Improvements in Locking Bars for Railway Switches.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1894
Complete Specification. 14th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 16th Mar.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locking Bars for Railway Switches.
We, ARTHUR MOORE THOMPSON of Crewe Works Crewe in the County of
Chester Mechanical Engineer and JOHN TROUGHTON ROBERTS of Crewe Works
Crewe in the County of Chester Mechanical Engineer, do bereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:--
The locking bar is a well-known contrivance for securing the position of points
on railways and it consists of a length of T or angle iron somewhat longer than the
widest wheel base of the carriages running on the railway fixed on the inside or
outside of the stock rail in advance of the points and carried by short levers. The
bar in its normal position lies just below the flange of the carriage wheel in the
case of the inside bar and just below the tread of the wheel in the case of the out-
side bar and when in movement it rises somewhat above the level of the rail and
again drops below the wheel flange or tread. In many cases two sets of points are
placed so close together that there is not sufficient length between the points to
admit of a bar being fixed on the inside of the stock rail and it has hitherto been
the practice in such cases to fix the bar outside the stock rail. In this position
however it is not satisfactory as should the tyres of the wheels of a passing vehicle
be narrow or a curve in the road cause the wheel flanges to bear against the inner
rail of the curve when perhaps the bar is fixed on the outer rail of the curve, the
tread of the wheel is so far removed from the outer rail of the curve that there is
a danger of the bar failing to strike the tread of the wheel when the bar is moved.
To meet this difficulty we fix the bar on the switch or point tongue itself and
moving with it and we actuate the bar by a rod connection so arranged as not
to impede the movement of the switch and in cases where the bar must be of a
greater length than the switch we divide it at the point of the junction of the
switch with the stock rail and join them together by means of a suitable hinge.
Dated this First day of June 1894.
THOMPSON.
A. MOORE
J. TROUGHTON ROBERTS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Locking Bars for Railway Switches.
We ARTHUR MOORE THOMPSON of Crewe Works, Crewe, in the County of
Chester, Mechanical Engineer, and JOHN TROUGHTON ROBERTS, of Crewe
Works, Crewe, in the County of Chester, 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 :-
The locking bar is a well-known contrivance for securing the position of points
on railways and it consists of a length of T or angle iron somewhat longer than the
widest wheel base of the carriages running on the railway, fixed on the inside or
outside of the stock rail in advance of the points and carried by short levers. The
bar in its normal position lies just below the flange of the carriage wheel in the case
CD 037

page_text: of the inside bar and just below the tread of the wheel in the case of the outside
bar and when in movement it rises somewhat above the level of the rail and again
drops below the wheel flange or tread. In many cases two sets of points are placed
so close together that there is not sufficient length between the points to admit of
a bar being fixed on the inside of the stock rail and it has hitherto been the practice
in such cases to fix the bar outside the stock rail. In this position however it is
not satisfactory as should the tyres of the wheels of a passing vehicle be narrow or
a curve in the road cause the wheel flanges to bear against the inner rail of the
curve when perhaps the bar is fixed on the outer rail of the curve that there is
a danger of the bar failing to strike the tread of the wheel when the bar is moved.
To meet this difficulty we fix the bar on the switch or point tongue itself and
moving with it and we actuate the bar by a rod connection so arranged as not to
impede the movement of the switch and in cases when the bar must be of a
greater length than the switch we divide it at the point of the junction of the
switch with the stock rail and join them together by means of a suitable hinge.
In order that our said invention may be well understood we shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same reference being had to the accompanying
drawing and to the figures and letters marked thereon.
A Figure 1 is an up main line of railway, B a down main line of railway, C is
a crossover road, D is the facing point of a junction with another line of railway,
and E the trailing point of the same junction. a is a locking bar attached in the
usual way to the stock rail just in advance of the facing points of the junction D
on the inside or what is termed the four foot side of the stock rail of the main
line A, and we assume that this locking bar on account of the proximity of the
points of the crossover road C with the facing point D cannot be made longer
than say 20 ft., which may not be sufficiently long to cover the wheel base of
the longest carriage running on the railway which may necessitate a length of bar
of say 33 ft. To lengthen the locking bar a would involve the removal of the
crossover road C a sufficient distance to admit of the extra length of bar being
fixed, or the extra length of bár could be fixed by placing it on the outside of the
main line rail as indicated by dotted lines b, but experience has shown that a bar
fixed in this position outside the rail cannot always be relied on, and to get over the
difficulty we provide the extra length of bar on the switch itself of the crossover
road C as indicated c. This bar may be of the length of the switch only or carried
past the junction of the switch with the stock rail, a hinge being provided in the
bar at the switch joint, or if the bar is of a light section this hinge may be dispensed
with as the bar itself is sufficiently flexible to work with the switch. The bar c is
carried on the switch by means of the usual form of clip casting shown in sectional
elevations at fand g, f showing the clip as fixed about 2 ft. from the tongue of
the switch and g the clip at the point where the switch tongue is of the full rail
section.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. A locking bar to prevent the movement of switches on lines of railway when
vehicles are passing over them fixed to the tongue of the switch and moving with
it, substantially as described and illustrated by the drawing.
Dated this 13th day of February 1895.
THOMPSON.
A. MOORE
J. TROUGHTON ROBERTS.