Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Switch Points.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1890-Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Switch Points.
I, ISAAC D. WEAVER, of Lebanon, in the County of Lebanon. and State of Penn-
sylvania, United States of America, Pattern Maker, 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 :-
My invention relates to the manufacture of switch points, and has for its object a
reduction in the cost of making the article, and producing it complete and ready for
use in a set of rolls.
In the manufacture of switch points as heretofore practised, it has been necessary
to plane off both sides of the head, and one of the flanges on its edge and bottom at
one end of the section of rail from which the switch point was made, to produce the
proper taper required to bring the point up against the rail of the main track. This
operation involved considerable expense and loss of time.
The invention will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the
claims.
In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a pair of rolls for rolling switch points.
Figure 2, a vertical longitudinal section on a reduced scale.
Figure 3 an end view.
Figure 4 a plan.
Figure 5 an end view of a finished switch point.
Figure 6 a top or plan view of the same.
Figure 7 a section of the rolls through the pass E.
Figure 8 a section through the pass D.
Figure 9 a section through the pass C.
Figure 10 a section through the pass B, and
Figure 11 a section through the pass A.
Reference being had to the drawings, and the letters thereon, F, indicates the
upper, and G, the lower roll, which may be mounted in any suitable housings, and
geared to revolve together in the same direction by gearing common to rolling
mills.
In the rolls are formed the passes A, B, C, D, and E, by passing through which,
a bar or billet of metal is reduced to a completed or finished switch point.
In Figure 1, the rolls are shown in position for entering the metal to each pass,
successively. The groove a which forms the flange of the switch point, is of uniform
depth throughout, or concentric to the axis of the lower roll in all of the passes,
while in the upper roll said groove is concentric to the axis of the roll throughout a
portion of the circumference of the roll only, and then diminishes gradually in depth
and becomes eccentric as shown at b, for the purpose of gradually pointing or
reducing the flange of the switch point on one side, and the lower surface of the flange
on the same side of the rail is gradually tapered by the lateral contraction of the
groove, as shown at c, Figure 4.
The groove d which forms the head of the switch point is concentric to the axis of
the roll in both the upper and lower roll throughout a portion of its circumference,
and is then reduced in depth gradually and made eccentric to the axis of the rolls, by
a projection e on the upper roll and by reducing the depth of the groove at f, for the
purpose of gradually reducing the head of the switch point on both sides of the web
at one end thereof as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The ribs g between the grooves
which form the head and flange of the switch point are concentric to the axis of both
rolls, and form that portion of each pass in the rolls which produces the web of the
switch point, which is of uniform thickness throughout its length.
The COTTAmal
MASSOR
are separated by collars b and in the passes D and E. the

page_text: terminal point of the eccentric portion of the grooved is contracted laterally by a
projection i, for tapering the point vertically, as shown at k, in Figure 5; and the
recess in the point formed by the projection e, in the pass E, which finishes the
article.
In Figures 5 and 6, m, indicates the head, n, the web and o, the flange or base of a
switch point, having the vertically tapered portion k, and the recess 1. In the several
passes the eccentric portions of the groove spring from different points on the circum-
ference or periphery of the roll to correspond with, and compensate for the degree of
tapering of the switch point produced by the preceding pass, and to cause the rolls in
one pass to "bite" just at the place where they ceased to bite and reduce the point
- in the former pass.
In turning the rolls, only one centre is used, and the eccentricity
or taper of the passes is produced with the automatic cross feed of the lathe. The
collars may be distributed upon the upper and lower roll instead of all being on the
lower roll as shown, without departing from the spirit of my invention.
In the operation of the rolls described they revolve continuously in one and the
same direction, from the time the bar or billet of metal is introduced until the switch
point is completed, and the metal is fed into the several passes at the same point on
the circumference of the rolls.
The feed mechanism consists of a series of feed rolls a' b¹ operated by any suitable
connection with the rolls, and a series of gates ', one for each pass, mounted upon a
rock-shaft d¹, supported in suitable bearings at each end, and operated by an arme
secured to the shaft dat one end and at the opposite en to a rod or link f¹,
attached to one arm g¹ of a vibrating lever H. The lever H is fulcrumed at h! in a
support and its opposite arm is provided with a cam roller which enters a
groove m¹, in a gear wheel I, supported in a pedestal K and engages with a pinion L,
secured to one of the rolls.
The feed mechanism may be geared to cause the gates to assume a horizontal
position and allow the metal to enter the passes of the rolls at every revolution, or at
every other revolution of the rolls, or at any suitable number of revolutions by
regulating the gearing accordingly. The feed rolls a¹, b¹, run continuously, thereby
moving the metal up against the gates c', and holding it in position, ready to enter
the passes of the rolls as soon as the gates are moved forward into a horizontal position
by the gearing and operating mechanism.
By the construction and operation described; a completed switch point is produced,
capable of being placed into position in a switch without any further preparation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is:
.
First. Rolls for manufacturing switch points provided with a concentric groove
for the flange, and an eccentric groove for the head in one roll, and eccentric grooves
for the flange and head in the opposing roll, and concentric ribs between the
grooves in both rolls constituting one pass in the rolls, substantially as described.
t
Second. Rolls for manufacturing switch points provided with a cam shaped or
eccentric projection as e on one roll, and a corresponding part as f, on the opposite
roll, grooves as a, d, to operate upon the head and flange of the switch point, and
concentric ribs as g to operate upon the web, substantially as described.
Third. Rolls for manufacturing switch points provided with a pass or passes
having grooves as a, d, and ribs as g, and vertical and lateral projections in said grooves
as at i, and c, for pointing or reducing a bar of metal at its upper front end and
forming a double incline on one of the flanges, substantially as described.
Fourth. Rolls for manufacturing switch points provided with a series of passes
having grooves as a, d, and ribs as 9 for forming the head, flange, and web, and
eccentric vertical and lateral projections respectively, as shown at c, e, and i, for reducing
the head to a point on both sides of the web and the flange on one side of the web,
substantially as described.
Fifth. Rolls for manufacturing switch points, provided with grooves as
ay
d, having

page_text: concentric portions throughout a part of the circumference of the rolls, and eccentric
portions throughout the remainder of the circumference of the rolls, and a concentric
rib as g, between the grooves, whereby the article is rolled parallel throughout a
part of its length, and gradually tapered throughout the remainder of its length,
substantially as described.
Sixth. Rolls for manufacturing switch points, provided with grooves as a, d, the
former being concentric to the axis in one roll throughout its circumference, and con-
centric to the axis in the opposing roll throughout a portion of the circumference of
said roll and eccentric throughout the remainder of the circumference, and the latter
groove being concentric to the axes of both rolls throughout a portion of the cir-
cumference, and eccentric to the axes throughout the remaining portion of the
circumference, substantially as described.
Seventh. Rolls for manufacturing switch points provided with a series of passes
having grooves as a and d, constructed substantially as described, concentric ribs
as g, between said grooves in combination with an automatic feed mechanism,
substantially as described.
Eighth. Rolls for manufacturing switch points having grooves provided with
cam shaped projections and recesses in the rolls, in combination with an automatic
feed mechanism constructed to admit the metal to the several passes at the same
point on the periphery of the rolls, substantially as described.
Ninth. Rolls for manufacturing switch points, in combination with a feed mechanism
consisting of rolls, and a gate for opening and closing the entrance to the pass in the
rolls, substantially as described.
Tenth. Rolls for manufacturing switch points, in combination with a feed
mechanism, consisting of rolls, a rock shaft provided with gates, and a train of
mechanism for intermittently dropping and raising said gates, substantially as
described.
Eleventh. Rolls for manufacturing switch points, in combination with feed rolls, a
rock shaft supporting gates, a gear wheel having a cam shaped groove, a pinion
engaging said gear wheel, and intermediate connection between the gear wheel and
the rock shaft, substantially as described.
Twelfth. As a new article of manufacture, a rolled switch point having the head
reduced on both sides, and one flange reduced on its side and bottom by rolls, sub-
stantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of mar iAUT
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.