IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS POR ACTUATING, SETTING IN MOTION, LOCKING, INTERLOCKING, AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS."
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Easterbrook, of 65, Albert Road, Kilburn,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS POR ACTUATING, SETTING IN MOTION,
LOCKING, INTERLOCKING, AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Easterbrook at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd July 1867.
I, WALTER EASTERBROOK, of Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING, SETTING IN MOTION, LOCKING, INTER-
LOCKING, AND CONTROLLING RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to further improvements as well in the method of
actuating, locking, and controlling railway points and signals, as also of further
improvements upon an Invention registered by me on the Twenty-ninth day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, No. 927. It consists of
the introduction and use of two rods instead of one rod parallel to and con-
nected with the main lever and worked by a spring handle, and both rods
extended to a sufficient distance below the top plate, and then flattened or

page_text: widened as required, and there such rods (instead of the main lever) are
securely locked, so that by means of notched plates and stops on the levers
when such rods shall have been lifted certain bars may be made to slide, and
the conflicting rods are instantly and firmly locked down in their respective
notches before the main lever itself is moved or pulled over. The object of
this system is the better securing of the opening and shutting of points and
regulating signals.
Now the mode in which I accomplish this is as follows:-The knuckle of
the spring handle is lengthened sufficiently to carry two rods; such two rods
constitute a double spring hand lever, and are parallel to and connected
with the main lever; such two rods are also if required made in pieces, and
jointed and extended or carried down to such a distance below the top plate
as may be necessary, and then flattened or widened. Upon such flattened or
widened parts are fitted certain projections, and certain notches are cut, and
upon the main levers are fitted certain other projections, and all such pro-
jections and notches act as stops. Upon sliding bars and spindles are fitted
certain plates, which are so constructed that the double spring hand levers
when lifted come into contact with them, and with the sliding bars cause
such plates to settle over the projections on or within the notches in other
main levers and double spring hand levers, and thereby altogether prevents or
stops such other double spring hand levers from being lifted or the main
levers from being moved, and until the double spring hand levers are lifted
the main levers to which they respectively belong cannot be moved, and so
long as the main levers are immovable so long are the points and signals
with which they are connected immovable also. By this method of locking
railway signal apparatus the moment one of the double spring hand levers is
lifted, and before its own main lever is moved, all other conflicting signals and
points are locked, and thereby rendering the signals and points dependent on
each other; thus, if one of the main levers and the double spring hand lever
which works with it are not pushed quite home the conflicting double spring
hand levers cannot be lifted, so that if a signalman should desire to open or
close a particular set of points and signals he will be unable to move either
the main lever which works that set, or the double spring hand lever con-
nected with such last-mentioned main lever, unless and until the conflicting
set of points and levers be not only closed or opened, but the main levers and
double spring hand lever which work that conflicting set are also pushed
quite home and secured from moving.
It is not necessary to particularize the various actions of the apparatus in

page_text: order to effect the variety of signals and points capable of being given, for
of course such actions are well known. The apparatus will work double
crossings, or, indeed, any complication of points and signals. Several series
of bars and plates may be applied to the same spring hand levers above and
below. The motion of this Invention may also be applied to the locking of
the main levers.
I do not limit myself to any particular form of catch, plate, bar, stop, or
rod, whether double or single, so long as the principle of my Invention is
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Walter Easterbrook in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
EASTERBROOK, of No. 65, Albert Road, Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Walter Easterbrook, Her special licence that I, the said Walter
Easterbrook, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Walter Easterbrook, 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 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 Walter
Easterbrook, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Walter Easterbrook, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention relates to further improvements as well in the method of
actuating, locking, and controlling railway points and signals, as also of
further improvements upon an Invention patented by me on the Twenty-ninth
day of March, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, No. 927. It
consists of the introduction and use of two rods instead of one rod parallel to
and connected with the main lever and worked by a spring handle, and both
rods extended to a sufficient distance below the top plate, and then flattened
or widened as required, and there such rods, instead of the main lever, are
securely locked, so that by means of notched plates and stops on the main
lever when such rods shall have been lifted certain bars are made to slide,
and the conflicting rods are instantly and firmly locked down in their respective
notches before the lever itself is moved or pulled over. The object of this
system is for the better securing of the opening and shutting of points and
regulating signals.
Now the mode in which I accomplish this is as follows:-The knuckle
of the spring handle is lengthened sufficiently to carry two rods; such two
rods constitute a double spring hand lever, and are parallel to and connected
with the main lever; such two rods are also if required made in pieces, and
jointed and extended or carried down to such a distance below the top plate
as may be necessary, and then flattened or widened. Upon such flattened or
widened parts are fitted certain projections, and certain notches are cut, and
upon the main levers are fitted certain other projections, and all such pro-
jections and notches act as stops. Upon sliding bars and spindles are fitted
certain plates, which are so constructed that the double spring hand levers
when lifted come into contact with them, and with the sliding bars cause
such plates to settle over the projections on or within the notches in other
main levers and double spring hand levers, and thereby altogether prevents or
stops such other double spring hand levers from being lifted or the main
levers from being moved, and until the double spring hand levers are lifted
the main levers to which they respectively belong cannot be moved, and so
long as the main levers are immoveable so long are the points and signals
with which they are connected immoveable also. By this method of locking a
railway point and signal apparatus the moment one of the double spring hand
levers is lifted, and before its own main lever is moved, all other conflicting signals

page_text: and points are locked, and thereby rendering the signals and points dependent
on each other; thus, if one of the main levers and the double spring hand
lever which works with it are not pushed quite home the conflicting double
spring hand levers cannot be lifted, so that if a signalman should desire to
open or close a particular set of points and signals, he will be unable to move
either the main lever which works that set, or the double spring hand lever
connected with such last-mentioned main lever, unless and until the con-
flicting set of points and levers be not only closed or open, but the main levers
and double spring hand levers which work that conflicting set are also pushed
quite home and secured from moving.
Fig. 1 in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents a front elevation
of the apparatus shewing the top plate a supported in the usual manner by
the framework and foundation. In this example I shew nine levers numbered
1 to 9, two of which are for actuating the points and seven for actuating the
signals; this arrangement is for a system of levers suitable for a common
junction, but by adding more levers, sidings, erossings, or any number of
points and signals can be worked. On No. 1 lever I shew the catch rod as
represented by the letter b with notches cut in each side (c); on levers
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 I shew the outside rods which actuate the locking;
these rods are formed with inclined plane surfaces (d). I also shew five
slide bars (e) with plates marked f fitted each side of the catch rods of
Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 levers, and each is carried by a spindle at the
back, as shewn in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 with the letter g, and carried in the front
of the apparatus by the slide bars, on which they are kept in position by set
screws, as shewn in Fig. 2, letter h. No. 3 lever is for branch-down point,
as shewn in Fig. 2, and by pressing the spring hand lever close against the
main lever, and before the main lever is moved, the inclined plane on the
actuating rod bears against the sides of such plates on each side of the catch
rods, and thereby causes the slide bar to move and the plates attached thereto
to settle into the notches c cut into the catch rods 6 and underneath the
stops fitted to the main levers, as shewn in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, and all
such plates thereupon instantly and firmly lock the catch rods down in their
notches before the main levers can be moved; but the catch rods of Nos. 6
and 8 levers working the signals for branch-down in conjunction with No. 3
point cannot be unlocked until No. 3 point is pulled completely over and its
catch rod is secured in its back notch, although all antagonistic points or
signals will be locked in the front, so that a signalman or pointsman must make
the line right for branch-down before he can give the signals. In pressing

page_text: the hand levers of Nos. 6 and 8 close against the main levers, No. 3 point
will be immediately locked at the back, as shewn in Fig. 2 (k), before Nos. 6
or 8 main levers are moved.
I have given the above as examples of the working of the Invention, but it
is evident that any number of levers can be worked by the same unison
according to the requirements of the case.
In Fig. 3 I shew an end view of two main levers A and B with their catch
rods extended from the enlarged or lengthened knuckle in connection with
the catch rod handle (or spring hand lever) down below the top plate a,
and there jointed (1) for the purpose of allowing the catch rods or inclined
planes to be taken out or removed for any alterations or repairs, so as to
obviate the necessity of disturbing the locking arrangements. Attached to or
connected with the lever B I shew two rods, m being the catch rod with
notches cut therein, and d being the locking-action rod before-mentione I,
with the inclined plane surfaces to slide the bar; 6 represents the catch rod
with notches c cut in each side for the locking plates to enter. I can lock the
catch rod and the main lever with one rod only, that marked d on the lever A;
but for this purpose a deeper notch than usual (n) must be cut in the
flush surface must both be cut
quadrants, and the inclined plane surface and
with notches for the locking plates to enter, but I prefer the use of the two
rods, as giving much greater security to the locking apparatus.
In Fig. 2 I shew the locking plates on each side of the catch rods with
the top plate a taken away, stating what each point and signal lever (0) per-
forms. By using the rod or rods m and d in Fig. 3, before mentioned, I not
only lock the catch rods, but by the double-rod system I can also lock the
main levers, as shewn in Fig. 2, No. 7 lever, letter o, in the same way and at
the same time, so that the main levers of any antagonistic points or signals
would be instantly locked, and could not be pulled over or even moved in the
slightest degree.
In other systems of railway signalling apparatus the main levers have to be
pulled over entirely or in part before the locking action is effected; but by
my Invention the locking action is effected immediately before the main lever
is or can be moved.
Having now described my said Invention, and the way it is to be carried
out, I wish it to be understood that what I claim is,-
First, the locking of the catch rods.
Second, the extra rod which actuates the locking, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 3,
letter d.

page_text: Third, the locking of all antagonistic points and signals immediately on any
of the spring hand levers, single or double, being lifted, and before their own
main levers are moved.
Fourth, the locking of the main levers, both by the double rod, as shewn in
Fig. 2, lever 7, letter o, or by the single rod, as shewn in Fig. 3, lever A,
letter d, and all substantially as herein specified and shewn by the Drawings
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Easterbrook, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
WALTER EASTERBROOK. (L.S.)
Witness,
ALFRED STANDING,
54, Upper Stamford Street,
Lambeth, S.,
Engineer.