NEW OR IMPROVED PORTABLE POINTS FOR USE OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Russell, of 96, Cornwall Road, West-
bourne Park, London, W., for the Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED
PORTABLE POINTS FOR USE OF RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 2nd April 1875, and dated the 15th October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Russell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th October 1874.
I, DAVID RUSSELL, of 96, Cornwall Road, Westbourne Park, London,
W., do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "NEW OR
IMPROVED PORTABLE POINTS FOR USE on Railways,” to be as follows:-
For the purpose of replacing speedily a train or any portion of a train
which may be thrown off the rails by accident.
The portable points consist of two or more iron rails about nine feet
in length, strongly hinged two feet six inches from the one end, which
is fastened to the permanent rail with an iron clip, and kept in proper
guage by an iron pin; the other portion of the rail is moveable

page_text: and are placed under the wheels of the veihcle off the line and kept in
proper guage and regulated by a tie bar, rod, and lever.
or
When the portable points are laid on "permanent sleepers
ballast and adjusted the wheels of the veichle off the "line" move
forward by locomotive or other power untill they reach the extreme i
points resting on "permanent rail," when the veiholes drop on to the
main line in the proper position.
The portable points can be made to suit any railway, to any section of
rail or iron of any strength, are easily portable, can be used by two
men, weigh only about 2½ cwts. if made from a seventy-five pound per 1
yard rail, and lighter or heavier in proportion to the length and section
of rail or iron adopted.
The railway accident portable points complete will be very
moderate in price, and can easily be carried by every train on the engine
or in the "guard's" van, or kept in the permanent pointsman's box or
stations so as to be ready at all times and under any circumstances when
required, which will thereby prevent many of the accidents which now
occur through the delay in procuring the present appliances used for
replacing trains or a portion of them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said David Russell in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
RUSSELL, of 96, Cornwall Road, Westbourne Park, London, send
greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said David Russell, Her special 8
license that I, the said David Russell, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said David Russell, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no,

page_text: 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 "NEW OR IMPROVED
PORTABLE POINTS FOR USE ON RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said David Russell, 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 David Russell, 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 apparatus to be employed in replacing
on a line of railway carriages, or engines, or other vehicles which have
been accidentally thrown off.
The apparatus is in the nature of portable points, which can be applied
to any line of railway they may be required, and it consists of two short
rails connected so as to hold them at the proper distance apart corre-
sponding to the gauge of the line by transverse tie bars which are loosely
jointed to them. I employ flat footed rails, so that they may stand
steadily upon the sleepers. At one end these rails are each chamfered
off to an incline which enables the wheels to mount them more readily;
at the other end each rail is strongly hinged or jointed to point pieces
which are held by clips to the rails of the permanent way, and can be
set to different angles as circumstances may require. The point rail on
the outer side of the permanent line rises above the level of the fixed
rail and leads the flange of the wheel over it.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings here-

page_text: the line A, B, Figure 1; Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line C, D,
Figure 1; Figure 4 is an elevation of the two peculiar formed and
jointed rails of which (together with clips and tie bars) my apparatus is
composed; Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line E, F, Figure 1.
a, a, are the sleepers, and b, b, the rails of the permanent way; c, c,
are wheels which it is desired to lead on to the line; d, d, are two short
rails forming part of my apparatus which are laid in front of the wheels
so as to rest firmly on the permanent sleepers, or should it be necessary
blocks may be placed to give them further support; e, e, are tie bars
jointed to these rails and holding them in gauge; f. f, are point pieces,
hinged as is shewn by strong pins to the rail pieces d, d; the piece ƒ
which belongs on the inner side is again pin-jointed to the clip 9 which
drops over the permanent rail and is locked to it by a binding screw; it
is also retained by a quadrant h which is clipped to the rail; it passes
through a slotted hole in the piece f, and a block is bolted to the
quadrant beyond, so that piece f cannot open out to a larger angle from
the fixed rail than that to which it is first set, but it is free to close in
upon it. The piece on the outer side passes over the main line rail and
has a lug at its end embracing the rail, and the piece is further secured
by a quadrant h.
When the points are laid on the permanent sleepers or ballast and
adjusted the wheels of the vehicle off the line are moved forward by
locomotive or other power until they reach the extreme points resting
on the permanent rail, when the vehicle drops on to the main line in its
proper position.
The portable points can be made to suit any railway, to any section of
rail or iron of any strength; they are easily portable, can be used by
two men, weigh only about 2 cwts. if made from a 75 lbs. per yard
rail, and lighter or heavier in proportion to the length and section of
rail or iron adopted.
The "new or improved portable points" complete will be very
moderate in price, and can easily be carried by every train on the engine
or in the guard's van, or kept in the permanent pointsman's box or
stations so as to be ready at all times and under any circumstances when
required, which will thereby prevent many of the accidents which now g
occur through the delay in procuring the present appliances used for
replacing trains or a portion of them.

page_text: What I claim is, the arrangement of apparatus for replacing the
wheels of railway carriages on a line of railway, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Russell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.