US1130165A - Switch for industrial tracks. - Google Patents

Description

T. HAYTON.

SWITCH FOR INDUSTRIAL TRACKS.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.22, 1914.

'i,13@,1@50 Patented M21122, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTG-LITHO.v WASHINGTON, D. c.

THOMAS HAYTON, or rename GEL-EEK, rnnnsvnvanrn.

SiVITC I-i FOB INDUSTRIAL TRACKS.

Application filed Gctecer 22, 1214.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, THOMAS HAYTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at l urtle Creek, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches for Industrial T racks, of which the following is a specification.

T his invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in switches for industrial tracks.

The primary object of the invention is to provide both a two and three way switch especially adapted for narrow gage industrial tracks and so arranged as to automatically allow a'car to pass therethrough upon the main track whether the preaching the switch from the main or a side switch track.

A further object is to provide a shiftable switch arm automatically operated by the movement of cars in one direction and mechanically shiftable for allowing the cars to pass in opposite directions and being primarily designed for cars having outwardly flanged wheels.

A still further object is to provide a shiftable three-way switch arm adapted for antomatic actuation by a moving car and lJZEV'. ing a steadying means for each adjusted position.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like-designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is top plan view of a three-way switch provided with my improved shiftable switch arm. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional transverse view taken upon line IIH of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through the switch arm when operatively positioned. Fig. l is a perspective view of the switch arm and its lever detached, and Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a two-way switch provided with a similar switch arm.

Referring more in detail to the drawings the main track is illustrated extending Specification of Letters Patent.

same is ap- Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Serial No. 868,020.

in a substantially straight direction and having siding or switch tracks 11 and 12 communicating therewith and entering the said main track from opposite directions and at the same point whereby the employment of a three-way switch is rendered es sential.

The device is herein illustrated in connection with a narrow-gage track and is especially designed for industrial roads, in which the flanges of the wheels are arranged for engagement with the outer sides of the rails. The wieels of the cars are adapted to travel pon the rails 13 of each of the tracks herein illustrated, a pair of such wheels being indicated at 1 1 in Fig. 2 and when positioned thereon the flanges 15 of the wheels enter the longitudinal grooves 16 upon the outer sides of said tracks, the intervening surface 17 of the road-bed being usually of the uniform height of the rails.

A four-sided pit 18 is arranged at one side of the main track 10 forming an interruption in one side rail thereof, the said pit being adapted for positioning a shiftable switch arm or block 19 therein and having a base plate 20 at the bottom of the pit for mounting the block thereon. T he said block 19 is formed as illustrated in Fig. 1 having flared opposite ends one of which designated 21 a greater arcuate length than the opposite end thereof and both of said ends being arcuate in form and conforming to the curvature of the opposite shorter and longer ends 23 and 24: respectively of the said pit 18.

The block 19 is provided on its under face and adjacent the end 22 thereof with a depending pivot post 25 adapted to be normally positioned within a socket 26 of the plate 20 whereby the block is swingingly mounted upon the plate and providing for the shifting movement of the block end 21 within the pit. The block is provided with a relatively short rounded depending pin 27 adjacent its end 21 and the said pin is adapted to enter any desired one of the three shallow sockets 28 arranged in the plate 20 adjacent the end 24: thereof.

A hand lever 29 pivotally mounted as at 30 is pivotally connected to the under face of the block 19 by means of the link 31 and as will be apparent from Fig. 1 of the drawing, a shifting of the lever- 29 may be employed for manually moving the block 19 so as to position the block pin 27 in any of a car therethrough from the track desired one of the sockets 28, the saidpin readily riding over the adjacent face of the plate 20 during such movement of the block.

The movement of a car toward the switch upon either of the three tracks and in a direction indicated by the respective arrows will be unimpeded'by the switch block of. When a car approaches the switch upon 10 the left-hand wheels will ride the track upon the intermediate rail 82 of the blocks and with the wheel flanges in the longi tudinal groove 33 thereof and by reason ofthe engagement of the right-hand flanged wheels 'of the car with the right-hand rail 13 of the main track, the switch block will be automatically shifted to position the pin 27 within the central one of the sockets 28 at which time the block rail 32'will be in alinement with the advance portion of the main track left-hand rail so that the car will freely pass upon the main track. Similarly, a car approaching the switch from the left hand switch track 11 will have its left hand wheel flanges engage the outer face of the left hand rail 3% of the switch block and shift the block to position the pin 27 into the right-hand socket 28 to allow the passing of the car to the main track by reason of the alinement of the block rail 3% with the lefthand rail 13 of saidmain track.

It will be seen from this description of the automatic operation of the switch block from its position as illustrated in Fig. 1 that in a similar manner the block will be automatically shifted by the car entering the switch so as to provide a continuous connection between the forwardly positioned portion of the main track and regardless of whichever one of the three-track portions the car is traveling over. In other words, with theblock positioned as illustrated in Fig. 1, a car may freely pass from the side track 12 to the main track withoutshifting the block, but any car approaching the switch upon either the track 10 or 11 will automatically shift the block and freely pass to the forward portion of the main track. If the block is shifted for the freepassage passing of the car from the track-l2 automatically shift the block for allowing such car to freely pass to the main track.

NVhen a car is approaching the switch from a direction opposite to that indicated will by the arrows in Fig; 1 it then becomes necessary to manually shift the block by means of the lever 29 to the requisite position for allowing the carito pass to the desired track portion. 7

It will thus be seen that shiftable switchblock is provided which is retained against accidental displacementand which affords a switch structure that is cheap and easy to construct and employs less than the usual number of separate parts.

While the forms of the invention herein an automatically shown and described are believed to be the preferable embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. 7

What I claim as new is z- V LA device of the class described comprising in connectionwith a main track and switch tracks entering the said main track and the road bed of the main track being provided with a pit, of a flaring-ended shiftable block positioned within said pit and pivoted at one end, three rail portions longitudinally positioned upon the upper side of said block and adapted for engagement'by the wheels of cars approaching the same 7 upon any of the said tracks during the movement of saidgcars to the forwardly positioned portion of the'main track.

2. A device of the class described comprising a main track and sidetracks entering the same, the roadbed ofsaid main track being provided with a pit having curved ends at an interruption in all of the said tracks, a base plate positioned in the bottom of said pit ande'onforming to the shape thereof and having opposite curved ends of different lengths, and provided with three sockets in its upper face adjacent its longer end and a single socket adjacent the shorter end thereof, a switch block, having relatively long and short curved ends and positioned within said pit shiftably upon the said plate, a depending post carried at said block in pivotal engagement with the copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

1 Washington, D. C.

and adapted for automatic alinement.

affix my signature

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