IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GUIDING LOCOMOTIVES AND CARRIAGES OVER OR PAST JUNCTIONS OF TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
We JOHN O'KEEFFE of Clare Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and GEORGE ROBSON of Nile Street Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster Builder, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GUIDING LOCOMOTIVES AND CARRIAGES OVER
OR PAST JUNCTIONS OF TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS to be as follows:-
This invention relates more especially and is applicable generally to the
junctions of tramways: it is also available for use at shunting stations and like
places on railways.
Hitherto there has been on tramways much difficulty in obtaining satisfactory
means for causing the cars to take the desired line of rails at a junction, whether
fixed or movable points have been used. Fixed points have been so unsatisfactory
that movable switches worked by hand or the action of the cars are now almost
universally, used: When worked by hand directly or from stations the expense
of maintenance is very great: When operated by or from the car the liability to
obstruction by dirt or debris getting between the switches and the rails and the
uncertainty of action is so great that no efficient mechanism has yet been
introduced.
Now the object of this invention is to provide simple and durable apparatus for
guiding or directing locomotives and carriages over or past the junctions with
certainty and case, without liability to obstruction by dirt or debris. For railways
my invention provides simple and cheap apparatus to replace the movable switches
or points and levers now in use for shunting and like purposes.
The invention consists essentially in fitting at the junctions of tramways or
railways a circular grooved plate or turn table carried by bearings or rollers or
both that it shall be capable of motion around a central axis.
The said plate or turntable is caused to move so as to direct the locomotives
or carriages to the desired set of rails by means of lateral motion given to the
lending wheels of the said locomotives or by means of hauling the car towards one
side or the other when horses are used.

page_text: Fig 1 is a plan, and fig 2 a transverse section of apparatus under my invention.
a is the circular plate or turntable with groove b made bell mouthed at one end c,
d central ball bearing, e circumferential ball bearings moving freely in annular
grooves in the plate or turntable and carrier f. The carrier f is fitted and
secured firmly in the roadway or track, g main line rail leading to the junction
rails h. i. j along one of which the locomotive or carriage proceeds after passing,
the plate or turntable. set screws to retain the ends of the rails in position,
Z pin secured in the carrier f and working in a slut m in the table a to regulate
the extent of motion of the said table. The locomotives carriages or vehicles move
in the direction of the arrows.
It will be obvious that when a locomotive or carriage enters from the line g the
groove by the bell mouth c, the plate or table a whatever the previous direction
of the groove will take up the position shown by the full lines: that the locomotive

page_text: or carriage will when running freely be directed along the line i: and that if the
side strain is brought to bear on the front end of the locomotive or vehicle by
moving the front wheels or changing the direction of pull of the horses the plato
or table a will oscillato so as to direct the locomotive or vehicle into one or
other of lines h j as desired.
Fig 3 is a transverse section of a modification of our improved apparatus in
which special provision is made by the steps n to prevent dirt from getting to the
bearings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. Apparatus for guiding locomotives or carriages on tramways or rails
consisting essentially of a grooved plate or turntable capable of motion round a
central axis substantially as setforth.
Second. A plate or turntable a having a groove band carried by bearings d
and e in combination with lines g h i and j for the purpose setforth.