Improvements in Railway Switch Boxes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1888
Specification Accepted, 16th Nov., 1888
Improvements in Railway Switch Boxes.
I, RICHARD CHRISTOPHER RAPIER, of 5 Westminster Chambers in the City of
Westminster Civil Engineer 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 :-
In Letters Patent No. 4492 granted to me November 3rd 1880, and in the Complete
Specification filed by me on that date, I described certain improvements in Switch
Levers for the purpose of controlling points under various circumstances.
In the said specification I described one kind of lever for the purpose of controlling
points always in the same direction, see figure 6, and another kind of lever for
enabling the points to be weighted in either direction, see figure 4.
I have now made a further improvement in my Invention by which I am able to
attain both of the above objects by the use of one kind of lever.
In the drawing annexed to this specification, figure 1 is the plan view of the switch
box, figure 2 is an elevation, and figure 3 is a separate view of the lever.
The Switch handle or lever is provided with a cast iron weight of suitable shape
near the handle, the other end being formed into a T head provided on one side with
an additional projection or jaw, so shaped that the end of the bell crank may be placed
in the opening between the jaws.
In the T end of the lever, two or more holes are formed for the purpose of receiving
the pin attaching the lever to the framework.
By placing the pin in either one of these holes the switch box may be made suitable
for working points as follows:-
When it is desired that the switch box should be worked as a " turnover" the pin
is inserted through the hole in the lever near the end of the T head in which position
the T head acts by reason of the weighted handle against the bell crank, and keeps
the points firmly pressed over to whichever side is desired.
66
When it is desired that the switch box should be worked as a "single acting" or
'rigid" box the pin is inserted through a hole in the lever opposite the additional
projection, and the end of the bell crank is fitted between the jaw. Thus arranged
the lever presses the points only in one direction, & has to be held over in the other
position when desired, returning to the normal position when released.
[Brian S27

page_text: The box may be arranged either right handed or left handed by placing the
lever with the additional projection facing either to the right or to the left before
inserting the pin.
By thus contriving that one lever can be used for both functions, economy is
effected, & there is the convenience that the lever is ready to hand, and is at all times
available for either purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The construction of switch boxes with a T headed turnover lever with additional
jaw constructed as shewn in Figures 1. 2 and 3, and arranged so that the same lever
may be used to meet the requirements of a "rigid" or
"turnover" switch box
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.