IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FACING POINTS FOR TRAMWAYS AND THE MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOB ACTUATING THE SAME
Year: 1882

page_text: for an Invention of 18
LETTERS PATENT to Henry Scott of Liverpool in the County of Lancaster.
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FACING POINTS
FOR TRAMWAYS AND THE MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOB ACTUATING
THE SAME."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Scott at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th October 1882.
"
HENRY SCOTT, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND RELATING TO FACING POINTS FOR TRAMWAYS AND THE MEANS AND APPARATUS
EMPLOYED FOR ACTUATING THE SAME
My Invention has for its object certain improvements in and relating to facing
points for tramways and the means and apparatus employed for actuating the
same, whereby such facing points are moved, or set in the required position by the
action of the tram car taking such facing points.
According to my Invention I use a pivotted, or moveable trailing point, such
trailing point having a square end and being of the same section as the tram rail.
This trailing point is of length which may be sufficient to take the wheel base of a
tram car, say about five feet although the length may vary. The rear end of the
trailing point is pivotted to a plate, or box base hereafter spoken of, so that such
rear end comes flush with the end of the tram rail. The front square end of the
trailing point faces faces, or meets the feather end of the facing point. The two points
are connected together by a lever of the first order or its mechanical equivalent.
The centre of such lever is fulcrumed on the base plate so that its ends come directly
under the end of the trailing point and facing point respectively. The ends of the
lever being connected to the ends of the trailing point and facing point respectively
by a suitable slot and stud, or other connecting device, thus by moving the end of
the trailing point to the right, or left, the end of the facing point will be moved in
a reverse direction. The trailing point is moved by the driver causing the horses
to pull the car to the right, or left accordingly as he wishes to take the facing
point. This lateral movement of the trailing point causes the facing point to be
set as necessary.

page_text: It will thus be seen that my Invention consists in availing myself of the lateral
movement of the trailing point (which movement may be caused by the side pull of
the horses, or other means) to effect the lateral movement and correct setting of the
facing point. That the facing point may be kept clear from dirt and have no
obstruction to its movement, I prefer that such facing point should be mounted on
a grid, as described in the Specification of a former application for Letters Patent
No 3859 A.D. 1882, and in the further carrying out of this my present Invention, I
prefer that that the trailing point herein described should be mounted over a base
plate, or box forming a grid and to ensure free lateral movement, the trailing point
may ride on anti-friction rollers, or wheels. I further prefer to grid the adjacent
parts of the tramway about the points, so as to ensure free scouring from dirt The
point and other griding by preference opens into a box, leading to a sewer, or other
outlet
As a means of causing the lateral movement of the trailing point and thus the
facing point where other than horse power is used, such as steam, or endless rope,
the pulling, or pushing to one side, or the other will be effected by a mechanical
means, such a means may consist of a wheel, or skid, or mechanical equivalent
mounted on the car, or the engine car as the case may require. This wheel, or skid
will be capable of being lowered and raised from the car by suitable levers and
rods The wheel, or skid when lowered takes into a groove, or grooves in a side
rail, or over a projection on a side rail.. This rail runs parallel to the main rail and on
either side of it to suit cars going different routes.
In operation when the car is coming towards the facing point, the wheel, or skid
is lowered until it takes into one of the side rails, as the case may be. Now this
side rail being parallel to the main rail, the wheel, or skid draws, or pushes and
guides the car to one side, or the other according to which side the side rail is
positioned and the car has to travel.
When cars are running in the reverse direction to that of the facing point, that
is when the facing point becomes a trailing point, and the trailing point a facing
point, the switching is automatic

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Scott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th April
1883.
HENRY SCOTT, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
5 AND RELATING TO FACING POINTS FOR TRAMWAYS AND THE MEANS AND APPARATUS
EMPLOYED FOR ACTUATING THE SAME."
"
This Invention has for its object certain improvements in and relating to facing
points for street, or road tramways and the means and apparatus employed for
actuating the same, whereby such facing points are set in the required position by
the action of the tramcar taking such facing points, as hereinafter more particularly
described. And forming such facing points that they are self clearing. (This
self clearing is effected by forming the base plate, or bed of the point a grid, or
open bed, as secured to me by former Letters Patent N° 3859 A.D 1882,) and the
following is a description of this Invention in sufficiently full, clear and distinct
language as to enable anyone skilled in the art with which it is most nearly
connected, to manufacture and put the same into practical operation, reference being
had to the accompanying two sheets of Drawings making a part of the Specifi-
cation and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, like letters and
figures being used to denote the same, or corresponding parts throughout the
Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing the construction of tramway facing
points according to my Invention.
Figure 2 is a cross section at A. B. Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a plan of sister facing point to be used with the facing point shown
at Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a plan of a street tramway facing point according to my Invention
for non return lines.
Figure 6 is a plan of street tramway facing points according to my Invention
showing the means I employ for actuating points when other than horse traction
is employed.
Figure 7 is a sectional elevation of Figure 6 and shewing the means and
apparatus I employ for actuating the points shewn at Figure 6.
On reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Drawings it will be seen that
according to my Invention I use a pivotted, or moving trailing point A, such
trailing point having a square end at a, and pivotted at a and being of like
section to the tramrail. This trailing point A is of length which may be sufficient
to take the wheel base of a tramcar, say about five feet although the length may
vary. The rear end of the trailing point A is pivotted at a¹ to the plate or box
base hereafter spoken of, so that such rear end of the point A comes flush with
the end of the tramrail. The front squar end a of the trailing point A faces, or
meets the feather end b of the facing point B, which is pivotted at b to the plate,
or box base C. The two points A and B are connected together by a lever of the
first order d, or its mechanical equivalent. The lever d is so fulcrummed on the
pin e under the base plate C so that its ends come directly under the ends of the
trailing point A and facing point B respectively. The ends of the lever dare
connected to the ends of the trailing point A and the facing point B respectively
by the studs dd working in slots in the ends of the lever d. Thus by moving
the end of the trailing point A to the right, or to the left the end of facing point B

page_text: will be moved in the reverse direction. The beforegoing describes the mechanical
construction of the point. That the point may be kept clear from dirt and have
no obstruction to its movement I mount the trailing point A and facing point B
over a grid, or over an open bed C, mounted over the receptacle C¹ constructed
in the manner secured to me under Letters Patent N° 3859 AD 1882, and having
an outlet connected to the street sewer, or other conduit. The box C' is in two
pieces and bolted together as shown and is provided with a door C³. The use of
this gridded receptacle C C' permits successfull working of the point above
described.
According to my Invention I effect the switching, or working of street tramway
facing points by causing the horses to draw, or pull the tramcar to one side, or
the other according to the direction the tramcar is required to travel, thus the
trailing point is by such side draught moved to the right, or left by the driver
causing the horses to pull the car to the right, or left according as he wishes to
take the facing point.
Thus in using the arrangement of point above described the side pull of the
horses causes the tramcar to give lateral movement to the trailing point A to the
one side, or the other and so the point B is moved by the connecting lever d in the
reverse direction and set correctly. When cars are returning over the point,
namely when the feather point B becomes the trailing point and the trailing point A
the facing point the switching is automatic. To allow of the lateral movement of
the point the groove of the sister point shown at Figure 4 is widened from 8 to t.
For non return lines where the tramcars travel one way only I use the arrange-
ment shown at Figure 5. In this case the feather point B is a fixed point and the
trailing point A is set over the open bed C as shown, and moved by the lateral
movement of the tramcar caused by the side pull of the horses and is so set
correctly as required, to one side, or the other.
At Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawings is shown the means and apparatus for
actuating the points by causing lateral movement of the tramway points, according
to my Invention, where other than horse traction is used, such as steam, or endless
rope haulage. The pulling or pushing to one side, or the other of the point is
effected by forming the groove g in the base C. This groove g is set parallel to
the direction in which the tramcar is required to travel, the groove g on one side
of the track being used for one branch direction, and the groove g' on the other
side of the track being used for the other branch direction. These grooves g g¹
may be used in combination with the point shown at Figure 3, or Figure 5. In
Figure 6 they are shown in combination with the point shown at Figure 5.
The mechanical means and apparatus for fitting into the groove g, or g¹ and for
switching the point consists of the skid h (see Figure 7) mounted on the axle of
the engine, or car truck. The skid h is worked by the chain i and raised by the
spring and is lowered into the groove g by depressing the spring / which allows
the skid h to fall into the groove g, or g¹. When required a skid is placed on each
side of the truck. The grooves g, or gf are of gridded, or open formation and open
into the receptacle C¹ before described.
it was
Previous to the Invention for which I obtained Letters Patent N° 3859/**
the common practice to work street tramway points by manual means and it has
also been proposed to work some of such points by means of a mechanical appliance
on the car, which in operation would move the point to the required position.
These systems were open to great objections because of their requiring a constant
attendant for operating and cleaning the point from street dirt which choked and
rendered them inoperative thereby necessitating an attendant. Now my said
former Invention overcomes such objections by getting rid of the street dirt about
the point without an attendant and enables the point to be moved without
obstruction, because as dirt and stones are swept, or fall between point and the
side treads, so the dirt or stones fall into the box below through the open grid and
are conveyed away to the street sewer, and so the point is kept clear and is free to
move without manual attention.

page_text: It will therefore be evident that inasmuch as the street tramway facing point
herein described is constructed in combination with a gridded, or open bed, the
switching of the point by the side pull of the horses, or the car truck can be
successfully and continuously accomplished and without an attendant thereby
effecting a saving of labour.
Having now described my Invention and shown how the same may be carried
out, what I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid
is:-
First In street tramway facing points in which trailing points are employed the
mode substantially herein described of causing the tramcar to take the facing
point, which mode consists of imparting, by means of the side draught, or pull of
the horses, or animal (to one side, or the other) side movement to the tramcar and
trailing point as the tramcar is passing over such trailing point and so setting the
trailing point and tramcar in the desired position, namely in such position that the
tramcar will take one, or the other of the two branches of the facing point as
herein set forth and shown in the Drawings hereto annexed.
Second In street tramway facing points in which trailing points are employed,
the mode substantially herein described of causing the tramcar to take the facing
point which mode consists of imparting by means of the side push, or pull of a
device such as the skid h working in the groove g (to one side, or the other) side
movement to the tramcar and trailing point as the tramcar is passing over such
trailing point and so setting the trailing point in the desired position, namely in
such position that the tramcar will take one, or the other of the two branches of
the facing point as berein set forth and shown in reference to Figures 6 and 7 of
the Drawings hereto annexed.
Third In a street tramway facing point a moving trailing point connected to a
moving feather point by the movement of which the tram car is caused to take
one, or the other of the two branches of the facing point substantially as herein
described and shown in reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Drawings hereto
annexed.
Fourth the combination of parts consisting of the street tramway facing point
as herein described in reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the Drawings and the
gridded, or open receptacle in which are received street debris and water and con-
nected with a sewer for conveying away what is received, substantially as herein
set forth.
Fifth The combination of parts consisting of the street tramway facing point
constructed as herein described in reference to Figure 5 of the Drawings and the
open, or gridded receptacle in which are received street debris and water and
connected with a sewer for conveying away what is received, substantially as
herein set forth.
Sixth The arrangement and construction of street tramway facing point and
switching device substantially as herein described and shown at Figures 6 and 7
of the Drawings hereto annexed.
In Witness whereof, I the said Henry Scott, have hereunto set my hand and
seal this tenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three