IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TURNTABLES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Lloyd the younger, of Wednesbury,
in the County of Stafford, Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TURNTABLES."
Sealed the 20th January 1854, and dated the 21st October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Lloyd at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st October 1853.
I, SAMUEL LLOYD the younger, of Wednesbury, in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TURNTABLES" to be as
follows:-
These improvements consist in the introduction of a toggle or other
lever or levers under the centre pin or pivot of turntables, by means of
which the turntable may be raised when wanted for use, it being so
constructed that, except while it is raised, the weight is not carried
on the centre pin or pivot, but on the ring or frame at its periphery, or
on rollers placed at its periphery. By this means when the table is at
rest it is quite steady and solid, and is not likely to be injured by trains

page_text: passing over it; whereas as soon as the centre pin or pivot is made to
rise by means of the lever under it, which is worked by another lever
or levers in connection therewith, the turntable top is raised, and may
be turned with great facility, the weight resting then on the centre
pin or pivot. Provision is made for the weight of the table not being
equally poised on the centre pin or pivot, by means of horizontal rollers
which are fixed round the centre pillar of the turntable, and serve by
their contact with this pillar, to preserve the turntable in a level position
while rising and while in use. When the turntable is no longer
required, the lever on which its pin or pivot had been resting is lowered,
and the turntable brought to its original position, in which it is retained
by a catch or catches.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Lloyd in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st April 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
SAMUEL LLOYD the younger, of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors.
give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Lloyd, Her special licence that
I, the said Samuel Lloyd, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Samuel Lloyd, 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 expresserl.
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF TURNTABLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Samuel Lloyd, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of

page_text: 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 Samuel Lloyd, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexel, that is to say:
My Invention consists in the introduction of a toggle or other lever
or levers under the centre pin or pivot of turntables, by means of which
the turntable may be raised when required for use, it being so con-
structed that, except while it is raised, the weight is not carried on the
centre pin or pivot, but on the ring or frame at its periphery or on
rollers placed at its periphery. By this means when the turnable is at
rest it is quite steady and solid, and is not likely to be injured by trains
passing over it, whereas as soon as the centre pin or pivot is made to
rise by means of the lever or levers under it being worked by another
lever or levers in connection therewith, the turntable is raised, and may
be turned with great facility, the weight resting then on the centre pin
or pivot. Provision is made, as in other centre-bearing turntables, for
the weight of the table not being equally poised on the centre piu or
pivot, by means of horizontal rollers which are fixed round the centre
pillar of the turntable, and serve, by their contact with this pillar, to
preserve the turntable in a level position while rising and while in use.
When the turntable is no longer required, the lever on which the pin
or pivot had been resting is lowered, and the turntable brought to its
original position, in which it is retained by a catch or catches.
Figure 1, of the Drawings annexed is a vertical section, and Figure
1, a plan of a turntable constructed according to my Invention. The
centre pillar A. is fixed on a block of stone or other suitable foundation,
and within it is fixed a toggle joiut or other lever B, B, which is
connected with the centre pin C, as shewn. By means of this the
turntable is raised when wanted for use, the lever then assuming the
position shewn by the dotted lines D, D. The Drawing shews the

page_text: table not in use, the weight at such times being all carried on the outer
ring E, E, at the periphery of the table, and none upon the centre pin;
but when the centre pin or pivot is made to rise by means of the
lever B assuming the position shewn by the dotted lines, the turntable
top is raised off the outer ring, and may be turned with great facility,
the weight then resting entirely on the centre pin or pivot and toggle
lever B, C. The toggle lever is brought into the position indicated by
the dotted lines, by means of a rod D, connecting it with another
toggle joint or lever F, which is actuated by the lever handle M, through
the intervention of the connecting rod H. I, is a balance weight
attached to the toggle joint F, for balancing a part of the weight of the
table. The horizontal rollers G, G, carry the side pressure, and serve
by their contact with the centre pillar A to preserve the turntable in
a level position while rising and while in use. When the turntable is
no longer required it is again made solid by the handle M of the lever
F, which forms one of the catches, being lowered into its original
position.
Figure 2, is a vertical section of a modification of the arrangement
just described, by which the same result is obtained of supporting the
table top by its circumference when out of use, and upon its centre
when in use. The action of the lever B, B, in this table is merely to
raise the table sufficiently to disengage the blocks H, H. When the
table is not in use the lever is in the position shown at B, B, but as
soon as it is necessary to turn a carriage the table top is eased off the
four blocks H, H, at the circumference under the main line rails by
being raised from to ths of an inch by the action of the knuckle-joint
lever F. By this time the stud I, which is fixed upon the long lever
B, B, having traversed to the end of the slot in which it works, carries
the rod K with it, thus withdrawing the four blocks H, F, from under
the outer ring E, E. The long lever is now at the position shewn
in the Drawing or at the bottom of its stroke. The centre joint of the
knuckle-joint lever F has now passed from one side of the centre line
of the table to the other. The table top is exactly at the same level
when the long lever is at the bottom of its throw, as when it is at its
top, the difference being that when the long lever is up the table top is

page_text: supported entirely at its circumference on the four blocks, which may
be made of any convenient size; and while it is down the weight is on
the centre pin C, when carriages may be turned with ease and rapidity.
By means of the stud I traversing the slot in the rod K during the
first part of the motion, the table top is cased off the bearing on the
blocks H, H, before the rod K is set in motion to withdraw the blocks;
and by the same means in lowering the table, time is allowed for the
blocks to be pushed home before the table top is lowered upon them, so
that the blocks are relieved from the weight whilst they are being
moved. At the end of the lever L a weight is fixed to balance the
weight of the table top to within a few cwts., the balance weight not
being made heavy enough to raise the table top without the exertion of
a slight pressure on the handle M.
Figure 3 is a plan, and Figure 3ª a vertical section of a modification
of the turntable shewn in Figure 2, which differs only from it in the
balancing apparatus. The weight L, on the balance lever B, in this
table is to be so placed as not quite to counterbalance the weight of the
table top, so that when the lever handle M which works the sliding
blocks is down upon the table, in which position it acts as a catch to
the table, and the blocks H, H, are also home or under the ring at the
circunference of the table, the surplus weight of the turntable rests
on these blocks, by which means it will be perfectly solid for trains to
run over. When the table is made ready for turning carriages by
throwing back the lever M which works the sliding blocks, and a
carriage is run on, the weight of the carriage rests upon the centre cup
C, which is turned to fit easily in the centre pillar A. A guide O is
provided for the end of the lever B, to prevent it from bending.
Figure 4, is a plan; Figure 4, a vertical section, and Figure 4", a
section at C, D, of Figure 4, of a turntable, which is a modified form
of that last described, adapted to situations where a very shallow table
is essential, or where a cheap table is of more importance than one
which will turn easily. In this plan of construction the weight of the
table top is balanced by two or more balance weights, L, L, on levers
B, B, as shewn, which will render it easy for the man who works the
lever handle M, in connection with the sliding blocks H, to throw them

page_text: in, and thus raise the table off the rollers N, N, at its periphery, so that
they may not be injured or the table top indented while the traffic of
the railway is passing to and fro over the table when it is not in use.
Figure 5, is a vertical section, and Figure 5º, a plan of another
construction of turntable, in which the pillar A of the table works
inside rollers G, which are mounted in fixed bearings around it. The
arrangements for raising and balancing the table top are similar to
those before described. The rollers G, instead of being mounted in
fixed bearings, might be carried by the pillar, and work against a circular
frame round the pillar.
Figure 6, is a vertical section, and Figure 5", a plan of another
construction of turntable, the action of which will be readily understood
from the Drawing and the foregoing descriptions. The weight of the
table rests on the centre cup C when the table is in use, and on the
sliding blocks H when it is out of use. This table is intended for a
single way, and is of very light construction, consisting merely of the
centre pillar A, and two wrought iron girders B, B, to sustain the
platform D. The sliding blocks are worked and the table raised off
its centre without any balance weights, or they may be worked to aud
fro by means of a screw, or a more powerful leverage than that shewn,
where time is not of much importance.
Figure 7, is a side elevation, Figure 7", a plan, and Figure 7, a
section through the line A, B, of Figure 7, of a turntable having
radiating rollers C, C, at the centre working round the centre pillar to
support the table whilst being turned, the sliding blocks H carrying
the weight, and acting so as to steady the table while trains pass over.
Fixed rollers may be employed instead of those shewn, and the table
may be used with or without a balance weight. The sliding blocks
are worked by the lever B, and handle M, as in the arrangements
before described. D, is an india-rubber washer to allow the table to rise
off the rollers when the blocks H are drawn home.
.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
as my
Invention is, the introduction of a toggle lever or of a balance
lever or levers under the centre pin or pivot of turntables for the

page_text: purpose of raising the table top, and supporting it on the centre pin or
pivot while in use, as herein-before described.
And also claim the means of withdrawing the supports from
beneath the periphery of turntables for the purpose of throwing the
weight of the table top on the centre pin or pivot while in use, as
herein-before described.
Lastly, I claim the employment of blocks, wedges, or supports
beneath the periphery of turntables to sustain their weight when lifted,
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Lloyd, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
SAMUEL LLOYD JUNIUK. (..)