Improvements in or connected with Railway Points and Switches.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 9th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 15th Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Railway Points and Switches.
I, CHARLES WARREN of 25 Percy Road, Kilburn, in the County of London,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Heretofore in facing points and switches it has been usual to employ two levers,
one, say, to operate the points and another to effect the locking; now the objects
of my invention are to provide improved means or apparatus às hereafter described
to release the points, traverse the connecting bar, and lock the points in either
position by the operation of a single lever, in combination or not with appliances
connecting the "lock-bar" with the same action, and whereby I am enabled to
effect economy and simplicity in the connections, greater safety by the automatic
action of the lacking parts, and at the same time am enabled to allow for any
expansion or contraction, by heat or cold, that may occur in a length or system of
connection bars and levers without affecting the successful operation of the
apparatus.
According to my invention I provide a casing or frame located for example
between the rails, through which casing passes the point connecting bar coupling
the movable rails and through which they are to be operated. Mounted in guides
within the frame or casing and at a distance apart, I provide two slides capable of
receiving rectilinear motions at about right angles to the point-connecting bar.
Each slide is reduced in width at its rear end, having a cam shaped or sloping
edge, connecting the reduced part with the wider forward end, and the slides,
passing through the forward end of the casing, are jointed to connecting rods, the
latter being again jointed to the two opposite arms of a three-armed "lever, the
third arm of the lever serving to operate the parts. Between the slides within
the casing, I provide the point-connecting bar with a central wheel, roller, or bow!
of a diameter calculated to nearly bridge the distance between the interior edge of
the wide part of one slide, and the interior edge of the narrow part of the opposite
slide and it is against the periphery of this wheel or roller that the slides are to
act, the latter receiving alternate motions, that is, when one slide is moved
rearwards the other has a forward motion, the wheel or bowl and consequently the
points being thereby given a lateral motion in one direction by the cam surface of
one of the slide bars, until the roller bears against the straight part of the wider
forward end of same, when the said roller, and consequently the points, are placed
in proper position and locked in that position, by reason of the continued travel of
the actuating slide causing the wider straight edge of the slide to pass into the
centre line of travel of the roller. The opposite slide at the same time having a
simultaneous reverse motion is brought with its narrower end opposite the roller,
and thus permits the aforesaid lateral motion of the roller taking place. Thus the
points are unlocked, thrown over, and again locked by one motion of a single lever
and a steady and certain action of the parts obtained thereby.
With the mechanism according to my invention as above described I am enabled
to allow for expansion or contraction of the rodding by giving to the slides a
slightly greater length of travel than is absolutely necessary to shift the points,
and so adjusting the parts that one slide travels a short distance with the roller
bearing on its broader forward end before the cam or slope of the opposite slide
begins to take effect upon the said roller of the point connecting bar, whereby the
effect of expansion or contraction is taken up by a slight variation of the
compensating distance between the roller and the next acting cam surface.

page_text: The operating mechanism from the hand lever in the "cabin" may be connected
directly with the arm of the before mentioned three armed lever, but when desired
the "lock bar" may be arranged to be operated in combination and simultaneously
with, the mechanism herein before described. The "lock bar" is mounted
adjacent to and parallel with the fixed rail.upon pivotted radius arms as usual and
is connected by connecting rods to one arm of a second three armed lever, the
opposite arm of which, through connecting rods and an intermediate bell-crank, is
in connection with the operating arm of the first mentioned three armed lever.
By this arrangement, when the hand lever in the cabin, is operated, and the second
three armed lever operated, the "lock-bar" is raised and lowered at the same time.
that the points are unlocked, thrown over, and again locked, whereby the points
cannot be accidentally moved while an engine or vehicle is over the "lock-bar,"
because the latter could not then be raised.
Dated this Oth dow of February 1901
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Railway Points and Switches.
I, CHARLES WARREN of 25 Percy Road, Kilburn, in the County of London,
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 :-
Heretofore in facing points and switches it has been usual to employ two levers,
one, say to operate the points and another to effect the locking; now the objects of
my invention are to provide improved means or apparatus as hereafter described to
release the points, traverse the connecting bar, and lock the points in either
position by the operation of a single lever, in combination or not with appliances
connecting the "lock-bar" with the same action, and whereby I am enabled to
effect economy and simplicity in the connections, greater safety by the automatic
action of the locking parts, and at the same time am enabled to allow for any
expansion or contraction by heat or cold, that may occur in a length or system of
connection bars and levers without affecting the successful and accurate operation
of the apparatus.
My invention will be readily understood by the following description having
reference to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 thereon showing a plan view of
combined actuating and locking mechanism for railway points and switches
constructed according to my invention, Figure 2 is a plan view on a larger scale
than Figure 1, showing a portion of the mechanism detached and in its second
position, Figure 3 is a vertical cross section taken on the line XY of Figure 2
and Figure 4 is a vertical sectional side elevation taken on the line XY' of
Figure 1 showing a "lock-bar" of ordinary construction with which my invention
may be combined as hereafter described. Similar letters refer to like parts on the
several figures.
According to my invention I provide a casing or frame A located for example
between the rails B through which casing passes the point-connecting har C,
coupling the movable rails DD through which they are to be operated. Mounted
in guides within the frame or casing A and at a distance apart I provide two
slides EE capable of receiving rectilinear motions at about right angles to the
point-connecting bar C. Each slide E is reduced in width at its rear end, having
a cam-shaped or sloping edge F connecting the reduced part with the wider
forward end, and the slides E passing through the forward end of the casing A are
jointed to connecting rods G G, the latter being again jointed to the two opposite
arms H H of a three-armed lever, the third arm H' of the lever serving to operate

page_text: the parts.
Between the slides EE within the casing I provide the point-
connecting bar C with a central wheel, roller or bowl C of a diameter calculated.
to bridge the distance between the interior edge of the wide part of one slide E
and the interior edge of the narrow part of the opposite slide E and it is against
the periphery of this wheel or roller C¹ that the slides E E are to act, the latter
receiving alternate motions, that is when one slide E is moved rearwards the other has
a forward motion, the wheel or bowl C' and consequently the points D being thereby
given a lateral motion in one direction by the cam surface F of one of the slide
bars E until the roller C' bears against the straight part of the wider forward end
of same, when the said roller C¹ and consequently the points DD are placed in
proper position and locked in that position by reason of the continued travel of the
actuating slide E causing the wider straight edge of the slide to pass into the
centre line of travel of the roller C. The opposite slide E at the same time
having a simultaneous reverse motion is brought with its narrower end opposite
the roller C and thus permits the aforesaid lateral motion of the roller taking
place.. Thus the points DD are unlocked, thrown over, and again locked by
one motion of a single lever and a steady and certain action of the parts
obtained thereby. With the mechanism, according to iny invention, as above
described, I am enabled to allow for expansion or contraction of the
rodding by giving to the slides EE a slightly greater length of travel
than is absolutely necessary to shift the points DD and so adjusting the parts
that one slide E travels a short distance with the roller C¹ bearing on its
broader forward end before the cam or slope F of the opposite slide rod
begins to take effect upon the said roller C¹ of the point-connecting bar C;
whereby the effect of expansion or contraction is taken up by a slight variation
of the compensating distance J between the roller C' and the next acting cam
surface F.
The operating mechanism from the hand lever in the cabin may be connected
directly with the arm H₁ of the before mentioned three-armed lever, but when
desired the "lock-bar" K may be arranged to be operated in combination and
simultaneously with the mechanism hereinbefore described. The said "lock
bar" K is mounted adjacent to and parallel with the fixed rail B upon pivotted
radius arms L Fig. 4 as usual, and is connected by connecting rods Li to one
arm M of a second three armed lever, the opposite arm M' of which, through
connecting rods N N₁ and an intermediate bell crank P is in connection with
the operating arm H' of the first mentioned three armed lever, or the arm M
of the three armed lever may be connected directly to the lever H as indicated
by the dotted line H. By this arrangement when the hand lever in the cabin
is operated, and the second three armed lever operated by the arm M³, the
"lock-bar" K is raised and lowered at the same time that the points DD are
unlocked, thrown over and again locked whereby the said points cannot be
accidentally moved while an engine or vehicle is over the "lock-bar" K because
the latter could not then be raised.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim as my improvements in or connected with railway points and switches is :-
1. The two oppositely movable plates having cam shaped edges and a roller
or equivalent in connection with the points and located between the plates,
the motion of the plates laterally shifting the roller and points substantially
as set forth.
2. The combined actuating and locking mechanism for railway points and
switches, composed of slides capable of receiving rectilinear motions in opposite
directions, each slide having a slope or curved edge connecting a reduced part of
the slide with a wider forward end, a roller or bowl carried by the point connecting
bar, and adapted to extend between the slides and to bridge the space between the
interior edge of the wide part of one slide and the interior edge of the narrow part

page_text: of the opposite slide, whereby the opposite traverse of the slides communicates
lateral motion, through the roller, to the points, and lock the latter in position.
3. In the combined actuating and locking mechanism for railway points and
switches, the oppositely movable slides, each slide having a slope or cam edge
connecting a narrow part of the slide with a wider forward end and acting to give
lateral motion to a roller located between the slide and attached to the point-
connecting bar and to lock the latter in position together with the means for
compensating for expansion or contraction of the rodding by allowing a degree of
lost motion of the slides before action on the points takes place substantially as set
forth.
4. In actuating and locking mechanism for railway points. and switches, the
oppositely movable slides E E, and the interposed roller or bowl C¹ carried by the
point connecting bar and acted upon by the slides to lock the points in combination
with the connecting rods G G and the three-armed lever HH H' for actuating
the slides E E substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. The combination with the actuating and locking mechanism for railway
points and switches substantially as herein described, of the simultaneously
operated "locking-bar" as set forth.
6. The improvements in or connected with railway points and switches
substantially as and for the purposes described and shown with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 9th day of November 1894.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.