Year: 1887

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 the construction of railway crossings of
that class, in which short rail sections are pivotally secured at the intersections of the
rails, and connected by mechanism whereby they may be turned simultaneously to
register with either track to form a continuous rail. Great difficulty is experienced
with the constructions at present in use on account of their great liability to become
inoperative. This is frequently caused by snow and ice, which, having access to the
parts, often renders them inoperative; a further cause is the use of cogged gearing
which not only permits stones to wedge accidentally between the cogs, but is especially
liable to be maliciously tampered with; a further cause of failure is the insufficient
protection of the working parts against the filling in of the ground, and the insufficient
manner of supporting the rail sections.
The object of my invention is to overcome these defects, and to this end I have
designed the improved crossing shown in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a plan with the rails omitted.
Figure 2 is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in section.
Figure 3 is a plan of one of the intersections; and
Figure 4 is an elevation of the signal post and the operating lever.
A. A are the rail sections of the crossing, and B, B are four vertical posts, pivotally
secured at the intersection of the rails. At their upper ends these posts carry the
rail sections C. preferably formed integrally with the posts.
G is the rail support of the crossing. It is constructed of iron in the shape of a
four-sided curb, the sides of which are continuous and have the general construction
of an I-girder. At the corners it is preferably provided with circular enlargements
which form protecting curbs for the posts B.

page_text: To
Among the different constructions which may be devised for such rail support, 1
prefer the one shown in the drawings which is as follows:-A bar a of channel shape
in cross-section, and made in four like sections bolted together at the ends, forms the
four sides of the curb, together with the circular enlargements at the corners.
the inner side of this bar, and near the top and bottom edges thereof, are secured the
angle irons b. At the corners these angle irons complete the circular form of the
enlargements on the inside, leaving openings e for access into the corner walls thus
formed, and which latter are closed on top and bottom by plates d, d secured to the
curb. By means of clips e the ends of the stationary rails are secured to the top
plates and these clips have segmental circular flanges, which form a protecting wall
around the upper ends of the posts.
The posts B, have shoulders h, which furnish a support upon the top plates, and
they are supported laterally by the top plates, through which they pass, and by means
of steps g formed on the bottom plates."
The movable rail sections carried by the posts are preferably formed integral with
the posts, which are just sufficiently cut away upon opposite sides, at the top, to form
the head of a rail and permit the flanges of the wheels to pass. This construction in
case of a wrong crossing reduces the danger to a passing train.
D is a signal post of known construction and operation, E being its operating lever.
This signal post is placed near the track, in line or nearly so, with one of the diagonals
of the crossing. To the lower end of the staff of the signal post is secured a crank
arm i connected by a rod j with another crank arm k secured upon the nearest post B.
Another connecting rod connects said crank arm k, with a crank arm m, secured upon
the post diagonally opposite the first. Upon each of the posts so connected are secured
additional crank arms n, o, to which connecting rods p, are pivotally secured; and from
the two posts thus connected similar connections are made with the remaining two
posts, all so arranged that by the proper movement of the operating lever E, all the
parts are rotated simultaneously in the desired manner.
The stationary rail sections of the crossing are supported at their ends by the top
plates of the corner wells, and between the ends by corrugated plates, which are
placed between the same and on top of the supporting girder. This construction
lessens the noise and the destructive action on the supporting girder caused by
vibration.
The whole crossing is supported on sleepers placed in suitable number and position
underneath the structure.
The particular construction of parts as shown has been especially devised with
regard to safety and to protection from malicious tampering. The particular con-
struction of the rail support obviates the use of large and unwieldly castings and
effectually protects the parts by keeping out the dirt, snow and other obstructions
liable to disable, or render the parts inoperative.
The posts which carry the movable rail sections are strongly supported laterally and
vertically, and if the adjacent ends of the stationary rails are properly cut to fit as
nearly as possible against the posts, a practically continuous rail for crossing on either
track is provided.
The particular gear for operating the posts shown in Figure 1, is well protected, has
very few parts, and operates in the most positive and direct manner; but other gears
may be used if desired, such as worm gearing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is.
First—In a railway crossing, rotatable posts pivottally secured at the inter-section
of the rails and carrying rail-sections arranged to register with either one of th
tracks, substantially as described.
Second-In a railway crossing, rotatable posts pivotally secured at the intersection
of the rails and provided with a top formed to correspond with the top of the rails
and afford a continuous passage for a train, substantially as described.

page_text: Third In a railway crossing, the combination of rotatable posts pivottally secured
at the intersections of the rails and carrying rail sections arranged to register with
either one of the tracks, a signal post, a lever and connecting rods, all arranged to
operate the signal and the rotatable posts simultaneously, substantially as described.
Fourth The rotatable posts B, in combination with the lever E signal-post D, and
the connecting rods and cranks, all as described.
Fifth In a railway crossing having rotatable posts at the intersection of the rails, a
continuous rail support having the general form and shape described.
Sixth In a railway crossing, the combination with the rails, of the rail support G,
the top plates d and the clips e, substantially as described.
Seventh In a railway crossing, the combination with the rails of the rail support G,
the top plates d, the clips e and the yielding bearing plates substantially as
described.
Eighth In a railway crossing having rotatable posts at the intersections, a con-
tinuous rail support in the form of a four-sided curb with circular enlargement at the
corners, substantially as described.
Ninth In a railway crossing having rotatable posts at intersections, the com-
bination with a continuous supporting girder forming circular wells at the corners, of
top and bottom plates inclosing said circular wells, substantially as described.
Tenth In a railway crossing having rotatable posts at the intersections, a con-
tinuous rail support in the form of a four sided curb with circular enlargements at
the corners, and consisting of the channel bars a and angle bars connected as
described.
Eleventh In a railway crossing having rotatable posts at the intersections, the
combination of the continuous rail support G, having circular enlargements at
the corners, the top and bottom plates enclosing said circular enlargements, and
the corrugated plates intermediate between the corners, substantially as described.
Twelfth In a railway crossing having rotatable posts at the intersections inter-
connected with each other by cranks and connecting rods, the combination of a main
connecting rod diagonally connecting two posts, of two connecting rods connecting
each of the posts thus connected together, with one of the remaining two posts,
respectively, substantially as described.
D
1
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1007
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.