Improvements in Rods for Working Railway Points and Signals, and in Bearings therefor.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 27th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 11th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rods for Working Railway Points and Signals,
and in Bearings therefor.
I HENRY WILLIAMS of the Railway Appliances Works Cathcart Renfrewshire,
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
My invention has for its object the providing of a novel cross section of point rod,
that will give greater strength than the ordinary sections now in use, without
noticeably increasing the weight of the operating switch point rod on railways and
the arranging of such special novel section or sections when at work to receive the
longitudinal thrust with an all round equal lateral and vertical resisting strength,
and the providing of only a thin web of its section vertically so as to avoid as
much as possible the now very frequent practice of workmen or others walking on
the switch point operating rod, by its section giving only a quarter of an inch or so
for the top horizontal surface.
This section of rod will give no ledge or surface for receiving snow or dirt
thereby avoiding the lodging of snow or dirt to encumber or impede the free
movement of itself, when operating its switches, locks, bars, signals et cetera to
which it is the power transmitter.
In putting this invention into practice, I will arrange, design, or construct my
improved section of rod of a Y shape but preferably each fin or arm or web of its
section to be one hundred and twenty degrees (120°) from the centre line of each
other and also preferably measuring 1 inches from the centre of the junction of
its three fins or webs to its circumference by about inch or 6 inch in thickness of
each web and a neat curved fillet formed in the concave of each web joining to its
neighbouring web or webs.
Thus this section will be capable of receiving with greater strength any usual
working thrust put against its operation without there being as is now so very
common the lateral or vertical buckling or bending of the rod itself and at the same
time making it impossible for a person workman or others to walk on the rod when
in its intended position for operating its switches et cetera.
The edding or endway jointing of this improved section operating switch et cetera
rod I would have sawn off square at the ends and secured to each other by suitable
fish plates riveted or bolted or both as may be desired.
So as to cause the carrying and directing of this improved section operating rod
in its movements to be as frictionless as possible I will or may arrange same to
travel through or over a housing or frame provided with spherical travelling balls
or circumferential travelling or moving rollers or both.
Dated this 27th day of June 1894.
HENRY WILLIAMS.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rods for Working Railway Points and Signals,.
and in Bearings therefor.
I HENRY WILLIAMS of the Railway Appliances Works Cathcart Renfrewshire,
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 :--
My invention has for its object the providing of a novel cross section of point rod
that will give greater strength than the ordinary sections now in use, without
noticably increasing the weight of the operating switch point rod on railways and
the arranging of such special novel section or sections when at work to receive the
longitudinal thrust with an all round equal lateral and vertical resisting strength
and the providing of only a thin web of its section vertically so as to avoid as much
as possible the now very frequent practice of workmen or others walking on the
switch point operating rod, by its section giving only a quarter of an inch or so for
the top horizontal surface.
This section of rod will give no ledge or surface for receiving snow or dirt thereby
avoiding the lodging of snow or dirt to encumber or impede the free movement of
itself, when operating its switches, locks, bars, signals et cetera to which it is the
power transmitter.
In putting this invention into practice, I will arrange design or construct my
improved section of rod of a Y shape but preferably each fin or arm or web of its
section to be one hundred and twenty degrees (120°) from the centre line of each
other and also preferably measuring 1 inches from the centre of the junction of its
three fins or webs to its circumference by about inch or 16 inch in thickness of
each web and a neat crossed fillet formed in the concave of each web joining to its
neighbouring web or webs.
Thus this section will be capable of receiving with greater strength any usual
working thrust put against its operation without there being as is now so very
common the lateral or vertical buckling or bending of the rod itself and at the
same time making it impossible for a person workman or others to walk on the rod
when in its intended position for operating its switches et cetera.
The edding or endway jointing of this improved section operating switch et cetera
rod I would have sawn off square at the ends and secured to each other by suitable
fishplates rivetted or bolted or both as may be desired.
So as to cause the carrying and directing of this improved section operating rod
in its movements to be as frictionless as possible I will or may arrange same to
travel through or over a housing or frame provided with spherical travelling balls
or circumferential travelling or moving rollers or both.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, in which the same reference letters
are used to iudicate equivalent parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is an elevation in perspective showing point rods of channel section
working in combination with balls within housings in accordance with my previous
Patent No. 13028, 10 Sep. 1888.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing a multiple set of T section point rods.
Figures 3 to 10 are views of point rods A working in combination with balls or
rollers and formed or constructed in accordance with my present improvements.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of my three fin rod A as working in combination
with balls B.
Figure 4 is a perspective elevation showing this rod A as working through a
housing D wherein the balls B travel.

page_text: Figure 5 is a detached elevation showing how two sections of this point rod A
may be coupled together by fish plates A and rivets or bolts a.
Figures 6 and 7 are views corresponding to Figures 4 and 5 but showing rollers C
instead of balls B the top roller C being shown as mounted on a transverse axis C¹
to rotate but not to travel, although it may be mounted loosely to do so.
Figures 8 and 9 are detached transverse and longitudinal sections in which the
former T-rod is inverted so as to have the main centre fin A set on top vertically in
accordance with my present improvements. And
Figure 10 is a view in perspective showing the rod illustrated in Figures 8 and 9
as fitted to work within a housing D.
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 :-
1. The forming of railway point rods of Y or three fin section to work in
combination with balls or rollers substantially as here described, and as illustrated
in Figures 3 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The forming of railway point rods, which act in combination with balls or
rollers, of three fin section, and having the main centre fin set on top vertically
substantially as herein described and as illustrated in Figures 3 to 10 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of March 1895.
HENRY WILLIAMS.