IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR OPERATING TRAMWAY POINTS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederik Anton Abeleven of Amsterdam in the Kingdom
of Holland but at present of Finsbury Pavement in the City of London for
an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR OPERATING
TRAMWAY POINTS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederik Anton Abeleven
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th January 1883.
FREDERIK ANTON ABELEVEN of Amsterdam in the Kingdom of Holland but at
present of Finsbury Pavement in the City of London "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR OPERATING TRAMWAY POINTS"
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus for operating
tramway points whereby the necessity hitherto existing for the employment of
a pointsman, or for the conductor to get off his vehicle, to operate the points is
obviated.
For this purpose I mount a portion of the roadway on a rocking frame which by
a system of levers and connections is connected to the tongue or point whereby tho
driver can by merely pulling his horses over to the one or the other side of the
roadway cause the point or tongue to be moved so as to cause the vehicle to travel
on the desired road without the necessity for stopping, or checking the speed of
the vehicle.
A convenient mode of carrying my Invention into effect is as follows.
Near the point or tongue is a cast iron basin fitting at its upper edges pretty
close to the rails on each side thereof and about a yard in length.
This basin is placed loosely on an iron frame preferably made of T iron which
rests upon suitable centres or bearings so that the basin and frame can rock
upon them.
The basin is filled in so as to form a portion of the roadway and the frame is
connected to the point or tongue by crank lever and connections.
'
Thus the weight of the horse or horses on the one or the other side of the rocking
section of the roadway will cause such section to be depressed on that side and will
thereby move the point or tongue as required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederik Anton Abeleven in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th July 1883.
FREDERIK ANTON ABELEVEN of Amsterdam in the Kingdom of Holland but at
present of Finsbury Pavement in the City of London "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR OPERATING TRAMWAY POINTS
"
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus for.
operating tramway points whereby the necessity hitherto existing for the employ-
ment of a pointsman, or for the Conductor to get off his vehicle, to operate the
points is obviated.
For this purpose I mount a portion of the roadway on a rocking frame which
by a system of levers and connections is connected to the tongue or point whereby
the driver can by merely pulling his horses over to the one or the other side of the
roadway cause the point or tongue to be moved so as to cause the vehicle to travel
on the desired road without the necessity for stopping, or checking the speed of the
vehicle.
A convenient mode of carrying my Invention into effect, is as follows:-
Near the point or tongue is an iron basin fitting at its upper edges pretty closely
to the rails on each side thereof and about a yard in length.
This basin is placed loosely on an iron frame preferably made of T iron which
rests upon suitable centres or bearings so that the basin and frame can rock
upon them.
The basin is filled in so as to form a portion of the roadway and the frame is
connected to the point or tongue by crank lever and connections.
Thus the weight of the horse or horses on the one, or the other side of the rocking
section of the roadway will cause such section to be depressed on that side and will
thereby move the point or tongue as required.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and
3:1
T
11
mild h… the connmnanving drawings more.

page_text: Tiron and rests upon suitable centres or bearings e so that the basin c' and the
frame d can rock upon them.
The basin c is filled in with wood, stone, asphalt, or other material so as to form
a portion of the roadway and the frame d is connected to the point or tongue a in
the following manner.
The frame d has rigidly fixed thereto a projection which in the arrangement
represented at Figures 1 and 2 acts upon the short arm of a crank lever f the long
arm of which is by a link g connected to an arm a¹ rigidly fixed to the tongue or
point a. Or according to the arrangement shown at Figure 4 the projection d'
from the frame d is first connected to the short arm of a horizontal lever h the long
arm of which is connected to the short arm of the crank lever f which is connected
as before stated to the tongue or point a.
As shown at Figures 3 and 4 in order to obtain greater leverage, the frame d is
extended beyond the rails b and narrow basins c² are placed thereon which are
filled in to represent a portion of the roadway.
By the aid of apparatus constructed as above described the weight of the horse
or horses on the one or the other side of the rocking section of the roadway will
cause such section to be depressed on that side and will thereby move the point or
tongue a as required.
Room must be left under the frame d to receive the mud which may find its
way through the spaces between the sides of the rocking portions c¹ c² of the
roadway and the rails b and the edges i of the roadway and such mud can be taken
out from time to time therefrom as may be required by first removing the basins
cc². The arrangement shown at Figures 1 and 2 is suitable to be employed with
a one horse vehicle but when the vehicle is drawn by two or more horses that
shown at Figures 3 and 4 is preferred.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
means or apparatus for operating tramway points substantially as herein shown
and described.
In witness whereof I the said Frederik Anton Abeleven have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Eighteenth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.