Improvements in or connected with the Working of the Points or Switches of Tramway and Railway Lines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 2nd Feb., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Working of the Points or
Switches of Tramway and Railway Lines.
I, JAMES WALKER LITTLEJOHN, of The Auchorage, by Kilmalcolm, in the
County of Renfrew, North Britain, Wine Merchant, 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 improvements in or connected with the working of the
points or switches of tramway and railway lines, and consists as follows:-
be
In carrying out my said invention I provide the free end of the pivoted point or
switch with projecting arms and inclined plane portions; either of which may
actuated when desired by the driver, through the medium of suitable arrangements
of levers and wheels which may be actuated by foot or otherwise; one of said
arrangements being mounted at each end of the car or other vehicle.
But in order that my said invention may be more readily understood, and easily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a sectional elevation of a tramway line having
my improvements attached.
Figure 3. is a part end elevation, Figure 4 a part side elevation and Figure 5 an
under plan of a tramway car having my improvements attached.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the said drawings, I attach to both sides of the
free end a, of the pivotted point or switch A, projecting arms B, B', having
inclined plane portions C, C₁ attached to their outer ends as shown. The said
arms B, B, and inclined plane portions C, C' being mounted in a suitable casing or
box, which is embedded in the road or street so that its top side will be level with
the surface of the road or street; this box is formed with two tracks or grooves E
for enabling the the inclined plane portions C, C¹ to be acted upon.
Referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5, I provide each end of the tramway car or other
vehicle with an arrangement of actuating levers and wheels, that is to say, I pivot,
screw or otherwise mount, below the foot plate F, a pair of levers G, H, the outer
ends of which are provided with loosely mounted revolving rollers or wheels G¹, H²,
one for each of the inclined plane portions C, C¹ of the point or switch A. The
said levers G and H are provided with depressing rods g and h, the upper ends of
which pass through the foot plate F and are provided with small foot plates gl
and h¹, so as to enable the driver by means of his foot to press down one or other of
the wheels G', H¹ into the tracks E of the bore D; said wheels G, H¹ being
returned to their normal positions (as shown) on the downward pressure being
removed or withdrawn, by means of the spring portions 9 and h², of the levers G
and H; also if desired one or both of the said levers may be provided with guide
brackets G³.
The whole arrangement is such, that supposing a car is upon the main line of
rails J (Figures 1 and 2) and driving in the direction of the arrow, with the point
or switch A lving in any position; now if the driver wishes to continue on the
same straight line of rails J, all he requires to do is to depress the foot plate 9' and
so cause the wheel G' to enter into the track E of the box and so place the point
or switch A into the position shown by means of the wheel G' pressing past the
plane portion C, and thus enabling the car to go straight on; but on the other
hand should the driver wish to go along the other line of rails J' he would depress

page_text: the foot plate h¹ and wheel H' and so cause the point A to be pushed into the
opposite position than that shown and so enable the car to pass on to the branch or
other line J¹.
A similar arrangement to the foregoing may be employed on railway lines, the
actuating lever arrangements being mounted on the locomotive.
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 I
claim is :-
1st. The general arrangement, construction and combination of the various parts,
constituting the improvements in working the points or switches of tramway, and
railway lines, substantially as herein before described and shown in the accom-
panying drawings.
2nd. In working the points or switches, of tramway and railway lines, providing
the free end of the point or switch with two projections or arms and inclined plane
portions, capable of moving sideways in an embedded box or case, substantially as
hereinbefore and shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3rd. In working the points or switches of tramway or railway lines, providing
each end of the car with an arrangement of levers G and H, having wheels or
rollers G and H', and their connections whereby the driver is enabled to actuate
the point or switch in the direction required, substantially as herein before described
and shown in Figures 3, 4 and of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of December 1804.
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.