US1521513A - Continuous-rail crossing - Google Patents

Description

30. 1924. 1,521,53 c. R. EDLUND CONTINUOUS RAIL CROSSING Filed April 8. 19124 Car/ R Ea'lan @al M.

CHCmcl-l Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

CARL R. EDLUND, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

CONTINUOUS-RAIL CROSSING.

Application filed. April 8,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL R. EDLUD, a

citizen of the United States, residing at railroad, the primary object of the Spokane, in Spokane County, and State of VJashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Continuous-Rail Crossings, of which the following is a speciication.

My present invention relates to improvements in continuous rail crossings for use at intersections of street railway or steam invention being the provision of means for maintaining substantially continuous tracks or track rails for the passage of rolling stock, and thus eliminate wear at the ends of the continuous rails of a track.

visible signals lor warnings, and is capable A of use jointly with the operating mechanism of the signal system.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts including rotary blocks or tread members and actuating means therefor as will hereinafter be more fully pointed out and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete exampley of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged in accordance with the best mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

-Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the appliance and connections at the intersection of two railways.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, transverse sectional view as at line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of one of the rotary heads or blocks.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing one of the rotary heads and the intersecting rails in dotted lines.

In the preferred form of my invention as illustrated in the drawings and particularly in Fig. 1 the rails of one track are designated l and 2 with the intermediate rail 3,

1924. serial No. 704,936.

and the rails of the intersecting track are designated 4 and kwith the intermediate rail section 6.

At the four intersections of the crossing Y are located rotary heads designated as a whole by the numeral 7, each of which is fashioned with a cut away or grooved portion 8 to form a tread 9 which is adapted to be alined with the main track rails for the passage of rolling stock. The contiguous ends of the track rails terminate at the rounded periphery of the rotary heads, and as indicated in Figure 1 the track running east and west is made continuous by the in-lterposition of the rotary heads. with their treads 9 in alinement with the track rails.

The four rotary heads are adapted for alternate us in pairs with lthe intersecting tracks, and the diagonally disposed pairs of heads are designed to rotate in unison as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1.

The rotary heads or blocks are of complementary construction, and each is fash ioned with a conical socket 10 at its underside that is adapted to seat and turn upon a conical bearing head 11 which latter head is fashioned upon a chair casting 12 located below and adapted to support the contiguous ends of the track rails. Y

Each head is fashioned with a depending, rigid shank 13 which is journaled in the bearing head 11 and adapted to revolve with the rotary head. The conical bearing faces of the rotary head and bearing head insure a correct and proper location of the rotary head, provide for a wide Varea of support for the rotary head and insure a minimum of wear between the two friction faces in addition to maintaining the rotary head in proper horizontal position between the ends of contiguous rails. i

For lubricating these friction surfaces between the rotary head and its bearing head an oil hole 14: is provided through which the parts may be lubricated as required.

The chairs 12, four in number may be formed integral with a base plate 15 located in a suitable pit beneath the crossing and the parts are secured in usual or suitable manner against displacement.

As an emergency device adapted for use in case the rotary heads are not properly aligned with the track over which traffic is to pass, I utilize a depressible cap 16 on the heads, which is held in normal position by means of springs 18 and 19 portion 17 of; the head.;

movement of the cap by ,accumulation of.

dust, snow or ioeipongfthe-cup walls offthe rotary head, Athe lower edge of the cap is beveled as at 20 in order thatlthis edgemay Y. cutl through and separate ythe obstruction K 33* andith'e other--arm of the lever. is con-k from the cup to permit" movement of the cape, YSlitnrldthe Wheels. 0f @inpassing train strike@ 'the fcap- ,it jwill be` apparent that the cap Lis depressed Vthereby thus avoidingvany Obstruction ,te the, passing Wheels.'

' AS; indicatedin the drawings the "four rotary heads are turnedsimultaneously 1n theidirection of thearrows, and each' shank 13 is prcflvidedl with aI horizontally"disposed rackwvheel 2l below which `wheel thezshank is journaled' in the base plate 15'.' At the center ofthe pit and in horizontal alinef ment with the fourwheels k21 asimilar wheel heads.:V These three rack wheels22, 233 andv 241 are journaledon studshat'ts 25 projecting 221s locatedfand which is alined wit-ha. pair otintermedifatjewheels and 24, tli'e'latter meshing with the driven wheels of the rotary 4upwardly 'from the base plate, and are loicatlel'lin the same horizontalv planeVUV with Y thelfoturrdifiven rack wheels..

For" imparting the required rotary movenieringo4 the several wheels, dnplex, oppositely y disposed 'and parallel 'rack plates. 26 and 27 are utilized.' saidplatesbeingf dis- .Y posed equidistantV iroin the Ycenter of the crossing and eaclr provided -with'a guide slot as28.v The plates are adapted'to slide 1n opposite directions and are guided by means of the 'stationaryx lugs 29p' ofy the'pbase' plate that project upwardly:through the slots 2S.

The two slide rackeplates ,are each' 'fashioned with' three sets of rack teeth each indicatedby the numeral 30 and the rackteeth .as shown are arranged in a kcomplementary pair to'engage the central wheel 22 a second complementary pair enga-ge th-eintermedrate wheel's- 23 VAand 21's and a thirdy 'complementary pair engage the 'two diagonally "disposed rackwheels 2l of tworotary heads t." '.'lhus it willgbe apparent that when the rack plate 26t'or instance is moved.:longitudinaliy,in

l the direction of the arrow inipFi'g-fl'thecototurn them in arrows.

'acting rack wheels and. rack teeth will impart a rotaryA movement to therrotary heads pairsl as indicated?,` by the For operating the slide kplate 26a draw orfa.switcl-ilIV mechanism. This draw `bar is connected to a bell cranklever32 by a link nected lto the. slide plate 2,6 -a similar link V34e.

continuous crossing may be controlled in connection withl the signal Amechanism; The rotary'heads are .positively turned ==i1`i either of two .directions to bring their tre'ads)` in alin'ementwith the selected' track" rails; and Voffeourset-hc treads 9ioftheheads.areturned Y parallel with vthe direction otravel-o-:an approaching train. 1

Having thus fully describedmyl invention,

LettersI Patent isf.-

what Iolaimjas new andd'esire'to, securefby barl is; employedwhich is actuated by f' suitable power, as from a signalv mechanism .f

l. In a continuousrailway-crossing-the combination Wit-lr four diagonal-ly dispps'ed rotaryv heads each-f havingf a rack-: wheel, a

central rack Wheeland ofin'termediate' wheels',-- of a pairi of? oppositely,Y movable plates each having"- three fset's oi?v2 racl teeth tor co-action with* said i rack wlreels; and means for operating oneA of said plates;v

Vso

alsY Y 2. In.'- a continuous railiifayk crossing/- the combination. with-four rotary'headseach Y of' a bearing-head having/ ga complementary' conical 'face-and# supporting said sl-ra-nk' a cup on' the'vupperv portion-offth'efheadyaf-cap on fthe' cti-p1. fand a spring interposed between said cap and Culp. Y.

In' testimony-whereof' affix =l1ny sign atnre.

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