IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPLIANCES CONNECTED WITH LOCKING AND 66 PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Mark Charles Denne, of 1, Christchurch Road,
Eastbourne, in the County of Sussex, and Thomas James Denne, of
Holmesdale Lodge, Redhill, in the County of Surrey, for an Invention of
'IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPLIANCES CONNECTED WITH LOCKING AND
66
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Mark Charles Denne and
Thomas James Denne at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
23rd December 1880.
MARK CHARLES DENNE, of 1, Christchurch Road, Eastbourne, in the County of
Sussex, and THOMAS JAMES DENNE, of Holmesdale Lodge, Red Hill, in the County
of Surrey. "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPLIANCES CONNECTED WITH LOCKING
AND UNLOCKING RAILWAY SIGNAL AND POINT LEVERS."
The object of this Invention is to lock the signal lever by hand, and afterwards
to release the locking bolts by electric current or by compressed air, such releasing
enabling the lever to be then operated in the usual manner. By means of some of
the appliances used in the above portion of our Invention, we effect the locking
and unlocking of point and signal levers without the aid of electricity or of
compressed air.
Our improvements consist in providing a means of locking and unlocking the
lever used to work the signal, and also in utilizing the motion given to the lever in
raising the signal to danger, to impart motion to our locking apparatus, and also to
move weights or stretch or extend springs forming part of the said apparatus. We
connect the lever used to work the signal to one end of a link or connecting rod;
the other end of the link or rod is connected to a lever working on stud or shaft.
Another link is connected to the lever by the same pin or stud that carries the link
or rod from the signal lever; the other end of the second link is connected to a
second lever working on a stud or shaft. The two levers are so arranged that on
moving them forward or backward (which is done by the motion of the signal lever
in putting the signal to danger or to stop the train), the first lever shall be in such
a position at the end of its motion, that the link connecting it to the second lever
shall have the power of moving still further in its course at the end, where it is

page_text: connected to the second lever, so as to throw it below or past the centre of the
second lever, where it revolves on its stud or shaft, in order that any attempt to
pull the signal lever back will be prevented; at the same time a bell can be struck
or an indicator may be moved to show that the signal lever is "clear."
The second lever can be weighted to accumulate power in the downward course,
so that the momentum will carry it down or past the centre, and also the end of
the second link which is attached to it. On one side of the first lever, either cast
or fixed to it, is a segment or rack having one tooth, which tooth comes in
contact with a detent fixed to a lever working on an extension of the stud or shaft
that carries the first lever; this third lever is. connected to a bell crank (working
on the stud or shaft of the second lever) by a link or connecting rod; the other
end of the bell crank is made long enough to come in contact with an extension of
the pin in the end of the second lever which carries the second link, so that any
motion upwards of the bell crank will lift the second lever and the end of the
second link attached to it above or past the centre, and by that means allow the
signal lever to be moved. The motion forward of the signal lever gives motion to
the first lever and rack, and causes a corresponding motion to be imparted to the
third lever by means of the detent fixed to it; this third lever is also weighted, or
a spring may be applied of sufficient strength, so that when released it may by
means of the bell crank lift the second lever above the centre, as before
mentioned. The raising of the detent to release the third lever and weights
or spring is done by means of an electro-magnet fixed to the third lever, the
circuit is completed and power given to the magnet to attract an armature
or keeper fixed to the detent, so that the detent may be released from the
rack, and thereby allow the third lever and bell crank to release the signal lever
by the motion before mentioned. This is done by a roller or projection fixed to
the engine of the train coming in contact with a lever or bridge piece placed close
to the line of rails. This bridge piece or lever and apparatus for completing the
circuit is placed at such a distance from the signal and apparatus to which it is
connected by wires in the ordinary way, and in a position to prevent the signal
being moved from the position denoting danger until the train has passed the next
signal.
The bridge piece or lever being depressed by the roller fixed to the engine causes
the two ends of the wires to be brought into contact, or the circuit can be completed
by any of the methods now in use; on the circuit being completed the armature is
brought in contact with the magnet, the detent is raised and motion given to the
various parts of the apparatus, as before described. Compressed air can be
applied to produce a like result as follows:-The train passing over the bridge
piece will open communication by means of pipes placed between the bridge piece
and the apparatus in the signal box by the pressure of air actuating a piston and
rod working in a cylinder, and by means of connecting rod, shaft, and levers,
withdrawing a bolt or stop (already in position to secure the lever), thereby
releasing the lever and allowing it to be worked; or the action of the piston and
rod can be made available to raise detents clear of stops or racks fixed to the
signal lever, the action in all cases proceeding from the motion of the bridge piece
opening communication between the store of compressed air and the cylinder in
which the piston works.
The compressed air can be accumulated in receivers by means of pumps in the
ordinary way.
By a different arrangement of the parts the apparatus can be applied to the
signal and point levers direct, and the motion of the spring catch can be made to
carry the second lever and end of second link connected to it past the centre, and
thereby release the levers and allow it or them to be worked.
The locking bolt may be released by hand if desired by an electric current, in
which case the bridge piece is dispensed with.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Mark Charles Denne and Thomas James Denne in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 23rd June 1881.
MARK CHARLES DENNE, of 1, Christchurch Road, Eastbourne, in the County of
Sussex, and THOMAS JAMES DENNE, of Holmesdale Lodge, Red Hill, in the County
of Surrey. "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPLIANCES CONNECTED WITH-LOCKING
AND UNLOCKING RAILWAY SIGNAL AND POINT LEVERS."
The object of this Invention is to effect the locking of signal apparatus in an
efficient manner, and afterwards to release the locking apparatus by means of
an electric current, such releasing enabling the lever to be then operated in the
usual manner.
1
Our improvements consist in providing a means of locking and unlocking the
lever used to work the signal, and also in utilizing the motion given to the lever in
raising the signal to danger, to impart motion to our locking apparatus, and also to
move weights or stretch or extend springs forming part of the said apparatus. We
connect the lever used to work the signal to one end of a link or connecting rod,
the other end of which is connected to a lever working on a stud or shaft. Another
link is connected to the lever by the same pin or stud that carries the link or rod
from the signal lever, the other end of the second link being connected to a second
lever working on a stud or shaft. The two levers are so arranged that on moving
them forward or backward (which is done by the motion of the signal lever in
putting the signal to danger or to stop the train), the first lever shall be in such a
position at the end of its motion that the link connecting it to the second lever
shall have the power of moving still further in its course at the end where it is
connected to the second lever, so as to throw it below or past the centre of the
second lever, where it revolves on its stud or shaft, in order that any back pulling
of the signal lever will be prevented. At the same time a bell can be struck or an
indicator may be moved to show that the signal lever is "clear." The second lever
can be weighted to accumulate power in its downward course, so that the momentum
will carry it down or past the centre and also the end of the second link, which is
attached to it. On one side of the first lever, either cast or fixed to it, is a segment
or rack having one tooth, which tooth comes in contact with a detent fixed to a
lever working on an extension of the stud or shaft that carries the first lever; this
third lever is connected to a bell crank (working on the stud or shaft of the second
lever) by a link or connecting rod, and the other end of the bell crank is made long
enough to come in contact with an extension of the pin in the end of the second
lever which carries the second link, so that any motion upwards of the bell crank
will lift the second lever and the end of the second link attached to it above or
past the centre, and by that means allow the signal lever to be moved. The motion
forward of the signal lever gives motion to the first lever and rack, and causes a
corresponding motion to be imparted to the third lever by means of the detent
fixed to it. This third lever is also weighted, or a spring may be applied of
sufficient strength, so that when released it may by means of the bell crank lift the
second lever above the centre, as before mentioned. The raising of the detent to
release the third lever and weight or spring is done by means of an electro magnet
fixed to the third lever, the circuit is completed and power given to the magnet to
attract an armature or keeper fixed to the detent, so that the detent may be released
from the rack, and thereby allow the third lever and bell crank to release the signal
lever by the motion before mentioned. This is done by a roller or projection fixed
to the engine of the train coming in contact with a lever or bridge piece placed
close to the line of rails. This bridge piece or lever and apparatus for completing

page_text: the circuit is placed at such a distance from the signal and apparatus, to which it is
connected by wires in the ordinary way, and in a position to prevent the signal
being moved from the position denoting danger until the train has passed the next
signal.
The bridge piece or lever being depressed by the roller fixed to the engine causes
the two ends of the wires to be brought into contact, or the circuit can be completed
by any of the methods now in use. On the circuit being completed the armature
is brought in contact with the magnet, the detent is raised, and motion is given to
the various parts of the apparatus as before described.
The details of this Invention will be clearly understood by the annexed
Drawings.
Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2, a front elevation showing the apparatus as locked;
Figure 3 is a front elevation showing the apparatus with the locking lever
pulled back by means of the signal lever when it is pulled back to clear the
line.
A, frame; B, first lever; C, second lever; D, third lever; E, bell crank;
F, balance weight; a, connecting rod from signal lever to first lever B; b, con-
necting rod from first lever B to second lever C; c, connecting rod from third
lever D to bell crank E; d, hammer; e, vibrating lever; f, disc; g, short crank
connected to detent by a short shaft through lever D; h, detent working in
quadrant ; i, quadrant, being part of first lever B; k, magnet; 1, armature;
m, stud on disc f; n, stud on disc f; o, link connecting hammer to disc; p, stop to
determine the position of lever C when thrown past the centre to be locked; g, long
stud fixed in C, one end to form crank pin on which one end of connecting rod b
works, the other end the means by which the lever C is raised above the centre by
the bell crank E; 1, rest for first lever when locked; 8, slotted link 6ixed to small
crank g; t, t¹, studs fixed in brackets of frame on which work the three levers and
bell crank; u, inclined plane fixed to quadrant i; w, notch in quadrant.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-
Figure 2 shows the apparatus locked, the lever B being pushed over by the
notion forward of the signal lever when the signal is put up to block the line.
Bridge pieces or apparatus to complete the circuit are put at certain places along
the line close to the rails, so that a roller or other appliance fixed to a part of the
engine in the right position shall when passing along the line press the bridge piece
or cause a motion to be given to any other appliance used for a similar purpose.
The action so produced by the passing train will complete the circuit, and by means
of the current of electricity cause the electro-magnet to attract the arinature l, and
thereby move the vibrating lever e (to which it is fixed) so that the stud m is in
line with the curved slot in it. By this means the disc f is free to revolve, which
it does, motion being given to it by the hammer d by the link o, the hammer falling
to the position shown in Figure 3. The revolving of the disc f causes the stud n
fixed in it to come in contact with the bottom of the slotted link 8, thereby giving
notion to the short crank downwards, which, being connected to the detent h
by means of a short shaft g through the lever D, as shown, causes the detent to rise
out of the notch in the quadrant i, and by means of the counter balance F the
lever D is brought to the position shown in Figure 3, thereby causing the second
lever C to rise above the centre by means of the bell crank E coming in contact
with the long stud q (the bell crank being actuated by the lever D and counter
balance F by means of the connecting rod c), to allow the lever B to be pulled
back to the position shown in Figure 4.
The pulling back of the lever B causes the inclined plane w fixed to the quadrant i
to come in contact with a projecting stud fixed to the back of the hammer shaft to
throw the hammer back to the position shown in Figure 4.
The pushing forward the lever B by means of the connecting rod a, one end of
which is fixed to the signal lever, brings the apparatus to the position shown in
Figure 2, thereby locking the signal as before.
One end of the connecting rod b is slotted to allow for the difference of radius of

page_text: the levers B and C, so that C can be raised above the centre without moving B
from its position on the rest r.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,-
The combination of parts forming our improved locking and unlocking apparatus
constructed substantially as described and shown respectively in different views
upon the annexed Drawings.
Secondly. We claim the mechanism employed for removing a temporary locking
appliance by means of an electric current in such a manner that a signal can only
be shifted after such removal, and consisting substantially of parts such as are
indicated by letters d, e, f, h, i, k, l, m, in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Mark Charles Denne and Thomas James
Denne, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty first day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty
one
M. C. DENNE. (L.S.)
· T. J. DENNE.
(L.S.)