IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING AND SETTING IN MOTION, LOCKING, INTERLOCKING, AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Ruscombe Poole, of the Inner Temple,
in the City of London, Barrister-at-Law, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING AND SETTING
IN MOTION, LOCKING, INTERLOCKING, AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY POINTS AND
SIGNALS."
Sealed the 29th July 1873, and dated the 23rd April 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Ruscombe
Poole at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd April 1873.
I, ARTHUR RUSCOMBE POOLE, of the Inner Temple, in the City of
London, Barrister-at-Law, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING, AND
SETTING IN MOTION, LOCKING, INTERLOCKING, AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY POINTS
& SIGNALS," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to obtain a motion in the hand levers
usually employed in railway signal apparatus, extra and independent of
:

page_text: their motion in actuating their points and signals, and utilising the same
for the purpose of locking, and interlocking, and controlling the levers.
which actuate points or signals antagonistic to or dependent upon such
first-mentioned points and signals, so that such last-mentioned levers
may be locked or unlocked previously or subsequently to any movement
of such first-mentioned points or signals.
I obtain such motion, either in the manner herein-after described in
lieu of the methods next described, or by making the hand lever in two
parts connected by a joint in such a manner that the upper part of the
hand lever above the joint may have a motion extra to and independent
of the motion of the lower part of the hand lever below the joint, and
shall be capable of such motion previously and subsequently to the
motion of the lower part in conjunction with the motion of the upper
part. Such extra motion of the upper part of the hand lever shall, if
necessary, be limited in manner herein-after pointed out. The lower
part of the hand lever shall be connected with the points and signals,
so as to actuate them, and such extra and independent motion of the
upper part of the hand lever, as aforesaid, shall be utilised in actuating
and setting in motion the locking and interlocking machinery of the
apparatus. Such extra and independent motion of the hand lever may
be either sideways, i.e., at right angles to the motion of the hand lever
in actuating its point or signal, or backwards and forwards, i.e., in the
same direction, as and in addition to the motion of the hand lever in
actuating its point or signal.
First. If such motion be sideways, as aforesaid, I can dispense with
catch rods, as heretofore in use for retaining the hand lever in its
position, and instead of the usual quadrant with a notch for the bolt of
such catch rod I make the hand lever work in the aperture of a top
plate or quadrant of this shape.
A
B
When the hand lever has finished
or not yet commenced its motion which actuates its point or signal, i.e.,
backwards or forwards, it is in either of the recesses A or B, where it is
kept by a spring affixed to it, and cannot, without leaving such recess,
be worked backwards or forwards. The spring presses continually
against the side of the aperture aforesaid opposite to the recesses, and
thereby pushes the hand lever into the recesses A or B whenever it is
opposite to them, the operator when working the hand lever in order to

page_text: release it from the recess pushes it sideways, the spring gives, the lever
acting upon its joint moves sideways and leaves the recess.
It may
then be worked backwards or forwards so as to actuate the point or
signal. This motion in leaving or entering into the recess I utilize for
the purpose of actuating the locking and interlocking gear, which is as
.usual below the top plate. I do not limit myself to using any particular
kind of locking and interlocking gear, but prefer the following:-I place
a sliding horizontal bar at right angles to and sliding sideways, i.c., at
right angles to the motion of the hand lever in actuating its point or
signal in such a position that the hand lever, when it has completed its
motion in actuating its point or signal and comes opposite a recess,
enters a notch in such sliding. bar or in a plate attached to such sliding
bar, or in a plate attached to one end of a bell crank or rocking shaft,
which actuates such sliding bar. When, therefore, the hand lever enters
the recess it acts upon the sliding bar by the notch, and gives to it its
own sideways motion. This sliding bar acts upon other horizontal
sliding bars at right angles and sliding at right angles to itself, and there-
fore sliding in the same direction as the hand lever moves in actuating
its point or signal, which last-mentioned sliding bars, for distinction,
I call locking bars. The first-mentioned sliding bar is connected with
these locking bars by bell cranks or plates working on pins or other
known mechanical equivalent for making one sliding bar act upon
another at right angles to itself. The sliding bar makes the locking
bars slide, some backward, some forwards, according as they are con-
nected with it, and are required to lock cither at the back or front.
Any number of locking bars may be thus actuated by one sliding bar.
The locking bars are of this shape,
being either wider at one end, or
having a prominence c attached to them at one end, and are placed each
by the lever intended to be locked by it, and at such distance from
such lever that so long as the wider end or prominence, which is towards
the lever, be not under the aperture of the top plate and opposite and
against the lever when in a recess, there is sufficient space for the lever
to be brought out of the recess and worked backwards or forwards. If,
however, the locking bar in its sliding motion brings its wider end or
prominence under the aperture of the top plate and opposite to a lever
in a recess all sideways motion in that lever is prevented, it cannot be
moved from the recess and is locked. The sliding bar may be made to

page_text: actuate at the same time locking bars which lock either in the front or
the back of the apparatus. It is connected with each locking bar, so as
to make it work forwards or backwards, as is hercin-before stated,
according as such locking bar locks in front or at the back. If the
locking bar locks in the front its wider end or prominence is in front,
and in order to lock advances from the front and away from the operator.
If it locks at the back its wider end or prominence is at the back,
and to lock advances towards the front and towards the operator. To
unlock, it of course retires in each instance in a contrary direction.
t
Secondly. If I make the lever work on its joint in the same direction
as its motion in actuating its point or signal, I limit its action at the
joint by a pin attached to, one part of the lever working in a slot in
a plate attached to the other part of the lever or by stops or other known
mechanical equivalent, so that as soon as the top part of the lever has
moved on its joint sufficiently for the purpose herein-after shewn the
lever becomes rigid and then, and not till then, actuates the lower part
which is connected with the point or signal. The motion before the
lever becomes rigid I utilise by making it strike against vibrating bars
which in turn actuate locking gear, or the locking gear is actuated by
such motion before the lever becomes rigid in some of the ways heretofore
employed when levers actuate locking gear, only in such a way that as
soon as the lever becomes rigid and the lower part moves the action on
this locking gear is completed and ceases. When the hand lever thus
becomes rigid its rigidity may be maintained by a bolt from the lower
part of the hand lever actuated by a spring entering the upper part of
the hand lever. The hand lever will then in being brought back again,
still continue rigid and actuate the lower part and with it the signal or
point, a knob or prominence may be so placed that when the hand
lever has completed its motion backwards on the point or signal it comes
in contact with and pushes back the bolt when the lever loses its rigidity
and the lower part will cease working. The joint then acts and the
upper part in its motion will again alone actuate the locking gear.
I can also obtain such extra and independent motion in lieu of the
above mentioned methods, without a joint dividing the hand lever as
aforesaid, by, attaching, the connections, with the signal or point to a
rocking, shaft or lever. by the side of the hand lever. If the extra motion
of the hand lever be sideways as aforesaid, it may work upon an universal
joint and be connected with such rocking shaft or lever as aforesaid by

page_text: braces or pins as to admit of its sideways motion without moving such
rocking shaft. or lever, but so as to at once move it with it backwards or
forwards when the hand lever moves backwards or forwards. If the extra
motion be backwards and forwards and in the same direction as such
rocking shaft or lever such universal joint is unnecessary, but the hand
lever always working in the same direction as the rocking shaft or lever
would, as soon as it has completed its motion actuating, the locking gear,
and not till then, strike against a pin on a plate attached to such rocking
shaft or lever and against the face of which the hand lever works and set
such rocking shaft or lever in motion. Another pin on the last
mentioned plate may enable the hand lever to actuate the rocking shaft
or lever when it is brought back again by the operator, or a bolt may be
made to make the hand lever and rocking shaft or lever move together
and release them in the same manner as is described when the hand lever
works on its joint in the same direction as its motion in actuating its
point or signal. I do not, however, limit myself to any particular mode
of carrying out my Invention, but claim generally the motion of the
hand lever obtained by means of a joint as aforesaid, independent of its
motion in actuating its point or signal, for the above mentioned
purposes.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent;
filed by the said Arthur Ruscombe Poole in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st October 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
RUSCOMBE POOLE, of the Inner Temple, in the City of London, Barrister-
at-Law, send greeting.
'
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in th
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her leirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Arthur Ruscombe Poole, Her special
licence that I, the said Arthur Ruscombe Poole, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Arthur Ruscombe
Poole, 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,

page_text: 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, SETTING IN
MOTION, LOCKING, INTERLOCKING AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Arthur Ruscombe
Poole, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Arthur Ruscombe Poole, 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:—
The object of my Invention is to obtain a motion in the hand levers
usually employed in railway signal apparatus, extra and independent
of their motion in actuating their points and signals and to utilise the
same for the purpose of locking and interlocking and controlling the
levers which actuate points or signals antagonistic to or dependent upon
such first mentioned points and signals, so that such last mentioned
levers may be locked or unlocked previously or subsequently to any
movement of such first mentioned points or signals.
I obtain such motion either in the manner herein-after described in
lieu of the methods next described or by making the hand lever in two
parts connected by a joint, in such a manner that the upper part of the
hand lever above the joint may have a motion extra to and independent
of the motion of the lower part of the hand lever below the joint, and
shall be capable of such motion previously and subsequently to the
motion of the lower part in conjunction with the motion of the upper
part. Such extra motion of the upper part of the hand lever shall if
necessary be limited in manner herein-after pointed out. The lower
part of the hand lever shall be connected with a point or signal so as
to actuate them, and such extra and independent motion of the upper
part of the hand lever as aforesaid shall be utilised in actuating
and setting in motion the locking and interlocking machinery of the
apparatus. Such extra and independent motion of the hand lever

page_text: may be either sideways, namely, at right angles to the motion of the
hand lever in actuating its point or signal, or backwards and forwards,
namely, in the same direction as and in addition to the motion of the
hand lever in actuating its point or signal.
First. If such motion be sideways as aforesaid, I can dispense with
catch rods as heretofore in use for retaining the hand lever in its
position and instead of the usual quadrant with a notch for the bolt of
such catch rod I make the hand lever work in the aperture of a top
plate or quadrant, as in Figure 3. When the hand lever has finished
or not yet commenced its motion which actuates its point or signal,
namely, backwards or forwards, it is in either of the recesses of such.
aperture where it is kept by a spring affixed to it and cannot without
leaving such recess be worked backwards or forwards.
The spring
presses continually against the side of the aperture aforesaid opposite to
the recesses and thereby pushes the hand lever into the recesses aforesaid
whenever it is opposite to them. The operator when working the hand
lever in order to release it from the recess pushes. it. sideways, the
spring gives, the lever acting upon its joint moves sideways and leaves
the recess; it may then be worked backwards or forwards so as to
actuate the point or signal. This motion in leaving or entering into
the recess I utilize for the purpose of actuating the locking and inter-
locking gear. I do not limit myself to using any particular kind of
locking and interlocking gear but prefer the following:-I place a
sliding horizontal bar at right angles to and sliding sideways, namely,
at right angles to the motion of the hand lever in actuating its point
or signal, in such a position that the hand lever when it has completed
its motion in actuating its point or signal and comes opposite a recess
enters a notch in such sliding bar or in a plate attached to such sliding
bar, or in a plate attached to one end of a bell crank which actuates
such sliding bar. When therefore the hand lever enters the recess it
acts upon the sliding bar by the notch and gives to it its own sideway
motion. This sliding bar acts upon other horizontal sliding bars at
right angles and sliding at right angles to itself, and therefore sliding in
the same direction as the hand lever moves in actuating its point or
signal, which last mentioned sliding bar for distinction I call locking
bars. The first mentioned sliding bar is connected with these locking
bars by bell cranks or plates working on pins or other known mechanical
equivalent for making one sliding bar act upon another at right angles.

page_text: to itself. The sliding bar makes the locking bars slide some backwards,
some forwards, according as they are connected with it and are required
to lock either at the back or front. Any number of locking bars may
be thus actuated by one sliding bar. The locking bars as shewn
in Figure 4 being either wider at one end or having a prominence
attached to them at one end, and are placed each by the lever
intended to be locked by them and at such distance from such lever,
that so long as the wider end or prominence which is towards the
lever be not under the aperture of the top plate, and opposite and
against the lever when in a recess there is sufficient space for the lever
to be brought out of the recess and worked backwards or forwards. If
however the locking bar in its sliding motion brings it wider end or
prominence under the aperture of the top plate and opposite to a lever
in a recess, all sideways motion in that lever is prevented, it cannot be
moved from the recess and is locked. The sliding bar may be made to
actuate at the same time locking bars which lock either in the front or
the back of the apparatus. It is connected with each locking bar, so as
to make it work forwards or backwards, as is herein-before stated,
according as such locking bar locks in front or at the back. If the
locking bar locks in the front its wider end or prominence is in front,
and in order to lock, advances from the front and away from the
operator. If it locks at the back its wider end or prominence is at the
back, and to lock advances towards the front and towards the operator.
To unlock it of course slides, in each instance, in a contrary direction.
Secondly. If I make the lever work on its joint in the same direction
as its motion in actuating its point or signal I limit its action at the
joint by a pin attached to one part of the lever working in a slot in a
plate attached to the other part of the lever, or by stops or other known
mechanical equivalent, so that as soon as the top part of the lever has
moved on its joint sufficiently for the purpose herein-after shewn, the
lever becomes rigid, and then, and not till then, actuates the lower part
which is connected with the point or signal. The motion before the
lever becomes rigid I utilise by making it strike against vibrating bars,
which in turn actuate locking gear, or the locking gear is actuated by
such motion before the lever becomes rigid in some of the ways here- 3
tofore employed when levers actuate locking gear, only in such a way
that as soon as the lever becomes rigid and the lower part moves, the
action on the locking gear is completed and ceases. When the hand

page_text: lever thus becomes rigid its rigidity may be maintained by a bolt from
the lower part of the hand lever actuated by a spring entering the upper
part of the hand lever. The hand lever will then in being brought back
again still continue rigid and actuate the lower part, and with it the
signal or point. A knob or prominence may be so placed that when the
hand lever has completed its motion backwards on the point or signal it
comes in contact with and pushes back the bolt when the lever loses its
rigidity and the lower part will cease working. The joint then acts and
the upper part in its motion will again alone actuate the locking gear.
I can also obtain such extra and independent motion in lieu of the
above-mentioned methods without a joint dividing the hand lever as
aforesaid, by attaching the connections with the point or signal to
a rocking shaft or lever by the side of the hand lever. If the extra
motion of the hand lever be sideways as aforesaid, it may work upon an
universal joint, and be connected with such rocking shaft or lever as
aforesaid by braces or pins as to admit of its sideways motion without
moving such rocking shaft or lever, but so as to at once move it with it
backwards or forwards when the hand lever moves backwards or forwards.
If the extra motion be backwards and forwards and in the same direction
as such rocking shaft or lever, such universal joint is unnecessary, but
the hand lever always working in the same direction as the rocking shaft
or lever would as soon as it has completed its motion actuating the
locking gear, and not till then, strike against a pin or a plate attached
to such rocking shaft or lever, and against the face of which the hand
lever works, and set such rocking shaft or lever in motion. Another
pin on the last-mentioned plate may enable the hand lever to actuate
the rocking shaft or lever when it is brought back again by the operator,
or a bolt may be made to make the hand lever and rocking shaft or
lever move together and release them in the same manner as is described
when the hand lever works on its joint in the same direction as its motion
in actuating its point or signal.
Figure 1 in the Drawings hereunto annexed is a side elevation of a
jointed hand lever when its top part above the joint has a sideways
motion as herein-before described. The front elevation of such lever is
shewn in Figure 2. B is the joint by which such sideways motion is
obtained. Each lever is connected with either a point or signal. The
wire or rod of such point or signal may be attached to the part of the
lever below B. C is the axis or fulcrum upon which the lever works

page_text: when actuating its point or signal. D is a spring attached to the lever
which, striking against the side of the aperture in the top plate in which
it works opposite to the recesses, forces it into the recesses, and retains
it there.
Figure 3 is a plan of such last-mentioned top plate, shewing such last-
mentioned apertures E, E, E, E, with their recesses at each end. The
operator intending to work the lever pushes it sideways, and thus causes
the spring to give and the hand lever to leave the recess. This motion
actuates the locking gear. The lever is then capable of being moved.
backwards and forwards from the front of one recess to the front of 1
the other away from or towards the operator, as the case may be, and in
so moving actuates its point or signal.
Figure 4 is a plan view of an arrangement of locking bars and a
sliding bar which is in connection with a hand lever F, having the
above-mentioned sideways movement, whereby such last-mentioned hand 1
lever locks or unlocks other hand levers. This arrangement may be
applied to each lever at the front and back of the apparatus. The sliding
bars .may be above or partially above one another, so that each hand
lever may be made to lock and unlock as required any other hand lever
at the back or front by means of its own sliding bar before it has begun 2
to actuate, and after it has actuated its point or signal. A hand lever
F in cross section is shewn with its sliding bar G in front of it. There
are also cross sections of levers H, I, K, L, each with a sliding locking
bar M1, M2, M3, M4, close to it. These levers must be supposed to be
all in the recesses of their top plate, either in the front or back of the 2
apparatus as they are shewn in the plate, Figure 3. In order to move
them from the front to the back, or from the back to the front, as the
case may be, they must first be moved sideways out of their recesses.
If, therefore, the prominences N and O, Figure 4, of the locking bars
be made to slide, N forwards O backwards, so as to come alongside of a
the hand levers K and L, and to prevent any sideways motion in them
in the direction of the arrow, such levers will be locked. In the plan 4,
the prominences are in front of levers H and I; they are therefore locked.
K and L are both not locked. The sliding bar G and the locking bars
M1, M2, M3, M4, are so attached to the frame of the apparatus (not 3
shewn in the plan) that the sliding bar is only capable of a sliding
horizontal movement in the direction or contrary to the direction of the
arrow, and that the sliding bars are only capable of a horizontal sliding

page_text: movement at right angles to the direction of the arrow. The hand lever
F is shewn between the arms of a forked plate P attached to the sliding
bar G so as to give to the sliding bar G any sideways motion it may have
itself. Let it be supposed that if the point or signal of the hand lever F
be moved, it will be necessary that hand levers K and L, their points or
signals being antagonistic to that of lever F, should be locked, and that the
points or signals of hand levers H and I should be unlocked. It will be seen
that that effect is performed by this arrangement. The operator moves
lever Fin the direction of the arrow in order to release it from its
recess. It acts upon the sliding bar G at the fork P attached to such
sliding bar, causing it to slide in the same direction. The sliding bar
in turn acts upon the locking bars by means of plates, as in the plan.
Each plate is connected at one end with a locking bar, and at the other
end with the sliding bar by means of pins, upon which it works so as
to make the locking bars work forwards or backwards as required, at
right angles to the motion of the sliding bar G. The connection between
the sliding bar and the locking bars may be by a bell crank or by slot
and pin or some other equivalent by which one sliding bar will make
another slide at right angles to itself. As the sliding bar G slides in
the direction of the arrow the locking bar M4 retires from the operator
so as to unlock H, the locking bar M3 advances towards the operator
so as to unlock I, the locking bar M2 advances towards the operator so
as to lock K, the locking bar M1 retires from the operator so as to
lock L; the hand lever F thus in leaving its recess actuates the locking
gear. As soon as the operator pushes it away from him from the front
of the apparatus to the back, it leaves the fork P of the sliding bar G.
As soon therefore as this last-mentioned motion commences it ceases
to actuate G, and will at once actuate its point or signal. When
the lever has actuated its point or signal, and comes opposite the other
recess, it may enter a fork Q in another sliding bar behind it. This
other sliding bar may be connected with other locking bars (not shewn
on the plan) in the same way as sliding bar G is shewn to be, so that the
lever when entering its recess after it has actuated the point or signal
may unlock or lock, as may be requisite, other levers. Thus, if the lever
actuates a point it can lock all antagonistic points or signals before its
point has moved. After the point has been made right it may unlock
the lever of the signal for such point, which should be locked at danger
until that moment. The operator can then take the lever of such last-
mentioned signal, and put the signal to "all right." Such last-mentioned
'

page_text: lever before it actuates its signal locks the point lever, so that it cannot
be moved until the signal is again at danger.
If the hand lever does not act on a fork, as in Figure 4, there may be,
as in plan Figure 5, plates or levers R1, R2, R3, which are supported
by the frame of the apparatus immediately under the top plate, and are
attached to it by, and work on centres S, S, S, or they may rest on the
top plate. K and L are cross sections of levers within the arms of the
plates R1, and R3. The plates are capable of being shifted or caused
to vibrate on their studs or pins S, S, S, as their centres. Let the levers
be supposed to be in recesses of their top plate. In order to release
them they must be moved in the direction of the arrow. The dotted
line shews the position which the plates would occupy after they have
been shifted. As soon as lever L has left its recess, and has been pulled
over so as to enter the arms of the plate R2, and begins to enter its
other recess it would cause R2 to shift or vibrate with it in a direction
contrary to that of the arrow. There are pins T, T, T, at the end of
these plates projecting beyond the frame of the apparatus.
Figure 6 is an elevation of an apparatus containing this last-mentioned
arrangement. L, K, and I are hand levers, V is the top plate, T, T, T,
are the pins projecting over the frame of the apparatus, from such plates
as R1, R2, R3, in Figure 5. These pins are working in a slot in the
top of levers W, W, W, which are working on a fulcrum fixed to the
frame of the apparatus; G, G, G, are sliding bars with pins working in a
slot in the bottoms of levers W, W, W. When the plates R1, R2, R3,
are shifted by their hand levers they set in motion the levers W, W, W,
which communicate motion to the sliding bars G, G, G, causing them to
actuate the locking bars connected with them as described in Figure 4.
Figure 7 represents an elevation of a hand lever jointed at B. The
top part of the hand lever works independently of the lower part in the
same direction as the lower part on its fulcrum C. Such motion is
limited by a stud or pin attached to the lower part of the lever working
in a slot X in the upper part, or vice versa, or there may be a spring
catch or bolt attached to the one part of the lever instead of such slot
and pin capable of entering and withdrawing from a slot or notch in the
other part as in Figure 8. Such catch or bolt is driven by a spring into
the slot or notch when the lever has actuated the locking gear and
begins to actuate the point or signal, rendering the whole lever rigid.
When the lever has completed its action on the point or signal a knob

page_text: or prominence attached to the frame of the apparatus may be struck by
an inclined surface of the bolt or catch Y, Y, causing it to withdraw
from the slot or notch.. The hand lever then loses its rigidity and the
top part alone actuates the locking gear. In each case (Figures 7 and 8)
the motion of the upper part independent of that of the lower part
actuates the locking gear alone, whilst the lever, when working as a
whole actuates the point or signal alone.
Figure 9 represents a plan of vibrating bars R, R, mounted on studs
at S, S, actuating a sliding bar G at T, T. The lever K in cross section
actuates these bars on their inclined surfaces only during the inde-
pendent motion of its top part.. The sliding bar G may actuate such a
locking bar as R2, which may bring its prominence away from lever L
so as to allow its motion forwards. Other vibrating bar may be made
to lock or unlock other levers, such locking gear may be applied in the
case of levers in Figures 7 and 8.
·
Figure 10 is an elevation side view of part of a hand, lever L working
on it may be an universal joint at C as its fulcrum; such joint is, intended
to admit of a sideways motion of the lever as well as. a backwards and
forwards. Another lever K may work on a fulcrum of its own, with a
backwards and forwards motion by the side of the hand lever, and to this
is attached the rod or wire of the point or signal when not attached to
the hand lever. Lever K has two pins P, P, which project on either
side of the hand lever and which permit the hand lever to move sideways
without affecting lever K, but as soon as the hand lever works backwards
or forwards cause lever K to work with it.
.
Figure 11 are front and side elevations of part of a hand lever L
working in the same direction as lever K., The rod or wire of the point
or signal is attached to K. P, P, are pins or studs from lever K
projecting on either side of lever L. Lever L. has an action independent
of lover K whilst travelling from one pin to the other, during which
movement it may actuate the locking gear. So soon however as it strikes
a pin P, it actuates lever K, and with it the point or signal. The bolt
or catch described in Figure 8 may be applied to these levers, the catch
being in one and the slot or notch in the other, the hand lever. being
so constructed that a prominence to which the slot or the bolt is
attached, as, the case may be overlaps lever. K.
Having now more particularly described my Invention and the
manner in which it may be carried out, I wish it to be understood that

page_text: I do not limit myself to any particular mode of carrying out my In-
vention, and I make no claim, except as herein-after claimed to any
part or parts of the apparatus hercin-before described, or to any Invention
of a jointed lever or levers working on a joint or the combination of
any levers as herein-before described, but what I claim is―
1. The use and employment of the sideways motion of the hand lever
herein-before described for the purpose of actuating the locking gear of
railway point and signal apparatus, previously and subsequently or
previously or subsequently to its backwards and forwards motion when
actuating its point or signal.
2. The use and employment of the motion of the hand lever hercin-
before described, extra and in addition to and in the same direction as
its motion in actuating its point or signal for the purpose in the last
claim set out.
3. The use and employment of the locking bar for the purpose of
locking hand levers with a sideways motion in combination with the
sliding bar as herein-before described.
4. Locking and unlocking by the sideways movement of a hand lever
previously or subsequently or previously and subsequently to its move-
ment in actuating its point or signal other hand levers as herein-before
described.
5. Actuating the locking gear of railway point and signal apparatus
by the movements of the hand lever in the last claim mentioned and in
the second claim mentioned as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Ruscombe Poole have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this 18th day of October, A.D. 1873.
ARTHUR RUSCOMBE POOLE. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, & delivered by the