US254863A

US254863A - Railway draw bridge

Info

Publication number: US254863A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1882-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 1899-03-14

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. CHANDLER.

RAILWAY DRAW BRIDGE APPLIANGE. I l No. 254,863. Patented Mar. 14.1882.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

.J. CHANDLER..

RAILWAY DRAW BRIDGE APPLIANGE.

No. 254,863. Patented Mar.14,1882.

INVENTORI ATTEST:

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(No Model.) sheets-sheets.

J. CHANDLER.

RAILWAY DRAW BRIDGE APPLIANGB. No. 254,863. Patented Ma.1.14.1882.

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y `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN OEANDLEE, OE BROOKLYN, NEw YORK.

RAILWAY DRAW-BRI DG E APPLIANC E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 254,863, dated March 14, 1882. Application filed December 6, 1879. Renewed February 10,1882. No model.)

To rtlLwhom it may concern.:

Be itknownthat I, JOHN CHANDLER, of Brooklyn,in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Railway Draw-Bridges and Safety Appliances relating thereto, of which the following is a specification.

elevation of a portion ofthe safety-siding, look- 4ing in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4. is a plan, on a larger scale, of the main track, and a portion of the sidings and draw, illustrating the switch -locking mechanism. Fig.5 is a side elevation of the mechanism for operating the switch from the main track to the safety-sidin g. Fig. 6 is a plan of a device by which the said switch may be operated from the engine. Fig. 7 is a plan of a device by which the said switch will be operated automatically from the draw; and Fig. 8 illustrates my improved device for checking the backward motion of a runaway engine.

Let AArepresent themain or through track of the railway, B the draw-bridge, and C a safety-siding branching OE from the track A at a switch, D.

E is a siding, which joins the siding C by a switch, F, and is preferably connected to the main track by a switch, G.

His another siding, designed for use only in case of a runaway locomotive, and joined tothe siding C by a switch, I. The switch G has no immediate relation to my invention, and may be of any desired construction; but the switches D and F should be whatareknown as safety-switchesortongueswitches,77 as shown in Fig. 4, and I prefer that the switch I should be of the same character. The switches D and F are each provided with a weight or spring, whose constant tendency is to cause the switches to stand as `shown in Figs. 1 and 4., so that a train on the track A running toward the draw will run off onto the siding U,and when itattempts to run back it will run onto the siding E instead of onto the main track.

In Fig. 5 is shown the mechanism for operating the switch D, consisting ofthe usual connecting-bar, a, and lever I), and with a weight, c, projecting laterally from the lever, as shown.

It will be observed that no means is provided for locking the switch, it being necessary for the switchman to hold the lever back in the position shown in dotted lines while the train is passing, and when he releases it itwill immediately fall again to the position shown in full lines.

So far as described the operation is as follows: A train on the track A is approaching the draw, moving from right to left in Fig. 1. It' the draw is closed, the line clear, and the switchman at his post, the latter will open the switch D to the through-track, and will stand and hold it open until the train passes. The train will then pass over the draw and continuc on its course without interruption. lf, on the contrary, the draw is open or the switch- -man is aware of any obstruction on the line,

he will leave the switch D untouched; or, it' the switchman is not at his post, the switch `will remain untouched. Then when the train reaches the switch it will be directed onto the safety-siding C, where it will be gradually stopped in the manner to be hereinafter set forth. The engineer will then back his train, and it will be directed by theautomaticswitch F onto the siding E, where it may rest until the draw is closed or the obstruction ahead is removed.

The object of running the train back onto the siding E instead of onto the main track is twofold tiret, with a sin gie-track road, in case the obstruction on the line should be a train approaching in the opposite direction, that train will have clear passage, and a collision will be averted without delaying the moving train; second, in ease another train is closely following the iirst, that train may run upon the siding C, and there remain until the first train is removed from the siding E. To bring the train from the siding to the main track again, that it mayresumeits course, the switch G will be set to the main track and the train hacked crative way.

onto that track; or other switches may be provided, if desired, whereby the train may be transferred from the siding to the main track. The draw being closed and the switch D properly set, the train may proceed upon its way.

From this description it will be seen that the only possibility-of the train ruiming into an open draw is in case the switchman were not aware of the draw beingopen and should open the switch D to theinain track, and this'contingcncy I provide against by the mechanism Shown in Fig. 4, by which, whenever the draw is open, even enough to cause a non-coincidence of the rails, it will be impossible to open the switch D to the main track, and when the draw is closed andthe rails coincide the opening of the switch D'tothe main track will lock the draw, so that that cannot be opened until the switch is closed again. A bolt, d, is arranged on the abutment of the drawbridge, and capable ot' entering a socket on the draw when the latter is closed and the rails coincide. A rod, e, is lixed to the bolt and extends back to the operating mechanism of the switch D, with which it connects by a bell-crank,f, which works betweentwo lugs on thc rod a, or is connected in any other op- It will bc seen that when the switch D is shifted to the main track the rod e is moved endwise to the left, thus projecting the bolt d into the socket 'and locking the draw. y I also provide a supplementary bolt operated by the draw-bridge, which locks the bolt d whenever the draw is opened and prevents its projection, except when the draw is fully closed, rIhis supplementary bolt is lettered g in Fig. 4, and is operated by a tappet-lug, h, on the draw, acting upon a lever, t, to which the bolt g is pivoted, or of which it forms a part. A spring, j, is also provided to keep the bolt g pressed normally into a recess in the bolt d. When the draw is fully closed the bolt gis retracted and the bolt rl and switch D are free to work; but when the draw opens the bolt gis protruded by the spring and locks the bolt d, so that that cannot be projected and the switch D cannot be shifted. y

When it is desired to operate the switch D from the approaching locomotive, l employ the mechanism shown in Fig. 6, in which 7c is a lever which will be moved in the direction of the arrow by the tlange of the wheel or by contact with sorne other part of the locomotive, and l is a lever which conveys the motion to a slider, m, moving that in thcdirection ot' the arrow. The slider is provided with a tooth which engages a notch, n, in the connectingbar a ot' the switch and shifts thc same. The draw-locking mechanism is substantially the same as shown in Fig. 4, except that the boltd is provided with a handle by which to operate it at the draw, and the rod e is connected with the slider m by a lilik, so that its longitudinal motion causes a lateral motion ot the slider sufncient to engage or disengage it from the notch n. It is shown as disengaged from the \is stopped.

notch, the bolt d being retracted. When the draw is in position and the bolt d projected to lock the draw the rod e draws the slider m toward the bar a and brings its tooth into engagement with the notch n, and the approach ofA a train will shift the switch to the main track. To hold the switch open when shifted and keep the weight c from shifting it back, a catch, o, may be provided, against which the end oi the slider m will be caught when it has been moved in the direction ot' the arrow and is in engagement with the bar a. When the bolt al is retracted to open the draw. the slider m will be pushed back until its end escapes from the catch o and its tooth from the notch n, when the weight c will shift the switch back to the position shown.

Fig. 7 shows a mechanism for shifting the switch automatically by the movement ot' the draw. h is a tappet-lug on the draw, and t a bell-crank,'against one arm of which the tappet works, and the other arm is tixed to the end o'f a rod or wire rope, c, which leads to one arm of a bell-crank, f, the other arm ot' which connects with the switch-bar a. When the draw is closed the tappet h moves the lcver i, which pulls the rope e, which moves the lever f, which shitts the switch. The rope or rod e should be incased in some noirconducting substance to protect it from heat and cold and prevent its too great expansion and con` traction. y

I prefer to construct the safety-siding C with a heavy upgrade from the switchD to its eX- IOO tremity, which grade shall act to check the speed ot' the train as it runs upon it and assist in stopping the same. The grade may be uniform, or, as I prefer, it may become steeper toward its extremity. A modilcation ot' my invention in this respect would consist in making the siding Cleveland in the form ot a large circle, around which the train may run until it As this circular track will require but little grading, it may sometimes be cheaper than to build an embankment to secure the necessary grade for the straight track.

In case of a runaway locomotive upon the switch D being in its normal position, the locomotive will be directed onto the side track,

C, and its momentum will carry it to the extremity C of this track, where the grade is so steep as not to be reached by an ordinary train, and it will pass the automatic switch I, and will `stop either on the incline or at the butter at the end ofthe track, when it will either stand still, where it can be boarded and controlled, or itsweight will cause it to back down lthe incline and the switch I will direct it onto the track H, which, as shown in Fig. 2, has tirsta down and afterward anup grade, and ou this track'the locomotive will finally come to rest.

J J in Figs. land 8 are pawls, which I provide, in connection with the graded tracks C and H, to stop the descent of an engine or car when desired. As shown in the side elevation, Fig. 8, this pawl is provided with a weighted Ils rzo

Vro

arm, p, which acts to keep the pawl-arm q lifted up sufficiently to engage the axle or some other part of an engine or car. A lever, r, is also provided, todepress the pawl-arm when it is desired to release the engine or car and permit it to descend. A rubber cushion may be provided at the bearings of the pawl to reduce i the force of the concussion should the engine or car have acquired any momentum when it encounters the pawl. y

I prefer to use a weight to control the switches D and F; but, if desired, a spring may sometimes be substituted.

It'a sidingis not desired'in the vicinity ofthe draw-bridge, the siding E, which I have herein described, and its switches F and G may be dispensed i'vitlrwithout departing materially from my invention.

I. have shown the railway on butone side of the draw-bridge, as my arrangements may be exactly duplicated upon the other side of the bridge, if desired.

I claim-w 1. The switch D, in combinationwith the main track A, safety-sidingG, and draw-bridge B, and provided with a weight, c, or its equivalent, tending constantly to open it from the track A to the siding O, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of the main 'track A,

draw-bridge B, and safety-siding C, having a heavy upward grade, and connected with the track A by a switch, D, which constantly tends to open to it from the track A, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the main track A, draw-bridge B, safety-siding G, and switch D with the connecting-rod a ot' that switch, the weight c, or its equivalent, tending to operate lof onto the track A, substantially as set forth.

'with the rod or rope c for connecting the lock- 5o ingdevice with the switch mechanism, whereby when the draw is open the switch is locked in position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the track A, draw B, siding C, and switch D, of the siding E, connecting with the siding C by an automatic switch, F, operated by a weight, c, or its equivalent, whereby a train hackin g otf from the siding C will be directed onto the siding E instead 6o 6. The combination of the track A, switch D, safety-siding G, having a heavy upward grade, switch I, and siding H, having a double grade rising in both directions toward its ends, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.-

7. ThesidingsGantlH,having upward grades toward the switch I, and provided with automatic pawls J J, consisting each of a pawl-a-rm, q, a weighted arm, p, and a depressing-lever, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. In witness whereof `I have hereunto signed my name in the presence ot two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN CHANDLER.