Railways and for other Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 8th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th July, 1888
Railways and for other Purposes.
I, ALFRED BARNES PICKARD of 12 Heaton Grove, Bradford, Yorkshire, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is designed especially for a safety locking device for holding. and
releasing the cars of a switchback railway but is capable of general application for
similar purposes.
In a suitable fixed bracket is pivoted a tumbling clutch provided with a recess which
forms a hook into which the link of the car falls when the car is pushed up previous
to being started upon its trip.
Below the clutch is pivotted a lever having a stop plate the face of which may be
radial or bevelled and the lever or plate is connected with a coloured spectacle glass
working in front of a lamp at night and working some form of signal if required
during the day. The action is as follows:-
The car is pushed up against the clutch and in turning it back raises the front
portion or hook the lever which was previously held raised by the plate resting
against the clutch then falls by its own weight, or under the influence of a weight or
spring, and securely locks the clutch and car and sets the signal as may be arranged.
To start the car the lever is raised the plate removed and clutch and car released and
at the same time the signal is altered.
1007
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.

page_text: WHIC
purposes.
Switchback Fanway, but is capable of general application for similar
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the locking device.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of same.
Fig. 3 is a plan.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the locking dovice and signalling apparatus; and
Fig. 5 is a front elevation of same.
On a suitably fixed bracket or support A is pivotted at A¹ a tumbling clutch B,
provided with a recess B₁ and noses or projections B2 B3, the link of the car entering
into the recess B₁ when the car is pushed up previous to being started upon its
journey.
Below the clutch B and pivotted at C to the bracket is a lever D having a stop
plate E the face of which may be either radial as shewn in the drawings or inclined.
The normal position of the lever D and stop plate E is shown in dotted lines Fig. 2,
the stop plate resting against the clutch B, thus preventing it from assuming the
position underneath the clutch as shown in full lines which it would naturally do
owing to the tendency of the lever D to fall. The lever however could be made to
fall by means of a weight or spring.
The action is as follows:-
Upon the car being pushed up previous to starting upon its journey, a link standing
out preferably horizontally from the car, strikes against the nose or projection B³ of
the tumbling clutch B when it is in its normal position as shewn in dotted lines Fig. 1,
turns it on its pivot and enters into the recess B¹ when the clutch has assumed the
position shewn in full lines Fig. 1, the nose or projection 133 preventing it from slipping
off the clutch as hereinafter described.
If however the link of the car were arranged to strike the upper and outer portion
of the nose B it would tilt the clutch up and in doing so run up the inclined face of
the nose and enter the recess B¹.
Meantime the stop plate E which rests against the clutch when the latter is in its
normal position has moved to a position underneath the flat face B of the tumbling
clutch by reason of the weight of lever D and has thus automatically locked and
prevented the clutch from returning to its normal position which it has a tendency to

page_text: do owing to the strain exerted by the car standing on a decline and ready to start on
its forward journey.
It will thus be seen that the nose B2 around which the hook is now linkod holds the
car and prevents it running down the decline.
When it is desired to start the car the lever D is raised thereby moving the stop
plate E from under the tumbling clutch B which thus released is turned on its pivot
by the weight of the car to its normal position, when the car is automatically released
by its hook escaping from the recess B¹. The normal position of the tumbling clutch B
is determined by the pin which passes through the block and strikes against the
bracket A when the block turns on its pivot A¹.
When desired a signalling apparatus may be connected to the locking device above
described, one form of which is shewn in Figs. 4 and 5; a rod F pivotted to lever D
works at night a spectacle to and fro before the lamp H and a suitable form of signal
during the day.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a locking device such as described the combination with a tumbling clutch
such as B of a stop plate such as E substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a locking device such as described the combination with a tumbling clutch
such as B of a locking plate such as E having a lever or handle D by which after
automatically locking B the said plate E can be moved aside so as to allow the tumbling
clutch B to turn upon its pivot substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination with a locking device for holding a car upon an incline of a
signalling apparatus.
31
11
1
0 T
1000