IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO RAILWAY SWITCHES
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO RAILWAY SWITCHES,"
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of railway switches in which a movable rail
is substituted for the ordinary frog, the movable rail being so connected with the
switch-rails that as the switch rails are thrown one way or the other to connect
with the main or with the side-track, as the case may be, the movable rail is
thrown in the opposite direction, and in both of its positions made to form part of
à continuous line of rail.
The said invention relates more especially to the construction and operation of
the switch-stand and to the means used to connect the switch-stand with the
switch-rails and movable rail or rails.
In describing the said invention I will suppose a main line with branches
extending therefrom at opposite sides and from the same point.
According to the said invention I provide a movable rail in the centre of the
main track for connecting and disconnecting the rails of either of the two branches.
A second movable rail is used in connecting and disconnecting the rails of the main
line or of one branch, and a combined movable rail and point is used in connecting
and disconnecting the rails of the main line and the other branch.
A rock shaft is journalled in bearings and connected by means of rods with
switch-rails in the main track, with the movable-rails and with the combined
movable rail and point-The rod of the switch rails is connected with the rock-
shaft by means of a disc, the rod of the first movable rail by means of a crank, the
the rod of the second movable rail by means of a second crank, and the rod of the
combined rail and point by means of a third crank. The switch rails slide in
the ordinary manner. The first movable rail is held at one end and its other end
is adapted to be swung in a chair. The second movable rail is also held at one end
and its other end is adapted to be swung in a chair. The combined movable rail
and point is held at the forked end, and its other end by reason of the length of the

page_text: rail, can be swung laterally in a chair and in its movement the rail carries the point
with it; the point at its swinging end being sufficiently free to permit of the move-
ment of the point. The first movable rail can be swung to connect with the rail
of either branch the second movable rail so as to connect with either of the main
rails or the rail of one branch, and the combined rail and point so as to connect
with either the main rail or the rail of the other branch.
The construction of the chairs &° is a feature of the invention. Each chair
consists of a base, of the side-pieces, or, what may be termed, brace-rails, and
preferably of an interposed block between the rails. The brace rails are extended
beyond the ends of the rails to form shoulders for the end of the movable rail to
encounter, and thereby be braced in its two positions respectively. At the same
time the brace-rails thus extended serve, in conjunction with the fixed and movable
rails, to form a continuous rail. The brace-rail is, preferably, extended upward to
the level of the top of the fixed and movable rails and thus made to form a
continuous bearing for the car-wheel past the joint between the fixed and the
movable rails. The brace rails, fixed rails, and, interposed block are suitably bolted
together.
The switch-stand is adapted to admit a lever which is fastened to the said rock-
shaft. The said lever, hereinaftér térmed the switch lever, resembles the lever used
in a ground-switch, that is, it can be thrown from a horizontal position at one side
of the rock-shaft upward into a vertical position within the switch-stand, and
thence, through the switch-stand, downward into a horizontal position at the
opposite side of the rock-shaft. By thus operating the switch lever the rock-shaft
can be rotated and the switch adjusted either for the main track or for either of
the side tracks. When in a vertical position the switch lever can be locked in the
switch-stand by means of a locking bar, which is adapted to work longitudinally
through a bearing in the switch-stand, and, when thrown forward, to engage in a
slot in the lever."
The preferable means for operating the locking bar are as follows:-A locking
lever is fastened to an upright shaft which in turn is adapted to be rotated in
bearings in the switchstand. By swinging the locking lever to the right or left the
locking bar, (by reason of a shoulder upon the locking lever bearing against a
shoulder upon the locking-bar) is withdrawn from the switch lever. When the
locking lever is swung back again a spring which is held in a recess and bears at
one end against the outer end of the locking bar and at the other end against the
vertical shaft, acts to throw the locking-bar forward again into engagement with
the switch lever. The locking bar is slotted to enable it to be moved as described:
The locking-bar and locking-bar lever can be locked in position by passing a key
downward through a slot which is partly in the lever and partly in the bar, and
the key can be secured by means of a padlock.
The switch-rails can. be locked in the main line position as follows; at its lower
end the vertical shaft is provided with a shoulder. This shoulder operates in com-
bination with an opposing shoulder upon a tie rod which is slotted to admit the
vertical shaft and extends, from its connection with the shoulder to a cross-bar
which, in turn, is attached to one or more bolts that are held and adapted to work
longitudinally in a fixed box. When the switch-rails are set to connect with the
main track the tie-rod does not act upon the bolts, and they, by reason of springs,
are pushed out from the fixed box so as to engage in slots of what may be termed
the switch-rails-rod disc, which disc is fastened to the rock-shaft. As long as the
bolt remain in engagement with the disc, the rock-shaft is prevented from rotating
and the switch remains locked. By rotating the vertical shaft, which rotation
occurs when the locking-bar is being withdrawn from the switch lever; the tie-
rod acts to withdraw the bolts from the disc and the switch is free to be moved.
The rock-shaft, by means of bevel-pinions, is adapted to operate a signal in the
ordinary manner.
Two of the cranks are on one side of their dead centres when the switch is in
position for a side track, and the other two cranks are on their dead centres at this
2
.

page_text: time; and vice versa when the switch-rails connect with the main-track rails.
Therefore should a train approach the switch from the main-track the car wheels
will exert a spreading action upon the movable rails, causing their rods, or either of
them, to rotate the rock-shaft and thereby shift all the movable rails into con-
nection with the main track, and cause the switch-lever to assume a vertical
position when the locking bar and the bolts respectively, engage with the switch
lever and the disc, and the switch thereby to be locked in position for the main
track.
The switch-stand is open at its sides to permit of the switch lever being thrown
over.
When the switch is in position for the side-track the switch-lever which is
weighted lies in a horizontal position. It is therefore unnecessary to lock the
switch when in that position, and at the same time, the switch is free to enable it
to be shifted automatically by an approaching train as above described to close the
main track. The brace-rails prevent the movable rails from going beyond the
gauge, and also prevent the rail-ends from being battered, and the car-wheels, in
passing, from being jarred.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Railway Switches.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to that class of railway switches in which a movable rail
is substituted for the ordinary frog, the movable rail being so connected with the
switch-rails that as the switch rails are thrown one way or the other to connect
with the main or with the side-track, as the caso may be, the movable rail is
thrown in the opposite direction, and in both of its positions made to form part of
a continuous line of rail.
The said invention relates more especially to the construction and operation of
the switch stand and to the means used to connect the switch-stand with the
switch rails and movable rail or rails.
In the accompanying drawing illustrating the most approved mode of carrying
out the improvement,
Figure 1 is a plan showing the improvement applied to a switch where a side
track passes off to either side of the main track.
Figure 2 is a plan, upon an enlarged scale, of the movable rail and the parts
immediately connected therewith.
Figure 3 is a plan upon an enlarged scale, of the combined movable rail and
point.
Figure is a cross vertical section on the line 4, 4 of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the chair used in connection with the movable
rail.
Figure 6 is a section on the line 6, 6 of Figure 1, the crank being on the dead
centre as when the switch-rails are in connection with one of the side tracks.
•
Figure 7 is a similar section the crank being on the live centre as when the
switch rails are in connection with the inain track.
Figure 8 is a section on the line 8, 8 of Figure 10.
Figure 9 is a section ou the line 9, 9 of Figure 11.
Figure 10 is a plan of the parts shown in Figure 8.
Figure 11 is a plan of the parts shown in Figure 9.
Figure 12 is a vertical section on the line 12, 12 of Figure 13 being a sectional
view of the switch-stand.
Figure 13 is an end elevation of the switch stand.
Figure 14 is a horizontal section on the line 14, 15 of Figure 12.
Figure 15 is a section similar to that of Figure 14, but showing the locking-bar
lever turned to release the switch-lever.

page_text: Figure 16 is a plan partly in horizontal section of the locking mechanism at.
that end of the rock-shaft which is toward the switch-rail.
Figure 17 is a view similar to that of Figure 16, but showing the parts as when.
tho switch-rails rod disc is unlocked, and as when the switch-rails are in connection.
with one of the side-tracks.
Figure 18 is a section on the line 18, 18 of Figure 16.
Figure 19 is a view in perspective of the switch-stand locking-bar lever.
Figure 20 is a view in perspective of the switch-stand locking-bar.
Figure 21 is a view in perspective of the switch-stand end of the rod used in
unlocking the switch-rails rod disc.
Figure 22 is a view in perspective of the part which operates in connection with
the part shown in Figure 21.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
A, A represent the switch-rails, B, B¹ the rails of the main track, C, C¹ the rails
of one of the side-tracks, and D, D¹ the rails of the other of the side tracks.
E represents the movable rail used in the centre of the main track in connecting
and disconnecting the rails C¹, D as hereinafter described, and F represents the
movable rail used in connecting and disconnecting the rails CB as hereinafter
described.
G G¹ represent the combined movable rail and point used in connecting and
disconnecting the rails, B¹ D as hereinafter described.
H represents a rock shaft journalled in bearings and connected by means of
the rods I, J K L respectively with the switch rails A A, the movable rail E, the
movable rail F and the combined movable rail and point G, G. The rod I is
connected with the rock-shaft by means of the disc S, Figures 1, 16, 17 and 18;
the rod J by means of the crank J' Figures 1, 6 and 7; the rod K by means of
the crank K, and the rod L by means of the crank L¹ Figures 1, 8, 9, 10, 11. The
switch rails slide in the ordinary manuer. The movable rail E is held at its end c
and its end c is adapted to be swung in the chair E¹. The movable rail F is held
at the end and its end f1 is adapted to be swung in the chair F'. The combined
movable rail and point G, G¹ is held at the fork end g, and its end g', by reason of
the length of the rail G, can be sprung laterally in the chair G2 and in its move-
ment the rail G carries the point with it; the point at its end g being sufficiently
free to permit of the movement in this manner. The rail E can be swung to
connect with either the rail D or the rail C¹ the rail F so as to connect with either
the rail B or the rail C¹ and rail and point G.G¹ so as to connect with either the
rail B or the rail D.
The construction of the chairs E¹ F, G is a feature of the invention. The chair
consists of the base e the side pieces, or what may be termed the brace rails e e¹,
and preferably the interposed block e² between the rails, substantially as represented
in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5. It will be noticed that the brace rails are extended at ea
beyond the ends of the rails B, C, to form shoulders for the end of the movable
rail to encounter, and thereby be held in its two positions respectively. At the
same time the brace rails thus extended serve in conjunction with the fixed and
movable rails, to form a continuous rail. The brace-rails as seen in Figure + are
preferably extended upward to the level of the top of the fixed and movable rails
and thus made to form a continuous bearing for the car-wheels past the joint
between the fixed and the movable rails. The brace-rails, fixed rails, and
interposed block are suitably and substantially bolted together as indicated in
Figures 2 and 3.
M, Figures 1, 12, 13, represents the switch-stand adapted to receive the lover N
which is fastened to the rock-shaft H. The lever N resembles the lever used in a
ground-switch, that is, it can be thrown from a horizontal position at one side of
the rock-shaft upward into a vertical position within the switch-stand, and thence
through the switch-stand, downward into a horizontal position at the opposite side
of the rock-shaft. By thus operating the lever N the rock-shaft can be rotated

page_text: and the switch adjusted either for the main-track or for either of the side-tracks.
When in a vertical position, as in Figures 1, 12, the lever can be locked in the
switch-stand by means of the locking bar O, Figures 12, 14, 15, 20, which is
adapted to work longitudinally through a bearing m in the switch-stand, and,
when thrown forward, to engage in a slot n in the lever N Figures 12, 14.
The preferable means for operating the locking-bar are as follows:-A lever 01
is fastened to the upright shaft P which, in turn, is adapted to be rotated in the
bearings pp in the switch stand. By swinging the lever to the right or left the
locking-bar (by reason of a shoulder o upon the lever 01 bearing against a
shoulder o upon the locking-bar) is withdrawn from the lever N Figure 15.
When the lever O is swung back again into the position of Figure 14, a spring o³
which is held in a recess o³ Figure 12 and bears at one end against the outer end
of the locking-bar and at the other end against the shaft P, acts to throw the
locking-bar forward again into engagement with the lever N. The locking-bar is
slotted at o' to enable it to be moved as described. The locking-bar and locking-
bar lever can be locked in the position shown in Figures 12 and 14, by passing a
key of downward through slots o partly in the lever and partly in the bar, and
the key can be secured by means of the padlock o'.
The switch rails can be locked in the position shown in Figure 1 as follows:-
At its lower end the shaft P is provided with the shoulder p¹ Figures 12, 22.
This shoulder operates in combination with an opposing shoulder q upon a tie
rod Q, Figures 12, 16, 17, 21, which is slotted at q¹ to admit the shaft P and
extends, from its connection with the shoulder p¹, to the cross-bar R, Figures 16, 17,
which in turn, is attached to one or more bolts, R¹ that are held and adapted to
work longitudinally in a fixed box R². When the switch-rails are set to connect
with the main track the tie-rod Q does not act upon the bolts R¹ and they, by
reason of the springs R³ Figure 16, are pushed out from the box R2 so as to
engage in the slots ss of what may be termed the switch-rails rod disc S which
disc is fastened to the rock-shaft H, Figures 16, 17, 18. As long as the bolts
remain in engagement with the disc the rock-shaft is prevented from rotating and
the switch remains locked. By rotating the shaft P, which rotation occurs when
the locking-bar is being withdrawn from the lever N, the tie rod Q acts to
withdraw the bolts from the disc S, and the switch is free to be moved. This
last named position of the bolts R¹ is shown in figure 17. The rock-shaft H, by
means of bevel-pinions t t¹, is adapted to operate a signal or target T in the
ordinary manner.
It will be noticed that cranks K¹ L¹ are on one side of their dead centres when
the switch is in position for a side track, and the cranks J and S are on their
dead centres at this time and that the cranks K¹ L' are on their dead centres and
the cranks J1 S are on their live centres when the switch-rails connect with the
main track-rails. Therefore should a train approach the switch from the main-
track the car wheels will exert a spreading action upon the movable rails F, G,
causing the rods K L, or either of them to rotate the rock-shaft and thereby shift
all the movable rails into connection with the main track and cause the lever N to
assume a vertical position when the locking-bar O and the bolts R¹ to simul-
taneously and respectively engage with the lever N and the disc S and the switch
thereby to be locked in position for the main track.
The switch-stand being open at its sides m³ m³ permits of the lever N being
thrown over.
It will also be observed that when the switch is in position for the side track
the lever N, which is weighted substantially as shown, lies in a horizontal position
and crank S is on dead centre. It is therefore unnecessary to lock the switch
when in that position, and at the same time, the switch is free to enable it to be
shifted automatically by an approaching train from opposite direction as above
described, to close the main track. The brace-rails prevent the movable rails from
going beyond the guage and also prevent the rail-ends from being battered, and the
car-wheels in passing from being jarred.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained 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 declare that what I claim is :—
First. The combination of the switch-rails A A, the rails B B¹, the rails C C', the
rails D, D¹, the movable rails E, F, the combined movable rail and point G, G¹, and
the rods I, J, K, L, substantially as described.
Second. The combination of the combined movable rail and point G G', and the
rails D B¹, substantially as described.
Third. The combination of the movable rail E, and the chair E', said chair
having the extended brace-rails, substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination of the movable rail E, and the chair E¹, said chair
having the brace rails extended at e³ and elevated to the level of the rails D C¹
substantially as described.
Fifth. The combination of the main track rails, the side track rails CC, the
movable rail F, the combined movable rail, and point G G³, the rods I, K, L, the
cranks K¹ L', the disc S, and the switch-rails A A substantially as described.
Sixth. The combination of the movable rail F, the combined movable rail and
point G G¹, the rock-shaft H, and the cranks and rods K, K¹and L, L', substantially
as described.
Seventh. The combination of the track C, C¹, the track B, B¹, the switch-
rails A A, the movable rail F, the rods K, L the rock shaft H the switch stand M
open at its sides m³, m³, and the lever N, substantially as described.
Eighth. The switch-stand M open at its sides m¹, m³, in combination with the
rock-shaft H, and the lever N, substantially as described.
Ninth. The combination of the switch stand M, the rock shaft H, the lever N,
and the locking bar O, substantially as described.
Tenth. The combination of switch-stand M, the lever N, the locking-bar O,
having the shoulder o¹, and the pivotted lever O', having the shoulder o, sub-
stantially as described.
Eleventh. The combination of the lever O¹, the switch-stand M, the shaft P, the
shoulder p¹, the tie-rod Q, the bolts R¹, the rock-shaft H, and the slotted disc S,
substantially as described.
•
Twelfth. The combination of the rock-shaft H, the box R2, the bolts R', the
springs R³, and the slotted disc S, substantially as described.
Dated him 14th das of Amil 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.