An Improved Point or Switch for Meat Rails and other Railways.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ARTHUR LATIMER MCCREDIE, of Pitt Street,
Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales, Engineer and Architect.]
An Improved Point or Switch for Meat Rails and other Railways.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 115 Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent 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 reference being had
to the accompanying sheet of drawings and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
This invention has been devised in order to provide an improved point or switch
or connecting piece between rails of ways set at various angles to one another so
that carriers or trucks may run either on the one rail or be turned off from the one
on to the other set at any angle to it. It is especially useful for overhead rails and
when double flanged wheels are used such as those in meat rooms and refrigerating
chambers but may also be used for other kinds of railways particularly those where
double flanged wheels are used. This improved point or switch is strong in
construction cheap in cost and handy in use.
This improved point or switch or connecting piece for overhead and other
railways consists essentially of a straight piece centred in the straight rail and
carrying a diverging piece between the straight and the off rail so that the
straight piece being turned upon its centres will move the diverging piece from
between the straight and the off rails and leave a straight rail and being again
reversed will replace the diverging piece and make the straight and off rail
continuous. An essential part of this point or switch is that both top and bottom
surfaces of the centred piece are used one forming in one position the straight rail
and the other forming in the reversed position the diverging rail.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood reference will now be
made to the drawing herewith in which Figure 1 is a plan of my improved point or
switch connecting a straight with a diverging rail Figures 2 and 3 being end and
side elevation respectively of the same while Figure 4 is a section of the centred
connecting rail on line a a Figure 1.
A is a straight or main rail. B a diverging rail therefrom. C a carrier.
D is centred straight piece. D¹ diverging piece. D³ is straight groove for flange
of carrier wheel and D³ curved groove for same. Dare centres. D³ is centre
piece bolted to rail A by bolt D. D' is recess. B is mitred end. B2 recess.
The piece D having been correctly fitted in centres D₁ so that the piece D¹ will
rest in recess B2 and its end fit on mitre B' the bolt D' is tightened and the rail is
ready for use.
The position of the point being the same as that shown in the drawing a carrier
coming along rail A in the direction of the arrow will be guided by groove D³
(which allows the outer flange of roller wheel to clear) to and upon piece D¹ and
rail B but if it is desired that such carrier should continue upon straight rail or
track the attendant say with a staff reverses piece D' and causes piece D to turn
on centres D' until the underside of curve D' rests in recess D' when groove D²
will allow the flange of carrier wheel to pass. Similarly the position of the point
may be again reversed when it is desired to use the diverging or off rails.
It will be seen that instead of flat the rails may be bulb-rod or Trails when the
grooves necessary in the flat rails are dispensed with but that no matter what kind
of rail be used that the centred straight piece carrying a curved or angular piece-
constituting the point or switch-may be used.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is
First. An improved point or switch or connecting piece for meat rails and other
railways the essential feature of which is a piece of rail centred in or on one rail
and carrying the connecting piece from said rail to another so that such latter
piece may be thrown into and out of connection substantially as herein described.
Second. The special construction of point or switch having straight piece D
centred at D in or on rail A having diverging piece D' with mitred end and having
grooves D2 and D³ substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated
in the drawing.
Dated this 9th day of November One thousand eight hundred and ninety-two
W. H. BECK,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Applicant.