US140770A

US140770A - Improvement in railway switches

Info

Publication number: US140770A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1873-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 1890-07-15

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT CEEIGE.

ALFRED C. GARRATT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,770, dated July 15, 1873 application filed December 2, 1872.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, ALFRED (l. GARRATT, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk andsState of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Railroad Switches, of which the following vis a specification:

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a top view, and Fig. 2 a side View, of my invention. Figs. 3 and 4 are parts in detail of the same.

This invention belongs to that class of railroad switches in which the switch automatically closes itself, unless forcibly held open by an attendant; and it consists in the combination of a vertical shaft provided with a cam at its lower end and a crank at its upper end, (the cam being connected with the switch-rails by a suitable rod,).with a fra-me located by the side of the track, in which frame the shaft is turned by the crank to open the switch, and automatically returned to place by a spring connecting thegshaft and frame. The `frame is provided with a latch or lock, which engages with the crank of the shaft and automaticallyalocks it, when the switch is closed by the spring, thereby' preventing the same from accidental displacement, all of which I will now proceed to de-V scribe.

In the accompanying drawings, Sheet No. 1, c represents the main tracks; b, the side tracks 5 and c, the sleepers, of a railroad, arranged as usual. Connected with the tracks a is a tie-rod or bar, d, to one end of which is pivoted, or otherwise attached, one end of a curved arm or bar, c, the other end of said arm being connected with, so as to 'be operated by, a cam or arm, f, secured to and partially revolved by a vertical rod or shaft, g, supported by and turning in the top h and bottom t' of a switch-frame, provided with side posts k k and cross-beam le, or otherwise suitably connected with a switch-frame arranged as may be desired. The top of the rod or shaft g extends horizontally above the top h, and forms, or is provided with, a lever, g', which, on the en is provided with a crank or other suitable handle, g. Attached to the top h at one end, and extending upward and outward transversely from it, is an arm-plate, m, the top or horizontal projecting portion of which is formed with` a slot, n, through which plays up and down one end of a latch, o, Fig. 4, which extends up over and down under the top of the arm or plate m, to the front of which the forward 'end of the latch o is connected, so as to be held and yet play freely. The vertical rod or shaft g is supplied on its top, beneath the .top h, with a collar, q, and is provided on its upper portion with a spiral or other suitable spring, p, one end of which is attached to the rod g, and theother to the frame k. On the top hof the stand is a stem, r, against which the lever' g is pressed and held by the operator while the rails a are switched to the side track b,- a curved pivoted lever, s, Fig. 3, being attached to the end of the top h for the purpose of more conveniently holding the lever g while a train is being switched from the main to the side track.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The main track a'remains closed, and forms a continuous track, which can only be turned by pressing down the top of the forward end of the latch o, which raises the other end and allows the lever g to be turned out from under the plate m, so as to operate the rod g and tighten the spring p, and actuate the cam or arm j', by which the arm c, acting .on the tierod or bar d, causes the track c c to be drawn to one side and connect with the side track b b, thus opening the side track only so long as the lever g is held against the stem rr by the operator; for, as soon as he lets go his hold on the lever, it is, by the action of the spring p, immediately carried back to and by the latch o, locked in its former position, and the main track opened continuously. y

Having thus fully described my improvements, What I claim as my invention and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent, 1s-

The vertical shaft g, provided with the spring lo, crank g at its upper end, and cani or cranks j' at its lower end, the latter connected to the tra-ck by the rod e, in combination with the frame h, slotted arm m, and spring or latch o, all arranged and operating substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this 'specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED U. GARRATT;

Witnesses:

CARROLL D. WEIGHT, SAMUEL M. BARTON.