US2826363A

US2826363A - Railway traffic counter

Info

Publication number: US2826363A
Application number: US358098A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gordon W Taylor
Original assignee: LOCOMOTIVE FINISHED MATERIAL C
Current assignee: LOCOMOTIVE FINISHED MATERIAL C; LOCOMOTIVE FINISHED MATERIAL Co
Priority date: 1953-05-28
Filing date: 1953-05-28
Publication date: 1958-03-11
Anticipated expiration: 1975-03-11

Description

March 11, 1958 G. w. TAYLOR 2,826,363

RAILWAY TRAFFIC COUNTER Filed May 28, 1953 ml D ibis@ United States Patent Office '2,826,363 Patented Mar. 11, 1958 RAILWAY TRAFFIC COUNTER Gordon W. Taylor, Atchison, Kans., assigner to The gcomotive Finished Material Company, Atchison,

Application May z8, 1953, serial No. 358,098

3 Claims. (Cl. 23S-91) The invention relates to traffic counters for railways.

One object of the invention is to provide a traffic counter which can be readily mounted in operative position on a railway rail.

Another object of the invention is to provide a traiiic counter which is applicable to a railway track and is simpleand ruggedv in construction and efficient in operation.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of a device embodying the invention'.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, the railway rail on which the device is mounted and the housing' for the counter being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig; 4. is a section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the supporting bracket for the traffic counter.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the. housingA for the counter.

In the operation of railways, it isdesirable to ascertain the extent of the traffic that passes over any particular location in a track layout, in order to gauge or determine the amount of track wear. For this purpose, the device of the invention is mounted on one side of the joint between two rail sections, and is operable by the wheels of a railway car passing over the joint for operating the counter to record the number of wheels which have passed over the joints.

The invention is exemplified in a device which is demountably secured on the rail joint between the meeting ends of a pair of aligned rail sections 11 of a railway track. The joint comprises sh plates which extend across the meeting ends of the rail sections and are clamped against the sides of the rail by bolts 12, which extend through holes in said plates and the vertical web of the rails.

A mounting bracket for the counter and the counter operating device comprises an elongated flat plate or bar 16, one face of Which fits against the outer side face of the fish plate il() on the outer sides of the rail joint. Plate 16 is provided with holes or slots 17 through which bolts 12 of the rail joint are adapted to pass for demountably securing the bracket 15 on one of the fish plates and in fixed relation to the rail sections 11. Bracket 15 includes a platfrom which projects horizontally outward from the central portion of the lower margin of plate 16. Platform 1S and plate 16 may be formed of plate metal and welded together or integrally formed. Platform 16 is adapted to support a counter or register at the outer side of the track. The counter includes an enclosing case 20, a series of numeral-wheels 21 in the case, and a shaft 22 which is suitably connected for oscillation and one-way or step-by-step operation of the numeral-wheels. The counter includes a unit wheel and multiple wheels to which the units are carried, as well understood in the art. Lugs 23 are secured on the bottom of case 20 and bolts 24 extend through holes in said lugs and said platform to support the counter on said' platform and in fixed relation to the rail. Arm 25 on shaft 22 is provided for imparting oscillatory strokes to said shaft for operating the numeral-wheels 21 stepby-step.

The mechanism for operating the counter-actuating arm 25 on shaft 22 comprises a plunger 29 which is supported at the outer side of the rail and includes a head 36 with a bevelled top 31 which normally projects above the tread of the rail so that the outer portion of the tread of the car wheel in passing over the rail joint will depress the plunger substantially to the level of the tread of the rail sections. Plunger 29 has an integral depending stem 32 which is slidably mounted in a socket 33 which is' formed in a block 34. Block 34 is rectangular in horizontal cross section, and has its lower end welded to the top face of shelf 18 and has one of its sides welded to the outer face of plate 16. A triangular plate 37 is welded to platform 18 and the outer side of block 34 for reinforcing the bracket. The distal end of arm 25 extends into an annular groove 38 adjacent the lower end of the stem 32 of plunger 29. A compression coil spring 39 is interposed between a collar (lil, which abuts the upper end of lock 34, and the recessed underface of head: 30 of plunger 29.

A cover or housing 42 encloses nd excludes moisture from the counter. This housing is slidably mounted on the platform 18 for its removal when access to the counter for resetting, or for repair. The housing comprises' a rear side wall 44, a front side wall 45, an outer end wall 46, a top wall 47, and a flange 51 underlying the platform 18. An inclined window 48 is provided between vfront wall 45 and top wall 47 to expose the numerals indicated on the counter for taking a reading thereof. A bar t9 is welded to the inner face of rear wall 45 and rests on' the platform 18. A screw 50 extends through the end wall 46 and is threaded into a socket in one end of platform 18 for securing the hous ing on the platform. The inner end of housing 42 is extended as at 53 to overlie the arm 25 and inner end of shaft 22.

The operation will be as follows: When it is desired to test the operation of a rail-joint, the bolts 12 are removed from the iish plates and rail sections and plate 16 is applied against the outer face of the outer fish plate. Bolts 12 are then replaced and tightened to securely attach the bracket 15 to the rail. The head 30 of plunger 29 will project above the tread of the rail and be disposed in the path of the outer portion of the tread of the car wheels. When a car wheel passes over head 30 in either direction, plunger 29 will be depressed against the resistance of spring 39 and stem 32 will be shifted to impart an operative stroke to arm 25 and shaft 22 of the counter. When the wheel has passed over the head 30, spring 40 will retract the plunger 29, arm 25, and shaft 22. During each oscillation of shaft 22, the counter will be operated one step so that the number of car wheels passing over the rail joint will be indicated by the total on the numerals 21 of the counter. When the test of the joint has been completed, the bracket 15 may be detached by the removal of bolts 12 to permit the bracket 15 to be removed, the bolts 12 being then restored to complete the rail joint. The bracket 15 and the parts supported thereby can be unitarily and readily removed and mounted on another rail joint. No change is necessary in the construction of the rail joint to adapt it for mounting the counter and its operating mechanism thereon. The housing 42 protects the counter and can be removed to provide access to the counting device by releasing screw 5t) and sliding the housing endwise olf the platform 18.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details described, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

l claim:

1. A traic counter for railways, comprising: a unitary supporting bracket including a side-plate fitting against the outer face of a fish-plate between rails, having holes adapted to register with the bolt-holes in the sh-plate for demountably securing the bracket on the fish-plate by the bolts which secure the fish-plate to the rails, a platform extending transversely outward from and integrally united to the lower margin of the side-plate, and an upright member integral with the bracket having a vertical socket therein, and one or" its sides merged with the outer face of the side-plate and its lower end merged with the upper face of the platform; a plunger slidable in said socket, having its upper end normally positioned in the path of a car-wheel on the rail; a coil spring between said member and the plunger; a counting device mounted on the platform and including an operating shaft extending transversely of the rails and over the platform; and an arm on said shaft having its distal end operatively connected to the plunger.

2. A traffic counter for railways, comprising: a unitary supporting bracket including a side-plate fitting against the outer face of a fish-plate between rails, having holes adapted to register with the bolt-holes in the fish-plate for demountably securing the bracket on the fish-plate by the bolts which secure the sh-plate to the rails, a platform extending transversely outward from and integrally united to the lower margin of the side-plate, and an upright member integral with the bracket having a vertical socket therein, and one of its sides merged with the outer face of the side-plate and its lower end merged with the upper face of the platform; a plunger slidable in said socket, having its upper end normally positioned in the path of a car-wheel on the rail, and its lower end provided with an annular groove; a coil spring between said member and the plunger; a counting device mount- 4 ed on the platform and including an operating shaft extending transversely of the rails and over the platform; and an arm on said shaft having its distal end extending into said groove.

3. A tralic counter for railways, comprising: a unitary supporting bracket including a side-plate fitting against the outer face of a iish-plate between rails, having holes adapted to register with the bolt-holes in the fish-plates for demountably securing the bracket on the ish-plate by the bolts which secure the fish-plate to the rails, a platform extending transversely outward from and integrally united to the lower margin of the side-plate, and an upright member integral with the bracket having a vertical socket therein, one of its sides merged with the outer face of the side-plate and its lower end merged with the upper face of the platform; a plunger slidable in said socket, having its upper end normally positioned in the path of a car-Wheel on the rail, and its lower end provided with an annular groove; a coil spring between said member and the plunger; a counting device mounted on the platform and including an operating shaft extending transversely of the rails and over the platform; an arm on said shaft having its distal end operatively connected to the plunger; and a housing having a top and sides tting around the sides and outer end of the platform, and means for demountably securing the housing on the platform.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,294,700 Peterson ..2 Feb. 18, 1919 1,369,063 Thayer Feb. 22, 1921 1,418,660 Lawhead June 6, 1922 1,446,369 Zimmermann Feb. 20, 1923 1,542,297 Gramm June 16, 1925 1,970,873 Wright et al Aug. 21, 1934 2,310,114 Poole Feb. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,371 Great Britain 1910 21,386 Austria Sept. 25, 1905