US1014092A - Railway-switch. - Google Patents

Description

J. D. PERKINS. RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLIUATION FILED MAY 22, 1911.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Attorneys v Patented Jan.9, 1912 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I Inventor Witnesses J. D. PERKINS. RAILWAY SWITCH.

' APPLIOATIONIILBD MAY 22, 1911. 1,014,092.

- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Ja11.9,1912.

UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES D. PERKINS, 0F ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGN'OR TO THOMAS C. BIGGS AND BOSCOE F. BISHOP.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 22, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, James D. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Railway-Switch, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to railway switches, its object being to provide a switch whereby the main line of a railroad can be maintained continuous or unbroken so that, when the switch is closed, cars can pass along the main line without pounding as ordinarily when passing over the breaks 1n the rails and which are ordinarily found at switches.

A further object is to provide a switch the movable members of which are designed to bridge over the rails of the main line when the switch is open, it being thus possible to use not only the ordinary single flanged wheels upon the tracks but also to use wheels having double flanges.

A further object is to provide a movable switch member having means whereby it is elevated while moving into position across one of the rails of the main line and is subsequently lowered so as to engage said rails and to be thus locked against accidental displacement while a car is passing over the switch member.

A further object is to provide a switch which can be connected to the main line without the necessity of removing any of the rails of the main line.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of the invention. In the accompanying drawings the pre ferred form of the invent-ion has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch embodying the present improvements, the main line being shown open. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line B Fig. 1. Fig. 41 is a section on line CD Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the switch tongues and showing one side thereof. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the other side of said tongue. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of said tongue. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the stationary cam used in connection with said tongue. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the shifting member cooperating with said cam. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the other tongue of the switch and showing one side thereof, the brackets being removed therefrom. Fig. 11 is a similar view showing the other side of said tongue, the brackets being removed therefrom. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of said tongue, the brackets being removed therefrom.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 and 2 designate the main line rails and 3 and 4 designate the siding rails, there being a siding rail section 5 interposed between the main line rails 1 and 2 and alinmg with the rail 3 but spaced at its ends from the two rails l and 2. Rail 3 has a block 6 interposed between itand the main line rail 2, said block being arranged with 1ts upper face a considerable distance below the tread of rail 3, but only a slight distance below the tread of the rail 2', it being understood that the rails 3 and 4 are elevated above the rail 2 a distance slightly greater than the height of the wheel flanges. The rail section 5 is similarly elevated, these rails 3 and 4 and the section 5 being supplorted above the ties 7 by blocks 8 or the A block 9 is secured on one of the ties and between the rails 1 and 2 at a point removed from that end of rail section 5 nearest the rail 2 and this block has a shoulder 10 normally supporting the free end of a straight switch tongue 11, the other end of this tongue being pivotally connected to one end of the rail section 5 as indicated at 12. As indicated in detail in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, this tongue is provided, for a portion of its length, with a web 13 having base flanges 14:, said web and flanges extending from the pivoted end of the tongue and terminating in a thickened portion 15 located adjacent the center of the tongue. The head 16 of the tongue is extended beyond this thickened portion and the lower face thereof is cut away to form a diagonally disposed shallow channel 17. The length of the tongue 11 is equal to the distance between rail 3 and rail section 5 and the channel 17 is so proportioned that when the tongue 11 is shifted into alinement with rail 3, the tread portion of rail 2 will project into the channel and thus hold the tongue against swinging movement unless lifted out of engagement with the rail 2. An arcuate cam plate 18 is extended under the tongue 11 at a point between the ends thereof and is provided with an arcuate slot 19 parallel with the upper edge of the plate 18. This slot receives a stud 2O projecting laterally from a bracket 21 secured to the thickened portion 15 of the tongue, there being a rod 22 pivotally connected to the bracket 21 and to one arm of a bell crank lever 23 arranged adjacent the rail 1. This lever and the rod 22 are disposed below the plane of the bases of rails 1 and 2 but that end portion of rod 22 adjacent tongue 11 is bent upwardly so as to properly engage the bracket 21. A guard rail 24 is arranged along rail 4 cpposite the tongue 11 and corresponds with the ordinary rails employed at switches. Rail 4 terminates at a point slightly removed from the rail 2 and with its tread elevated above the tread of rail 2. A tongue is hingedly connect-ed to this rail 4, this tongue being indicated at 25 and being provided with a slightly curved free end. This tongue has a head 26 extending throughout the length thereof but beveled at its free end down to an edge 27. A web 28 extends throughout the length of the head 26 and along the free end portion of the tongue 25 this web is flush with one side of the head, as clearly indicated in Fig. 11. The tongue 25 also has the usual base flanges 29 but these do not extend throughout the length of the tongue. The tongue is so proportioned that, when it is swung toward the rail 2, the head 26 thereof will move onto the tread of rail 2 and fit snugly thereon. As the free end of the head 26 is very thin and as said head gradually curves away from rail 2 it will be apparent that a car wheel, when traveling toward the switch will gradually ride onto the head 26 and thence along said head to the rail 4, the head 26 serving to gradually elevate the wheel so as to cause its flange to travel over rail 2 without contacting with it. This tongue has brackets 30 and 31 extending laterally therefrom, bracket 31 being secured to a cross bar 32 which, in turn, is secured to a bracket 33 extending laterally from a tongue 34. This tongue is similar in all respects to the tongue 25 but is interposed between'the two rails 1 and 2 and is pivotally connected to rail section 5, the free end of the tongue being adapted to move into position on top of the rail 1. The connecting bar 32 insures the simultaneous movement of the two tongues 25 and 34 so that both of them will assume positions upon the rails 1 and 2 respectively or at one side of said rails, as desired. Bracket 30 is connected to another bar 35 extending under the rails ver 23. A link 38 extends from bracket 30 I to a crank 39 on a shaft 40 arranged adj acent the track, there being a weighted arm 41 whereby said shaft can be rotated so as to move the tongues 25 and 34 onto or away from the rails 2 and 1 respectively.

It is to be understood that under normal conditions, to wit, when the main line is open, the tongues 34 and 25 extend along the sides of but are spaced from the rails 1 and 2 while tongue 11 is similarly spaced from the rail 2. Should it be desired to shift the switch so as to close the main line and open the siding, shaft 40 is rotated by means of the weighted arm 41, thus causing the two tongues 25 and 34 to shift in unison so as to bring their curved free end portions upon the tops of the rails 2 and 1. At the same time, motion is transmitted from the lever 36 through rod 37 to lever 23 and tongue 11 is shifted along the cam plate 18 so as to lift over the rail 2 and to then move downwardly onto block 6, the upper or tread surface of the rail 2 becoming seated within the channel 17 in the bottom of the tongue 11. It will thus be apparent that when a train approaches the switch it will ride upwardly on the beveled ends of tongues 25 and 34 until the flanges of the wheels are raised above the treads of the rails 1 and 2 whereupon said wheels will travel along the tongues and over the rails 1 and 2 and thence onto the rail 4 and the rail section 5. They will then travel over the tongue 11 to the rail 3. To close the switch the movement of the parts is reversed, the cam plate 18 serving to lift the tongue 11 out of engagement with the rail 2 and to then guide it back onto the block 9. At the same time the tongues 25 and 34 are shifted laterally away from the rails 2 and 1 respectively. A guide or guard rail 42 is arranged along rail 2 close to the tongue 25 and is similar to the guard rails ordinarily employed in connection with railway switches.

By constructing a switch in the manner set forth it will be apparent that the main line rails can be extended continuously and there is therefore no danger of the cars leaving the track at switches. Pounding of the rails at these points is also eliminated.

Another advantage resides in the fact that the switch constituting the present invention can be applied without the necessity of removing any of the rails of themain line.

What is claimed is 1. A railway switch including a continuous main line rail, a siding rail section spaced therefrom and extending beyond one side thereof, a siding rail spaced from the main line rail and extending from the other side thereof, a switch tongue pivotally mounted at one end, and normally extended parallel with the main line rail, a block for supporting the other end of the tongue when in its normal position, a plate extending transversely under the tongue and having an arcuate slot, the upper edge of the plate be ing parallel with the longitudinal walls of the slot, a bracket secured to the tongue, a stud outstanding therefrom and mounted to slide within the slot, and means for shifting the bracket, said plate constituting means for elevating the free end of the tongue over the main line rail and lowering it onto the adjoining siding rail, the stud and the walls of the slot cooperating to limit the upward movement of the tongue.

2. A railway switch including a main line rail, a siding rail section at one side thereof and spaced therefrom, a siding rail extending from the other side of the main line rail, a switch tongue pivotally connected to the siding rail sections and normally parallel with the main line rail, said tongue having a transverse recess in its lower face, a plate extending transversely under the tongue and having an arcuate slot, the upper edge of the plate being parallel with the walls of the slot, a stud fixedly connected to and movable with the tongue and adapted to travel within the slot, said stud cooperating with the walls of the slot to limit the upward movement of the tongue, and means for shifting the tongue about its pivot, said plate operating to elevate the tongue over the main line rail and to permit it to lower onto the siding rails and with the main line rail seated within the recess in the bottom of the tongue.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES D. PERKINS.

Witnesses:

R. J. JORDAN, H. B. COBB.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. 0.

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