Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1887
Complete Left, 12th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 18th May, 1888
I, OLIVIER BECTRAND BOCANDÉ of Asnieres, 17 Rue de Normandie, France,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
Usually a railway turntable has one or more sets of rails crossing it directly, each
parallel to a diameter and thus an engine or carriage can be turned round or directed
from one line which meets the turntable to another line which also meets it at an
angle with the former. But it is not possible with an ordinary turntable to run as by
a switch a train or continuous row of carriages from one line to one or other of some
other lines inclined to the former and, like it, meeting the turntable.
This invention relates to a combined switch and turntable or a turntable with the
rails on it so arranged that it can be used as a switch to run continuous trains from
one line to another or as a turntable to reverse the direction of separate engines or
carriages or of entire trains.
For this purpose a number of lines of rail are made to abut against the circum-
ference of the turntable the centre lines of these being all truly radial to the turn-
table that is to say directed towards its centre, and the points of the circumference
where these centre lines meet the turntable being spaced at equal distances round
it. On the face of the turntable are fixed several sets of rails, one of which may
be straight across it, the other or each of the others being curved so as to be
tangential to some two of the abutting lines. By the straight diametrical lines a
train can be run across from one line to the line directly opposite to it. By the
curved rails a train can be run from one line of rails to another which is inclined
to the former, or by turning the table partly round another pair of the lines
inclined to one another can be put in communication.
When the above described invention is applied to a single or double line elevated
railway the turntable is by preference arranged upon the ground, and upon it are
fixed standards carrying the rail or rails at a height corresponding to that of the
several elevated lines which are arranged round the turntable.
Dated this 12th day of July 1887.
.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: A Combined Switch and Turntable for Railways.
I, OLIVIER BERTRAND BOCANDÉ of. Asnieres, 17 Rue de Normandie, France,
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 :-
Usually a railway turntable has one or more sets of rails crossing it directly,
each parallel to a diameter and thus an engine or carriage can be turned round
or directed from one line which meets the turntable to another line which also
meets it at an angle with the former. But it is not possible with an ordinary
turntable to run as by a switch a train or continuous row of carriages from one
line to one or other of some other lines inclined to the former and like it meeting
the turntable.
This invention relates to a combined switch and turntable or a turntable with
the rails on it so arranged that it can be used as a switch to run continuous
trains from one line to another or as a turntable to reverse the direction of
separate engines or carriages or of entire trains as I will explain referring to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic ground plan shewing the turntable at the meeting of a
number of converging lines. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the switch turn-
table, Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. Referring to Fig. 1, A, B, C, D, E, F, G,
represent a number of lines of rails, either straight as at A, D and F or curved.
as at B, C, E and G arranged uniformly around and abutting on a turntable T.. The
straight lines A D F converge radially to the centre P of the turntable and the
curved lines B, C, E, G, whether they bend to right or left, should be such that
the tangents to the curves at those points of them where they abut on the cir-
cumference of the turntable also converge radially to the centre P. The lines
A, B, C, D, E, F, G being thus arranged and formed there is fixed on the turntable.
a curved rail H K L of such curvature that two of the converging radii which
are nearly opposite to one another like A and E are tangents to the curve at its
extreme points H and L. Along this curved rail a train can obviously be run
continuously from A to E, or by turning the turntable so as to bring the ends H L
of the curve into coincidence with another pair of lines such as B and F, C and G or
D and A, it can be run on to the line H K L, and can be reversed by turning the
table and run back to the line whence it was run.
Fig. 1 is a plan of a similar arrangement of turntable switch applied to a set of
double lines the only difference being that the rails are double instead of single.
Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 which shew to an enlarged "scale" the construction
of turntable applicable in the manner set forth with reference to Fig. 1; the single
elevated rail R and the lateral guide rails G G are carried as usual on standards S,
several of which may be required to carry the length of curved rail H K L (Fig. 1)
according to the dimension of the turntable T.-
'

page_text: The bases of the standards S are bolted or rivetted to the plate T forming the upper
face of the turntable. This plate is carried on a framing F which turns on a vertical
centre pin P projecting up from the stationary base B. On this base are formed
two lines of circular rail C and D on which run wheels V and W mounted in the
framing F.
Although in Figs. 2 and 3 the elevated rail R is shewn as a single one, obviously
two parallel rails might be supported on standards of suitable construction carried in
the same way on the turntable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A turntable switch, having on its centre the point to which radiate several lines
(or their tangents) arranged uniformly around it, and having on it a curved line
tangential to two of these lines that are nearly opposite to one another, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
2. The construction of turntable switch, substantially as described with reference to
Figs. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.