Improvements in Controlling the Levers of Railway Signal Inter- locking Apparatus by the Application of Electricity.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1892.
Improvements in Controlling the Levers of Railway Signal Inter-
locking Apparatus by the Application of Electricity.
I WILLIAM FREDERICK BURLEIGH of 43 Angles Road Streatham, in the
County of Surrey, 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:-
This invention relates to means for detecting any failure in the working of the
outdoor connections of facing point locks, signals and the like, a patent for which
was granted to me dated the 23rd day of January 1888 and numbered 984-and
consists firstly of an electro magnetic lock in which a motion is transmitted to the
magnet itself through the medium of the catch handle (or its equivalent) of the lever
in the interlocking apparatus, the raising of the said catch handle closing a final
break in the electric circuit prior to moving the magnet which, assuming the break
or breaks in circuit at the necessary outdoor connections to have been closed, causes
the magnet in its transit to carry with it and remove the lock. By this means the
lock when removed always remains in close proximity to the magnet, so that very
little magnetic force is required to retain it open and the strength of, or movement
given to the lock is not limited but if the breaks in the electric circuit at the out-
door connections are not closed the magnet does not carry with it the lock which
remains at the "on" position, the magnet being merely removed from the lock by
the raising of the catch handle.
The motion given to the catch handle arrange to simply sway a lock hung
vertically over a bolt worked up by the tail of the lever, or to raise a pawl from
out of a projecting arm attached to and worked by the lever, or to raise a lock
vertically out of a projecting arm attached to the lever, or in any other desirable
manner, the lock being made to fall to the "
position by gravity so that in the
event of any failure to the battery or its connections the lock remains on," the
final contact or closing of the break in the circuit made by raising the catch handle
economizing the use of the battery.
on
"
$4
The second part of my invention consists in making the bar or some part of the
facing point lock, but preferably the plunger itself, close a break in the circuit.
In the accompanying two sheets of illustrated drawings,
Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of a part of a signal lever with one form of
my electric contact and lock apparatus in their normal positions with signal lever
locked.
Fig. 2 represents a sectional elevation of the same showing the positions of the
various parts when the points are set in proper position and locked by the facing
pointlock, the signal lever being free to be worked, and,
Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the positions of the various parts when any
points are not locked or are in their wrong positions, the signal lever being
locked.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a pair of unlocked points with ordinary locking
plunger and with electrical contact devices constructed according to this invention,
and
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same showing the points locked and electrical
contacts made.
A lever a pivotted to the signal lever and to the catch rod c is caused when the
catch handle is operated to engage with a lever d pivotted at f to close the insulated
contacts placed in an electric circuit containing the electromagnet
various contacts connected to the outside points and signals.
and the
When the points to be passed are in their proper positions for a traffic movement

page_text: the closing of the contacts y completes an electric circuit which excites the electro-
magnet causing it to attract the armature i, and on the further closing of the
catch handle the contact levers de are swayed round the centre pivot while by
means of the slotted link the electromagnet is rotated around the pivot m carrying
the pawl with it free of the arm o secured to the lever b and so removing the lock
from the said signal lever.
Should however any of the outside contacts fail to be made in consequence of
displacements or other causes the electric circuit will not be closed and the pawl n
will remain in its normal position maintaining the signal lever locked in its "danger
position until the circuit is again completed."
"
In the point locking apparatus shown in Figs. 4 and 5 two pairs of contact
springs pare mounted on and insulated from a clamp secured to the force rods.
The locking plunger t is provided with an insulating block containing the metallic
conductor w so that when the points are set for a traffic movement and locked by
the plunger and split stretcher bar the said plunger passes between the contact
springs p, and the circuit is completed through the conductor w.
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 apparatus for electrically controlling signal levers: causing the electro-
magnet after attracting its armature on the locking bolt or pawl to be moved away
from the locking arm on the signal lever so as to thereby remove the lock substan-
tially as described.
:
2. In apparatus for electrically controlling signal levers the combination of the
signal lever lever a and swaying contacts with the electro-magnet h pawl n and
arm o substantially as described.
3. The arrangement and construction of apparatus for electrically controlling
signal levers substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the
drawings.
4. In apparatus for electrically controlling signal levers: the arrangement of the
contacts at the point lock comprising, the spring contacts mounted on the force bar
working in combination with the locking plunger, the whole arranged constructed
and operating substantially as described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the
drawings.
Dated this 7th day of March 1892.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents.