Improvements in Cutting Railway Switches and Crossings and in Machinery therefor.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 6th July, 1889-Accepted, 17th Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cutting Railway Switches and Crossings and in
Machinery therefor.
I, CHRISTMAS LAWRENCE of Castle Foundry, Caerphilly, in the county of Glamorgan,
engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in improvements, in and machinery for cutting switches
and crossings for railways.
Under this invention the rails are cut with greatly increased rapidity. Cutting is
effected by means of revolving discs of hardened cast steel the cutting surfaces of
which are serrated preferably diagonally or obliquely. The cutters are carried in
bearings in brackets bolted to and depending from a tool rest supported on a frame
extending across the reciprocating table of the machine. The cutters, of which there
are two, are centred on a spindle and are kept apart by a collar, corresponding in
length to the depth of the web of the rail. The spindle carries a driving pulley
and two fly wheels.
In order to render the rail more rigid and to assist it to withstand the strain
caused by the operation of cutting, it is clamped at each end to a bed shaped to
correspond with the rail. This bed is preferably of cast iron and is adjusted upon
the table of the machine at an inclination varying with the angle of the point or crossing
to be cut. Both "crowns" of the rail are cut simultaneously throughout their
whole width by the revolving cutters as the table reciprocates. The cutting surfaces
of the cutters vary in configuration according to the section of rail operated on.
By the use of such revolving cutters a greater width of cut at each stroke is
obtained and, consequently, the operation of cutting is expedited. At the end of each
stroke of the table of the machine, the cutters are lowered to take a fresh cut, the
lowering gear being connected with the reversing gear which is operated manually.
The cutters and mechanism pertaining thereto may be applied to any ordinary planing
machine tool rest, and the cast iron bed to the table thereof.
The rails aro cut when either partially heated or when in a cold state.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cutting Railway Switches and Crossings and in
Machinery therefor.
I, CHRISTMAS LAWRENCE, of Castle Foundry, Caerphilly, in the county of Glamorgan,
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 :-
This invention consists in improvements in and machinery for cutting switches and
crossings for railways. Under this invention cutting of the rails to the requisite angle
is effected by means of revolving discs of cast steel the cutting surfaces of which are
serrated, the serrations running preferably diagonally or obliquely. The cutters aré
centered on a spindle carried in bearings bolted to and depending from a rest such
as is usually employed in machines for planing metal bars, plates and the like. One
cutter is used or two cutters are used according to the particular operation to bo-per-
formed. When two cutters are used they are kept at the requisite distance apart by
means of a collar or sleeve of the proper length carried upon and keyed to the spindle
carrying the cutters. The spindle is driven by a pulley and belt and is fitted with flv
wheels.

page_text: In the Provisional Specification left with my application for Letters Patent to this
invention it is stated that the rails may be cut when either partially heated or when
cold. It has been found in practice that although they may cut when cold, yet that
the tear and wear of the cutters is great and the operation comparatively slow. It
is therefore preferred to cut the rails when red-hot, in which condition they are com-
paratively soft.
In order to maintain the rails rigid and to assist them to withstand the strain
exerted upon then in the operation of planing or cutting, they are laid upon a bed
shaped to accommodate thein.
This bed is preferably of cast iron and is adjusted upon the planing machine table
at an inclination varying with the angle to which the switch or crossing is to be cut
or planed.
Both crowns of double-headed rails are cut simultaneously throughout their whole
width by the revolving cutters as the table reciprocates.
Similarly, in a flanged rail, the crown and flanges are planed together, a portion of
the flange first being removed by planing in the ordinary way to suit the position
and height of the cutters.
The shape of the cutters varies according to the section of the rails.
By the use of such revolving cutters a greater width and depth of cut is obtained at
each stroke and, consequently, the operation is expedited. At the end of each stroke
of the table of the machine, the cutters are lowered to take a fresh cut.
In order to keep the cutters cool when cutting, a blast of cold air is directed
upon them.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a front view of a planing machine
fitted with cutters and otherwise adapted for cutting railway switches and crossings in
accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side clevation.
Upon the spindle a carried in bearings provided in the brackets & bolted to the tool
rest c are the cutting discs d having serrated cutting surfaces, the serrations being pre-
ferably diagonal or oblique, as shown. The spindle a is driven from the pulley. e and
is fitted with fly wheels f.
The tool rest c is, as is usual, adjustable transversely and vertically.
At Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings is shown a double-headed rail g in position for
planing or cutting to form a switch.
Having previously been heated to a red heat it is laid upon a bed ½ shaped on the
upper face to accommodate it. This bed is inclined, by placing blocks below it, to an
angle depending upon that to which the rail is to be cut. The bed keeps the rail
rigid and assists it to withstand the strain exerted upon it in the operation of cutting.
Tho cutters are lowered upon the rail, both crowns of which are cut simultaneously
throughout their entire width and to a depth depending upon the adjustment of the
rest.c. Similarly, in cutting switches and crossings of flanged rails, the crown and
flange are cut together. When cut, as required, on one side the rail is turned over
and cut, as required, on the opposite side."
It will be seen, Fig. 2, that the bed his represented as extending throughout the
length of the table of the planing machine. A bed of this length is used only when
switches are being cut as the length of cut is longer than that in a crossing and
necessitates a longer bearing.
When the bed has been once adjusted to the proper inclination required in cutting
a switch of a given length it is not altered throughout the operation.
or cut,
In cutting a crossing, a shorter bed is adopted, as seen at Fig. 3. It is of a
length sufficient to afford a bearing throughout that part of the rail which is planed
The bed is hinged at to the planing machine table, the hinge raising
the bed at that end so as to provide sufficient clearance between the rail and the
table of the planing machine to enable the angle of inclination of the bed to be
altered as required.
As the angle requires alteration in the operation of cutting a crossing, the length
of ent in the splice being greater than that in the snout, adjusting nuts i working on
crews, Figs. 3 and 4, are provided at the end of the bed opposite to the hinge.

page_text: One cutter only is employed in cutting the snout of a crossing; two being
employed in cutting the splice. When one side of the snout of the crossing is cut,
the other side is presented for cutting by turning the rail over on the right and left
bed the configuration of the upper face of which is seen at Fig. 4.
With the object of prolonging the life of the cutters, a blast of cold air is
directed upon them. This blast of air may be obtained from a fan or blowing
engine, and conducted to the cutters by a pipe such as p, see Fig. 2.
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. Planing or cutting switches and crossings from rails, previously made red-
hot, by means of a serrated disc cutter, or two such cutters, said cutter or cutters
being secured to the adjustable tool rest of a planing machine and rotated by suitable
means, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In a machine for planing or cutting switches and crossings, the use of a bed
plate such as to support the rails being operated upon, substantially as described.
3. The combination of parts constituting the improved machine for planing or
cutting switches and crossings, constructed, arranged and operating substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of July 1889.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Applicant's Agent.