US339955A - wharton - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. WHARTON, Jr., 8u E. SAMUEL.

Patented Apr. 13, 1886.

(No Model.)

SWITCH POR CABLE 0R OTHER GONDUIT RAILWAYS. No. 339,955.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Apr.. 13, 1886.

W. WHARTON, Jr., 8v E. SAMUEL.

SWITGH POB. CABLE OR'OTHER GONDUIT RAILWAYS.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets- Sheet 3. W. WEARTON, Jr., 8v E. SAMUEL.

SWITCH POB. CABLE OR OTHER GONDUIT RAILWAYS.

Patented Apr.f`13, 1886.

IIHI`IHH IHINW/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAIWI VIIARTON, JR., AND EDNVARD SAMUEL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO VILLIAM VHARTON, JR., & CO.,

(LIMITED) on SAME PLAGE.

SWITCH FOR CABLE OR OTHER CONDUIT RAILWAYS.

.JJECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,955, dated April 13, 1886.

(No model.)

T all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM WHARTON, Jr., and EDWARD SAMUEL, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Switches for Cable or other Conduit Railways, of which the following is a specification. y

The object of our invention is to combine with a cable railway, where underground conduits are used, a switch which is operated by the weight of the draft-animals attached to the street-cars which run on the saine tracks as the cable-cars, while the ears drawn by the cable pass over the switch upon their proper route entirely free from the control of the movable tongue.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan View of part of a track and cable-conduit, showing our improved switch mechanism; Fig. 2, a section on the line l 2, Fig. .1, part of this figure being on the line 8 L Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of the switch-castings. Fig'. 4 is asectional diagram on the line 5 (S, Fig. l, illustrating the passage of double-tread wheels over the switch; and Fig. 5 is a sectional diagram on the line 5 6, illlustrating the passage of single-tread wheels over the switch.

A A are the switch castings connecting the main and side tracks, the casting A being provided with a pivoted movable tongue, a, as shown in Figs. l and 3.

B is a box, preferablymade of cast-iron, to contain the operative parts of the switch. This box is below the level of the roadbed, and is cut out for the reception of the switchcastings. v

mit the passage of the grip-bar of a cable-ear, as described hereinafter. One end of the rocking frame D is connected through the medium ofa lug, d', to one arm of a bell-crank lever, G, pivoted to the box B at g, the other arm being connected to the movable tongue a of the switch A by a rod, 7L, as shown in Fig. 2. The box B has an opening, M, in each end, to correspond with the conduit and to allow the passage of the cable and the grip of a cable-car, the position of the cable being indicated in the present instance at N N, Fig. l, are the cable-conduits proper, which are secured to the box B, in the present instance, by rivets or bolts passing through a flange formed on the end of the conduit and through the end of the box. \'Ve depress the arms of one side of the rocking frame D to form a yoke of sufficient size to allow a clear passage for the cable and the grip-bar mechanism, the plates F F being, as above stated, fixed sufficiently far apart to forma continuation of the grip-slot n of the cable-conduit.

It should be understood that we do not limit ourselves tothe precise form of mechanism shown for operating the switch, as different forms will readily suggest themselves.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, and especially to Fig. 3, it will be noticed that the guard-rail s of the switch-casting A has inclined ends and is higher than the top of the switch-tongue a, so that the double-tread wheels of a cable- 'car when passing over the switch-casting A travel on this raised guard-rail s.

Referring to Fig. 4, IV XV are the wheels of a cable-ear, and are what are termed double-tread wheels--tl1at,is, they are provided with an extra tread, w, on the inside of the ange.

The wheels V V', illustrated in Fig. 5, are the wheels of a street-car drawn by draftanimals, and are the.usual or single-tread wheels.

It will be noticed on referring to Fig. 4'

tongue a, the guard-rail s 011 the rail A at the saine time preventing any accidental lateral movement of the cable-car in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4. The rise or incline of the guard-rail s begins at the points y y, at or near each end of the casting A, Fig. 3, and gradually reaches its full height at the two points a. Thus it will be seen before the tread of the wheel W canagain rest on the rail proper it has cleared the tongue a, and that any accident which might occur to a cable-car by reason of the switchtongue being set for the side track is thus avoided, but when a car having the ordinary single-tread wheels passes the switch it is directed either onto the main track or onto the side track, according to the way the switch-tongue is set. lf, forninstance, the plate E is depressedby a draft-animal of an advancing car with singletread wheels stepping upon it under the guidance of the driver, the frame D will be rocked to the position shown in Fig. 2, which will, through the medium of the bell-crank lever G and rod h, move the tongue a to the position indicated in the drawings, and the car will be directed onto the side track; but if the draft-animal should tread on the plate E the frame D will be rocked in the other direction and will be moved to `a position opposite to that shown, so that the car will be directed onto the main track.

Although we have shown in the drawings the route of the cable-cars to be the straight track, it is evidentthat the shape of the switch can, if desired, be so modified or its position so changed that the cable-cars will be directed `onto the side track without in the least departing from the features of our invention. ln such case the regular route of the cablecars having double-tread wheels would be upon the side track, and they could never go upon the straight track; but the cars having singletread wheels could, as before, be directed onto either the straight track or the side track, as might be desired.

Ve wish it understood that we do not coniine or limit ourselves to the application of our invention to cable railways alone, fory while we have described the cars with doubletread wheels as being drawn by a cable, it is evident that our invention can be used in connection with cars propelled by electricity or any other power where the conductor or other motive appliance is contained in an underground conduit, and it is necessary to have a slot opening through the switch to allow the passage of a bar or other connection between the car and the conductor or other underground motive appliance.

The frame D can be so counterweighted as to balance the eXtra metal required on one side of the center to form the yoke-shaped extension of the arms. l

We prefer to have the rocking frame D 'with'the depressed yoke-shaped arms on one side constructed as shown in Fig. 2, so as to have the center of suspension, b, near'the top of the ybox B, and yet to allow the free passage of the cable and the cablegrip barat' all times without interfering with the inde-` pendent movement of the rocking frame; butit is evident that the center of l oscillation and suspension of the rocking frame D can be so .lowered that, without depressingany ot' its parts from a general plane, there wi-ll be room above the rocking frame for the passage of the cable and the grip-bar.

NVe claim as our invention- 1. A switch-box, B, having a slot, n, for the passage of a cable-grip bar or a contactbar.

M, for the passage of a cable and a cablegrip bar or a contact-ba1z l 3. A switch-box, B, having a slot, n, for the passage of a cable-grip, and end openings, M, for the passage of a cable and a cable-grip bar. f

4. A rocking frame, D, having its arms on one side depressed and continued around un-r der and outside of the cable, substantially as set forth.y l

5. The combination of a railway-track,l conduit for cable or other driving mechanism, movable platform, movable switch-point, and connecting mechanism for operating said switch -point from said movable platform passing beneath thedriving mechanism in the conduit, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of switch-castings A A with a box having end openings, M M, and a slot, n, for the passage of the cable and of the grip-bar of acable-car, all substantiallyk as described.

7. The movabletongue of a switch and movable operating-platform connected to the said tongue, in combination with a box, B, having end openings, M M, and a slot, n, all substantially as described.

8. The raised inclined rail s,when combined with a movable tongue, a, and with movable 2. Al switch-box, B, having end openings, y

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operating-platforms connected to the said

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