IMPROVEMENTS IN CROSSINGS AND SWITCH APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Armstrong, of Brinsworth Iron Works,
Masbro', near Rotherham, in the County of York, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CROSSINGS AND SWITCH APPARATUS TO BE USED
WITH THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS
APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 16th July 1869, and dated the 19th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Armstrong at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th January 1869.
I, JOSEPH ARMSTRONG, of Brinsworth Iron Works, Masbro', near
Rotherham, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CROSSINGS AND SWITCH APPARATUS
TO BE USED WITH THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in crossings for the
permanent way of railways. For this purpose I first make a casting to

page_text: the shape or nearly so of the crossing required, and I afterwards roll,
hammer, or otherwise work it to the desired shape, as is well understood,
but instead of afterwards splitting the ends into two as has before
been attempted, I form the casting with divisions to the extent required
from one end thereof, so as to obviate the necessity of cutting them up
alter they have been sufficiently worked.
This part of the Invention is also applicable to the manufacture of
ships' "knees" or "beaks" for ships and other similarly formed articles,
such as plates to cover the fore ends of ships.
The Invention also relates to improvements in switch-apparatus to be
used with the permanent way of railways, and consists in improvements
upon an Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to me, dated
the 23rd April 1868 (No. 1882). For this purpose instead of carrying
the weight below the axis of motion of the switch lover, and enclosing
it in a box sunk in the ground, as shown and described in the Specifica-
tion of the before-mentioned Patent, I form the switch lever or handle
in two parts, mounted on the same axis of motion, one part consisting
of the lower portion of the switch lever and a quadrant with suitable
catches or stops therein, the other part consisting of the switch lever
handle, upon which is mounted a suitable weight and a spring stop to
act in one or other of the stops or catches of the quadrant. By these
means the switch is held in the desired position until reset by the
attendant, and is in all positions self-acting.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Armstrong in the Great Scal Patent Office 25
on the 19th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
ARMSTRONG, of Brinsworth Iron Works, Masbro', near Rotherham, in
the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 30
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
Second year of Ier reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto the said Joseph Armstrong, Her special licence,
that I, the said Joseph Armstrong, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Armstrong, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise; and
vond, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Iroland,, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CROSSINGS AND SWITCH APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH THE PERMANENT WAY OF
RAILWAYS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, tho said Joseph Armstrong,
my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
samo was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in tho
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, tho said Joseph Armstrong, do hereby declaro
the nature of tho said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to bo performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in aud
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in crossings for the
permanent way of railways. For this purposo I first make a casting
to the shape or nearly so of the crossing. required, and I afterwards
roll, hammer, or otherwise work it to the desired shapo, as is well under-
stood, but instead of afterwards splitting the ends into two as has
before been attempted, I form the casting with divisions to the extent
required from the end theroof, so as to obviate the necessity of cutting
them up after they have been sufficiently worked.
This part of the Invention is also applicable to the manufacture or
ships' "knees" or "beaks" for ships and other similarly formed articles,
such as V plates to cover the fore ends of ships..
The Invention also relates to improvements in switch apparatus to bo
used with the permanent way of railways, and consists in improvements
upon an Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to me, dated.
the 23rd April 1868, No. 1332. For this purpose instead of carrying
tho weight below the axis of motion of the switch lover, and enclosing

page_text: it in a box sunk in the ground, as shown and described in the Specifica-
tion of the before-mentioned Patent, I form the switch lever or handle
in two parts mounted on the same axis of motion, one part consisting
of the lower portion of the switch lever and a quadrant with suitable
catches or stops therein, the other part consisting of the switch lever
handle, upon which is mounted a suitable weight and a spring stop to
act in one or other of the stops or catches of the quadrant. By these
means the switch is held in the desired position until reset by the
attendant, and is in all positions self-acting.
And in order that my Invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying
Drawings, more fully to describe the same.
It should be observed that the crossing rails proposed to be used by
me and shewn in Drawings herein-after referred to, shewing the point
combined in one piece, with one or both wing rails, are crossing rails 1
constructed according to the Invention for which I obtained prior
Letters Patent, dated October 28th, 1856, No. 2530, and for improve-
ments on which I obtained Letters Patent, dated May 20th, 1865,
No. 1398.
2
Figure 1 is a plan of a crossing formed from a casting of steel or 2
iron of the shape shewn by the dotted lines with an opening or division a
cast therein; this casting is rolled or otherwise worked to the section
shewn at Figure 2, and the groove marked a' is made by planing,
pressing, or otherwise, and the parts a³ are cut away. The parts a³, a³,
are separated or opened out by means of a wedge driven into the open-
ing a. Figure 3 is a cross section of this crossing, with a single-headed
wing rail 6 combined therewith in suitable brackets; Figure 4 is a cross
section of the same crossing shewing a double-headed wing rail c
combined therewith in a suitable chair; Figuro 5 is a plan of another
crossing in which the wing and point rails are all formed from a casting 3
of steel or iron of the shape shown by the dotted lines, such casting
being made with the openings or divisions a and a³ and with a groove aº,
so that it may be made by rolling or otherwise working to the section
shown by Figure 6. When the groove a¹ is formed therein by planing,
pressing, or otherwise, the parts a' are cut away and the parts a³, a', and 3
a", a³, are opened out by means of a wedge driven into the openings or

page_text: divisions a, a'. By these means a crossing of the section shewn at
Figure 7 may be made. Figure 8 is a plan of a V or point rail or
crossing formed from a casting of steel or iron of the shape shown by
the dotted lines and with an opening or division d therein. The casting
is then rolled to the section shewn at Figure 9, and the rails d', d³, aro
opened out by a wedge driven into the opening d, and the V or point is
formed by planing. By these means I obviate the necessity for splitting
the ends of the crossings after they have been worked to the desired
shape. Figure 10 is a plan shewing how this V or point rail is combined
with the wing or sido rails.
I would here remark that other forms of crossings either single or
double headed may be made in a similar manner to that before described,
and that ships' "knees" or beaks and plates to cover the fore ends of
ships may be constructed in a somewhat similar manner.
Figure 11 is a sido viow of switch apparatus constructed according
to the second part of my Invention, in which the parts are all arranged
above ground instead of being let into the ground as in my Patent
before referred to. f is the lower part of the switch lever, which is
mounted on the axis of motion g and has formed thereon the quadrantƒ³
with suitablo stops or catches f", fs, formed therein. f is the upper
end of the switch lever, which is also mounted on the axis of motion g,
and has fixed thereto a weight h. The upper part f* of the switch lover
is also provided with a spring stop or catch f³ to act in one or other of
the stops or catches f, f, in the quadrant f. By these means the
switch is held in the desired position until reset by the attendant, and
is in all positions self-acting whilst the parts are very simple and readily
examined.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
mode in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein shown
and described; but what I do claim is,―
First. The construction of railway crossings and other similar articles
by first casting them in steel or iron to an approximate shape with
openings or divisions therein, and then after the parts have been worked
into shape to open out the ends thereof by wedges driven into such
openings or divisions, substantially as shewn and described.

page_text: Secondly. I claim the combined improvements in switch apparatus,
substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Armstrong, have hereunto
set my land and scal, this Fifteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord Ono thousand cight hundred and sixty-ninc.
Witness,
B. J. B. MILLS,
Patent Agent,
JOSH ARMSTRONG. (L.S.)
35, Southampton Buildings,
London.