IMPROVED AUTOMATIC SWITCHI LOCKING AND SIGNAL APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVED AUTOMATIC SWITCHI
LOCKING AND SIGNAL APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS." A communication from
abroad by David Rousseau and William Condray Smith, both of New York
City, in the County and State of New York, United States of America.
aled the 14th October 1876, and dated the 3rd May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd May 1876.
WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent. IMPROVED AUTOMATIC SWITCH LOCKING AND SIGNAL APPARATUS FOR
"
RAILWAYS."
This Invention relates to a new means of locking the switch rails in their
respective positions, and in combining therewith a signal apparatus, which will
show at a distant place whether or not the switch is locked.
The Invention consists, first, in the application over the rod which moves the
switch of a vibrating bar or lever, which has a projecting lug for entering sockets
in said rod, and a V shaped cam to be raised out of said sockets by the actuating
lever or finger, all as herein-after more fully described.
The Invention also consists in supplying the switch moving mechanisin with a
double signal attachment, which will indicate at a distant place the exact position
of the switch with reference to the several lines of railroad. The sliding rod is
connected with the switch rail in the usual manner, and is employed as part of the
ordinary mechanism for moving such switch rail and consisting of a vibrating
finger or lever, which, when turned by the pointsman, will strike either of one of two
projections, shoulders, or pins on the sliding rod, and thereby move said rod in the
desired direction, or instead of pivoting the actuating finger, it may be caused to
slide and strike the pins with equal effect.
The parts herein-above referred to are well known, and form no part of this
Invention.
The improved locking lever of this Invention is pivoted at or near one end
by a pin to a fixed ear, bolted or otherwise secured to one of the sleepers, or to the

page_text: bed of the track. This lever by its own weight will fall upon the sliding ro
across the end of the vibrating finger, and has a downwardly projecting lug, which
is adapted to engage one of two sockets or mortises that are formed in or on the
sliding rod, that is to say, when the switch rail is in line with the main rail the lug
enters the one mortise, but when the switch rail is in line with the side rail the lug
enters the other mortise. By thus entering these mortises or sockets the lever
locks the sliding rod, and with it the switch rails, in the desired position, and
prevents the same from being displaced otherwise than by the will of the pointsman.
The locking lever is moreover made with a V shaped projection at its lower side,
of which, in the state of rest, the deepest middle portion will bear upon the slide
rod in line with that one of the pins which is next to be struck by the finger.
Thus when the switch connects with the side rail the lower extremity of the
V projectior will rest on the slide rod near to the one pin, so that when afterwards
the finger is moved towards the pin for moving the switch said finger will first
strike the inclined edge of said V projection and raise the lever out of the mortise,
But when the switch is in line
and then strike the pin and move the switch.
with the main track the deeper part of the V projection will be near the other
pin, so that the finger when moved towards it will first strike the V projection
and raise the lever out of the mortise. The lock operates thus quite automatically;
it drops by its own weight into the mortise of the slido rod as soon as the switch
has reached the required position, and is nevertheless lifted out of the mortise by
the finger before said finger strikes one or other of the projections to move the slide
rod. Instead of having the projection on the lever and the sockets on the rod,
the lever may have a socket and the rod two projecting pins to operate in substan-
tially the manner above described.
In connection with the above I may also employ a pair of electric circuit breakers
or closers, so placed with reference to the locking lever or a projecting pin thereon
that they will be affected by said lever whenever the same is raised. Thus when
the switch is being moved, and the lever in its unlocking position, a signal to that
effect will be given at a distant station or other suitable place, and if after the
switch has been properly adjusted the lever should from any cause fail to drop into
its locking position, the station master or other proper officer will be notified that
the switch is not locked and may then at once ascertain the cause and cure the
defect.
By the above arrangement the proper locking of the switch is insured. The slide
rod carries a projecting lug, which at the end of each motion of said rod comes in
contact with one of two sets of electric circuit closers or breakers, or other equivalent
devices reaching to different signals, to show that the switch is opened or closed as
the case may be. Switch rods have already been combined with single circuit closers
to give an alarm whenever the switch is not in line with the main track, but this
Invention differs in that it enables one to show by an absolute signal on the main
track that the switch is or is not in line therewith, and by another absolute signal
on the side track that the switch is or is not in line with said side track. Thus
duc notice may be given to trains approaching the switch from either direction and
on either track. Whenever the switch is placed in line with the side track the lug
leaves contact with the circuit closer, and by so doing opens the same and causes the
proper danger signal to be given on the main track and reaches contact with the
circuit closer to give the proper safety signal at the side track, and the reverse when
the switch is set in line with the main track. Any suitable style of signal may be
used.
Instead of using electric transmission other methods of operating the distant
signal may be employed, such as pneumatic, hydraulic, or mechanical.

page_text: are top views of this improved switch lock, the switch rail
being shown in different positions. Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of
the same on line c, c, Figure 1. Figures 4 and 5 and side views of the same.
Figure 6 represents a top view. Figure 7 a side view, and Figure 8 a partial
side view of the Invention showing the signal attachment connected thereto.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
With special reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, of the accompanying Drawings,
the letter A represents one of a pair of switch rails, B is a rail of the main track,
and C a rail of the side track. Figure 1 shows the switch rail A in line with the
rail B, while in Figure 2 it is shown in line with the rail C; D is the sliding rod
connected with the switch rail in usual manner, and employed as part of the
mechanism for moving such switch rail. E is a vibrating finger or lever which, when
turned by the pointsman, will strike either one of two projections, shoulders, or
pins a, b, on the rod D, and thereby move said rod in the desired direction.
Instead of pivoting the actuating finger E it may be caused to slide and strike
the pins a, b, with equal effect. The parts herein-above referred to are well known
and form no part of the present Invention, is the improved locking lever of
this Invention. It is at or near one end pivoted by a pin d to a fixed ear e, which
ear may be bolted or otherwise secured to one of the sleepers or to the bed of the
track. The lever F by its own weight will fall upon the rod D across the end of
the finger E, and has a downwardly projecting lug f, which is adapted to engage
one of two sockets or mortises g and that are formed in or on the rod D, that is
to say, when the rail A is in line with the rail B the lug f enters the mortise h, as
in Figure 1, but when the switch rail is in line with the rail C the lug enters the
mortise g, as in Figure 2. By thus cntering these mortises or sockets the lever F
locks the rod D and with it the switch rails in the desired position, and prevents
the same froin being displaced otherwise than by the will of the pointsman. The
lever F is moreover made with a V shaped projection i, j, at its lower side, of
which, in the state of rest, the deepest middle portion will bear upon the rod D in
line with that one of the pius a, b, which is next to be struck by the finger E.
Thus when the switch connects with the side track, the lower extremity of the
V projection will rest on the rod D near to the pin a, so that when after-
wards the finger E is moved towards the pin a for moving the switch, said
finger will first strike the inclined edge j of said V projection, and raise the lever
n

page_text: F out of the mortise g, and then strike the pin a and move the switch. But
when the switch is in line with the main track the deeper part of the V pro-
jection will be near the pin b, so that the finger E when moved towards b will
first strike the edge of tho V projection and mise the lever F out of the
mortise h. The lock F, f, i, j, operates thus quite automatically, it drops by its 5
own weight into the mortise of the rod D as soon as the switch has reached the
required position, and is nevertheless lifted out of the mortise by the finger E
before said finger strikes the projection a or b to move the rod D. Instead of
having the projection on the lever F, and the sockets g, h, on the rod D, the lever
may have a socket, and the rod D two projecting pins to operate in, substantially 1
the manner above described.
With special reference to Figures 6, 7, and 8, the letter A¹ represents one of n
pair of movable switch rails, B₁ a rail of the main track, and C₁ a rail of a side
track. D is the rod by which the switch rails A' are moved, E¹ the vibrating
finger or device for moving the rod D', and F the locking lever for locking the
switch rod D' in its several terminal positions. All these parts are arranged as
previously described, but they may also be differently arranged. G¹, G¹, are a pair
of electric circuit breakers or closers, so placed with reference to the locking
lever For a projecting pin a¹ thereon that they will be affected by said lever
Thus when the switch is being
whenever the same is raised, as in Figure 8.
moved, and the levor F¹ in its unlocking position, a signal to that effect will
be given at a distant station or other suitable place, and if, after the switch has
been properly adjusted, the lever F should from any cause fail to drop into its
locking position, the station master or other proper official will be notified that
the switch is not locked, and may then at once ascertain the cause and cure the
defect.
By the above arrangement the proper locking of the switch is ensured. Instead
of using electric transmission other methods of operating the distant signal may be
employed, such as pneumatic, hydraulic, or mechanical, and I would observe that I
do not confine myself to any particular system of signal operating, i.c., starting
inechanism. The rod D carries a projecting lug 61, which at the end of each
motion of said rod comes in contact with one of two sets of electric circuit closers
or breakers H, 1', or other equivalent devices reaching to different signals to show
that the switch is opened or closed, as the case may be. I am aware that switch
rods have already been combined with single circuit closers to give an alarm
whenever the switch is not in line with the main track, but the present Invention
differs in this, that it enables one to show by an absolute signal on the main track
that the switch is or is not in line therewith, and by another absolute signal on
the side track that the switch is or is not in line with said side track. Thus due
notice may be given to trains approaching the switch from either direction and on
either track. Whenever the switch placed in line with the side track the lug b
leaves contact with the circuit closer H', and by so doing opens the same and
causes the proper danger signal to be given on the main track, and reaches contact
with the circuit closer I to give the proper safety signal at the side track and
the reverse when the switch is set in line with the main track. The nature of the
signal employed is not within the scope of the present Invention as any suitable
style of signal may be used.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is—
1st. A switch lock and switch moved by a single lever, substantially as herein
shown and described.
2nd. The switch locking lever F made with the projecting lug f, and with the
inclined edges i and j to operate substantially as herein shown and described.
3rd. In combination with the actuating finger E and with the rod D whic
has the projection a, b, the locking lever Farranged to lock the rod D and to
ried by the finger E, substantially as herein shown and described.

page_text: 4th. The combination of the notch locking lever F' with the signal transmitting
device G, all arranged so that a sigual will be given whenever said lover does not
lock the switch rod D', substantially as herein shown and described.
5th. In combination with the switch rod D¹ which carries the lug b, the sigual
transmitting devices H' and I'¹ to be alternately affected by said lug substantially
as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Second day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
W CLARK. (LS.)