AN IMPROVED TURNTABLE FOR RAILWAYS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Ward, of the City of Auburn, in the
County of Cayuga and State of New York, one of the United States of
North America, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED TURNTABLE FOR
RAILWAYS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Ward
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th November 1859.
I, WILLIAM HENRY WARD, of the City of Auburn, of the County of Cayuga
and State of New York, one of the United States of North America, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED TURN-
TABLE FOR RAILWAYS AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
It consists in employing one or more rings or spherical, (hollow) balls
arranged in circular grooved tracks; one of which is secured to the foundation
with the groove upward, into which circular groove is placed the balls with a
corresponding circular grooved track in a reversed position on the top of these
balls upon which the platform of the table rests, and on which it turns without
the aid of the central pivot or its equivalent.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Ward in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY WARD, of the City of Auburn, in the County of Caynga and State of
New York; one of the United States of North America, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Henry Ward, Her special licence that I, the said William
Henry Ward, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Henry Ward, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "AN IMPROVED TURNTABLE FOR RAILWAYS AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others), that I, the said William Henry Ward, my execu-
tors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Ward do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, in which Fig. 1 represents an elevated plan of my improved turn-
table on the line of A, A, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 represents a ground plan with the
covering removed, on the line of X, X; Fig. 3 represents the lower circular
grooved track with loose spherical hollow balls, arranged in one-half the circle
and spherical tread wheels in the remaining half; Fig. 4 represents a cross
'section of the circular grooved tracks; Fig. 5 represents the shaft for operat-
ing the knee joints; Fig. 6 represents an end view of the track timbers.
Turntables, as generally constructed, are dependent in a great degree for their
accuracy of adjustment, their capability for resisting shocks, their durability,
and ease with which they turn on a central guiding pivot, any displacement or
wearing of which tends to throw the turning platform out of adjustment; the
"wheels to one side of their tracks, and causing such increase of friction as
to render the turning platform almost useless. In order to diminish the
liability of displacing or otherwise injuring the central pivot, it is made of
large size with its base or socket supported by means of heavy expensive foun-
dations. Even with all these precautions, the stability of the table is not secure
for any length of time, as the settlement of the foundation, the displacement

page_text: of the central pivot caused by heavy latteral shocks will so effect the turning
platform as to retard the free and easy movement of the table.
The object of my improvements is to overcome these difficulties by doing
away with the central pivot, and thereby diminish the liability of the turning
platform being displaced or injured from the effects of latteral or other shocks,
as it will have the capability of yielding to them without injury, and resume
its former central position; and my Invention for effecting these objects
consists,-
First, in supporting and centering the turning platform of the table without
the aid of the central pivot, by means of hollow spherical balls or spherical
tread wheels arranged between circular grooved tracks, of such form in their
cross section as to admit freedom for said balls or wheels to
Second, in operating the table by means of a crank shaft and gear wheel
near the centre of the platform.
Third, in supporting the ends of the track timbers by means of knee joints.
Fourth, in operating the knee joints by means of a hand lever near the
crank shaft for convenience, while operating the table.
The accompanying Drawing represents a turntable embracing my improve-
ments, in which Fig. 1 represents an elevated plan on the line of (A, A,)
Fig. 2; and (a, a,) Fig. 1 is the foundation; (b, b,) the circular-grooved
tracks, one of which is secured to the foundation coping with the groove up,
and a corresponding one is secured to the turning platform of the table with
the groove down; (c, c, c,) the hollow balls or spherical tread wheels arranged
between the circular-grooved tracks upon which the platform of the table
rests, and on which it turns (d, d,) the heavy plank covering on top of the
upper circular grooved track upon which the platform trusswork of the table
is set; (A, A,) the main track timbers; (e, e, e,) the top covering of the
platform; (f) the rails; (g) the crank shaft and gear wheel for operating
the table; (h) the connecting shaft and pinion, by means of which a rotating
movement is given to the turning platform of the table by the operator at the
cranks or crank shaft (9); (j) the knee joints to give support underneath
the railway tracks at their ends while running on and off; (k, k,) are small
wheels in the knee joint) feet; (1, 1) their bed plates for the wheels to rest on
when the knee joints are brought into requisition; (m, m,) the cross heads on
the shafts for operating the knee joints; (n, n, n, n,) the connecting rods for
communicating motion from the hand lever (o) to the cross heads (m, m);
(p,p,) the pit curbing or outer wall; (r, r,) the coping on the outer wall (p. p.)
(s,) the crank shaft and gear wheel stand; (t,) the hanger to support and keep
in place the connecting shaft and pinion (h); (u, u, u, u,) truss brace screw

page_text: bolts, the tightening of which stiffens the trusswork of the turning platform
of the table. Fig. 2 is a plan of the table with the covering removed on the
line of X, X.-
Fig. 3 is a plan of the lower circular grooved track with the hollow balls
and wheels arranged therein, as described. Fig. 4 is a cross section of the
two circular grooved tracks, with a hollow ball shown between them to
illustrate the freedom for latteral motion, and the capability for resisting
latteral or other heavy shocks without injury.
Fig. 5 is the shaft with cross head and arms (v, v,) to receive the connecting
rods that operate the knee joints, by which means (when the connection is
made) motion is imparted from the hand lever (o) to the knee joints (j,j) at
the will and pleasure of the person operating the table.
Fig. 6 is an end view of the double track timbers with the knee joints (j,j)
shewn between them, with their feet rollers (k, k).
These turntables are not only applicable for railway purposes but are well
adapted for the turning platforms of swing bridges, mortar beds, and pivot gun
carriages, on account of their capability for yielding to heavy shocks without
injury, and costing less in their original construction, with increased strength
and stability, and their adaptation to all localities and climates.
Having thus fully described my improvements in turntables, what I claim
therein as new and desire to secure by Royal Letters Patent, is-
"
First, the use of circular grooved tracks with a series of hollow balls (shells)
or spherical tread wheels arranged between them, upon which the platform of
the table rests, and on which it turns, without the aid of the central pivot or
its equivalent.
Second, the use of knee joint supporters or their equivalent at the periphery
of the turning platform of the table, directly underneath the rail tracks, for the
purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Ward, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty: