IMPROVEMENT IN FIXED POINTS FOR TRAM AND RAILWAYS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I MAURICE PHILLIPS Wheelwright and Blacksmith of the Bull Stake Darlaston
in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the nature of my invention.for
IMPROVEMENT IN FIXED POINTS FOR TRAM AND RAILWAYS to be as follows:-
A piece of iron or steel to be called a guide which will close up the trailing side
and allow the wheels travelling on the line, only to go up the straight or open
side of the point, the guide to revolve a sufficient distance to allow the wheels to
pass through when coming in a contrary direction, a balance weight attached to
the guide will make the same fall back again in its place when the wheels have
passed over.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I MAURICE PHILLIPS Wheelwright & of the Bull stake Darlaston in the County
of Stafford do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENT OF
FIXED POINTS FOR TRAM AND RAILWAYS and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The body of the point shall be constructed as is usual and convenient and of any
section. The point casting or forging is so made as to have an opening in the
trailing aide into which opening is fitted a piece of iron or steel or other material

page_text: and hereinafter called a guide piece which fills up and closes the trailing side of
the point but allows the straight side to be open so that the engine or car wheels
shall travel only up the straight or main road.
This guide piece is fitted by a suitable arrangement in such manner that the
weight of the engine or car shall cause it to rock to one side and in a downward
direction so as to allow the engine or car-wheels to pass through when coming in
the opposite direction without subjecting the engine or car to any dropping or
bumping from a filling or dummy piece as it at present the case. A balance weight
is attached to the guide piece by a connection passing under the rail and is enclosed
in a box placed on the side of the point which causes the guide piece to resume its
original position after allowing the passage of the engine or car. By this arrange-
ment the guide piece automatically accomodates itself to the direction of the
vehicles. The guide piece rests in a rocking bed constructed in the metal forming
the side of the point and is secured in its place in such manner as to prevent its
rising by means of two pins or other suitable device By this arrangement the
guide can be removed from its bed if necessary without any disturbance of the
surrounding ballast or paving.
And further to explain my invention I proceed now to make explanation of
Drawings required after sending complete Specification.
G. G. G (ground plan, section on line a. b. & section on line C D). is the guide
piece which stops up the trailing side of the point, and makes the wheels travel up
the straight or open side, and which revolves or moves sideways and in a down-
ward direction, a certain distance, so as to allow the wheels to go through when
coming in an opposite direction.
W. W. (ground plan & section on line CD). is the ballance weight to make the
guide take its closed position as soon as each wheel has passed through,
Trailing side, and straight side or main road, are shewn on Drawing.
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
L
1st The piece of iron steel or other material herein called the guide piece which
being placed in the opening in the trailing side of the point shall rock in such
manner as to accomodate the direction of the vehicles as hereinbefore described.
2nd The automatically acting balance weight which causes the guide piece to
recover its original position when not admitting vehicles on the trailing side and
which weight I consider preferable to steel rubber or other springs which are
liable to lose their elasticity and become inoperative owing to wear or variations of
temperature.
Dreighth day of March 1885