IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY POINTS OR SWITCHES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Lewis Jones, of Garston, near Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY POINTS OR SWITCHES.”
Scaled the 4th September 1874, and dated the 18th May 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Lewis Jones
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th May 1874.
I, ROBERT LEWIS JONES, of Garston, near Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY POINTS OR SWITCHES," to be as follows :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in railway points or >
switches.
In railway points or switches as at present constructed the movable
rails are connected to the fixed rails by joints which allow only of lateral
motion of the free ends of the movable rails. Now I mount such.
movable rails so that each rail can rotate partially about an axis nearly

page_text: but not quite parallel with its length. The rail is provided with two
running faces, by preference, at right angles the one to the other, and
by turning the rail over about its axis of motion either of the running
faces may be brought uppermost. In consequence of the axis of motion
not being parallel to the rail, the direction in which the rail lies becomes
changed when it is turned over, and whereas in one position it corresponds
with the main line both behind and before, it in the other position no
longer coincides with the main line in front, but is deviated so as to
direct the traffic coming on to it from the main line behind on to the
branch line in front, or vice versa.
The movable rails may have cylindrical projections formed upon them,
at intervals entering chairs with corresponding cavities; or the pro-
jections may be upon the chairs, the rails resting and turning over upon
them. Stops are provided to give the movable rails a secure and it may
be a continuous bearing in either of the extreme positions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Lewis Jones in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 17th November 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
LEWIS JONES, of Garston, near Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Robert Lewis Jones, Her special license
that I, the said Robert Lewis Jones, my executors, administrators, and
assigns; or such others as I, the said Robert Lewis Jones, 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 tèrm
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
RAILWAY POINTS OR SWITCHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that

page_text: I, the said Robert Lewis Jones, my executors 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 same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Lewis Jones, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in railway points or
switches.
In railway points or switches as at present constructed the movable
rails are connected to the fixed rails by joints which allow only of lateral
motion of the free ends of the movable rails. Now I mount such
movable rails so that each rail can rotate partially about an axis nearly
but not quite parallel with its length. The rail is provided with two
running faces, by preference, at right angles the one to the other, and
by turning the rail over about its axis of motion either of the running
faces may be brought uppermost. In consequence of the axis of motion
not being parallel to the rail, the direction in which the rail lies becomes
changed when it is turned over, and whereas in one position it corresponds
with the main line both behind and before, it in the other position no
longer coincides with the main line in front, but is deviated so as to
direct the traffic coming on to it from the main line behind on to. the
branch line in front, or vice versa.
The movable rails may have cylindrical projections formed upon them,
at intervals entering chairs with corresponding cavities; or the pro-
jections may be upon the chairs, the rails resting and turning over upon
them. Stops are provided to give the movable rails a secure and it may
be a continuous bearing in either of the extreme positions.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I have shewn two arrangements of railway points or
switches constructed in the manner above described.
One of the arrangements is shown on Sheet 1 of the Drawings.
Figure 1 shews a general plan view of the point or switches. The

page_text: remaining views and sections on this Sheet are drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 2 shews a side elevation of the end of the switch rail where it
meets the main and branch rails; Figure 3 is a section through the
line A, B, looking in the direction of the arrow; Figure 4 is a section
through C, D, looking in the direction of the arrow; Figure 5 is a side
elevation of that end of the switch rail which is connected with the main
line rail; Figure 6 is a side elevation of one of the middle chairs for
supporting the switch rail; Figure 7 is a section through E, F, looking
in the direction of the arrow. In these Figures G, G, are the switch
rails. They are shewn by full lines in one position, and by dotted lines
in their other position. H, H, are the fixed rails of the ordinary
permanent way; J, J, are the chairs in which the rails are supported ;
K, K, are wrought iron or steel stud pins for the ends of the switch rails
to turn upon. That end of the switch rail which has alternately to be
brought into a line with the main and branch rails has fixed to it an
arm L, in the manner shewn at Figure 3. This arm pivots upon the
pin K, and its lower end forms a lever for shifting the switch rail from
one of its positions to the other, and for this purpose its lower end is
connected by rods and cranks with a switch lever in the ordinary
manner. At the opposite end of the switch rail is a bearing quadrant M,
see Figures 4 and 5, struck from the centre of the pin K, and extending
circumferentially from m to m (Figure 4). This quadrant is received in
a corresponding recess formed for it in the end chair.. N (Figures 4
and 5) is a stop cast on to the chair to prevent the rail from turning too
far in either direction. The pin K at this end of the switch rail enters
into the solid metal of the chair which holds the end of the fixed rail, as
is shewn at Figure 5. The chairs for the fixed rails are similar to the
ordinary description, but the end chairs are made solid for a portion of
the distance through them.
с
•
On Sheet 2 is shewn another arrangement of points or switches con-
structed according to my Invention. Figure 8 shews a general plan
view of the arrangement. The remaining Figures upon this Sheet are
drawn to a larger scale. Figure 9 shews a side elevation of the end of
the switch rail where it meets the main and branch rails; Figure 10,
section through A, B, looking in the direction of the arrow; Figure 11,
section through C, D, looking in the direction of the arrow; Figure 12,
side elevation of single end connection; Figure 13, side clevation of
middle chair for supporting the switch rail; Figure 14, section througli

page_text: into a position for the other running face to be in a line with the main
and branch rails.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Lewis Jones, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
.