IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENTS OF PARTS OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1853

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Yorston at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th January 1853.
(Void by reason of notice to proceed not having been given within the
time prescribed by the Act.)
I, ALEXANDER YORSTON, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENTS OF PARTS OF
RAILWAYS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the
points or switches of railways (as used for directing the the passage of
trains) in conjunction with a signal apparatus in such manner that these
railway details shall work much more safely and satisfactorily than at.
present. A short shaft is laid beneath the line of rails in a horizontal
direction, and at right angles to the line of points or switches. This shaft:
is capable of traversing in suitable guides, and at each line of shifting
rail it has a pair of lugs or projections standing up one on each side of
the rail so as to hold the siding rail and switch rail from opening on the
passage of a train. One projecting end of this shaft has upon it a curved
lever carrying at its upper end a signal disc, which answers at the same

page_text: time as a weight to keep the shaft so set that its lugs will always be
vertical to retain the rails, this effect being accomplished by the bearing
of the weight over to one side in consequence of the bend near the
lower end of the lever. A lamp may also be attached to this disc lever.
By this arrangement, whenever this lever stands upright, the lugs take
up a similar position and hold the rails, so that the points cannot possibly
spring, neither can the signal lever be elevated to indicate "safety" or
closed points when the points are open or partially open, as the inside
lug is left long enough to catch the under side of the rail under such cir-
cumstances, and thus hold the shaft from turning and the lever from
being raised. Hence the engine driver always knows how the points
are when at a considerable distance from them, and he is independant of
chance mis-setting of the points by an attendant.

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Yorston at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th January 1853.
(Void by reason of notice to proceed not having been given within the
time prescribed by the Act.)
I, ALEXANDER YORSTON, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENTS OF PARTS OF
RAILWAYS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the
points or switches of railways (as used for directing the the passage of
trains) in conjunction with a signal apparatus in such manner that these
railway details shall work much more safely and satisfactorily than at
present. A short shaft is laid beneath the line of rails in a horizontal
direction, and at right angles to the line of points or switches. This shaft.
is capable of traversing in suitable guides, and at each line of shifting
rail it has a pair of lugs or projections standing up one on each side of
the rail so as to hold the siding rail and switch rail from opening on the
passage of a train. One projecting end of this shaft has upon it a curved
lever carrying at its upper end a signal disc, which answers at the same

page_text: time as a weight to keep the shaft so set that its lugs will always be
vertical to retain the rails, this effect being accomplished by the bearing
of the weight over to one side in consequence of the bend near the
lower end of the lover. A lamp may also be attached to this disc lever.
By this arrangement, whenever this lever stands upright, the lugs take
up a similar position and hold the rails, so that the points cannot possibly
spring, neither can the signal lever be clevated to indicate "safety" or
closed points when the points are open or partially open, as the inside
lug is left long enough to catch the under side of the rail under such cir-
cumstances, and thus hold the shaft from turning and the lever from
being raised.
Hence the engine driver always knows how the points
are when at a considerable distance from them, and he is independant of
chance inis-setting of the points by an attendant.