IMPROVE- MENTS IN SWITCHES AND CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS."
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Sam North, of Gorton, near Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SWITCHES AND CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Sam North
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th December 1854.
I, ROBERT SAM NORTH, of Gorton, near Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare. the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SWITCHES AND CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS" to be as follows:-
Firstly, I propose to make the stock rail for the switches of such a section
as to give it additional strength, to prevent it splitting with the wheels passing
over it, and also that it may be reversed when one side is worn or injured, and
give additional support to the switch.
Secondly, I make the tongue with both sides alike, that it may be reversed
when one side is worn or injured, and give it a larger area of surface to slide on.
Thirdly, I make a chair for the tongue of the switch to work in of such a
form that the tongue is kept much firmer than the ordinary chair, and at the
same time allows it to work perfectly free.

page_text: Fourthly, I form a piece of cast iron, steel, wrought iron, or cast malleable
iron, so that the point, point rails, and wing rails can be fitted to it in such a
manner that each and every part may be replaced, cither wholly or separately,
when they are worn out or injured, without disturbing the remaining parts of
the crossing, and by its continuing to support the point, point rails, and wing
rails until they assume the full section, and part from each other, and thus
become independent rails.
Fifthly, I adopt the last-named improvement without chairs, if considered
necessary, as I render the crossing quite safe without them; the point and
point rails being not only wedged tight, but kept firmly together by gibs,
cotters, and bolts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Sam North in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
SAM NORTH, of Gorton, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Robert Sam North, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Sam North, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Robert Sam North, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SWITCHES AND CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Sam North, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Sam North, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 (that is to say):-
My Invention consists, firstly, in making the stock rail for the switches of
such a section as to give it additional strength, to prevent it splitting with the
wheels passing over it, and also that it may be reversed when one side is worn
or injured, and by giving additional support to the switch,
Secondly, by making the tongue also of a particular section, that it may
also be reversed when one side is worn.
Thirdly, by making a chair for the tongue of the switches to work in of
such a form that the tongue is kept much firmer than the ordinary chair, and
at the same time allowing it to work perfectly free.
Fourthly, by forming a piece of cast iron, steel, wrought iron, or cast
malleable iron, so that the point, point rails, and wing rails can be fixed to it
in such a manner that each and every piece may be replaced or turned, either
wholly or separately, when they are worn out or injured.
Fifthly, for using the crossings without chairs. These my said improve-
ments will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, in which the same letters of reference represent the same parts in
all the Figures. Fig. 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, of a cross-
ing made of I rails, shewing the point, point rails, and the method of fastening
them. Fig. 3 is a plan, and Fig. 4 a longitudinal section, of a crossing made
of bridge rails, also shewing the method of fastening them. Figs. 5, 6, 7,
and 8 are cross sections of Figs. 1 and 2, shewing the point piece, point rails,
and wing rails in their respective positions. Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 are cross
sections of Figs. 3 and 4, also shewing the point piece, point rails, and wing
rails in their respective positions. a represents the point piece; b, the point
rails; and c, the wing rails, having both ends similar, so that they may be
reversed when desired, or turned end for end; and the joint to the other rails
may be made either with fish plates, or by making the splay short, and bolt
the rail to the casting or the joint chair, as shown by Figs. 15 and 16; dis
a block, made of such a form that the point piece, point and wing rails are
fastened to it in such a manner that by unscrewing the bolts any one piece
may be taken off and turned, or any two pieces may be reversed to the opposite
sides; the point rails are pressed against the butt of the point by means of gibs and
cotters, or by a set screw acting on a wedge driving it between the point rails
and against the butt end of the point piece. It will be observed the casting is

page_text: hollowed out deep enough to allow the flange of the wheel to pass over with-
out touching it. Figs. 18 and 14 are detached views of wing and check rails.
Fig. 15 is an elevation, and Fig. 16 a plan, of a chair adapted either for heel
joint or middle chairs, the rails being held in their places by the strut pieces e,
abutting against the projection f, and held down by the bolts y. It will be
observed that by this arrangement no wood key is required, and by slackening
the bolts the rail on either side may be taken out quite freely; if it is a joint
or middle chair, it will only require one strut piece, as shewn in Figs. 17 and 18.
The strut piece fastening the rail in this manner, all strain is taken off the
bolt when a train is passing over it. Fig. 19 shews a section of stock and
switch rails; and Fig. 20, a section of switch rail which bevil opposite ways,
thereby giving additional strength to prevent lamination by the flanges splitting
off. Fig. 21 is another section of stock and switch rails.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same may be performed, I wish it to be understood that although I have
described a manner in which it can be made, I do not confine myself to that
way alone, nor to the exact form or proportions of the several parts herein-
before described; but I claim as my Invention,―
First, a block of cast, wrought, or cast malleable iron or steel as a founda-
tion, of a peculiar form, as shewn, to which I attach the point, point rails, and
wing rails, so that the crossing is almost rendered as firm as though it were
one solid piece, with this advantage, that the point and wing rails can be
changed four times, and that each and every part can be changed, replaced,
or turned separately, or altogether, without disturbing the crossing.
Secondly, making the wing rails and check rails exactly alike, that when
the wing rails are worn out, by being turned four times, the check rails may
be then put on and turned four times, in like manner, the worn out wing rails
acting as check rails. I accomplish this by making both ends of the wing and
check rails the same length from the bend, and they may either be fished, or
connected at the joint by a similar chair to the heel chair, or an ordinary joint
chair, or otherwise, as may be preferred.
Thirdly, the manner in which each piece is attached to the foundation, and
also the manner in which the point and point rails are tightened into their
places, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
Fourthly, an improved section of stock and switch rail, so that when one
side of either switch or stock rail is injured or worn, they may be reversed, and
be equal to new ones on that side.
Fifthly, an improved heel joint or middle chair, constructed to do
away with

page_text: wood keys, at the same time allowing the rail to be taken out easily by
merely slackening the bolt, the bolt having no strain on it when a train is
passing over.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Sam North, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
ROBERT SAM NORTH. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Robert Sam North, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.