IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY POINTS AND CROSSINGS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN WILLIAM HARTLEY of Stoke on Trent in the County of Stafford
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRAMWAY POINTS AND CROSSINGS to be as follows:-
This invention more particularly relates to that class of points and crossings
which are manufactured out of rolled steel rails having a groove in the head and
a bottom flange and has for its object in splicing such rails together whereby
increased strength is obtained.
Hitherto such points and crossings have been ordinarily made of cast steel, but
it is found more advantageous to make them by splicing together two or more
rolled steel rails; to do which it is usual to cut away the splice rail, leaving only
the web-Or to plane the flange away leaving only the thickness of a knife edge
and the web to rest upon the flange of the main rail so as to reduce the head of
the splice rail to the level of the head of the through or main rail.
The great disadvantage of either of these methods is that the strength of the
bottom flange of the splice rail is entirely taken away thus practically leaving the
web only to support the rail.
Now my first improvement consists in upsetting the web of the splice rail as far.
as the splice extends thus reducing its height and keeping the heads of the rails
level at the same time that the strength of the bottom flange of the splice rail is
maintained.
Or secondly I set up the splice rail bodily for a portion of its length to a higher
level than the through rail whereby the bottom flange is left stronger and requires
less cutting away-I then plane off the head of the splice rail to the level of the
through rail This second method will be found particularly effective when
making dummy points as by so doing the main or straight line groove can be
made continuous and at a lower level than the groove of the rail returning into
it-This is very desirable and has not hitherto been accomplished in Tramway
points manufactured from rolled steel rails the grooves in which have hitherto
been made upon the same level as in the case of open points or crossings.
Or thirdly I plane away the whole thickness of the flanges from both the splice
and main rails and support both such rails on the underside with a wrought iron
plate When making a dummy point I raise the splice rail by means of a liner
placed between the rail and the plate and I recess the head of the main rail
sufficiently to receive the splice rail-The foregoing description (except only as
regards raising one rail above the level of the other in the case of the dummy
points) applies equally to crossings made from rolled steel rails as well as to open
points.

page_text: I JOHN WILLIAM HARTLEY Stoke on Trent Staffordshire Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAMWAY POINTS AND
CROSSINGS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention more particularly relates to that class of points and crossings
which are manufactured out of rolled steel rails having a groove in the head and a
bottom flange and has for its object improvements in splicing such rails together
whereby increased strength is obtained.
Hitherto such points and crossings have been ordinarily made of cast steel but
it is now found more advantageous to make them by splicing together two or more
rolled steel rails to do which it is usual to cut away the bottom flange of the splice
rail leaving only the web or to plane the flange away leaving only the thickness of
a knife edge and the web to rest upon the flange of the main rail so as to bring
down the head of the splice rail level with the head of the through or main rail-
The great disadvantage of either of these methods is that the strength of the
bottom flange of the splice rail is entirely taken away thus practically leaving the
web only to support the rail.
Now my first improvement consists in upsetting the web of the splice rail either
as far as the splice extends or for a portion only of the length of the splice thus
reducing its height and keeping the heads of the main and splice rails level with
each other at the same time that the strength of the bottom flange or foot of the
splice rail is maintained.
In the accompanying drawings this arrangement is illustrated as applied to
points in cross section at Figs 1 and 2 and in longitudinal section at Figs 3 and 4
It is also illustrated as applied to crossings in cross section at Fig 5 taken on the
line A. A Fig 6 in longitudinal section at Fig 6 in plan at Fig 7.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures-
(a) is the splice rail-(b) the web thereof (c) the bottom flange (d) the main rail.
My second improvement relates to points only and consists in setting up the
splice rail bodily for a portion of its length to a higher level than the through rail
whereby the bottom flange of the splice rail is left stronger and requires less
cutting away the web of the splice rail in this case being recessed. This is
illustrated in section at Figs 8 and 9 and in side elevation at Fig 10. It is also
seen in longitudinal section at Figs 3 and 4-I then plane off the head of such
splice rail down to the level of the through rail as indicated by the dotted lines-
This second method will be found particularly effective when making the dummy
points of a pair of tramway points as by its adoption such dummy points can
be made on one or both sides with the main or straight line groove continuous
and at a lower level than the groove of the splice rail returning into it as shewn in
Figs 8 and 9.
By so doing I more effectually ensure the vehicles passing the points when
entering passbyes the deeper groove forming a guide for the flanges of the wheels
and so preventing any danger of their fouling the points-This is very desirable
and has not hitherto been accomplished on tramway points manufactured .from
rolled steel rails the grooves wherein have heretofore been made upon a corre-
sponding level as in the case of open points or crossings.
The foregoing description (save only as regards raising one rail above the level
of the other in the case of dummy points) applies equally to crossings made from
rolled steel rails as to open points:-see cross section Fig 5, and longitudinal
section Fig 6.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1° Upsetting the web of the splice rail either as far as the splice extends or for
a portion only of its length substantially in the manner and for the purposes
herein before specified and shewn.
2° Setting up the splice rail bodily for a portion of its length to a higher level
than the through rail and subsequently planing off the head of such splice rail
down to the level of the through rail substantially in the manner and for the
purposes hereinbefore specified and shewn.