IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOCKING FACING POINTS UPON LINES OF RAILWAY
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Cousins and James Brown, both of Lincoln, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOCKING FACING
POINTS UPON LINES OF RAILWAY"
Sealed the 2nd February 1877, and dated the 26th August 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Cousins and James
Brown at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th August
1876.
CHARLES COUSINS and JAMES BROWN, both of Lincoln.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR LOCKING FACING POINTS UPON LINES OF RAILWAY"
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for locking facing
points upon lines of railway. For this purpose we mount a transverse shaft or axis
in front of the extremities of the tongue rails The bearings for this axis may con-
veniently be fixed to the sides of the continuous rails against which the tongue rails
work. By means of a lever handle and suitable connections the axis can be par-
tially rotated at pleasure. The axis has two forks fixed upon it each with, two
prongs, and when the axis is turned to the position it occupies when locking the
tongue rails, one prong of each fork enters between two lugs provided for it on the
chair on which the extremity of the tongue rail slides, and thus the fork becomes
firmly lield so that it cannot yield laterally. The other prong of the fork in each
case comes against the side of the tongue rail at its end and blocks it On one side
of the line the tongue rail is thus blocked against the side of the continuous rail,
and on the other side of the line the blocking takes place against one of the lugs
provided as already mentioned on the chains on which the tongue rails slide.
The lever handle actuating the shaft or axis on which the forks are mounted
should, as is well understood, be arranged in connection with the interlocking gear,
so that the signals cannot be shifted except when the tongue rails are locked, and
also, as is well understood, it is desirable that gear should be provided to lock the
axis carrying the forks whilst a train is passing over the points.

page_text: °
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Charles Cousins and James Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th February 1877.
CHARLES COUSINS and JAMES BROWN, both of Lincoln. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR LOCKING FACING POINTS UPON LINES OF RAILWAY."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for locking facing
points upon lines of railway. For this purpose we mount a transverse shaft or axis
in front of the extremities of the tongue rails. The bearings for this axis may con-
veniently be fixed to the sides of the continuous rails against which the tongue rails
work. By means of a lever handle and suitable connections the axis can be partially
rotated at pleasure. The axis has two forks fixed upon it, each with two prongs,
and when the axis is turned to the position it occupies when locking the tongue
rails one prong of each fork enters between two lugs provided for it on the chair on
which the extremity of the tongue rail slides, and thus the fork becomes firmly held
so that it cannot yield laterally. The other prong of the fork in each case comes
against the side of the tongue rail at its end and blocks it. On one side of the
line the tongue rail is thus blocked against the side of the continuous rail, and on
the other side of the line the blocking takes place against one of the lugs provided
as already mentioned on the chairs on which the tongue rails slide. The lever
handle actuating the shaft or axis on which the forks are mounted should, as is well
understood, be arranged in connection with the interlocking gear so that the signals
cannot be shifted except when the tongue rails are locked, and also, as is well
understood it is desirable that gear should be provided to lock the axis carrying the
forks whilst a train is passing over the points.
In order that our said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed,—
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 is a side elevation, of facing points combined
with locking apparatus arranged according to our Invention.
a, a, are the main rails carried in chairs in the usual manner, and b, b, are the 3
tongue rails; c is a transverse shaft or axis carried by the rails a or in other con-
venient manner. It has upon it an arm c¹ which by a short rod is connected with
the bell-crank lever d and this by a rod e receives motion from a lever handle at a
distance. The shaft c has fixed upon it two fork-like blocks f.f, which serve to
lock the tongue rails in position.
For the purpose of locking the tongue rails the shaft or axis c is turned so as to
bring the blocks into an approximately horizontal position, or to free the tongue
rails they are raised to an inclined position, as is indicated by the dotted lines in
Figure 2. The blocks f work in connection with chairs of peculiar form; one of
them is represented in front elevation at Figure 3. This chair has upon it two
lugs g and g², and between these one of the prongs of the fork-like block when it is
depressed enters, and thus the block becomes firmly held so that it cannot yield
laterally The other prong of the fork wedges or blocks the tongue rail in its
place. On one side of the line the wedging or blocking takes place against the
inner lug g¹ of the chair, and on the other side against the stationary rail. This
is clearly seen in Figure 1.
If the tongue rails should not be fully home when the fork-shaped blocks are
turned down the wheels of the train in passing over will press the blocks and also
the tongue rails to their places.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of per-

page_text: forming the same, we would have it understood that we claim the arrangement of
apparatus for locking facing points substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Cousins have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
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AATATATA
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