IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO POINTS OR SWITCHES AND CROSSINGS FOR TRAMWAYS OR RAILWAYS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE JAMES CHAPMAN, of Market Place, Enfield Town, in the County'
of Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO POINTS OR SWITCHES AND CROSSINGS
FOR TRAMWAYS OR RAILWAYS" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to points or switches and crossings for tramways or
railways, and comprises various improvements hereinafter described.
One object of my said invention is to obviate or prevent the shocks or jars to
vehicles, usually caused by the sudden drop of the wheel-flange from the tread of
the rail into the groove thereof, when the vehicle is leaving a "fixed" point or
switch of the ordinary construction. Another object of my said invention is to
ensure vehicles taking the proper road on entering "fixed" points or switches.
I provide an improved "fixed" point for use where it is necessary that vehicles
travelling in the same direction should always take the same road. This
improved point is furnished with a vertically movable or adjustable tongue and
means whereby the wheel of a vehicle, before entering the said point, will adjust
the tongue thereof so as to ensure the said vehicle taking the proper road, and
whereby, when the vehicle is leaving the point, the wheel thereof will depress the
tongue to the extent of the depth of the wheel-flange, but will again adjust the
said tongue to ensure the next vehicle entering the point by the proper road. The
latter vehicle would, however, in any case adjust the said tongue before entering
the point.
I sometimes provide for the automatic adjustment of the tongue after a vehicle
has passed over the same by attaching to the said tongue a weighted lever.
Another object of my said invention is to provide improved means of filling in
the spaces between the rails at points and crossings. For this purpose I fix.
between the rails independent chairs or supports adapted to any particular system
of permanent way that may be employed, and in these chairs or supports I fix a
filling piece of suitable transverse section. This filling piece is preferably rolled
so that it can be bent, if necessary, to suit the curve of the rails at the point or
crossing.
My improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which .
Figure 1 is a plan of my automatic "fixed"point.

page_text: gures & MOTIZOntal section on the line, &, Figure 2, with some of the
parts removed.
Figure 4 is a plan, and
Figure 5 a.side elevation shewing my improved means for filling the spaces
between the rails at points and crossings.
Figure 6 is a side elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale, of a portion of the
filling piece.
Figure 7 is a transverse section, also drawn to an enlarged scale, illustrating.
the mode of fixing the filling piece between the rails.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
a is the casting or body of the point or switch, and b is the vertically movable or
adjustable tongue.
The "fixed" point shewn in Figures 1 to 3 is operated automatically by the
passage of vehicles and is intended chiefly for use at passing places on a single line
of tramway, where the vehicles are usually required to take the left hand road.
The directions in which the vehicles travel are indicated by the arrows. The
tongue b is fitted in a recess or cavity formed in the casting a and is pivotted at
one end upon a bolt c whereby it is secured to the said casting. The said tongue
has near its other end a lug b¹ projecting downward into a box al preferably
formed integrally with the casting a. The lug or projection b is slotted
horizontally as shewn to receive the pin or stud d¹ fixed to one end of the lever d.
This lever is pivotted upon the bolt e fixed in the casting a, and to the other end
of the said fever is coupled a block f which extends upward into the grove.a²
formed in the casting a to receive the flanges of the wheels of a vehicle.
The operation of this point is as follows, that is to say:-A vehicle leaving the
point first depresses the tongue b and thereby raises the block f. The said vehicle
then depresses the block f thereby again raising the tongue b, so that a vehicle
entering the point is prevented from taking the right hand road. Should,
however, the tongue b be afterwards depressed by some extraneous cause, the said
vehicle before entering the point will depress the block fand raise the tongue b.
thereby closing the right hand road of the point.
In some cases:
keep the said
vehicle passing
I may employ the said points either on one rail or on both rails.
I provide a slight spring in combination with the block f, to
tongue always in the position shown except when depressed by a
over it..
When the tongue b becomes worn it can be removed by withdrawing the bolt.c,
lifting the end of the said tongue which was secured thereby and sliding the said
tongue along so as to draw the slotted lug b' from the pin or stud d'; the box a
is shown of sufficient length to permit this movement of the said tongue. But, if
desired, the lug b¹ may be perforated, instead of slotted, to receive the pin or:
studd, and the length of the said box can then be slightly reduced.
It is obvious that I may, if desired, employ other means than the block f and.
lever d for effecting the automatic adjustment of the tongue b by the passage of a
vehicle, for example, a rack and pinion. In some cases I so arrange the block f
that it will be operated by the tread of the wheel instead of by the flange thereof.
as shown.
Instead of providing means whereby the passage of a vehicle will raise the
tongue b, I sometimes employ a weighted lever to automatically adjust the said
tongue and normally keep the same in its raised position. For this purpose the
lever d, may, if desired, be extended and provided with a suitable weight.
In Figures 4 to 7, I have shown one of my improved filling pieces with chairs,
adapted to the girder-rail system, for fixing between the rails at points or crossings.
These pieces are for filling up the taper spaces which exist between the rails at
points or crossings and which cannot be filled with the ordinary paving stones or
blocks. The filling piece m is preferably made of rolled steel so that it can be
readily bent, if necessary, to fit properly between the rails at a curve. It is made
with a series of transverse grooves ¹ in its upper side, but may, if desired, be

page_text: roughened in any other suitable manner. I use two or more independent chairs
or supports n for each filling piece, that is to say, chairs specially adapted to
support the said filling piece, either independently or in combination with the
chairs ordinarily used for supporting the rails. The chairs or supports n are made
of varying widths but are all formed with slots n¹ of the same size and shape
preferably made to fit the lower flange m² of the filling piece. In order to fix the
said filling piece between the rails, which are marked o in Figure 7, I first place
the narrowest chair or support between the two rails and force it towards the
meeting point of the said rails until it is wedged tightly between the same. I then
force another chair of greater width, and, if desired, a third chair of still greater
width, between the rails in a similar manner. Any suitable number of these chairs
may be thus fixed and the said chairs are then so situated that the slots in the
same are in line with each other. The spaces between the said chairs are then by
preference filled with concrete or other suitable material and the filling piece m is
passed through the said slots in the chairs until one or both sides of its upper
flange m³ bear against the side of one or both of the rails o.
The form of construction shewn in the drawing is adapted for use with girder-
rails, but it is obvious that I may adapt my improved filling pieces and independent
chairs or supports to any other system of permanent way.
I wish it understood that I do not claim broadly or irrespectively of my
improvements herein set forth the employment, in a point or switch, of a vertically
movable or adjustable tongue, as I am aware that this is not new.
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
First. In, or for, a tramway or railway, a "fixed" point or switch having a
vertically movable or adjustable tongue arranged in combination with the lever
and block or other suitable means so that it will be raised automatically by
the passage of a vehicle over the said block or equivalent part, for the purpose
specified.
Second. In a "fixed" point or switch for a tramway or railway, the combination,
with a vertically movable tongue, of a weighted lever for raising the said tongue
after it has been depressed by the passage of a vehicle over it, and for normally
keeping the said tongue in its raised position, substantially as set forth.
Third. The construction of my improved "fixed" point or switch in such a
manner that the tongue can be readily removed and replaced, substantially as
described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings.
Fourth. The improved means for filling the space between the rails at a point or
switch or at a crossing and comprising the filling piece and the independent chairs
constructed and combined substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Dated this ith dow of Nov 1984
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.