Improvements in Apparatus for Operating Switches on Tramways: and Railways.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Operating Switches on Tramways:
and Railways.
We, EDUARD VON HAKEN, of Charlottenburg, near Berlin, Germany,
Dr. MARTIN WALDECK, of Berlin, Germany, 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 :-
This invention relates to means for enabling the switches of tramways and
narrow-gauge railways to be operated from the vehicles running on such tram and
railways.
An arrangement of apparatus embodying this invention is represented in the
annexed drawings in which
Figs. 1 and 2 are plans of a pair of rails with apparatus according to this inven-
tion applied thereto.
Fig. 3 is a view partly in section showing the apparatus on the car by means of
which the switch lever actuating is operated, and
Fig. 4 shows the said switch actuating lever in plan and edge view.
As will be seen from the drawings the apparatus is extremely simple; it comprises
a three-armed lever arranged between the pair of rails a b and capable of being turned
on a vertical axis in the middle of the track. The ends of two arms c c of the lever
are formed or provided with cam surfaces ii and the other arm c¹ is provided with
two pins e el between which the switch Z is gripped. The two arms c c of the lever
may be of any suitable length; they may either be quite short or continued to the
rails a b as shown. The longer they are, the more easily can the apparatus be put
in motion. Extending through the platform W, of the vehicle, are two rods d
and d' which are held in their normal position by means of springs as shewn in
Fig. 3. Their function is to operate the switch Z through the three armed
lever c c c and they are so arranged that, when pressed down they overcome
the elastic resistance of their springs and strike against the cams. The
cams are in the form of upwardly extending projections having inclined
surfaces against one or other of which the rods d or d can abut and operate
the lever and then slip idly past the cam without necessarily being raised. The
distance between the rods d and d' is greater or less in proportion to the length of
the arms c c.
The apparatus works in the following manner :-If a vehicle is
moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, and it is desired to
divert it to the right, the switch Z being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the
rod d', must be pressed down before it arrives at that part of the track at which.
the lever c c c and switch Z are situated. As the vehicle runs on, the lower part
of the rod d will strike against the right hand end of the lever, that is against the
cam i', thus moving the lever about its vertical axis to an extent sufficient to cause
the switch to be moved to the left (Fig. 2) so that the vehicle will be turned off to
the right.
If, it is desired that the next vehicle shall run straight ou in the direction of
the arrow, its rod d is pressed down so as to strike against the cam i, thereby
turning back the lever and moving the switch Z back into its appropriate position.
(Fig. 1).
The apparatus, which can be applied without difficulty, possesses the important
advantage that the movement given to the adjusting cams is communicated to the:

page_text: switch-tongue directly, without the instrumentality of rods or levers, so that the
apparatus performs its functions with absolute certainty.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
-
a
1. Apparatus for operating a switch on a tramway or railway from the vehicles
running over the same, comprising a three-armed lever capable of movement on a
vertical axis two of its arms being provided with cams adapted to be operated by
projections from vehicles running on the lines and the other arm being connected
to the switch, the arrangement being such that movement imparted to either cam is
directly communicated to the switch substantially as described.
2. For operating switches on tramways and railways, apparatus constructed,
arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
and shewn in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 27th day of January 1897
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.