IMPROVEMENTS IN POINTS AND CROSSINGS FOR TRAMWAYS PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Hill Rowan of 6 Westminster Chambers in the
City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
POINTS AND CROSSINGS FOR TRAMWAYS PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
APPLICABLE TO CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Hill Rowan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th January 1883.
ARTHUR HILL ROWAN, of 6, Westminster Chambers, in the City of Westminster
Civil Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN POINTS AND CROSSINGS FOR TRAMWAYS
PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS
"
My invention, so far as it refers to crossings for tramways and railways, relates to
that description of crossing where the portions of the two lines of way intersecting
one another are formed in one solid piece as distinguished from that description of
crossing where such a section of the permanent way is built up of rolled rails,
suitably cut, fitted and fastened together. Solid crossings of the former description
are commonly made of cast steel; and, inasmuch as the tongue of metal presented
at the point of divergence of the flange tracks is subject to considerable wear, the
whole section embracing the crossing usually requires renovation before the main
rail portions thereof are worn out. With a view therefore to extending the "life"
of such crossings and effecting repairs with facility and economy, instead of forming
the tongue or point above referred to as a portion of the solid crossing, I form the
latter with suitable recesses, cheeks, jaws or surfaces for receiving a separate
attachable and removeable tongue or point-piece, and I firmly secure this to the
main portion of the crossing by means of wedges, bolts, keys or other fastenings.
For economy I prefer to employ hard cast iron for the main or body portion of the
crossing and steel for the renewable tongue or point-piece.
In constructing tramway points in accordance with this invention, I employ a
similar method of manufacture. For tramway purposes, it is not an uncommon
practice to use a fixed point or tongue for directing a vehicle into a branch line, as
ID 1

page_text: distinguished from a moveable switch such as is usually employed on railways. In
applying my invention to tramway points, I construct the section of the line
embracing the part where the branch occurs in one solid piece as to its major part
or body; such piece presenting one rail end at one extremity and two rail ends
(ie, main and branch) at the other extremity. At an intermediate point the i
flange ways diverge, and I here introduce a length of taper rail to form an apex to
the diverging rails. I firmly secure this apex or deflecting piece to the main or
body part, above referred to, by means of wedges, bolts, keys or other fastenings;
suitable recesses, cheeks, jaws or surfaces being formed on the said main or body
part for receiving tho separate attachable and removeable deflecting pieco or point.
This mode of construction offers facilities for enabling the point-piece to be set in
various positions relatively to its laterally adjacent main rails, accordingly as may
be best adapted to the conditions of working; it being advantageous, whero the
direction of the traffic is constant, to arrange the apex of the point-piece somewhat
out of centre with the rails and away from the rail the wheel is required to take 1
on passing the junction. The point-piece may be secured in various positions by
means of adjustable scrows, or by arranging the retaining jawa to suit the particular
requirements, or by the use of packing pieces of various thicknesses applied
laterally, or by regulating the thickness of the wedges or the distance they are
driven.
By employing crossings and points constructed in the improved manner herein
described, the tongue or apex-piece of a crossing may be renewed without disturbing
the surface of the road; and with like convenience the taper deflecting piece of a
point may be renowed or adjusted.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arthur Hill Rowan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th July 1883.
ARTHUR HILL ROWAN, of 6 Westminster Chambers, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN POINTS AND CROSSINGS FOR TRAMWAYS
PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS
My Invention, so far as it refers to crossings for tramways and railways, relates
to that description of crossing where the portions of the two lines of way
intersecting one another are formed in one solid piece, as distinguished from that
description of crossing where such a section of the permanent way is built up of
rolled rails, suitably cut, fitted and fastened together. Solid crossings of the former
description are commonly made of cast steel; and, inasmuch as the apices presented
at the point of divergence of the flange tracks are subject to considerable wear, the
whole section of the track embracing the crossing usually requires renovation
before the main rail portions thereof are worn out. With a view therefore to
extending the "life" of such crossings and effecting repairs with facility and
economy, instead of forming the apices above referred to as portions of the solid
casting, I form the latter with suitable recesses, cheeks, jaws or surfaces for
receiving separate attachable and removable apex-pieces, and I firmly secure these
to the main or body portion of the crossing by means of wedges, bolts, keys or
other fastenings. For economy, I prefer to employ hard cast iron for the main or
body portion of the crossing and steel for the renewable apex-pieces.
In constructing tramway points in accordance with this Invention I employ a
similar method of manufacture. For tramway purposes, it is not an uncommon
practice to use a fixed point or tongue for directing a vehicle into a branch line, as
distinguished from a movable switch, such as is usually employed on railways.
In applying my invention to tramway points, I construct the section of the track
embracing the part where the branch occurs in one solid piece as to its major part
or body; such piece presenting one rail end at one extremity and two rail ends
(i.e. main and branch) at the other extremity. At an intermediate point the
flange ways diverge, and I here introduce a length of taper rail to form an apex to
the diverging rails. I firmly secure this deflecting or point-piece to the main or
body part of the section, by means of wedges, bolts, keys or other fastenings;
suitable recesses, cheeks, jaws or surfaces being formed on the said main or body
part for receiving the separate attachable and removable deflecting or point-piece.
This mode of construction offers facilities for enabling the deflecting or point-piece to
be set in various positions relatively to its laterally adjacent main rail, accordingly
as may be best adapted to the conditions of working; it being advantageous,
where the direction of the traffic is constant, to arrange the exposed end of the
point-piece somewhat out of centro with the bearing and guard rails and away
from the track the wheel is required to take on passing the junction. The
deflecting or point-piece may be secured in any position required by means of
adjustable screws, or by arranging the retaining jaws to suit the particular
requirements, or by the use of packing pieces of various thicknesses applied
laterally, or by regulating the thickness of the wedges or the distanco they are
driven.
By employing crossings and points constructed in the improved manner herein
described, the apex-pieces of a crossing may be renewed without disturbing the
surface of the road; and with like convenience the taper deflecting piece of a point
may be renewed or adjusted.

page_text: In order that my invention may be fully understood, it is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings; wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a plan
of my improved crossing for tramways and railways. Figure 3 is a transverso
section to an enlarged scale on the line A, A, and Figures 4, 5 and 6 are similar
views on the lines B B, C, C, and D D respectively. The same letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in all these Figures. a is the main or body portion of
the crossing, provided with cheeks bb for receiving the apex-piece c, the latter
being firmly secured thereto by means of wedges d d. It is obvious that packing
pieces might be substituted for the solid cheeks b, b, and that means other than
In
wedges might be employed for fastening the loose apex-pieces to the body a.
some instances, it is convenient to introduce the wedges laterally to the channel
between the body piece a and loose piece c, for which purpose an orifice such as e
may be provided.
Figure 7 is a plan of an improved tramway point constructed according to my
invention and Figures 8 and 9 are transverse sections on the lines E E and F F
respectively. f is a body piece embracing that part of the line where the branch
occurs, and is provided with cheeks g g for receiving a length of taper rail h to
form an apex to the diverging lines ff. The point-piece his firmly secured
against the cheeks g g by means of wedges ii or other suitable fastenings.
Figures 10 and 10 shew in plan the mode of construction I prefer when it is
desired the point-piece h should be capable of adjustment laterally. Figures 11
and 12 represent transverse sections on the lines G G and H H respectively.
Instead of forming that part of the body piece f adjacent to the exposed end of the
point-piece with a cheek g of sufficient thickness to reach the side of the latter, as
above described, I introduce a separate packing piece g¹ of suitable shape and
thickness according to the position in which the point-piece is required to be held ;
a wedge being employed as before to complete the fastening. Figure 10 shews
the point-piece arranged for traffic principally in one direction (say from left to
right along the upper or main line), but without interfering with traffic of an
opposite description (say from right to left along the lower or branch line). In
Figure 10, however, the packing or distance piece g', is removed, the extremity of
the point-piece is wedged fully over, and only one line of way (say the branch)
remains available.
Having thus described my Invention and in what manner the same is to be
carried into effect I Claim.
First In constructing crossings, the use of a separate apex-piece, such as c,
mounted in the body piece a and capable of being renewed without disturbing the
latter, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 6.
Secondly-In constructing tramway points, the use of a separate adjustable
point-piece, such as h; mounted in the body piece and capable of being renewed
without disturbing the latter, substantially as described with reference to Figures 7
to 12.
In witness whereof I the said Arthur Hill Rowan have hereunto set my hand
and seal this 3rd day of July. in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.