US272789A - William spielman - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. SPIELMAN- RAILROAD SWITCH.

00j l Rl T gaf BY 1/MW 45M (/C//f/ Y 1 ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. mumu'nugmpm. wnhingwn, o c.

\VILLIAM SPIELMAN, OF ONEONTA, NEW YO'RK, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS H. ROOKWELL, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,789, dated February 20, 1883.

d Application tiled September 21, 1882. (No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SPIELMAN, of Oneonta, in the county ot Otsego and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specitication,in

xo which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view oi a part ot' a railroad-track to which my improvement has been applied. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the t5 same, taken through the linea' x, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation ot the same, takin through the line i/ y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a part of the View shown in Fie'. 3, but showing the switch-lever swung outward. Fig. 5 is asec- 2o tional elevation ot' the same, taken through the line z e, Fig. 4.

The object ot' this invention is to prevent trains of cars from running oli1 the track at misplaced switches; and to this end the invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, as Ahereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

A represents the cross-ties; B, the rails of the main track; O, the rails ot' a side track,

3o and D the switch-rails. rEhe switch-rails D are hinged at one end to rail-chairs E, rest and slide upon wear-irons F, attached to the ties A, and are connected by tie-rods G. The tie-rod G at the free ends of the switch-rails D projects at one end at the outer side ot' the track, and to it is hinged the end ot a conmeeting-rod, H, the other end of which is hinged to a crank, I, attached to or formed upon the end of the switch-shaft J. The

4o switch-shaftJ rocks in bearings K,attached to the projecting ends of two cross-ties A, and `to its other end is rigidly attached a lever, L, .which has a weight, M, attached to its free end, ot' sufcient gravity to hold the lever L in place when turned down in either direction. The crank I is made of such a length that a half-revolution of the shaft J will move the free ends of the switch-rails D through the space between the ends of the main-track 5o rails B and the side-track rails C.

It' desired, an ordinary switch-target can be connected with the switch-shaft in the usual manner.

As thus far described, there is nothing new in the construction.

N are the guard-rails, which are placed at the inner sides ot' the inner main-track rail B and the inner side-track rail O in the usual manner. The ends ot' the guard-rails N farthest from the switch-rails D are secured in chairs O, which are hinged to the tie A by bolts, so that the other ends ofthe said guardrails can have a lateral movement. The ends of the guard-rails N'next the switch-rails l) are connected by a tie-rod, P, the endot' which next the switch-shalt J is extended beneath the rails B O, and isbent up ward at the outer side of the outer rail O, and to it is hinged the inner end of a connecting-rod, Q.

Upon the outer end ot the connecting-rod Q is formed, or to it is attached, a crank-pin, R, which enters a curved slot, S, in the lever L ata distance from the switchshaft J less than the length of the crank I. As the free curls of the guard-rails N have to be moved only through a distance about equal to the thickness oi' the ange ot' an engine-wheel, and the lever L has to move through the arc ot' a semicircle, it is necessary that the crankpin It should be stopped and prevented from dropping to the end ot' the slot S. Another necessity for stopping the crank-pin R and preventing it from dropping to the end of the slot S arises from the fact that the said crankpin R must be kept above the level ot' the switch-shaft J, so that it Will have sufficient leverage to operate the level' L, and thus move the switch-rails D when the connecting-rod Q is moved longitudinally. The crank-pin R is stopped andprevented from dropping down too low by a shoulder, K', formed upon the bearingin which the switch-shaft J rocks, as shown in Fig. 5. With this construction, when the switch-rails D are in line with the maintrack rails B, and an engine is upon the sidetrack rails C and moving toward the said switch-rails D, the liange ofthe forward wheel of the engine will force the rail N away from the rail (Land thus operate the lever L to bring the switch-rails D into line with the side- IOO track rails C, so that the engine can pass on safely. In the same manner, if the engine is npon tbe main-track rails B and moving toward the switch, and the switch-rails D are in line with theside-track rails C, the ange ot' the forward Wheel ot' the engine will force the rail N away from the rail B, and thus'operate the lever L to bring* the switch-rails D into line with the main-track rails B, so that the engine can pass on safely.

NVith this improvement it will be impossible for an exigirle to be thrown from the track by an open switch.

I am aware that a lever having a segmental slot in which a pin on the end of a lever connected to the switch-rails Works has been secured to the pivot of two Weighted arms, and its outer end adapted to be connected to either ofthe said weighted arms; and I am also aware that a Weighted lever arranged upon a rock-shaft to which the guard-rails are connected has been provided with a crank-pin from which a rod extends to the s \vitchrails, and I therefore do not claim such inventions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, iS

l. In a railroad-switch, the combination, with the switch-rails D, the tie-rod G, theeonmeeting-rod H, the crank-shaft J, and the operating-lever L, provided with the curved slot S, ofthe movable guard-rails N, the tie-rod P, the connecting-rod Q, having a crank-pin, R, Working in the slot of the sai-d lever L, and means for limiting the movement ofthe crankpin in the slot, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.4

2. In a railroad-switch. the combination, with the switch-rails D and the shaft J, journaled in bearings K, one of which is provided with the shoulder K, of the lever L, provided with the slot S, the tie-rod P, and the connecting-rod Q, havingcrankpin R on its end, Working in the said slot, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM SPIELMAN.

Vitnesses CHARLES L. WILBUR, THoMAs H. RooKWELL.

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