Improvements in the Crossings of Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th July, 1887
Complete Left, 7th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 11th May, 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Crossings of Railways and Tramways.
I FRANCIS HENRY LLOYD of Wood Green Wednesbury in the County of
Stafford Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
In constructing a crossing for a railway or tramway according to my invention I
form the same preferably of four parts namely the main rail or rail to be crossed a
centre piece which may be used as a renewal piece when worn out and two separate
blocks made of cast steel or chilled cast iron. These two separate blocks are fitted to
opposite sides of the main rail and to the ends of the crossing rail and constitute the
inclined terminations of the crossing rail which abut against the opposite sides of the
main rail. The tops of these blocks have the same size and shape as the top of
the crossing rail and the said blocks are provided with a base which may fit closely to
the flange or side of the main rail. In applying the said Invention to tramways in
paved streets I form a projecting piece on that side of the block which makes an acute
angle with the main rail the said projecting piece being on a level with the head of the
rail and being checquered or grooved on its upper side and constituting a "paving
wedge" or "filling in " piece.
These blocks or castings are securely fastened to the main rail on opposite sides and
in such manner that they fall in proper line the groove necessary for the continuity of
the centre piece
groove in the crossing rail meeting a corresponding recess
the
of the crossing or being cut out across the head of the main rail to which the two
castings referred to are secured. These blocks or castings securely fastened to the
main rail on opposite sides may be made as chairs or seating for the crossing rail
or may themselves forin the head of the crossing rail.
Crossings of various angles may be made from similar blocks or castings by planing
or cutting away the inner side of the said blocks or castings so as to make them
fit against the main rail at the angle required. The patterns may be added to or

page_text: diminished by the addition or removal of taper pieces to suit any angle. At that part.
of the side of the block or casting most distant from the main rail to which it is
secured a projection may be formed to which the rail may be attached or which may
form a chair or seating for the crossing rail or two projections may be formed the said
projections fitting the rail which abuts upon them at that part after the manner of a
pair of fish plates or two rolled iron or steel fish plates may be "cast in "the said block.
or casting or the block or casting may be so formed as to receive the fish plates used:
on the ordinary rails used on the railway or tramway.
1000
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Crossings of Railways and Tramways.
I FRANCIS HENRY LLOYD of Wood Green, Wednesbury, in the County of
Stafford Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:—
In constructing a crossing for a railway or tramway according to my invention I
form the same of four parts namely the main rail or rail to be crossed, a centre piece,
which may be used as a renewal piece when worn out, and two separate blocks made
of cast steel or chilled cast iron. But the crossing may be made of three pieces by
omitting the central renewal piece described. These two separate blocks are fitted to
opposite sides of the main rail and to the ends of the crossing rail and constitute the
inclined terminations of the crossing rail which abut against the opposite sides of the
main rail. The tops of these blocks have the same size and shape as the top of
the crossing rail and the said blocks are provided with a base which may fit closely to
the flange or side of the main rail. In applying the said invention to tramways in
paved streets I form a projecting piece on that side of the block which makes an acute
angle with the main rail the said projecting piece being on a level with the head of the
rail and being checquered or grooved on its upper side and constituting a paving
wedge" or filling in piece."
These blocks or castings are securely fastened to the main rail on opposite sides and
in such manner that they fall in proper line, the groove necessary for the continuity of
the groove in the crossing rail meeting a corresponding recess in the centre piece of
the crossing or being cut out across the head of the main rail to which the two

page_text: castings referred to are secured. These blocks or castings securely fastened to the
main rail on opposite sides may be made as chairs or seatings for the crossing rail or
may themselves form the head of the crossing rail.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing a
crossing for a tramway constructed according to my invention, the said crossing being
made of three parts.
Figure 1 represents a plan of the said crossing; Figure 2 a side elevation on the
same and Figure 3 a horizontal section, partly in plan of the same; Figures 4
and 5 represent cross sections of the crossing, Figure 4 being taken on the
dotted line A, A Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 5 on the dotted line B, B Figures 1
and 2.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawing.
c is the main tramway rail, or the rail to be crossed, having in its head the ordinary
longitudinal groove d and provided with the foot or base e. In the head c of the main
rail at the part where the crossing is to be formed the inclined crossing groove fis
made (see the plan Figure 1); g, h are the two separate blocks made of cast steel or
chilled cast iron which blocks are fitted to and fastened on opposite sides of the main
rail c and to the ends of the crossing groove in the said main rail c. The top or head
of each of the separate blocks or castings g, h has nearly the same size and shape as
the head or top of the main rail at the crossing part (see Figure 5) and in the said top
of the block or casting a groove f2 is made, which grooves ff2 form continuations of
the inclined crossing groove in the head of the main rail c. The lower parts of the
separate blocks g; h are provided with flanges or feet of the shape best seen in
Figures 4 and 5. That is, at and near the junction of the separate blocks h with
the main rail ca flange on one side only of the body of the block is made which fits
upon or seats itself against the foot or base e of the inain rail c as seen in Figure 4 and
at the other parts of the separate blocks g, h a double flange or a foot is made, one
flange or one half of the foot fitting upon or seating itself against one half of the
foot e of the main rail c as seen in Figure 5. The inner ends of the separate
blocks 9, h under the inclined terminations which abut against the main rail care
thickened at gh² (see Figure 3) and the said blocks are also thickened at g³, h³ (see
Figure 3) where the fastening bolts i, i and k, k, are passed through them. The
projections, at the outer ends of the separate blocks g h abut against the body of the
main rail c. At the distant end of each block and joining the projection is a chequered
or grooved paving wedge or filling in piece m situated on a level with the head of the
main rail c.
In fastening the separate blocks or castings g, h to the main rail to form the crossing
they are so arranged on opposite sides of the said main rail that the grooves f2f2 in
their heads form a continuation of the crossing groove in the head of the main rail c
and in this position the two separate blocks or castings g, h are fastened to the main
rail e by the screw bolts and nuts i, i at the junction of the said blocks with the main
rail and by the tie bolts and nuts k, k situated midway between the inner and outer
ends of the said blocks. The crossing of the tramway is thereby formed of two
separate blocks or castings bolted on opposite sides of the main rail, the main
rail having at the crossing an inclined groove made in it as described and
illustrated.
Crossings of various angles may be made from separate blocks or castings of the
kind represented in the drawing by planing or cutting away the inner sides or ends of
the said blocks or castings so as to make them fit against the main rail c at the angle
required. The patterns from which the blocks are cast may be added to or diminished
by the addition or removal of taper pieces to suit any angle.
When I make the crossing groove fin a centre renewal piece instead of in the main
rail itself the crossing is composed of four parts. In this case the centre renewal piece
has the position in the crossing indicated in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2 and
marked p. The said removable centre piece p is secured in its place in the cut away
part made in the main rail e where the crossing is to be made by the bolts ii which

page_text: connect the blocks g h with the main rail c as well as by the additional screw
bolts g, 9 passed through the sides of the centre piece p and the body of the main
rail c.
At that part of the side of the block or casting most distant from the main rail to
which it is secured a projection may be formed to which the rail may be attached or
which may form a chair or seating for the crossing rail; or two projections may be
formed the said projections fitting the rail which abuts upon them; or two rolled iron
or steel fish plates may be "cast in" the said block or casting; or the block or
casting may be so formed as to receive the fish plates used on the ordinary rails of
railways or tramways.
I apply my invention to the crossings of railways substantially in the manner herein
before described and illustrated with respect to a crossing for a tramway but it will be
understood that in a crossing for a railway the head of the main rail and the heads of
the separate blocks or castings are without the longitudinal grooves d, f, f2 and the
said leads are of the ordinary shape of railway rails and an inclined groove is
cut across the head of the main rail for the flange of the railway wheel to pass through
as usual.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention of "Improvements in the crossings of railways and tramways"
Making crossings for railways and tramways essentially of two separate blocks made
of cast steel or chilled cast iron bolted respectively to opposite sides of the main rail
where the crossing is to be formed, the heads of the said blocks constituting the
crossing rails in the case of tramways being provided with the required longitudinal
grooves, the said separate blocks or casting constituting the crossing rails being used
either in conjunction with the main rail or with a centre renewal piece fixed to the
main rail substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing.
Dated this Fifth day of April 1888