US1078975A - Switch-operating mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

W. E. WESSINGER. SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

AAAAAAAAAA N FILED PHIL-12,1013

1,078,975. Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

WILLIAM E. WESSINGER, 0F DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 12. 1913.

Patented Nov. Ti 8, 191.3.

Serial No. 747,885.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, \ViLLian E. 15s sINonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch- Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates in general to railroad switches and has more particular reference to mechanism for operating the switch points and switch point locks, one of the primary objects being to provide a mechanism for this purpose which will be of simple construction, strong and durable and which can be easily operated to throw the switch points and, also, actuate the switch point locks without causing undue friction or binding between the various parts.

The invention in one of its preferred embodiments will be readily understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings throughout the various views of which like reference characters refer to similar parts.

Referring to the drawings l igure 1 is a plan view of a switch with operating mechanism connected thereto embodying my in vention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the switch stand and correlated parts; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4t .t of Fig. 3.

On the drawings reference character 5 designates the fixed rails of a line of track and 6 designates the movable switch points which may be constructed and pivotally mounted in the usual manner. These points are rigidly connected together by one or more tie rods '7 and are adapted to be operated by a longitudinally movable switch operating rod 8 which is preferably pivotally connected as at 9 to a projection 11 fixed with respect to the switch points.

Upon the main rails 5 at the ends of the switch points are mounted the locking blocks 12 which are slidable longitudinally of the rails to lock the switch points in position after the switch has been thrown. These blocks may be of any preferred construction and may be slidably secured to the main rails in any preferred manner. They are, however, preferably operated from a rockshaft or lay shaft 13 mounted in suitable bearings 14- on a tie and provided with upstanding arms 15 which are connected with the locking blocks by means of locks 16 as shown. it will be obvious that upon rocking n'lovcment of the shaft '13 the locks will be simultantmusly slid along the rails 5 into locked or unlocked position, depending upon the direction of movemmit of the shaft.

A switch stand 18 of any well known or preferred construction is mounted in the usual manner at one side of the track and carries a vertically disposed rotatable target rod 19 to the upper end of which is secured the usual target 21. The target rod is constructed for connection with the end of the snitch-operating rod 8 so that the switch may be thrown upon rotation of the target rod. Any preferred form of connection may be utilized for this purpose but in the present instance I have shown the lower end of the target rod 19 as bent outwardly as shown at 22 and the end of the switchoperatingrod 8 is upturned and passed through an opening, formed in the end 22 in which position it is secured by a nut 23, a pin. or other fastening means.

The switch stand is provided with the usual table 24: provided with notches 25 to receive the operating lever which is customarily locked in engagement with one notch or the other to hold the switch against movement. A bracket or block 26 is bolted or pinned to the target shaft 19 immediately above the table 24 and the operating handle 27 is pivoted at 28 to this bracket. It will be obvious that the handle is adapted to swing up and down in a vertical plane and that upon movement in a horizontal plane the target rod will be rotated to throw the switch points.

In order to utilize the upward movement of the operating lever for unlocking the switch locks and the downward movement for again locking them a ftcr the switch has been thrown. l have provided mechanism for connecting the operating; lever with the lay shaft 13 which will now be described. A. member 29 is sliding'ly mounted upon the target rod above the operating lever, the openingthrough the member being of sulficicnt size to permit freedom of movement of the member on the rod and. also, turning of the rod in the member without cramping or binding. A circumferential groove 31 is formed upon the periphery of the member to receive a split collar 32 which loosely embraces the member and is free to revolve thereon, but is incapable of longitudinal movement relatively to the member. The two halves of the collar are held together by bolts 33, or other preferred fastening means. Below the collar the member 29 is provided with laterally extending cars 34: to which the upper end of a link or reach rod 35 is connected by means of a pin or bolt 36. These ears may be connected with the member 29 in any preferred manner, but one practical and cheap way of accomplishing the result is to cast the member and ears in one integral structure. The lower end of the link 35 is pivotally connected by a bolt 37 with an arm 38 secured on the lay shaft 13, this arm being positioned on the shaft so that when the member 29 is lowered on the rod the shaft will be rocked in a clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 2, to throw the switch locks into the locked position shown in Fig. 1. Nhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 the locking blocks 12 will be in unlocked position. The handle 27 is connected with the splitring 82 by a pair of links 39 attached preferably by screw-bolts 41 at their upper ends to opposite sides of the split collar and at their lower ends by elongated bolts 42 with the handle.

Assuming that the switch is set and locked with the locking blocks in the position shown in Fig. 1, the handle will be engaged in one of the notches 25, the member 29 will be lowered, and the arm 38 will be thrown to the right, viewing Fig. 2. When it is desired to operate the switch the handle 27 is raised to the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby rocking the shaft 13 through the intermediary of the links 39, the split collar 32, the member 89 and the link 35 to release the locking blocks 12. The handle may now be swung in a horizontal plane to rotate the target rod and throw the switch points and this movement may be efiected without cramping or binding the lock operating mechanism, by reason of the fact that the collar 32 turns loosely in the groove 31 of the member 29, so that the collar turns with the handle while the member 29 remains motionless on the rotating target rod. hen the switch has been set the handle is again lowered thereby returning the parts to normal locked position.

It is believed that my invention and its mode of operation will be clearly understood from the foregoing without further description and it will be obvious that various modifications in the structural details disclosed may be resorted to within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination of a switch stand, a target rod mounted thereon, a switch operating rod arranged to be reciprocated by said target rod,

a lock operating shaft, a member slidingly mounted on said target rod above said switch stand, a link connecting said member with said shaft, and means for imparting a sliding movement to said member on said target rod whereby to operate said shaft.

2. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination of a rotatable target rod, a switch operating rod connected therewith to be operated upon rotation of the target rod, a switch lock operating shaft, a member slidingly and rotatably mounted on said target rod, a link connecting said member with said shaft, a handle for rotating said target rod, and swivel connections between said handle and said member whereby the member may be raised and lowered by means of the handle without partaking of the rotary n movement of the target rod.

3. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination of a rotatable target rod, mechanism connected therewith for operating a switch upon rotation of said rod, a switch lock operating shaft, a slidable member loosely embracing said target rod, a handle arranged to operate said target rod and pivotally mounted to swing in a vertical plane, a collar embracing said member, a

link connecting said collar with said handle I whereby said collar and member may be moved up and down on the target rod by means of the handle, said collar permitting turning movement of the handle to operate the target rod without turning said member, and a link connecting said member with said lock operating shaft whereby said shaft will be rocked upon movement of the member.

4:. In a switch operating mechanism, the I combination of a rotatable target rod, a switch lock operating shaft, armember slidingly mounted on said rod, a link connecting said member with said shaft, an operating handle connected with said target rod for rotating the same and pivotally mounted to swing up and down, and means connecting said handle and said member whereby said member will be moved up and down synchronously with the handle but will not be afiected by rotary movement of the handle to operate the target rod.

5. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination of a rotary target rod, a switchlock operating shaft, a member slidable on said target rod and connected with said shaft to rock the shaft upon sliding movement on said target rod, a collar loosely embracing said member and movable angularly with respect to said memberbut immovable longitudinally thereof, a handle connected with said target rod and pivoted to swing in a vertical plane, and a plurality of links connected at each end with said handle and said collar, whereby upon movement of the handle in a horizontal plane to operate the target red the collar will turn on said member and upon movement of said handle in a vertical plane said member will be moved along the target rod to operate said shaft.

6. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination of a switch stand, a target rod rotatably mounted in said stand, a member loosely embracing said rod, switch-lock op- 10 crating mechanism connected with said member, and means for reciprocating said member on the rod to operate the switch lock, said target rod being capable of rotation within and relatively to said member to operate the switch.

\VILLIAM E. VVESSINGER.

Witnesses:

CARL E. STAKY, L. V. CooLY.

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

Images