IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH SELF-LOCKING LEVER APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS.”
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Farvis, of the City and County of
Bristol, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH
SELF-LOCKING LEVER APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Farvis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th June 1875.
I, WILLIAM FARVIS, of the City and County of Bristol, do hereby
3 declare the nature of the said Invention for. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
CONNECTED WITH SELF-LOCKING LEVER APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS.".
According to this Invention I work distance signals, gates, or switches
by means of hand wheel or spoke wheel on a screw spindle mounted in
standards or bearings. The screw gears into a nut which slides along the
screw when the latter is turned, the sliding motion of the nut is commu-
nicated to a lever turning on a fulcrum arranged on the framing of the
apparatus. I prefer to attach the end of the lever to the nut by means of

page_text: a fork joint and pins, and to form the lever with a slot for the fulcrum
pin to work in. The other end of the lever is connected to the rod,
wire, or chain leading to the gate, switch, or signal.
I arrange any convenient or required number of signal or switch or
gate levers side by side in the usual way, but according to this Inven-
tion so arranged that the movement of any lever causes the instantaneous
locking of any other required lever or levers. I will now proceed to
describe this part of my Invention as applied to signal apparatus for a
single line with one pair of points. On the switch lever I fix a cross bar
or "lock" which when the switch is "right," unlocks the up-and-down
home signals by coming in contact with the tail ends of catches attached
to each home up-and-down lever. On the other hand when either of the
home levers are moved from danger towards "all right," the switch is
instantaneously locked by means of a peg on either of them coming in
contact with a drop catch on the sweep or quadrant, which catch will then
drop into an eye on the switch lever. For working the distance signals
the down home signal lever is made to lift a catch on the lever for the
down distance signal lever, and similarly with respect to the up home
and distance signal levers, but this being a single line the up signal
lever must necessarily lock the down signal lever, or vice versa, and this
is done as follows:-On a cross bar or in any other convenient manner I
attach a back lock to the frame by means of two pins working each in
a slot on the back lock, the middle part of which latter is jointed and
near each end is formed with a crank or other projecting part formed
with a guiding slot, working on a pin on the framework or on the afore-
said cross bar. Each of the two distance signal levers has an arm or
striker, which on coming in contact with the "cranks" on the back lock
causes the uplifting of the ends of the latter, and the depression of the
jointed middle part of same, the consequence being that the moving of
one distance signal lever to "all right" causes the instantaneous locking
of the other distance signal lever.
With exception of the ordinary catch spring for the notches in the
sweep or quadrant I employ no springs in the aforesaid apparatus.
Although I have described the same with reference to an ordinary
five lever arrangement it is of course applicable to any required number

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said William Farvis in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th December 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
FARVIS, of the City and County of Bristol, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Farvis, Her special
licence, that I, the said William Farvis, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Farvis,
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 AND CONNECTED WITH SELF-LOCKING LEVER APPARATUS FOR
RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Farvis, 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 William Farvis, 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 accompanying
Drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to
say:
According to this Invention I work distance, home, and starting signals,
switches, gates, or other closing appliances by means of apparatus which
11
1
..
11

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my hand wheel apparatus for the
aforesaid purpose or purposes; Figure 2 is an end elevation of same;
Figure 3, vertical section through the middle, and Figure 4, a plan.
B is a hand or spoke wheel fixed on a screw spindle C, which is free
to revolve in bearings on the standard framing D, which I prefer to
make of wrought iron braced together by diagonal struts as shown, the
screw C works in a nut E which is so held by pins in the fork end of a
lever F or in any other suitable way, that it is made to slide along the
screw spindle C when the latter is turned. The lever F is formed with
the slot might be at the
a slot wherein works the fulcrum pin f¹; or
upper
fork end of the lever F. To the lower end of the lever F are in
this case connected two rods G and H, but for railway purposes I usually
employ only one rod, wire, or chain; or one of the rods, wires, or
chains may be connected above the slot shown at f¹, and the other
'below so as to be worked in opposite directions as is required in
some instances. The slot might obviously be formed in the framing,
and the fulcrum pin f¹ fixed on the lever F without departing from this
'Invention. The framing may be made of any suitable form or material,
but I prefer the construction here shown for lightness and simplicity.
This part of my Invention is also applicable to the working of gates,
doors, flaps, windows, or skylights.
I also according to this Invention arrange any convenient or required
number of signal, or switch, or gate levers side by side as heretofore, but
so contrived that the movement of any one of the levers causes the
instantaneous locking of any other required lever or levers. I will now
proceed to describe this part of my Invention with reference to the
accompanying Drawings, of which Figure 5 is a vertical partly sectional
elevation of my switch and signal lever arrangement for a single line
with one pair of points, but my Invention may also be applied to any
number of lines; Figure 6 is a similar but partial view of same, the
"back lock" being here shown in the raised or locked position, whereas
Figure 5 shows the back lock in the unlocked position; Figure 7 is a
plan, the top of the levers being cut off.
Figures 8, 8, 9, 9^, 10 and 11 are details which shall be explained
presently.
Referring to Figures 5, 6, and 7, in the first instance I have in this
case shown one switch lever a, and four locking levers d, e, h, and h¹,
also a starting signal lever m and a gate locking lever n (with an

page_text: ordinary ground lock or bolt, as shown at Figure 7). The switch lever a
is as well as all the other levers mounted on a fulcrum bar o in the
usual manner.
On the switch lever a is fixed a cross bar 6 which is
shown separately in plan at Fig. 8^; Figure 8 shows this lever a in
dotted lines, and in Fig. 9 in full lines in the locked position "the line
clear."
Figure 8 is a reverse or back view showing the side lock on one side
of the switch lever, and Figure 9 shows the side lock on the opposite
side of the switch lever a. The cross bar 6 or releaser on the switch
lever a extends to each side, as shown at Figure 8", and when the switch
is "right" unlocks the up-and-down home signals by coming in contact
with the tail end of catches c attached to the "home up lever" d, and
"home down lever" e, which are shown at Figures 8 and 9 respectively,
the other end of each of the catches c is formed with a projecting nose,
as shown at c¹, which drops over a horizontal angle iron bar p that forms
part of the framing A of the whole apparatus. This angle iron bar P
is
shewn at Figures 5, 6, 8, 10, and 11; by this means the home signal
levers d and e are kept locked; I call these catches c "drop locks." The
home levers d and e have each a cross bar or releaser 6', which is shown
in plan at Figure 9* and extends to one side where it comes in contact
with a catch or drop lock similar to the catch or drop lock c described
with reference to the home levers. This drop lock is also shown at
Figure 7, when the noses of the last-named drop locks drop on to the
angle iron cross bar p, the distance levers h and h¹ become locked as
well as the home levers d and e. Each of the catches or drop locks c
works in a staple or guide q for limiting the up-and-down movement, as
shown at Figure 10.
In order to interlock the two distance signal levers h and h',
I make
use of a "back lock" i which is shown in the raised or locked position
at Figures 6 and 11, and in the down or unlocked position at Figures 5
and 10. This back lock i consists of two parts united by a joint pin k
in the middle, and attached to the aforesaid angle iron cross bar P of the
framing by means of the two pins j; near each end the back lock is
formed with a projection or with a cranked part as here shown, wherein
is formed a guiding slot which works on a pin on the angle iron cross
bar p. One of the pin holes at k or j must be oval in order to enable
the back lock i to work freely. Each of the two distance signal levers
h and has an arm or striker h², as shewn at Figures 10 and 11, when
l

page_text: this striker h² comes in contact with the cranked or projecting part of
the back lock i, the ends of the back lock are lifted up while the jointed
middle part is depressed, and the consequence of this is that one of the
distance signal levers 7 or h¹ is moved to "all right," and the other
distance signal lever h¹ or his instantaneously locked to "danger" by
entering its corresponding locking drop lock c. When either of the home
levers d or e is moved from the "danger" position to the "all right"
position, the switch lever a becomes instantaneously locked. To effect
this, each of the home levers d and e have a peg or pin d' and e respec-
tively, as shewn at Figures 8 and 9; f is a side lock or catch which
consists of two parts united by a joint pin in the middle, and turns on
two pins s on the sweep or quadrant g, the side lock fis guided by bolts
t working in oval holes, as shewn. When a pin or peg d¹ or e¹ on one
of the home signal levers d or e comes in contact with the under side of
one of the outer ends of the side lock the ends of the latter are raised:
and the switch is thereby released. On the other hand when either of
the home signal levers d or e is moved from "danger" the side locks
drop down at each end and the side lock ends thereby drop into or
against the cross bar 6 on the switch lever, thus locking it.
Apparatus as herein-before described occupies much less space than
those theretofore employed, it works very easily, and as it is made
entirely of wrought iron and steel it is very light and strong.
And having thus fully described the nature of this Invention I declare
that I claim,-
First. The screw C in combination with the nut E and lever F, for the
purposes set forth and operating as described.
Second. The construction and application of the back lock i, side
lock f, and catch or drop lock c separately or combined and operating,
substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Farvis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.