IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING, LOCKING, INTERLOCKING, AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS.
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Easterbrook, of 65, Albert Road,
Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING, LOCKING,
INTERLOCKING, AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS.
Sealed the 14th August 1868, and dated the 15th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Easterbrook
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th February 1868.
I, WALTER EASTERBROOK. of 65, Albert Road, Kilburn, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
ACTUATING, LOCKING, INTERLOCKING, AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY POINTS AND
SIGNALS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
The Invention consists, firstly, in further improvements in the
arrangements for actuating, locking, interlocking, and controlling
railway points and signals, for which Letters Patent were granted to
me on the Twenty-ninth day of March, One thousand eight hundred

page_text: and sixty-seven, number 927, and on the Twenty-third day of July, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, number 2143, respectively;
secondly, in an improved arrangement for actuating, locking, inter-
locking, and controlling railway points and signals.
Firstly. My further improvements on my said former Letters Patent
consist as follows:-Instead of the locking plates on each side of the
levers, I employ slotted links or quadrants working on a horizontal shaft
fixed under the top plate. The outside rods attached to the spring
hand levers are provided with pins working in the slots in the links or
quadrants. The other ends of the said links or quadrants are connected
to the actuating rods, in which are oblique slots for moving the
slide bars by means of pins on the same. These actuating rods move
in suitable guides. I employ for each rod that requires back locking
an additional slotted link or quadrant, one end working on a second
horizontal shaft, the other end having one or more notches for receiving
a small projection attached to one or more of the slide bars, the said
quadrants being worked from a pin in the outside rod attached to
the spring hand lover.
The object of these improvements is to effect the locking of the
catch rods in a more simple manner.
Secondly. My Invention consists in actuating and locking the points
and signals by means of screws (one screw to each point or signal)
placed horizontally, which being turned give motion to connecting
links or rods connected to the cranks serving to work the points and
signals in the usual way. These screws work in suitable nuts fixed
in the framework, and are moved by ordinary crank handles or by
worm wheel, rack and pinion, or other suitable arrangement. In
each of the said connecting links is an oblique slot, which, as the link
is moved forward or backwards, works a slide bar placed edgeways by
means of a pin on the said slide bar. In the slide bars (which move
in a direction at right angles to the links) are notches, which as the
bars are moved fit into corresponding notches in the links so as to
lock all antagonistic points and signals.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Walter Easterbrook in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
EASTERBROOK, of 65, Albert Road, Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Fifteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Walter Easterbrook, Her special
licence that I, the said Walter Easterbrook, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Walter Easterbrook,
my executors, administrators, and 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 ACTUATING, LOCKING, INTER-
LOCKING, AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Walter Easterbrook, my exccutors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and 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 Walter Easterbrook, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is.
to say:
This Invention consists in further improvements in the arrangements:
for actuating, locking, interlocking, and controlling railway points.
and signals, for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the

page_text: Twenty-ninth day of March One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
seven, number 927, and on the Twenty-third day of July One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven, number 2143, respectively.
To make my Invention easily understood I will proeced to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1
is a front elevation of my improved apparatus for actuating, locking,
interlocking, and controlling railway points and signals. In this
Figure three levers only are shewn, one for actuating the points and
two for actuating the signals, but any number of points and signals
can be worked by increasing the number of levers accordingly.
Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1, the end plate being removed.
showing a slotted link or quadrant; Figure 3 is a side view of lever C
detached from the apparatus; Figure 4 is a side view of part of a
lever with a solid instead of a slotted link or quadrant; Figure 5 is a
plan of a slide locking bar with notches for an apparatus with a larger
number of points and signals; and Figure 6 details of parts of the
locking arrangements. Similar letters of reference are used in the
several Figures to represent similar parts.
I dispense with locking plates and spindles, and I do not now
actuate the locking entirely by the outside rod d, as described in my
before-mentioned Letters Patent ; but instead thereof to affect the
locking I now employ slotted links or quadrants b, in combination with
the outside rods d, and the rods e and e, as shewn in Figure 2, with
the oblique slots f, as in Figure 1, or solid links may be employed,
as shewn in Figure 4. Such slotted or solid links or quadrants b work
in brackets g on short shafts or pins h, which brackets act as joints
in which the slotted or solid links or quadrants 6 work up or down, as
the case may be. I can also use a straight link or bar, Figures 7 and 8,
instead of a quadrant, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, to accomplish
the same purpose.
To the slotted or solid links or quadrants b are
jointed the rods e with the oblique slots f and the notched rod e',
as shewn in Figures 1 and 3. The rod e¹ in Figures 1 and 3 has
notches c cut in the front thereof, corresponding to similar notches c³
cut in the slide locking bar s, Figure 5. The plate k, Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4, acts as a guide to the rods e and e'. The slide locking bar s,
Figure 5, is moved by the pins with which it is provided working
in the oblique slots f. The slide locking bar 8, Figure 5, works in
suitable guides . I employ for each rod that requires back locking

page_text: an additional slotted or solid link or quadrant, as shewn at m, Figure 2,
one end working in the bracket g', the other end having one or more
notchies n for receiving a small projection o on the slide locking bar 8.
The slotted or solid link or quadrant 6 is worked by the outside rod d.
Instead of a short shaft and bracket to each link or quadrant, I can
employ one horizontal shaft for all the links or quadrants passing from
end to end of the apparatus and bolted to the top plate with brackets;
but I prefer the short shaft or pin with the bracket to each lever,
rendering it more easy to take out in case of alteration or repairs..
Figure 3 is a side view of lever C, which is for a signal. The catch
rod is extended below the top plate a, as in my former Letters Patent,
so as to carry the link or quadrant 6 by means of the pin q. The
rod with notches c cut therein is attached to the slotted link or
quadrant by means of a pin p. This arrangement is employed where
the rod is not furnished with a slide locking bar. Figure 4 is a side
view of part of a lever, in which the quadrant b is shewn solid instead
of slotted, as in Figures 2 and 3. In this case the quadrant works
in a clip on the outside rod d instead of being worked by a pin.
The slide locking bar s is placed inside the rod c, and locks the outside
rod d by the same motion as in Figures 1 and 2, the slide locking
bar s running into notches c cut in the outside rod d; but I prefer to
lock the rods e and e¹ in the manner before described.
The action of the improved apparatus shewn in Figures 1 and 2
is as follows:-The lever A (Figure 1) is for working a pair of points
for "branch up," the lever B is for signal to work with the same,
and when in its normal position the catch rod stands locked. The
lever C is for working "main down signal." By pressing the spring
hand lever or knuckle of lever A against its main lever the outside
rod d will move upwards the slotted link or quadrant b, which will
cause the oblique slot rod e to lower and will thus cause the slide
locking bar s, by means of the pin with which it is provided, to slide
into one of the notches c in the rod e¹, thereby firmly locking down
the catch rod of lever C before the catch rod of lover A is out of its
notch a cut in the quadrant u. Lever B, the signal working in
conjunction with lever A, will not be unlocked until lever A is pulled
completely over, and the catch rod secured in its back notch a', as
shewn in Figure 2, and by pressing spring hand lever or knuckle t,
of lever B, and before the catch rod is out of its notch in the quadrant
, lever A will be locked at the back, so that in no case can the

page_text: signal be given for the train to pass until the points are properly set and
secured from moving. When levers B and C are in their normal position
the catch rods of levers A and B will be locked by pressing the spring
land lever of lever C, before its catch rod is out of its notch cut in
the quadrant. By this arrangement the notched rod e¹ will lower
sufficiently to fit into the notch c¹ cut in the slide locking bar 8,
Figure 5, and prevent it from moving, and so long as the slide locking
bar sis prevented from moving the catch rods of levers A and B
which work that bar are immoveable.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details herein laid down and shewn
in the accompanying Drawing, as the same may be varied without
departing from the principle of my Invention; but what I claim is,-
Firstly. The employment of slotted or solid links or quadrants b,
in combination with the outside rods d and the rods e, having oblique
slots therein and the notched rods e¹, to effect the actuating, locking,
interlocking, and controlling of railway points and signals, substantially
in the manner herein-before described and represented in the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
Secondly. The employment for each rod that requires back locking
of an additional slotted link or quadrant, as herein-before described
and represented in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Easterbrook, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
aight
Witness,
HENRY NICHALAS CARY,
Paington,
Devon,
Gent".
WALTER EASTERBROOK. (L.S.)