US357189A

US357189A - Railroad-switch

Info

Publication number: US357189A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1887-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 1904-02-08

Description

' 3 sums-sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A; H. EGB. RAILROAD SWITCH.

No. 357,189. Patented Feb. f8, 1887..

A.. H. EGE. RAILROAD SWITCH.

3 Sheets-'SIMMI l '.Pagtellizedl Feb. 8. 1887.

(No Model.) l 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. H. EGE,

RILROAD SWITCH.

Patented Peb. a, 1887.

' rEicE.

ALEXANDER H. EGE, OF MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-SWITC H.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,189, dated February 8, 1887.

Application filed February 15, 1884. Serial No. 120,811. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, ALEXANDER H. EGE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Mechanicsburg, county of Cumberland, and State of Pennsylvania, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Switches and Frogs, of which the following is a specification.

lVIy inventionrelates to improvements in railroad switches and frogs, by which trains of cars in passing in either direction,'whether upon the main track or siding, will 'be prevented from derailment under any and all circumstances arising from a misplaced switch, and it has special reference to in'lprovements in the switch patented to W. P. Dodson, June 6, 1882, No. 259,001. l

yIn referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing the inain track and switch, with thelatter set to the former in full lines and to the siding in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section in line mxof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan showing the main track and siding .with a frog to be used in connection with the depressed track. Fig. et shows alongitudinal section on line y y of Fig. 3, with the part of deepest depression of the main track removed. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line y y' of Fig. 1 t-hrough the road-bed and rails, showing'more particularly the arrangement of the springs controlling the pointed rail. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively plan and side views of f a section of the main line, and showing my peculiar formation; and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the same, showing a wing-rail in position with the main-line rail.

The main trackr is indicated by the rails A A', one of which, as A, is formed with a depressed portion, as shown in the patent referred to, B B being the movable parts of the outside and inside rails, and B3 B4 the fixed parts of the same. In constructing tracks in accordance with that patent I found that when the tread ofthe wheels ofthe engine and cars was ofthe width now generally used-say four inches-the wheels were liable to drop into the depression before the edge of the wheel-treads would bear sufficiently upon the siding or wing rail. To avoid this objection I form the main-track rail in such a manner that the siding or wing rail may be brought so near to the main-rail surface, against which the Wheelilange bears just before the depression commences, that at or before the point where the inside edge of the rail, and to have this point over or in the plane of theV web of the rail it is necessary to offset the web of the rail laterally, commencing at a point about c', Figs. 6 and 7, so as to bring the web of the rail for a short distance, at or near the point 0, practically in the plane ofthe inside edge or gageline of the main rail. The crown or head is then planed or otherwise cut away, so as to form the point, which will be directly over the web and in proper alignment with the remainder of the rail. The depression of the rail is preferably made before the planing or` cutting away of the crown, and may be made either before or after the web of the rail has been offset laterally. By this construction I am enabled to bring the siding or wing rail so near to the gage-line of the main track that before the treadof the wheel passes off the main rail at the depressed portion it will bear sufficiently upon the siding or wing to be thorx oughly supported.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a stationary sidingrail, B2, like that in the patent referred to, eX- cept by offsetting the web of the main rail and cutting it, as just described, I am enabled to bend the siding-rail B2, as shown, to bring its edge near the gage-line of the main track, so that the wheel passing over the main track will be fully supported, and when the wheel passes to the siding it will also be supported, its flange crossing the main rail at the depressed portion. It is evident that the same construction of the main rail, except that the rail is not shown as laterally bent, is used in the frog portion of the switch shown in Fig.3, where r is the point, and t' the depressed porf tion, of the main rail.

I have so far described my improved rail as used in connection with a stationary siding or wing rail, as shown in the patent above referred to. I have made a further impr0venient in connection with the rail by making the siding or wing rail movable, and preferably normally held in close lateral engagement with the main rail by spring-pressure or other equivalent means. ln doing this I fasten one end ofthe wing or siding rail to the main rail or sleepers and bend the rail, so that its head or crown proj eets partially over the depressed portion ofthe main rail and to bring the edge of the siding or wing rail into contact with the tapered edge of the point of the main rail, thereby aii'ording an unbroken bearing for the tread ofthe wheels;

Instead of bending the rail vertically to form the depression, a part of the rail may be eut away, as shown in dotted lines at g, Fig. 2,01 the rail may be depressed to some extent and the crown and part of the web cut away, as shown at q', Fig. 'l. In all these cases the main-line rail is continuous in part or in whole, and the carryingsnrace ofthe main-line and siding or wing rails is always on the saine plane.

The location ol' the extremity of the switchrail B is at a short remove from the commencement of the depression of said main rail A, as at j. At or near the point b said switch-rail B is b eut inwardly at such a curve as will admit of its head projecting partly over the head of the depressed part of the main rail until the point c is reached, when the curve is made to bear outward until it is brought into continuous prolongation with the permanent portion of the siding at or near the pointfz.

Since the natural resilience of the switchrail B is an element that should also be taken into consideration when said rail is brought into requisition in shunting, and is graduated by the length of the unspiked section thereof, it is not necessary that the section d of the permanent siding-rail B5 should be unduly prolonged toward the point c, but only eX- tended so farthat when in co-operation of said resilience it will afford an interval between its extremity s and the contiguous main rail sufficient to admit of the intermediate passage of the wheel-langes of a shunted train.

Vith regard to the construction of the Aswitch-rail B, I make the same pointed at its free end at an angle more or less acute, and pivoted at the opposite end as securely as necessary. lVhen said switch-rail B is set for the main line by means of the switch-rod and lever, as in the case ol' a train passing up the main line, s aid switch-rail B is required to perform the function oi' a guard-rail. As a re-enlorcement in this relation I use one or more guides or tongues, U fu, to limit theinner range of said pointed rail B', said guides being made to pass snugly under holders on, m or equivalent devices at their free ends, said holders operating both as stops and as means to prevent the tilting or twisting of the pointrail B when subjected to the lateral pressure of the engaging wheel-flanges. rlhe transverse ends of the guides n n are riveted or otherwise rigidly fastened to the web of the said point-rail.

In referring to the depression of the maintrack rail A, it will be perceived that I limit its use to the oblique passage thereover of the wheel-iianges when sh unting. and therefore the treads are made to roll upon the upper surface of the switch-rail B under all circumstances, and not upon the concave surface of the maintrack rail A. The curved switchrail B in this connection having a lateral movement independent of the opposite switchrail, B', is not connected therewith by means of common` actuating tiebars, as is the case when both switclrrails are required to move in the same direction at the same time in opening and closing the switch. The switchrailB may therefore be swiveled or rigidly fastened at the one cxtreniity,f, to the main rail A, or at the other extrernity,f,in continnous prolongation of the permanent section d of the siding, without any reference to the point-switch B; hence the bars Fi and K, carrying the springs G and H,respeetively, of the switch-rails B and B, are swveled or fastcned at but one end to said switclrrails at the points 7L and It?.

The spring H in Fig. l, having a thrust in but one direction,requires simply a single ter minal nut, k, and a stop, k, to control the pressure of the same upon the opening and closing of the switch.

lf by frequent use it be found that the switch-rail B has lost a portion of iis natural resilience, a double-crank shaft and connecting switch-rods may be used, as shown in Fig. l in dotted lines, one of which rodsis fastened to the switch-rail B and the other to the rail B, and by these means the switch is operated as may be desired; but in this case, to make the switch automatic, springs must be used in connection with each rod.

The operation of the spring II or its cquiva- IIO lent is conlined to the function of yielding to the lateral pressure of the wheel-ilanges of a train during its passage from or onto the siding, and also, after said passage, of forcing the switc11-rail B into lateral contact with the main rail A, in order to supply the desired bearing for the wheel-treads when moving over the main line, and at the same time to restore, as much as possible, the continuity of said main rail, otherwise somewhat interrupted by the contiguous depression of the same.

In directing the attention further to the action of the wheel-flanges on the right upon their arrival at the intersection of the switchrail B with theprolongation of the main-track rail A at the point of greatest depression, fi, we perceive the same easy and uninterrupted passage of the wheel-flanges of the in or out going train over the main rail A, attended by a similar lateral pressure of the same against the head of the laterally-moving wing-rail BZ,

as obtains in the analogous case of the switch. The wing-rail B2 being pivoted, swiveled, or otherwise fastened at its extremity d, (a bolt, M, having a double spring bearing being shown,) eo-operates with the yielding spring G', and thereby admits of the uninterrupted transit of the wheel-flanges between said wingrail and the pointed head of the main rail or tongue of the frog and the top of the incline r. The throat of said frog is thus seen to be the Vplace of greatest depression, t', the tongue said point r, and the Wing-rail the spring-actuated rail B2, which, in connection with the lateral supporting continuous maiirtrack rail A, afford the necessary bearings of both the main line and siding to secure the desired safe passage of a train thereover in any desired direction.

The advantage gained by and the necessity for the pointing ofthe head of the main-track rail A at the beginning of the depression,at one end thereof at least, is shown by observing the engagement of the wheel-treads in their passage over the main line within the limits both of the switch and frog. In consequence of offsetting the web ot' the rail laterally, and then planing away the lateral edges of the head of the maintrack rail in vertical planes' converging to the web at the point of flexure, I

. am able to bring the inner or gage line of the said mairrtrack rail into such close lateral proximity to its contiguous siding or wing rail that the wheel-treads extend'so far beyond the outer lateral limits of the pointed head of the main-track rail that they roll with a safe bearing upon the horizontal upper surface of both of said rails before passing within the longitud-inallimits of the depression. The

treads of car-wheels being of a limited breadth,

said pointing of the head of the main-track rail affords safe means of transit to trains over the main line, or from the same to the siding, and vice versa.

The automatic action of the spring'factuated rails of` the switch and frog when the switch is set wrong to a train engaging therewith is so obvious as to require no description, and hence need not be referred 4to in detail.

YVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- A 1. The laterallybent crown pointed depressei rail A of the main track, and the rail .A of the same, in combination with the movable switch-rail B, and the pointed and mova-v able switch-rail B of the siding, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the main-track rails A andA, the former crown-pointed and depressed, the movable switeh-rail B, andthe pointed and movable switch-rail B ofthe siding, Pof suitable springs for actuating the switchrails B and B laterally, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the 1naintrack rail A, having two crown-pointed and depressed portions, of the spring-actuated siding and wing rails, vsubstantially as described.

4:. The combinatiomwith a continuo us main line rail, of a spring-actuated outside and independently-moving siding-rail, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER H.' EGE.

Vitnesses:

CHAs. T. SoHIvELY, W. W. DOUGHERTY.