IMPROVEMENTS IN TURNTABLES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 20, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TURNTABLES.”—A communication from
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th May 1873.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declaro the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TURNTABLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction and working of turntables
for turning locomotives or railway or other carriages or waggons from
one line of rails to another, or for reversing their positions on the
rails.

page_text: To the outer ring is secured by angle iron a cylindrical lip which pro-
jects upwards to nearly the level of the rails, and constitutes the outer
casing of the turntable. On each of the two rings of the foundation is
fixed a circular rail made with a rounded hollow in its upper face.
The turning portion of the turntable consists of an inner and outer
circular rail corresponding in form and position to those on the founda-
tion, but inverted. These rails are connected by radial tie ribs, and tho
inner rail is further stiffened by diagonal tic ribs. On the upper sur-
faces of the circular rails and tie ribs are fixed the usual cross rails, on
which the locomotives or other vehicle can be run. Between the circular
rails projecting upwards from the foundation, and those projecting down-
wards from the turntable, are interposed a number of balls adapted to
work casily in the hollow faces of the rails which they separate; and
these balls are prevented from approaching to, or receding from, cachi
other by means of guide rings with holes in them cqually spaced, in
which holes arc situated the said balls, turning freely therein. These
holes are by preference lined with steel bushes.
In order to maintain the guido rings at equal distances from the upper
and lower circular guide rails they are provided with adjustable guiding
studs having rounded ends resting on the bottom of the groove of the
lower circular rail.
Instead of the before mentioned balls, short cylindrical or slightly'
tapering rollers with rounded ends may be used, running in flat grooves
in the circular guide rails.
To the outer circumference of the before-mentioned outer casing of
the turntable are fixed angle iron brackets, to which are secured the
abutting ends of the fixed rails from which the locomotives or carriages
run on to the turntable, and on the inner circumference of such casing
is fixed an angle iron ring projecting inwards so as to form a trough for
preventing dirt or water from falling into the interior of the turntable,
and for the same purpose the entire unner surface of the turntable mav

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th October 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Ohancery Lanc, in
the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-threo, in tho
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Denton Abel, Her
special license that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Denton Abel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TURNTABLES," a communication to me from abroad by
Georg Weickum, of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, 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 calender months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, 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, reference being had to the.
accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the construction and working of turntables
for turning locomotives or railway or other carriages or waggons from
one line of rails to another, or for reversing their position on the
rails.

page_text: The construction of the improved turntable will be understood by
reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, of which Fig. 1.
represents a section, and Fig. 2 a half plan on the top, with a half plan,
supposing the top plate removed to show the construction underneath.
Fig. 3 is a section to an enlarged scale at the outer rim.
E
The construction of the improved turntable will be understood by
reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, of which Fig. 1.
represents a section, and Fig. 2 a half plan on the top, with a half plan,
supposing the top plate removed to show the construction underneath.
Fig. 3 is a section to an enlarged scale at the outer rim.
Fig. 4 is an clevation of part of the rim looking at the outside.
Fig. 5 is a part plan; Fig. 6 is a part-side view, and Fig. 7 is a trans-
verse section of one of the rings, hereafter to be described for spacing the
balls on which the table rolls.
The foundation on which the turntable rests consists of an inner ring ]
A and an outer ring B of iron or steel plate connected by radial ribs C..
To the outer ring B is secured by angle iron a cylindrical lip D projecting.
upwards to nearly the level of the rails, and constituting the outer casing
of the turntable. On cach of the rings A and B is fixed a circular rail
a and b with a rounded hollow in its upper face.
The turning portion of the turntable consists of an inner and outer'
circular rail a¹ and b¹ corresponding in form and position to the rails a
and b on the foundation, but inverted. The rails a¹ and b¹ are connected
by radial tic bars c, and the inner rail a' is farther stiffened by diagonal
tie ribs c¹. On the upper surfaces of the rails a¹, b', and tics c and c¹ aro ¿
fixed the usual cross rails E, on which the locomotive or other vehicle
can be run. Between the circular rails a and a¹, and also between b
and 6', are interposed a number of balls F adapted to work easily in the
hollow faces of the rails which they separate; and these balls are pre-
vented from approaching to, or receding from, each other by means of 2
guide rings G with holes in them equally spaced, in which holes are
situated the balls F, turning freely therein. The holes aro by preference
lined with steel bushes.
In order to maintain the guide rings G at equal distances from the
upper and lower circular rails between which they work, they are pro-
vided with adjustable guiding studs g, having rounded ends resting in
the hollow of the lower rail.
It may be readily understood that instead of the balls F short cylin-
drical or slightly tapering rollers with rounded ends might be employed
running in flat grooves in the circular rails, and that instead of the studs a
9, antifriction rollers might be employed to support the guide rings.
.:

page_text: To the outer circumference of the casing D are fixed angle iron
brackets H, to which are secured the abutting ends of the fixed rails
from which the locomotives or carriages run on to the turntable; and on
the inner circumference of the casing D is fixed an angle iron ring K
projecting inwards so as to form a circular trough for preventing dirt
or water from falling into the interior of the turntable, and for the
same purpose the entire upper surface of the turntable may be covered
with plates.
Although only two sets of supporting rails with their balls or rollers
and guide rings have been described above, it may be readily understood
that when greater strength and steadiness are required additional sots of
such supports could be introduced, operating in the same manner as
those which have been described.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I claim,-
First. The use for turntables of balls or rollers running freely between
circular rails fixed respectively to the fixed foundation and to the
turning table, such balls or rollers being retained at suitable intervals
apart by guide rings, substantially as herein described.
Second. The construction of turntable, substantially as herein
described, the essential features of which are the circular rails a and b
on the foundation, and the inverted rails a' and b¹, with the balls or
rollers F, and guide rings G interposed between them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.