IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SWITCHES, AND IN ADJUSTING AND SIGNALLING DEVICES FOR THE SAME
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY SWITCHES, AND IN ADJUSTING AND SIGNALLING
DEVICES FOR THE SAME."-A communication from abroad by Martin
Henry Dooly, of Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Sealed the 27th March 1868, and dated the 8th February 1868.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 8th February 1868, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY SWITCHES, AND IN ADJUSTING AND SIGNALLING DEVICES FOR THE
SAME," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same,
and have made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to

page_text: me from abroad by Martin Henry Dooly, of Atlanta, Georgia, United
States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the
following statement:--
The nature of my Invention consists chiefly in an improved means
for operating the points of a railway to switch a train from the main
line to another line, or vice versa.
The annexed Drawing making a part of this Specification is a plan
of a portion of a railway illustrating my improvements.
A, A', A", are the rails of the main line of the railway, and B, B', are
the switch rails. The rails may be of any ordinary construction, and
are spiked down or otherwise conveniently secured to the sleepers or
cross ties P. The rails A' are not joined to the contiguous rails of
the main line or to the switch rails B upon the same tie as seen at x, x,
so that the vibration will not only be broken but more strength will be
given to the rails at their joints. The rails A' are securely fastened to the
cross bars L and J, which bars move with the rails as they are
shifted for making connection with the main rails A or the switch
rails B. A represents one of the main rails, which is connected to
one of the switch rails B, as shown. These rails lie against each
other at one end, but separate, as a switch rail must do from a main
rail toward their other ends. The rails A" and B' are secured to a
bar c, which lies beneath them at their connecting ends, and are held
D is an
rigidly at a suitable distance from each other by a clamp a.
iron rod or shaft, which lies parallel with and at a convenient distance
from the main line. The said shaft is supported upon cross ties
which extend beyond the rails for that purpose, and is kept in place
by suitable loops or staples. The said shaft is provided with three
cranks d, d, d'. Rods or links e, K, connect the end cranks d to
the bars cand J respectively. The main rail A' which lies next to
shaft D has secured to it under its moveable end a bar H, and this
bar His connected to the crank d' by means of a rod or link G. At I
there are two signal targets, one of which standing in a vertical
position is stationary, while the other is pivoted to the stationary

page_text: one a little below its centre, and has its lower end connected in any
suitable manner to one of the rails A'. When the rails A' stand in
line with the contiguous rails A of the main line, these signal targets
stand close together, or one covering the other; but when the rails A'
are shifted into connection with the switch rails B, the targets are
separated at their upper ends, thus indicating to an approaching train
the position of the rails. The shaft D is provided with a lever
handle M, by means of which it is caused to partially revolve forward
and backward. By a partial revolution of the shaft D the rails of
the switch are changed simultaneously so as to make connection with
the main or the side line, as may be desirable. Suppose the rails A¹
and A" are connected with the rails A forming the main linc, and
it is desirable to open the switch, by turning the shaft D half way
round by means of its handle the rails A' are shifted so that they
coincide with the switch rails B, while at the same time the switch rail B'
is made to coincide with its contiguous switch rail B. A train may
now run from the main to the side line or from the side to the main
line. By turning the shaft D back again, the rails of the main line
are again thrown in connection.
Having thus fully described the said improvements, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim, the
elongated crank shaft D connected to the sliding bars J and c by the
rods or links e and K in combination with the rails A, A', A", and B
and the target signals, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Eighth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
THIO. N. PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings, W.C.