MENTS IN CO-ACTING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER SIGNALS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JAMES COCKBURN of 61 Wandsworth Road, in the County of Surrey,
Signal Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CO-ACTING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER SIGNALS to be as
follows:-
It consists of a metal frame, constructed in such a manner as to admit of the
travel backwards and forwards in it, of two sliding blades or pieces, and of a
midway piece.
t
On the inside of each of the sliding blades or pieces there is cut a bevel shaped
notch, and the sliding blades or pieces are so arranged that in their norinal
position the bevel shaped notches in the said sliding blades or pieces are facing
each other.
Each side of the midway piece is so shaped as to fit the bevel shaped notches in
the sliding blades or pieces, and the midway piece in its normal position is half-
way in the bevel shaped notches of both of the sliding blades or pieces.
"
I connect the end of one sliding blade or piece to one Signal Cabin and the
other end of this same sliding blade or piece to the "Home or "Stop" Signal,
and I connect one end of the other sliding blade or piece to another Signal Cabin,
(hereinafter described as the Cabin to which the Distant Signal applies) and
from the other end of this latter sliding blade or piece I run a connection to the
Signal Cabin from which the "Home or "Stop" Signal is actuated, this
connection terminating in an indicator which indicator serves a twofold purpose,
firstly as a counterbalance to ensure the return motion of the sliding blade or
piece to which it is connected, and secondly as a visible indication of the position
of the Distant Signal lever in the Cabin to which the Distant Signal applies.
"
The Signal which is required to be jointly controlled (in this case the Distant
Signal) is connected to the nearest end of the aforesaid midway piece.
The action of my apparatus is as follows-
"
When the signalman who actuates the "Home" or "Stop" Signal works his
lever, and lowers the said "Home or "Stop" Signal to "all clear," he communi-
cates action to the sliding blade or piece which as before described is connected to
the "Home
or "Stop" Signal.

page_text: By the action of this sliding blade or piece, he forces the beforementioned
midway piece into the bevel shaped notch of the other sliding blade or piece.
Now the signalman in the Cabin to which the Distant Signal applies on
pulling over his Distant Signal lever communicates action to the sliding blade or
piece before described and the action of this sliding blade or piece pulls the
midway piece along the metal frame with it, and the midway piece in its turn
communicates action to the Distant Signal which action causes the Distant Signal
to deflect to "all clear."
If the order of the action of the two signalmen is reversed, that is if the
Distant Signal lever in the Cabin to which the Distant Signal applies is pulled
over first, no action is communicated to the Distant Signal, as the midway piece
is only forced into the bevel shaped notch of the sliding. blade or piece which
works in connection with the "Home or "Stop" Signal.
"
"
It then requires the signalman in the Cabin from which the said "Home" or
"Stop" Signal is actuated to pull over his "Home or "Stop" Signal lever which
action causes the sliding blade or piece working in connection with it, to pull the
midway piece along the metal frame with it, which midway piece in its turn
communicates action to the Distant Signal causing it to deflect to "all clear."
Therefore no matter what the conditions may be in the order of action of the
two signalmen my apparatus compels their joint action as hereinbefore described,
before the Distant Signal is given "all clear."
On the other hand however, either one of the signalmen can set the Distant
Signal to Danger independent of the other.
The apparatus as herein described is a single Co-acting apparatus, but I would
have it distinctly understood that I have only described this said single Co-acting
apparatus, as a simple example as applied to one of its uses, for it is obvious that
a signal may be controlled from any number of signal Cabins, and again that any
number of signals may jointly control the action of any one or more other signals,
therefore my invention is applicable to effecting the joint control of any one or
more signals from any two or more signal Cabins, and effecting the joint control
of any one or more signals, by any one or more other signals.
The essence of my invention is to provide a simpler & safer form of Co-acting
apparatus than that at present in use, adapted to signals that have the arms, discs,
and, lights counterbalanced or otherwise.

page_text: The other end B₁ of this same sliding blade B is connected either to a weig
upon the signal post or elsewhere, or sometimes I connect it to an indicator
Cabin H, which indicator serves a twofold purpose firstly as a counterbalance
ensure the return motion of the sliding blade B, and secondly as a visib
indication of the position of the lever working the Distant Signal in Cabin G.
It must be understood that in this illustration of the working of my apparatu
the Distant Signal is the one to be jointly controlled.
It is so controlled by the action of its own lever in Cabin G, and of the lever i
Cabin H which actuates the Stop Signal.
(. 1
Figure 2 is an elevation of my apparatus with the cover on,
The action of my apparatus is as follows-
When the signalman in Cabin H works his lever and lowers the Home or Sto
Signal to "all clear" he communicates action to the sliding blade A, which a
before described forms part of the connection to the said Home or Stop Signal.
By this movement the bevel A³ of the notch in the sliding blade A, acting upo
the bevel D¹ of the midway piece D, forces it (the midway piece D) into the notch B
of the sliding blade B.
Now the signalman in Cabin G on pulling over his Distant Signal lever, com
municates action to the sliding blade B, which as before described forms part o
the connection to the said Distant Signal.
It will be observed at this point that the midway piece D cannot move sideways
because the notch A of the sliding A has moved forward, thereby presenting
straight edge to the said midway piece.
The result of the movement of the sliding blade B, must therefore be and is, that
it causes the midway piece D to travel along the metal frame with it, and the
midway piece D, causes the carriage C, also to move forward and the end C¹ of the
carriage C being connected to the Distant arm as before described, causes that arm
to deflect to "all clear."
In the foregoing description I have assumed that the lever working the Stop
Signal in Cabin His worked over first, and I will now describe the reverse order
of action viz. that the lever in Cabin G working the Distant Signal be worked
over first..
;
Upon the signalman in Cabin G working his Distant Signal lever he communi-
cates action to the sliding blade B, and the bevel B³ of the notch B' acting upon
the bevel D of the midway piece D, forces it (the midway piece D) into the
notch A of the sliding blade A. No action is however given to the Distant arm
itself by this movement.
In order therefore that the Distant arm be deflected, the signalman in Cabin H,
must work over his Stop Signal lever, which movement communicates action to
the sliding blade A, causing the midway piece D, and the carriage C to inove along
the metal frame with it, thereby deflecting the Distant arm to "all clear."
It is obvious then, that no matter what the conditions may be in the order of
action of the two signalmen, my apparatus compels their joint action; before the
Distant Signal can be given "all clear."
On the other hand however either one of the signalmen can set the Distant
Signal to Danger independent of the other.
The apparatus as hereinbefore described is what I call a single Co-acting
apparatus, but I would have it distinctly understood, that I have only described
this said single Co-acting apparatus as a simple example as applied to one of its
uses, for it is obvious that a Home, Stop, Starting or any other signal, may be 5
controlled in the manner herein described with reference to the Distant Signal, and
again as previously stated that any one or more signals may be controlled by any
one or more other signals and that any one or more signals can be controlled from
any two or more Signal Cabins.
I fix my apparatus on the ground at any convenient spot, adjacent to the signal 5
to be controlled,

page_text: I am aware that various methods of slotting, co-acting and controlling apparatus
have been fixed on the signal post, forming special balance lever plates, or fixed
above with rod connections direct onto the balance lever plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be
distinctly understood that I do not claim the general system of controlling, co-
acting and slotting signals that are required to be controlled co-acted upon and
slotted in the manner before described, but what I do claim is―
The mechanical contrivance of apparatus, fixed upon the ground or in any
convenient position, consisting of sliding blades, and midway piece or pieces
substantially as described and for the purposes before explained.
JAS COCK BURN.