US145678A

US145678A - Improvement in railway-switches

Info

Publication number: US145678A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1873-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 1890-12-16

Description

T. NEWMAN.

Railway-Switches.

Patented Dec- 16,1873.

INVENTEIFL WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS NEYVMAN, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 145,6'78, dated December 16, 1873; application filed September 18, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS NEWMAN, of the city of New Orleans, parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Switchin g Railroad-Oars from One Track to Another; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and accurate description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification.

My improvement relates to the operation of street-railway switches, by means of a lug or projection, which is cast upon or otherwise secured to the face of the brake-shoe, commonly employed and applied to the wheels of streetcars. That the said lug or projection need not necessarily be prolonged to the extent of intercepting obstructions or inequalities upon the rail or upon the surface of the road-bed, a raised flange, or, rather, striking-block, is placed on the side of the switch-rail, but of sufficient distance therefrom to allow the flange of the car-wheel to passbetween it and the said switch-rail. The pointed end of the switchrail rests upon and is secured to a slide frame, to which is also securely attached, at one end, the striking-block, above mentioned, and at the other end a cord and weight, the said cord running over a sheave, so that the said Weight will at all times keep the switch-rail pressed closely against the rail to which it (the weight) is'nearest.

I My improvement will be better understood by referring to the drawing annexed, whereon the same is plainly illustrated.

A is the platform, and B the wheels, of an ordinary car, sufiiciently complete for the purposes of this specification. O O are the rails of a straight or continuous line of railway. D will represent one rail of a road branching from the main line, while E will show the switchrail necessary to turn the cars from the main lineto and upon the branch-road. F is a baseframe, upon which rests the axle of the sheave, shown at (0, upon which runs the cord 1), one end of which is attached to the slide frame 0, and to the opposite end thereof is attached the weight (I. To the said slide-frame c is also secured the pointed end of the switch-rail E.

It will thus be perceived that the weight cl will operate to keep the switch-rail E close against the rail of the main line until the brake-shoe projection, shown at e, engages the curved endof the raised flange-0r strikingblock. shown at f, and which is securely attached to the slide-frame 0, when, by such contact, the switch-rail is drawn or forced to one side, and allows the forward wheel to proceed upon the branch line. The switch-rail must be of sufficient length to allow the rear wheel of the car to pass its point before the said switch-rail is relieved from the outward pressure of the front wheel.

For the cars which are to run upon the main line the said projection 6 must be omitted, so as not to operate the switch.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The operation of railway-switches by means of the weight d, to keep them open or closed, as may be desired, when the same are opened or closed in opposition to the said weight, by means of lugs or projections upon the brake shoes of railway-cars, as described, and for the purposes set forth.

THOMAS NEWMAN.