US1025355A - Switch-operating device. - Google Patents

Description

- Patented May 7, 1912.

I wi g/1555??2 G. I. WILLIAMS. SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. WILLIAMS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. WILLIAMS, a. citizen of the United States, and resident of 'St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a switch operating device and has for its object a lever mechanism located beneath the rails by which the switch wedge is held in its set position or released so that the wedge can be operated by a shoe suspended to the car body.

A further object of my invention is to provide a means whereby the switch wedge is held secure in its proper set position while the car is being switched, and a means whereby the same is released by the next train following, so that the switch wedge can be operated by a shoe suspended from the car body so the same can be shifted to permit the car to make a curve or proceed in a straight direction.

Figure l is a top plan view of a street railway track showing the position of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the mechanism in its proper position be low the rail and the shoe operating mechanism carried by the car body. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view with parts broken away and in section of the switch wedge. Fig. 1 is a detail perspective view of the lever mechanism located beneath the rail by which the rigidity of the switch wedge is controlled.

Referring to the drawings in detail 5 represents a railway rail preferably of the street railway type, 6 the straight run of the track and 7 the curve.

8 indicates the switch wedge pivoted at the point indicated by the numeral 9; the wedge 8 is provided with a slot 10 in which operates a lug 11 securely fastened to one end of a leaf spring 12, the opposite end of said spring being firmly secured to the under side of the wedge 8; the front surface of the lug 11 is provided with a depression 13 which is of suflicient size to permit the insertion of the latch 14C located beneath the rail and wedge and securely fastened to the rod 15, which extends along the rail to a distance sufficient to permit the car to operate the switch at a time prior to the contacting of the wheels with the switch proper. The opposite end of the rod 15 is Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. May 19, 1911.

Patented May 7 1912.

Serial No. 628,240.

connected to a. bell crank lever 16, which is suitably pivoted at the point indicated by the numeral 17 and its opposite end is provided with a projection 18 which eX- tends upwardly through the rail and on the side of the flange in such a position as to permit the flange 19 0f the rear wheel to contact with the same and press the projection 18 downwardly. The rod 15 is suitably supported in bearings 20 and the bell crank lever together with the latch 141 is brought back to its normal position after having been operated by the car wheel by means of the spring 21.

The latch 14 is provided with an inclined surface 22 located on each side of a central projecting point 23; the object of this is that after the wedge 8 has been shifted to the right or left and, the lug 11 pressed downwardly by the action of the car wheel the same will ride over the inclined surface and permit the latch to enter the depression 13 thus holding the lug in a depressed position shown in Fig. 2. The essential reason of holding the lug in a depressed position is 'to lock the wedge in its set position as well as to prevent vehicles or other objects from contacting with the same when not in use. hen the wedge 8 has been shifted so that the car is to'be directed over the straight line the lug is held in position on the right hand side of the point 23, and when the car is making the curve the lug is depressed so as to contact with the inclined surface of the latch on the left hand side of the point 23.

When the car is passing over the straight run the car wheel itself will depress the lug 11, but on the contrary when the car is making the curve, in order to depress the lug 11 I provide an attachment secured to the under side of the car platform and consisting of a lever 24 pivoted at the point indicated by the numeral 25, and suspending from the lever is an arm 26 provided with a roller 27; this roller is lowered so as to contact with the rail by means of the motorman or operator stepping upon the foot lever 28, and the same is held in its lowered position by means of the ratchet 29 engaging with the teeth formed on the foot lever, and after the same has contacted with the log the mechanism is released by the foot and permitted to be returned to its normal position, by a spring or other Well known means.

On the car body is provided a mechanism by which the switch wedge 8 is operated so as to shift the same to the right or left as is desired; this mechanism consisting of a vertical rod 80 provided with a shoe 31. The upper end of the rod is provided with a lever 32 operating in a toothed segment 33 by which the shoe is held in set position, and when the shoe is set it contacts with the lug 11 shifting the switch wedge to the right or left depending upon the direction the car is to travel.

In the event the switch should be located on the left hand side of the track then in such instances I provide a connecting bar 34. extending underneath the car body to the opposite side and connected to a short suspending rod provided with a shoe so that by the operation of the lever both shoes are simultaneously operated.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The bell crank lever and lug 11 of the switch wedge are normally in the position as shown in Fig. 2. As a car approaches the flange 19 of the front wheel contacts with the projection 18 depressing the same, operating the bell crank lever, pulling upon the rod 15 thereby releasing the toothed end of the latch 14 from the depression in the lug,. and by means of the leafed spring 12 the lug is raised in a position as shown in Fig. 3. The car operator then manipulates the lever 32 pressing the shoe 31 in an inelined position so as to contact with the lug 11 and when such contact is made the switch wedge 8 is thrown either to the right or left as the case may be, and as the car passes over the wedge the lug 11 is depressed and automatically engages with the latch 14; and the same is held in a depressed position. This operation is repeated by every approaching car. By this arrangement there is no need of stopping a car for the purpose of switching the same and the use of swiplch bars of the common type is dispensed wit Having thus fully described my inven tion, what I claim as new and desire to have secured to me by the grant of Letters Patent, is:

1. A switch operating device comprising a lever mechanism located parallel with the rail, a bell crank lever located in alinement with the rail and arranged to be depressed.

by the car wheel, a latch carried by the lever mechanism and operated when the bell crank lever is depressed, a wedge piv-- otally located in proper relation wlth the rails, a spring actuated lug carried by the wedge and arranged to project through an opening therein, said lug held in depressed position by the contact of the latch and a shoe carried by the car body by which the wedge is shifted from right to left when the same is brought in contact with the projecting lug, substantially as specified.

2. A switch operating device comprising a wedge pivotally located in proper alinement with the rails of the track, a spring actuated lug carried by said wedge and arranged to operate in a slot formed therein, a rod extending along the rail and support ed in suitable bearings, a latch formed on the end of said rod and arranged to contact with the lug of the wedge and to hold the same in a depressed position simultaneously locking the wedge in its set position, a bell crank lever secured to the rail and connected to the rod, the one end of the lever located in relative position with the rail so as to be depressed when the car wheel contacts therewith, a switch operating mechanism carried by the car which will contact with the projecting lug of the wedge and shift the same to the right or left as desired and a means carried by the car body for depressing the lug, substantially as specified.

3. A switch operating device comprising a wedge located in relative position with the rails of the track, a lug carried by said wedge, means for holding the lug in a depressed position, simultaneously locking the wedge, means for releasing the lug and per-- mitting it to project beyond the surface of the wedge and releasing the same from its locked position and a means carried by the car body by which the lug is contacted and the wedge shifted and the lug depressed and held in locked position by the passage of the car over the same, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE F. \VILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

ALFRED A. EIOKS, VVAL'rnR C. STEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

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