US1430510A

US1430510A - Automatic switch

Info

Publication number: US1430510A
Application number: US525885A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenner John
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1921-12-30
Filing date: 1921-12-30
Publication date: 1922-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 1939-09-26

Description

J. KENNER.

AUTOMATIC swncu.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-30, 1921.

1,4305 10. PatentedSpt. 26, 19.22,.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

m El M; John Kenner abbozmg 1. KENNER.

AUTOMATIC- SWITCH. APPLICATION-FILED nc.'ao. 192-1.

354130510 1 PatentedSept. 26,1922.

Y 3-SHEETS--$HEET 2.

W, Va d FIE El Joh 11 Ken her- J.KENNER. AUTOMATIC SWITCH. APPLICATION Fl-LED DEC-'30, I921.

Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

J NJ

John Kenner Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

is S -T'AT ES JOHN KENNER; OF HEREIN, ILLINOIS.

To alliahom itmdj c'mem- I Be it knowngthttt l Jdmt KENNhm afitizen of tlieUnited Stait'esg residing z t't'He rrinf, in the county of Willia'nisona'nd State of Illinois, have invented new and useful: Irn proveme nts in Autoil'ia't'ic Switches, of which the following is a', specification. v I I, This inveiitioii rel zites to switches, z'uiiil' has pir'ticulai' reference to 5 mine" which men he opened and cl'osel'cl in quickoi-cler to allow the haulage motor, to pnrsue' if pife'clete jjr mined course, different froni the" coursepur sued by the train of carsfirom which the haul aige motor is uncouple'fcl" jest prior to app'rba'ch'of the "switch, 'thusfallowiiigj the train of cars to pass over the niainli nefor into a' siding;- depencling' Lipbn the c'oii'rse' pursued by the haulage motor, and more particnlar ly' thefrnztnner in which the switch is'ahttiatdiQ The chief"cl' ilrztcte'ris'tic of the present in vention' resides in the provision of iheans carried 1 by the haulagemotor, which can he" set to automatically actuate thdsWitch in the manner and fo'rthe purposdeho ve set forth, the" switch being constructed: so that it can be actuated from either si'cle of the trackwsty' to perinit the 'h aulige motor and the uncoupled ti ain of cars to eiitanddefinit coiirses. a I

The natiire and advantages of the 'inven j tionwvill he better understood when the following detailed description is reacl in'con nection with} the accompanying drawings the invention residing the construction,

pursue differcombi'nation, and arrangement of parts as" claimed.

In the drawings forming part pt pliczition; like'numerals of reference 'irithcate' similar parts in the several Views and Where 111 V q v Figure 1- is ztple'n View of the switch'a'na its operating levers?" FigureQ is a se'ctionalview tek en 011' line 22' of Figure 1.

FiguriaS-is a similar view tzikeni oh line" 33 ofFigure l.

Figufe'I-is a side elevation of the 'haul age motor; v I V M Figure 5-is'a top plan 'vie'vir" thereof." Referring to the drawings in detail, and

more particularly tflFigiir 1; 10: indicates the main track and lljthesiclihgf the mo'v'f eblejswitch points beingindicated'at 123ml pivoted as at 13'. These switch" pbintsfare operatively connected with bridle 1% mo v-i ahIetraLnSVerseIy of the trackwa'y,' whereby" means; the hi'idle lii ojects an appreciable 111g piiqot ed at 'poiiits between their ends as corresponding f= extremitiefsjof said levers] be? adjacent, en't'ls' of tlf hlfidle "This bridle 1 .s= 1w cu OningTP ingS1 2 The opposite ends of the shfort levers 20 die coilnect'ed with the' ma in levers and 17f through the l in'strumenttlity of links, 23'; the

construction" aii angeifiehtfof perts'jbeing such'thattlie' short levers 20 function to eq ializ'efthe throw of the I switch regardless of the length of the' m'ein levers 17, and l7 Ce riedhyedfclh of the min leyers, adj'a} cent the opposed ends'thereof; are curved ex';

tensions 24, the latter being curved in a di rection' of the trztc'kway ahd'edepted to he engaged by: the means carried; tbyjthe haul ing; operetiyely connected as at 21' With the age motor to a'c't -u'kite' the levers in' a mzinnep andf for a purpose to be hereinafter described."

Links 25 provide "the connections between the corresponclingiehtls of the main'levers 17 and 17",end the auxiliary levers 26 and 26 the said links being pivotilly connected Wlth the adjacent ends" of said: auxiliary Y levers as illustrated, The auxiliary lever'26 forms "in reality a continuity of the main s lever 1T aiitlextencls 'alozigthe niain trick 10, While the auxiliary lever 26' formsja 'continuity' of the main' leyer'lf a'nd .eiitends v along'the sibling 11. Each of the flalflxiliary levers iisfulcruih'ecl flS fdt QTmi iWaY of its length, While the 'freencl of each a'iixiliary lever is provided with a curved extension 28. The curved extensions are arranged and used in the same manner as the curved extensions 24 carried by the main levers above referred to. I

Bridging two of the ties 29 at an appropriate distance away from the switch on the main track 10 are arcuateshaped plates 30, these plates being arranged at the opposite sides of the main linefor a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. A similar plate 31 bridges the ties 32 at one side of the main .line in juxtaposition to the auxiliary lever 26, while another plate of the same character indicated at 33 bridges the ties 34 at one side of the siding 11 and in juxtaposition to the auxiliary lever 26. j

The haulage motor indicated generally at 35 is of any well known construction, this motor being equipped with means capable of being set to actuate the switch from either side of the trackway, to open or close the switch to the main line or the siding, depending upon the particular course which the haulage motor is to pursue, and in contra-distinction to the course adapted to be pursued by the train of cars. lit is of course understood that in mine switches, the haul age motor 35 is uncoupled from the train of cars just prior to its approach of the switch, and it is necessary to actuate the latter in order to allow the haulage car to pass over the main line 'or onto the siding, to permit the train of cars to pass over the particular line or track not traversed by the haulage motor. For this purpose, l: equip the haulage motor 35 with a transversely disposed shaft 36, which is journaled in suitable bearings 37. Carried by the shaft ,36 adjacent one end thereof is a bell crank lever, one bran eh 38 of which is associated with theadjacent terminal of a connecting rod 39, thelatter being operatively connected with the manually controlled lever 40. Depending from the remaining branch 38 of the bell crank lever is the switch actuating element 41, the latter being slidable through suitable guides 42, and carrying at its lower end a roller 43. Theswitch actuating element is connected withthe branch 38 of'the bell crank lever by means of aflink 44. Projecting from the shaft 36 adjacentits opposite end is an arm 45, and this arm projects from the shaft in a direction directly opposite to the direction in which the branch 38 ofthe bell crank lever extends from said shaft. A second switch actuating element. 46 depends from the arm 45 and is operatively connected therewith through the instrumentality of a link 46. This actuating element slides through suitable guides 47 and is also equipped with a. roller 48 at its lower end. The manually operated lever 40 is fulcrumed as at 49 and is designed to engage flanges 50 and 51 projecting from one side of a resilient frame 52. The relative arrangement of the arm 45 with regard to the branch 38 of the bell crank is such, that when the lever 40 is moved in one direction, the shaft 36 is rotated to move the switch actuating element 41 downwardly into an active position, at whichtime the switch actuating element 46 is elevated. When the manually operated lever 40 is shifted in an opposite direction, the switch actuating element 46 at the opposite side of the motor is lowered, while the switch actuating element 41 issimultaneously elevated. The frame 52 is as above stated, of a resilient nature, so that when the manually operated lever 40 is moved in the direction of its neutral position through the operation of one or the other of the switch actuating elements, the resilient frame functionsto assist the lever in its return to nor mal position, while the flanges 51 and 52 retain the said lever 40 in its upright position.

ln practice, assume that the haulage motor together with a train of cars is approaching the switch over the main line 10, and it is desired to have the haulage motor continue over the main line, and the train of cars moved onto the siding 11. The manually operable lever 40 is moved forwardly after the motor has passed the arcuate-shaped plates 30, these plates being arranged approximately one-hundred feet away from the switch. Incident to the movement of the lever 40 in a forward direction, the switch actuating element 41 is lowered and as above stated, the switch actuating element 46 simultaneously elevated, so that the switch is actuated from one side of the trackway. V/ith the switch actuating element 41 in its lowered active position, it contacts the curved extension, 24 carried by the adjacent end of the main lever 17, thereby shifting the lever upon its fulcrum and setting the switch points for the main line 10. It is of course understood that the haulage motor is uncoupled from the train of cars at some point.

between the arcuateshaped plates 30 and the switch, and moves faster than the train of cars, so that as it passes over the switch, it sets the latter in a manner just described to allow the haulage motor to continue its course over the main line. l/Vhen the lever 17 is shifted in a manner just stated, the curved extension 24 carried by the opposite end of this lever is moved to a position in close proximity to the main line, so as to be engaged by the switch element 41 at the proper time. As the motor passes over the switch bringing the element 41 into contact with the latter mentioned curved extension 24, the lever 17 is again shifted in a reverse direction to close the switch to the main line, and open the switch to the siding 11. Conse quently, when the train of cars approaches the switch, the latter is set to direct the train of cars onto the siding 11, After reversing the movement of the lever 17 to close the switch to the main line, the actuating element 41 passes over the arcuate-shaped plate 31, thus elevating the actuating ele ment 4 1 to its inactive position, and at the same time automatically moving the lever 40 to its neutral position. Incident to the movement of the lever 17 to close the switch to the main line, the auxiliary lever 26 is simultaneously shifted upon its fulcrum to position the curved extension 28 thereof in close proximity to the main line to be engaged by the switch actuating element 41 upon the return of the haulage motor 35. Just prior to the return of the motor over the main line, the lever 40 which had been previously returned to neutral position, is again shifted to lower the actuating element 41 to an active position. Consequently, when the motor staits back over the main line, the actuating element engages the curved extension 28 of the auxiliary lever 26, shifting the said lever on its fulcrum to the position illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 1. When the auxiliary lever 26 is thus shifted, it imparts movement to the main lever 17, shifting the latter to a position to open the switch, whereby the haulage motor can continue its movement over the main line to its starting position.

The operation of the mechanism at the opposite side of the track is identically the same as that just described in connection with the main lever 17 and the auxiliary lever 26, except that the lever 17 and the auxiliary lever 26 are actuated by the switch actuating element 46 at the opposite side of the haulage motor. For instance, should it be desired to have the haulage motor enter the siding 11 instead of moving over the main track beyond the switch, the lever 40 is moved rearwardly, thereby lowering the switch actuating element 46 to its active position and elevating the actuating element 41 to its inactive position. When the actuating element 46 contacts the curved extension 24, carried by the adjacent end of the lever 17, this lever is shifted to actuate the switch points with a view of opening the switch to the siding 11. As the haulage motor enters the switch 11 the curved extension 25 carried by the opposite end of the lever 17, is engaged by the actuating element 46 having been shifted to a position in the path of movement of this element incident to the opening of the switch to the siding. When the latter mentioned extension 24 is engaged by the trip element 46, the movement of the lever 17 is reversed, closing the switch to the siding 11 so that the train of cars will continue along the main line. After having engaged the curved extension 24, the switch element 46 passes over the arcuate-shaped plate 33, thereby elevating the actuating element to its inactive position, and automatically returningthe lever 40- toneutral posi tion. Incident to the movement of the lever 17 to close the switch to the siding 1 1, the auxiliary lever 26' is shifted to position the curved extension 28 thereof in the path of movement of the element 46, so that the switch can be actuated upon return of: the haulage motor, to set the switch so that the motorcan pass from the siding back onto the main line. For this purpose, the lever 40 is again shifted rearwardly, thereby lowering the actuating element 46, and when the haulage motor starts back over the siding 11, the element contacts the curved extension 28 of the auxiliary lever 26', and shifts this lever together with the lever 17 in a manner to open the switch to the main line. After having actuated the auxiliary lever 26 in this manner, the actuating element 46 again passes over the curved plate 38 and returns said element together with the manually operated lever 40 to their normal positions. Should either of the actuating elements 41 or 46 be in their active positions, after the haulage motor has passed over the switch on its return to the line, it passes over one or the other of the plates 30 so that the parts are automatically returned to normal position. The mechanism is simple in construction, and very positive in operation, and after placing the operating lever in either of its active positions, it does not require the attention of the operator as it is automaticall returned to normal position after the switch has been properly actuated.

WVhile it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown and described, and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a railway switch operating mechanism, the combination with a main track and a siding, of levers arranged at the opposed sides of the track, and fulcrumed at points in their length, contact members carried by each lever adjacent its ends, equalizing members operatively connected with the aforementioned levers and with the switch elements, car carried means operable to selectively actuate either of the first mentioned levers, whereby the switch can be opened and closed at predetermined intervals to either the main track or said siding, the means arranged along the tracks for automatically returning the car carried means to normal position.

2. In a railroad switch operating mechanism, the combination with a main track and a siding, of levers arranged at the opposed sides of the track and fulcrumed at points in their length, contact members carried by each lever adjacent its ends equalizing members operatively connected with the aforementioned levers and with the switch elements, car carried means operable to actuate either of the first mentioned levers, whereby the switch can be opened and closed at predetermined intervals to either the main track or said siding, auxiliary levers pivotally connected with the aforementioned levers, curved contact members carried by the auxiliary levers and adapted to be shifted into the path of movement of the car carrying means incident to the opening and clos- 1L5 tacts of the auxiliary levers for the purpose 20 specified.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

JOHN KENNER.