IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY POINTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I CHARLES JAMES NICHOLSON of Barr House, Great Barr in the County of
Stafford, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY POINTS to be as follows: and has reference to such
points as have moveable tongues and also to those which have fixed tongues; it
consists of fastening the moveable tongue to the bed of a point casting at the
heel by means of a loose piece on which is cast or fixed the pin whereon the
moveable tongue pivots, this loose piece is secured to the bed by means of set
screws or wedges which are easily removed so that the moveable tongue can be
easily replaced without disturbing the main casting of the point.
During the passage of the wheels of a vehicle the moveable tongue is securely
held in position by a plunger or bolt which moves vertically along side it, pre-
ferably near its point, this bolt is actuated either by a spring or by a counter-
weighted lever or by a lever operated by a spring. The act of pushing the
tongue from one side to the other is sufficient to depress the plunger or bolt
which automatically rises again when the tongue is over in its new position.
With respect to points which have fixed tongues and are required to be open to
vehicles advancing in one direction only I prevent the wheels of such vehicles
taking the wrong side of the fixed point by blocking up that opening with a piece
of metal which is allowed to move latterally; the lateral movement being con-
trolled by springs, or by a counter-weighted lever so that the wheels of a vehicle
using the point as a trailing point are able to push this blocking piece over and
immediately such vehicle has passed, this blocking piece automatically resumes its
normal position.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, CHARLES JAMES NICHOLSON of Barr House, Great Barr, in the county of
Stafford Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY POINTS and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of this invention is to provide a means by which the moveable
tongues of points or switches used on Road railways or Tramways when worn out
or damaged may be easily removed and others substituted without removing the
Castings or Bed Plates of the points from their position in the road & also a means
by which the moveable tongue may be held & prevented from moving during the
passage of Engines Cars or other vehicles through the points when used as facing
points but which will allow the moveable tongue to vibrate freely from one side to
the other when the points are used as trailing points.
In order that the said invention may be more fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same & for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures:-
Figure No I-Shews in plan the point complete with moveable tongue & the
latch or lock which holds the same in position.
Fig: II. Is a longitudinal section of the point through a―b.
Fig: III. Is a transverse section through c-d.
Fig: IV-Is a transverse section through e-f. shewing the construction & action
of the latch or lock,
A is the main casting of the point; B is the moveable tongue; C is the loose
cap which overhangs the end of the moveable tongue B; D is the wedge which
fastens the loose cap C securely to the main casting of the point; E is the pin
which passes through the hole in the heel of the moveable tongue B & on which
the moveable tongue vibrates. This pin is reduced above and below where it
passes through the tongue so as to form a shoulder on each side of the tongue.
The hole in the main point casting or bed & also the circular recess in the loose
cap; C is of less diameter than the hole in the heel of the moveable tongue; F is a
bolt or pin which passes through the lug on the bottom of the moveable tongue
& fastens into the main casting or bed of point, thus preventing the tongue rising.
In order to remove the moveable tongue (B) the pin (F) is taken out, the
wedge (D) is knocked back & the loose cap (C) is taken off; the tongue (B) may
then be lifted out & another one substituted, the aforesaid operations being then
reversed; G is the latch which consists preferably of a counterweighted lever
turned up at one end & has a wedge nose K as shewn in figure IV. This lever
vibrates round a pin H. The pin H is fixed in lugs fastened into or on the side of
the main point casting; there are apertures in the side of the point casting through
which the lever (G) works The nose (K) of the lever (G) pressing against the end
of the moveable tongue keeps it firmly in position while vehicles are passing in the
direction b to a. When vehicles approach in the direction a to b (on the right

page_text: band road-looking in the direction a-b) with the moveable tongue in the
position shewn in fig: I, the flanges of the wheels force the moveable tongue over,
the latch or wedge shaped nose (K) being thereby depressed but rises again as soon
as the moveable tongue assumes its new position. Thus though the moveable
tongue is kept firmly in position for vehicles using it as a facing point yet it is free
to be vibrated to either side by vehicles using it as a
trailing point. The latch
& lever G may be actuated by a spring instead of a counter weight.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said
invention & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1-The loose cap C, substantially as hereinbefore described & illustrated in the.
accompanying drawings.
2-The arrangement & combination of the loose cap C; the wedge D; the
pin E; & the heel of the moveable tongue B; substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3-The arrangement & combination of the parts constituting the latch or lever G
& the wedgeshaped nose K. substantially as herein-before described & illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Doted this Seventh day of M. TOOK