IMPROVEMENTS IN STOP BLOCKS AND BUFFER STOPS TO BE USED UPON RAILWAYS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE WORKING OF POINTS ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Columbus Hurry, of Hereford, in the County
of Hereford, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STOP BLOCKS AND BUFFER STOPS TO BE USED UPON RAILWAYS, PART OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE WORKING OF POINTS ON RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 17th December 1867, and dated the 19th June 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Columbus Hurry
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, 'with his Petition, on the
19th June 1867.
I, HENRY COLUMBUS HURRY, of Hereford, in the County of Hereford,,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN STOP BLOCKS AND BUFFER STOPS TO BE USED UPON RAILWAYS, PART
OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE WORKING OF POINTS ON
RAILWAYS," to be as follows:
CL Ch
t
This Invention relates principally to stop blocks: and buffer stops used tupon)
the sidings of railways for the purpose of arresting carriages or trains; and
more especially when such sidings are upon an incline:
B
According to my Invention the stop block or buffer stop is made so, as .to.
turn about a horizontal axis situated in the centre of. the web of the rail or
some other point in the vertical section thereof, and is so connected to a disc.
or other signal that, the movement of the stop..block around this axis.in.. one,

page_text: direction shall raise the said disc, and turn it so as to show the flat side, whilst
its movement in the other direction will lower the signal and turn it edgewise,
so that the signal shall indicate the position of the block.
The former object may be attained in several ways; for example, I separate
the ends of the rails at any joint about six or eight inches (or about two inches
at two joints having a short piece of rail between), making the fish plates so
much longer and forming their exterior surface cylindrical, so that they serve
as an axis round which the block (which is of the width of the space between
the ends of the rails) can turn. The block is mounted on this axis by means
of a wrought-iron strap passing round and underneath the fish plates, and the
said strap is so formed on the outside that when the block is turned down
the side of the strap forms a surface in continuation of the rails for the wheels
Under this strap are placed a sleeper and chair by which the load
is supported.
Another mode of effecting the same object is by making the block a segment
of a cylinder whose interior diameter is, about equal to the depth of the rail,
the ends either moying round the rail and fish plates as an axis, or turning in
annular grooves in a cast-iron frame fixed between two sleepers. The block
is worked by a handle being drawn through a nut or slot; this handle is flat
or square, and is twisted so as to have a quarter turn, or is provided with a
quarter turn thread. The disc or signal is fixed to this handle so that as the
datter is drawn up or thrust down, the former is caused to make a quarter
turn.
This latter part of the Invention is also applicable to the discs or signals
connected to the points on railways.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Columbus Hurry in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
COLUMBUS HURRY, of Hereford, in the County of Hereford, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry
Columbus Hurry; Her special licence that I, the said Henry Columbus Hurry,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such, others as I, the said Henry
Columbus Hurry, my exécutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time.
agree with, and no others, from time to time and 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, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOP BLOCKS
AND BUFFER STOPS TO BE USED UPON RAILWAYS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS
ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE WORKING OF POINTS ON RAILWAYS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Columbus. Hurry, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 I, the said Henry Columbus Hurry, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and. in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say
:
This Invention relates principally to stop blocks and buffer stops used upon
the sidings of railways for the purpose of arresting carriages or trains, more,
especially where such sidings are upon an incline.
According to my Invention the stop block or buffer stop is made to turn.
round a horizontal axis situated in the centre of the web of the rail or some
other point in the vertical line of the section thereof, and this block or buffer
may be connected to a disc or other signal in such a manner that the movement
of the stop block around. the axis in one direction shall cause the said disc to
turn so as to shew the flat side. Whilst the movement of the stop block in
the other direction will turn the signal edgeways so, that it shall indicate at all,
times the position of the block.
1.
The former object may be obtained in several ways; for example, I separate
the ends of the rails at any joint about six or eight inches making the fish.
plates so much longer, and turning their outer surface partially cylindrical, so
that they serve as the axis around which the block (which in this case is of.,
the width of the space between the ends of, the rails) can turn. The block.
which may be of cast, or wrought-iron, or of wood,, or any other suitable
material, is mounted on this axis by means of a wrought-iron strap, and the
said strap is so formed on the outside, that when the block is turned down, or
off, the strap forms a surface in continnation of the rails for the wheels to run
:

page_text: be supported.
Another mode of effecting the same object is by making the block
a segment of a cylinder whose interior diameter is about equal to the depth
of the rail; the ends either moving round the rail and fish plates so formed
to complete the axis, or it may turn in annular grooves in a cast-iron frame
fixed between two sleepers.
But the modes in which I prefer to attain the object will be more clearly
understood by a reference to the accompanying Drawing, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say,-
.
J
Figures 1, 2, and 3, represent respectively an end view; side elevation, and
plan of the block and working gear where the journal is made with a diameter
equal to the depth of the rail.
a, a, shews cast-iron packing pieces firmly bolted to the rail by the bolts c, c,
the two ends d, d, being, turned to form the axis, and provided with shoulders b; b,
to prevent the shifting of the straps e, e; these straps, which fit the journals,
are firmly attached to the block f by the bolts g, g, and g¹. The head of g
is elongated and formed into a link or eye at h for connection with the handle i
by the link and block k. The handle i is formed of flat or square iron to
which about one quarter of a turn or twist is given so as to form a screw
thread which works through a slot or nut in the top of the cast-iron frame or
tube 1, the lower end being attached by a swivel to the block k. The tube or
frame is attached to the packing pieces a, a, by means of the angle irons m, m,
or by other convenient attachments. By this arrangement it will be readily
understood that the handle i, i, being forced downwards through the slot will
in descending turn so as to cause the disc or signal n to shew its edge longi-
tudinally instead of the flat side, and that the block will be turned about the
journal until it obtains the position shewn in dotted lines. The counter-
balancing weights f¹ may-be attached to the straps e to render the turning of
the block more easy; this mode of working the disc or signal is equally
applicable to the working of points, &c.
Instead of the packings a, a, being bolted to the rails by the bolts passing
through the rails, another mode of attachment is shewn at Figures 4 and 5,
where the packings are carried down to some short distance below the rails
at, and made there to touch, so forming a fulcrum from which the bolts c, c,
can act to cause the upper portions of the packings to hold tightly to the rails.
The lugs o, o, are intended for the more ready attachment of the frame 1.
Figures 6, 7, and 8, shew respectively section, plan, and elevation, of another
mode of carrying 'the block.--In this instance the rail and fish plates are

page_text: turned down to two narrow journals at p, p, so that the spaces cut in the rail
are so narrow that the wheels will readily pass over them without materially
affecting the straps e, e. These journals may be at two joints of the rails at
any desired distance apart, the block being made proportionately long, and the
intermediate rail properly supported by chairs and sleepers, but I prefer that
they should be turned out of the solid rail.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
Improvements in Stop Blocks and Buffer Stops to be used upon Railways,
Part of which Improvements is also applicable to the Working of Points on
Railways," I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly, the making of stop blocks or buffer stops to turn about an axis
situate in the section of the rail, or in the vertical line of that section.
Secondly, the simultaneous working of a signal by means of the twisted
partially screwed rod working through a fixed nut or slot.
In witness whereof I, the said Henry Columbus Hurry, have hereunto.
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of December, in the
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
year
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT,
Solicitor and Patent Agent,
1, Serle Street,
Lincoln's Inn.
H. C. HURRY. (L.S.)