US363001A - Switch-stand attachment - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. ROBERTS.

SWITCH STAND ATTAGHMENT.

Patented May 1'7, 1887.

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JOSEPH ROBERTS, OF VYANDOTTE, KANSAS.

SWITCH-STAND SZ ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed Septeniherflfl, 1984.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnru Itonnn'rs, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vyair dotte, in the count-y of \Vyandotte and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Switch-Stand Attachments, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to switch stands, and has for its object a danger signal so combined, constructed, and operating therewith as to pre sent a safety-signal while the main track is complete or continuous, andat the same time being capable of showing'a danger-signal continuously while one of several side tracks is thrown into line with the main track, the mechanism employed being such that the restoration of the main track will reverse the signal from danger to safety.

The construction and operation of the in vention will be hereinafter described, and the novel features thereof specifically set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a per spcctivc of the switch-stand and signal; Fig. 2, a central vertical section with the signal in elevation. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are horizontal sections, showing the signal-operating devices in the several positions which they assume when the main track is complete and when the first siding is in line with the main track, and when the second siding isin line with the track, respectively.

Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

In any suitable frame-work, as A, thereare mounted two vertical shafts, B (l, the former provided with a crank or arm, B, adapted to operate any usual connecting-bar, which is secured in any usual manner with the swinging rails of a switch, so that when shaft B is rotated the arm B rotates with it and throws the swing-rails into line with the communicating rails of the main track and the sittings.

At the top of the frame-work is a substantially circular table, D, through which the shafts B and 0 project, the former being provided with an arm, B having pivotally secured thereto an operatinglever, B". The

edge of the table is provided with notches,

,ATTACHM ENT.

Patent No. 363,001, dated May 17, 1887.

Serial No. 113,792. (No model.)

in this instance thrcein number, D D D, and the lever J is adapted to rest within the notches when in a vertical position, thereby serving to lock the shaft and its arm Bin one of the three positions. The shaft 0 is provided with a daysignal, E, and with a night-signal or lamp, E, having the usual safety and danger indicators F and G, respectively. Directly beneath the table, and mounted upon the shaft B, is a disk, II, having a single projecting tooth, H, while upon the shaft 0 is a smaller disk, I, having a single notch, 1, adapted to receive the tooth It, and having at each side of the notch concave depressions l 1", adapted to fit the periphery of the disk II at other points than where the tooth H occurs.

In this instance the table D is provided with three notches; but, if desired, it may be pro vidcd with an additional number of notches, when the same advantages will be secured as with three, as will appear more clearly hcreinaftcr; and I therefore do not limit myself to the adaptation of my invention to switches comprising only two sidings and a main track.

The operation of theinvention is as follows: Taking the arm B in a position which would result from dropping the lever B into the notch D, said arm would be directly beneath the notch I), as shown in Fig. 3. Let it be understood that when the arm B is in that position shown in Fig. 3 the main track is complete or continuous and unbroken. Now, by lifting the lever B from the notch D to a horizontal. position it falls into the slot B in the arm B thereby forming an extension of said arm, giving leverage, so as to render the operation of swinging the rail less laborious than would be the case were the arm B shorter. Vhen thus raised, the lever is swung one quarter of a revolution in this instance, and dropped into the notch D, and this operation of the lever and the shaft B and its arm B brings them to the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and t. In the meantime the disk, being fixed upon the shaft B, is also turned a quarter-revolution, during which its tooth H has been caused tomcsh with the notch I of the disk I, so that the latter disk has also been rotated a quarter of a revolution, thus rotating with it the shaft 0, to which it is affixed, and the danger-signals mounted thereon being, as

riphery of the disk H, as shown in Fig. 3; but after the movement described of the lever and the arm B the concave seat 1" is brought to bear upon the periphery of said disk H, and at the opposite side of its tooth H. Now, it will be observed that the lever B and arm B and shaft B, with the disk H, may be rotated for any distance short of that which would bring the tooth H in contact with the edge of the disk Ithat is to say, there may be several notches formed in the periphery of the table D intermediate, though not shown, and each of said additional notches may serve to bind the arm by means of the lever B, dropped thereinto, and also the arm B and the swinging rail opposite just as many side rails as there are notches. Hence, as hereinbefore stated, I do not limit myself to the use of my invention to a switch restricted to two sidings and a main track.

It is readily apparent that in moving the lever from the notch D to D, as j ust described, the swinging rail is brought into communica- -tion with a siding-as, for instance, the first siding at one side of the main-track rail. So,

by a similar movement of thelever from notch D to notch D ,.the said swinging rail is brought into communication with asecond siding outside of the first, and in such a movement of the lever the disk H is moved from the position shown in Fig. 4. to that position shown in Fig. 5, the disk I remaining motionless in order that, the main track still being broken, the danger-signal shall remain undisturbed. Any movements of the lever between the notches D D, so as to throw the main track upon either one of the sidings, does not affect the danger-signal, by reason of the nonoperative position of the disk I relative to the disk H; but so soon as the lever is moved from the notch D toward the notch D, then the tooth H immediately meshes with the notch I and rotates the signal-shaft to present the safetyindicators at the same time that the arm B throws the swinging rail in line with the main track.

The lever B can be lockedin a vertical position within one' of the notches D D D of the stand by inserting a short bar or flat key in a slot, 6 in the upper end of said lever in front of a shoulder, b, projecting upward from the arm B, and a padlock may be at tached to said flat key.

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim is 1. In a switch-stand, the combination of a,

signal-shaft and a. rail-operating shaft with a toothed disk mounted on the rail-operating shaft and a notched and concave-seat disk mounted on the signal-shaft,substantially as specified.

2. The combination of theshaft B; provided with the disk 'H, having thetooth H,with the shaft 0, provided with the disk having the notch I and the concave seats I I substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the shaft B, having the arms B B, and the disk H,having the tooth H, with the shaft G, carrying the signals, and having the disk I, provided with the notch 1 and seats I I, and means for looking the arm B at desired points, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination ofthe notched table D', the shafts B and 0 having the disks H- and I,

constructed as described, the arm B, mounted upon the shaft B, and provided with apivoted lever, B substantially as shown and described. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

THos. L. HIGGINS, J AMES FULTON.

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