Improved Means or Apparatus for Detecting Railway Facing Points.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Feb., 1900-Accepted, 14th Apr., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means or Apparatus for Detecting Railway Facing Points.
We, WILLIAM HENRY DEAKIN, Engineer, of Norham, Lansdowne Road,
Worcester, and WILLIAM ROBERTS, Engineer, of Castlegate, Malton, Yorkshire,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the detection of the position of railway facing
points so that the respective signals cannot be lowered until not only the points
are in their correct position & thoroughly home against the stock rail but the
point bolt or plunger must be also properly home in the locking blade before the
locks are removed from their respective signal levers.
Mechanical devises for attaining the above object are already in use-but these
have grave defects when more than one pair of facing points in a yard have to be
detected by the one signal wire.
Now the object of our invention is to obviate these defects by detecting the
position of the points & point bolts electrically & electrically locking the signal
fever in the cabin instead of merely bolting the signal wire at the points on the
ground as at present.
We will assume there are two signal levers in the locking frame working the
two signals which will indicate "all clear" or "danger" for trains approaching
the facing points for the right or left hand roads..
According to our arrangement, normally the two signal levers are held at the
danger position by locks which are under the controll of electro magnets, & the
circuits to them are normally broken.
At the facing points which divert the train traffic to the right
vide an electric circuit breaking & making device.
or left we pro-
Also at the plunger bolt which secures the points in their respective right &
left positions we provide a second circuit breaker & maker.
Insulated wires are led first from the battery in the signal cabin, to the electro
magnets that controll the locks on the signal levers in the locking frame, from
thence to the contact maker worked by the point movement, then to the contact
maker worked by the plunger bolt movement & finally returned to the battery.
Assuming the points in their normal position to be right for the right hand
road & the plunger bolt to be in & securing the points in that position. Both
the point, & bolt contact makers will therefore be held in such a position as to
make a direct path for the electric current to pass from the battery to the electro
magnet controlling the lock on the signal lever for the right hand road.
To save the battery power from running down should the point & point bolt
contacts remain joined up for any length of time a further break & make
arrangement is used, to be actuated by the trigger handle of the signal levér.
When the trigger handle is now lifted the last contact is completed & the circuit
closed from the battery round to the point & point bolt contacts & back to the
lever lock so that the electro magnet will lift the lock & release the signal lever
& enable the signalman to lower the signal.

page_text: A similar arrangement obviously applies to the left hand road. When the
points are moved over, & the bolt put in, securing them again in that position,
the contact makers are so joined up as to make a direct path for the current to
pass to the signal lever electro magnet that controlls the signal for the left hand
road.
A dial indicator is provided in the signal cabin to indicate when the lock is
withdrawn & the signal lever free.
Any number of pairs of points & lock bolts can be detected in a station yard,
the current success vely passing through all their contact makers when they
are properly home & finally releasing the respective signal lever in the cabin.
The lever lock with trigger contact may be of known construction & the point
& point bolt contact breaking & making device-which may be fixed in a water-
tight box at the points-may be of. the rotary type, or sliding or rubbing contact
spring arrangement.
We, WILLIAM HENRY DEAKIN, Engineer, of Norham, Lansdowne Road,
Worcester, and WILLIAM ROBERTS, Engineer, of Castlegate, Malton, Yorkshire,
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 follow-
ing statement:-
This invention has for its object the detection of the position of railway facing
points, so that the respective signals cannot be lowered until not only the points
are in their correct position and thoroughly home against the stock rail but the
point bolt or plunger must be also properly home in the locking blade before the
locks are removed from the respective signal levers.
Mechanical devices for attaining this object are already in use, but these have
grave defects when more than one pair of facing points in a yard have to be
detected by the one wire.
Now the object of this invention is to obviate these defects by detecting the
position of the points and point bolt electrically, and electrically locking the
signal levers in the cabin instead of merely bolting the signal wire at the points
on the ground as at present.
"3
We will assume there are two signal levers in the locking frame for working
the two signals which are to indicate "all clear or danger" for trains approach-
ing the facing points for the right or left hand roads. According to this inven-
tion the two signal levers are normally held at the danger position by locks
which are under the control of electro-magnets the circuits of which are normally
broken. At the facing points, which divert the train traffic to the right or left,
there is provided an electric circuit breaking and making device. Also at the
plunger bolt, which secures the points in their respective right and left positions,
there is provided a second circuit breaking and making device. The circuit
breaking and making devices are, for the sake of brevity, hereinafter called
circuit controllers.
Insulated wires are led from one pole of a battery in the signal cabin or other
place to the electro-magnets that control the locks on the signal levers in the
locking frame, from thence to the circuit controller worked by the point move-

page_text: ment, then to the circuit controller worked by the plunger bolt movement, and
finally to the other pole of the battery.
Assuming the points in their normal position to be right for the right hand
road and the plunger bolt to be in and securing the points in that position, then
the contacts of both the point and point bolt circuit controllers will be held in such
positions as to provide a direct path for the electric current to pass from the
battery to the electro-magnet controlling the lock on the signal lever for the right
hand road.
To save the battery power from running down should the contacts of the point
and point bolt circuit breaking and making devices remain joined up for any
length of time, there is provided a further break and make arrangement adapted
to be actuated by the trigger handle of the signal lever. If the trigger handle
be now lifted, the last contact will be made and the circuit closed from the battery
round to the contacts of the point and point bolt circuit controllers and thence
to the contacts of the circuit controller of the lever lock, so that the electro-
magnet will lift the lock and release the signal lever and enable the signalman
to lower the signal.
A similar arrangement obviously applies to the left-hand road. When the
points are moved over and the bolt put in, the circuit controllers are so joined
up as to make a direct path for the current to the signal lever electro-magnet
that controls the signal for the left-hand road.
A dial indicafor is provided in the signal cabin to indicate when each lock
is withdrawn and the corresponding signal lever set free.
Any number of pairs of points and point lock bolts can be detected in a station
vard according to this invention, the current passing successively through all
their circuit controllers when they are properly home and finally releasing the
respective signal in the cabin.
The lever lock with trigger contact may be of known construction, and the
point and point lock bolt circuit controllers--which may be fixed in a water-
tight box at the points--may be of the rotary type, or sliding or rubbing spring
arrangement.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying illustrative drawings shows partly in plan and partly
diagrammatically, railway facing point apparatus and signal operating mechanism
provided with electrical detector apparatus according to this invention, the point
lock bolt and corresponding parts being arranged at one side of the track.
Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show, to a larger scale. the point and point lock detector appa-
ratus and adiacent parts illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 showing the said apparatus
nartly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, Fig. 3 in plan, and
Fig. 4 partly in end elevation and partly in cross section. Fig. 5 shows, to a
larger scale, one of the signal levers with its lock and circuit controller, and .5*
is a view of a detail.
The circuit controllers for detecting the facing points consists of two adjacent
insulating cylinders 1. 1ª carried by a rotary shaft 2 mounted in bearings 3
within a box 4 adapted to be closed water-tight: Upon the cylinders 1 and 1*
are respectively secured two segmental metal contacts 5 and 6 adjacent to which
are two pairs of fixed contact brushes 5ª 5b and 6ª, 6b respectively and upon
one end of the rotary shaft 2 is fixed a crank arm 7 and upon its other end a
weight 7. To enable the insulating cylinders 1 and 1ª with the metal con-
tacts 5 and 6 thereon to be readily adjusted in an angular, i.e., rotary manner
on the shaft 2 to suit the throw of the points, the said cylinders are fixed in
place between a collar 2ª on the shaft and a nut 2b.
Connected respectively to the tongues 8 and 9 of the points by rods 10 and 11
re two detector blades 12 and 13 which extend transversely through the box 4
and are respectively formed at their upper parts with notches 12 and 13ª.
These two notches are arranged to overlap one another as shown in Figs. 3 and 4
nd into the portions of the two notches that are opposite each other and do

page_text: not overlap one another, extends the crank arm 7 on the shaft 2. The arrange-
ment is such that when the point tongues 8 and 9 are moved by the point
operating rod 14 into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4, for the left hand
road, the free end 13b of the notch 13ª in the detector blade 13 will act against
the crank arm 7 and partly turn the cylinders 1 and 1ª into a position in which
the two brushes 5ª and 5b will be electrically connected together through the
movable contact 5, whilst the brushes Ca, Gb will be disconnected from each
other, and when the point tongues are moved into their opposite positions for
the right hand road, the. arm. 7 will be moved in the opposite direction by the
free end 12b of the notch 12ª in the. detector blade 12. so as to break the con-
nection between the brushes 5 and 5b and make connection between brushes (*
and 6. Should one of the detector blades 12 and 13 move without the other,
due for instance to the breaking of the connection between the point tongues,
or to one of such tongues being moved whilst the other is held fast from any
cause, the notches 12 and 13 in the detector blades will be brought opposite each
other throughout the whole of their length, or nearly so, and permit the arm 7
to move under the action of the weight 7 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) into a vertical
position and bring the movable contacts 5 and 6. into position in which neither
the brushes 5, 5b or the brushes 62, Gb will be connected together.
15 is the point locking. bolt which extends through oppositely arranged pairs
of notches 16 or 16 (Fig. 4) in the detector blades 12 and 13, according to
the position of the point tongues, and works in connection with the wedges 17.
rock shaft 17 and lock bar 18 (Fig. 1) or equivalent means, as well understood
The circuit controller for this point locking bolt comprises an insulating cylin-
der 19 fixed upon a shaft 20 that is mounted in bearings 21. and provided with
a weighted arm 22 that carries a roller 23 arranged in the path of an extension 15ª
of the point locking bolt 15. 24 is a segmental contact fixed on the cylinder 19,
and 24 and 24 are fixed contact brushes arranged adjacent to the movable cou-
tact 24. The arrangement is such that whilst the point locking bolt 15 is in
its inoperative position, with its extension 15ª drawn back from under the
roller 23, the weighted arm 22 holds the cylinder 19 with contact 24 in such a
position that the, contact brushes 24ª and. 24 are disconnected, and when the
said bolt is properly shot or moved into its operative position its extension 15ª,
by acting on the roller 23, will raise the arm 22 and partly rotate the cylinder 19
into a position to cause the contact 24 to electrically connect the brushes 24ª
and 24b.
25 and 25" are the two levers for controlling, in the ordinary way, the
signals A and B of the two lines or roads controlled by the points. Each of the
levers is provided with a lock 27 that is adapted to fall by gravity into a
notch 28 in a sword iron 29 connected to the lever and to form the armature
of an electro-magnet 30 or 30b. The lock 27 may conveniently consist, as
shown in Figs. 5 & 5ª, of 'a pivoted iron bar one arm of which is weighted and
arranged to fall and enter the notch 28 in the-sword-iron 29 and the other arm
of which carries or serves as the armature of the corresponding electro-magnet.
The circuit controller for each signal lever comprises a pair of spring contacts 31
and 32 whereof 31 is connected, to one pole of an electric generator 33 by a con-
ductor 34 and 32 is connected to one terminal 35 of the corresponding electro-
magnet 30 or 30b. One of the spring contacts, viz. 32 in Fig. 1, and 31 in
Fig 5, is adapted to be forced into connection with the other contact 31 or 32:
as the case may be, by a lever 36 when the ordinary trigger lever 37 is lifted,
the lever 36 being arranged for this purpose in the path of the block 38 con-
nected to the said trigger lever.. The second terminal. 35" of the electro-magnet 30"
corresponding to lever 254 and signal A, .is .connected by an insulated con-
ductor 39 to the contact, brush 5 of the circuit controller for detecting one
position of the points, and the corresponding terminal of the electro-magnet. 30b
corresponding to lever 25" and signal B is connected by an insulated conductor 39

page_text: to the contact brush 6 of the circuit controller for detecting the other position
of the points. The brushes 5b and 6b of the said circuit controllers are con-
nected together and to the brush 24ª of the circuit controller for detecting the
position of the point locking bolt 15 by a conductor 40, the other brush 24b of
the last mentioned circuit controller being connected to the other pole of the
electric generator 33 by a conductor 41. In a shunt circuit between the ter-
minals 35, 35 of each electro-magnet 30ª, 30b is arranged an indicator 42 for
showing whether the corresponding signal lever is locked or free.
With the arrangement described it will be seen that when the facing points
and attached parts are properly set and locked for the left hand road, as shown
in Fig. 1, the circuit of the electro-magnet 30ª corresponding to lever 25* and
signal A is open only between the spring contacts 31 and 32 of the corresponding
circuit controller so that the signal A can be lowered for line clear upon raising
the trigger 37 and operating the lever 25, whilst the circuit of the electro-
magnet 30, corresponding to lever 25" and signal B, is open not only between
the contacts 31. 32 at the said lever but also between the contacts 6 and 6b at
the points so that the lever 25" and signal B cannot be operated. When the
points and attached parts are properly set and locked in their opposite positions.
for the right hand road, the circuit of the electro-magnet 30b is open only between
the corresponding contacts 31 and 32 so that the lever 25" and "signal B
are free to be operated upon raising the trigger 37 of the said lever 25", the
other lever 25' and signal being incapable of operation in consequence of the
circuit of its solenoid 30° being open not only between the contacts 31 and 32 but
also between the contacts 5ª and 5. Should one point tongue 8 or 9 and, its
detector blade 12 or 13 bé moved without the other, the notches 12, 13ª in the
said blades will be so moved relatively to each other as to allow the crank arm 7
and rotary part of the point circuit controller to automatically move into posi-
tions in which both sets of contacts 5ª, 5, and 6ª, 6h will be disconnected from
each other, as hereinbefore stated, so that neither signal lever 25 or 25 can be
unlocked and operated. Should the facing points have been properly moved
but the point locking bolt 15 not have been properly shot, the portion of the
circuit common to the electro-magnets 30ª, 30b of the two signal levers will be
open between the contacts 24 and 24 of the circuit controller for the locking.
bolt so that in this case also neither of the signal levers can be unlocked and
operated. Thus under all circumstances the facing points are fully detected and
controlled.
Fig. is a plan and Fig. 7 a cross section on the line A A of Fig. 6 showing
the box 4 containing circuit controllers of the kind herein before described for
detecting the facing point tongues 8 and 9 and point locking bolt. 15 arranged
between the rails, the said bolt and the detector blades 12 and 13 being arranged
and operated in the ordinary way.
Fig. 8 is a diagram showing how the invention can be applied for detecting
the facing points and lock bolts of a number of roads.
In the example shown there are five roads a, b, c, d and e branching from one
another, each road being represented for the sake of clearness by a single rail instead
of two rails. A, B, C, D and E are the signals for the respective roads, and 254, 25B,
25%, 25 and 25 the corresponding signal levers. 43 and 44" are circuit controllers
for detecting the position of the facing points and lock bolt at ¹ for the roads a and b
respectively, the circuit controller 43ª corresponding to the movable contact 5 and-fixed
contacts and 5b, and the circuit controller 41ª to the movable contact 6 and fixed
contacts 6, 6, of the facing point circuit controllers shown in Fig. 1, each of the said
circuit controllers heing connected up to a lock bolt circuit controller common to them
and corresponding to the movable contact 24 and fixed contacts 24ª, 24b, also shown in
Fig. 1. 43, 44; 43°, 44°; and 43, 44d are corresponding pairs of circuit controllers
or detecting the position of the points and lock bolts at b, c and d respectively:
15ª, 45, 45, 45, and 45° are the circuit controllers adapted to be operated by the

page_text: triggers 37 of the corresponding signal levers 25, 25, 25°, 25" and 25 respectively,
and 30, 30, 30, 30 and 30° are the corresponding electro-magnets controlling the
locking devices of the said levers. The circuit controllers 43ª, 43, 43, and 43d are
connected on the one hand by conductors 46, 46, 46, 46d to one of the spring
contacts of each of the circuit controllers at 45", 45°, 45°, and 45d, the other spring
contact of each of these latter circuit controllers being connected through the
corresponding electro-magnet to one pole of the battery 33. The said circuit con-
trollers 43, 43, 43° and 43d are connected on the other hand by conductors 47°, 47",
47 and 47d to a conductor 48 that is connected at one end to the second pole of the
battery and at the other end to one of the spring contacts of the circuit controller 45°
and is connected up to the terminals of the circuit controllers at 44, 44, 44 and 44
so that its continuity will be made or broken by such controllers at one or more points
according to the positions of the facing points. The second spring contact of the
circuit controller at 45 is connected to the first mentioned pole of the battery.
The working of this arrangement is as follows:-
Normally the points at a, b, c and d¹ are set for the lines a, b, c and d respectively
so that the circuit controllers at 43*, 43, 43° and 43d close their respective circuits at the
points as shown, the circuits being however open at the circuit controllers 45", 45",
45, 45d and 45°. The parts being in these positions it will be seen that the signal
lever 25 can be unlocked and operated to lower the signal A for road a but that none
of the other levers can be operated to lower their respective signals because although
their respective controlling circuits are closed at 43b, 43, and 43d, they are open at
the circuit controllers 44ª, 44b, 44 and 44d. By setting the points at a¹ for road b circuit
controller 43 will open its circuit so that lever 25 cannot be unlocked,, whilst circuit
controller 44" will be closed, and as circuit controller 43 is already closed, lever 25" can
be unlocked and operated to lower signal B for line b. In the same way by suc-
cessively setting the points at b, c and d for the roads c, d and e respectively, each of
the signal levers 25°, 25" and 25 can be unlocked and operated in succession, all the
levers excepting that for operating the signal for the road for which the point or points
are set being locked.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. For detecting railway facing points the combination with the facing points
and point lock bolt, the signal levers for operating the signals for the respective
roads controlled by the facing points, and the locking devices for said levers, of
circuit controllers for the points, a circuit controller for the point lock bolt,
electro-magnetic devices each adapted when energised to move the locking device
of the corresponding lever into its inoperative position, a contact maker connected
to the terminals of each electro-magnetic device and adapted to be moved into
the closed position by the signalman, and an electric generator, the arrangement
being such that when the facing points have been properly set and locked for
either road, the corresponding point circuit controller and the lock
bolt circuit controller will have been moved by the facing points
and lock bolt respectively into positions in which they make a
direct path from the electric generator to the electro-magnetic device controlling
the locking device of the corresponding signal lever, so that upon the signalman
closing the contact maker of the said electro-magnetic device, the corresponding
signal lever will be unlocked and such lever and the corresponding signal can
be operated, whilst the circuit of the electro magnetic device corresponding to
the other signal lever will be open not only at the lever but also at the points
so that such lever will remain locked, substantially as herein before described with
reference to the drawings.
2. The combination with railway facing points and the corresponding signal
levers and signals of electrical detector apparatus constructed, arranged and

page_text: operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in
Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, in Figs. 6 and 7, and in Fig. 8 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1900.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.