Year: 1886

page_text: Date of App ication, 19th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 24th Jan., 1887
Complete Accepted, 15th Mar., 1887
RESERVE
I, JOSEPH KINCAID of 11 Great George Street in the City of Westminster Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:---
upon
My Invention has for its object to provide a point for tramways which is capable of
being operated automatically or by hand as required the parts being strong and not
liable to clogging or derangement and readily removeable. The moveable tongue of
the point is made of a wedge shape vertically with the broadest end outwards or at the
tip end and it is contained in a deep box within which is an inclined rib or surface
which the tongue rests and upon which it is capable of turning as upon a
hinge preferably by making a pin or projection at the narrow end of the tongue
engage in a hole in the casting or box containing it and making the said tongue at or
towards the broad end and the inclined surface upon which it rests engage by
a recess and projection. The tongue can thus be turned over as upon a hinge to open
either line as may be necessary. It may be retained in its normal position by a
weight which I preferably arrange so that it turns upon a centre pin on the casting
or box somewhat to the rear of a pin or projection screwed or otherwise secured
to the side of the tongue the weight being provided with fork-like terminations
or otherwise so that it rests upon these or projections and can be readily removed
therefrom. A lever can be inserted into a hole in this weight for operating the
tongue when it is necessary to do so by hand. When the vehicle travels on the line
in the direction in which the tread of the wheel bear, on the tongue, the tongue is
firmly supported by the inclined surface beneath and when the vehicle travelling
in the other direction approaches the tongue the flange of its leading wheel turns
over the tongue to open the groove for the vehicle. Any stones or obstructions that
may get into the space between the tongue and top of the box are readily pressed
down by the passing vehicles and fall into the space beneath. To remove the parts
the cover of the box or casting is removed and the weight is slipped from off the pins
on which it is sustained the pin on the tongue is detached and the tongue can then be
lifted out without disturbing the point or the paving of the road..
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for Joseph Kincaird.

page_text: I JOSEPH KINCAID of 11 Great George Street in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer do hereby d clare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:-
My Invention has for its object to provide a point for Tramways which is capable of
being operated automatically or by hand, as required, the parts being strong and not
liable to clogging or derangement and readily removable. The moveable tongue of
the point is made of a double wedge-shape or of tapering form from the heel towards
the toe and from the base to the surface and it contained in a box, within which is an
inclined rib or surface, upon which the lower edge of the tongue rests and upon
which it is capable of turning, as upon a hinge, preferably by making a pin or
projection at the heel or shallow end of the tongue, engage in a hole in the casting or
box containing it, and making the said tongue at or towards the deep end or toe
thereof, and the inclined surface upon which rests, engage by a recess and projection.
The tongue can thus be turned over as upon a hinge to open either line as may be
necessary.
It may
be retained in its normal position by a weight which I preferably
arrange so that it turns upon a centre pin on the casting or box, somewhat to the
rear of a pin or projection, screwed or otherwise secured to the side of the tongue,
the weight being provided with fork-like terminations or otherwise, so that it rests
upon these projections, and can be readily removed therefrom, a lever can be inserted
into a hole in this weight for operating the tongue when it is necessary to do so by
hand. Any stones or obstructions that may get into the space between the tongue
and top of the box are readily pressed down by the passing vehicles and fall into the
space beneath.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal Vertical Section of a tramway point constructed
according to my Invention Figure 2 is a plan of the same and Figure 3 is a
longitudinal vertical section through the box containing the weight and operating
lever for actuating the point by hand Figures 4 and 5 are transverse sections taken
respectively along the lines 1-2 and 3-4. Figure 1. A represent the wheel track of
the main line of a tramway, B the wheel track of a turn out or branch line and C the
point or tongue for closing and opening the tracks as required. The tongue Cis
double wedge shaped that is to say it tapers from the toe or end a towards the heel
or opposite end and also from the lower surface (which is equal in width
throughout) to the upper surface d, the degree of taper in this latter direction
gradually decreasing from the end a towards the end where the sides are parallel.
The tongue C is fitted to oscillate on a rib or projection D provided in a box or

page_text: chamber E cast or otherwise formed in the tramway, on which rib or projection the
said tongue Chas a continuous bearing and is prevented from becoming displaced by
a projection e on the rib engaging a recess near the deep end of the tongue, and
also by a stud or journal g on the end of the tongue entering a hole or socket h in
the box or casting E the said stud y being arranged with its centre on the vertical
line of the side of the tongue nearest to the main track A and in a line with the lower
edge upon which the said tongue oscillates so as to form an axis for the tongue to
turn upon.
The lower part of the end a of the tongue also bears against a curved surface
formed in the chamber E to prevent longitudinal movement of the said tongue.
From one side of the tongue C projects a pin or stud F upon which a weight G
bears, the said weight being fitted to turn on a stud at the rear of the stud Fin
the interior of the box E, the weight thus maintaining the tongue in its normal
position with the main track A open for the passage of vehicles.
When the vehicles travel in the direction in which the tread of the wheels bear
upon the tongue the said tongue is able to support the weight by having its bearing
through its length on the inclined surface of the rib or projection D, and when a
vehicle travelling in the opposite direction approaches the tongue the flange of the
leading wheel of the vehicle by acting between the tongue and the rail, causes the
tongue to oscillate or turn over on its inclined axis or bearing edge. In consequence
of the inclination of the axis on which the tongue turns, the motion of the tongue at
the heel or end is very slight, whilst the motion of the upper part or surface at the
toe or end a will be sufficient to fully open the groove to admit of the passage of the
vehicle from the track B to the track A. As soon as a vehicle has passed the point,
the tongue will be caused by the weight G to resume its normal position the said
tongue thus acting automatically. To enable the tongue to be worked by hand the
weigh G is provided with a socket 7 into which a lever K may be inserted by means
of which lever the weight G may be oscillated on the stud so as to press against
the underside of the stud F and thus move or turn the tongue over to open the track
B and close the track A, the tongue returning to its normal position by the pressure
of the weight G on the stud F when the lever is released or moved in the reverse
direction. The space in which the tongue oscillates is extended laterally beneath the
rails on both sides of the tongue and communicates with or forms a continuation of
the chamber or box E in which the weight G is fitted so that any stones or other
extraneous substances entering between the tongue and the rails will pass into the
space K. beneath and thence into the box or chamber E from which they may be
readily removed without interfering with the proper action of the tongue whilst any
water that may enter the box or chamber will flow away by the pipe or passage
E. The tongue Cand parts connected therewith may be readily removed for repairs
or renewal without interfering with the traffic or disturbing the paving of the Road-
way, it being simply necessary to remove the lid or cover from the box E, whereupon
the weight G may be slipped off the studs F and F and the stud F detached from
the tongue which may then be lifted out of position by raising the end a above the
curved surface and so as to disengage the projection e from the recess ƒ (the stud or
pivot being suitably curved to admit of this motion) the tongue may then be moved
longitudinally to disengage the stud or pivot g from the hole and may then be
removed and as readily replaced without interfering with the traffic.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
:-
First The combination of parts constituting a tramway point capable of being
operated automatically or by hand as required and arranged and operating substantially
s hereinfore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Second In points for tramways a double inclined or wedge shaped movable
ongue formed and fitted to turn on a continuous inclined axis whereby it is able to
bear the weight of the vehicles passing over it and only a slight motion is given to the

page_text: heel surface of the tongue when moved for opening and closing the tracks sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Third In tramway points of the kind referred to the combination therewith
beneath the rails where the points are situated of a space or recess into which stones
or other articles entering between the movable tongue and the rails are caused to fall
to obviate clogging and interference with the proper action of the point substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Fourth-The combination with the double inclined or wedge shaped movable
tongue Carranged as described of the weight G constructed and arranged to operate
substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.
Fifth-In points for tramways a double inclined or wedge shaped tongue having
a continuous hearing or axis and provided with a stud or pivot at one end engaging
a hole or recess in the box or chamber in which the tongue is fitted, and at its
opposite end with a recess engaging a projection on the inclined bearing surface
substantially as and for the purpose hereinfore described and illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.
Sixth The general construction combination and arrangement of parts consti-
tuting a point for tramways and capable of being readily fitted and taken apart for
repairs or renewal without interfering with the traffic or disturbing the road way
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.