Improvements in Railroad Switches.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railroad Switches.
I REGINALD HADDAN of the firm of Herbert & Co. Patent. Agents of 18
Buckingham Street, Strand W.C. London in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare, the nature of this invention a communication to me
from abroad by Nathaniel Belcher of Boston, State of Massachusetts, United
States of America, Engineer to be as follows:-
The improved switch has two fixed point rails in combination with a pair of jointed
continuous switch-rails, the ends of which, and one end of the contiguous guard-rail,
are fastened together by placing a block of cast-iron or steel between the guard-rail
and the switch-rail ends; the center of the block, as to its length, being placed
opposite to the point where the rail-ends meet, a block of the same length is placed
opposite on the other side of the rail ends, and one opposite on the other side of the
guard-rail. These three blocks conform to the shape of the sides of the rails, except
that one of them is slightly cut away at an angle from the center, to permit of the
lateral motion of 24 inches, which is equal to the throw. The middle rail ends, guard
rail ends and blocks, are firmly bolted together and rest on a center bar or plate
provided with ear pieces turned up at right angles, making a rest for holding the
middle connecting parts firmly at gauge, but not held so rigidly as to prevent
creeping.
Each center-block is of such a thickness as will hold the guard-rail at that point
at such a distance as will allow the wheel flanges to pass, and the parts are so adjusted
that when the switch is open for the main line or the branch, the ends of the point
on one side is at such a distance from the switch rail, that it will not be possible for
the flanges to come in dangerous contact, and when one point is guarded, the other
point is equally well protected by lying in the angle formed by the switch-rail, and
is fully outside of the running line.
The point-rails are securely fished to the track rails, and are also held in place by
suitable plates riveted thereto and spiked to the ties. The point ends are placed
about 12 inches from the middle ends of the switch rails, the outer ends of which are
fished to the track rails but in such a way as to permit of the transverse movement.
The steel centre bars rest upon two flat bars that are securely spiked through
projecting ears to the head-block. The upper and lower plates are united by iron
lugs that pivot on a steel pin passing through the lower plate and held by a similar
steel pin through the upper plate. These lugs, which are situated on opposite sides
of the plates and move upon the steel-pins, are in two sets located outside the track
near opposite ends of the connecting lateral plate, and act in unison. Their office
is to lift the rails one-half inch when throwing the switch, this maximum height
being obtained at the point of equipose, or summit of the arc. They have a cam-
movement and acting conjointly with the weight of a train they create a lock during
its passage over the switch.
To render this switch automatic a T lever is provided in such a manner that a train
coming down the either of the meeting-track towards the switch moves the switch
by its forward truck wheel flange on the one or other respectively strikes against one
of the bevelled arms of the T lever and deflects the latter so that the other end
thereof suitably connected to the switch moves the latter into the proper position
to receive the train arriving thereon. In place of having such T lever, or in addition
thereto but at the other end of the switch there may be in certain cases, for instance
for a yard switch, a similarly connected lever with bevelled end adapted to be struck
and deflected by one of the two pins on the engine either of which may be lowered

page_text: by the driver (but not both at the same time) according to which track he wishes
the train to pass on to.
To take strain off the cam-locks and also to ensure that the switch shall always
fall into the same place right or left, there may be made in the switch-plate a
rounded projection and in the base plate two corresponding recesses, or vice versa,
to receive the same.
.נ.י.ת
100
1
0
1 1000
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents for Applicant.
CODI DI DI BOLT ICATION.
Improvements in Railroad Switches.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C. London, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
a communication to me from abroad by Nathaniel Belcher of Massachusetts, United
States of America, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The improved switch has two fixed point-rails in combination with a pair of
jointed continuous switch-rails, the ends of which, and one end of the contiguous
guard-rail, are fastened together by placing a block of cast-iron or steel, between the
guard-rail and the switch-rail ends; the centre of the block, as to its length, being
placed opposite to the point where the rail ends meet, a block of the same length is
placed opposite on the other side of the rail ends, and one opposite on the other side
of the guard-rail. These three blocks conform to the shape of the sides of the rails,
except that one of them is slightly cut away at an angle from the centre to permit
of the lateral motion of 24 inches, which is equal to the throw. The middle rail
ends, guard rail ends and blocks, are firmly bolted together and rest on a centre bar
or plate provided with ear pieces turned up at right angles, making a rest for
holding the middle connecting parts firmly at gauge, but not held so rigidly as to
prevent creeping.
Each centre block is of such a thickness as will hold the guard-rail at that point
at such a distance as will allow the wheel flanges to pass, and the parts are so
adjusted that when the switch is open for the main line or the branch, the ends of
the point on one side is at such a distance from the switch rail, that it will not be
possible for the flanges to come in dangerous contact, and when one point is thus
guarded, the other point is equally well protected by lying in the angle formed by
the switch rail, and is fully outside of the running line.
The point-rails are securely fished to the track rails, and are also held in place by
suitable plates riveted thereto and spiked to the ties. The point ends are placed
about 12 inches from the middle ends of the switch rails, the outer ends of which
are fished to the track rails but in such a way as to permit of the transverse
movement.
The steel centre bars rest upon two flat bars that are securely spiked through
projecting ears to the head-block. The upper and lower plates are united by iron
lugs that pivot on a steel pin passing through the lower plate and held by a similar
steol pin through the upper plate. These lugs, which are situated on opposite.sides
of the plates and move upon the same steel pins, are in two sets located outside
the track, near opposite ends of the connecting lateral plate and act in unison.
Their office is to lift the rails one-half inch when throwing the switch, this maximum
height being obtained at the point of equipoise, or summit of the arc. They have a
cam movement and acting conjointly with the weight of a train they create a lock
during its passage over the switch.
To render this switch automatic a T lever is provided in such a manner that a
train coming down either of the meeting tracks towards the switch moves the switch
by its forward truck wheel flange on the one or other respectively strikes against one

page_text: of the bevelled arms of the T lever and deflects the latter so that the other end thereof
suitably connected to the switch moves the latter into the proper position to receive
the train arriving thereon. In place of having such T lever, or in addition thereto
but at the other end of the switch there may be in certain cases, for instance for a
yard switch, a similarly connected lever with bevelled end adapted to be struck and
deflected by one of two pins on the engine either of which may be lowered by the
driver (but not both at the same time) according to which track he wishes the train
to pass onto.
To take strain off the cam-locks and also to ensure that the switch shall always
fall into the same place right or left, there may be made in the switch-plate a rounded
projection and in the base plate two corresponding recesses, or vice versa, to receive ⚫
the same.
Reference being made to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view
showing two variations of the switch either or both may be used on one switch.
The bars S carrying the movable ends of the rails A A' is moved by either link o or
link o. The right hand side of Fig. 1 shows its application to a main line, so that a
train coming down a side track, moves the switch by its forward truck wheel flange
(through shaped head hon lever ƒ connecting rod ƒ and link o) and goes on to
the main track without derailment. The left hand side of Fig. 1 shows its application
as a yard switch. The switch engine is provided with two pins U and U³ only one
of which can be lowered at the same time, these are moved by the Engineer by any
suitable mechanism.
The pin U is lowered ready to throw the switch by pressure against one side of
the V shaped head of lever f³ (by means of connecting rod f' and link o³). Both
levers fand may be connected on one switch as in Fig. 1.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on line X-X of Fig. 1, showing the movable
bar S carrying loose ends of rails A A', connecting rod f link o' and rock shaft or
pivot q', hand lever g' and connecting rod g³.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line y-y of the lever f.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of sleeper G and head hon lever f, being at right angles
to Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of lever" on line y³-y (Fig. 1).
Fig. 6 is an elevation of sleeper H showing pin U lowered and pin U raised from
pilot truck on switch engine for moving lever f³.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical cross section on line 2-2 Fig. 9, of sleeper E on a
line with centre of pin q', Fig. 1, showing the links o and o' in the position shown
in Fig. 9.
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are enlarged on same scale as Fig. 7 and show link and switch in
different positions.
On the lower side of bar S are two half round grooves T¹ and T running clear
through on its bottom face and on the fixed bar or bed r is a half round projection R³
so placed that when bar S is thrown to right, the groove T will cover projec
tion R and when the bar S is thrown to left T' will cover projection B'. The object
being to ensure the bar S coming into exactly the same place every time and also to
take strain from links o and o³.
Fig. 8 shows the bar S thrown to right groove T¹ engaged with projection R³.
Fig. 9 shows the bar S thrown half way, neither groove T¹ nor T' is now engaged
on projection R'.
Fig. 10 shows the bar S thrown to left and groove T' engaging projection R³.
Fig. 11 is an elevation of sleeper G₁ at right angles to Fig. 4.
When the bar S is moved part way as in Fig. 9, the weight of the engine will
complete the throw and the blow will be taken on projection R and side of groove T¹
or T
A, A' are movable rails hinged at further extremities to rigid rails and pivoted
at their adjoining ends. D guard-rails rigid with A and A'. E sleeper carrying
iron-bed-bar . F timber on bottom of sleeper E to give broader base support.
GG sleepers. H sleeper. I short piece of rail on sleeper H supporting end of

page_text: "
on link o².
lever f. JJ two short rails supporting ends of bar hon sleeper G¹. K K' arch
forming top bearing for pivots of levers and f. M M pivots of levers fand f³.
NV shaped brace on lever friveted to and to bar h. S movable flat bar, carrying
ends of rails. T¹ T grooves in under face of bar S. p₁ p³ wrist pins on links o,
for levers f¹ƒ³ respectively. t¹ pin connecting links oo to bar S and rod g
c bolts connecting rails A A guard-rails D D and blocks e. e cast iron blocks fitted
to rails A and D and keeping them at a given distance apart. flever pivoted at M
and moving link o by means of connecting rod f1, said link has a T shaped head h
which is braced by brace N. f1 connecting rod, connecting lever and pin plon
link o. connecting rod on left side, connecting lever and pin p³
flever pivoted in middle at M' and pivoted at one end to connecting rod and
supported at other end by short rail I. o link pivoted on rock shaft q' and having a
short stud p' on which is hung end of connecting rod f³, the upper end of link o
carries one end of a shaft t¹ which runs through bar S and projects through face of
link o forming a crank pin which is connected to hand lever g' by connecting
rod g. ' hand lever to throw switch. 9 connecting rod connecting g' and pivot t¹.
7 rock shaft or pivot of links o and o³. 1 bed bar having an under projecting
boss R² and an upper one R³. t top pivot, running through link o bar S and link o²,
supports and moves bar S. U U2 pins lowered from engine to throw switch, U is
lowered when U is raised and vice versa, these are moved from the cab, or from a
standing platform on pilot truck of switch engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The jointed movable rails A A A² A² bar S connecting said rails the fixed point
rails CC, and the cam lock consisting of link o' pivoted at q¹ and connected to
said bar S at t¹ in combination with the rod f connected to said link at p², the
pivoted lever f' and movable devices upon the locomotive or advancing vehicle
adapted to be set to throw said switch, if necessary, for passage onto main or
branch line as desired.
2. The jointed movable rails AA A'A' bar S connecting said rails, fixed point
rails CCcam lock consisting of links o o pivoted at q' and connected to bar S by
cross bolt t¹ in combination with T headed lever f and rod f' connecting said lever f
to link o, lever f* and rod f' connecting said lever f* to link o* and movable devices
upon the locomotive or advancing vehicle adapted to be set to throw said lever f³,
if necessary, the whole substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination of the jointed movable rails A A A A³, bar S connecting
said rails, cam-lock as set forth, fixed point rails CC, and a bed-plate or sleeper for
said bar, said bed-plate or equivalent and bar S having, the one or the other,
respectively a projection or projections R* and corresponding recesses T¹ T* therefor
for the purpose set forth.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.