US269259A - Tenth to benjamin-fagn ant - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. G. GHASSE.

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SWITCH.

Patented De0.19, 1882.

INVENTOR.

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UNITED STATES JOSEPH Gr. OHASSE, OF SPRINGFIELD,

PATENT OFFICE.

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- TENTH TO BENJAMIN FAGNANT, OF'SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,259, dated December 19, 1882.

' Application filed January25,1882. No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH Gr. GHASSE, of Springfield, in the county of llampden and I State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railroad-Switches, of which the followingis aspecitication, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings and letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specificaro tion.

The object of my invention is to provide a means whereby a railroad switch may be operated by the engineer of a moving train.

111 the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure l is a plan view of a section of track, showing the position of the switchlevers and cables. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view indicating the relative position of the lever on the engine and the switch-lever 1), and Fig. 4 is a view of the switch-loeking device.

-In the drawings, h h represent the rails of the main track, and g g the rails of the side track. The lever b is located at the-side of the track, and but a short distance from it, but at a considerable distance from the switch. This lever is pivoted on the support If, and is about the length of a rail. The free end of the lever nearest the track swings outward when the lever from the engine comes in contact with it. To the free end of the-lever b the cable a is attached, which, passing over the pulleys e and f, is attached to the free end of the switch- 5 rails. A short section of cable, 0, is attached to the main cable a a short distance back from the pulleyf, and, passingoverthe pulleyj, is attached to the arm 0 of the switch-lock. A lever, 61, is arranged on the engine, to be operated in any convenient manner, the lower part of it projecting downward and outward, so that it may be brought in contact with the lever b. If now a train be moving in the direction of the arrow, the engine being provided with the lever d, and it is desired that the switch be moved to carry the train on the side track, g, then thelever d is moved to carry the lower projecting end in such position that it will come in contact with the lever I) nearrits ful- 5o crum. It will be seen that as the engine moves in thedirection of the arrow the free end of the lever 11 will be moved outward until the lever is nearly parallel with the track, and as the cable is attached to the free end of the lever I) it will be moved the same distance the the cable, being attached to the free end ofthe switch-rails, will move the switch the requisite distance to bring the ends of the switch-rails opposite the ends of the rails of the side track.

Between and near the free end of the switchrails I place the device shown in Fig. 4, which I term the switch Jock. This is pivoted at the center, and has the projecting arms at and n, which stand at an angle, as shown, and are of such length that one of them will bear against a switch-rail and at right angles with it when the switch is set for either the main or side track. For instance, while the switch is set for the main line the arm at bears against the rail IL, and, standing-at right angles with it gives a direct bearing, thus preventing any lateral motion of the switch, and when the switch is set for the side track the arm n will bear against the rail h in the same manner, and thus lock the switch. This lock is operated by a short cable, 0, which is attached to the main cable a, and, passing over the pulley j and under or through the rails, is connected with the central arm, 0, of the lock. To this device, composed of the members m, n, and 0, (shown specially in Fig. 4,) no claim is hereby made, as said device is substantially old.

It will be seen that this device can be arranged to operate any number of switches, and by its use switches may be opened or closed at will by the engineer on a moving train.

With this construction there will be no quick motion liable to break the parts, as the lever b may be of any desired length, and, being nearly parallel with the track, the action of a fast-moving train will result in but a slow motion of the free end of the lever b and of the switch.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- A lever, 1), cable a, pulleysfe, in combination with the rails and an engine provided with means to move the lever I), substantially as shown, for the purposes stated.

JOSEPH G. CHASSE.

Witnesses:

ALLEN WEBsTEE, J. W. HERsEY.

end of the lever moves, and the other end of

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