Improvements in Pull Off Slots for Railway and other Signals.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pull Off Slots for Railway and other Signals.
I, JOHN GOODERSON, of 28, Stanshawe Road, Reading, in the County of Berks,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows::
-
The signal in place of being under the control of one or two men, can be placed
under the control of any number; two or more as may be desired.
A frame having
two pivots fixed in it, is fixed to the signal post at a convenient height. Upon
one pivot are hung levers with balance weights, and upon the other pivot is a
rocking lever, one end of which is attached to the semaphore rod, and the other
is formed into a cage containing special shaped dies. There is one weighted lever
for each point of control, upon each lever is pivoted a shaped plunger which
slides between the dies in the cage end of rocking lever. The cage is long enough
to take in the dies and the wide part of all but one of the plungers, these can be
moved into the cage without moving the rocking lever, but upon the last plunger
being moved, there is not room for it in the cage, and the rocking lever is
displaced, and the signal arm lowered.
The rod end of the rocking lever is formed with a bridle, which rests on the
ends of the weighted levers and prevents the rocking lever moving until the last
plunger is moved; and by means of the same weighted levers returns the rocking
lever to its first position, and the signal arm to danger upon the first withdrawal
of any or either plunger from the cage.
Either or any weighted lever may be first moved in this combination, and last
one to be moved pulls the signal arm off; but the first lever to be lowered, and
this may be any or either one, pulls the signal arm on, to danger.
This arrangement is also applicable to any signalling in which the consent of
several parties are required for action, and I claim its use for such purposes,
though I consider it more especially applicable to the control of railway signals.
Dated this Thirtieth day of September 1898.

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement: —
The signal in place of being under the control of one or two men, can be under
the control of any number as may be desired.
In a convenient position I fix a frame having two pivots fitted to it. Upon one
pivot are hung weighted levers, and upon the other pivot is a rocking lever one
end of which is attached to the semaphore rod and the other is formed into a
cage containing specially shaped dies. There is one weighted lever for each point
of control, and upon each lever is pivoted a shaped plunger which slides between
the dies in the cage of rocking lever. The cage is long enough to take in the
dies and the wide part of all but one of the plungers; these can be moved into
the cage without displacing the rocking lever, but upon the last plunger being
moved there is not space for it in the cage so that the rocking lever is displaced
and the signal arm lowered. The rod end of the rocking lever is formed with a
bridle which rests upon the ends of the weighted levers and prevents the rocking
lever moving before the last plunger is raised, and by means of the same
weighted levers returns the rocking lever to its original position and the signal
arm to "danger" upon the first withdrawal of any or either plunger from the
cage.
Either or any weighted lever may be first moved in this combination, the
last one to be moved pulling the signal arm off, and the lowering of either or
any one of the weighted levers will return the signal arm to "danger."
This combination is also applicable to any signalling in which the consent of
several parties are required for action.
In the drawings annexed hereto Fig. 1. shows the side elevation, and Fig. 2,
the end elevation of a four lever frame as attached to a signal post; Fig. 3,
shewing a plan of the rocking lever with cage, as described herein.
a is the frame with pivots b, c. d are the levers with weights c, and connection
at f to signal lever, is the rocking lever with the cage h, containing the dies j,
and connection to semaphore rod and the bridle 7. m are the plungers pivoted
at one end to lever d and shaped at the other end to slide between the dies j.
nare adjusting screws to cage h and also fix the cover o which prevents snow,
rain or dirt interfering with the working of the dies.
The dotted lines d₁ g₁ shew the positions of all weighted levers, and the rocking
lever when the signal arm is pulled "off."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
Tlie combination of a lever formed with a cage containing dies and fixed between
weighted levers and the semaphore rod for the purpose herein described and as
shewn by the drawings.
Doted this 28th day of June 1899