Improvements in or in connection with Tramway Points.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or in connection with Tramway Points.
We WILLIAM TOWLER of The Globe Foundry Water Lane Leeds Ironfounder
and SIMS ROBINSON of Fulham Road, Beeston Hill Leeds Mechanical Engineer
both of the County of York do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Our invention refers to the construction of points for tramway rails, and will be
described hereunder as if applied to tramway lines, the rails of which are of the
well known girder section.
Such a point comprises a hollow box open at the top, wedge shaped in plan, and
provided with or without flanges to increase the bed or base area.
This box is provided with a separate cover or casting, which is hereinafter
designated the "lid." This lid is cast with a wide groove (wedge shaped in
plan) on its upper side, the sides or edges of the groove being in line with the
grooves of the approaching rails, which run into or meet one another at the narrow.
end of the "lid."
Towards the wide end of the box a vertical pin is provided which is fitted in a
vertical bearing in the lid, and projects a short distance above and below the lid.
To the upper end of this pin the tongue piece or "point" is secured. The lower
end of the pin is attached to a straight flat spring or a coil spring, which always
tends to turn round the pin and consequently the tongue piece or point, so that the
free end bears against one side of the above mentioned wedge shaped groove; and
a car advancing towards the narrow end of the point is turned into the left hand
rail or groove.
When the car is coming in the opposite direction the tongue piece
gives way laterally.
The advantages of our invention are; that the "lid" with the tongue piece or
point and the spring can be removed for repair or replacement, without disturbing
the line or the box on which it rests, and there are no openings in the lid or tongue
casting which are liable to become blocked up with dirt or stones, so as to render
the point inoperative.
To prevent water obtaining access to the box through the pin bearing before
mentioned, we carry the bearing (as a boss) a small height above the bottom of the
groove, and cast a circular recess in the under side of the tongue, so
clear this.
as to
In order to hold the lid securely in position on the top of the box, we form the
box top or the lid with a ledge or rib so as to prevent lateral movement; and to
prevent the lid lifting or canting, we provide the lid in the box with spring latches,
which fit in recesses formed on the box (or lid).
The movable tongue or point may be made of the full length or shorter than
the lid.
Tramway lines are usually provided with a movable tongue for one of the rails,
and a fixed tongue for the other.
Our invention comprises also the construction of the fixed tongue as cast on the
removable lid of a box foundation for the opposite side of the line.
It will be understood that attachments for the spring actuating the points are
attached to the lid, so that the whole can be removed in a minute or two for repair
or replacement, and any necessity for disturbing the permanent way is entirely
obviated.

page_text: We also propose to make the nose piece portion of the fixed point, which is most
subject to wear, and tear, removable. This we propose to do by wedging the same
into the lid and fastening it on the under side with outs or cotters.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1893
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
2, East Parade, Leeds, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or in connection with Tramway Points.
We WILLIAM TOWLER of The Globe Foundry Water Lane Leeds in the County
of York, Ironfounder and SIMS ROBINSON of Fulham Terrace, Beeston Hill Leeds
in the County of York, 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:-
Our invention refers to the construction of points for tramway rails, and will be
described herein-under as if applied to tramway lines, the rails of which are of the
well known girder section. It will be evident however that our invention is
applicable to tramway lines having rails of other sections.
A tramway point constructed in accordance with our invention comprises, a
hollow box, open at the top, wedge shaped in plan and provided with or without
flanges to increase the bed or base area.
This box is provided with a separate cover or casting, which is hereinafter
designated the lid. This lid is cast with a wide groove, wedge shaped in plan, on
its upper side, the sides or edges of the groove being in line with the grooves of
the approaching rails, which run into or meet one another at the narrow end of
the lid.
Towards the wide end of the box is provided a vertical pin, which is fitted in a
vertical bearing in the lid and projects a short distance above and below the lid.
To the upper end of this pin one end of the tongue piece or point is secured, or
the point and the pin may be forged in one piece. The lower end of the pin is
connected to a straight or bent flat spring or to a coil spring, which always tends to
turn round the pin and consequently the tongue so that the free end bears against
one side of the above mentioned wedge shaped groove, and so that a car advancing
towards the narrow end of the point is turned into the left hand rail or groove.
When the car is coming in the opposite direction the tongue piece gives way
laterally.
The advantages of our invention are, that the lid with the tongue or point and
the spring can be removed for repair or replacement without disturbing the line,
or the box on which the lid rests; and there are no openings in the lid or box
liable to become blocked up with dirt or stones 80 as to render the point
inoperative.
To prevent water obtaining access to the box through the pin bearing before
mentioned, we carry the bearing as a boss a short height above the groove, and
cast a circular recess on the underside of the tongue, so as to clear the boss.
In order to hold the lid securely in position on the top of the box, we form the
box top or the lid with a ledge or rib, so as to preveut lateral movement ; and to
prevent the lid lifting or canting we provide on the underside of the lid a spring
fatch, which fits in a recess or beneath a lip formed on the box.
The moveable tongue may be made of the full length, or more preferably
somewhat shorter than the lid.
Tramway lines are usually provided with a moveable tongue or point for one of
the rails, and with a fixed tongue or point for the other rail. Our invention
comprises also the construction of the fixed tongue, fixed or cast on the removable
lid of a box for the opposite side of the line.

page_text: It will be understood that the attachment for the spring actuating the point is
fixed to the lid, so that the whole can be removed in a minute or two for repair
or replacement, and any necessity for disturbing the permanent way is entirely
obviated.
We also propose to make the nose piece portion of the fixed point, which is most
subject to wear, removable. This we propose to do by wedging the same into the
lid and fastening it on the underside with nuts or cotters.
And in order that our invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed may be more readily and clearly understood we have annexed hereto the
accompanying sheets of drawings; in which,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, Fig. 2 a plan and Fig. 3 a cross section on
line A A Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 4 is a cross section of a fixed tramway point "lid" across the nose piece.
In all the figures the same reference letter refers to the same or corresponding
part.
a is the box or foundation piece, of cast iron or steel open at the top, and b are
the flanges of the same to increase the base area.
e is the lid preferably of cast steel.
d is the tongue or point preferably in one piece with the pin e, and f is the raised
boss of the bearing to prevent access of water to the interior of the box.
g
is the flat spring tending to press the tongue d in the direction indicated by
the arrow. i is an abutment for the opposite end of the spring.
h is the outer ledge, and n the spring catch catching beneath the lip m to keep
the lid e firmly in position.
is the nose piece portion of the fixed point secured to the lid c by being wedged
into the lid and secured by a bolt and nuts r on the underside of the lid.
is a bolt to prevent the free end of the tongue lifting.
Having now particularly ascertained and described the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In the construction of tramway points the combination of a hollow box or
support wedge shaped in plan and open at the top with a lid or cover carrying on
the upper side the tongue piece pivotted or hinged at one end in vertical bearings
formed in said lid and provided on the underside with a spring tending to keep the
tongue pressed constantly in one direction, the tongue, pin and spring being
removable with the lid.
2. The construction of tramway points with a removable lid or cover having a
movable tongue and pin and spring for actuating the tongue all attached to and
removable with said. lid or cover.
3. The construction of tramway points substantially as herein set forth and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of October 1893.
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
2, East Parade, Leeds, Agent for Applicants.