US2468024A - Railway track switch operating means - Google Patents

Description

April 26, 1949.

Filed Juhe 5, 1947 M. E. BLYTHE 2,468,024

RAILWAY TRACK SWITCH OPERATING MEANS 2 Sheets-Shee t 1 Ir went 0r Marvin E. Blythe v MW EM M. E. 'BLYTHE RAILWAY TRACK SWITCH OPERATING MEANS April 26, 1949.

Filed June 5, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenlor Marvin E. Blythe Patented Apr. 26, 1949 .1: stares ea'raznr EAIIIWAYTRAGKI SWITEH- GBWATI'NGI l MEAN S Mammanmha; Denver; 06162,!assignerr offiftysfive per centitorma E. Blythwrll'enveii Golm 3" G'Iairnst 1 This invention relat'estorailway"switches? and means of the above kind whicli 'is comparatively simple'in construction,- .effibient" in operation and eas ts install. 7 p

The exact nature of the present inventibn, as? well as more 1 specific-"obj ects and fe'atures tli'ereofl. will-become apparent f iom th'e f bllbwing descrip"-'* tion when considered ir'ificonnection" with the a companying' drawings; iir which Figure 1 is afragmentary: top plan view, showing an embodiment of the present invention, op-

eratively associated withthe: lall's and switch points of a railway.

Figure 2 is: a transverse section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1'.

Fig ur'e 3 is a central vertical sectional view-- taken longitudinally throng-H tile double act'ihg sprihg device forming-part of 'tlie iriventio'nshown ihFigures'l and 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 66 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the rails 5 and 6 are laid in the usual manner upon crossties I, and associated with these rails are switch points 8 and 9. As usual, the main track is completed when the switch point 8 is pressed against the rail 5, and the side track is completed when the switch point 9 is pressed against the rail 6. Manually operable means is provided to throw the switch points from either position to the other and to lock the same in either position. Such means includes a suitable actuating and locking device A mounted beside the switch and including a reciprocable member 0, and a novel double acting spring device B including a rod II connected at one end to the member ID, means including a barrel [2 rigidly connecting the switch points 8 and 9 and having the rod H slidably extended therethrough, a movable abutment I3 secured on the rod II and slidable in the barrel I2, and springs M and I5 coacting with the barrel l2 and the abutment l3 to yieldingly resist relative move- 2- men't b"'etwe'errsaid harrel ancltl ierod H in pupa site directions, Tile arrangement is such"that when the switch-'- point" 8 maven against the rail" 5*;- the spring I F is"compressed to' yieldinglyresistseparation ofswitcnpoint- 8-frorr'irai1 5 and to returnsaid" switch poi-ht into=contactwitli said rail if there should beanyforcibleseparationdue' to passage of a locomotive or train through" the switch when" the latter is set against" said locomotivemrtraih: Also; whemthe'switch point is moved against-fi thy rail 6} thesprin'glt -is compressed toact 'tliesame -wayrelative t'osaid switch? paint In either case'; the active switch aint may yieid to avoid damage-tattleswitcher derail:- i'ii'g-of-"tli elceo'm'ctive ortrain.=

(fentrally"apertured fixed abutments I 6 arese'-' curedin: the-opposite ends -cf kiarrel l z by'means orf'neits lT which pass downwardly through said b'arrel and ihtosaid abutments lB-s' Bearing bushert-ures of abut-menta- I 6; an'd' the springs f4" and" I5 enuie1e ro'd' ll at opposite sides of movableahutmen't la and between the latter" and abut merits? I 6? 'I Hesw-itchpoints-8 am care-dismissa on spaced seats- 19 provided on" the trip of Bar-rel I2 and tlieliolts H areccnn'e'cte'd bya tie-bar 2U. (ila mpihgpiates z I are disposed on the bolts" l--'|"l5enea-th the'-en'd's"of "'bar"2i], andnuts i i-are threaded onto bolts l1 above the bar 20 and act to draw the clamping plates 2| down against the basefianges of switch points 8 and 9 to securely fasten the barrel 2 to the latter for movement therewith.

As shown, the device A may consist of a support 23 secured on a long one of the ties 1 and having spaced ears 24 in which are secured the ends of a guide rod 25. A sleeve 26 is slidable on guide rod 25 and has the member or angular arm l0 fixed thereto. A lever 21 is pivoted at one end as at 28 to the support 23, Adjacent its pivoted end, the lever 21 has a crank pin 29 that projects into a vertically elongated slot 30 provided in a lug 3| projecting upwardly from sleeve 26. The arrangement is such that when lever 21 is swung to the position shown, switch point 9 is pressed against rail 6, and when lever 2'! is swung to the left of Figure 3, switch point 8 is pressed against rail 5. In either position of lever 21, pin 29 passes to a position slightly lower than pivot 28 so as to lock the switch in the position to which it has been thrown.

In Figure 1, the switch is shown set to complete the side track. Should a locomotive or train pass to the right through th switch when it is so set, switch point 9 will yield away from a ra rail 6 due to the fact that the switch points and barrel B are allowed to move laterally of the track by the spring I which is then compressed and acting to press the switch point 9 into engagement with rail 6. In this Way, damage to the switch and derailing of the locomotive or train is prevented. Also, after the locomotive or train passes through the switch, the spring l5 acts to again press the switch point 9 against the rail 6. The same action will take place if switch point 8 is pressed against rail 5 to complete the main track and a locomotive or train should pass through the switch from the side track onto the main track. In the latter event, spring I4 would allow yielding of switch point 8 away from rail 5, and would again press switch point 8 against rail 5 after passage of the locomotive or train through the switch.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. The device may be readily installed and operatively connected to an ordinary switch stand already in use. Minor changes in details of construction are contemplated, such as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a railway switch, in combination, a barrel adapted to be disposed transversely of and beneath movable switch points, means to secure said barrel to movable switch points when so disposed, spaced end abutments secured in the ends of said barrel, the means to secure the barrel to the switch points including a pair of clamping plates, a tie bar, bolts extending through the clamping plates and the tie bar and securing the end abutments in the barrel, and nuts threaded on said bolts for drawing the clamping plates against the switch points, a rod extending through said end abutments axially of the barrel and having an intermediate abutment secured thereon between said end abutments, said end abutments being slid-able on said rod, compression springs encircling said rod within the barrel, one of said springs being arranged between each end abutment and the intermediate abutment so that, said springs yieldingly resist movement of the barrel in opposite directions relative to said rod, and means to connect one end of said rod to means for throwing switch points to and locking the same in either main track or side track position.

2. In a railway switch, in combination, a barrel adapted to be disposed transversely of and beneath movable switch points, means to secure said barrel to movable switch points when so disposed, spaced abutments secured in the ends of said barrel, a rod extending through said end abutments axially of the barrel and having an intermediate abutment secured thereon between said end abutments, said end abutments being slidable on said rod, compression springs encircling said rod within the barrel, one of said springs being arranged between each end abutment and the intermediate abutment so that said springs yieldingly resist movement of the barrel in opposite directions relative to said rod, and means to connect one end of said rod to means for throwing switch points to and locking the same in either main track or side track position, the means to secure the barrel to switch points including spaced seats for switch points on the top of said barrel, bolts extending through said seats, a tie bar connecting said bolts, switch point clamping plates disposed on said bolts beneath the ends of said tie bar, and nuts threaded on said bolts above the tie bar for drawing the clamping plates against the bases of the switch points so as to secure the barrel to the latter.

3. The construction defined in claim 2, wherein said bolts act to secure the end abutments in the barrel, said end abutments having central apertures through which said rod extends, and bearing sleeves for said rod mounted in the apertures of said end abutments.

MARVIN E. BLYTHE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 804,952 Hundley Nov. 21, 1905 919,871 Ingram et al Apr. 27, 1909 1,372,935 Cameli Mar. 29, 1921

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