Improvements in Interlocking Railway Signals, Points, and Block Telegraph Instruments.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec. 1891-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Interlocking Railway Signals, Points, and Block
Telegraph Instruments.
GEORGE WILLIAM BEYNON Reading Berks Civil Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates to "Improvements in the interlocking of railway signals.
points and block telegraph instruments" and has for its object to provide a means
of reminding the signalman when engines trains or vehicles are left standing upon
a main line and to obviate the risk of loss of life and damage caused by collisions
between trains which at present exists when engines trains or vehicles have been so
left, and as applied principally to the lever or levers in the locking frame which
work the cross-over roads as a supplementary locking to that in general use.
According to my said invention a bolt rod sliding in a slotted barrel is mounted
upon the back of the lever working the cross-over road points, having near the
upper end projecting outside the slotted barrel a knob to admit the bolt being
worked vertically up or down as well as rotated to the right or left, near the lower
end of the bolt rod is fixed and moves with it a suitable cam of triangular shape
preferably the lower end of the bolt rod is supported in a slotted bearing affixed to
the lever, below the level of the locking frame quadrant bars.
The cam works between two bars fixed parallel to each other upon sliding lock
bars in the locking frame curved to the radius described by the cam when the lever
to which it is attached is worked backwards or forwards, these curved bars have
suitable recesses in their edges to receive the cam through which motion is com-
municated and by means of locks mounted upon the lock bars the up or down signals
are locked as the case may be.
Upon the quadrant bars of the locking frame between which the cross-over road
lever works is mounted a pair of tumbler locks working together fixed upon a
spindle allowing sufficient vertical motion at the opposite end of the tumbler locks
to cause them to engage with two stops fixed to the cross-over road lever and prevent
the lever being worked unless the bolt rod is set to lock either the up or down
signals.
The tumbler locks are each provided with a wedge shaped projection which when
the cross-over road lever is being pulled over and motion communicated by means
of the cam to the curved bars engages with one or other corresponding wedge
shaped projections mounted upon the curved bars thus lifting the tumbler locks clear
of the stops to allow the lever to lock the signals and move the points connected
thereto when its full travel has been completed.
A projecting arm is fixed to and moves with the sliding lock bars to communicate
niotion by means of a vertical shaft having a crank arm at each end, to a sliding
bar working in guides, carrying projecting pieces which upon motion being com-
municated to the sliding lock bars are moved under the lever of one or other of the
block telegraph instruments in such manner as to prevent them being depressed to
give the signal LINE CLEAR.
The bolt rod carries an indicator moving with it bearing the words TRAIN
WAITING UP SIGNALS LOCKED upon one side, upon the other TRAIN
WAITING DOWN SIGNALS LOCKED. In order to unlock the signals
and block telegraph instruments the indicator must be set in the middle position.
These improvements are applicable to other levers than those working cross-over
roads.
Dated this Second day of April 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Interlocking Railway Signals; Points, and Block
Telegraph Instruments.
GEORGE: WILLIAM BEYNON of Reading, Berks Civil Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same. is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in, and by, the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in connection. with interlocking mechanism
for points, switches, signals, and block telegraph. instruments, for railways, and has
for its principal object to provide means for indicating to the, signalman in charge,
when the main line is blocked by a train or vehicle being left on the main line. after
having been shunted, and, also for simultaneously moving mechanism to.]
to prevent the
block telegraph instrument from being operated to indicate "Line clear "when such
is not the case thereby minimising the liability. to accidents. by collisions. I will
describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings as applied to a
leyer for working "cross-over road points" but. I do not limit my invention thereto
nor to the construction and arrangement of the parts illustrated and hereinafter
described..
Figure 1 of the drawings represents in front elevation and Figure 2 in transverse
section on the line 1-2 Figure 1 a frame containing a set.of signal and point
operating levers fitted with my improvements, and
Figures. 1 and, 24 are views at right angles, to. each other of the mechanism
constructed according to my invention drawn to a larger scale:
The remaining figures are details, and modifications which will be hereinafter
referred to.
A is the lever for operating the "cross over points" and is arranged between
the signal operating levers B B, the lever B being supposed to be that.which works
the up line home signal and the lever B2 that for working, the down line. home signal.
The lever A carries a rod or bolt a provided with a handle, c and fitted to. slide
longitudinally and also to turn in guides or sockets bon.the lever A.
C
The upper socket is provided at its lower end with three notches & d' d² as
shown in Figure 8 with which the handle c is caused. to, engage and is held, therein
by a spring g' or its equivalent to maintain the rod or bolt a in the position to which
it has been moved. If desired in place of or in addition to, the, notches. d d din
the upper socket b.similar notches inay be provided. in the lower socket. as shewn
in Figure 17 for a projection on the bolt a to engage with. On the bolt a there
is. fixed or formed a cam like projection C Figures. 3, 4 and. 7. which operates. on
projections. D. D² (see Figures 3 and 4) formed on. bars.or. plates h² connected to
locking bars i fitted to slide in suitable guides in a direction. at right angles to the
motion of the lever A and constituting with the bars. h.² a frame which. I will
hereinafter call the locking frame.
This locking frame is provided with the ordinary notches or projections.j.j² to
engage with and lock the lever B or B2 according to the direction in which the
frame is moved by the projection Con. the bolt a.
On the lever A are projections which may be formed on the said lever or
attached thereto (one of these projections is shown detached in Figure 12) which
projections, by coming into contact with movable. stops prevent the lever A. from
being moved to shift the "points" until the stops are removed from the track of
the projections . These stops as shown in Figures 14, 24, 5, 54 and 6 consists of
two arms & connected. together by a shaft or spindle mounted in bearings in the
quadrant bars between which the lever A works.
The arms are provided with inclined, blocks or projections, which, bear. upon
similar inclined projections o o' formed on or fixed to the bars h² or on any other
suitable part of the locking frame.i. When both the up and the down lines are

page_text: clear the bolt a on the lever A is placed in the position shown in Figures 1A 2^ the
handle c then engaging in the notch d in the socket b the cam projection C being
then directly in front of the lever A as shown in Figure 3 and the arms kin
position to abut against the projections on the said lever so as to prevent it from
being moved to shift the points, and the blocks on the arms k being in the
position shown in Figure 5.
l
In order to shift the points for the purpose of shunting from one line to the other
the bolt a is lowered so as to free the handle c from the notch d and then turned to
the right or the left as required so as to bring the handle in position to engage with
either the notch or d in the socket & thereby turning the cam projection Cinto
position so that by pulling the lever A forward the projection will press against the
projection or D² on the bars hand move the locking frame in the direction
to lock the necessary signal levers B or B2. At the commencement of the move-
ment of the locking frame one or other of the inclined blocks o o² (according to
the direction in which the frame is moved) will by acting on one or other of the
inclined blocks ³, as the case may be, raise the ends of the arms & above the stops
or projections, as shown in Fig. 5, and permit of the full motion of the lever A to
operate the points. The locking frame is connected by means of an arm i¹ to an
arm q Figures 1 and 24 fixed on a rod or spindle p, mounted in suitable bearings,
so that by the movement of the frame i the spindle p receives a partial rotation in
its bearings and imparts through a crank arın q (Figures 3 and 4) longitudinal
movement to a bar so as to bring stops s carried by the bar into position to lock
or block the operating keys of the telegraph instruments so that it will not be
possible to signal the line clear when the line is blocked. Figure 11 illustrates
convenient forms of stops or obstructors for use with block telegraph instruments
having plungers, knobs or the like to be pressed down or home. The stops or
obstructors s are fixed to the bar and are caused by the movement of the locking
frame to cover or come in front of the operating knobs or the like of the telegraph
instrument so as to prevent them from being depressed by the signalman to signal
line clear when such is not the case. A simple arrangement for preventing when
required single needle telegraph instruments from being operated is shewn in
Figure 16 and consists in providing on the rod a wedge shaped projection which
when the frame is moved and has locked the distant and home signals, acts upon
the lower end of a rod so as to raise the said rod and cause its upper end to
engage the operating handle of the telegraph instrument and prevent it from being
moved.
33
The bolt a on the switch or point lever A carries an indicator m as shewn.in
Figure 9 having on one side the words "Train waiting "Up signals locked
and on the opposite side the words "Train waiting "Down signals locked." When
both the up and down lines are clear the handle e on the bolt a is engaged in the
notch d in the socket and the indicator m is covered by a shield n as shewn in
Figures 14, 24 and 10.
Now suppose a train or vehicle is to be shunted from the down main line onto
the up main line the signalman first depresses by means of the handle c the bolt a
against the power of the spring g' so as to free the handle from the notch d the
indicator m being at the same time lowered out of the shield or cover n.
The rod
or bolt a is then turned in the sockets to the left to bring the handle e opposite
the notch in the socket 6 into which notch it is placed and is held therein by the
power of the spring g' the indicator then exposing to the view of the signalman the
words Train waiting Up signals locked." By this partial rotary movement, of
the rod or bolt a the projection C thereon is brought into position shewn in
Figure 4 to effect the movement of the locking frame i so that by pulling the
lever A forward the projection C presses on the inclined edge 3 of the projection D
on the bar and forces the locking frame i towards the left thereby bringing the
projection or lock j on the frame opposite the lever B of the signal as shewn in
Figure 4 so as to lock the said lever to prevent the signal being moved to indicate
the up line clear. At the commencement of the movement of the frame the

page_text: projection o² on the bar
by acting on one of the inclined projections ³ on the
arms raises the free ends of the said arms above the projections on
the lever A and admits of the lever being pulled fully over so as to move the
points to allow the shunting to proceed. Simultaneously with the movement of the
locking frame i a shield or block S is brought into position to prevent the telegraph
instrument from being operated to indicate "Up line clear" as hereinbefore
described. If shunting is to take place from the up line onto the down line the
bolt a is depressed as hereinbefore described and partially rotated in the sockets bb²
towards the right hand and the handle a caused to engage with the notch in the
socket. The indicator m will then expose to the view of the signalman the words
"Train waiting Down signals locked" and then by pulling the handle A the
projection on the bolt will operate on the inclined edge of the projection D² on
the bar so as to lock the signal lever B2 and also the operating keys or handle
of the telegraph instrument so that signals of "Down line clear" cannot be given
while shunting is proceeding, and the signalman is always reminded by the
indicator m of the presence of a train or vehicle waiting on the main line.
C
To unlock or clear the signals and the block telegraph instrument, the lever A
which had been pulled over to lock the signal levers and move the points, is returned
to its former position, but before doing so the cam projection C is turned into the
position shewn in Figure 3 and held in this position by the handle engaging on
the notch d in the socket b, so that in the backward movement of the lever the
cam C will press against the inclined edge of either the one or other of the
projections D or D (according to which of the levers B or B2 had been locked)
and move the locking frame i so as to release the said lever and admit of it being
moved to operate the signals, the obstruction to the operating key of the telegraph
instrument being at the same time removed to permit of the instrument being
worked.
Instead of or in addition to the blocking arms and blocks hereinbefore
described and shewn in Figure I may provide on the underside of the quadrant
barst projections as shewn in Figure 14 with which projections lugs on the
bolt a as shewn in Figure 15 engage so as to prevent the lever A. being moved to
operate the switches or points until the bolt a has been set to lock one or other of
the signal levers B or B as hereinbefore described. Figures 13 and 13ª illustrate
modified forms of the blocks o o² and plates whereby two distinct motions may
be given to the arms when the locking frame i is actuated by the cam projection C.
The first motion given to the arms by the movement of the plates h² raises the
blocks onto the top of the blocks o o² and then by the continued motion of the
said bars h h the blocks o o² will be moved from beneath the blocks 3 and allow
the arms to fall to their normal position so as to prevent them being raised until the
locking frame has been returned to its former position by means of a cam projection
similar to C carried on one of the other levers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In connection with signalling devices on railways means whereby a projection
carried by the lever which operates the switches or points may be moved into
position to operate a locking device so as to lock or release the required signal
operating levers and also indicate to the signalman in charge the presence of a
train or vehicles standing upon 8 main line substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. In connection with signalling devices on railways a switch or point operating
lever, carrying a rod or bolt having a projection for operating locking devices the
bolt being capable of receiving longitudinal and also partial rotary movements in
guides or sockets and provided with an indicator to indicate the presence of a train
or vehicles standing on a line the bolt also having a projection or projections to
:engage in slots or notches in the guides or sockets or in one of the guides or sockets

page_text: for the purpose of retaining the bolt in the position to which it is moved sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In connection with signalling devices on railways the combination with devices
forlocking the signal operating levers of a locking device for preventing the movement
of the switch or point operating lever being moved to operate the points or switches,
until released by the partial movement of the locking device ³ substantially as
hereinbefore described.
4. In connection with signalling devices on railways the combination of an
adjustable projection carried by the point or switch operating lever A for operating
the locking device for the signal levers, arms k centred to the segment bar or bars
between or by the side of which the lever A works, projections OO on the locking
device for moving the arms out of the range of projections on the lever A to
permit of the said lever being moved so as to operate the point or switches sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In connection with signalling devices on railways the combination with a signal
lever locking device, of means whereby, by the movement of the locking device
obstructions are brought into position, to prevent block telegraph instruments from
being operated to signal "Line clear," substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting means for operating
signal lever locking devices on railways and for indicating to the signalman in
charge the presence of trains or vehicles waiting on the line in combination or not
with means operated by the locking device for preventing the block telegraph
instruments from being operated to signal "Line clear" when such is not the case
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 19th day of March 1892
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.