Year: 1887

page_text: 1, FERDINAND SERVUS, Fabricant of Berlin in the Kingdom of Prussia and German
Empire, 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:-
The present application has for its object a method of controlling the switches of
tramway branches or crossings from the car itself, and preferably from the place where
the driver is placed, enabling him to adjust them for either line at will.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
---
Figure 1 shews in elevation the mechanism attached to the car.
Figures 2 and 2 show a front view of the car, and of the adjusting mechanism.
Figure 3s and 3 are a section of the foregoing on an enlarged scale.
Figure Plan of same in position for a car proceeding to the right.
Figure 5 Plan of same for a car proceeding to the left.
Figure 6 shews an improved spring point for a tramway switch.
Figure 7 shews the adjusting mechanism regarded from below.
Figures 8 to 10 refer to various positions of the steering brake.
The mechanism, of which there is one attached either to the right or left of the
driver's seat at each end of the car, consists essentially of the point-shifter / placed in
a perpendicular frame i, is movable to the right or left according to the position of the
tramway point, and turns back again on excess pressure from the said point by means
of a spring which is compressed on the descent of the point shifter hand withdraws
it on further pressure.
"
The mechanism is actuated by a crank handle a which is so placed that it cannot
collide with the brake handle or it may be placed below the same (Figures 2 and 2).
The handle a revolves the perpendicular shaft which is placed within or without
the car front at d and e. In front of, and as close as possible to the tramway switch,
the stationary adjusting mechanism is fixed.
This consists essentially of a vertical
round bar y bearing at its lower end the point shifter 4. This point shifter is secured

page_text: 9
to the bar by means of screws and adjustable in slots, so that it can be adjusted more
or less obliquely as requisite. At its upper end the bar is fixed to the slide which
is movable backwards and forwards in the guides k. In these latter the rollers
are placed free to revolve. At the upper end of the bar is fixed a wheel m to which
are secured the ends of a strap or chain a passing over the rollers P, P, P, 1,
said
strap or chain being also made fast to the strengthened boss o of the shaft f. In order
to carry n well upon its wheel m, small guide rolls are suitably placed on
the slide i. The diameter of the boss o, and the position of the slit in the same, with
relation to the gripping of the strap n are so adjusted that at the highest position of
the slide i in the guides both pieces n² ² are equally stretched (Figure 8) and that
on turning the handle a the one strap becomes slack whilst the other is drawn up
(Figure 9) until finally, on further turning the handle, both straps are wound up
(Figure 10). Through this releasing or one sided drawing up of the straps the
wheel mis revolved to the extent requisite for the turning of the point shifter / towards
the switch. The wheel m has moreover a peg 7 which when the wheel revolves strikes
against the slide i and serves to facilitate and hold fast the above described requisite
turning of the wheel m. Between the lower bearing on the slide holders k and the
slide there is inserted a spiral spring which presses the slide together with the barg
and point shifter upwards. If the handle a be pressed in the direction of the part 1,
the strap is thereby pulled, the wheel mis then drawn to the right until it arrives
at its right position, and the pin strikes against the slide as soon as this happens
the strap non further turning of the handle a draws down the slide i, and thereby
moves the bar with the point shifter (the pressure of the spring notwithstanding)
downwards until it rests on the rail n. By the turning to the right of the wheel m
moreover the bar g and the point shifter are also turned to the right. If now the
point shifter strikes against the points when the apparatus touches the rail pit
pushes the same together with the hinder pari connecting with the crossing to the left,
so that the track on the right is left free for the car; (Figure 4). Seeing that the
adjusting device is fixed close in front of the fore wheel, and acts until the fore wheel
has completely passed the crossing, it is impossible for it to run off the rail or pass on
to the wrong line.
If however the handle be turned in the direction of the arrow II so that the chain
No. 2 is drawn up, the pin g of the wheel will eventually strike against the left side
of the support and will cause thereby the point shifter to turn to the left which
will slide along the rail (with its hinder end) to the crossing and push the points to
the right so that the car will travel to the left (Figure 5). If the point shifter h presses
too hard upon the point the latter yields in the direction of the passage by means of
the spring which is further compressed in this case, so that the point shifter is not
obstructive and cannot cause damage to the track or its own mechanism.
In
On turning the handle a in either direction, the resistance of spring has first to be
overcome, if however, handle a be released, the spring te causes the slide to return to
its uppermost position, so that the point shifter places itself parallel to the rails.
the above described arrangement the track can remain perfectly unaltered, though it
is preferable to cut the rail heads just before the crossings, somewhat sloping on the
inside in order to ensure the point shifter getting a good grip, which could also
be ensured by placing a spring e under the points (Figure 6) which raises the
same a little above the rail level, and thereby ensures the contact of the point s'
with the point shifter h.
This arrangement by enabling the driver to turn the points to the right or left without
moving from his place on the car, by turning a small handle, increases the certainty of
the passage, and also the speed, simplifies considerably the work both of the conductor,
and the driver, and obviates several drawbacks and dangers now experienced in the
traffic. Moreover, the adoption of this system involves no alteration of the track unless
the spring points are made use of, and then only a trifling one. Hence the crossings
already in use will not disturb the arrangement at all, because the same are pressed
aside along the rail by the passing vehicle,

page_text: Nothing having been altered in the track, there cannot be any disturbance of the
working by dirt, repairs, freezing up and so forth, which so frequently hinder the
traffic with other systems of automatic points. As the point shifter h descending upon
the point can give way, by means of the spring of the spring u, and become more or
less parallel to the tram-line, damage to the rails, or injury of the mechanism is entirely
avoided. As the point shifter only touches the rail just before the crossing, its action
upon the point is always exact.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
--
1. In apparatus for adjusting from the car, the points or switches of tramways, the
use of an obliquely adjustable point shifter carried by a bar adjustable vertically, and
which can be moved to the right and left according to the direction of the point to be
operated on.
2. The pointer above described and claimed, secured to the bar g which can be
lowered upon and raised from the rail (by the strap or chain ) by means of the slide i
moving vertically in guides k, and which point shifter h can he turned right and left
as required by means of wheel m, strap or chain and boss o.
3. In connection with the point shifter aforesaid, the use of a spring compressed
by the descent of h, and which on excessive pressure on the points yields still further
and enables the point shifter to turn aside to the right or left more or less parallel to
the rails.
The whole of these claims substantially as and for the purposes described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.