US304664A

US304664A - Assigstqe of one-half to

Info

Publication number: US304664A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1884-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 1901-09-02

Description

' (No Model.)

B. F. PURVIANGE.

AUTOMAI'IG RAILROAD SWITCH.

No. 304,664; Patented Sept. 2, 1884,.

Uni-rs BENJAMIN F. PURVIANOE, OF KEOKUK, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHRISTIAN HILLS, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD-SWITCH..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,664, dated September 2. 1884.

Application filed January 21, 1884.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. PURvI- ANCE, of Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railroad- Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms parts of this s1 iecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in automatic railroad-switches; and it consists in the combination of three pivoted long rails and one hinged or pivoted short rail or bar, and a suitable mechanism for shifting these movable rails back and forth so as to connect with the main or the side track, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to construct an automatic switch which is operated by the wheels of a passing train going in one direc-' tion, in case the switch has not been moved, so as to properly connect with the main track.

The accompanying drawing represents a perspective of a switch embodying my invention, the movable parts being shown in one position in solid lines and in another position in dot-ted lines.

A represents the main track, and B the side track. Upon one side of the main track is placed the pivoted or hinged bar or short rail 0, which is pivoted to the main track at D, and to the movable cross-bar Fat Gr. XVhen the switch is moved so as to connect the main and side tracks, this short rail is moved to one side, as shown in dotted lines. Upon the opposite side of the main track is placed the long pivoted rail H, which is also connected at its free end'with the movable cross-piece. Between the rails of the side track and the sta tionary rails of the main track with which it connects are placed the two pivoted rails I, which are about the same length as the long pivoted rail of the main track, and these pivbar.

(No model.)

oted rails I are also connected at their free ends with the endwise-moving cross bar or tie. Thus it will be seen that the switch consists of three long rails and one short bar or rail, and that the free ends of all four rails are connected to the same endwise-moving cross- Connected to this cross-piece, which is limited in its movement in one direction by a suitable stop, J, is the connecting-link L, which is fastened at its lower end to the vertical crank-operating rod N. Vhenever connection is to be made between the main track and the side track, the switch must be operated by some one, so as to make the proper connection; but if the next train which is moving along the main track in the opposite direction approaches the switch, and the switch has been left so as to connect the side and main tracks together, there is no necessity of stopping the train for the purpose of operating the switch, for the wheels of the cars or locomotive will shift the switch automatically. As soon as the front wheels of the locomotive or cars strike the switch, the outer rail being stationary and the inner rail being movable, the stationaryrail serves as a fulcrum against which the flanges of the .wheels bear, and thus force sidewise, so as to move the switch-rail of the main track laterally far enough to connect with the main rail at the other end. The whole movement of the switch takes place before the wheels of the car or locomotive reaches the short pivoted rail of the switch. Thewheels of the car or locomotive will always move the switch just far enough to make a perfect connection with the main track before the movement of the switch stops, and as the flanges of the wheel and the forward motion of the cars or locomotive is sufficient to move the switch'rails under any circum stances, it is impossible for the rails to ever fail to connect.

own switching when moving in one direction, the switeh rails are fastened, and a suitable IO and hence there is no need of any care or at means for moving the bar, substantially as tention in this respect. shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I In testimony whereof I alfix my signature e]aim in presence of two witnesses.

In an automatic railroad-switch, the com- BENJAMIN F. PURVIANGE. bination of the three long rails and one short XVitnesses: rail with the rails of the main and side tracks, A. J. PURVIANOE,

an endwise-moving bar, to which the ends of A. J. MOGRARY.