IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and Com
pany, Patent Agents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
RAILWAYS." A communication from abroad by Charles Hughes, of the City
and District of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec, Canada, Lumber
Merchant
led the 14th October 1876, and dated the 25th August 1876.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th August 1876.
"
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Patent Agents,
of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS ON THE
CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS." A communication from abroad by Charles Hughes,
of the City and District of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec, Canada, Lumber
Merchant.
This Invention has reference to an improvement on railway switches for the
purpose of enabling cars or trains to be switched or shunted in such a manner that
the assortment of cars to make up a train from an accumulated number of cars or to
disperse or divide a train on to different rails may be more readily effected than
by the switches at present in use, and will be found useful in the case of arranging
cars for delivery of freight at sheds, &c. It also provides a means of crossing
a track or a number of tracks on the level to any rail on the other side of them.
My Invention further arranges a means of working two switches at the same
time, it also dispenses in certain cases with the usual frogs by what I call a "take
off," and a new form of chair to receive the end of the switch rail.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed similar letters of reference indicate like parts,
and Fig. 1 is a plan showing my Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of modification of
Fig 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of "take of"; Fig. 4 is a plan of chair; Fig. 5 is
a plan of chair modified.
Letters a, b, c, may be taken to be three main tracks of rails; d is a switch
operated by a lever, &c. attached to the connection e, so that the switch rails may
be set as shown in the Drawings to unite with the rails f, or with the rails b;
g is a similar switch operated by a lever, &c., attached to the connection h, so that
the switch rails g may be set as shown in the Drawings to unite with the rails i,
or with those b. The levers attached to e and h will by an arrangement of axles
Dis G71

page_text: and cranks be bought together, so that they may be operated by one person at the
same time, is a switch connecting the rails with those e; and is a switch
connecting the rails f with the rails a These two switches, as shown in the
Drawings, are arranged to be operated simultaneously with the switches d and g,
but this is not necessarily so, as they may if desired be arranged to be operated by
a lever in the ordinary manner. My means of operating the two switches d and
org and simultaneously is as follows -m are two brackets attached to the
sleepers of the track, having an opening to receive the flat bar n sliding freely in
them; to this is provided, in the position shown, one end of a link o, while the
other end of the link is attached to the distanco bar p for holding the two switches 1
the proper distance from each other, so that by moving the switch rails, and setting
them to the one track or the other the bars are caused to move longitudinally
In the form of switch shown at by attaching a link g to the barn and distance
bar pin the position shown in the Drawings the switch rails are caused to move
with the motion of the bar n. In the form of switch shown at t the switch rail ]
is provided with an arm having a slot opening under the barn to receive a pin
set into the rail on the under side, so that the rail rotating with its end in the
chair 8 as a centre is caused to move close up to the rail a or to remove to a distance
from it in accordance with the motion of the bar n To cause the rail t, being the
other switch rail, with the rail to move with it, a distance bar p unites the two,
the distance bar passing under the rail a.
The particular form or construction of the chair s is more clearly shown in Fig. 4,
and is similar to those already in use, only that it is formed with a central bridge
piece v extending up the size and height of the rail so that it may be said to forin
a short piece of the same, and the one half of the chair that receives the end of the 2
switch rail is "flared" or "belled" out an amount equal to that required for the
angles to which the rails have to move. The chairs are similar to those 8, with
the exception that as they receive a switch rail at both ends they are “flated” or
belled on both ends, as shown in Fig. 5.
"E
The "take off" is more clearly shown in Fig. 3 It is constructed with a flange w s
that comes over the rail; this flange is tapered off at both ends, so that the wheels
passing over it readily mount or rise and lower, and by its thickness their flanges
are carried over without touching upon the rail a, thus dispensing with the ordinary
frogs.
•
In the modification shown in Fig. 2 of my Invention, as compared to that in s
Fig. 1, the rails a, b, c, are made to converge to one double switch g and d, and in
this case, although but three sets of rails have been described and shown in the
Drawings, yet the ends of a greater number may be brought to the range of
connecting with the double switch.
The operation of my Invention is as follows:-Referring, in the first instance, 4
more particularly to Fig. 1. By setting the switches in the position shown, a
train coming on the line a, in the direction shown by the arrow, can pass directly
across the line bon to the line c, or by setting the switch g to the rails b it can pass
on to them
In case of a train arriving at the switch 7 (coming from the direction
shown) requiring that the first portion of the train shall continue on the line a, the
second on the line c, and the third on the line b, the cars for b will be uncoupled and
left at the switch 1, the engine will then proceed with the switches in the position
shown in Fig. 1 on to the line c, and leave the second part of the train at 1. It will
then come back and connect with the third part of the train, which it will leave at
2, and then return to the switch 1, and can proceed along the line a at once with
the remainder of the train. The switches shown in Fig. 1 may be set in series so
that a greater number of tracks than there may be provided for, and if the lines are
continued for some distance parallel they may also be set at intervals to give a
greater amount of accomodation In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the trains
arriving at one end of the switch (by setting the switch one half to agree with the
rail upon which the train is, and the other half either to agree with the continuation
of the same rail or with any of the other rails) can by passing over the switch be

page_text: transferred directly from one rail to the other. In Fig 2 the switch d is shown to
connect with the rails a, while the switch g connects with those c, therefore in that
position a train passing over the switch will be transferred from the rails a to those
c, and vice versa, or by setting the switch to the rails b or a the train would pass
on to those rails The advantages of this switch in dividing or sorting out cars
either to make up a train from cars on different tracks, or to distribute a train of
cars on to different tracks, is at once apparent
What I claim is as follows:-
1st. The combination of the switches d and g with rails a, b, c, or i, f, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described.
2ndly. The combination of the bar n, links o and q, with switches g and k,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3rdly. The combination of the bar n, link o, and arm r, with switches & and l,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
4thly. The chairs, having bridge piece v, and flared or belled ends, substantially
us and for the purposes described.
5thly. The chair u, flared or belled at both ends, having bridge piece V, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
L HADDAN
HI HADDAN
(is)