constructed locking bolts, and secondly in the
mechanical contrivances by which such bolts are operated through air cylinders
placed under each carriage, which receive their supply of compressed air from an
air reservoir preferably placed under the guard's van, and connected to the main
pipe of an air brake, such as the Westinghouse, from whence it derives its supply
after the brakes have been applied, and the train is at rest.
The reservoir under the guard's van is connected with the air pipe of the brake
by means of a branch fitted with a check valve and three-way cock, and said
reservoir is also connected with the locking cylinders (one of which is placed under
each carriage) by means of pipes, hose and couplings, similar to those of the
Westinghouse brake, but smaller. A spring is placed between the piston and
cylinder cover, for the purpose of withdrawing the bolt, and so unlocking the door
when the air pressure is removed. The piston of each of these cylinders is
connected by a crank to a shaft running quite across the carriage, and having a
crank at each of its ends to which sliding bars are attached in line with the doors.
These sliding bars are connected to a lever supported within the framing of the
carriage alongside the doors, and the bolts which they actuate are arranged to slide
through slots cut for them in the jamb-posts. Moreover, each of these bolts is
provided with a stem through whose outer end passes a pin which projects slightly
on either side to allow the forked end of the lever above mentioned to engage with
it when it is desired to draw said bolt out of engagement with the door. A spiral
spring coiled around this stem between said lever and said bolt serves to hold the
latter in engagement with the door, whilst at the same time it allows said bolt to be
drawn back out of engagement with said door when it is desired to open the latter.
A slot is cut in the side of each of these bolts and an arm projecting from a
conveniently arranged spindle projects into this slot in such a manner as to enable
said bolt to be withdrawn when said spindle is turned. This latter object may be
accomplished upon inserting an ordinary railway or other key into a correspondingly
shaped hole or recess in the end of said spindle, it being understood that the
pressure of the spiral spring which, as above mentioned, is arranged around the
stem of the door-locking bolt, can be easily overcome, thus enabling the guard or
other official to unlock any individual carriage door, if for any purpose he desires to
do so.
Doors fitted with our apparatus remain locked if simply slammed to, and it will
be noticed that the whole apparatus is entirely independent of the engine, and
under the sole control of the guard, who can by a simple movement of the lever
attached to the three-way cock, lock or unlock the whole of the doors of the train,
or he can, if required, open any single door without opening any of the others.
The apparatus is moreover simple of construction, easy to repair, and calculated to

page_text: prevent all accidents arising from persons entering or leaving a train while it is i
motion, or in transit from one station to another.
Dated this Twentieth day of August One thousand eight hundred and ninety.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Locking and Unlocking the Doors of
Railway Carriages and Means for Actuating the same by
Pneumatic Pressure.
We, BERNARD Moss, recently of the Caulfield Club Hotel, Caulfield, near
Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, but at present residing at Stramshall
House, Victoria Parade, East Melbourne, in the said Colony of Victoria,
Gentleman, and JOHN BRACHVOGEL, also recently of the Caulfield Club Hotel,
above mentioned, but at present residing at the Cambridge Club Hotel, Oxford
Street, Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales, Mechanical 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, and accompanying drawing, that is to say :--
This invention has been devised for the purpose of providing means whereby the
whole of the carriage doors in a railway train may be simultaneously locked or
unlocked from within the van or other convenient part of such train, provision being
made for the opening of each individual door separately, should necessity arise
therefor.
Its essential feature consists in the employment of a number of specially
constructed locking bolts or latches sliding within the jamb post of each of the
doors of the train so that when projected the said bolts will engage in slots or
recesses in the doors. These locking bolts or latches are operated by air let into a
cylinder or cylinders in which slides or slide a piston or pistons connected with said
bolts or latches either through the medium of an arrangement of lock shaft sliding
bar and operating lever, or else by said pistons being directly connected with said
bolts or latches. In either case, air is admitted into said cylinder or cylinders
from a compressed air reservoir whose supply is from time to time replenished in
any convenient manner, say, for instance, by opening communication with the main
air-pipe of the Westinghouse or other brake system, or by forcing air into it by
means of a pump driven from the engine or in any other convenient manner.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a horizontal section, and Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section
through the jamb post of a door fitted with a sliding locking bolt or latch con-
structed and operated according to this invention.
Figure 3 is a plan of the underside of a railway carriage illustrating the
application thereto of the door-closing cylinder, together with the mechanism for
communicating motion therefrom to the door-locking bolts or latches.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the lower part of a railway carriage fitted with our
improved pneumatic apparatus for locking and unlocking its doors.
Figure 5 is a perspective view, and Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the door-
closing cylinder above referred to.
Figure 7 is a detached view showing the connection of the compressed air
reservoir through the medium of a three-way valve, with the main pipe leading to
the various bolt or latch-operating cylinders.
Figure 8 is a transverse vertical central section through said three-way valve
showing same in the position it occupies when the bolts or latches are being shot
or projected so as to lock the doors, that is, when the main pipe leading to the
different bolt-operating cylinders is put in communication with the compressed air
reservoir,

page_text: Figure 9 is a similar view to Figure 8, but showing said valve in its closed
position.
Figure 10 is also a similar view to Figure 8, but showing the position of said
valve when the bolt-operating cylinders are put in communication with the
atmosphere, that is, when said bolts are unlocked.
Figure 11 is a vertical section through part of the jamb post of one of the doors
of a railway carriage fitted with our invention, showing the locking bolt thereof in
its unlocked position and connected directly with its operating piston.
Figure 12 is a similar view of the modification of our invention shown in
Figure 11, but illustrating the bolt or latch in its locked or projected position.
Figure 13 is a horizontal section on line 13--13, Figure 11.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures.
A (Figures 1 and 2) represents one of the sliding locking bolts or latches which
as hereinbefore described are arranged one within the jamb post of each of the
doors of the railway carriage. They are each formed with a rearwardly projecting
stem a, and are arranged to slide to and fro within a correspondingly shaped
casing or cylinder B, a support or bearing b being provided for the stem a, as
illustrated.
Within or immediately behind the jamb post of the door is arranged a vertical
operating lever C, which is fulcrumed upon a bracket c secured to said jamb post,
and is passed through a slot c¹ formed in the stem a of the sliding latch or bolt A,
or if preferred the upper end of this lever can be bifurcated and be arranged to
engage with a pin passing through said stem, as will be well understood by all
persons skilled in the art to which this invention relates. Between the upper end
of this operating lever and the bolt or latch A. is a spiral spring D, which is coiled
around the stem a and which admits of said bolt A being moved back out of
engagement with the door when it is required to open the latter independently of
any of the others. In order to facilitate this operation a small spindle Eis
mounted in bearings above the sliding bolt A and is provided with a short
downwardly projecting arm e whose lower end engages within a recess e¹ cut or
formed in the body of said sliding bolt as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.
The outer end of this spindle E is formed with a square-shaped or sided recess e²
into which the correspondingly-shaped end of a railway key can be fitted and be
employed for turning said spindle so as to draw back the bolt or latch A against the
resistance of the spring D thereby unlocking the door and allowing it to be opened
without interfering with any of the other doors.
The lower end of each of the operating levers C is passed through one of a series
of slots fin a pair of sliding bars F, one of which is arranged along each side of
the lower part of the carriage, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3. Each of these
sliding bars F is connected by a short rod f' to the upper end of an arm f² on a
rock shaft f which is mounted in suitable bearings on the underside of the carriage
and extends from side to side thereof. In some convenient position on this rock
shaft is secured another projecting arm g whose lower end is connected by a short
rod g¹ with the rod g³ of a piston g³ sliding within a cylinder G, which latter is in
open communication with the main pipe g₁ extending from end to end of the train
and connected through a three-way valve H (Figures 7 to 10) with the compressed
air reservoir I which is as above described constantly kept full of compressed air
either by a pump operated by the engine of the train after the manner of the
contrivances used in a Westinghouse brake system, or by being connected at
intervals with the main pipe of the air-brake, as will be well understood by all
persons skilled in the art to which this invention relates.
Between the piston 93 and the cover of the cylinder G is arranged a spiral
spring which serves to return said piston to its normal position so as to withdraw
the bolts or latches A from engagement with the doors when the air pressure in
said cylinder G behind said piston g³ is released.

page_text: The three-way valve H above referred to is constructed as illustrated in
Figures 7 to 10 so that when turned into the position shown in Figures 7 and 8
communication will be opened between the compressed air reservoir I and the
pipe g leading to the different operating cylinders G, the effect being to force the
pistons outwards and so partially rotate the rock shafts f³, thereby sliding
the bars F longitudinally and causing the operating levers C to move the locking
bolts or latches A into engagement with the doors, which will thus be held closed
either until the air pressure in the cylinder G is released by turning the valve H
into the position indicated in Figure 10 (when as will be obvious the cylinder G
will be in open communication with, the atmosphere) or until they are unlocked
individually by means of a key inserted in the spindle E carrying the arm e
engaging with said bolt or latch, as hereinbefore described. This said three-way
valve H is moreover so constructed that when placed in the position indicated in
Figure 9 the pipe will be closed, thus retaining the air pressure therein and
thereby utilising the pressure in said pipe and in the cylinders G to keep the bolts
or latches A in their extended or locking positions.
By means of this valve H the whole of the bolt operating cylinders G on the
train can be worked from one guard's van, it being obvious that as just described,
when put in the position indicated in Figure 9 it closes the end of the pipe in that
van leading to the main pipe, 9, and so, as it were, cuts that van out of the
system, and at the same time leaves the main pipe open from end to end of the
train.
In the modification of our invention illustrated in Figures 11, 12, and 13 the
rearwardly extending stems a of the bolts or latches A are provided each with a
piston g³ arranged to slide within a cylinder G which is preferably let into the
jamb post, as shown. The rear end of this cylinder G is connected by a branch
pipe with the main air supply pipe 9 whereby when the valve H is in the
position indicated in Figures 7 and 8 air will be free to pass from the compressed
air reservoir I into said cylinder G thereby forcing the piston 93 outwards and
carrying with it the bolt or latch A, as illustrated in Figure 12, the spring D being
compressed between the piston g³ and a shoulder inside the cylinder G, as shown in
said figure, and the air contained between said piston and said shoulder being free
to escape through a port or opening 96 in the side of said cylinder.
With this modification any one of the doors can be opened with the aid of a key
if sufficient force be employed to move back the bolt A against the resistance of
the air pressure in the cylinder G, whilst as soon as said pressure is released by
turning the valve H into the position indicated in Figure 10, the springs D will
return the bolts A to their unlocked positions, as will be well understood.
With our invention it is possible for the guard or other official to either lock or
unlock the whole of the doors of the train whilst at the same time he can if
required open any single door without unlocking any of the others. Our invention
is moreover simple, easily repaired and comparatively inexpensive, and at the same
time is calculated to prevent accidents arising from persons entering or leaving a
train whilst it is in motion or in transit from one station to another.
It will also be obvious that should any door or doors be accidentally left open
after our door-locking contrivances have been operated, said door or doors can be
shut in the ordinary manner and will then remain locked.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
"
First. In apparatus for locking and unlocking the doors of railway carriages, the
employment in each door of a sliding bolt or latch (such as A) let into the framing
around the door and adapted' to engage with a recess in said door, in combination
with an operating cylinder (such as G) into which compressed air can be admitted
at will, said bolts or latches being connected through gearing (such for instance as

page_text: the lever C, sliding bar F, rock shaft 3, and arms thereon) with a piston (such
as g) sliding in said cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes specified and as
illustrated in Figures 1 to 10 of our drawings.
Second. In apparatus for locking and unlocking the doors of railway carriages,
the employment of a sliding bolt (such as A) adapted to engage within a recess in
one of said doors and in engagement with one end of a lever (such as C) whose
other end is in engagement with a sliding bar (such as F) connected with an arm
on a rock shaft (such as f³) connected to and operated by a piston (such as g³)
working within a cylinder (such as G) which can be put into communication with a
reservoir containing a supply of compressed air, the whole being constructed and
arranged substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in our
drawings.
Third. In apparatus for locking and unlocking the doors of railway carriages the
combination with a bolt or latch-operating cylinder (such as G) together with a
compressed air reservoir (such as I), of a valve (such as H) adapted to put said
cylinder into communication either with said reservoir or with the atmosphere, or
else to close all communication either to or from said cylinder substantially as and
for the purposes specified and as illustrated in our drawings.
Fourth. In apparatus for locking and unlocking the doors of railway carriages
the combination with a bolt or latch (such as A) adapted to engage with a recess
in one of said doors, of a piston (such as g³) directly connected to or formed upon
the end of said bolt and working within a cylinder (such as G) which can be put
in communication with a reservoir (such as I) or other source whence a supply of
compressed air can be obtained, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and explained and as illustrated in Figures 11, 12, and 13 of our
drawings.
Fifth. In apparatus for locking and unlocking the doors of railway carriages the
combination with a bolt or latch (such as A) adapted to engage with a recess in
one of said doors and operated by compressed air being admitted into a cylinder
behind a piston with which it is connected, of a spindle (such as E) having a pro-
jecting arm adapted to engage within a recess in said bolt and having a sided
recess (such as ²) adapted to receive the correspondingly shaped end of a key,
substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 11
12 and 13 of our drawings.
Dated this 29th day of May One thousand eight hundred and ninety-one.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.