US368604A - nolen - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1;, G. W. NOLEN.

COMBINED SWITCH STAND AND SEMAPHORE. v No. 368,604. Patented Aug. 23, 1887.

WITIVESSESi. t l/Yl/E/VTUR ii fifl m- W By ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2'.

( No Model.) I

G. W. NOLEN.

COMBINED SWITCH STAND AND SEMAPHORB.

Patented Aug. 23, 1887.

W/T/VE88 E8 051., V

ATTORNEY N. PETERS. Fhuwumc n her, Washington, no.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

GEORGE W'. N OLEN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO RICHARD S. BENNETT, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINED SWITCH-STAND AND S EIVIAPHORE.

$PECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,60, dated August 3. 1887- Application filed March 8, 1857. Serial No. $0.092. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. NoLnN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Switch- Stand and Semaphore, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of railway switch-stands in which there is combined a signaling apparatus and devices for operating the same.

The invention consists in the devices and combinations, hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents afront elevation of the switch-stand and semaphore, the front of the stand being removed; Fig. 2, a horizontal section on the line x as of Fig. 1, showing a top view of the switch-stand; Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional view on the line y y of Fig. 1, showing the lower portion of the stand; Fig. 4., aside elevation of the stand and semaphore; and Fig. 5, a detail of the ratchet and pawl, which will be hereinafter fully describe A in the several views represents the iron casing of the switch-stand, forming a tight box. A is the top of the box, and A the base to which the box is secured.

B is an arm fastened to a shaft, 0, which extends laterally through the box A, and to the arm are attached Wires 6, (shown by broken lines in Fig. 4,) for operating the usual signals (not shown) along the main track beyond the switch-stand. The wires may be connected with any of the well-known devices for operating such signals. To the shaft 0 is also fastened outside of the stand a lever, O, for turning the shaft and operating the arm and the signals it controls. The lever is locked when in normal position by a pivoted catch,o, provided on the stand-top A, and in the outer end of the catch is a hole, a, coincident with a hole in a lip, a, projecting fromthc top A, and these holes are adapted to receive the bow of a padlock when it is desired to lock the stand and signal devices. Projections c 0* at the side of the catch are engaged by the lever O,when it is being turned out or in, and swing the catch to permit the lever to pass out when the padlock is removed, and to lock the lever when returned and the padlock replaced.

At the front of the box is an arc-shaped ratchet, (1,. (shown in Fig. 4 only,) and on the U lever O is a pivoted pawl, d, which is caused to engage the ratchet when the leveris turned downward by a spring, 11, which is placed around a rod, (2 pivoted to the pawl and ex tending through a hole in an arm, (1*, on the lever O. \Vhile the lever is being turned downward the pawl slides over the teeth of the ratchet until the desired point of depres sion of the lever is reached and the pawl is permitted to engage the ratchet and hold the lever in place.

E is a crank-arm at the top of the switchstand for turning the vertical rod 6 to operate the switch. It will be obvious that when the lever G is in the position shown in the draw.-

ings the arm E cannot be operated, and that it will be free only after the lever O has been unlocked and moved forward, and the signals connected with the arm B have been thus set to indicate the position of the switch, and thus the danger of operating a switch without first setting the proper signal will be pre vented.

To operate the barf, which is pivoted atf, and connected to thepitman gfor operating the switch, the lower end of the vertical rod 0 is provided with a crank, e, fitted in a box, f, which is guided and slides in as1ot,f in the barf. The inner end of the barf rests upon and is guided by a curved way, a, on the base A The turning of the crank-arm E a halfcircle, as indicated by the dotted line 10, Fig. 2, gives the rode a corresponding half-turn and moves the bar f a proper distance to set the switch. To hold the arm E to its place, a pimp, is inserted in a staple, p, which projects from a cross-piece, a fastened on the top A of the box, and extends through a slot in the arm E. v

On the shaft 0 is a ratchet-wheel, h, with which a gravitating dog, a, on a pivot, 1', engages to hold the shaft from being turned. On the rod 6 is a pin,j, projecting at right angles at both sides of the rod, and which engages the portion of the dogz' above its pivot to hold it in or out of engagement with the ratchet It. When the crank-arm isin the pos1t1on shown in the drawings, the pin holds the dog t away from engagement; but when turned to the second position the dog is permitted to gravitate and engage the ratchet and prevent the shaft from being rotated. Thus, when the switch is set, the lever G cannot be operated to change the signals connected with the arm B, and it can be so operated only after the arm E has been turned to change the switch and the dog 72 thus released.

7t is a drum attached to the upper end of the rod 6, and Z is a wire made fast to the drum and extending around pulleys m and over a drum or pulley, at, fast to a shaft, a, mounted on a cross-piece, it, above the stand and supported on posts 12. To the shaft w is attached the usual signal frame, 0, containing suitably-coloredglasses 0, and on the shaft 11 is also hung loosely the arm q. A lamp, 42 is supported by the cross-piece.

As the crank-arm E is turned to set the switch, the drum is is partially rotated and operates the wire Z to rotate the pulley m and give the frame 0 a half-turn. A pin, 9', on the frame engages the upper portion of the arm q, and swings it up in front of the glass 0' farthest from the track. The wire Z is provided with springs s and turn-buckles i, to keep it at proper tension.

The vertical rod e is inserted into the stand through an opening in the top A. The cross piece a and a plate, a are then fastened on the top to cover the opening and form a boX for the rod. In the interior of the stand is a plate, a or crossbar, having a central opening, in which is also provided a suitable box, a, for the rod 0, so that the rod will be held in upright position while being turned.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s- I 1. In combination, in a switch-stand and is in position to connect the main track and switch, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a crank arm or lever for operating a switch, and devices, substantially as described, connected therewith for operating a set of signals, of a locking-lever for. operating another set of signals and preventing the switch-lever from being operated until the signal-lever has been moved, and a ratchet and dog for locking the signallever when'the switch-lever has been operated, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the signal-operating bar B, of the shaft 0, lever G, catch 0, and the ratchet and pawl d d, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the signal-operating bar 13, and lever O, for operating the bar, of the crank-arm E and crank-rod c e, for operating a switch, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the signal-operating lever C and its shaft 0, of the ratchet h, pawl t, and the switch-operating crank-rod 6, provided with pins j, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the crank-arm E and crank-rod e e, of the pivoted bar f, having slot f, and the sliding box f, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination, with the switchbperating crank-rod e, of the drum 70, wire Z, pulleys m m, signal-frame 0, having the pin r, and the swinging arm (1, substantially as set forth.

GEORGE WV. NOLEN.

Witnesses:

R. S. BENNETT, P. H. GUNoKEL.

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