Improvements in and relating to Electrical Devices for Operating Railway Points.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 12th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 17th Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Electrical Devices for Operating
Railway Points.
A communication by EMIL KLATTE, of Freiburg, in Breisgau, in the Empire of
Germany, Watch-maker.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.1.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an electric points-adjusting device, which is particularly
suitable for use in connection with central pointsman's boxes and for very distant
points.
According to this invention, the turning of the points is effected by means of a
small electro-motor, which sets in motion a screw by means of a worm gearing. A
nut on the screw is thereby moved forward, which is connected with the tongue
of the points, by means of a draw bar. The points are turned to one side or, the
other, according to whether the electro-motor be caused to run in one direction or
the other.
The worm may be arranged on the axle of the electro-motor, which may be of
any suitable construction, and this worm engages with a worm wheel, on the screwed
spindle of which there is secured the nut which is connected with the points by
means of a draw bar. By the action of the electro-motor, the nut is in this manner
pushed backwards and forwards on the screwed spindle and thereby the points are
turned to one side or the other.
•
When by the turning of the points the tongue of the same has come quite close
to its rail, the current must be turned off, so that the existing force of the machine
just suffices to bring the tongue of the points firmly against its rail. For this
purpose the following arrangement is made use of:
A switch arm is movably arranged in such a way that it may be brought in
contact with one or the other of two contact pieces, as desired. A spring acts on
the upper rounded-off end of the switch arm, which tends to move outwards the
lower end of the same. The arm is however retained on the centre of the respective
contacts, by means of suitable projections. A rod is placed above or below the
switch arm, which rod is provided with two projecting pins, which lie within reach
of the switch arm. This rod is connected with the draw bar nut aforesaid, and
shares the movement of the same. If the rod be moved to the right, one of its pins
encounters the switch arm and carries it with it. The switch arm is then pushed
over the corresponding semicircular shaped contact piece, until it has almost
reached the middle line between the two contact pieces. At this moment the line
of pressure of the spring exceeds the middle line of the switch arm, and this latter
springs in consequence thereof suddenly into a position on the left hand side of the
switch board, in which position it is in connection with the other contact piece.
The current is thereby interrupted, and the active force of the motor will be just
sufficient to press the tongue of the points firmly against its rail.
In order to turn the points from the one position to the other, the current must
be sent through the motor in the reverse direction. This is done by means of a
commutator provided with two contact pieces insulated one from the other, No. 1
of which is connected with the positive, and No. 2 with the negative pole of the
may therefore
current. By a quarter or a half revolution respectively, the current
be either entirely turned off, or sent through the conductor in a reverse direction.

page_text: The commutator which receives the current and a switch are placed at the station.
A conductor leads from the commutator to the electro-motor, situated near the
points, whilst two conductors, No. 1 and No. 2 lead from the two contacts of the
switch which is in the station to the two contacts of the other switch which is at
the electro-motor end. When the commutator is in the proper position therefor,
the current passes from the positive contact, through the conductor leading to the
electro-motor, and from this latter back again through its switch, the conductor,
No. 1 aforesaid, and the switch in the station. The screw spindle in connection
with the electro-motor is consequently set in motion, and moves the points. When
the tongue of the points has come quite close to its rail, the switch at the electro-
motor end is switched over in the manner hereinbefore described, by means of the
rod with its pins and the spring, and springs over on the contact into the reverse
position. The current is thereby interrupted and the active force of the electro-
motor just suffices to bring the tongue of the points firmly against the rail. If
then the points have to be brought into the opposite position, the pointsman
reverses the commutator and connects the switch in its neighbourhood with the
conductor No. 2. The current then flows from the positive contact piece of the
commutator, through the switch in question, the conductor No. 2, and the switch at
the electro-motor end, to the electro-motor and back from this latter through the
conductor to the commutator. The electro-motor is thereby actuated in an opposite
direction to the previous one, and the points are turned. The pin of the rod which
actuates the switch arm of the switch near the electro-motor then pushes the switch
arm forwards, until the same suddenly springs over, and thus cuts off the current.
In this manner, points which are situated at any suitable distance may be operated
in the easiest manner from the station, and the rods, which are so unpractical for
great distances, for setting the points may be dispensed with.
Dated this 12th day of February 1892.
WM P THOMPSON & Co..
Agents for the Applicant.
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Electrical Devices for Operating
Railway Points.
A communication by EMIL KLATTE, of Eckerstrasse, 2, Freiburg, in Breisgau,
in the Empire of Germany, Watch-maker.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of
Middlesex Civil Engineer, 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 electric points-adjusting device, which is particularly
suitable for use in connection with central pointsman's boxes and for very distant
points.
According to this invention, the turning of the points is effected by means of a
small electro-motor which sets in motion a screw by means of a worm gearing.
A nut on the screw is thereby moved forward, which is connected with the tongue
of the points, by means of a draw bar. The points are turned to one side or the
other, according to whether the electro-motor be caused to run in one direction or
the other.
On the accompanying drawing—
Bicure 1 shows a vla view of auch an errangement of points.

page_text: The worm F may be arranged on the axle of the electro-motor G which may be
of any suitable construction, and this worm engages with a worm wheel E, on the
screwed spindle D of which there is secured the nut C which is connected with the
points A by means of a draw bar B. By the action of the electro-motor, the nut C
is pushed backwards and forwards on the screwed spindle D and thereby the points
are turned to one side or the other.
When by the turning of the points the tongue of the same has come quite close
to its rail, the current must be turned off, so that the existing force of the machine
just suffices to bring the tongue of the points firmly against its rail. For this
purpose the following arrangement, as shown in Figure 3, is made use of-
A switch arm H is movably arranged in such a way that it may be brought in
contact with one or the other of two contact pieces J and K as desired. A
spring W acts on the upper rounded-off end of the switch arm, which tends to move
the lower end of the arm outwards.
The arm is however retained on the centre of the respective contacts, by means
of suitable projections. A rod L is placed above or below the switch arm, which
rod is provided with two projecting pins N and M which lie within reach of the
switch arm.
This rod L is connected with the draw bar nut C aforesaid, and
shares the movement of the saine. If the rod be moved to the right into the
position shown in Figure 3, its pin N encounters the switch arm H and carries it
with it. The switch arm is then pushed over the corresponding semicircular shaped
contact. piece, until it has almost reached the middle line between the two contact
pieces. At this moment the line of pressure of the spring W exceeds the middle
line of the switch arm H, and this latter springs in consequence thereof suddenly
into the position shown in dotted lines, in which position it is in connection with
the other contact piece K. The current is thereby interrupted, and the active
force of the motor will be just sufficient to press the tongue of the points firmly
against its rail.
In order to turn the points from the one position to the other, the current must
be sent through the motor in the reverse direction. This is done by means of the
commutator, shown in various positions in Figure 4, provided with two contact
pieces P and Q insulated one from the other of which P is connected with the
positive and Q with the negative pole of the current. By a quarter or a half
revolution respectively, as is casily seen from Figure 4, the current may be either
entirely turned off, or sent through the conductor in a reverse direction.
In Figures 5 and 6, the circuit of the current of the point adjusting device is
shown. The commutator O which receives the current and a switch V are placed
at the station. A conductor R leads from the commutator to the electro-motor G
situated near the points, whilst two conductors S and T lead from the two contacts
of the switch V which is in the station to the two contacts J and K of the other
switch which is at the electro-motor end. In the position of the commutator shown
in Figure 5, the current passes from the positive contact P through the conductor R
to the electro-motor G and from this latter back again through its switch H, the
conductor S and the switch V in the station. The screw spindle D in connection
with the electro-motor is consequently set in motion, and moves the points. When
the tongue of the points has come quite close to its rail, the switch H at the
electro-motor end is switched over in the manner herein before described by means
of the rod with its pins, and the spring causes it to spring over onto the contact K
into the reverse position shown in dotted lines. The current is thereby interrupted
and the momentum of the electro-motor just suffices to bring the tongue of the
points firmly against the rail. If then the points have to be brought into the
opposite position, the pointsman reverses the commutator O, Figure 6, and connects
the switch V with the conductor T. The current then flows from the positive
contact piece P of the commutator through the switch V, the conductor T and the
switch H to the electro-motor G and back from this latter through the conductor R
to the commutator. The electro-motor is thereby actuated in an opposite direction
to the previous one, and the points are turned. The pin M, Figure 3, of the rod L

page_text: then pushes the switch arm H forwards, until the same, suddenly springs over, and
thus cuts off the current.
In this manner, points which are situated at any suitable distance may be operated
in the easiest manner from the station, and the rods, which are so, unpractical for
great distances, for setting the points may be dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is-
The improvements in and relating to electrical devices for operating railway
points, which consist of a spring switch arm under the influence, of spring, pressure
and capable of being switched over by means of a bar, provided with two. pro-
jections, connected with the points the moment that the tongue of the points has
come so close to its respective main rail that the momentum. of the electro-motor is
just sufficient to press the tongue of the points firmly against the rail, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 11th day of November 1892