US1062817A - Switch-operating mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

E. CARRAU. SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION IILED PEB.9, 1912.

Patented May 27, 1913.

1 ll T Z0 I VL/itnesse W lnventor Q 7 by Attorney.;

rnvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD GARRAU, 0F CATHLAMET, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-THIRD T0 JOSEPH GIRARD AND ONE-THIRD TO PACIFIC CADEAU, BOTH OF CATHLAMET, WASHINGTON.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed February 9, 1912. Serial No. 676,576.

T5 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD CARRAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cathlamet, in the county of Wahkiakum and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful SWitch-Operating Mecha-' nism, of which the following is a specifica tion.

This invention relates to switch operating mechanism especially designed for use in connection with point switches and the like, one of its objects being to provide simple and durable mechanism of this character adapted to be actuated by means carried by a car approaching the switch from any direction.

A further object is to provide switch operating mechanism which operates to lock the switch in any position to which it'mayf be shifted so that it becomes impossible to open or close the switch without actuating the mechanism provided for that purpose.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the com-; bination and arrangement of parts and inl 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, with-: out departing from the spirit of the invention. 5 In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the-invention has been shown.;

In said.drawings:Figure 1 is a plan view of the mechanism and the switch com-1 bined therewith, said switch being shown in one of its positions. Fig. 2 is. a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing the switch in its other position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the switch operating mechanism and of the equalizer. Fig. A is an enlarged section on line AB Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is'a front elevation of a portion of a car. structure and showing the means employed for shifting the switch mechanism.

Referring to the figuresby characters of reference C and C designate the main line rails and D and D designate the siding rails while the switch tongues have been indicated at E and E respectively. A bar 1 is connected to the tongues E and E close to the points thereof and is slidably mounted- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27,1913.

under the rails C and C. This bar is provided, adjacent its ends, with upstanding rollers 2 projecting into diagonally disposed slots 3 formed in shifting plates 4. The slots 3 in the two plates converge toward the switch. tongues and are so disposed relative to the bar 1 that one of the rollers 2 normally bears against one end of one of the slots 3 while the other roller 2 normally bears against the opposed end of the other slot. Arms 5 and 6 extend in opposite directions from each plate, the arms 6 being pivotally connectedto the slotted ends 7 of rails C and C and is pivotally mounted, at

its center, as shown at 9. Arms 6 are also pivotally connected to rods 10 which extend parallel with the rails C and C and away from the tongues E and E, rods 10 being provided, at its free end, with a fork 11, the said forks being located at points remote from the switch tongues.

Shafts 12 are journaled underthe rails C and C and'each shaft has an upstanding arm 13 which projects through one of the forks 11 and to a point above the fork. A spring 14 is interposed between and secured to each arm 13 and one of the ties F and serves to hold the arm 13 normally vertical. This spring will be elongated when arm'13 is swung in one direction away from vertical position and will be compressedwhen said arm isswung in the opposite direction away from vertical position. The arm 5 at oneiside of the track is extended parallel with the rail D while the arm 5 at the other side of'the track is extended parallel with the rail C. Both arms are mounted in guides 15 and each arm is provided, atits free end, with a fork 16 through which projects an arm 17 extending from a shaft 18. One of these shafts ex tends under the rails of the siding while the other shaft extends under the rails of the main line. A rack bar 19 may be formed on. or secured to one of the arms 5 and is engaged by a segmental gear 20 adapted to be actuated by means of. a lever 21. A

an equalizer bar 8 which extends under the each of these signal lamp 22 or the likemay'be mounted on the gear 20 so as to rotate therewith.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for actuating the switch mechanism from the car approaching the switch. In Fig. 5

a car structure has been indicated at G andv a rod 23 extends transversely of and is adapted to slide upon the structure. Arms 24: extend downwardly from the ends of this rod and beyond the sides of the car, each arm terminating in a tripping head 25 adapted to move against one of the arms 13 or 17. A lever 26 may be employed for shifting rod 23 and any suitable means may be provided for locking the lever against movement. The parts are so proportioned that when the lever is shifted in one direction one of the heads 25 will be brought into position to move against one of the upstandin arms 13 or 17 while the other head 25 will be shifted out of operative position. When the lever is moved to another position the parts will be moved, so as to bring the head, which was formerly out of operative position, into position to actuate one of the arms of the switch mechanism. Should the parts of the switch be positioned as illustrated in Fig. 1 and it should be desired to open the switch, the mechanism on the car Gr approaching the switch is shifted so as to bring one of the heads 25 into position to strike the arm 13 at the left of the car approaching the switch. As head 25 moves against this arm 13, it swings the arm forwardly toward the switch and against the inner end of the fork 11, thus transmitting motion through rod 10 to the arm 6 and causing the slotted plate 4 to shift transversely of the bar 1. As slot 3 is arranged diagonally, it is apparent that one of the walls of the slot will move against the roller 2 within said slot and cause the roller to shift, thereby moving the bar 1 longitudinally and shifting the switch tongues E and E so as to open the siding. During this actuation of the plate 4 at the left side of the track the equalizer 8 is shifted by the arm 6 so as to move the arm 6 and plate 4 at the other side of the track. The two plates 4; thus act simultaneously to shift the bar 1 and it will be apparent that, upon the completion of this shifting movement, the rollers 2 occupy positions against opposed ends of the respective slots so that it is impossible for the bar 1 and theswitch tongues to shift out of the positions to which they have been moved unless the operating mechanism is also shifted. By arranging shafts 12 and 18 at opposite sides of the switch it will be seen that the switch tongues can be shifted by the mechanism on a car approaching the switch in either direct-ion along the main line or along the siding.

By means of the lever 21 the switch mechanism can be actuated manually and the lamp or other signal device 22 can be used to indicate the position of the switch tongues.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a movable switch member, and a cross bar movable therewith, of projecting elements upon the end portions .of the bar, shifting plates having diagonally disposed slots in which said elements are mounted, and means for simultaneously shifting the plates in opposite directions to move the bar longitudinally in either direction, the walls of the slots and the projections cooperating to hold the bar and switch tongue against movement independently of the plates.

2. The combination with a movable switch tongue, of a bar shiftable therewith, upstanding projections upon the end portions of the bar, members having diagonally disposed bearing faces engaging the projections, means for actuating one of the members, means for transmitting motion from said member to the other member, the two members operating simultaneously to shift the bar and switch tongue in either of two directions, said members cooperating to hold the tongue and bar against movement independently of the members.

3. The combination with a shiftable switch tongue, of a bar movable therewith, upstanding projections upon the bar, members having diagonally disposed portions engaging the projections, means for causing the members to move in opposite directions simultaneously to engage the projections and to shift the bar and tongue in either of two directions, and separately movable revoluble elements for actuating either of said members.

t. The -combination with a shiftable switch tongue, of a bar movable therewith, upstanding projections upon the bar, members having diagonally disposed port-ions engaging the projections, means for causing the members to move in opposite directions simultaneously to engage the projections and to shift the bar and tongue in either of two directions, separately movable revoluble elements for actuating either of said members, and car supported means for actuating either of said elements.

5. The combination with a switch tongue, of projecting elements movable therewith, members having obliquely disposed portions engaging said elements, means for causing the members to move simultaneously in opposite directions respectively to shift the tongue in either of two direct-ions, separately revoluble devices connected to the respective members, yielding means for holding said devices normally in predetermined positions irrespective of the movement of said members, and means for rotating either of said devices to shift the members.

6. The combination with a switch tongue, of members adjacent opposite sides thereof, means for causing the members to move simultaneously in opposite directions respec tively, means cooperating with said members and shiftable thereby to move the tongue in either of two directions, separately revoluble elements, and means for transmitting motion from said elements to the respective members.

7. The combination with a switch tongue, of members adjacent opposite sides thereof, means for causing the members to move simultaneously in opposite directions respectively, means cooperating with said members and shiftable thereby to move the tongue in either of two directions, separately revoluble elements, means for transmitting motion from said elements to the respective members, yielding means for holding each of said elements normally in a predetermined position, and car supported means for actuating either of said elements.

8. The combination with a switch tongue, of members adjacent opposite sides thereof and having diagonally disposed working portions, means cooperating with said portions for shifting the tongue in either of two directions, means for causing the members to move simultaneously in opposite directions respectively to shift the tongue, said members and the means cooperating therewith constituting a lock to prevent the tongue from moving independently of the actuating means, and means for shifting the members.

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

EDWARD GARRAU.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. HUGHES, JOHN G. BAILEY.

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

Washington, D. C.

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