US1302475A - Railroad-switch. - Google Patents

Description

.F 1. SHEEHAN.

RAILROAD SWI TCH. APPLLCATLON FILED JAN. 5. I91? Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. J. SHEEHAN.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1917.

Patented Apr. 29,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHET 2.

FRANK J'. SHEEHAN, OF CRETE, ILLINOIS.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

ascent-a.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

Application filed January 5, 1917. Serial No. 140,792.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. SHEEHAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Crete, in the county of Will and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in railroad switches.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of railroad switches and to provide a simple, practical and efiicient railroad switch of inexpensive, strong and durable construction adapted to be readily applied to various railroads and capable of enabling the switch to be readily operated by foot pressure.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and: pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch con structed in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally of the switch operating mech-- anism,

vFig. 3 isan enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the same, illustrating the construction of one of the open ating devices,

Fig. 4: is a transverse sectional View on the line 4.4: of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 55 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the side rack bar,

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 2 illustrating the arrangment of the foot plate.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the construction for locking the foot plates or pedals.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings. In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention 11 designates the main rail of a track and 2 the movable switch ralls which are secured by suitable chairs 3 to a connecting bar 1 extending across the track and projecting beyond one side thereof and composed of inner and outer sections 5 and 6. The sections 5 and 6 are connected between the switch rails by a joint 7 0011- sistmg of overlapped reduced portions pivotally connected and adapted to permit independent vertical play of the switch rails to avoid undue strain on the switch operating mechanism. The inner section 5 of the slidable connecting bar extends beneath a platform 8 and is provided with a bottom rack 9 meshing with a gear 10 consisting of a spur pinion mounted on a crank 11 having keyed or otherwise secured to it crank disks or elements 12 and 18 provided with crank pins 14 and 15 located at spaced points at opposite sides of the vertical plane of the crank shaft so that when the crank shaft is rotated one of the crank or wrist pins will be moved downwardly and the other will be carried upwardly. The crank or wrist pin 14 is connected by a link 16 with the inner arm of the lever 17 pivoted intermediate of its ends at 18 to a bracket 19 or other suitable support and connected at its outer arm by a pivot 20 to an operating device 21 carrying a pedal or foot plate 22. The other crank or wrist pin 15 is connected by a link 23 with the inner arm of a lever 21 pivoted at an intermediate point at 25 to a bracket 26 and connected at its outer end by a pivot 27 to an operating device 28 carrying the foot pedal or plate 29. Each of the operating devices is substantially IL- shaped and has an approximately horizontal arm 30, to which the foot pedal is connected as illustrated at 31.

One of the treadles or foot plates is adapted to be depressed by the foot to move the rack bar longitudinally and carry the movable switch rails in one direction and the other plate or treadle is adapted to be depressed to move the rack bar and the switch rails in the opposite direction. Any suitable means may be employed for locking the rack 5 bar against accidental movement and the said rack bar is provided with a side rack 32 preferably formed in one wall of the longitudinal slot 33 and meshing with a pinion 34 arranged horizontally and mounted on a vertical shaft 35 extending through the platform and carrying a signal 36 in the form of a lantern. The platform is provided with guide openings 37 for the operating devices of the levers and the rack bar is equipped at the bottom of the longitudinal slot 33 with a guide plate 38 having a relatively narrow longitudinal slot 39 through which extends the lower end of the vertical shaft 35.

The bottom and side rack bars may, however, be mounted in any other desired manner as will be readily understood.

- The pedals which are movable in opposite directions are locked in their lower or depressed position by means of a pair of oppositely movable catches 40 of approximately L-shape pivoted intermediate of the ends of their long arms at 41 on upwardly projecting keeper portions 42 of a stand 43 designed to be mounted upon and suitably secured to the platform 8. The keeper portions 42, which project upwardly, are provided in their top portions with vertical bifurcations or recesses 44 to receive the pedals 22 and when one of the pedals 22 is in one of the recesses of the keepers 42 of the stand the other pedal is elevated as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The catches are provided at their outer ends with short downwardly extending arms which are pivoted at 45 to upwardly extending arms or portions 46 of a slidable operating bar 47. The keepers 42 are provided at the outer sides of their recesses 44 with slots 48 to receive the long 45 arms of the catches and they have horizontally alined openings 49 located below the recesses and forming guides for the operating rod or bar 47. The slidable operating rod or bar 47 is provided in its upturned ter- 50 minal portions or arms 46 with slots 50 for the reception of the pivots 45 of the short arms of the catches. The arms 46 are also provided with outwardly extending handles or operating portions 51 which may be moved i 55 by the hand or kicked by the foot to effect a sliding of the operating bar or rod. A move ment of the operating rod or bar in one direction will raise one of the catches and lower the other and a movement in the opposite direction will produce a reverse movement of the catches. To release either of the foot pedals from a locked position, the bar 47 is moved in one direction to open the keeper 44 having the pedal therein and the other pedal is then pressed downwardly a short distance to elevate the first named pedal from the keeper thus positioning both of the pedals out of their respective keepers. The bar 47 is then moved in a reverse direction opening the other keeper so that on further downward movement of the second named pedal it moves into its respective keeper, and the bar 47 is again moved to close the last named keeper, locking said second named pedal against movement. By means of the catches the pedals will be prevented from accidentally moving and the switch rails will be retained in either of their positions.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with switch rails, of a connecting bar secured to the switch rails and extending beyond the same and provided with a rack having the teeth arranged horizontally, a crank shaft having a pinion meshing with the said teeth and provided with crank elements having crank portions arranged at spaced points at opposite sides of the vertical plane of the crank shaft and oppositely movable operating devices connected with the crank portions of the crank element and provided with pedals or foot plates.

2. The combination with switch rails, of a connecting bar secured to the switch rails and extending beyond the same and provided with a rack having the teeth arranged horizontally, a crank shaft having a pinion meshing with the said teeth and provided with crank elements having crank portions arranged at spaced points at opposite sides of the vertical plane of the crank shaft, levers fulcrumed intermediate of their ends and extending longitudinally of the rack bar, links connecting one arm of the levers with the crank portions of the crank elements and depressible operating devices connected with the other arms of the said levers and having foot plates or pedals.

3. The combination with switch rails, of a connecting bar secured to the switch rails and extending beyond the same and provided with a rack having the teeth arranged horizontally, a crank shaft having a pinion mesh ing with the said teeth and provided with crank elements having crank portions arranged at spaced points at opposite sides of the vertical plane of the crank shaft, levers fulcrumed intermediate of their ends and extending longitudinally of the rack bar, links connecting one arm of the levers with the crank portions of the crank elements and depressible operating devices connected with the other arms of the said levers and having foot plates or pedals, said operating devices being provided with horizontal arms adjustable longitudinally to vary the throw of the operating devices.

4. The combination with switch rails, of a connecting bar extending beyond the switch rails and secured to the same, said connecting bar being provided with rack teeth, a 13 eoeme crank shaft provided with a pinion meshing In testimony whereof I afix my signature With the teeth of the rack bar, levers fulin presence of two witnesses. crumed intermediate of thelr ends and connected at one end with the crank shaft and FRANK SHEEHAN' depressible operating devices connected with Witnesses:

the other ends of the levers and movable in CHESTER KRAEMER,

opposite directions. FRANK TAYLOR.

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

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