US315570A - Switch-stand - Google Patents

Description

(No ModeL) 3 sheetssheet 1. R. STRETCH. SWITCH STAND.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No ModeL) R. STRETCH..

SWITCH STAND No. 315,570. Patented Apr14,.1885.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R. STRETCH.

SWITCH STAND.

N0. 315,570. `Patented Apr. 14, 1885.`

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UNITED I STATES PATENT Cramer.4

ROBERT STRETCH, or TECUMsRH, MICHIGAN. A

SWITCH-STAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming par; of Letters Patent No. 315,570, dated April 14, 1885. Application inea April is, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that l, ROBERT STRETCH, a cit izen of the United States, residing at Tecumseh, in the county of Lenawee andState of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switch Stands, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railroad-switch" stands to be used in throwing the rails forming the switch in a railroad-track,- the stand, together with all the mechanism connected therewith, being designated herein as a railroad-switch stand.7

The object ofmy invention is to secure a switch-stand in which, first, the working parts may be so protected or housed and of such character that the action of snow, ice, or water, and the use and consequent wear of the different parts will not interfere with or in any way affect the working thereof; second, the mechanism by which the switch'rail is thrown is easily and perfectly controlled, certain in its action, and affords meanswhereby great power may be exerted through the lever by which the switch is operated when requiredas, for instance, when a split switch, socalled, is used, in order to force the splitrails of the switch against the main or unbroken rail or railsv and permanently hold them there; third, the switch-rails, when placed in any desired position, will not become displaced or changed by the jolting or jarring of a train passing over said switch, or by any power or pressure applied in any way other 4than tothe lever by which the switch is operated, thus avoiding the necessity of locking the lever to the switchstand to prevent the accidental displacement of the switch, and affording means, when said -lever is made detachable, of dispensing entirely with any lock to prevent thoughtless or accidental meddling therewith; and, fourth, means are provided for moving the switchrails, compact in form, and having a lever moving, when the switch is thrown, in a vertical plane parallel Ato the rails forming uthe track.

-I havel illustrated my invention by the drawings-accompanying this specification and forming a part hereof, in which- Figure l is a plan of switch-rails and track with the switch-stand attached. Fig. 2y is a perspective of my improved switch-stand.

Fig. 3 is an elevation with a portion of the drum taken away, showing interior. Fig. t

illustrates one way of constructing a switch containing a portion of the elements of my invention. Fig. 5 is a crosssection illustrating another manner of constructing myim# proved switch-stand. Fig. 6 is a crosssection of Fig. 3 on line 6 6, looking in the direc- 6o tion of the arrow in Fig. 3. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail drawings ofthe manner in which the endsof arnisT may be protected from wear. A round metal ball, K, is inserted in hole g, 4 (shown in Fig. 7,) having a diameter larger than the thickness of the arm T, and loosely fitting grooves J J in the inner surface of cylinder D. f i, Like letters refer to like parts throughout d, Y the several views.

of cast-iron or other metal, having shoulder or flange b lapping'over or partially covering y, cylinder D. C C are .square or rectangular holes in heads B. C is a round hole in head 75.

B' in the form of construction illustrated in Fig. 5. C C', Fig. 4, are slots in head'slB. D is a cylinder, of cast-iron or `other suitable material, revolving freely in heads B, and having socket d or its Aequivalent cast thereon, d`

to receive lever F, and also having spiral` groove or threads cast on the inner or outer surface thereof, as preferred. D', Fig. 5, isa cylinder similar to cylinder D, having like, grooves or threads, J, on the inside thereof, but stationary in heads B B. `E is a square or rectangular bar or rod, of wrought-iron or other suitable material. Bar E is connected# or attached to switch-rails X X. E is a modi d cation of rod or bar E.- AEl is that portion of 9o Fz is another form of a detachable lever. Gis f 1 a link attached to drum D. g is a hole inarm T.

g' is aprojection or hook on lever Ff; H is alink Icc on lever F. `his aprojection or hook on drum D. K is a ball, of steel or other suitable material, placed in 'hole g in arm T; The groove J in cylinder D is made of such width when y 7o A is the base-plate. B B are circular heads,

ball K is used that ball K will slide freely therein. Ball K thus receives the wear which arm T would otherwise be subjected to when Jthe switchis thrown. J J are two grooves on the inner surface of drum D, in each of which grooves one end of arm T fits movably close. A rib or thread may be used instead of groove J, in which case agrooved construction or the grooved roller d (shown in Fig. S) would replace therib or other projecting part of arm T, and groove J may be placed on the outside of the drum, as on drum D, Fig. 4. T 'I' are projecting T-headed arms, rigidly attached to bar E and also to bar E2. T is a bolt or point attached to bar E and fitting into groove J. .N is a form of signal-shaft illustrated as used in connection with my improved switch-stand, having arm f engaging with slot L in bar E or E. Arms T T may form a segment of a screw-thread or spiral rib fitting closely into grooves J J, on the inside of the cylinder D. When preferred, hole g may be east or bored in each of the arms T T, and round ball K, of steel or other suitable material placed therein, fitting into grooves J J. W'hen two ribs are used instead of grooves J J, roller d', having a groove formed as shown in Fig. 8, is used. When the form of bar E', Fig. 4, is used, groove J, or an equivalent rib, is cast on the outside of the cylinder. Lever F may be fastened firmly in socket d of cylinder D, or, if preferred, the lever may be detachable from said socket or its equivalent.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a link, G, and projection, It, attached to drum D, and link H and projoction g on lever F. When the forni last described, Fig. 6, is used, thedrumD can be turned only by lever F with connecting.- links, and no lock is ordinarily necessary. BarE slides freely in slots or holes C Cin circular heads B. Bar E slides freely in slots or holes C C in circular heads B. Heads B B may be bolted to base-plate A, or one of said heads may be cast on or with base-plate A. Cylinder D revolves freely in circular heads B B. Cylinder D does not revolve in circular heads B B.

It is evident that grooves J J may be placed on the outside of cylinder D, and arms' T T of bar E be made to engage therein in the manner shown in Fig. 4, which would be the equivalent of the form described and claimed herein; but if such form of construction is adopted the working parts of the switch are exposed to snow, ice, and other obstructions, and the switch would thus be liable to getout of order or become broken, and for these and other obvious reasons I prefer to construct my improved switch in the manner illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 5, and 6.

In order that the various forms of construction and the principle governing the same which have been given may be more completely and the better understood, I will now give an exact description of each of them.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 2 andV 3 consists of base A, having heads B B firmly secured thereto, cylinderD, having thegrooves J J on the inner surface thereof, said cylinder D turning freely in heads B B, and the bar E, passing completely through heads B B and cylinder D, bar E having thereon arms T T,.

follows: The cylinder D turns freely in thev heads B B, (in precisely the same way as in the construction just described.) Grooves J J are on the outer surface of cylinder D, and bar E, instead of passing through cylinder D and heads B B, as in the construction last described, passes around the outside of the cylinder, having short arms T T', which engage with the grooves J J. Cylinder D is turned in heads B B in precisely the same manneras is the cylinder turned in the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and bar E is thus drawn or screwed to the right or left, as desired. In this form of construction the turning of the cylinder D in heads B B is protected or housed from the weather as in the form iirst described; but the grooves J J and arms T T' may be clogged by dirt or snow or ice or otherwise, and I do not,therefore,make use of this form of construction.

The construction shown in Fig, 5 is as follows: Base A, heads B B, cylinder D, having grooves J J, are identical with the same, as shown and illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and before described 5 but the cylinder D, instead of rotating or revolving in the heads B B, as in both forms before described, is held stationary therein,and instead of asquare or rectangular hole, C, in head B a round hole, C, is provided, as shown at the righ t. The bar E, passing through the heads B B and cylinder D, is broken or cut in two at e2 e3, and a joint made that will allow a rotary motion to be given to that portion of bar E lettered E2, Fig. 5. Lever F2 is placed upon the part e of barE2,pro jected through head B. The turning of bar E2,having arms T T,engaging with groove J J thereon to the right or left,will draw or screw bar E backward or forward, as desired.

The manner of operation of my improved switch-stand is as follows: Lever F is turned or rotated, cylinder D rotating in unison there- IOO 315,570 d l f 3 ployed in a two-throw switch, cylinder 'D makes about one-half a revolution. When employed in a three-throw switch, cylinder D makes about onequarter of a revolution, when the next of any given switch-rail is placed in position. When a greater throw is desired, the size of the cylinder D may be increased so that any desired portion of a revolution thereof will throw the switch-rails suftlciently to place any desired switch-rails in connection with the main track. Cylinder D is in all cases of sufficient length and diameter so the grooves J J form an inclined plane, as do the threads of an ordinary screw, having such inclination, as compared with the plane in which the T- headed arms rotate in the construction shown in Fig. 5, that when cylinder D is revolved or made to rotate bar E will be pushed or drawn freely and easily in slots C C; but when bar E is pulled or pushed in either direction by the action of the rails or otherwise, there is no tendency to turn or rotate cylinder D.

Having thus described my invention, its construction, and its manner of operation, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A frame forming abase-plate and having g cylinder-heads castor bolted thereon, a cylin-` der having a groove or thread placed therein or thereon turning freely in said heads, with 3o" a lever removably attached thereto, in combi- V nation with a bar attached to the switch-rails passing through slots or holes in said cylinderheads, and having projecting arms engaging ROBERT srREToH.

Witnesses:

GHARLEs T. BROWN, F. L. BROWN.

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