Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus and in Appliances for Automatically Releasing Points on Railways.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1889-Accepted, 13th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus and in Appliances
for Automatically Releasing Points on Railways.
I, JOHN PATRICK O'DONNELL of Shoebury Villa, Penrith Road New Malden,
Surrey, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :—
The principal object of my invention consists in improvements whereby if once
a Stop, Junction or other Signal has been given "all clear," it is impossible for
the signalman to reverse or even unlock the facing or other points, until the train
or engine has passed clear of the junction. While effecting this object it is of
course essential that the facing or other points must be properly home and bolted in
that position, before the stop, junction, or other signal can be given all clear.
I effect my invention as follows-
In addition to the usual connections at facing points, I arrange a treadle or its
equivalent, capable of being actuated by the wheels of the engine or carriage, to
which treadle is attached a short connection (either by crank or cross bar) &ct. con-
nected to a second plunger which locks the stretcher bar of the switch points.
The said treadle may be placed in operation by the levers and connections of
the signals or it may be actuated by the facing point lock lever and its
connections.
The action is as follows-
When the levers, with which the treadle or the like is connected is moved over,
it places the treadle against the rail and by that means inserts the second plunger
through the stretcher bar thereby locking the switch points.
Now although the signalman may wish to suddenly reverse the switch points ho
cannot do so, because in replacing his signal lever and facing point lock lever, he
still leaves the plunger of the treadle through the stretcher bar, and this can only be
withdrawn by the passage of the train over the treadle or the like, or by the signal-
man going on the ground and actuating the treadle himself with that result. If
desirable however a small tumbler or other lever might be fixed just outside the signal
cabin for the purpose of withdrawing the treadle plunger.
A similar desirable result may be effected by working the treadle by. the signal
lever and instead of locking the stretcher bar, making it actuate connections to
cross the ordinary plunger at right angles, and by means of notches, operate that
the ordinary plunger must first have been worked and the points locked so that
when the treadle is placed in operation by the signal lever in working it back locks
the plunger.
Although the signal may be replaced to danger yet the plunger cannot be
withdrawn and the points reversed, until the passage of the train or the signalman
has actuated the treadle withdrawing the blade back locking the plunger.
In order to cover and illustrate all possible methods of fixing and working my
invention, I will describe my method of fixing beyond the junction of a pair of
facing points.
In both of the facing directions and at a suitable distance beyond the fouling of
the switch points, 1 fix treadles or the like. These treadles (and if desirable 33 feet
safety bars can be worked with them) may be actuated, or placed in operation
through a Simplex Machine fixed at the switch points, working preferably through a
prolongation of the stretcher bar.
If the stop signals are worked through the treadles, (that is to say in working
the signal arm to safety, the treadle is placed in operation against the rail) then
one lever through a Simplex Machine (for a description of the Simplex Machine see

page_text: patent No. 2176 of 1888) may work the stop signals, the treadles, and may effect all
the necessary locking and detecting of the switch points.
I run a connection (preferably rod) to the selector bar B of the Simplex Machine,
from a lever in the signal cabin, I also run connections from the blades A and C of
the Simplex Machine to the treadles, the said connection terminating at the treadles
in slotted joints arranged to act with pins upon the treadles and from the other ends
of the said joints I run the wire connections to the signals. From the treadles
separate rods are returned to cross and lock the stretcher bar or a prolongation
thereof.
The connections to the signals can if desired bo arranged from the cabin side of
the blades A and C of the Simplex Machine.
Where no safety bars are fixed beyond the junction working in conjunction with
the treadles, one may be fixed at, and worked with the facing points.
When the signalman actuates his lever he locks the points by the Simplex Machine
through a prolongation of the stretcher bar, places the treadle against the rail, again
locks the points by means of the return rod from the treadle crossing the continuation
of the stretcher bar, and deflects the semaphore arm.
In replacing his arm to danger, he does not replace the treadle, but leaves it still
against the rail, he however unlocks the points as far as the Simplex Machine is
concerned, but yet leaves the points firmly locked by means of the return rod from
the treadle.
When now the train passes beyond the junction and actuates the treadle, it actuates
the return rod and unlocks the points.
Where it is only desirable to suppress the facing point lock lever, each treadle is
worked by its respective signal lever, and the connections from the signal cabin to,
the treadles run through a double guide and lock the prolongation of the stretcher
bar ensuring thereby, that unless the points are properly home, the treadle cannot be
placed in operation, and as the signals work through them, the arm cannot be
deflected to safety.
Where the usual complement of levers is desired the treadles are worked by
a Simplex Machine, that is, one or the other is placed in operation according to the
position of the switch points, the two treadles being actuated from the signal cabin
by one lever. They can of course be worked from the signal cabin by separate
levers.
The connections to the signals run direct from the cabin to their respective arms,
as is the usual method with any sectional signal.
For greater safety the return rods from the treadles may not only pass through
guides at the points and lock a prolongation of the stretcher bar, but may be
continued to the signal cabin and release and lock the respective signal levers that
apply for trains moving over, and conflicting; with the said facing points.
The arrangements herein described with reference to facing points apply also
with required modifications to trailing points; that is to say that when once a
signal has been lowered to safety it is impossible to lower a conflicting signal
until the previously signalled train, has passed clear, and automatically released the
trailing points or if desirable, the signals.
Dated this 11th day of September 1888.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Signalling Apparatus and in Appliances
for Automatically Releasing Points on Railways.
1, JOHN PATRICK O'DONNELL of Shoebury Villa, Penrith Road New Malden in
the County of Surrey Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement.:-
The principal object of iny invention consists in improvements, whereby if once a

page_text: Stop, Junction or other Signal, has been given "all clear" it is impossible for the
signalman to reverse or even to unlock the Facing or other points, until the train
or engine has passed clear of them.
While effecting this object it is of course essential that the Facing or other points
must be properly home, and bolted in that position, before the Stop, Junction, or other.
signal can be given "all clear."
In addition to the usual connections at Facing points I arrange as in Figure 1 a
treadle or its equivalent, capable of being actuated by the wheels of the engine, or
carriage, to which treadle is attached a short connection, the said connection by means
of a crank, moving a second plunger, thereby locking the stretcher bar of the switch
points.
in!
A modification, effecting a similar result is shown in Figure 2, but here, instead of.
directly locking (or duplicating the locking) on the stretcher bar as in Figure 1, I
backlock the ordinary plunger of the Facing points and thereby indirectly lock the
'stretcher bar D.
Figure 1 is a plan of a railway junction. A is a connection from the lever in the
Signal Box working the ordinary Facing point plunger () in the manner well known
to those skilled in the art. B is a connection from the end of the T crank working the
said plunger C. E is a slot in the said connection B. D is the ordinary stretcher
bar of a pair of Facing points. Working in the slot E is an crank F. Connected
to this crank is a rod moving a second plunger R, which also locks the stretcher
bar D of the switch points.
At the other arm of the crank F is a short rod pinned to the treadle K which
latter is centred at H.
Unless the points are home, and the hole in the stretcher bar D opposite the
plunger C, the signalman cannot work his Facing point lock lever or if he strains the
connections and does work it, yet he would not communicate motion to the rod B,
and therefore the crank F, plunger R and treadlo K would not be actuated.
The action of my invention as illustrated in Figure 1 is as follows-
When the signalman works his lever actuating A, the rod B, through the slot E
works the crank F inserts the second plunger R, and places the treadle K against
the rail. Now although the signalman replaces his lever, and withdraws the plunger C
and moves the rod B normal, yet through the play in the slot I, neither the treadle K,
nor the plunger R are withdrawn, that is to say the points remain locked. It therfore
remains for the train or engine to arrive at the treadle K, and for the flange of the
wheel in passing between the rail and the treadle to move back the treadle K, with-
draw the plunger R and move the crank F back to its normal position as shewn ready
for the next movement.
In this Figure 1 the dotted lines shew an alternative method of actuating the second
plunger R the pin K' on the treadle K2 working in a slot E' in the red B'. The
rod would be a straight separate connection to the plunger R. Crank F and
treadle K would not of course refer to this alternative method.
In the modification Figure 2, the treadle K³ is actuated by the signal lever.
Q is the rod from this lever in the signal cabin (a wire may if desirable be
substituted for the rod Q). Actuated by Q is a short rod Q, in which rod is a
slot Q³.
Working in this slot is a pin K₁ from the underside of the treadle K³.
At the end of the treadle is a short connection O which crosses the plunger Cat
right angles. The plunger C on its underside has a rib and a notch in the rib, and
there is a corresponding notch in the rod O. Normally the rib on the plunger is
across the notch in the rod O, so that the rod O cannot be worked. It will thus be
seen that unless the points are properly home, and plunger C properly inserted in the
stretcher bar D, the signal S cannot be deflected, as the rod Q which is a part of the
connection to the signal S cannot be worked in consequence of stud or pin K
blocking the way, the treadle itself being held locked through the rod O being
prevented from being worked. Now when the points are properly home and the
plunger. C inserted to its proper extent, the notch in the rib on the underside of the

page_text: plunger is opposite to the rod O and thereby releases the rod O. When the signal
lever is now worked the rods Q, Qare moved, the treadle K³ is placed against the
rail' (through the end of the slot Q acting on the pin K') and the rod O is drawn
across the rib on the underside of the plunger, back-locking it or preventing its
withdrawal.
the
The signal S can immediately be replaced to "Danger," but through the play in
the slot Q2, the treadle K3 and the rod 0 remain stationary, that is to say,
plunger Cremains back-locked.
To unlock the points the engine must in passing over the junction move the treadle
back, the rod O moving with it, so that the notch in O moves in front of the rib on
the plunger C, allowing the plunger to be withdrawn, and when the plunger is with-
drawn to its normal position, the treadle K³, the rod Ó, and the signal S stand locked,
the latter at "Danger."
It is obvious I have described my invention to a single line of railway, it is how-
ever applicable to a double line junction. It may be used independent of, as well as
in addition to, any known system of detecting and locking switch points. It is
especially applicable when used to cross the plungers of a Simplex Machine."
The rod may be immediately under the rod O (Figure 2) so that the pin O¹
connecting the rod O to the treadle K³ may be employed in substitution of the
pin K4.
I am aware that various means, and apparatus have been devised for similar results
to be effected, for instance O'Donnell's specification 8486 of 1887, and Drage,
Verrinder and Annett's specification 7967 of 1888.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that I lay no claim to anything described in
the latter specification.
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-
1stly. In Railway signalling apparatus for the ground interlocking of Facing
points, the combination of the treadle K and. plunger R with the ordinary plunger Ü
and bar V, with their necessary connections, substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth.
2ndly. In railway signalling apparatus for the ground interlocking of Facing
points the combination of the treadle K³ and interlocking rod O, with the ordinary
plunger and bar V, with their necessary connections, substantially as and for the
purposes herein set forth.
3rdly. In railway signalling apparatus for switch points and signals, arranging
that the action of deflecting a signal shall place a treadle in position (so as to be
operated upon by a passing train), the said treadle actuating a connection which
backlocks the correlated plunger or plungers, the whole operating that the movement
of replacing the signal to "danger" by the signalman does not remove the backlock
from the plunger substantially as herein described.
Dated this 11th day of June 1880