An Improved Lever Apparatus for Operating Railway Points or. Switches.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Lever Apparatus for Operating Railway Points or.
Switches.
I, FRANCOIS MAJOLINI, of La Louviere, in the Kingdom of Belgium, do
hereby declare 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 following
statement :-
This invention relates to an improved lever for operating railway switches or
points, the said lever being designed to serve for "double" as well as "single
effect."
By the technical term "double effect" is meant the capability of the manipulating
apparatus, comprising the hand lever and the connecting rod, to serve on the one
hand for moving the switch or sliding rails or points, and on the other hand to
maintain the same in the position given to them. The term "single effect."
signifies that the manipulating apparatus only serves to move the switch or sliding
rails to a given position, in which position they will remain only so long as the
operator in charge holds the lever of the apparatus in position for the train to
pass, the said lever returning to its normal position as soon as it is released.
Apparatus of this kind have already been constructed, their mechanism is,
however, so complicated that the cost of manufacture is relatively high.
The object of my invention is to provide such a railway switch or point operating
apparatus of very simple construction, reliable in action and at a considerably lower
cost than apparatus of the kind now in use.
To give a clear idea of my invention I will describe the same with reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the switch lever in its normal position.
Figure 2 is an elevation thereof, likewise in the normal position.
,
Figure 3 is an elevation of the same as it stands when the points are moved from
their normal position, the lever A with its counterweight being supposed as held in
position by the switch-man.
The principal feature of my invention consists in the construction, arrangement
and combination of the manipulating lever A of the apparatus with the arm B and
counterweight E.
As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lever consists of a rod A, which at its pivot a
is bent slightly and which terminates in a flat piece provided with two eyes a¹ all
arranged side by side. One or other of these eyes serve the lever as centres of
attachment to the connecting piece 9 of the connecting rod 9', according as the
apparatus is desired to work with single or double effect, in other words these
eyes a¹ all serve to change the angle of oscillation of the operating lever A. In
the drawing the eye a is shown fixed to the connecting piece 7 by a removable
bolt al; this position of the operating lever represents that of "single effect,"
that is to say the position from which lever automatically returns to the initial
position, shown in Figure 2; when the arm B is released, it turns and so actuates
the lever A.
This automatic movement of the lever A oscillated by the arm B, is due to the
fact that the said arm B is integral with a stirrup-shaped piece b, through the two
extremities of which the lever A passes. One of these extremities, namely the
upper one b', is a simple ring or eye, whilst the lower one C, which is likewise

page_text: an eye, is provided at its lower part with an inclined surface c forming part of a
spiral (see Figure 3). The two extremities 1 and C of the stirrup shaped piece b
embrace the lever A moderately tightly and the said lever A serves as a pivot
about which the whole piece b can turn freely.
At the lower part of the lever A, above its pivot a and integral with the said
lever an enlargement or boss D is formed, the upper extremity of which is provided
with a spiral surface d similar to that of the lower extremity C of the stirrup
shaped piece b, but opposite, the apex of the inclined surface projecting upward.
The two spiral surfaces c and d are placed side by side when the apparatus is in
its normal position, so that the apices of the two inclined parts point in opposite
directions.
But if the arm B is turned, it is evident that the portion C of the
stirrup shaped piece b will follow the movement, and while turning about the
lever A, will, (when one half turn has been made) bring the apex of its spiral
surface c Dear the apex of the inclined spiral surface d'on the boss D
of the lever A. In this case the two spiral surfaces have acted like cams and the
counterweight E placed on the arm B will have given the necessary impulse
by which the lever A. is caused to oscillate rearwardly so as to occupy the position
marked in Figure 2 at X X. This position however can only be occupied as long
as the arm B is held, however slightly, by the operator in charge, because this
position is one of unstable equilibrium, seeing that in the vertical position of the
lever A, the stirrup shaped piece b tends to descend along the course presented to
it by the spiral surface d, (see Figure 3). Thus at the moment when the operator
in charge releases the arm B, the spiral surface c of the stirrup shaped piece b
descends along the inclined spiral surface d and in following this course the lever A
is forced to re-occupy the initial position shown in Figure 2, since the equilibrium
is destroyed.
The whole of the preceding description refers to the single effect, the apparatus
being properly adjusted for the purpose.
In order to set the apparatus for double effect, it is sufficient to withdraw the
bolt a in order to disengage the eye a" and oscillate the flat part at the extremity
of the short arm of the lever A, in the connection 9 until the eye or hole a¹
coincides with the holes in the said connection, whereupon the bolt a is thrust
into place in the said holes.
In consequence, the angle formed by the lever A with the connecting rod c is
more open, or greater, the effect being that, when the arm B is acted upon to thrust
the lever A backward, the said lever takes up the position marked Z Z Figure 2.
When in-operative, the said lever occupies the position marked y-y, (Figure 2).
In this latter case the attendant in charge of the apparatus need no longer retain
the arm B, because the rearwardly inclined position of the lever A does not allow
the spiral surface c to slide upon the spiral surface d, because it has no
longer the required degree of inclination necessary to overcome the resistance
of the counterweight E of the rod B. The man in charge therefore may release
this rod B and the downward pull of the counterweight in the rearward direction
serves to maintain the switch or slide rails or points in the position to which they
were moved in the operation.
The simplicity of the mechanism of this improved railway switch lever will be
easily understood and appreciated by persons skilled in railway matters, therefore
it is unnecessary to enter into further detail; if desired however, the oscillation of
the lever A may be prevented by means of a bolt or stud F (Figure 1) attached
and locked at to the lever support.
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 :-
1. The improved apparatus for operating railway switches or points consisting

page_text: extremity, the said flat, extremity being pierced with two holes which, according as
the one or the other hole engages with the connection or head of the eccentric or
connecting rod, allow the said lever to move through a greater or smaller angle,.
substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings
and for the purpose specified.
2. In combination with the lever referred to in the first claiming clause, a
stirrup-shaped piece integral with an arm provided with a counterweight, this
stirrup shaped piece being carried freely on the said lever, so that it can turn
thereon; the said stirrup-shaped piece having eyes arranged at its lower and upper
parts, through which eyes the switch lever passes, the lower eye having at its
lower side a spiral surface adapted to slide upon a spiral surface made rigid with
the lever, for the purpose of enabling the arm and counterweight to automatically
cause the lever to return to its initial position as soon as the arm and counter-
weight are released, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
3. The combination of the parts of the apparatus, constructed as hereinbefore
described aud claimed, which allow of the use of the said apparatus as a single and
double effect device, for the purpose specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.