Improvements in or relating to Devices for Operating the Points of Tramway and similar Rails.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1896-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1896
Improvements in or relating to Devices for Operating the Points of
Tramway and similar Rails.
A communication from LEO BRAUN, Merchant, of 24, Alexandrinenstrasse, Berlin, in
the Empire of Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111, Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex
Chartered Patent Agent 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 :-
The invention relates to apparatus for altering the position of the tongue of the
rail points by means of two rollers mounted on the car auxiliary tongues being
employed which lie in special grooves arranged between the rails near the tongue.
The two auxiliary tongues which are connected with the main tongue or point are
connected to each other in such manner that one of them closes its groove when the
other one leaves its groove open. Should it be required to alter the position of the
points the driver of the car lowers the roller arranged over the closed groove, which
roller presses aside the corresponding auxiliary tongue and thereby moves the sliding
tongue.
Such device is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1, is a longitudinal section through one of the grooves the front part of the
tramway car being shown dotted.
Fig. 2, is a plan and
Fig. 3, a cross section; in both the tram-car is shown dotted. Finally
Fig. 4, is a cross section through the platform of the car showing a device for
alternate depressing of one of the two rollers which differs from that shown in
Figs. 1 and 3.
A are the rails, A¹ the branch or shunt-line, A' the sliding tongue. In the middle
of the line A there is a plate B having grooves 6 and 6. The surface of B is flush
with the street pavement and the grooves are both widened or splayed out (Fig. 2),
and rise at their ends to the level of the street pavement (Fig. 1). Thus all shocks
are avoided should the driver depress the guide roller too early or release it too late.
The two tongnes (Care connected by a hinged rod c; C is placed in the lateral
recess of the groove and leaves the latter open, whilst C' closes its groove b¹. A
rod d connects the two auxiliary tongues with the sliding tongue A'.
The two rollers E and E' are mounted on the platforms of the cars so as to be
vertically adjustable; and are respectively arranged over the grooves b and b¹. The
rods of the forks e and el which carry the rollers are suitably guided and according to
Figs. 1 and 3 are provided with treadles or foot plates fand f, by means of which
the driver may depress them with his foot against the action of their springs g and g¹.
According to Fig. 4, the rods are connected to a three-armed lever H whose fulcrum
is at the lever handle being moved to the right or to the left according to which roller is
to be depressed. The two constructions are indicated merely as examples; both have
the advantage of the foot or hand of the driver forming as it were a yielding spring
for the depressed roller in case of the oscillations of the car or un-evenness of the
pavement (in case of a roller being depressed too early or released too late). In
Figs. 1 and 2 it is assumed that the tram-car is coming from the right hand side and

page_text: is to go into the line A' (as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2). When nearing the
roints the driver depresses the roller E, since the main-tongue A closed the entrance
to the line A and the auxiliary tongue C closed the groove b. Before the front
axle J reaches the points, the roller E passes through the groove b and pushes the
auxiliary tongue Caside thereby opening the points by means of the rod d which
alters the position of the main-tongue A so as to open the entrance to the shunt-
ine A, the auxiliary tongue. C' being simultaneously caused to come across the
groove b¹ (Fig. 2.). If the next tram-car has to go over the points and straight
along the line A, the driver depresses the roller E', whereupon the. main-tongue
resumes its original position.
Although the casting B suitably combines all the parts of the device (except those
on the car) the grooves and auxiliary tongues may be arranged in separate pieces near
the rails if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the same is
to be performed I declare that what I claim is ;-
A device for operating the points of tramway rails from the tram-car consisting of
two rollers E E which actuate pivotted tongues C Carranged in lateral recesses in
a grooved ground plate said tongues being connected with the main tongue or
point A and with each other in such manner, that one of them closes one groove
when the other groove is left open so that by depressing one of the rollers to run in
the closed groove the tongue in the groove will be pushed aside and the position of
points altered substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.