US20367A

US20367A - pullman

Info

Publication number: US20367A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1858-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1875-05-25

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

N. PULLMANaOF NEW' OREGON. lOW'A.

RAILROAD-SWIT CH.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,367, dated May 25, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, N. PULLMAN, of New Oregon, in the county oi' Howard and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches for Placing` Railroad-Cars Upon the Track, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a plan of my improved switch, connected with one of the rails of a track. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section through the clamping shoe which holds the switch rail to the track and E ig. i represents a perspective view of the clamping shoe with one side removed so as to show the form of the clamping blocks.

The object of my improvements is to faw cilitate the replacing of railroad cars upon the track when, from any accident to the train or to the road they have been displaced from the track and thrown between or entirely outside the rails, and my invention for effecting this object consists, first, in a double headed rail bent at its inner end in order to diverge it from the line of the track and connected with a shoe so that its line of divergence to either side of' the track may be changed by turning it over in the shoe, thereby avoiding reversing the shoes and disconnecting them from the other parts of the switch and from the track rail, and, second, in connecting the switch rail to the shoe by means of a fixed joint and confining` the shoe to the track by means of curved side blocks which admit of its being turned on the rail transversely'and also of its being inclined to the face of the rail, by which means the divergence of the switch rail from the track can be varied as well as its inclination to the track by turning the shoe; thereby avoiding weakening both the shoe and the switch rail by connecting them with each other, as it has heretofore been the practice, by means of a flexible joint.

The accompanying drawing represents my improved switch, which consists of a double headed rail (A) and a shoe (B) which forms a chair for holding it to the track and regulating its divergence and inclination thereto. The shoe is made with a central plate (a) on which it rests when confined to the top of the track rail. From y this plate (a) two side plates (ZJ) extend upward and are bent so as to form the lips of a chair which fits the double-headed rail (A). Extending` downward from the central plate as low as the bottom of the track rail (G) are two straight flanges (o) for the purpose of confining the shoe to the track rail. Between these anges and the track rail, on both sides, fitting the hollow be tween the upper and lower webs, are blocks (fl) which on one side are plane and on the other side convex, the plane sides being toward the ianges (c) and the convex sides toward the rail.l A screw-bolt (e) passes through the center of each flange and also through the center of the blocks and confines the shoe to the track-rail in such a manner that it can be turned in any direction like a. ball and socket oint. The switch rail (A) is bent laterally near the end which enters the shoe, so that it diverges from the line of the track rail, and, as it can be reversed, this divergence may be either t-o the .right or left of the track as circumstances require and may be increased or diminished b v turning the shoe on the rail. The inclination of the switch to the surface of the track is also susceptible of variation by turning the shoe up or down and thus raising or depressing the outer end of the switch. in order to accommodate it to the ground.

ln order to lengthen the switch rail when required, a rail (C) may be attached to it by means of two clamps (f) which have a convex surface so as to admit of the rail (C) being turned in any direction.

A guide rail (D) to guide the wheels of the car from the inner end of the switch rail to the track butts against the end of the switch rail and is confined to the track and supported by two shoes (E, F,) similar in construction to that which holds the switch rail. The end of this rail opposite the shoes is bent down and beveled olf on the under side, so as to form an inclined plane for the wheels of the car to pass down on to the track. Instead of these shoes to hold the guide rail flanges may be attached to its sides near each end, which, coming down on the sides ofthe track rail, will prevent the guide rail from moving laterally.

The switch consists of two sets of the parts previously described, one for each rail of the track, and the two switch rails may be connected together, when used, by bolts,

in order to keep them from spreading. In using this switch, the guide rails and the shoes for holding the ends of the switch are plactd on the track, the bent end of the switch rail is enter'ed into its shoe with that side uppermost which will give it the direction toward the wheels of the displaced car-whether to the right or left' of the track-and if the angle of divergence made by the bend in the switch is either too greator too small to bring its outer ends directly under the wheels it is swung, by turning it Von the shoe as a center, to bring: it into the right position and then the shoe is clampedl to the'track. The switch being now ready, with its ends under one set of wheels of the car, the car is either pushed back or drawn forward by the locomotive and the wheels pass up the switch and onto the track. If both trucks of the car are off the track, the same operation is repeated.

Instead of the setscrews to clampy the shoe to the track a wedge shaped key may be used, for which key seats (g) are cut both in the blocks (CZ) and on the inside of the flanges (c). By driving the key into these seats the shoe is turned in the direction required and clamped to the rail.

The advantages Vof this switch are its little liability of breaking and getting out of order and its capability of being turned in the right direction without the aid of hinged joints which are alwaysliable to break.

Having thus described my improved switch for placing railroad cars upon the track, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The combination of the bent switch rail with the shoe when arranged in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of t-he curved blocks with the shoe and the switch rail for the purpose of regulating the inclination of the switch rail to the track and also its angle of divergence from the track, substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof I have subscribed my name.

N. PULLMAN. Witnesses:

HENRY BALDWIN, J r., Y JOHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD.