IMPROVEMENT FOR LIFTING RAILS AND CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS AND THE LIKE
Year: 1887

page_text: We FRANCIS GOLIGHTLY, and JOHN KENT GOLIGHTLY, Railway Wagon Builders,
both of No. 9, Martin Street, Hooley Hill, near Manchester, in the county of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention for IMPROVEMENT FOR
LIFTING RAILS AND CROSSINGS FOR RAILWAYS AND THE LIKE to be as follows:-
We accomplish this with a frame, with three bearings, one at each end, and one in
the centre, in which we fix a screw shaft with a right and left hand thread, and two
nuts, with two arms one on each side of the nuts.
To these arms we fix connecting straps, and to the other end of the said straps, we
join together with a suitable head and pin to lift by, and on each of the said arms of
the nuis we fix a wheel to run along the aforesaid frame to prevent the screw from
bending.
On each end of the aforesaid screw shaft, we make square so that it can be worked
by an ordinary screw key, and to gain power when it is needful for lifting we fix, on
one, or both ends, of the said scrow shaft, a suitablo spur wheel, and a suitable worm
screw, in suitable bearings.
To be worked by a box key or suitable lever.
The whole to be made of the best wrought Iron or Steel.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Lifter for Rails and Crossings for Railways and
the like.
We, FRANCIS GOLIGHTLY and JOHN KENT GOLIGHTLY, Railway Wagon Builders,
both of No. 9 Martin Street, Hooley Hill near Manchester in the County of Lancaster
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 :-
Our invention relates to apparatus for lifting rails and crossings for railways for
the purpose of packing sleepers and similar objects and consists in an improved con-
struction of such apparatus or combination of mechanism or parts, the object of our
invention being to save manual labour and time in the operation of lifting and
holding up the rails and crossings.
On the drawing appended hereunto figure 1 shows a longitudinal section, figure 2 a
plan and figure 3 an end view of our improved lifter.
The apparatus consists of a frame or bed plate a preferably made of cast steel with
three bearings b, c and d, one at each end fitted with caps 6 e¹ and one in the centre,
which support a screw spindle e having a right hand thread on one side of the centre
and a left hand thread on the other. The threads may be either triangular or square.
threads. Two nuts f and g one on each side of the centre are tapped with the thread
corresponding to the end of the spindle e on which they are placed and are each
formed with two arms or pivots ƒ and g g³ one on each side of the nuts. On
these arms we place links and bored out for the pivots and y' respec-
tively, and the other ends of said links we connect by a pink passed through them
and a suitable shoe for lifting, the combination of links forming a toggle mechanism.
On each end of the pivots fly and we place a wheel or roller g³ and g' of
such diameter that the wheels or rollers rest upon the bottom of the frame a or on
raised strips formed on the said bottom in order to relieve the screw spindle e from
the load on the shoe and to prevent it bending. One or both ends of the screw-
spindle e we make square so that an ordinary spanner or a ratchet brace spanner can
be placed upon the square for turning, the screw spindle e. When required for lifting
the weight upon the shoe, we in some cases fix upon one or each end of the said
screw spindle a suitable wormwheel and arrange a worm on a shaft in suitable bearings,
the shaft being formed with a square for turning it with a box key or equivalent tool.
On the drawing one end of the spindle e is shewn fitted with the worm wheel m, and a
worm, formed on the vertical spindle and supported in bearings on the bedplate a
and the bracket o cast upon it, 'is in gear with the worm-wheel and can be rotated by
means of a box key or its equivalent placed upon the square on the shaft n. The
shaft may be placed vertically as shewn or horizontally or obliquely as is most
suitable for the special purpose for which the lifter is to be used. Two wormwheels,
one on each end of the screw spindle e, may be used and they may be arranged to fit

page_text: on squares at the end of the spindle, so that they can be readily removed for turning
the spindle by spanners or equivalent tools put upon the squares as far as the power
obtainable by this means suffices to lift the load, and that they can then be put upon
the squares and the further lift be effected by means of a worm wheel and worm or
worm wheels and worms. All parts are preferably made of steel or wrought iron.
In applying the apparatus to lifting rails and crossings for the purpose of packing
sleepers, the ballast is as usual dug out and the apparatus placed under the rail so that
the shoe is under the rail, the nuts and having previously been moved to the
ends of the spindle e and the shoe thus brought into its lowest position. By turning
the spindle the nuts are then moved towards the centre, whereby the shoe is raised
vertically, the lifting action becoming the more powerful the nearer the nuts approach
to the centre of the apparatus. Obviously the apparatus may be used for lifting or
raising other objects besides rails or crossings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
The construction or arrangement of a lifter for rails and crossings for railways
and the like, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this Toth day of May 1081.
FRANCIS GOLIGHTLY.
JOHN KENT GOLIGHTLY.
FRANCIS GOLIGHTLY.
JOHN KENT GOLIGHTLY.