Improvements in or connected with Railway Points or Switches and Crossings.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st Aug., 1895-Accepted, 21st Sent., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Railway Points or Switches
and Crossings.
I, HENRY WILLIAMS of the Railway Appliances Works, Cathcart, Renfrewshire,
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its objects the introduction of novel parts to the permanent
way of railways at the switch points and the diamond or obtuse crossings, and
mechanism therefor so as to give very much greater safety than is at the present
time given to the travelling public passing in trains over same, and also minimumising
the amount of manual labour required by the signalman in the operation of th
switch points, that are equipped with my improvements.
In putting my invention into practice I will or may construct and arrang
a pulley or roller freely turning or travelling on its centre or pin within or attached
to the leading or other receiving chairs of switch points of railways. This pulley
or roiler is so arranged that its circumference shall lift its switches, say something
about one quarter of an inch, in its travel from or to its stock rails when they are
being operated from their normal to reversed positions. The object of this
frictionless lifting action to the leading end of the switch points when travelling
by the means of this pulley or roller, is to lift the switches from their frictional
contact with their receiving chairs, when travelling from or to their stock rails
through the circumferential travelling or turning or rolling action of this
roller or pulley. Also by this frictionless lifting action of the switch point when
travelling, it will after rising on the circumference of the pulley to the centre of its
travel, decline downwards with a swing in the revolution of the pulley and thereby
carry the switch to go well and properly home to the stock rail to which it is
travelling.
In some cases where I think it advisable I will or may secure a bracket to the
switches, this bracket containing or provided with a pulley so as to come in circum-
ferential contact with the pulley or roller in or attached to the receiving chair, and
thereby making the radial lifting travel of the switch points to operate even with
greater ease than when only the one pulley or roller is arranged in or to the
receiving chair of the switches.
By another or alternate method I will or may arrange a strong and suitable
connecting cross tie rod which secures the one switch firmly, and at a proper
distance, to its neighbouring switch.
In this cross tie rod I will arrange suitable pulley or pulleys to work or travel
as before freely on its or their centres, at a proper distance from each switch, and
arrange an inclined surface or race to raise the switches say about one quarter of
an inch by the time the switches have reached half way of their travel, and then
travel downwards to their next stock rail, so that the switches shall always rest
properly on their receiving chairs when at their either stock rails. Thus this
radial or inclined lifting and lowering travel to the switches to lift same from
frictional contact with their receiving chairs when travelling, is obtained by this
method.
By a further method or modification I will or may arrange this lifting and
falling action in the travel of the switches so as to relieve same from the frictional
contact when travelling on their receiving chairs, by a vertically acting lever or

page_text: cam or eccentric fulcrumed or swung and connectel for operation where necessary
to produce this effect of travelling its switches.
In arranging the diamond or obtuse crossings of the permanent way, which are
always some few yards away from their switches, I will or may arrange two
vertically operating balanced crescents or levers of novel form fulcrumed to swing
vertically on or near their centre and in frictional contact sideways with each other.
Their fulcrum will be at or near the centre of their crossing and so arranged that
when the flanges of the wheels are passing in any properly intended direction over
them that the first end operated on by the wheel flange, will be depressed down-
wards say about one inch or thereabout, thereby causing its opposite novel formed
end to lift up and block in and close up the opening or unprotected side gap in the
crossing, so as to give safety sideways to the wheel flange by making its guiding
rail surface sideways complete in its gap and thereby avoiding the now terrible
dangerous risk when a train is passing over its diamond or obtuse crossing.
I will or may arrange a suitable spring to give to these vertically operating
crescents or levers their desired frictional touch sideways, and arrange suitable
pads of any cushioning material to receive the lowering ends of them both,
when being struck or operated on by the flanges of the wheels of the passing
trains.
So as to give direct and more moving, thrusting, and pulling power into the
hands of the signalman in the operating of his switch mechanism as before described
I will dispense with all bell cranks in the operating rod connections and substitute
a rack and pinion direct motion or force transmitter, by arranging in a suitable
housing two racks preferably at right angles to each other and consequently on
different planes, and both in gear with one deep pinion, fulcrumed to turn freely on
its centre, and so arranged by having extra receiving planes for the two racks that
their actions can be easily and instantly arranged by their fixing mechanic to,
pull-and-push or to pull-and-pull as may be required to effect the desired last
motion of their switches et cetera. The ends of these racks will be arranged to
receive their operating rod connections either by ordinary joints and pins or by
direct pin and cotter connection.
Dated this Fifth day of December 1894.
Improvements in or connected with Railway Points or Switches
and Crossings.
I HENRY WILLIAMS of the Railway Appliances Works, Cathcart Renfrewshire
Mechanical 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:-
My invention has for its objects the introduction of novel parts in the permanent
way of railways at the switch points and the diamond or obtuse crossings, and
mechanism therefor so as to give very much greater safety than is at the
present time given to the travelling public passing in trains over same, and also
ninimumising the amount of manual labour required by the signalman in the
operation of the switch points. In order that iny invention and the manner of
carrying same into practice may be properly understood I have hereunto appended
three sheets of explanatory drawings, in which
Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 a plan view showing a switch and stock
rail as mounted on a chair fitte.' with a pulley or roller in accordance with my
improvements.

page_text: Figure 3 is a perspective view of the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified arrangement in which pulleys a
mounted both in the chair and on the switch rail. Figure 6 is a similar view
showing a pulley on switch rail and a curved inclined surface on chair, and
Figure 6 is a cross section of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a plan view, Figure 8 a longitudinal section, and Figure 9 a cro. <
section of my levers fitted to a diamond crossing.
Figure 10 is a plan view showing two main lines of rails and a siding, in which
my improved devices are applied to the diamond crossings and switch rails.
Figure 11 is a perspective elevation, and Figures 12 and 13 a sectional elevation
and plan of my improved switch operating devices, while
Figure 14 shows a detached view of a pinion as formed with two changes of
gear.
Referrings to these drawings:-In putting my invention into practice I will or may
construct and arrange a pulley or roller a freely turning or travelling on its centre
or pin a' within or attached to the leading or other receiving chairs A of switch point:
of railways. This pulley or roller a is so arranged as shown in Figures 1 to 3 that
its circumference shall lift its switches B say something from about one quarter of
an inch, in its travel from or to its stock rails C when they are being operated
from their normal to reserved positions.
The object of this frictionless lifting action to the leading end of the switch
points when travelling by means of this pulley or roller a is to lift the switches 13
from their frictional contact with their receiving chairs when travelling from or t
their stock rails C through the circumferential travelling or turning or rolling
action of this roller or pulley a. Also by this frictionless lifting action of the
switch point when travelling, it will after rising on the circumference of the pulley
to the centre of its travel, decline downwards with a swing in the revolution of the
pulley and thereby carry the switch B to go well and properly home to the stock
rail to which it is travelling.
In some cases where I think it advisable as shown in Figure 4 I will or may
secure a bracket 62 to the switches B this bracket 2 containing or provided with
a pulley mounted on a pin 6' so as to come in circumferential contact with the
pulley or roller a in or attached to the receiving chair A and thereby making the
radial lifting travel of the switch points to operate even with greater case than
when only the one pulley or roller is arranged in or to the receiving chair of the
switches.
As shown in Figures 5 and 6 a curved inclined surface is formed on the chair A
to give the aforesaid raising action.
In arranging the diamond or obtuse crossings of the permanent way, which are
always some few yards away from their switches as shown in Figures 7 to 10 I will
or may arrange two vertically operating balanced crescents or levers dd' fulcrumed
on a horizontal pin d to swing vertically on or near their centre and in frictional
contact sideways with each other near the centre. Their fulcrum d² will be at or
near the centre of the crossing and so arranged that when the flange of the wheels
are passing in auy intended direction over them that the first end operated on by
the wheel flange say of d end of lever d will be depressed downwards say about
one inch or there about, thereby causing its opposite end d³ to lift up and block in
and close up the opening or unprotected side gap D in the crossing so as to give
safety sideways to the wheel flange by making its guiding rail surface sideways
complete in its gap and thereby avoiding the now terrible dangerous risk of
striking the dead end D' of the diamond when a train is passing over its diamond
or obtuse crossing.
I will or may arrange a suitable spring e to give to these vertically operating
crescents or levers d their desired frictional touch sideways, and may arrange suitable
pads of any cushioning material to receive the lowering ends of them both when
being struck or operated on by the Hanges of the wheels of the passing trains.
So as to give direct and greater moving thrusting, and pulling power into the

page_text: hands of the signalman in the operating of his switch mechanism as before
described I will dispense with all bell cranks in the operating rod connections and
substitute a rack and pinion direct motion or force transmitted by arranging in a
suitable housing F two racks ff at right angles to each other and consequently
on different planes, and both in gear with one deep pinion f2 fulcrumed to turn
freely on its centre pin f³ and so arranged by having extra receiving planes f*
for the racks f¹ their actions can be easily and instantly reversed by their fixing
mechanic to pull-and-push or to pull-and-pull according to the plane in which the
rack for the time being is located as may be required to effect. the desired last
motion of their switches. The ends of these racks will be arranged to receive their
operating rod connections either by ordinary joints and pins or by direct pin and
cotter connection. The pinion may be formed in two gears as shown in
Figure 14.
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 :-
1. In connection with the switch points of railways, the improved devices for
lifting and lowering the switches in their travel to and from the stock rails, sub-
stantially as herein described in reference to and shown in Figures 1 to 6 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. In connection with the diamond or obtuse crossings of railways, the con-
struction and use of vertically acting levers fulcrumed to move on a horizontal
axis at or near their centre, substantially as and for the purposes herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
3. In connection with the switch points of railways, the operating mechanism
shown in Figures 11 to 13 of the accompanying drawings..
Dated this Nineteenth day of August 1895.
HENRY WILLIAMS.