IM- PROVEMENTS IN LOCKING GEAR IN CONNECTION WITH RAILWAY POINTS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Maurice Frederick Fitz Gerald, of 4, Westminster
Chambers, Victoria St., Westminster, London, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN LOCKING GEAR IN CONNECTION WITH RAILWAY POINTS."
Sealed the 17th January 1879, and dated the 9th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Maurice Frederick Fitz Gerald
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th August 1878.
<<
MAURICE FREDERICK FITZ GERALD, of 4, Westminster Chambers, Victoria St.,
Westminster, London. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKING GEAR IN CONNECTION WITH
RAILWAY POINTS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in locking gear in connection with
railway points.
Accidents on railways arising from the points being moved whilst a train is, in
the act of passing over them are not of uncommon occurrence, and various arrange-
ments are now resorted to with a view to lock the points and render them immovable
at such times.
.
According to my Invention I attain this end by arranging a rod or some other
portion of the gear connecting the tongue rails with the switch lever, or it may be
a part in connection with this gear, so that it may lie beneath the rails of the line
of railway in the vicinity of the points, and so that when the train is upon these
rails, the weight of the train may cause the said rod or other portion of or connec-
tion with the actuating gear to be nipped and held by a frictional holding until the
rail over it is again relieved from the weight of the passing train.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Maurice Frederick Fitz Gerald in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th February 1879.
MAURICE FREDERICK FITZ GERALD, of 4, Westminster Chambers, Victoria St.,
Westminster, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKING GEAR IN CONNECTION WITH
RAILWAY POINTS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in locking gear in connection with
railway points.
Accidents on railways arising from the points being moved whilst a train is in
the act of passing over them are not of uncommon occurrence, and various arrange-
ments are now resorted to with a view to lock the points and render them immovable
at such times.
According to my Invention I attain this end by arranging a rod or some other
portion of the gear connecting the tongue rails with the switch lever, or it may be
a part in connection with this gear, so that it may lie beneath the rails of the line
of railway in the vicinity of the points, and so that when the train is upon these
rails the weight of the train may cause the said rod or other portion of or connec-
tion with the actuating gear to be nipped and held by a frictional holding until the
rail over it is again relieved from the weight of the passing train.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the arrangement as I prefer
to have it of one of the fixed rails in the vicinity of the points I desire to lock
when a train is passing.
Figure 2 is a section on the line 1-1 in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of one of the chairs by which the rail is carried.
a, a, is the fixed rail; b is the chair in which the rail is held by an angle plate of
steel or wrought iron b¹. This angle plate is fixed to the cast portion of the chair
and to the rail, as the Drawing indicates.
I prefer for my purpose this method of fixing the rail to the ordinary one of
employing wooden keys or wedges, as the use of these latter would necessitate great
accuracy of workmanship in the arrangement of the sliding bar c.
The bar c may itself be or form part of the rod employed to convey move-
ment from the hand lever to the tongue rails of the point, as is well understood, or
where more convenient, it may be coupled with this rod and with the tongue rails,
so as to move with them.
The bar c lies in the chairs 6 beneath the rail a, and a bed is planed in the chair
to receive it.
•
The rail rests on the upper surface of the bar, but except when a train is on the
rail, the bar is free to move when a moderate force is applied.
The bar c should be of steel of such quality as not to be indented by the chair
ünder the shocks to which it will be exposed.
It will be readily seen that the weight of a passing train will effectually hold the
bar c, and prevent movement being given to it or to the tongue rails, and so the
points will be and remain locked until the train is past.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim, the method of locking

page_text: railway points by means of a bar or like instrument arranged beneath a rail of the
line of railway in the vicinity of the points, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Maurice Frederick Fitz Gerald, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
MAURICE FREDERICK FITZ GERALD. (L.S.)