Improvements in the Supports or Bearings for, and in the Couplings of Rods used for, Operating Signals and Switches and other Railway Appliances.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1890--Accepted, 20th Sept. 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Supports or Bearings for, and in the Couplings
of Rods used for, Operating Signals and Switches and other
Railway Appliances.
I SAMUEL TELFORD DUTTON of Marl Bank in the City and County of Worcester,
Civil 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 :-
This invention has for its object an improvement in the supporting guides or
rollers upon which the rods employed for communicating movement to railway
signalling apparatus, rest and move.
These rods have frequently to move objects such as a pair of switch points at a
considerable distance from the operating lever. In such cases as these where the
switch points are both worked and locked by one rod it is especially desirable that
friction should be reduced to a minimum.
For this purpose I provide at the usual intervals roller boxes which are provided
with longitudinal ribs on their inside base.
The roller preferably of a large diameter, moves to and fro on the said ribs
according as the rod which rests upon the said roller is worked and returned.
The roller has no central pivot or support and revolution such as those now in
general use have.
As the rod is worked so the roller revolves along the rib, the travel of the rod
being greater than the travel of the roller.
My invention is applicable to either of the usual sections of point rods viz., the
tube or channel section.
In regard to the latter I prefer to use a piece of channel iron of larger section
placed over the joint of the point rod channel iron as a coupling for joining the
lengths together. The said channel iron joint piece is rivetted to one length of the
point rod and bolted to the other length.
Between the two nuts of the bolts forming the latter joint I place a piece of metal
formed thus at one end and thus at the other with a cotter pin through it and
the channel iron joint piece and the point rod for the purpose of preventing the nut
from turning and working loose.
A modification or alternative means of supporting the rod can be applied in the
case of the tube point rod as follows.―
The roller casting through which the rod runs would be provided with two rollers
placed diagonally to each other upon the upper surfaces of which the tube point rod
would be supported and travelled.
The principle in this modification is similar to that herein before described inasmuch
as the rollers themselves have no fixed centres and revolve according as the rod is
moved.
Figure 1 represents a section of the roller box showing the roller and channel iron
point rod.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal elevation partly in section of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross section showing the roller box and roller with the tube section
of point rod.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal elevation partly in section of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of my improved coupling or joint for channel iron
point rod.
Figure 6 is a plan on top of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a section A-B of Figure 5.
Figure 8 is a cross section of the modification and
Figure 9 is a side elevation nartly in section of Figure 8.

page_text: The same letters refer to the same parts in the several figures of the drawings:
A is the channel iron point rod, B is the roller designed for supporting the channel
iron point rod, C is the rib on the base of the roller box upon which the roller B
moves, D is the roller box for the channel iron point rod, E is the point rod of the
circular section, F is the roller for supporting the same and G is the rib on the
inside base of the roller box H. J is the channel iron of the larger section used for
forming the joint for the channel iron point rod; K, K' are the nuts bolting the
joint piece and the channel iron together, M is the lock piece fitted between the nuts
of the said bolts through which a cotter pin N is inserted to prevent the nuts from
turning and working loose, O are the small rollers working on suitable ribs in the
roller box Figure 8.
It is obvious that my improved form of rollers are applicable to supporting any
moving rods employed for any apparatus in connection with railway signalling.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. In supporting guides for moving rods on railways the construction and general
arrangement of a movable roller without pivots or trunnions upon a raised rib on
the inside base of the roller frame, substantially as herein described with reference to
Figure 1 to 7 of the drawing inclusive.
2. In couplings for moving rods employed for apparatus in connection with railway
signalling, the arrangements of joints or couplings illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of
the drawing annexed.
3. In supporting guides for moving rods on railways the construction and general
arrangement of movable rollers without pivots or trunnions arranged in the base of
the roller box, substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 8 and 9 of
the drawing annexed.
Dated this Thirteenth day of August 1890.