US1814307A

US1814307A - Railway switch apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1814307A
Application number: US400924A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wallace M Gray
Original assignee: AMERICAN VALVE AND METER COMPA
Current assignee: AMERICAN VALVE AND METER Co; AMERICAN VALVE AND METER COMPA
Priority date: 1929-10-19
Filing date: 1929-10-19
Publication date: 1931-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1948-07-14

Description

July 14, 1931. 7 w. M. GRAY 1,814,307

RAILWAY SWITCH APPARATUS Filed Oct. 19 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY July 14, 1931. w. M. GRAY 1,814,307

RAILWAY SWITCH APPARATUS Filed Oct. 19, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY M ATTORN EY July 14, 1931. w. M. GRAY RAILWAY SWITCH APPARATUS s ShetsSheet 5 Filed Oct. 19, 1 29 switch apparatus Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALLACE M. GRAY, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN VALVE .AITD METER COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO RAILWAY SWITCH APPARATUS Application filed October 19, 1929. Serial No. 400,924.

This invention relates to improvements in railway switch apparatus. One of its objects is to provide improved switch apparatus adapted to yield when forced by a a locomotive or other rolling stock and to indicate on the switch target that the switch has been forced and requires to be restored to operative condition before being again used.

Another object is to provide an improved which having been forced can not be tampered with to force the switch points back into position or rendered operative or apparently operative except by replacing the yieldable member in the prescribed manner of restoring the switch to operative condition. Another object is to provide an improved switch apparatus having a breakable member and a bendable member interposed between the switch lever and the switch both adapted to yield when the switch is forced. Another object is to provide in combination with a switch and switch actuating lever, a target adapted to indicate the normal position of the switch and also the position of a switch which has been forced, and means interposed between the switch actuating lever and the switch adapted when the switch has been forced to lock the switch points and target against movement in either direction until the switch is restored to operative condition in a prescribed manner.

Another object is to provide improved means to manually actuate a switch, and to latch the switch and target in position to indicate that the switch has been forced until the switch has been restored to normal operative condition in a prescribed manner. My invention also comprises certain details of form and arrangement, and combination of components, all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a plan of a railway switch and switch stand embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of the switch stand partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the normal breakable and bendable members detached. 5

Fig. 4; is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing the relation of the parts after one end of the breakable member has been fractured and the bendable member associated therewith has been bent.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the switch lever in its opposite position and the position of the parts after the switch has been forced.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of the switch actuating means shown in Figs. 2 and 5. r

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the switch actuating lever detached.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a stop member carried by the switch actuating shaft.

Fig. 9 is an end view of the switch actuating lever and switch actuating shaft, with the breakable and bendable members in normal position.

Switch apparatus as heretofore employed, particularly in switch yards is liable to be and frequently is run through in a reverse direction or forced, by the rolling stock, in which event some part of the switch or switch actuating apparatus yields, allowing the switch points to move out of the way of the wheel flanges. Such forcing of the switch heretofore failed to move the switch target or to otherwise indicate to approaching trainmen that the switch had been forced and rendered inoperative, and was liable to result in a second attempt of rolling stock to pass the switch, which would probably result in derailing the rolling stock. My improved apparatus is adapted to yield when the switch is forced and permit the switch points to move to an intermediate position, and to cause the switch target to move to an intermediate position to thereby indicate that the switch has been forced, and also to latch the switch points and the target in each direction in their intermediate position taken when forced until the switch has been restored to operative condition in a prescribed manner by replacing the yielding member with a new one.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one embodiment of my invention in which 15 rep-' resents the main rails, 16' the switch points, and 17 the housing of a switch stand. The switch stand is mounted rigidly upon two The hub 36 of

cross-ties

18 and 19, and is provided with a vertically mounted and journaled crankshaft 20, and a horizontally journaled shaft 21 upon which is loosely journaled an actuating lever 22.

Latch members

24 and 25 are mounted upon the respective cross-ties 18 and 19', and are adapted to engage and latch the actuating lever 22 at opposite extremities of its movement to the cross-ties 1,8?ancli19: '"Aicra1mia26mti the lower end of the shaft 20ubelow the switch housing 17.is pivotally connected to one end of a link or connecting rod 27. The opposite end of the link 27 is pivotally connected at 28 to the end of a spacing bar 29 which is attached rigidly to the respective switch points 16, and serves to shiftsaid switch points as a unit to and from the respective main rails 15. The upper end of the shaft 20 extends above. the switchhousing and has mounted uponthe upper end thereof .a target 30, whichindicates' to the trainmen at a distance the position of the switch. At night a coloredsignal lantern-is adapted to be mounted upon the'upper end of 'the shaft 20 to indicate at a distance the position of the switch. The shaft 20 is adaptednormally to be rocked one-fourth of a revolution or ninety degrees, and when the switch is forced by rolling stock, the shaft 20 is movedapproximately one-eighth of a revolution or forty-five degrees. 1

Within the switch housing the shaft 20 is provided with a segment of a beveled gear 32 which meshes with apinion 33 on the shaft 21. The shaft 21 is ournaled in a journalbox 34 in the switch housing 17, and outside of the housing 17 a flange 35 is keyed or otherwise rigidly attached to-the shaft 21. the actuating lever 22 is loose ly journaledupon the shaft 21 adjacent, to the face of theflange' 35. The flange 35 has a projection 37 projecting from the face thereof into the path of travel of the actuating lever 22. Outside of the hub 36 the shaft 21 is provided with a forked head 38, having perforations through the forked ends thereof for the passage of a bolt 89.; The lever 22lis provided with a rigidly mounted projecting. pin 40..

The actuating lever 22 is operatively clutched or connected to the shaft 21 b means of a' bendable and breakable link or connecting member comprising a cast metal orbreakable member 41 which has an eye 45' to seat upon the pin 40, and'asection 42 to be rigidly and-'detachably clamped in the slot or recess of the forkedhead38 bymeans of the bolt'39. ,Themember 41 has a neck or reduced cross section- 43 to predetermine the point at which the member 41 willbe fra'ctured when subjectedto excessive strain. A bendable member 44 of'low carbon steel or similar materialfwhich-will bend in preference to being; fractured" when excessively strained has its opposite ends rigidly attached to the breakable member 41 at opposite sides respectively of the neck 43, as for instance by having the ends of the member 44 placed so as to extend into the mold so as to cast the member 41 with the ends of the member 44 embedded rigidly therein. As illustrated the bendable and breakable members are cast double, that is with two necks 43;:two eyes45, and two bendable members 44 in one structure, so, that in the event of one of the members 41 being fractured at its neck 43, and its accompanying member 44 bent as indicated for instance in Fig. 4, the bendable a'nd breakable structure may be reversed in position relative to the head 38 and the opposite eye 45 engaged with the pin of the actuating lever 22, which may be done by detaching the bolt 39 and reversing the position of the member 42, after which the bolt 39 is replaced and the lever 22 is again operatively connected to the shaft 21.

In practice either one or the other set of signals 30 normally stands at right angles to the line of vision of approaching. trainmen indicated by an-arrow in Fig. 1, one position of the target indicating, by the color green for instance, thatthe switch is open along the through track, and'the siding is closed, while the other position, indicated by the color red forinstance, indicates that the through track is closed and the siding is open. An operator may throw the actuating lever 22 to rock the

shafts

21 and 20 and throw the switch by hand without liability offracturing the member 41 or bending the member 44' and said members have sufiicient strength to hold theswitch points to either position of adjustment. j

When the switch is forced, by the passage of rolling stock in the wrongdirection through the switch, an excessive strain is put upon the

shafts

20 and 21 suflicient to fracture the member 41 at its neck-48, and thereafter to bend the member 44, thereby permitting the shaft 21 to rotate approximately 9.0 degrees and the shaft 20 to rotate approximately degrees, or one-half oftheir normal rocking movement, which is sufficient to permit the rolling stock to passthe switch. This one-eighth rotation of the shaft 20 is suflicient to shift thetarget to a position midway of its two normal positions, see Fig. 5, so as to show both colors at the same time to approaching trainmen, and to thereby indicate by the position offthe target and also by; the positionof the switch points that the switch has been forced and requires to be restored to operative condition before the' a further passage ofrolling' stock. The bends able member being substantially nonresilient, bends under the excessive strain of, the switch being forced, and after the strain is released the bendable member does not spring back but holds the switch points to the position to which they have been moved by the rolling stock, and holds the target to the midway position to'which the target has 5 been moved, to insure that the trainmen are notifiedthereby and come to and restore the switch to operative position before attempting to pass the switch, and thereby prevent a derailing accident. lVhile the switch is being forced by rolling stock the lever 22 being latched to its position by one of the

latch members

24 or 25, does not move, he breakable member 41 yields by fracture and then the bendable member 44 yields by bending which permits the shaft 21 to rotate and with it the flange 35 and projection 37 rotate until the forward edge of the projection 37 reaches and engages the face of the lever 22, which limits the extent to which the member 44 may be bent and the extent to which the shaft 21 may be rockedwith'the lever '22 latched in position, with the result that after the switch has been forced, the switch points and also the target are latched against movement in either direction until the trainmen remove the fractured and bent members and replace the same to restore the switch to operative condition. The switch mechanism may therefore be relied upon positively to show by the position of its target that the switch has been forced, and rendered inoperative, and is not liable to be tamperediwith in any unauthorized manner to indicate that the switch is in operative condition when it is not in fact in operative condition. My improvements are adapted to be readily applied to switch apparatus'heretofore installed and now in use.

The apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerable modification within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to-normally hold a switch at opposite extremities of its ad ustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuated by the movement of said actuating lever to actuate and hold said switch, a target adapted to indicate the position of said crank shaft, and means interposed between said actuating lever and crank shaft adapted to yield under abnormal strain for a fraction of a normal throw of the switch and to retain connection with and control over the switch and target to prevent a full normal throw of either.

2. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normally hold a swltch at opposite extremities of its adjustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuated by the movement of said actuating lever to actuate and hold said switch, a target adapted to indicate the position of said crank shaft, means interposed between said actuating'lever and crank shaft adapted to yield under abnormal strain for a fraction of a normal throw of the switch and target and allow said target to move to a position to indicate that the switch has been forced, and means to retain connection with and control over the target to prevent movement thereof until the switch is restored to operative condition.

3. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at opposite extremities of its adjustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuated by the movement of said actuating lever to actuate and hold said switch, a target adapted'to indicate the position of said crank shaft, and means interposed between said actuating lever and the switch adapted to yield under abnormal strain for a. fraction of a normal throw of the switch and to retain connection with and control over the switch and target to prevent a full normal throw of either.

4. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at opposite extremities of its adjustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuated by the movement of said actuating lever to actuate and hold said switch, .a target adapted to indicate the position of said crank shaft, means interposed between said actuating lever and switch adapted to yield under abnormal strain for a fraction of a normal throw of the switch and allow said target to move to a position to indicate that the switch has been forced, and means connecting said target with said actuating lever and adapted to controlthe movements of said target and prevent a reverse movement of said target until the switch has been restored to opera tive condition.

5. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at opposite extremities of its adjustment, a

switch, transmitting mechanism interposed between said switch and said actuating lever, a target operable in unison with the movements of said switch to indicate the position of the switch, and means interposed between the switch and said actuating lever adapted to maintain connection between the target and actuating lever and control over the movements of the target and toyield under abnormal strain by bending to allow the target to move to a position to indicate that the switch has been forced, and retaining the target in such position until the switch has been restored to operative condition.

6. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at opposite extremities of its adjustment, a switch, transmitting mechanism interposed between said switch and said actuating lever,

a target operable in unison with the move ments of said switch to indicate the position of the switch, and a combined breakable and bendable member interposed between the switch and said actuating lever adapted to partly fracture and partly bend when the switch. is forced and permit said target to move independently of said actuating lever to a position to indicatethe extent to which the switch has been forced.

7. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at opposite extremities of its adjustment, a switch, transmitting mechanism interposed between said switch and said actuating lever, a target operable in unison with the movements of said switch to indicate the position of the switch, a combined breakable and bendable member interposed between the switch and said actuating lever adapted to partly fracture and partly bend when the switch is forced and permit said target to move independently of said actuating lever to a position to indicate the extent to which the switch has been forced, and means to prevent a reverse movement of said target until the switch is restored to operative condition.

8. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at opposite extremities of its adjustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuated by the movement of said actuating. lever to actuate and hold said switch, a target adapted to indicate the position of said crank shaft, and a combined breakable and bendable member detachably interposed as a coupling member between said actuating lever and said crank shaft and adapted to partly break and partly bend when the switch is forced and permit said target to move independently of said actuating lever to a position to indicate that said switch has been forced.

9. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normally hold a switch at opposite extremities of its adjustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuatedby the movement of said actuating lever to actuate and hold said switch, a target adapted to indicate the position of said crank shaft, and a combined breakable and bendable member detachably interposed as a coupling member between said actuating lever and said crank shaft and adapted to partly break and partly bend when the switch is forced and permit said target to move independently of said actuating lever to a position to indicate that said switch has been forced, and means adapted to prevent a reversemovement of said target until the switch is restored to operative condition, I

10. A railway switch actuating mechanism comprising an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normally hold aswitch at opposite extremities of its adjustment, a crank shaft adapted to be actuated by the movement of said actuating lever to actuate and hold said switch, a target adapted to indicate the position ofsaid crank shaft, and a combined breakable and bendable member detachably interposed as a coupling member between saidactuating lever and said crank shaft and adapted to partly break and partly bend when the switch is forced, and permit said target to move independently of said actuating lever to a position to indicate that said switch has been forced, and means movable in unison with said crank shaft adapted to engage said actuating lever and prevent a reverse movement of said target until the switch is restored to operative condition.

11. Railway switch actuating mechanism comprising a pair of switch points, an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normally hold said switch points at either extremity of their adjustment, and transmitting and locking means interposed between said actuating lever and said switch points continuously retaining control over the movements of said switch points and adapted to yield under abnormal strain due to theswitch being forced, to thereby permit the switch points to move to an intermediate position, and serving to thereupon lock said switch points against subsequent movement under normal strains from said intermediate position in either direction.

12. Railway switch actuating mechanism comprising a pair of switch points, an actuating lever adapted to be latched in position to normally hold said switch points at either extremity of their adjustment, and transmitting and locking mechanism interposed between said actuating lever and said switch points continuously retaining control over the movements of said switch points and adapted to yield under abnormal strain due to the switch being forced, to thereby permit the switch points to move to an intermediate position, and serving to thereupon lock said switch points against subsequent movement under normal strains from said intermediate position in either direction.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

WALLACE M. GRAY;