IMPROVE- MENTS IN RAILWAY SWITCHES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Gastineau, of Barnsbury Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY SWITCHES."
Sealed the 8th April 1873, and dated the 10th October 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Gastineau at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th October 1872.
I, ROBERT GASTINEAU, of Barnsbury Road, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SWITCHES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object a new and improved arrangement of
the tongues and stock rails in junction or facing switches, and also in
the method of working the tongues so as to render it impossible for the
switches to become clogged or obstructed in their action by stones or
other substances, thereby preventing them from closing as is the case
with the switches at present in use, in which case in consequence of

page_text: both tongues being linked together by a connecting rod remain partially
open and are liable to be struck by the wheels of an approaching train.
Now according to my improvements both tongues are constantly in the
closed position, and the thin or facing end is housed into the stock rail
either by the stock rail being planed or cut away so as to form a recess
for the same, or by the stock rail being cranked or bent for a similar
purpose as is the case with ordinary switches. These tongues however
instead of sliding lateraly or on a horizontal bed or slide chair as in
ordinary switches slide or move vertically against the face of the stock
rail, which is filled between the flanches of the stock rail either con-
tinuously or at intervals in the direction of its length so as to form an
even-bearing surface. One of these tongues (when the switches are in
position) is level with the stock rail, and the other is lowered or depressed
below the stock rail to a depth sufficient to allow the flanches of the
wheels of a train to pass over it according as the switches are set for the
main or branch line, and by reversing the elevation or depression of the
two tongues so will the track or direction of a railway be made from
main line to branch or from branch line to main line.
The tongues are acted upon for the purpose of raising or lowering
them by means of either wedges, cams, cranks, or other suitable
mechanical contrivances, and these wedges, cans, cranks, or other
suitable mechanical contrivances act in a contrary direction on either
tongue, by which means the simultaneous raising of one and lowering
of the other tongue is effected. The thin end of the raised tongue is
further secured when at its proper elevation or level with the stock rail
by means of another wedge which clamps the tongue with the stock
rail
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Robert Gastineau in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
GASTINEAU, of Barnsbury Road, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Gastineau, Her
special license that I, the said Robert Gastineau, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Gastineau, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ircland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SWITCHES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Gastineau, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Gastineau, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object a new and improved arrangement
of the tongues and stock rails in junction or facing switches, and also
in the method of working the tongues so as to render it impossible for
the switches to become clogged or obstructed in their action by stones
or other substances, thereby preventing them from closing as is the case
with the switches at present in use, in which case in consequence of both
tongues being linked together by a connecting rod remain partially open
and are liable to be struck by the wheels of an approaching train. Now
according to my improvements both tongues are constantly in the closed
position, and the thin or facing end is housed into the stock rail cither
by the stock rail being planed, or cut away so as to form a recess for the
same or by the stock rail being cranked or bent for a similar purpose,
as is the case with ordinary switches. These tongues however instead
of sliding laterally or on a horizontal bed or slide chair as in ordinary
switches slide or move vertically against the face of the stock rail,
which is filled between the flanches of the stock rail either continuously

page_text: or at intervals in the direction of its length so as to form an even bearing
surface. One of these tongues (when the switches are in position) is
level with the stock rail, and the other is lowered or depressed below
the stock rail to a depth sufficient to allow the flanches of the wheels
of a train to pass over it according as the switches are set for the main
or branch line, and by reversing the clevation or depression of the two
tongues so will the track or direction of a railway be made from main
line to branch or from branch line to main line.
The tongues are acted upon for the purpose of raising or lowering
them by means of either wedges, cams, cranks, or other suitable
mechanical contrivances, and these wedges, cams, cranks, or other
suitable mechanical contrivances act in a contrary direction on either
tongue, by which means the simultaneous raising of one and lowering
of the other tongue is effected. The thin end (and also the heel end) of
the raised tongue is further secured when at its proper elevation or
level with the stock rail by means of other wedges, which clamp the
tongue with the stock rail at the point end and with the chair at the
heel end.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2 an elevation, and Figures 3, 4, and 5
(Sheets 1 and 2 of the Drawings), are transverse sections, showing onc
of my improved switches, in which the main line tongue a and the
branch line tongue a¹ is in a closed position against the stock rails b, in
accordance with my improvements at the point or facing end. The
section Figure 3 is taken at the point or thin end of the tongue,
4 at an intermediate position, and Figure 5 at the heel of the
tongue. In each case the points of the tongues a and a' are closed
against the stock rails at the point or facing end, but the main line
tongue a is lowered or depressed its entire length to a uniform depth
below the stock rail to allow the flanches of the wheels of an cugine,
vehicle, or train to pass over it, while the branch line tongue a¹ is level
throughout its entire length with the stock rail b, as clearly shown in
the Drawings, thus allowing the tyres of the wheels of an engine,

page_text: vehicle, or train to run on it, in precisely the same manner as in the
case of the closed tongue in ordinary switches.
The rails c, adjoining or in line with the tongues, are bolted or other-
wise fixed at the level of the stock rail 6 on the heel chairs of the switch,
and sufficient width is allowed between it and the stock rail to allow
the flances of the wheels to pass through or between them to avoid any
risk of striking.
Upon the tongues a and a' a series of inclined planes or blocks a* are
formed or affixed, and these inclines are acted upon by a series of wedges
or wedge blocks d connected together by a draw bar d', the wedge blocks
being arranged to move to and fro in channels formed in the chairs e
and e, being so spaced or disposed that the wedge blocks d act simul-
taneously in a longitudinal direction on the inclined planes a* so as to
raise or elevate the tongue a or a', acted upon from end to end to its
proper height or level with the stock rail b.
The wedge blocks & which act on the inclined plane a* at the point
and heel ends of the tongues a or a' are of a compound character, so that
after they have lifted or elevated the tongue to its proper height or level
by continuing their movement on a level or horizontal line another
wedge d* attached to or forming part of the wedge block d is brought
into operation for the purpose of jamming the tongue against the stock
rail at the point end of the tongue and against the vertical face of the
beel chair e at ex at the heel end of the tongue. These wedges d* in
the case of the main line tongue are shewn closed up, the tongue being
in its elevated position, but in the case of the branch line tongue they
are shewn as withdrawn, the tongue being in its lowered position to
allow the flanches of the wheels to run over it.
The draw bars d' may be so constructed that their length may bo
adjusted in order to ensure the simultaneous wedging of the point and
heel of the tongue.
The tongues are retained in their relative lateral position with the
stock rail by means of the inside vertical faces or checks e¹ of the inter-
mediate chairs e³, only sufficient play being allowed so that the tongues
may rise or fall freely when acted upon by the wedges, or until either
tongue is jammed against the stock rail at the point end or against the
face ex of the heel chair e at the heel end.
The tongues are also

page_text: retained in their longitudinal position by means of studs or pins f
inserted in the tongues at, which pins slide against the vertical sides of
the chair.
The alternate rising of one tongue and lowering of the other is effected
by a T or double crank lever g working on a fixed centre at g', and
giving motion to the draw bar d' (which connects the several tongues
together), by pin joint g³ acting in a slot in cach draw bar. The alter-
nating motion is given by the thrust or pull of the connecting rod g
worked by the signal or switchman.
Sheet 3 of the accompanying Drawings shews another method or
arrangement of mechanical parts by which I carry my improvements in
railway switches into practice. The relative positions of the tongues a
and a' and stock rails are the same as previously described in reference
to the arrangement shewn in Sheets 1 and 2 of the Drawing; and the
working or movements of the tongues are the same, but in place of the
wedges or wedge blocks acting on the tongue in a longitudinal direction
inclined notches or channels c, c, are cut out of the bottom flange of the
tongue at or opposite each chair in a transverse direction, as shewn in
Figures 2, 4, and 6 of Sheet 3, and the wedges or wedge blocks & act in
such inclined notches in transverse directions to the rails; the series of
wedges d by acting simultaneously on the inclines c, c, on the under
side of the tongue effect the alternate rising or lowering thereof. These
wedges or wedge blocks d are formed of T shape, as shown in the plan
views thereof in Sheet 3, the narrow portion being for the purpose of
elevating or wedging up the tongue to its proper level with the stock
rail; the broad or wider portion being for the purpose of supporting the
'tongue when raised.
The chairs which support the tongues and stock rails are hollowed out
or formed with openings in their transverse direction, and these openings
are of sufficient width on their upper surface to allow the wedges or
wedge blocks d to slide easily through them. The sides of the openings
form guides for the wedges or wedge blocks d when moved to and fro;
other flanches also forming guides are cast on the chairs, as shewn at e
Figure 5, Sheet 3.
The alternate raising and lowering of the tongues a and a' is effected
by means of connecting rods h actuated by cranked levers f, fixed on a
way bar or shaft g.
Each of these crank levers actuates a pair of the

page_text: connecting rods from their radiating centres, one connecting the
wedge block for the main line tongue, and the other the wedge block
for the branch line tongue, consequently while the branch line wedges
are being pushed home the main line tongue wedges are being with-
drawn. The connecting rods are constructed with a screw adjust-
ment, by which means every wedge is caused to act simultaneously
on the inclined notches or channels c, c, cut on the under side of the
tongues a and a respectively. The way bar or shaft g is nearly the
same length as the tongues and is supported and moves in bearings fixed
on the sleepers longitudinally in the direction midway between the point
and heel ends of the tongues.
The rotary motion of the way bar or shaft g is effected by means of
the crank lever ƒ fixed to it and actuated by a connecting rod i, com-
municating with the signal or switchman's box.
The wedges or wedge box d at the point and heel ends of the tongues
have attached to them a vertical face or check d', shewn at Figures 1
and 5, Sheet 3, which when pushed or drawn home against the tongue
at either end by the signal or switchman holds it in a firm position.
Cams, cranks, or other suitable mechanical contrivances may if pre-
ferred be substituted for the wedges and inclines previously described
for the purpose of raising and lowering the tongues a and a¹ without
departing from the character of my improvements, but I have not
thought it necessary to show any other arrangement of mechanism for
raising or lowing the tongue rails a and a¹, as a competent mechanic
would readily arrange and apply other mechanical contrivances for
effecting this object if preferred to those shewn in the Drawings.
By reason of my improved arrangement and method of actuating
railway switches as the flanches of the wheels of an engine and train of
carriages must travel over the lower tongue, and as there would always
during the passage of a train be one flanched wheel over the tongue
until the whole of the train bas passed, it is impossible under these con-
ditions to shift or alter the relative level of the two tongues, or in other
words to alter the action of the switches from main line to branch line,
or from branch line to main line during the passage of a train, thereby
dispensing with accessary apparatus such as point guides or other similar
apparatus.

page_text: Having thus fully described the nature or character of my Invention
and the manner in which the same may be performed or carried into
practice, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the
exact details and mechanical arrangements herein-before described and
shewn in the accompanying Drawings, as the same may be greatly
varied without departing from the spirit of my Invention, but what I
claim is, the improved arrangement of railway switches in which the
points of the tongue rails are constantly in the closed position against the
stock rails, such tongue rails being raised and lowered when moved into
and out of action, substantially in the manner herein-before described
and shewn in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Gastineau, havo hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Ninth day of April One thousand cight
hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
ROBERT GASTINEAU. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildgs.,
W.C.