Im- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WORKING AND INTERLOCKING
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brunton, of Great George Street, and
Richard Christopher Rapier, of Westminster Chambers, both in the
City of Westminster, Civil Engineers, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WORKING AND INTERLOCKING.
Sealed the 21st March 1871, and dated the 29th September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brunton and
Richard Christopher Rapier at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 29th September 1870.
We, JOHN BRUNTON, of Great George Street, and RICHARD CHRIS-
TOPHER RAPIER, of Westminster Chambers, both in the City of West-
minster, Civil Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WORKING AND
INTERLOCKING RAILWAY SWITCHES, TONGUES, OR MOVEABLE POINTS AND SIGNALS,"
to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates, firstly, to certain improvements upon the
machinery or apparatus for working railway switches, tongues, or

page_text: moveable points for which Letters Patent were granted to me, the said
John Brunton, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, No. 3427, whereby not only is
the friction of the switch, tongue, or moveable point upon its supporting
chairs obviated whilst it is in the act of being adjusted or traversed, but
the possibility of its position being altered by the pointsman whilst any
portion of a train is actually passing over it is effectually prevented,
hence the severance of a train whilst passing the points by the careless-
ness of the pointsman is rendered impossible. In carrying out this part
of our Invention we make a swell or projection on the periphery of each
of the cylindrical cams referred to in the said former Specification, such
swells or projections being so arranged as to lift each switch, tongue, or
moveable rail vertically before the traversing movement is imparted to
them, and allow them to drop into their places again after the traversing
motion has been completed. As the switches must be thus lifted by
the pointsman before they can be traversed it follows that as long as the
weight of any pair of wheels of a passing train is upon the switches it
is physically impossible to move the said switches, hence accidents of
the kind before referred to are rendered impossible.
The second part of our Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement and
combination of apparatus for interlocking the mechanism which actuates
the points and the signals in connection therewith, and also to the
combination with such interlocking mechanism of special indicators.
situate at or in front of the pointsman's box and of dwarf signals
adjacent to the switches or points themselves whereby the exact position
of the said points is rendered apparent to the superintendant of the
station or to other persons as well as to the pointsman himself. This
arrangement is more particularly adapted to "passing places" and
stations on single lines of railway as will be herein-after described. The
points are actuated by cylindrical cams upon a rocking shaft as herein-
before referred to or as in the said former Specification; these rocking
shafts are put in motion by rods connected with toothed quadrants or
with point levers in the pointsman's box, the quadrants being actuated
by pinions worked by hand wheels or winch handles. One quadrant or
point lever communicates with the switches at one end of the "passing
place" or loop line, and the other with the switches at the opposite end.
These two quadrants or point levers in their normal condition of
working are coupled together so that when the points are open to the

page_text: "
main line at one end of the loop line they are open to the loop line at
the other end, thus preventing the possibility of two trains approaching 1
each other in opposite directions running into each other at the "passing
place." The distance signals are actuated by two "pull over or signal
levers the axes of which are in the same box with the point quadrants
or levers and are locked therewith by means of a slotted plate attached
to each quadrant, into the slots of which plates work pins or antifriction
rollers carried by arms fast on the axes of the signal levers, the said
slots being curved in such directions as to prevent the point quadrants
or levers from being moved so long as the distance signal is at any
other position than that indicating danger, and to prevent the signal
being moved from the position indicating danger during the time the
points are being traversed and locked in either direction. The point
quadrants or levers being coupled together it follows that the setting
of either signal to indicate "line clear" will lock the points at both ends
of the "passing place" or loop line.
Should it be required to allow a train to run direct through the
station or "passing place" either along the main line or loop without
stopping, this is provided for by enabling the station master to uncouple
the two point quadrants or levers, and thereby enable the pointsman to
move the switches or points at the opposite ends of the "passing place"
or loop line independently, and place them respectively in the desired
position. The next movement of either of the point quadrants or levers
will automatically effect their connection again, and the apparatus will
thus regain its normal condition. On the axis of each of the point quad-
rants or levers and on the exterior face of the closed box containing
the interlocking and actuating mechanism is an indicating pointer which
always shows on the face of the said box the exact position of the
relative points or switches. The levers themselves of the distance
signals are also made to shew on the face of the said box the relative
positions of their respective signals. The dwarf signal in connection
with each pair of switches or points is by preference made in the form
of an arrow to indicate to the driver of an approaching train, which
road is open, and is also provided with a danger disc set at right angles
to the arrow to show danger during the time that the switches are
performing their traverse or are unlocked.
These dwarf signals are
actuated by a cylindrical cam similar to and upon the same shaft as the
cams which actuate the switches, but with the thread groove or actuating
surface so arranged as to be the converse of those on the switch

page_text: actuating cams so that the first part of the motion of the mechanism for
actuating the points turns the dwarf signal to danger before the points
have yet begun to traverse; the second part of the motion traverses the
points, leaving the dwarf signal still at danger, the completion of the
motion which locks the points in position by the action of the wedge
pieces or blocks referred to in the said former Specification turns the
dwarf signal to safety.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Brunton and Richard Christopher Rapier
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
BRUNTON, of Great George Street, and RICHARD CHRISTOPHER RAPIER,
of Westminster Chambers, both in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Brunton and Richard Christopher
Rapier, Her special license that we, the said John Brunton and Richard
Christopher Rapier, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said John Brunton and Richard Christopher Rapier,
our executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WORKING AND INTERLOCKING
RAILWAY SWITCHES, TONGUES, OR MOVEABLE POINTS AND SIGNALS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Brunton and Richard
Christopher Rapier, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one
of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
86

page_text: cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Brunton, on behalf of myself
and of the said Richard Christopher Rapier, do hereby declare the nature
of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
1
Our said Invention relates, firstly, to certain improvements upon the
machinery or apparatus for working railway switches, tongues, or move-
able points, for which Letters Patent were granted to me, the said John
Brunton, bearing date the Twenty-sixth of November One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine, No. 3427, whereby not only is the
friction of the switch, tongue, or moveable point upon its supporting
chairs obviated whilst it is in the act of being adjusted or traversed,
but the possibility of its position being altered by the pointsman whilst
any portion of a train is actually passing over it is effectually prevented,
hence the severance of a train whilst passing the points, by the care-
lessness of the pointsman, is rendered impossible.
Secondly. To a peculiar arrangement and combination of apparatus for
interlocking the mechanism which actuates the points and the signals in
connection therewith, and also to the combination with such interlocking
mechanism of special indicators situate at or in front of the pointsman's
box, and of dwarf signals adjacent to the switches or points themselves,
whereby the exact position of the said points is rendered apparent to the
superintendant of the station or to other persons as well as to the points-
man himself. This arrangement is more particularly adapted to "passing
places" and stations on single lines of railway as will be herein-after
described.
}
T
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheets of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in
all the corresponding Figures.
'
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) of our Drawings represents a plan of our improved
switch apparatus for facing points and sidings as constructed partly

page_text: under the first head of our Invention, and partly under the second head;
Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 1-2, in Figure 1 shewing the
tongue locked; Figure 3 is a similar view shewing the tongue unlocked
and lifted preparatory to the traversing movement; Figure 4 is an eleva-
tion detached of the tongue rail in its correct position with the tongue
locked to the side rail as in Figure 2; Figure 5 is a similar view showing
the tongue rail unlocked and lifted as in Figure 3; Figure 6 is a
transverse section taken along the line 3-4, in Figure 1, shewing the
action of the cam upon the friction rollers of the traversing bar; Figure 7
represents a detail elevation and plane projection of the dwarf signal cam
herein-after referred to under the second head of our Invention; and
Figure 8 represents similar views of the traversing cam.
According to the first part of our Invention we make a swell or
projection on the periphery of each of the cylindrical cams referred to in
the said former Specification, or we form a swell or projection a on
separate bosses A on the cam or rocking shaft B, as shewn in the Drawings
on Sheet 1, such swells or projections being so arranged as to lift slightly
each switch, tongue, or moveable rail C, C¹, vertically before the traversing
movement is imparted to them by the traversing cam D and rod E, after
which the tongues are allowed to drop into their places again so soon as
the traversing motion has been completed. In Figure 2 the tongue C',
is shewn elevated and the tongue C dropped to its proper position and
locked against the rail by the lock b. As the switches or tongues C, C¹,
must be thus lifted by the pointsman before they can be traversed it
follows that as long as the weight of any pair of wheels of a passing train
upon the switches it is physically impossible to move the said switches,
hence accidents of the kind before referred to are rendered impossible.
is
In carrying out the second part of our Invention the points are
actuated by a cylindrical cam or cams mounted upon a rocking shaft B
as herein-before referred to under the first head of our Invention or as
described in the said former Specification, the said rocking shaft being
worked either by a lever attached directly thereto or by means of a
pinion a (shewn in dotted lines in Figure 9) mounted on the said
rocking shaft B, this pinion being actuated by a sector 6¹, which sector
may be moved by a lever handle c¹ fitted into a socket in the sector or
by a rod F connected to a simple lever fixed on the platform or in any
convenient situation, or to a lever furnished with a quadrant G, pinion H,
and winch handle or hand wheel I, as illustrated on a larger scale by

page_text: "
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 on Sheet 2 of our Drawings in order to enable
the operator to move the switches with greater ease. This combination
of apparatus we call a platform apparatus, as it is generally intended to
be erected on the station platform. One switch lever or quadrant G of
the said platform apparatus communicates by the rod F with the
switches at one end of the "passing place" or loop line, and the other
quadrant G¹ communicates by means of the rod F' with the switches at
the opposite end. These two quadrants or point levers G and G¹ are
respectively actuated by the pinions H, H³, and interchangeable hand
wheel I, and are carried on the rocking shafts K, K¹, in the standards L
of the apparatus. In their normal condition of working the quadrants
G, G', are coupled together by means of the catch lever M which is
hinged to the quadrant G and provided with a notch c for the purpose of
engaging with a pin d on the quadrant G¹, so that when the points are
open to the main line at one end of the loop line they are open to the
loop line at the other end, and vice versa, thus preventing the possibility
of two trains approaching each other in opposite directions running into
cach other at the "
passing place." The distance signals are actuated
by two "pull over or signal levers N, N¹, the axes O, O', of which are
in the same box with the point quadrants or levers, and form a portion
of the said platform apparatus. These levers are locked with the point
levers or quadrants by means of a slotted plate P, P', attached to each
quadrant G, G', into the slots e, e¹, 'e", in which plates work pins or
antifriction rollers fand f¹ carried by arms Q, Q', fast on the axes O, O¹,
of the respective signal levers N, N', the said slots being curved in such
directions as to prevent the point quadrants or levers G or G¹ from
being moved so long as the distance signal is at any other position than
that indicating danger, and to prevent the signal being moved from the
position indicating danger during the time the points are being traversed
and locked in either direction. For example, so long as the pin for f¹
is in the slot e the quadrant levers G, G, cannot be moved, but when by
the motion of the signal lever N the pin f is brought to the end of the
slot e¹ which is concentric with the axis of the quadrant then the
quadrant is free to be moved to set the points, the points and signals
being again interlocked when the pin f is moved into the slot e¹¹, as will
be readily understood on referring to the Drawing Figure 1 (Sheet 2).
The point quadrants or levers G, G', being coupled together it follows.
that the setting of either signal to indicate "line clear" will lock the
points at both ends of the "passing place" or loop line.

page_text: Should it be required to allow a train to run direct through the station
or "passing place" either along the main line or loop without stopping
this is provided for by enabling the station master to uncouple the two
point quadrants or levers G, G', as shewn in Figure 1, Sheet 2, by lifting
the end of the coupling or catch lever M, and so raising the notch c
clear of the pin d. The pointsman can then move the switches or points
at the opposite ends of the "passing place" or loop line independently
and place them respectively in the desired position. Of course access
to the coupling lever M should be restricted to the station master or
chief superintendant, an opening in the casing of the apparatus or box
being provided furnished with a locked door of which the station master
keeps the key. The next movement of either of the point quadrants or
levers will automatically effect their connection or coupling again, as
the slot c in the lever M will of itself drop on to the pin d, when the
apparatus will regain its normal condition. On the axes K and K' of
each of the point quadrants or levers, and on the exterior face of the
closed box containing the interlocking and actuating mechanism, are
indicating pointers R, R', which always shew on the face of the said
box the exact position of the relative points or switches, as is clearly
shewn by the external view of the face of the box on a smaller scale at
Figure 4, Sheet 2. The levers themselves N, N₁, of the distance signals
are also made to show on the face of the said box the relative positions
of their respective signals.
The dwarf signal herein-before referred to as being intended to be
used in connection with and adjacent to each pair of switches or points
is by preference made in the form of an arrow § (as shewn at Figure 10
on Sheet 1 of our Drawings) to indicate to the driver of an approaching
train which road is open, and is also provided with a danger disc T set
at right angles to the arrow (as shewn in Figure 9) to shew danger
during the time that the switches are performing their traverse or are
unlocked. These dwarf signals are carried on short vertical shafts U
supported in suitable standards V and are actuated by a pinion W and
quadrant X, which quadrant is worked by a cylindrical cam Y (Figure 7,
Sheet 2,) similar to and mounted upon the same shaft as the traversing
cam D (Figure 8, Sheet 2,) which actuates the switches, but with the
thread, groove, or actuating surface g so arranged as to be the converse
of those on the switch actuating or traversing cam D, as will be clearly
seen on comparing together Figures 7 and 8 (Sheet 1), which shew the

page_text: two cams in their exact relative positions. Thus the first part of the
motion of the mechanism for actuating the points, videlicit, the act of
unlocking the points, turns the dwarf signal to danger before the points
have yet begun to traverse. The second part of the motion traverses
the points, leaving the dwarf signal still at danger. The completion of
the motion, which locks the points in position by the action of the wedge
pieces or blocks referred to in the said former Specification turns the
dwarf signal to safety.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The lifting of a switch, tongue, or moveable rail from off its
supporting chairs preparatory to its traverse, and the maintaining it
elevated during its traverse for the purpose herein-before described.
Second. The combination with a cylindrical switch traversing cam of
a swell or projection either on the cam itself or on a separate boss for
the purpose of lifting a switch, tongue, or moveable rail preparatory to
its traverse and maintaining it elevated during its traverse, substantially
as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Third. The peculiar combination of curved slots with pins or anti-
friction rollers working therein for effecting the interlocking of the points
and signal levers of railways as herein-before described.
Fourth. The combination with the said interlocking mechanism of
special indicators situate at or in front of the box containing the said
mechanism and of dwarf signals adjacent to the points themselves, the
whole working together substantially in the manner and for the purpose
herein-before described and illustrated by our Drawings.
Fifth. The combination with switches traversed by cylindrical cams of
dwarf signals worked by other cams set in motion by the traversing
mechanism, the acting parts of the signal actuating cams being the
exact converse of those which serve to traverse the points, substantially
as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Sixth. The coupling together of the point levers which respectively
actuate the points at opposite ends of a passing place or loop line so
that when the points at one end are open to the main line those at the

page_text: opposite end shall be open to the loop line, in conjunction with the
power of uncoupling at will and of recoupling the said levers auto-
matically, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Brunton, on behalf of myself
and the said Richard Christopher Rapier, have to this my Specifi-
cation set my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of March,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
JOHN BRUNTON. (L.S.)