IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOVING THE POINTS OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF TRAMWAYS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Charles Urry of Upper Park Street Islington
in the County of Middlesex-for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR MOVING THE POINTS OF THE PERMANENT WAY OF TRAMWAYS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Charles Urry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st October 1883.
EDWIN CHARLES URRY of Upper Park Street Islington in the County of
Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOVING THE POINTS OF THE
PERMANENT WAY OF TRAMWAYS
"
The object of this invention is to enable the driver or other person in chargo of
a tram car to move the points at a junction just before the wheels.of the car reach
them so as to ensure the car running in the right groove or direction and the
invention essentially consists in the employment of a rail laid parallel with tho
rails of the permanent way just before the junction is reached, the said rail being
connected by mechanism hereinafter described with the points so that when
depressed by a tappet or device on the car it moves the points and ensures that
the car will run in the right groove or direction.
In carrying out my invention I support the parallel rail above described by
levers which in their normal position are kept by springs or otherwise in a position
slightly inclined from the vertical. Midway between the said rail and the fulcra
of its supporting levers a rod is placed the end of which is connected with tho
junction points by an arrangement composed of a pivoted lever or link jointed to
the said rod, a bar connecting this lever with a bell-crank lever and another bar
connecting the bell-crank lover with the point.
This mechanism gives motions to the points when acted upon in the following
manner:
At the time the tram car is approaching the junction and before passing on to the
siding or diverging rails the driver or other person in charge of the tram car presses
a lever on the car which lowers a tappet or other device so that this device comes
into contact with the parallel rail before mentioned and depresses it, thus causing
the supporting levers to fall into a more inclined position and thereby through the
intermediate mechanism before described moving the points in a direction which
causes them to close the direct groove against which the tram car is advancing and
open the groove into which the wheel of the car is required to enter; the right
direction for the advance of the car is thus onsured,

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edwin Charles Urry in the Patent Office on the 30th April 1884.
EDWIN CHABLES. URRY of Upper Park Street, Islington in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOVING THE POINTS OF THE
PERMANENT WAY OF TRAMWAYS
"
The object of this invention is to enable the driver or other person in charge of
✓a tramcar to move the points at a junction just before the wheels of the car reach
them so as to ensure the car running in the right groove or direction and the
"invention essentially consists in the employment of a rail laid parallel with the
rails of the permanent way just before the junction is reached the said rail being 1
connected by mechanism heroinafter described with the points so that when
depressed by a tappot or device on the car it moves the points and ensures that
the car will run in the right groove or direction.
6
In the annexed drawings Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a side view partly in
section of a portion of a tramway provided with my apparatus for moving the 1
points. A represents the rail at a junction. O is the point. D is my parallōl
rail which may be an additional rail but as I prefer is a portion of the rail A which
is split or divided for the purpose as shown in the figures. E is a guard. rail. I
support the parallel rail D by levers B B which in their normal position are kept
by a weight F (or by springs or otherwise) in a position slightly inclined from the 2
vortical. Midway between the, said rail D and the fulcra G G of its supporting
levers a rod H connecting these lovers is placed. This rod H is connected with
the junction points C by an arrangement composed of a pivoted lever I whose end
works in a hole K in the said rod Ha bar L connecting this lever I with a bell
'crank lover M, and another bar N with interposed link O connecting the bell crank 2
lover M with the point C.
This mechanism gives motion to the points when acted upon in the following
manner-At the time the tramcar is approaching the junction and before passing
on to the siding or diverging rails the driver or other person in charge of the
tram-car presses a lever on the car which lowers a tappet or other device so that 8
this device comes into contact with the parallel rail D and depresses it, thus causing
the supporting levers B B to fall into a more inclined position and thereby through
the intermediate mechanism beforo described moving the points in a direction
which causes them to close the direct groove against which the tram-car is advancing
and open the groove into which the wheel of the car is required to enter; the right 3
direction for the advance of the car is thus ensured. When the pressure on the
rail D is removed the weight F returns the parts to their normal position.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 represent a slightly modified arrangement in which the
parallel rail D when depressed by the tappet or device on the car gives longitudinal
motion to a bar L the end of which is connected to a sort of cam M pivoted at m 4
so that the cam pushes open the points. When pressure on the rail D is removed
the weight F assisted by the spring F' returns the parts to their normal position;
The mechanism is contained within the box P.
-Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I claim :-
1. The employment in apparatus for moving the points of tramways of a rail
laid parallel with the rails of the permanent way so as to be depressed when
required by means of a device on the car the depression acting upon mechanism

page_text: such as that herein before described so as to move the points and the points being
automatically returned to their normal position by a weight or spring when the
pressure on the said rail ceases, all substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. Constructing apparatus for moving the points of tramways as hereinbefore
described and represented in the annexed drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Edwin Charles Urry have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty ninth day of April One thousand eight hundred and eighty
four.