Improvements in the Antifriction Pulleys and Standards Framing used for Supporting Horizontal Actuation Rods.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug, 1894
Complete Specification Left. 16th Apr.. 1895-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Antifriction Pulleys and Standards
Framing used for Supporting Horizontal Actuation Rods.
or
I, FREDERICK SIMMONS of 9 Manor Place Walworth Road, London Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention mostly relates to the better construction, equipment, and fixing
down of those double-faced separated standards which form frames for antifriction
wheels, pulleys, or rollers which are used for facilitating the motion of the rods
which move railway points, signals and the like.
In respect of the actual pulleys the antifriction rollers which bear the weight
of the horizontal rods are to be made in pairs of half sheaves, thus conducing to
various not inconsiderable advantages, cast iron rollers being made thus more
easily and truer and the renewal of damaged sheaves being effected more cheaply.
Hollow backed sheaf pulleys mounted on fixed axles are to be thus made and also
even the kind of rollers which travel along ledges or slot courses; in the latter case
the antifriction roller, a pair of half sheaves, would be mounted rather loosely on
a central rod, or axle, or spindle, of which the projecting ends would act as
trunnions.
In respect of the upright frames or standards one novelty of the improvements
appears in the shape of the upper boss or head, also similarly (when there is one)
of the central or lower boss, wherein pins, preferably split pins of half round wire,
either secure the tie-rod or spindle, or merely confine the same in its bearings
forming stops to the ends thereof; these tie rods or spindles thus do not project
dangerously outside the standards and moreover the said spindles may be securely
confined yet left free to themselves, revolve for antifriction purposes. This con-
struction of the bosses of the uprights with their horizontal holes in which the
spindles or tie-rods have their support or bearings requires that provision be made
in the plan of these uprights for the split confining pins, which cross the said
horizontal holes centrally and perpendicularly to be opened underneath the bosses
through which they pass. For this purpose the upper boss requiring a small open
space immediately underneath is best supported by two firm pillars or rib-like arms
rising from the central part of the structure; now two such firm pillars will also
make the most suitable construction for the part of the uprights immediately above
the middle boss, the open space between the two pillars allowing a pin to be
passed through the central boss which, being supported on two extended side legs,
has a space underneath allowing the split pin to be opened. In standards having
bearings for two spindles one long pin may answer for the two bosses of each
standard.
The next novel advantage appertains to the soles of the foot part of separated
standards which have been found to cause faulty setting up or, if lightly made,
snapping off of the feet when being tightly screwed down by reason of the central
part of the soles (in a line throughout under the upright of the standard) giving a
bias, say to the left when the coach screw is tightened on one foot but a bias to
the right when the coach screw is tightened on the other foot. The improved
standards are to have hollows underneath throughout the central line of their feet
and thus they will press on the bed or timber only along the parallel sides of their

page_text: concave soles. Hitherto when hollows previously have been made in the soles of
the feet of standards the direction of the hollow has been in the opposite direction
or crosswise to the line of the upright and merely to give facility in moulding.
This improved contrivance of soles hollowed from toe to heel is also advantageous
in other ways. Ordinarily inch coach screws require their holes to be bored with
two bits; first a large bit to allow a part of the wide shoulder to sink into the
timber and afterwards a smaller bit for the deeper part of the hole wherein the
screwed part bites. The improved foot construction by giving an elevation of
about or inch or thereabouts to the screw inside the footholes of the standards
allows the screws to be screwed home into a hole in the timber bored with only a
single small sized bit because enough of the solid shoulder of the coach screw will
remain in the elevated foot hole.
By the next improvement it is intended to avoid the necessity for using two
coach screws for every standard where many separated standards are to be fixed up
side by side. For this purpose the "shins" or leg ends of the standards join their
Hat topped feet perpendicularly and thus two flat iron bars, or bars of angle iron,
may overlie the feet and bear against the legs, two coach screws only, one for each
end of each bar simultaneously securing the bar and the feet of the end standards
on one side of a set of standards, the middle standards of the set being then held
securely by the fixed bars. Thus a number of coach screws may be dispensed
with and four coach screws and two bars fix the whole set of standards. This last
method of fixing will be useful for very light descriptions of framing which may
even be in pairs united either at the top or bottom and made out of stamped
sheet metal, the apertures slots and desirable parts being strengthened by flanges.
Hitherto antifriction pulley frames have been bolted, spiked, or screwed down
to their beds but it is proposed to specially adapt the foot parts to give sufficiently
firm holding-down power by making the foot parts so rounded, bevelled, open at
parts, and hollowed as to facilitate the access and close settlement around the
same of a liquid mixture of, say, water and Portland cement, when poured over and
round about the same. C'ement may also be used in conjunction with holding down
bars and in lieu of interlocking foot projections,
As the invasion of stones and other matter obstructing the antifriction rollers
is mostly from one side only of the railway actuation rods it is thought advisable
to place a protecting shield on the side of the standards adjacent to the rails.
Dated this 30th day of July 1894.
Improvements in the Antifriction Pulleys and Standards or
Framing used for Supporting Horizontal Actuation Rods.
I, FREDERICK SIMMONS, of 9 Manor Place, Walworth Road, London, 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 the better construction, equipment, and fixing down of
those double faced separated standards which form frames for the anti-friction
wheels, pulleys or rollers used for facilitating the motion for the horizontal rods
which move railway points, signals, and the like.
In respect of the actual pulleys, the anti-friction rollers which bear the weight,
pressure, and perhaps side-thrust of the horizontal rods are to be made in pairs of
half sheaves conducing to various not inconsiderable advantages, cast iron rollers
being made thus more easily and truer, and the removal of damaged sheaves being

page_text: effected more cheaply. Hollow backed sheaf pulleys mounted on fixed or revolving
axles are to be thus made and also even the kind of rollers which travel along
ledges or slot courses; (in the latter case the anti-friction roller, a pair of half
sheaves, would be mounted rather loosely on a central rod, or axle, or spindle, of
which the projecting ends would act as trunnions). Each divided pulley may thus
revolve on its own short independent spindle or two or more pulleys on one
continuous spindle.
In respect of the upright frames or standards one novelty of the improvements
appears in the shape of the bosses or heads the upper boss and (where there is one)
the central or lower boss, wherein split pins (or just as well, common wire nails, or
zinc or galvanized nails) either secure the tie-rod or spindle, or merely confine the
same in its bearings forming stops to the end thereof; these tie-rods or spindles
thus do not project dangerously outside the standards, and moreover the said
spindles may be securely confined yet left free to themselves revolve for anti-
friction purposes. This construction of the bosses of the uprights with their
horizontal holes in which the spindles or tie-rods have their support or bearings
requires that provision be made in the plan of these uprights for the confining pins
(which cross the said horizontal holes preferably perpendicularly) to emerge at
an opening underneath the bosses through which they pass. For this purpose the
upper boss requiring a small open space immediately underneath is best supported
by two firm pillars or rib-like arms rising from the central part of the structure;
two such firm pillars will also suit the part of the frames immediately above the
middle boss, the open space between the two pillars allowing the same or another
pin to be passed through the central boss. In standards having bearings for two
spindles one long pin will easily answer for the two bosses of the same standard.
The next novel advantage appertains to the soles of the foot part of separated
standards which have been found to cause faulty setting up or, if lightly made,
snapping off of the feet while being tightly screwed down by reason of the central
part of the soles (in a line throughout under the upright of the standards) giving
a bias say to the left when the coach screw is tightened on one foot, but a bias to
the right when the coach screw is tightened on the other foot. The improved
standards are to have hollows underneath throughout the central line of their feet
and thus they will press on the bed or timber only along the parallel sides of their
concave soles. Hitherto when hollows have previously been made in the soles of
the feet of standards the hollow has been in the opposite direction or cross-wise to
the line of the upright or merely to give facility in moulding. This improved
contrivance of soles hollowed from toe to heel is also advantageous in other ways.
For really good fixing inch coach screws require their holes to be bored with two
bits; first a large bit to allow a part of the wide shoulder to sink into the timber
and afterwards a smaller bit for the deeper part of the hole wherein the screwed
part bites. The improved foot construction by giving an elevation of about or
inch or thereabouts to the screw inside the foot holes of the standards allow the
screws to be screwed home into a hole in the timber bored with only a single small
sized bit because enough of the solid shoulder of the coach screw will remain in
the elevated foot hole and no preparation need be made for the said solid shoulder
eutering the timber.
"
By the next improvement it is intended to avoid the necessity for using two
coach screws for every standard where many separated standards are to be fixed up
side by side. For this purpose the "shins or leg ends of the standards join their
flat topped feet perpendicularly and thus two flat iron bars or bars of angle iron,
may overlie the feet and bear against the legs, two coach screws only, one for each
end of each bar simultaneously securing the bar and the feet of the end standards
on one side of a set of standards, the middle standards of the set being then held
down securely by the fixed bars. Thus a number of coach screws may be dispensed
with and four coach screws and two bars fix the whole set of standards. This last
mode of fixing will be useful for very light descriptions of framing which may even

page_text: be in pairs united either at top or bottom and made out of stamped sheet metal,
the apertures, slots, and desirable parts being strengthened by flanges and the
whole stamped standard being a kind of sheet metal hollow case or shell.
Hitherto anti-friction pulley frames have been bolted, spiked, or screwed down
to their foundations, but it is now proposed to specially adapt the foot part to give
more holding-down power by making the same so hevelled, rounded, open at parts,
and hollowed so as to facilitate the access and close settlement around about and
over the same of a liquid or pasty mixture of, say water and Portland cement.
Instead of Portland cement or the like, asphaltic compositions or bitumen might
be used the one perhaps being preferable for withstanding cold, and the other hot
climates. Cement or the like may be used in conjunction with holding down bars
and screws.
As the invasion of stones and other matter obstructing lower anti-friction
rollers is mostly from one side only of the railway actuation rods it is thought
advisable to place projecting shields on the side of the standards adjacent to the
rails.
Figure 1 is a view of the kind of standard above referred to, sets of which can
readily be screwed by a minimum of 4 coach screws instead of two coach screws
to every single section throughout a set of many continuous standards. A shield a
shews the simple requirements for closing the archway on the side adjacent to the
rails.
Figure 2 shows a side view of a single standard, and Figure 3 an end view of a
pair (one in mid section). The confining pin P is seen in position in Figure 1
where is an upper boss. In the other figures pins are shown at P, P1, P2 and
Q shows a boss with a vacant pin hole whilst Qillustrates a boss holding a securing
pin. The slight concavity in the sole of the feet runs from the toe to the heel h
and again from to t' of the other foot.
Forasmuch as sheaves, trunnions, half sheaves and spindles used in guide bearings
become clogged in their movements by having the surfaces covered with a protective
paint it is here now proposed in order to protect their manufacture for the
purposes
of this invention that such parts be galvanized or zinc amalgamated or coated with
magnetic oxide, such process having apparently only hitherto been applied to the
frames of old designs.
No claim is intended to be made under the improvements of this invention for
separated, or double faced, or other standards as hitherto made or previously
patented whether for stationary rollers, or travelling rollers, or swinging rollers,
or hanging rollers, but only for standards comprising or combined with the
improvements and novelties above mentioned, described and specially claimed
herein. The improvements can all be more or less applied to "switchback " and
other "travelling"" roller guide bearings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare what I
claim is :-
1. Anti-friction pulleys, for supporting actuation rods made in half sections
whether with free spindle like truunions (or bearing axles) for each pair of half
sheaves, or whether with one axle-bearing common to 2 or more pairs of half-
sheaves.
2. Standards having the bosses which encompass the ends of tie-rods, axles, or
spindles, pierced to receive a pin to confine or secure the said axles, spindles, or
tie-rods, which will thus not obtrude at the external faces of pairs of standards
or of end or flanking standards of sets.
3. The concave-soled foot contrived as described.
4. The use of securing foot bars whereby the employment of a large number of
screws or bolts is dispensed with.
5. The shield for defending the arch-way of standards.

page_text: 6. Using hydraulic, asphaltic or similar cement and forming the pedestal or
entire foot parts (sole plate, rising sides, edges and apertures) suitably for fixing
down by such cement.
F. SIMMONS.