IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SHUNTING RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Henderson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th October 1873.
I, WILLIAM HENDERSON, of Gloucester, in the County of Gloucester,
Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SHUNTING RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to avoid the risks and dangers which
arise from the use of facing points. In place of the facing points com-
monly used upon railways I propose to employ a pair of traversing rails
which constitute a portion of the main or permanent way, and are
capable of being shifted into line with the siding rails for the purpose of
shunting a train or portion of a train.
These traversing rails may have the same section throughout their
length as the fixed rails of the permanent way, and I propose to secure
them at one end to the permanent way rails either by strong hinge joints
or by loose fish plate joints. At or near their siding ends I propose to
connect these traversing rails with a strong sliding bar, by means
of which they will receive their lateral motion to bring them into

page_text: line with the siding rails when required, or to return them to their
normal position, that is to say, into line with the rails of the per-
manent way.
The ends of the traversing rails will slide upon beds
provided for them on the siding chairs, and their traverse will be
limited by means of suitable stops.
For locking the traversing rails in position various plans may be
adopted, but that which I prefer is the following:-At about the middle
of the sliding bar I form a lump, against the opposite ends of which I
cause stationary catches alternately to abut according to the position in
which the rails are set. These catches are carried by and are loose
on pins which are made fast to lugs bolted to a transverse sleeper.
These catches are formed with a double incline at one side, by means of
which through the action of a projection on a sliding rod the catches.
are lifted clear of the lump on the sliding bar.
By the side of the sliding bar is a rod which is free to slide in guides,
and is actuated by a rock lever connected to one end thereof. This
sliding rod is formed with an elongated slot into which takes a stud pro-
jecting from the side of the sliding bar, and upon the rod are two
projections for alternately acting upon the catches in the manner above
described. By giving an endway motion to this sliding rod the catch
which is in action will be first raised so as to leave the sliding bar free to
move; the rod will then by striking against the stud give an endway
motion to the sliding bar; the rails will thus be shifted laterally, and
when arrested by their stops the second catch will drop into action and
lock the rails in position.
In addition to the safety clutches I may provide a locking or clamping
niece for securing the sliding bar while fast trains are passing over the
lock the rails in position.
In addition to the safety clutches I may provide a locking or clamping
piece for securing the sliding bar while fast trains are passing over the
traversing rails.