US1620326A - Railroad-switch-operating device - Google Patents

Description

1,620,326 J. CZERNIAK ET m. RAILROAD S WITCH OPERATING DEVICE March 8, 1927.

Filed Nov. 12, 1926 Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

JOZEPH CZERNIAK AND CASIMIB CZERNIAK, OF SOUTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILROAD-SWI'I(III-OPERATING DEVICE.

Application filed November 12, 1926.

This invention relates to improvements in railroad switches, particularly to a switch operating device, and it is the principal ob ject of the invention to provide a means adapted to be automatically operated by an approaching train for setting the switch correctly.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a railroad switch operating device of this type with a means for automatically returning the switch into its normal position after each operation after a train has passed the switch.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a railroad switch operating device of this character which is adapted to be operated in both directions of travel, and which is simple and inexpensive to install, yet durable and efiiciently operating.

These and other objects and advantages of our invention will become more fully known as the description thereof proceeds, and will then be specifically defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a switch equipped with an operating device constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, seen in the direction of the arrows 2-,-2 of Figure 1.

As illustrated, the track rails 10 and 11 at a switch point have associated therewith or co-operating with them a pair of switch tongues 12 and 13 or rail ends adapted to engage in the well known manner with the main track rails 10 and 11'to allow the switching of a train or cars from the main track upon a siding or other track. Near their front ends the switch tongues 12 and 13 are connected by means of the customary draw rod 14 equipped near one of its ends with an upright pin 15 adapted to be displaced or to play within a slot 16 in the reinforced rear end 17 of a rock-lever 18 or the like which is fulcrumed between its ends, as at 19, to a pin sunk into a baseplate 20 or the like.

Near the outer ends of the base plate 20, the same carries pairwise arranged posts 21, 21 and 22, 22' respectively, the posts 21 and 22 of which are arranged on one side of the rail 11, while the posts 21 and 22 are on the opposite side of the rail.

The posts are equipped with upper bearings 23 in which are slidably engaged and guided the arms 24, .25 also pairwise ar- Serial No. 147,970.

ranged at both sides of a rail, and the arms 25 of each pair are longer than the arms 24 of the other pair, and the longer and shorter arms of each pair are interconnected as shown at 26, 27 and 28 respectively in Figure 1. The outer ends of the shorter and longer arms are projecting beyond the posts 21, 21 and 22, 22 respectively and are formed to constitute abutments 29, and shoulders 30. The inner faces of the abutments 29 engage disks or plates 31 at the ends of pins 32 passing through the posts 21, 21, 22 and 22, while springs 33 are wound about the pins 32 and have the tendency to normally press the plates outwardly against the abutment-s 29.

On the outer side faces of the rail webs bell-crank levers 34 are fulcrumed as at so as to normally project into the path of shoes 36 on a locomotive or train car having abevelled front edge 37 adapted to engage the bevelled ends 38 of the upper bell-crank lever arms 39 and to depress the same.

The device operates as follows:

Assuming a train is approaching the switch from the left its shoe 36 will engage with its bevelled face 37 the bevel face 38 of the bell-crank lever arms 39, and depress the same, so that its other arm 34 will engage the shoulder .30 of the arms 25 to engage their front end with the rock-lever 18 to turn the same about its fulcrum to throw the switch into the position shown in Figure 1 in which the train will be transferred to the side track. It will be understood, that the shoes 36 extend the entire length of a train or car.

If now the train has passed the switch, and the trip levers or bevelled arms thereof, the springs 33 will come to action, and release the fingers 25 from their engagement with the rock-lever 18, which will be returned by means of springs into its normal position, thus drawing rod 14 to open the switch, so that a train following, and intended to use the main track only can do so when its shoe or shoes 36 have been elevated into their inoperative position.

A train which is to be transferred from the siding-onto the main track will operate by means of its Shoes 36 the trip or bell-crank lever arm 39, and depress the same so that its arm 34 will engage rod 25 with the rocklever 18 to operate rod 14 to throw the switch tongues 12 and 13 into engagement with the main rails, whereafter, as the train leaves the switch, the parts are returned as described above into the switch opening position.

It will be clear that while we have described the preferred construction of our bevelled edges fulcrumed to the side of a rail, normally projecting into the path of operating shoes on a train having bevelled edges to engage the bevel edges of said bellcrank levers to depress the upper arms, a rock-lever, a draw rod connected to said rock-lever to operate the switch points, means operated by the other arms oi said bell crank-levers to operate said rock-lever to throw the switch allowing a transfer of the train to a siding, and a means for returning the switch into its normally open position after each operation.

2. In a railroad switch operating device an operating rod for the switch points, an upright pin near one end thereof, a longitudinally slot-ted plate in the slot of which said pin is adapted to be displaced, a rocklever to the rear end of which said slotted plate is secured, means for operating said rock-lever by a moving train to throw the switch for transferring a train to a siding, and a means for returning the switch into its normally open position after each operation after the train has left the switch.

3. In a railroad switch operating device, a means for throwing the switch points to sidetrack a train, a means operated by the train to automatically operate said switch throwing means, a plurality of spring-controlled bars having outer abutment plates adapted to guide the train operated means after each operation and the passage of a train into their normal switch opening position.

4. A railroad switch operating device comprising a pair of connected long and shorter levers, posts equipped with bearings in which the outer ends of said levers glide, abutments formed at the outer ends oi said levers beyond said posts, bell-crank levers tulcrumed to the sides of the track, adapted to be depressed at one arm by a passing train and engage with its other arm the abutments of said levers, a. rock lever adapted to be operated by the longer arms of said connected levers to throw the switch points, springs for returning the switch operating rock-lever into normal position after each operation after the passage or a train, and spring-controlled rods having outer abutments adapted to engage the outer angularly bent ends of said connected levers as soon as the train shoes have ceased to engage said bell-crank levers to return the parts into their normal positions with the switch open to allow the main track to be used by a following train.

Signed at South Chicago in the county of Cook and State of Illinois this 23rd day of October, A. D. 1926.

J OZEPI-I CZERNIAK. CASIMIR CZERN IAK.

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