IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND IN LOCOMOTIVES APPLICABLE THERETO
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William James Hixon. of Bayswater. in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND IN LOCOMOTIVES APPLICABLE THERETO."
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND IN LOCOMOTIVES APPLICABLE THERETO."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William James Hixon
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th June 1865.
I, WILLIAM JAMES HIXON, of Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND IN LOCOMOTIVES APPLICABLE. THERETO," to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to, 1st, certain improvements in the construction
of the permanent way of railways, whereby switches or moveable points are
dispensed with, the points of junctions and sidings and of the lines of rails
connecting the up and down lines all being fixtures; and, 2ndly, to improve-
ments in locomotives for the purpose of rendering them applicable to such
fixed system of junctions, points, and sidings.
I propose to lay down the necessary junction points fixed on sleepers, every
point being open sufficiently to permit the passage of the flanges of the wheels
of the engine and train; at a short distance beyond the points I propose to
lay down a grooved or slotted rail midway between the rails and following the

page_text: curve of the junction across the space between the up and down lines; this
ground rail serves to guide the engine on to and along the points on to
another line of rails. In order to accomplish this, I propose to apply in
front of the engine a vertical rod or bar working in a sliding box; the lower
extremity of this bar when let down into the grooved rail causes the engine
to take the course of the points and to leave the main line in order to run on
a junction or branch line, or to pass from the up to the down line, or vice
versâ. If necessary, I propose to apply a similar guide bar behind the
engine and to the carriages; a running wheel may be set at the bottom of the
guide bars if found expedient. In order to elevate or depress the bars as
required I propose to use a lever under the control of the engine driver.
passing along the top of the engine to a fulcrum, whereby when the train
is approaching a point or junction the driver can guide his train as he
wishes.
By this Invention, no accident can happen by the carelessness or inattention
of pointsmen, since the driver of the train can alone be responsible, and is not
likely to make an error in his course.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William James Hixon in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JAMES HIXON, of Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William James Hixon, Her special licence that I, the said William James
Hixon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William James Hixon, 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 term 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 THE PERMANENT WAY OF RAILWAYS, AND IN LOCOMOTIVES
APPLICABLE THERETO," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William James Hixon, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in

page_text: 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 William James Hixon, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 certain improvements in the construction of the
permanent way of railways, whereby switches or moveable points are dispensed
with, the points of junctions and sidings and of the lines of rails connecting the
up and down lines all being fixtures; and also to improvements in locomotives
for the purpose of rendering them applicable to such fixed system of junctions,
points, and sidings.
I propose to lay down the necessary junction points fixed on sleepers, every
point being open sufficiently to permit the passage of the flanges of the wheels
of the engine and train. At a short distance beyond the points I propose to
lay down a grooved or slotted rail midway between the rails and following the
curve of the junction across the space between the up and down lines. This
ground rail serves to guide the engine on to and along the points on to another
line of rails. In order to accomplish this, I propose to apply in front of the
engine a vertical rod or bar working in a sliding box; the lower extremity
of this bar when let down into the grooved rail causes the engine to take the.
course of the points and to leave the main line in order to run on a junction
or branch line, or to pass from the up to the down line, or vice versa. If
necessary, I I propose to apply a similar guide bar behind the engine and to
the carriages; a running wheel may be set at the bottom of the guide bars if
found expedient. In order to elevate or depress the bars as required, I
propose to use a lever under the control of the engine driver, passing along
the top of the engine to a fulcrum, whereby when the train is approaching a
point or junction the driver can guide his train as he wishes.
By this Invention no accident can happen by the carelessness or inattention
of pointsmen; since the driver and guards of the train can alone be respon-
sible, and they are not likely to make an error in the course of the lines.
Fig. 1 of the annexed Drawings represents a plan view of a system of rails
with fixed open points and crossings with the slotted guide rail between them.
The guide bar may be elevated or lowered, as required by the engine driver,
by means of a lever or any other mechanical contrivance equivalent thereto.

page_text: Each carriage is likewise to be provided with a similar guide at one or both
ends; these may be actuated by chains or wire ropes and bell-crank levers, or
other equivalent, under the control of the guards.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark, in conclusion, that I do
not limit myself to the precise details and configuration of parts I have
expressed and shewn, as the same may obviously be varied or modified
without in any way departing from the principles thereof; bat what I claim
as my Invention, and desire to be secured to me by the herein in part recited
Letters Patent is, the system of fixed open points or junctions and crossings
with central guide rails, and the application of the guide bar or bars with
elevating and lowering gear to the engine and carriages of railway trains, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William James Hixon, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
ALEX³. PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
W. J. HIXON. (L.S.)