IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY POINTS OR SWITCHES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Pierre Bourgin, of Church Street, Soho Square, in the
***County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY POINTS
OR SWITCHES."
"
Sealed the 7th December 1877, and dated the 13th June 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Pierre Bourgin at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th June 1877.
PIERRE BOURGIN, of Church Street, Soho Square, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY POINTS OR SWITCHES."
"
This Invention relates to improvements in automatic switch apparatus for
operating or shifting railway points from one line of rails to another by means of a
novel combination of levers, which are actuated by arnis or projections upon the
approaching engine or carriage so as to ensure its passing on to the right line of
rails. For this purpose double-ended levers are arranged between the lines of rails'
connected by rods for operating them.
The throw or moveable portions of the rails are actuated by one of the levers
which moves on a central pivot, each end of the lever having a friction roller which
acts on the inner surface of the moveable rail, when the other lever is acted upon
by the approaching 'train to move the switch rails over to one side or the other.
The lever which acts upon the switch rails is connected by a rod which extends
to a point at some distance from the switch, and is attached to another double-
ended lever arranged to move on a pivot between the rails. The ends of this lever
are sufficiently high above the ground to be operated upon by an arm or projection
upon the engine or carriage of the approaching train. The throw or moveable rails
are thus acted upon to place them in the desired position for directing the train on
to the right track.
The operating arms upon the engine or carriage are advantageously arranged in
the form of sliding bolts, connected by a rocking lever to which a hand lever is
connected, so that when one bolt or arm is raised the other is depressed so as to act'
upon one of the ends of the shifting lever between the rails, as may be required';

page_text: or the sliding bolts may be moved into such a position as not to act upon the
shifting lever in their passage over it. One or both of the double-ended levers are
connected by a link or rod to a lever upon a signal post, so as to set a signal by the
passing train.
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1877.
PIERRE BOURGIN, of Church Street, Soho Square, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY POINTS OR SWITCHES."
This Invention relates to improvements in automatic switch apparatus for
operating or shifting railway points from one line of rails to another by means of a
novel combination of levers, which are actuated by arms or projections upon the
approaching engine or carriage, so as to insure its passing on to the right line of
rails.
And in order that my improvements may be clearly understood and readily 1
carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows an elevation, and Figure 2 a plan, of part of a line of railway;
and Figures 3 and 4 are side and end views of a carriage arranged with automatic
apparatus for actuating the points or switches in accordance with my Invention..
a, a, are double-ended levers arranged between the line of rails b; b; the levers a
being connected by rods for operating them.
2
The throw or noveable portions of the rails-b, b, are actuated by one of the
levers a, which moves on the central pivot a¹, each end of the lever having a friction
roller a, which acts on the inner surface of the moveable rail b, when the other 2
lever is acted upon by the approaching train to move the switch rails over to ono
side or the other; bx is a tie-bar, to connect the rails b together.
The lever a which acts upon the switch rails is connected by a rod c, which
extends to a point at some distance' from the shifting end of the switch, and is
attached to an arm on the double-ended lever d, arranged to move on a pivot a
between the rails. The ends of the lever d are sufficiently high above the ground
to be operated upon by an arm or projection e upon the engine or carriage fof the
approaching train. The throw or moveable rails bare thus acted upon to place
them in the desired position for directing the train on to the right track.
The operating arms upon the engine or carriage are advantageously arranged in. 3
the form of sliding bolts e, e, connected' by a rocking lever e¹, to which a hand
lever e is connected, so that when one bolt or arm e is raised the other is depressed,.
so as to act upon one of the ends of the shifting lever & between the rails, as may be
required; or the sliding bolts e may be moved into such a position as not to act
upon the shifting lever d in their passage over it. One or both of the double-ended 4
levers a and d are connected by a link or rod d¹ to a lever d³ upon a signal post d³,
so as to set a signal by the passing train..

page_text: It will be quite evident from the foregoing description that railway points of
any kind or construction may be actuated and shifted, as required, in like manner
to the switch rails previously described and shown in the Drawings.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice, I would remark that I do not claim separately
any of the parts which are well known and in common use; but what I claim is,
the improved arrangement and combination of automatic mechanism or apparatus
for actuating railway points or switches and signals by means of double-ended
levers a and d, set in motion by bolts or arms e, mounted on the carriage or engine
of a railway train, substantially in the manner herein described and represented in
the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre Bourgin, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven,
PIERRE BOURGIN. (L.S.)