IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SWITCHES, AND IN MECHANISM FOR OPERATING THE SAME
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SWITCHES, AND IN MECHANISM FOR OPERATING
THE SAME."-A communication from abroad by William Wharton,
junior, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.

page_text: solemn Declaration that the said Invention is communicated to me from
abroad by William Wharton, junior, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrange-
ments of switches for railways, and in the machinery or apparatus for
working the same.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corres-
ponding Figures.
In Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawing A and A² represent
the permanent rails of the main track, and B and B¹ the fixed rails of
the siding or turn out, the latter terminating at the dotted lines x.
D and D¹ are the switch rails connected to the track at the said line x,
the rail D forming a continuation of the fixed rail B, and the rail D¹ a
continuation of the rail B¹. E is a movable guard or safety rail con-
nected or pivotted at one end a to the track, and near its opposite end to
an arm or crank d at one end of a shaft G, the opposite end of the shaft
having a weighted arm H, which is connected by a rod e to the switch
rail D¹, to which is also connected by any suitable number of clamp
rodsk the switch rail D, so that by operating the shaft G both switch
rails and safety rail can be moved simultaneously from the position shown
in Figure 1 to that seen in Figure 2, or vice versa.
It will be seen on reference to Figure 3, which is a vertical section
(drawn to an enlarged scale) on the line 1, 2, Figure 1, looking in the
direction of the arrows 1, 1, that the tread of the switch rail D is elevated
above the level of the rails of the main track, the latter level being repre-
sented by a dotted line in the said Figure 3. This elevation is continued
in one direction for a short distance along the rail B, but gradually

page_text: descends and merges to the level of the main track, and in the opposite
direction there is a gradual descent of the tread of the said switch
rail D, the end of which is on a level with or a trifle below that of the
main track.
On referring to Figure 4, which is a side view of Figure 1, drawn to
an enlarged scale, it will be observed that the switch rail D¹ is also
elevated.
It may be here remarked that the object of this elevation of the switch
rails is to raise cars passing from the main track to the siding and vice
versa, so high that the wheels of the cars will be transferred from the
control of the rails of the main track to those of the siding, or from the
control of the latter to that of the rails of the main track, as will appear
hereafter. It is not essential that both of the switch rails should be
thus elevated, for if the rail D¹ only be elevated the necessary transfer
will be accomplished by raising one side only of the car, but it is pre-
ferable to raise the car on both sides alike or nearly alike; hence the
elevation of the treads of both switch rails.
It will be seen that a guard rail is combined with the switch rail D,
or in other words this switch rail is grooved for the passage of the flanges
of the car wheels. The guard rail K, adjoining the rail A¹ of the main
track, will be referred to hereafter, as will also the flanged plate J
adjoining the rail A, and the inclined plate M, adjoining the rail A¹.
As long as the switch rails remain in the position shown in Figure 2
the permanent rails A and A₁ of the main track will be clear of all
obstructions, and even should the switch rails be accidentally left in the
position shown in Figure 1 while a train is traversing the track in the
direction of the arrow 2, the flange of the first wheel on one side of the
car will move the safety rail E towards the centre of the track, and this
movement of the safety rail will be transferred in the manner fully
explained hereafter to the switch rails, which will consequently be'
restored to the position shown in Figure 2, and leave the main track
clear for the progress of the following car wheels in the direction of the
arrow 2.
The treads of car wheels are sufficiently wide to project beyond the
rails, and the projecting portions of the treads are made available in
conjunction with the elevated switch rail D' to effect the transfer which
shall now be explained.
!
7

page_text: When a car for instance has to be transferred from the main track to
the siding in the direction of the arrow 3 the switch rails must be moved
to the position shown in Figure 1, when the above-mentioned projecting
portions of the treads of the wheels on one side of the car will pass on to
the inclined and elevated switch rail D', and ascending the latter the
wheels will be gradually freed from the control of the rail A² of the
main track, and will pass under the control of the said switch rail D¹,
while the wheels on the opposite side of the car will pass on to the
inclined and elevated switch rail D, and from the switch rails the car
will pass on to the fixed rails of the siding. During this transfer of the
car from the main track to the siding in the direction of the arrow 3 the
guard combined with the switch rail D had no special function to
perform; in fact the transfer could be as readily accomplished in the
absence of this guard, which however is indispensable when the car is
transferred from the siding to the main track in a direction contrary to
that pointed out by the arrow 3, for the groove presented by the guard
of the rail D so controls the wheels laterally on one side of the car as to
maintain the wheels on the opposite side in their proper course,
first along
the elevated switch rail D', and thence to the rail A' of the main track.
Should the switch rails be accidentally left open in the position shown
in Figure 2 while a car is passing along the siding towards the main track
the car will be directed into the latter by the aid of the flanged plate J
and inclined plate M in the following manner :-
The flanges of the wheels on one side of the car as the treads of these
wheels escapo from the end of the switch rail D¹ will pass on to the
depressed end of the plate M, and ascend the same until they are elevated
to the level of the main rail A', and the flanges of the wheels on the
opposite side of the car will pass from the throat of the grooved switch
rail D (see Figure 2) on to the plate J, the flange or guard on which will
so bias the car laterally that its wheels will gradually adapt themselves
to the rails A and A¹ of the main track.
The object of the guard rail K is to so bias the car laterally as it
traverses in the direction of the arrow 3, Figure 1, that when the switch
rails are in the position shown in Figure 1 the flanges of the wheels on
the side of the car opposite the guard rail will be certain to enter the
throat of the grooved switch rail D.
'
The mechanism for operating the above described switch rails will be
best understood by referring to Figures 5 and 6. When the switch rails

page_text: that any outward strain to which the switch rail is subjected tends to
depress the short arm of the lever, and force the long arm up against the
stop on the frame Q; hence the attendant in holding the lever in its
elevated condition is not subjected to any outward shocks or strains
when a car traverses from the main track to the siding or vice versa,
while any inward strain or shock to the switch rails will be resisted
by the rails of the main track. The lever P, when its long arm is raised
to its highest point, is in such a position that the moment it is released
it must fall by its own weight, or by the aid of any additional weight
with which it may be loaded, and so move the switch rails to the position 1
shown in Figure 7; hence the switch tender cannot leave the operating
mechanism without the restoration automatically of the switch rails to a
position which leaves the main track clear. As the lever P must
necessarily be heavy the switch tender may raise an arm T hung to the
frame Q to the position shown in Figure 10, so as to support the elevated 1
weighted lever. On releasing this arm T it will at once fall and assume
its normal pendulous condition, and permit the weighted arm of the
lever P also to fall and open the switch rails.
Either of the switch operating devices described above, although illus-
trated in connection with certain improved switch rails, may be employed a
to advantage in connection with other switches.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention is,-
First. The combination of the permanent uninterrupted rails A and A'
of the main track and the fixed rails B and B¹ of the siding with the
elevated, inclined, and pointed switch rail D and the elevated and inclined
switch rails D¹.
Second. Providing the switch rail D, whether it is elevated above or å
on the same level as the main rails, with a guard, as and for the purpose
set forth.
Third. The combination of the elevated, inclined, and grooved switch
rail D and inclined and elevated switch rails D' with the permanent rails
of the main track and those of the siding.
17

page_text: Fifth. The shaft G, having arms arranged and connected to the rails of
a switch and to a safety rail E in such a manner that while the shaft can
be easily operated by the movement of the said safety rail it cannot be
disturbed by any outward strains to which the switch rails are subjected,
all substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6
of the Drawing.
Sixth. The switch operating mechanism, consisting of a lever P, so
constructed and so connected to the rails of a switch that when the latter
is closed for the passage of trains to the siding any lateral outward strain
to which the switch rails may be subjected will be resisted by the lever
coming in contact with a stop, while the said lever when released will
fall and automatically open the said switch rails.
Seventh. The said switch operating lever P, in combination with the
pendulous arm T.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Complete Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-.
fifth day of September One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.