Improvements in and Connected with the Mechanism for Setting and Adjusting the Switch Points and Signals of Railways.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 14th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 16th Dec., 1887
Improvements in and Connected with the Mechanism for Setting
and Adjusting the Switch Points and Signals of Railways.
1, HENRY WILLIAMS, of Gowan Brae, Crosshill, Renfrewshire, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my Invention to be as follows :-
My Invention comprises improvements in the construction and fitting of several of
the parts connected with the actuating setting and adjusting mechanism of the switch
points of the rails of railways, and of the rods for setting and adjusting the exact
position of of semaphore and other signals of railways, whereby breakage and
accidents will be prevented by means of these improved fittings.
My said improvements consist all as follows:- First in reference to the setting and
adjusting of the switch points, I connect these by a rigid rod having a socket at each
end of the proper length to fit between and abutt against the inner surface of the
points, and into each socket I fit a pin through a hole of the same size in the switch
points with a thin head on the outside next the main rail and I rigidly secure these
pins within the said end sockets by split cotters so that by the shifting of this central
rod, the switch points are made to take their proper place against the one line of rails
or the other for the trains to take the main or the siding line as required. Heretofore
the rods connecting the switch points of railways have been actuated by rigid
connections to their actuating levers or cranks and connecting rods passing out under
the rails.
One important improvements of these fittings consists in connecting the switch
shifting rod through a sliding socket and joint eye or snug preferably fitted to
reciprocate loosely on an enlarged parallel part of the rod near the centre with strong
spiral springs mounted on the enlarged part of the rod on opposite sides of the socket
the springs abutting against collars or washers at their outer ends with cotters
passing through the enlarged part of the rods outside of the collars. The near end of
the shifting and setting connecting rod would be attached by a pin to the joint eye of
the shifting socket, and all so jointed and set, with the springs so stiff that they would
through the rod set the points hard up to either side of the main line of rails required,
and hold them there with great force all by the action of the pointsman's levers in the

page_text: signal house or station; but yet allow of points to shift from whichever side they
might be set, although the shifting levers were fixed, when great force was exerted on
them by the running of a train in the wrong direction through the points, without the
breakage or displacement of the switches or any of the connections through yielding
of the spiral springs.
A further improvement consists in a coupling device suitable for either the
actuating connecting rods of these improved switch rods, or the connecting rods
actuating the semaphore and other signals, for adjusting the length of these rods
accurately and with great ease and facility in a few moments; so as to be able to set
these switches and signals to their exact positions required, and necessary for making
up the wear of pins and holes of these connecting rods and their actuating cranks and
levers. This improved coupling consists in its simplest form, in making a coupling joint
in the middle part of a connecting rod connecting the two ends by a long nearly parallel
lap joint, the one end lapping over and gripping into the other by being fitted with
teeth preferably of an angular construction equally divided and of equal angles of say
about 45 degrees, so that the teeth in the one fits into the recesses of the other, and
which need not be more than from an eighth to a quarter of an inch in pitch or so,
and this can be adjusted in length to the distance of any one, two, or more teeth, and
secured to each other at this lap joint by one or more hollow sliding couplings
outside; and when these connecting rods were vertical, this coupling joint would
have a collar or projection on the lower end of one of the spliced coupling parts of
the rod to prevent the sliding gripping socket from falling or being driven off.
Another modification of this coupling of the two ends of connecting rods for
lengthening and shortening them, would consist in forming the teeth only on the one
end of the rod and in making the teeth angled as a screw rack; and in mounting a
short screw in a jaw on the other end of the rod working into the teeth of the screw
rack, and the screw might be turned in any direction to lengthen or shorten the rod
by a spanner or other equivalent, and slide buckles would be formed on this screw
jaw end of the rod for the rack to slide tightly to-and-fro in ; and when desired the
screw could be kept from turning by a pin and pin holes through its axle, as an extra
safe-guard.

page_text: and Adjusting the Switch Points and Signals of Railways.
I HENRY WILLIAMS of Gowanbrae Crosshill Renfrewshire 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, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of Drawings forming a
part of this Specification :-
My invention comprises improvements in the construction and fitting of several of
the parts connected with the actuating setting and adjusting mechanism of the Switch
points of rails of railways. I arrange my improvements as illustrated in figures 1 and 2.
Figure 1 is a plan showing a short piece of Railway Permanent Way Stock Rails
with a pair of Switches working in connection therewith, with my improved
connecting Safety Selfadjusting Stretcher Rod attached to both the Switches.
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same taken on the line 1-1. of
Fig. 1 also showing the connection of the Safety Stretcher Rod to the operating rod
connections. Corresponding letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawings.
Referring to these drawings A and A' are the two Stock rails of Permanent Way.
B and B are the two Switches. C is my improved Safety Stretcher Rod attached to
the two Switches B and B by means of connecting pins D and D' with split wedging
cotters E and E¹. F and F are two helical spiral Springs preferably made of
superior steel. G is a sliding Boss, Cylinder, or Collar with a lug on the bottom side
as shown G in Fig. 2. H and H are washers held between the springs and F
and the lock nuts I and I¹ which are screwed on a chased thread on the Stretcher C
and screwed up so as to give the Springs F and F the required compression to make
the position of the sliding Collar G sufficiently rigid, that is to say, by the ordinary
working or operating of the Switches from the Signal Cabin or other place, that the
sliding Collar G will be held firmly in its intended position on the Stretcher Rod (;
and work bodily as though it was a stationary or welded part of the Stretcher C and
so operate the Switches liard up to either side of Main Line of rails as required, but
when a vehicle or Locomotive runs trailing ways through the Switches so as to burst
open the closed Switches that by the great lateral force which would then be exerted
on the Switches will cause the Safety Stretcher Rod C to move or slide bodily through
the Collar G the one Spring yielding or compressing and the other expanding, but
the Collar G heing held in its position by the operating rod connections working the
Switches from the Signalmans cabin or other place. Thus which ever way the
Switches may be held in position by the Signalman either for Main Line, Sidings
Crossover, trap or otherwise that when being burst through trailing ways the
Stretcher Rod C through the compression on which ever Spring will cause the
Switches to instantly and automaticly slam to its intended Stock Rail after the clearance
of the last wheel of the vehicle or vehicle thus obviating all damage or derangement
to the Switches and their actuating connections. J is the rear Stretcher Rod of any
ordinary type which is employed to stiffen the Switches between their heel and the
point as required by the Board of Trade.
Although in the above description I have described and shown the Springs
operating on the Stretcher Rod connecting the Switches it will be understood that
without departing from the spirit of my invention, such Spring device can be placed
or fitted in any part of the Rod connections or special designed sliding or moving
cranks working between the Switches and their operator.

page_text: A further improvement consists in a coupling device suitable for either the actuating
connecting rods of these improved Switch rods or the connecting rods actuating the
Semaphore and other Signals for adjusting the length of these rods accurately, which
consists of a coupling joint as shown in Fig. 2. Land L are the two parts of the
operating rod lapping and gripping each other with teeth of preferably angular or
V construction, over both these pieces or parts L and L' I pass a sliding Collar or
Ferrule M to grip the two parts tightly together N is merely a cotter hole in one of
the overlapping parts and preferably used for the joint in a signal rod to receive a
split cotter to prevent the working off of the ferrule M. K and K³ are a continuation
of the operating connections each side of my adjustable joint. K with K is an
ordinary radial joint and pin connecting to the lug G. Another modification of this
coupling of the two ends of the connecting rods for lengthing or shortening them
would consist in forming the teeth on one rod only say L and making the teeth of an
angle so as to work with a screw rack or wheel, this screw rack or wheel I would
mount in a suitable jaw say L¹, which teeth in screw rack or wheel would engage
with the teeth in Rod L both passing through a bracing ferrule like M thus the two
parts might be lengthened or shortened by the use of a Spanner or its equivilant and
if desired I would employ a set screw or pin in the sliding ferrule M to keep the
turning part from motion when so required.
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 :-
--
First. The construction or general arrangement and combination of the parts of
mechanism for setting and adjusting the Switch points and Signals of Railways, all
substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Second. In mechanism for the setting and adjusting the Switch points and Signals
of railways the construction and use of a Switch rod or equivilant device that will
automaticly and instantaneously adjust itself and its Switches, substantially as and for
the purposes herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Third. In mechanism for setting and adjusting the Switch points and Signals of
railways, the combination of a Spring, Crank telescopic or equivilant adjustable
device placed or fitted at any part of the actuating connections for automaticly
adjusting itself and the Switches substantially as and for the purpose herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In mechanism for setting and adjusting the Switch points and Signals of
railways the herein described Switch adjusting device comprising a transverse
connecting rod with adjustable Springs, ferrules, and lock nuts or their equivilant to
compress into or against a sliding Boss or Collar substantially as and for the purposes
set forth in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fifth. In mechanism for setting and adjusting the Switch points and Signals of
railways the construction and use of an adjustable joint having two parts overlapping
and working into each other and provided with serrated teeth and held together by
a ferrule or its equivilant device substantially as and for the purposes set forth in
reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Sixth. In mechanism for setting and adjusting the Switch points and Signals of
railways the combination of an adjustable joint in which a screw rack and pinion is
used operated by a spanner or equivilant device to lengthen or shorten the rod
connections actuating such Switches or Signals substantially as and for the purposes
set forth in reference to the accompanying drawings.
HENRY WILLIAMS.