IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY POINTS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bewley Marlow, of Openshaw, near
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engine Driver, Joseph
Roebuck, of the same Place, Fitter, and John Thomas Fallows, of
Bradbury, in the County of Chester, Manager, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY POINTS."
Bealed the 27th March 1874, and dated the 22nd January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bewley Marlow,
Joseph Roebuck, and John Thomas Fallows at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 22nd January
1874.
We, JOHN BEWLEY MARLOW, of Openshaw, near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engine Driver, JOSEPH ROEBUCK, of the same
Place, Fitter, and JOHN THOMAS FALLOWS, of Bradbury, in the County
of Chester, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY POINTS," to be as follows:-

page_text: In performing our Invention we make projections on the under sides
of the movable rails, and corresponding holes in plates on which the
movable rails rest. The outer ends of the movable rails are connected
by a lifting plate, in which is a curved slot. In this slot is a bowl fitting
on a stud in a lever, which lever is moved to and fro by a catch lever,
the catch taking into notches in a sector plate. When the catch lever
is moved it first lifts the projections under the movable rails out of the
holes in the plates and then traverses the movable rails until their ends
come in line with the other rails, when it allows the said projections to
drop into their retaining holes. The movable rails are thus securely
locked when the points are set.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Bewley Marlow, Joseph Rocbuck, and John
Thomas Fallows in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th July 1
1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
BEWLEY MARLOW, of Openshaw; near Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engine Driver, JOSEPH ROEBUCK, of the same Place, Fitter,
and JOHN THOMAS FALLOWS, of Bradbury, in the County of Chester, 2
Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Bewley Marlow, Joseph Roebuck,
and John Thomas Fallows, Her special licence, that we, the said John
Bewley Marlow, Joseph Roebuck, and John Thomas Fallows, our exc-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John
Bewley Marlow, Joseph Roebuck, and John Thomas Fallows, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY POINTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said John Bewley Marlow, Joseph Roebuck, and John Thomas Fallows,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of our or their hands and scals, 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 calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Bewley Marlow, Joseph
Roebuck, and John Thomas Fallows, do hereby declare the nature of
our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
:-
The object of our Invention is to prevent the possibility of changing
the position of the points when a train is passing, and to prevent the
points being changed by a passing train.
In performing our Invention we make projections on the under sides
of the movable rails, and corresponding holes in plates on which the
movable rails rest. The outer ends of the movable rails are connected
by a lifting plate, in which is a curved slot. In this slot is a bowl fitting
on a stud in a lever, which lever is moved to and fro by a catch lever,
the catch taking into notches in a sector plate. When the catch lever
is moved it first lifts the projections under the movable rails out of the
holes in the plates and then traverses the movable rails until their ends
come in line with the other rails, when it allows the said projections to
drop into their retaining holes and into recesses in the chairs. The
movable rails are thus securely locked when the points are set.

page_text: a, a, and b, b, are the rails forming part of the permanent way, and
c, c, are the movable rails, which are jointed to the end chairs of the
rails a, a, as usual. On the under sides of the rails c, c, are pro-
jections c, c', which fit in corresponding holes d', d', in the foundation
plates d, d, on which the rails c, c, rest. These rails may be of the same
depth as the rails a and b, or of a less depth. The outer ends of the
movable rails c fit into recesses in the double chairs 6', see Fig. 4,
supporting the ends of the rails b, and they are connected by the lifting
plate e, in which is a curved slot e¹. In this slot is a bowl fitting on a
stud in the upper end of the lever f, which is keyed on the shaft g, and
which is provided below with a counterweight f¹. On the shaft 9 is also
keyed the lever h, which is connected to the catch lever i by the link j.
The catch lever i is of the ordinary construction, and the catch jointed
to it takes into notches in the sectors k, between which the lever works
as usual.
I
The mode of operation is as follows:-When the points have to be
moved the attendant takes hold of the handle of the lever i and lifts
the catch out of the notches in the sectors / as usual. On pulling the
handle towards him the bowl in the lever f acting on the end of the
curved slot e¹ raises the plate e and with it the ends of the rails c until
the ends of the rails are lifted out of the recesses in the chairs b', and
the projections c¹ out of the holes d, the rails c being now released
are at liberty to be moved until their ends are in line with the rails
of the siding, at which time the attendant by releasing the handle allows
the projections c¹ to fall into into their retaining holes d³, and the ends
of the rails into the recesses in the chairs b'. The catch then drops
into the notches of the sectors and the points are then securely locked
in their places, and cannot be moved until the attendant again acts
on the lever i as above described.
By means of these improvements the accidents arising from the dis-
placement of facing or other points are avoided.
When the points are made to meet three lines of rails instead of two,
as shown at b, b, the lifting plate e must be made with a double curved
slot, as shewn at Fig. 5.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described a
convenient manner of performing the same, we wish it to be understood
that we do not intend to limit ourselves to the details given, as the

page_text: same may be varied, but what we claim as our improvements in railway
points is,―
First. Making projections on the under side of the movable rails,
which projections fit into holes in the foundation plates, as shewn and
described.
Secondly. Making recesses in the chairs to hold the ends of the
movable rails.
And, lastly. The machinery shewn and described for actuating the
points, or any modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Bewley Marlow, Joseph
Roebuck, and John Thomas Fallows, have hereto set our hands
and seals, this Seventeenth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-four.