Improvements in Locking and Controlling Facing Points on Railways.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locking and Controlling Facing Points on
Railways.
We SAMUEL TELFORD DUTTON of Marl Bank, Civil Engineer and WILLIAM
BUCK of Carisbrooke, Battenhall, Civil Engineer, both in the City and County of
Worcester, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our present invention relates to apparatus in connection with the facing points,
the lock-bar and the plunger bolt or similar appliances in general use on railways
and which are operated by two levers in the signal cabin.
It consists chiefly of a method of connecting one and the same lock-bar to the
points as well as to the plunger bolt so that although working separately and at
different times neither can be moved without raising or working the lock bar.
We will now describe more fully the various parts of this invention. In regard
to working the points a preliminary movement is given to the lock bar by means
of escapement cranks which keep the points closed until the lock-bar is partially
raised so that they cannot be moved when a wheel is on the bar. The point rod
that works the escapement crank is also connected to or forms part of a set of
toggles having one arm on a fixed pin and the other coupled to the centre of a
straight lever. One end of this lever is connected to the lock bar in the usual
manner, the other end is coupled with a joint to the plunger rod which acts as a
fulcrum for it being a fixture while the points are being moved. The action of
the toggles moves the straight lever to and fro causing the lock bar to rise and fall
back when the points are worked. In order to prevent any movement or straining
of the plunger rod during this operation the centre of the straight lever is pivotted
to one end of a slide plate moving in guides parallel to the rails. The other end
of this plate extends to the crank that works the plunger rod and bolt and is fitted
with a locking device by means of which the straight lever locks the crank or the
crank locks the lever vice versa. Stops are also placed against the crank and at
the end of the slide plate to take the strain of lifting the lock bar.
points are to be locked the plunger is worked by its crank and the end of the
straight lever, which is coupled to the plunger rod, moves with it, its centre then
becomes a fulcrum resting against the stop already described while its other end
works the bar a full stroke. When the points are to be unlocked, the fulcrum
centre of the straight lever is kept fixed by the locking device already mentioned.
This apparatus may be fixed between or outside the rails and is applicable to
inside or outside lock-bars.
When the
In order to prevent the plunger bolt entering the bolt holes in the blades of the
cross rod when the points are out of order one of the blades has a projection or
stud moving in a slot or in one of the bolt holes of the other blade so that if one
switch moves without the other the bolt holes are partially closed and the plunger
cannot be worked.
Instead of working the lock-bar by a lever moving alternately with the points
and with the plunger the bar may be mounted in such a manner that it can be
worked in the usual way simultaneously with the plunger or independently by the
points. The links or tumblers that support the lock-bar are pivotted to the arms
of cranks carried in brackets or clips fastened to the rail. The upper arms are

page_text: connected by a rod alongside or under the bar. This rod is moved by the escape-
ment crank that works the points, being connected thereto by a toggle joint,
crank and rod, also with a rocking shaft under the rails when necessary.
The cranks lift the bar vertically and lower it again to its normal position when
the points are moved. A third arm may be added to these cranks and weighted to
counterbalance the bar. The lock bar is worked independently in the usual way
simultaneously with the plunger bolt by a three arm crank, the connecting rod from
which allows the bar to rise vertically when the points are moved.
In cases where it is desirable to retain the present lock-bar with its fittings and
connections intact a second bar mounted in the usual manner may be used to
control the movement of the points by working simultaneously with them or with
a preliminary movement brought on by suitable escapement cranks.
Dated this Eighth day of February 1896.
SAMUEL TELFORD DUTTON.
WILLIAM BUCK.
Improvements in Locking and Controlling Facing Points on
Railways.
We SAMUEL TELFORD DUTTON of Marl Bank Worcester Civil Engineer
and WILLIAM BUCK of Carisbrooke Battenhall Worcester, Civil Engineer 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 following
statement :-
Our present invention relates to apparatus in connexion with the facing points
the lock bar and plunger bolt or similar appliances in general use on railways and
which are operated by two levers in the signal cabin. It consists chiefly of a
method of connecting one and the same lock bar to the points as well as to the
plunger bolt, so that although working separately and at different times, neither
can be moved without raising or working the bar.
We will now describe the various parts of this invention and their operation
having reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings numbered 1 to 4.
Fig. 1 is a plan of a part of a pair of switches and a lock bar mounted on tumblers
in the usual manner. A is the rod for working the points B. B. and lock bar C
without moving the plunger D. and R is a bed plate carrying the duplex apparatus
for working the lock bar. A preliminary movement is given to the bar before the
end of the arm of the crank E enters the notch F and moves the escapement
lever F which is connected to the points.
Fig. 2 shows the points & cranks at half stroke and the arm of the crank E fully
engaged with the escapement lever F. The lock bar C is raised by the toggle
links G, G, being brought into a straight line and lever H moved from H¹ to H',
I being its fulcrum for the time being. On the completion of the point stroke the
toggles are pulled in to G3 Fig. 2, this draws lever H back to H and lowers the
bar to its normal position.
These movements take place in a reverse order when the points are moved
back to their original position. Thus the lock bar C is raised before the points are
shifted from one direction to the other, and, therefore cannot be moved when' a
wheel is on the bar.
Figs. 1 and 2. When the points are worked one end of lever H is pushed by
the toggles G G from H¹ to H: see Figs. 1 and 2: the other end I being made
a fulcrum for the time being in the following manner a crank J carried on a
centre fixed to the bed plate R is linked to I and bears against a stop K. This
.

page_text: prevents I moving to the left. The centre of lever H is fixed on a slide M which
moves in grooves in the bed plate R. This slide has a projection or lock at N
which moves in front of a stop O on crank J when the slide is pushed forward by
the tuggles. Crank J thus becomes locked and prevents I from moving to the-
right.
While the points are being reversed the following movements therefore take
place-First-the bar is partly raised without moving the points. Second-the
bar fully raised and the points opened half way. Third-the bar somewhat.
lowered and the points fully opened. Fourth-the bar quite down and the points
locked by the escapement crank.
Fig. 3. shows the position of the duplex gear when the plunger bolt D and lock-
bar Chave been worked by the rod P. The slide M is held in its normal position
between the stop O and the boss of the lever J. The slide is slotted at Q to allow of 1
its moving when the lock bar is worked in conjunction with the points as héreinbefore
described. The slightest movement of crank J locks the slide by the stop O and.
the centre of lever H which is fixed on the slide becomes its fulcrum while one end
of the lever is moved with the plunger and the other end works the lock bar.
The
Fig. 4 shows a modification of our apparatus placed outside the rails and
working an outside lock bar. In this arrangement the arm S of the tee crank
takes the place of one of the toggles, but operates in the same manner.
description of Figs. 1. 2 and 3 apply also to Fig. 4. the same letters referring to.
corresponding parts.
Figs. 5 6 7 and 8, illustrate another method of carrying out our invention.
without the slide and locking device shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The lock bar and
plunger are worked by the tee crank T. The bar is mounted as shown in.
Figs. 6 and 7 upon the short links or tumblers U which have lugs, upon which
the bar rests when down.
These links are jointed to the arms of the cranks V carried in brackets or clips
fastened to the rail. The upper arms of these cranks are connected by the rod W
alongside the bar..
One of these cranks is carried by a rocking shaft passing under the rail as shown
in Fig. 8 and at X in Fig. 5. At the outer end of this shaft is an arm connected
by a rod to the escapement cranks Y which work with the points. A crank and
toggle joint at Z impart a to and fro movement to the rod X¹ when the points are
worked. This movement is conveyed by the rocking shaft X and rods W to the
cranks causing them to lift the bar by bodily raising the tumblers U which
are kept rigid by their lugs under the bar shown in Fig. 6. The action of the
toggle Z causes the cranks V to lift the bar vertically and lower it again to its
normal position when the points are moved either way-a third arm may be
added to these cranks with a weight to balance the lock bar as shown at Vin
Fig. 6.
As before stated the lock bar and plunger are worked independently in the usual.
manner by a tee crank the connecting rod W₁ allowing the bar to be lifted by the
cranks V when the points are moved.
Figs. 9 and 10. In some cases it might be desirable to retain an existing
lock-bar and its fittings intact and use a second bar for controlling the movement
of the pointe. An arrangement of this kind is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10.-a. is
the existing bar inside the rail working in the usual manner with the bolt b.
To the brackets which carry this bar are bolted similar brackets carrying the
second bar C placed outside the rail as shown in Fig. 10. The bar C is worked
in conjunction with the points by a set of escapement cranks d d similar to those
herein before described which lift the bar before the points can be moved.
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. In connexion with facing points the duplex apparatus for working one and the-

page_text: same lock bar with the points independently of the plunger-bolt, or with the
plunger bolt independently of the points, substantially as described and shown in
Figs. 1 to 4.
2. The arrangement of tumblers and cranks for working one and the same lock
bar either with the points or with the plunger bolt shown in Figs. 5. 6. 7. and 8.
3. The half clip or bracket shown in Fig. 10. upon which is mounted or
carried in the usual manner a second lock bar for controlling the points.
Dated this Sixth day of November 1896.
SAMUEL TELFORD DUTTON.
WILLIAM BUCK.