An Improvement for Working Railway Points and Signals.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left 9th July 1899-Accepted 21st Sept
1859
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement for Working Railway Points and Signals.
I WILLIAM GENDERS Junior Permanent Way Inspector of No. 20 Nottingham
Street Sheffield in the County of Yorkshire do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
A bracket with bearings at each end, to allow a spindle with thread on each end to
work through, upon which a spiral spring is worked by two check nuts, pressing the
spring against inside of bracket at either end, one end of the spindle is reduced in
diameter, to go through stock rail, and connect to switch with check nuts on each
side of switch rail, the bracket can be placed on a Level or below rail.
The Lever box is a plain casting, with straight lever working on a pin through box
casting and lever, the Lever is connected to points by a rod attached to lower end of
Lever, and with a slot at the other end to a stud underneath the fourfoot way point
rod or direct to spindle. The slot in rod allows the points to work without moving
box Lever. And the spring and spindle closes points, without assistance from Switch
or Lever Box.
The check nuts are to regulate the spring, which is worked on the spindle, when
the points are forced over, or Signals pulled off.
The action of spring and spindle pull the points or Signals, into their normal
position, without any assistance from weights or Lovers.
W. GENDERS, JUNIOR.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement for Working Railway Points and Signals.
I, WILLIAM GENDERS, Junior of 20 Nottingham Street, Sheffield in the County of
York Inspector of Permanent way do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particnlarly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention is for improvements in appliances for working railway points, and
more particularly to a method of closing automatically, safety switches and runback
points; part of the invention may also be applied to the working of signals.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood I have annexed a sheet of
drawings illustrating same, in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts
in any of the figures in which they may occur.
Fig. 1, represents an elevation, (some parts being in section) of the appliance for
actuating runback points.
Fig. 2, is an elevation of switch chair showing the stock-rail and point in section
with the four-foot rod, and rod to lever box.
Fig. 3, elevation of Chair with sliding jaw spring to return same, and rod to lever
box.
Fig. 4 plan of runback points, showing position of spring box and hand lever.
Fig. 5, represents my invention applied to a signal.
Fig. 6, an improved arrangement of the spring appliance.
In carrying out my invention as applied to runback points, or to automatically
closing similar switches or points, as shown in Fig. 1, I construct a box or frame A,
provided with a lid or cover to keep out the wet and dirt, and having a bearing at
each end through which a rod or spindle B can slide to and fro.
This rod or spindle is continued at one end as shown and attached at its extremity
to the switch rail C; when the action is to push the rail C from the box, the
straight termination is preferable, and is passed through a clearance hole in the

page_text: chair and stockrail: D, and-holds the switch-rail C between a solid collar and a cotter
or other like equivalent; when the action is to draw the rail C towards the box A, I
prefer to use a curved or bent termination E, shaped to pass under the rail D and
connected to the switch-rail by a short stud and cotter.
Inside the box A, and encircling the spindle B I place a strong spiral spring F
bearing at one end against the inside of the box, and at the other against a loose
collar, which can be adjusted in position, so as to regulate the action of the spring,
by means of lock-nuts or by other like means.
Although I have mentioned and shown a spiral or coiled spring F, as being a very
suitable form of spring, I do not bind myself to such spring, as other forms may be
used.
The switch-rail C, is connected to the opposite switch-rail G, shown in Fig. 2, by
a connecting rod marked H, and seen in Fig. 4, this rod is secured to each rail or
point by bolts and cotters, and has in some convenient position, a lug, slot or fork I,
which engages with the rod J from the lever box K preferably by passing the
reduced end of rod J through a clearance hole in lug I.
It will be thus seen that when the rod J is moved by the lever in the direction of
the arrow seen in Fig. 2 to open the points, the shoulder L, on the rod J, will act
against the lug I, and force the points over as desired; the closing action is accom-
plished by the action of the spring F, which being compressed by the action of opening
the points, now exerts its power to close same.
An apparatus constructed as described and applied to runback points or to safety
.switches, avoids the jerking of the lever backwards and forwards by a passing train,
as the lug I simply slides to and fro upon the rod, and in the case of an Engine or
the like bursting through the points by mistake, no damage would occur to the rod
to the signal box, as would otherwise be the case, but the points would resume their
normal or closed position without any assistance from weights, levers, or the like.
In Fig. 3. I show a modification of my invention; in this arrangement I secure
the switch-rail C to a sliding-jaw M, free to move to and from the stockrail D, but
always to be returned to its normal or closed position by the action of the spring F
pressing against the depending lug on the underside of the jaw, this lug is also
utilised by passing the end of the lever box rod through it, as before described and
for the purpose specified. The spring F is placed in a recess formed for that purpose
in the chair, as shown, instead of in a separate box.
The general plan of the apparatus as it may be effectively applied to runback
points, is shown in Fig. 4. C, C, are the switch-rails, D, D, are the stock-rails, the
dotted lines indicate the position of the points when open, or in position for a passing
train in the direction of the arrow, A is the spring box, with spring F; H is the
connecting rod before mentioned across the "four-foot; the lever K is shown in
elevation for convenience, and J is the rod connecting the lever and the points.
In Fig. 5, I illustrate how my invention is or may be applied to the working of
signals; the object in this case being to keep the wire taut, that is to take up any
slack, and to enable the balance weights and their levers to be dispensed with, as
well as to automatically bring the signal arm to "danger." The Spring box A is
secured in any convenient position, such for example as that shown in the drawing
Fig. 5. the spring is adjusted to act against the lower end of the spring box, so
that its tendency is to pull at the rod N, and to push the rod O, and raise the signal
arm to the position shown.
'
If therefore from any cause the signal-rod or wire breaks, the action of the spring
at once raises the arm to "danger "calling attention to the defect, and preventing"
accident in keeping the rods and wire taut, it ensures the arm being held and
retained in the exact required position.
Instead of a coiled or spiral spring as described and illustrated; I may use a single
bar spring, or a laminated spring as shown in Fig. 6. and marked P. the spring.
would be held firmly by a clasp or block Q secured to the case A, or other suitable
support, and would act upon the signal or switch rod, through the two antifriction
'rollers R

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same may be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved mechanical arrangements and combination of appliances consti-
tuting an apparatus for automatically returning runback points, or switches, or
signals to their normal position substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown.
2. In apparatus for automatically returning runback points or switches to their
normal position, the combination of a spring F, a spindle B, a case A or its equiva-
lent, connected to the switch-rail or point by means of a straight or curved continuation
of the spindle, and working together for the purpose before specified, substantially as
described and as shown in the Figs. 1. 2. 3. 4.
3. In apparatus for automatically returning run back points or switches to their
normal position, as hereinbefore described and claimed, the construction of the lever
rod box J, with a reduced end passing through a lug, or fork I upon the four-foot
stay rod H, for the purpose specified, and as shown in Fig. 2.
4. The modification in the arrangement of several parts of my apparatus, by the
combination of the spring box and spring with the switch chair, as hereinbefore
described and as shown in Fig. 3.
5. The combination with railway signals of a spring appliance, substantially as
hereinbefore described, and shown in Figs. 5 & 6. for the purpose specified.
ليم
1000
ROBT. F. DRURY (Fel. Inst. P.A.),
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicant.