US3017503A - Railroad track turnout - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 16, 1962 A. A. KNlFF RAILROAD TRACK TURNOUT Filed March 31, 1961 6 I F m 3 0 3 l 7 J0 3 l 2++ 3 0 p 1 m 6 u a F INVENTOR. 4061/57 A. XIV/FF smeu/ A TWRIVEYS 3,617,503 Patented Jan. 16, 1982 hce 3,017,503 RAILROAD TRACK TURNOUT August A. Kniff, San Dimas, Calif., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Trim-Scale Models, line, an Dimas, Calif., a corporation of (Ialifornia Filed Mar. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 99,815 6 Claims. (Cl. 246-415) This invention relates to a model railroad track turnout.

It is conventional in model railroads to supply electricity to the engine by making two rails the terminals of an electric circuit. The engine wheels serve as contact means to complete the circuit to the motor. Difliculty has been encountered in switching model railroad trains because it has heretofore not been possible to get the wing rails and frog point rails close enough to each other to enable the wheels to make continuous contact with the rails and thereby avoid an interruption in the current when the train passes over the switch. Previous attempts to get the rails close enough to avoid such an interruption have ordinarily resulted in short circuits occurring between branches of the tracks, which disabled the entire railroad system. On the other hand, when the rails Were spaced far enough apart to reliably avoid short circuits, there has been formed a gap over which the engine had to coast. This was inconvenient, because many times the train did not have enough inertia to coast over the switch, and the train would stall. Once stalled at this point, it could no be restarted without pushing it to the next rails.

Also, when a large gap was formed between the rails, it has also been conventional practice to bridge the gap by means of an insulating support which the wheels would ride while passing to the next rails. This would work well enough for a while, despite the need for the engine to coast over the gap, but the plastic would soon begin to wear, and then it was necessary for the trian to climb up out of a declivity, and there often was not enough torque at the motor to do this.

Furthermore, the current switching techniques used in previous switches precluded the operation of more than one train at a time.

It is an object of this invention to provide a turnout switch which enables current to be applied from stock rails through wing rails to the very points of frog rails, which can be so closely brought together that there need be no electrical gap or circuit breaking point when the wheel passes from the wing rails to the frog point rails. In fact, these rails may be brought so close together that there is no appreciable wheel drop at the switch. Furthermore, more than one train can be operated on the tracks at the same time by use of the instant switching techniques.

This invention is carried out in combination with a conductive first and second stock rail. First portions of these stock rails are parallel to each other, and second portions of them diverge from each other. A pair of conductive frog point rails are spaced from and disposed at an angle to each other. They lie between the second portions of the stock rails. Each is parallel to its nearer stock rail.

A pivot unit is located between the stock rails and is adapted to swing in an arc in the plane of the rails. The pivot unit includes a pair of conductive and conductively interconnected wing rails, each of which has a diverter portion parallel to the second portion of the stock rail which is farther from it. Each wing rail also includes a contactor portion, these contactor portions diverging from each other and from their respective diverter portions. They straddle the frog point rails. A pair of contacts are provided, each one of which is connected to a respective one of the frog point rails, and is so disposed and arranged as to be contacted by the contactor portion of the wing rail which lies between it and its respective stock rail at a location spaced from the said frog point rail. It is disconnected therefrom at a location closer to the frog point rail. The result of the above is that physical switching of the engine and electrical switching of the connections are carried out by contact with a respective diverter portion with one of the stock rails and simultaneous connection between a contact and the contactor portion of the wing rails so as to supply current from one of the stock rails to the frog rail in the direction in which the engine is to be switched.

The above and other features of this invention will be fully appreciated from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are plan views of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in two different switching positions; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken at line 33 of FIG. 2.

The presently preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 1, the train will be switched to the right, and in FIG. 2, it will be switched to the left. With initial reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a model railroad turnout 10, which includes ties 11. The ties may be made of insulating material and may all be cast in a single piece, together with tracks that are supported by the ties, if desired.

A first stock rail 12 (which may be straight, and is sometimes herein called the straight stock rail) forms one part of the trackage, while a second stock rail 13 (which may be curved, and is sometimes herein called the curve stock rail) forms another part. First portions 14, 15 of rails 12 and 13 are parallel to each other and form an initial portion of the trackage. Second portions 16, 17 of rails 12 and 13 diverge from each other, each forming the outer rail of trackage beyond a switching point. As it happens, the first stock rail 12 is a straight piece of track while the second stock rail is a curved piece of track, and this forms a right hand turnout. It will be recognized that the first stock rail could instead have been curved so that the switching would not have resulted in a simple turnout from a straight piece of track but a choice between two curves, or the straightness and curvature could have been reversed to form a left hand turnout. The example shown is therefore not a limitation on the invention, but is for illustration only.

Guard rails 18, 19 are disposed inside the stock rails to retain the flanges of the outside wheels when the wheels pass over the frog.

A pivot unit 20 includes a pivot 21 which may be a simple pin 22 and plate 23 to which a pair of conductive wing rails 24. 25 are mounted. Wing rails 24 and 25 may be joined by additional plates 26 and 27. All rails in this turnout are conductive. At least one of the plates forms conductive means to conductively interconnect the wing rails.

A switch arm 28 is connected to plate 27 and projects to one side of the ties for swinging the pivot unit in the plane of F GS. 1 and 2, which is also the plane of the rails.

Wing rails 24 and 25 have respective diverter portions 29, 30, whose lower ends 31, 32 are spaced apart by a distance less than the spacing between the first portions of the stock rails. The stock rails have indentations 33, 34 to receive the thin ends 31, 32 of the diverter portions. The diverter portions are generally parallel to the second portions of the stock rails and are spaced apart by a distance less than the spacing between the stock rails.

The wing rails also have contactor portions 35, 36

which diverge from each other and from their respective diverter portions. These straddle a pair of frog point rails 37, 38. The frog point rails are generally parallel to the second portions of the stock rails closer to them and converge nearly to a point, at which they are spaced from each other by a central insulator 39 (see FIG. 3). Outside insulators 40, 41 are provided on the opposite sides of the frog point rails from the central insulator.

Contacts 42, 43 are respectively connected to frog point rails 37, 38 and have contact buttons 44, 45, respectively, which project upwardly between the ties so they can be contacted by the contactor portions of the wing rails which lie between their respective frog point rail and its nearer stock rail. Contact occurs when the respective contactor portion is moved away from its respective frog point rail. Contact is broken when the respective contactor portion is moved toward the respective frog point rail. This relationship is best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, where the upper end of the pivot unit is moved to the left so that contactor portion 35 connects with button 45, and contactor portion 36 is moved off of and away from button 45.

Electricity is supplied to the rails in conventional fashion from a power supply 46 with leads 47, 48 connected to the stock rails. For a convenience in disclosure, the straight stock rail 12 is shown as a negative terminal, and the curve stock rail as a positive terminal. The polarity of the frog point rails is indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The symbol indicates that current is off in a particular rail. It will be observed that the current never changes in either of the stock rails but current switching occurs between the frog point rails, so that electricity is supplied to the frog point rail which lies in the direction in which the train is to be switched.

The operation of the turnout should be evident from the above. In FIG. 1, the turnout is arranged so that a train is switched to the right. For this purpose, switch arm 28 is moved to the left so that diverter portion 29 contacts the ctrai-ght stock rail. Then current flows through Wing rail 24 across the plates to wing rail to button 45 through contact 43 to frog point rail 38. It will be seen, therefore, that positive polarity is provided on the curve stock rail and that negative polarity is provided continuously from the straight stock rail, all along wing rail 24, and to frog point rail 38. The only discontinuity occurs between the junction on wing rail 24 between its two portions, and the frog point rail. However, due to the presence of the insulators, contactor portion may be brought very close to frog point rail 37, and the spacing between wing rail 24 and frog point rail 38 made so small that it is easily bridged by a Wheel of the engine, which wheel remains in continuous contact with one of said rails, so as to provide current to the train continuously without any break. Therefore, the train can proceed directly across the gap, or can even stop there and start up again. The spacing can be made so short that there is no substantial wheel drop. Also, there is no necessity for providing a support below this point to keep the wheel from dropping. All of this is accomplished without any possibility of shorting across between the various rails.

The other switching condition is shown in FIG. 2, where it will be observed that there is contact between the diverter portion 30 of wing rail 25 and the curve stock rail 13 so that the train will go straight ahead which is to say, take the left branch. Both wing rails thereby become positive in polarity and this current is conducted to contact 42. This applies positive polarity to frog point rail 37 so that the train is directed into this branch and the continuity of current is the same as that just described in connection with the other switching condition. Contact 43 is not touched by a wing rail, so that its respective frog point rail is without polarity.

It will be observed that in FIG. 1, where switching is to be the right, the entire pivot unit takes on the polarity of the straight stock rail, that is, negative polarity, while in switching to the right, the entire pivot unit takes on the polarity of the curve stock rail, that is, positive.

This invention thereby provides easy electrical and physical switching which eliminates shorts and stoppages at the switch and enables more than one train to be operated on a track system at the same time. For example, in FIG. 2, a train could previously have been operated on the branch formed by the straight stock rail and a continuation of frog point rail 37 Upon switching to the condition in FIG. 1, that train will stop, and another train on that portion of trackage formed by both stock rails can be moved onto and run on the branch formed by the curve stock rail and a continuation of frog point rail 38. Therefore, by use of this switch, trains in either one of the branches may be independently controlled and operated.

This invention is not to be limited by the embodiment shown in the drawings and described in the description which is given by way of example and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A model railroad turnout comprising: a conductive first stock rail; a conductive second stock rail, first portions of said stock rails being parallel, and second portions diverging from each other; a pair of conductive frog point rails spaced from and disposed at an angle to each other, and lying between said second portions, each being parallel to its nearer stock rail; a pivot unit between the stock rails, said unit being pivotally mounted to swing in an arc in the plane of said rails, said pivot unit comprising a pair of conductive and conductively interconnected wing rails, each having a diverter portion parallel to the second portion of the stock rail farther from it, and a contactor portion, the contactor portions diverging from each other and from their respective diverter portions and straddling the frog point rails, the ends of the wing rails removed from the contactor portions lying between the first portions of the stock rails and being spaced apart by a distance less than the spacing of the said stock rail first portions; a pair of contacts, each conductively connected to a respective one of the frog point rails, and being so disposed and arranged as to be contacted by the contactor portion of the wing rail which lies between it and its respective stock rail at a location spaced from the said frog point rail, and to be disconnected therefrom at a location closer to the frog point rail; whereby with the pivot unit swung so that the diverter portion of the wing rail nearer the first stock rail makes contact with the first stock rail, the contactor portion of the wing rail farther from the first stock rail is moved away from the frog point rail closer to the second stock rail and connects with its con tact, while the contactor portion of the other wing rail is moved away from its contact and disconnected therefrom, both wing rails, and the frog point rail farthest from the first stock rail thereby being supplied with current from the first stock rail, and the pivot unit further serving to physically switch a train from trackage comprising the two stock rails to trackage comprising the second stock rail and the frog point rail nearer to it, swinging the pivot unit so that the wing rail closer to the second stock rail contacts the second stock rail serving to remove the other wing rail from contact with the first stock rail, moving the contactor portion of the wing rail closer to the second stock rail and off of its contact and connecting the other contactor portion to its contact, whereby current from the second stock rail is supplied through the pivot unit to the frog point rail closer to the first stock rail, and a train is switched to trackage comprising a first stock rail and the frog point track closer to it.

2. A model railroad turnout according to claim 1 in which the contacts comprise flexible tabs lying beneath the respective contactor portions, and a button which, when free, projects above the bottom of its respective contactor portion.

3. A model railroad turnout according to claim 1 in which guard rails are placed inside each of the stock rails opposite the contactor portions of the wing rails to provide lateral support for a wheel flange.

No references cited.

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