US1802696A - Railway-switch-locking means - Google Patents

Description

April 28, 1931. T. E. BLACKWELL ET AL 1,802,696

RAILWAY SWITCH LOCKING MEANS Original Filed Dec. 14, 1927 W/T/VESSES IN V EN TOR. W ao/m4 s5zAovw5 LESL 7f5M/77/ BY ATTORNEYS.

Fatented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PATEN'E OFFICE THOMAS E. BLAGKWEDL AND LESLIE '1. SMITH, OF MCKINNEY, TEXAS RAILWAY-SWITCH-LO CKIN G MEANS Original application filed December 14, 1927, Serial No. 239,957. Divided and this application filed March 30, 1929. Serial No. 351,254. 1

This invention relates to locking means for railway switches, and it constitutes a division of our copending application filed December 14th, 1927, and serially numbered 239,957.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide means of the character stated, which after the opening of the switch, shall be adapted to be operated by a car approaching the opened switch to elfect the locking of the switch in fully opened position and thus prevent damage to the switch points and reduce to the minimum the possibility of the derailment f the car.

The invention has for a further object to provide means of the character stated which shall be adapted to be used in connection with a switch adapted to be opened by the car and which shall be adapted to be operated by the car immediately after the opening of the switch to elfect the locking of the switch in fully opened position. a

The invention has for a further object to provide-means of the character stated which shall be adapted to release the opened switch immediately after the carhas passed through the switch so as to permit the switch to be returned to closed position.

The invention has for a still further object to provide means of the character stated which shall be simple, strong and durable, which shall be adapted to be manufactured at a low cost, andwhich shall, be adapted to be installed easily and at low cost.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the nature of which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter, fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a railway embodying the car actuated switch and our improved means for locking the switch in opened position;

. Figure 2 is a view in side elevation-illus trating the bolt of the locking means and the manner in which the bolt is mounted;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 4.4 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a View in side elevation of the bar foropening the switch and the means for supporting the bar. Y

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 and 2 designate respectively opposite main rails, 3 and 4 designate respectively opposite branch or siding rails, and 5 the ties of a railway. 6 designates the frog and 7 and 8 the points of the switch of the railway. v The switch points 7 and 8 are connected by a bar 9 for simultaneous movement from closed to opened or from opened to closed position. The switch points 7 and 8 are yieldingly held in closed position, in which position they are shown in Figure 1, by a spring 10 which is carried by a rod 11 and bears against the switch point 7. The rod 11 is fixed to the rail 3 and passes freely through the switch point 7. The bar 9 is arranged beneath the rails l and 2 and the switch points 7 and 8, and it is connected to the switch points by pivots 12. The bar 9 is arranged between a pair of the ties 5, and supported by such ties is a trough 13 which receives the bar and prevents the ballast of the railway from interfering with its operation.

A semaphore is associated with the head, and it comprises blades 14 carried by the upper end of a vertical shaft 15, and a stand 16 in which the shaft is journaled. The semaphore is operatedby the switch through themedium of a rack bar 17 which is pivoted, as at 18, to the switch bar 9 and is engaged with a pinion 19 fixed to the lower end of the shaft 15. 7 Means are provided for permitting the switch to be opened from the car approaching the switch, and this means comprises a shaft 20 which extends transversely of and beneath the rails 1 and 2 and is journaled in bearings 21 secured to the bases of the rails. The shaft 20 is located at a considerable distance from the switch, and it is connected to the switch bar 9 through the medium of a rod 22 arranged centrally between and longitudinally of the rails 1 and 2. The rod 22 is slidably supported by bearings 23 secured to certain of the ties 5, and it is connected by a link 24 to an arm 25 extending outwardly from the shaft 20.7 The rod 22 is connected to the switch rod 9 throughthe me" dium of an elbow lever 26 and a. link 27. The lever 26 is pivotally connected, as at 28, to the trough13, and the link 2? is pivotally connected to the switch bar 9 and to the lover. The lever 26 is provided with an eye 29 for the reception of the rod 22, and a spring 30 mounted upon the rod between the eye 29 and the nut 31, establishes a yielding connection between the rod and lever. A bar 32 supported adjacent the rail 1 and connected to the shaft 20, is adapted to be depressed to eifect the opening of the switch. This bar is adapted to be depressed by carried by the ear and forming the subject matter of our copending application filed March 30, 1929, and serially numbered 351,255. The

7 bar 32 is arranged parallel to the rail 1, and

is connected to a plate 33 by links 34. f The plate 33 is secured to certain of the ties 5, and is provided at one end with an upwardly extending apertured lug 35. A bolt 36 is pivotally connected to thebar 32 and asses freely through the lug 35. Springs 3 and 38 are mounted upon the bolt 36 and bear against opposite sides of the lug 35. The bar is connected by a link 39 to an arm 40 extending upwardly from the shaft 20. A

The spring 10 normally holds the switch closed, and when the switch is closed the springs 30 and 37 hold the bar 32 in elevated position with its upper surface above the rail 1. The spring 38 limits the upward movement of the bar 32 under the influence of the springs 30 and 37. When the switch is to be opened, means carried by the car approachi'ng the switch contacts with and moves the bar 32 forwardly and downwardly. The connection between the bar 32 and the switch is such that the switch is moved from closed to its opened position during the movement of the bar in the direction stated. Immediately after the switch is opened, the car operates the-means for locking the switch in opened position.

This means comprises a bolt or bar 41 which is arranged outwardly of and parallel to the rail 2 and which when in active or projected position engages in the notch 42 formed in the switch bar 9. The bolt 41 is connected to a bracket plate 43'by links 44. The bracket plate 43 is secured to certain of the ties 5, and the bolt 41 contacts with the outer side of the rail 2. The bolt 41 is supported for vertical and horizontal movements, and it is yieldingly supported in its inactive or retracted position by a spring 45 which is carried by a rod 46 pivoted as at 47 to the bolt, passes through a guide eye 48 carried by the bracket plate 43. hen in inactive or retracted position, the bolt 41 extends above the rail 2 so as to permit it to be depressed or moved into active or projected position by the wheels of the car approaching the switch. The bolt 41 is held against outward displacement by guides 49 which are carried by the rail 2 and between which and the outer side of the head of the rail he bo perat s, T guid 49 ar provided with attaching members 50 which are secured, as at 51, to the base of the rail 2. The upper sides of the front and rear end portions of the bolt 41 are inclined as shown at 52 and 53, respectively, so as to prevent injury to the bolt by the wheels of the car. The front end 52 of the bolt 41 is associated with a keeper 54 which is secured to the trough 13 outwardly beyond the rail 2 and is provided with a slot 55 in which said end of the bolt works. 1 The notched and enlarged end of the switch bar 9 is arranged in the keeper 54 when the switch is opened, and to permit said end of the switch bar to move into and out of the keeper the rail 2 is provided with an opening 56.

It should be-understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, that the bar 32 and bolt 41 are so related with respect to each other and to the switch that the switch is first opened and then locked by the car approaching the switch. Immediately after the bar 32 is depressed and the switch opened as the result thereof, the wheels of the car contact with and depress the bolt 41. 'lVhile being depressed the bolt 41 moves forwardly, with the result that its front end is carried downwardly into the keeper-54 andinto the notch 42 in the switch bar 9. As the bolt 41 will not be released until after'the last wheels of the car have passed onto the sliding rail 3 and switch point 8, there is no possibility of the switch released at a time that would result in injury toits points or the derailment of the car. hile the bolt 41 is being moved into active or projected position, the spring 45 was tensioned, with the result that when the bolt is released the spring reacts to return the bolt 2 and hold it in its inactive or retracted position.

It should also be understood that the switch locking means'may be used in connection with a switch adapted to be opened manually or in connection with aswitch adapted to be opened automaticallyby means other than that shown in the drawing, and that the term car as herein employed comprehends a locomotive or a street car or a passenger car or freight car.

While we have described the principle of the invention, together with the structure which we now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, we wish it understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What we claim is:

l. A switch point locking means, comprising a bar secured to and movable with the switch point, a bracket plate, a bolt, links supporting the bolt from the bracket plate, an apertured lug carried by the bracket plate, a rod pivotally connected to the bolt and pass ing freely through the lug, and a spring carried by the rod and bearing against the lug to yieldingly support the bolt, the bolt being adapted to be moved onwardly and forwardly into engagement with the bar when the switch point is in opened position.

2. A switch point locking means, comprising a bar secured to and movable with the switch point, the bar being provided in an end thereof with a notch, a keeper adapted to receive the notched end of the bar when the switch point is in opened position, a bolt, and means yieldingly supporting the bolt for movement into engagement with the notch of the bar when the switch point is in opened position, the keeper being provided with openings adapted to receive an end of the bolt.

3. In combination, a rail, a switch point mounted for movement into and out of contact with the rail, an elongated boltarranged longitudinally of and in contact with the head of the rail, means yieldingly supporting the bolt in its upper side above the head of the rail, means holding the bolt in contact with the side of the rail, and a bar secured to and movable with the switch point and provided with a notch adapted to receive the bolt when the switch is in contact with the rail.

4. In a device of the character described, a rail, a switch point, a bar secured to and movable with the point, an elongated bolt yieldably supported beside said rail and adapted to be engaged and moved by the wheels of a car, whereby the bolt will engage said bar and hold it in a set position, as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a device of the character described, a rail, a switch point, a bar provided with a notch and secured to and movable with the point, an elongated bolt yieldably supported beside said rail and adapted to be engaged and moved by the wheels of a car, whereby the bolt will be moved at times into said notch and thereby hold the bar in a set position, as and for the purposes set forth.

tures.

THOMAS E. BLAGKWELL. LESLIE '1. SMITH.

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