IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SWITCH APPARATUS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Dorman, of the Cork and Bandon Railway,
Cork, in the County of Cork, Ireland, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SWITCH APPARATUS."
Sealed the 6th November 1877, and dated the 11th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Dorman at the
.. Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th May 1877.
JOHN WILLIAM DORMAN, of the Cork and Bandon Railway, Cork, in the
County of Cork, Ireland, Civil Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SWITCH
APPARATUS.".
«
The object of the Invention is to obtain increased security in the use of facing
points in railway switch apparatus. For this purpose, projections or lugs are
rivetted to the flanges or under side of the moveable point rail; to these projections or
lugs links are fastened by pin joints having the holes in the links oval; the lower
end of these links are fastened to other links by pin joints, and the lower end of
the second links are secured by pin joints to a fixed iron chair. This forms a
kind of shackle hinge bent at an angle; the points of junction of these links
(one set of which are under each moveable point rail) are connected by a rod
with a projection or lug in the centre, by which it is connected with a pin joint to the
ordinary lever for shifting the points. These shackle hinges which are bent at an angle
when the points are in a position to allow the train to pass, are straightened by the
pushing or pulling of the connecting rod; this lifts the points over cast-iron blocks
fixed on the end chairs or plates which are fastened to the stock or slap rail, and the
oval hole in the upper link allows the shackle to fall over to a sufficiently obtuse
angle to pull the points over the blocks in the event of their sticking on the top of
the blocks.
There are projections on the connecting rod to prevent the ordinary lever
used for shifting the points being moved over before the points are in position by
bearing against the moveable rails. By these means the points cannot be shifted
or moved out of their proper position by the breaking of the connecting rods or any
'portions of the links, while increased safety is secured by the passage of the trains
over them, by the sliding or shifting rail in use being immoveable until it has been

page_text: lifted over the blocks which are cast in one with, or rivetted to, the plate on
which the rail slides when worked without the blocks, this lifting of the rail
over the blocks is impossible while a train is passing, as the point rail is made
sufficiently long to be borne on by at least one wheel of the train.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John William Dorman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
November 1877:
"
->
JOHN WILLIAM DORMAN, of the Cork and Bandon Railway, Cork, in the
County of Cork, Ireland, Civil Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SWITCH
APPARATUS.".
The object of the Invention is to obtain increased security in the use of facing
points in railway switch apparatus. For this purpose projections or lugs are rivetted
to the flanges or under side of the moveable point rail; to these projections or
lugs links are fastened by pin joints having the holes in the links oval, or of other
suitable form; the lower ends of these links are fastened to other links by pin joints,
and the lower ends of the second links are secured by pin joints to a fixed iron
chair: This forms a kind of shackle hinge bent at an angle; the points of junction
of these links (one set of which are under each moveable point rail) are connected
by a rod with a projection or lug in the centre, by which it is connected with a pin
joint to the ordinary lever for shifting the points. These shackle hinges which are bent
at an angle when the points are in a position to allow the train to pass, are straightened
by the pushing or pulling of the connecting rod; this lifts the points over cast-iron
blocks fixed on the end chairs or plates which are fastened to the stock or slap rail,
and the oval hole in the upper link allows the shackle to fall over to a sufficiently
obtuse angle to pull the points over the blocks in the event of their sticking on the
top of the blocks.
There are projections on the connecting rod to prevent the ordinary lever used
for shifting the points being moved over before the points are in position, by bearing
against the moveable rails.
But that the Invention may be fully understood, I will by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued by me in carrying
Figure 1 shows by plan view, Figures 2 and 3 by transverse sectional views,
and Figure 4 a detail view of apparatus arranged according to my Invention. In
each of these views the same letters are employed to indicate corresponding
parts.
a, a, represents portions of a pair of permanent rails; b and c represent a pair of
moveable rails or facing points to work therewith. These facing points b and c are
formed with flanges b¹ and c¹, and to the under side of these flanges b₁and c¹ of the
facing points b and c are applied projections or lugs d, which are for the purpose of
carrying pins e to pass through oval or other suitably-formed openings formed in the
upper ends of pairs of links f, which links are at their lower ends by pin joints f¹
connected to opposite ends of the connecting rod g, and also to the upper ends of
links h, the lower end of each of which links h is by pin joint connected to a
stationary lug i fixed on the sleeper j provided for that purpose. The connecting
rod g is also at g¹ connected to one end of another connecting rod k, to be operated by
the point lever. 1, 1, are cast-iron or other suitable blocks applied on one of the main
sleepers m in position, such that in the shifting of the outer ends of the facing
points, those outer ends must be lifted over these projections 1, and the lifting for

page_text: this purpose is effected by the action of the combined links f and h as they are
operated by the point lever through the rods g and k aided by the projections g³, g²;
standing up from the connecting rod g. The sides or edges of the blocks or pro-
jections 7 serve to hold the ends of the respective facing points in whichever position
such ends may for the time occupy; n is another connecting rod connected at its ends by
pin joints n¹, n¹, to the flanges b¹, c¹, for the purpose of preserving the correct relation
of the outer ends of the facing points to each other. Figure 4 shows by a sectional
side view parts separately. By these means the points cannot be shifted or moved
out of their proper position by the breaking of the connecting rods, or any
portions of the links, while increased safety is secured to the passage of the trains over
them, by the sliding or shifting rail in use being immoveable until it has been lifted
over the blocks which are cast in one with, or rivetted to, the plate on which the
rail slides; when worked without the blocks, this lifting of the rail over the blocks
is impossible while a train is passing, as the point rail is made sufficiently long to
be borne on by at least one wheel of the train.
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in carrying the
same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise arrangements of parts as shown and described, so long as the peculiar
character of my Invention be retained, but what I do claim is the improvements
in switch apparatus, whereby the facing points are capable of being operated and
held in position, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Dorman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtyeth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
J. W. DORMAN. (L.S.)