US147695A - Improvement in railway-switches - Google Patents

Description

c. c. SHELBY.

Railway-Switches.

Patented Feh.17,1874.

WITNESSES mr VEJvToR I Y das@ f Ml@ @www lINrrEn SrA'rEs PATENT GFFIGE.

CHRISTOPHER c. SHELBY, or srRrNe VALLEY, New YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent To. 141%',695, dated February 17, 1874 application led December 12, 1873.

CASE E.

To 4all whom it may concern.'

Beit known that I, CHRISTOPHER G. SHEL- BY, of Spring Valley, in the county of Rockland and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Railroad-Switch 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawingformin g part oithis specification, in which- Figure lis a plan, showing the switch open; and Fig. 2 is a plan, showing the switch closed.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote the same parts. p

The object of this invention is to improve the con struction and operation ofrailroad-switches; and to this end the inventionconsists, first, in the novel combination of rails, weight, and lever, herein shown and described; secondly, in the combination of a spring-lock with said rails; thirdly, in a novel device for strengthening the joint of the short movable rail at the junction of the proximate rails ofthe main and the side track. l

In the drawings, A is the main track, consisting of the xed rails c, iXed guide-rail g, movable guide-rail g', movable rail al, and movable rail a2; and B is the side track, consisting of the fixed rails b b1 and movable segment b2, which segment is united to the rail a2, as shown. C C are two transverse lock-bars extending across the road under the rails, connectedtogether by a stift' rod, c, and held rmly in position by a spira-l or other suitable spring, e', the bar C having a notch which engages with a pin or lug on the under side of the rail c2 b2 to hold them in the position shown in Fig. 2, and the bar C having a similar notch, which, in like manner, engages with a pin or lug on the under side of the rail a1 or guide-rail g to hold the two last-mentioned movable rails in the position represented in Fig. 2. D is a lever pivoted on a central fulcrum, and having one end connected, by a rod, d, to the swinging rail a2 b2, while the other end is connected, by a rod, d1, to the swinging double rail al g', so that the moving of one of the pivoted rails to open or close the switch will cause the other pivoted rail to move in an opposite direction to an equal extent. W is a heavy weight, supported on a bent rod or crank-shaft, F, for the purpose of holding the switch properly in position when open, the lock-bars holding it securely when closed. S is a signal-stati', supported by and turning with the lever D, and provided with any suitable devices to indicate the condition of the track 5 and V is a wedgeshaped block inserted between the ends of the rails a b1 into the angular recess between the ends of the movable rail a2 b2, and capable of swinging with said rail a2 b1", its object being to strengthen the joint and hold all the rails in place, and also to enlarge the bearingsuriace or tread of the rails a b at that end, and to make the passage ot' the cars over the joint smoother and safer.

When the switch is open a train of cars coming along the main track in the direction of the arrow, Fig. l, will close the switch and open the main track automatically, leaving the switch closed and locked.

In order, now, to open the switch it will be necessary to swing the lock-bars C C back, so as to disengage the lugs or pins from their notches, and then move the switch by hand, or the weight WV may be so hung that it will move rails and open the switch automatically whenever said lock-bars are disengaged from said pins or lugs.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the rails a2 b2 al g', rods (l d', and lever D with the main and side tracks, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. The lock-bars C C', connected by a rod,

c, and actuated by a spring, c', when combined with the swinging rails, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

3. The weight, crankshaft, and connectingrod, combined with the movable rails and lockbars, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

4. The wedge-shaped movable block V, coinbined with the rails a bl and the swinging rail a2 b2, substantially as and for the purposes described.

CHRISTOPHER C. SHELBY.

Titnesses MELvrLLE CHURCH, N. K. ELLswoRTH,

Images