US1326779A - Automatic safety railroad-switch - Google Patents

Description

F. PEIIRSALL, n. AUTOMAII() SAFEY' RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I4. 1918.

1,326,779. Patented Dee. 30,1919.

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@Non nu* Pated Dee. 30,1919.

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Belg/'a 712272 Ffm/valzer @Nutmeg UNITED sTnTEs PATENT oEEioE.

BENJAMIN F. PEARSALL, JR., OF WALLACE, NORTH CAROLINA.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Application filed March 14, 1918.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. PEAR- saLL, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Wallace, in the county of Duplin and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Safety Railroad- Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway switches and it is the principal 0bject of the invention to provide a novel form of automatic safety. switch which will serve to prevent the accidental or undue opening thereof and as a consequence, prevent trains from entering a siding by way of an open switch and the resultant wrecking of the same.

Another and equally important object of the invention is to provide the switch with a form of automatic lock adapted to be engaged by the wheels of the rolling stock passing thereover whereby the same will be operated to lock the switch in an open position to allow a train to enter a siding and which when disengaged from the wheels will instantly move to its closed or normal position, thus, automatically closing the switch in order that the following trains will proceed on the main track.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention consists, furthermore, of theI novel arrangements and combinations of the parts of the switch, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claim which are appended to this specification and which form an essential part of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan of the improved automatic safety switch,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical trans` verse section therethrough,

Fig. 3 is a vertical fragmentary section through the switch stand,

F ig. 1 is a horizontal section therethrough, and

'Fig 5 is a fragmentary detail partly in section showing the engagement of the auto` matic locking means.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connection with which like reference characters will designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

Serial N o. 222,363.

l represents the usual type of switch in its entirety, the same, of course communicating with a main track 2 and side track 3 and including the usual pivotal points, which are interconnected by means of a switch throwing`4 bar 4C extending laterally to a point beyond the main track 2 whereat the same is connected with suitable operating means, hereinafter more rfully described. As will be noted, the free end of the bar 4 is extended and formed with a plurality of tapered openings 5; a suitable form of guide 6 being arranged beneath the extended portion and serving to slidably support the same. n

Arranged in proximity to a portion of one side of the main track and a portion of one side of the siding track is anv auxiliary rail 7, the same being formed of angle iron and curved to permit the proper positioning thereofr with relation to the adjacent sides of the main and side tracks. Secured 'to the inner side of the auxiliary rail is a vertically disposed bolt 8 having a tapered pin 9 formed on its lower end and projecting for a distance below the adjacent marginal portion of said auxiliary rail, in order that the same may be engaged in either of the tapered openings 5 formed in the extended free end of the switch throwing bar 11.

A plurality of right angularly disposed arms 10 having bearing yopenings formed in their outer ends are engaged with the auxiliary rail 7 at suitable intervals throughout its length and are fixedly mounted on squared shafts l1 and 12, portions of which are rounded and rotatably mounted in bearings generally indicated by the numeral 13 supported on certain of the ties.

As means for normally maintaining the upper portion of the auxiliary rail 7 at a point slightly above the upper surface of the rails composing the side and main tracks, expansible coil springs 14 are seated in a suitable manner on portions of the ties and have their upper ends engaged with the under side of the auxiliary rail 7 Hence, it will be understood that the upper portions of the guard rail 7 will be normally maintained slightly above the tread surface of the track rails.

The switch throwing bar 4 is also engaged by one end of a coil spring 15, the remain- 4 will be normally maintained in proper position and as a consequence, the switch will be normally maintained in closed position.

As is usual in switch constructions, operating means are provided whereby the switch throwing bar 4 can be shifted and to this end, certain of the ties are extended and have secured thereto a switch stand 17 formed with vertically alined bearing openings through which operating shafts 18 and 18 are passed, the upper end of said shaft 18 being extended and provided with the usual form of signal target. A disk like plate 19 is keyed to the intermediate portion of the shaft 18 and is formed with an opening adapted to receive the slidable latch member 20 therein at times, said latch meniber being` formed with a lateral projection 21 adapted to be engaged, at times, by a key inserted through a suitable opening formed in one side of the stand by a switchman. The lower end of the shaft 18 is extended through the bottom thereof and provided with an enlargement 22 carrying an eccentric pin 23 `with which one end of a connecting link 24 is engaged, said connecting link, in turn, being pivotally connected to the adj an cent end of the bar 4 as at 25. To permit access to the interior of the stand 17, a portion of one side thereof is open and is provided with a removable closure plate 26, said plate of course being secured in position by means of bolts or other similar fastening devices. To cause the operating shaft 18 to be retained in normal position, a coil spring 27 is arranged about the lower portion thereof and has one end of the same con, nected to said shaft while the remaining end is engaged with the adjacent portion of the stand. Hence, upon rotation of the shaft the spring will be placed under suficient tension to cause counter-rotation of the same to itsnormal position when released.

In this connection, it `is to be noted that the operating shaft 18 at the upper end thereof carries a large gear 27', while the shaft 18 carries a small gear 28 which meshes with the gear 27. Hence, the transmission of motion from the shaft 18 to the shaft 18 will be reduced and as a consequence, the signal target carried thereby will be; partially turned to permit displaying thereof. An operating handle Q9 is engaged with the shaft 18 and projects through a horizontal slot formed in one wall of the stand 17.

In operation, should it be desired to enter a train onto the side track, the shaft 18 is released by disengaging the locking pin 20 from the disk 19 whereupon the same is then "rotatedby meansof a handle 29 tc cause shifting of the switch' points to the proper position. As the front wheels of the rolling Stockengage theadjacent end of the auxrolling stock disengage from the oppositeV end of the auxiliary, the spring 14 will then serve to return the same to its uppermost or normal position, thus disengaging thelocking` pin 9 fromthe opening in the lfree end of the switch bar 4, which bar due to its connection with the spring 15 and the spring; 27 arranged in the switch shaft 17 will then be caused to instantly be returned to its normal or closed position, thus closing the switchthrough the main track and causing following trains to proceed over this track.

Frein the foregoing, it will be readily understood by those skilled inrtheaart that I have provided an exceedingly eflicient automatic safety switch, which, by reason of its arrangement and construction will serve to prevent accidents and the like caused by open switches. Further, the opening of the switch by unauthorized persons will be prevented, since the same would immediately return to its normal position when released, except when the auxiliary rail had been engaged by the wheels of the rolling stock passing thereover.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable.modication `and such modification as is within the scope of my claims, I consider within the spirit vof my invention.

I thereby claim:

1. In combination with a Vrailroad switch, a switch throwing bar connected to the point thereof, switch throwing means connected `tosaid bar, spring means engaged with the bar for normally maintaining the switch in closed position, the free end of said -switch throwing bar being extended and formed with a plurality of openings, an auxiliary rail movably mounted adjacent the switch, a lockingl pin carried by said `auxiliary rail engageable in the openings formed in the switch throwing bar, and spring means engaged with the auxiliary rail for normally maintaining the same in its uppermost position.

2. In combination with a railroad switch andv switc-hthrowing means, a switch throwing bar connected to the point of the switch and to said throwing means, means for normally maintaininglthe bar in one position, the free end of the throwingbar being extended for a distance `beyond the adjacent rail and formed witha pluralityof openings, a curved auxiliary rail mounted gaged with the auxiliary rail for normally for Vertical-movement adjacent that Side of maintaining the same in inoperative posi- 10 the switch in proximity to the extended end tion with relation to the extended end of of tlie throwing bar, a vertically disposed said switch throwing bar.

5 bolt carried by and extending beyond the In testimony whereof, I .aiix my signalower marginal portion of said auxiliary ture hereto. rail engageable, at times, in the openings formed in said throwing bar, and means en- BENJAMIN F. PEARSALL, JR.

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