US370754A - John mckay alfoed - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT GEETCE.

JOHN MOKAY ALFORD, OF FLORAL COLLEGE, NORTH CAROLINA.

PORTABLE RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 370,754, dated October 4, 1887.

Application filed June 9, 1887. Serial No. 240,797. (No model.)

To all whom it may conlcern:

Be it known that I, J OHN MCKAY ALFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Floral College, in the county of Robeson and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Portable Railway- ?witches, of which the following is a specificaion.

My invention relates to an improvement in to portable railway-switches adapted .to switch railway-cars onto and off the track, and particularly useful to persons engaged in repairing and building railways; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings, Figurel is atop plan view of aportion of arailway-switch embodying my improvements, showing the manner of attaching the same to a railway-track. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view.

A represents the main rails of a railway- 2 5 track. B represents a pair of heads, which are provided on their outer sides with depending sides 0, adapted to bear against the outer sides of the track-rails A. At thelower edges of the sides 0 are formed horizontal laterallyprojecting flanges D, in which are a series of 'vertical open notches or recesses, E. The upper sides of the heads B are adapted to rest upon the tops of the rails A, and are inclined, as shown, the outer ends of the said heads be- 3 5 ing tapered to athin point, and thereby adapting the heads to raise the treads of the carwheels from the track A as the cars travel in the direction indicated by the arrowin Fig. 1. Through the thickened portions of the heads 0 13 extend transverse bolt-rods F, which are provided with clamp-nuts G, and are adapted to firmly secure the heads B in position on the outer sides of. the track-rails.

H represents ears or offsets which project 5 from the inner corners of the heads B. The heads B are prevented from riding up on top rails A by spikes I, which are driven into the cross-ties, and have their heads extending through the recesses E and engaging the upper sides of the flanges D.

K represents the pair of curved switch-rails,

which have their inner ends attached to the projecting studs H by means of plates L,which lap over the meeting ends of the said switchrails and studs H, and are secured thereto by means of transverse bolts M. The under sides of the switch-rails K are provided with vertical tongues N, which are adapted to enter similar grooves made in the upper ends of supporting-kneesfl, the said knees being secured on the cross-ties. By reference to Figs. land 2 it will be observed that the switchrails are arranged higher than the tracks A same, and are provided at their outer threaded ends with clamping-nuts B. Side tracks extend from the outer ends of the switch-rails, as will be readily understood, said side tracks being not illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When a train proceeding in the direction in- 7 dicatedby the arrow in Fig. 1 reaches the heads B, its wheels run up the inclined upper sides of the said heads, and are thereby raised above the top of the tracks A,a'nd are directed onto the curved switch-rails K and by the lat- 8o ter to the side track.

The heads B and the switch-rails K are comparatively light, and are adapted to be attached to the main track and detached therefrom in a very short time, and are easily car- 8 5 ried from one place to another.

A portable switch thus constructed is particularly adapted for use by'persons engaged in repairing railways, as it enables a construction-train to be readily removed from the 0 main track onto an improvised side track, where it will be out of the way of passing trains.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. The combination, in a portable railway- 5 switch, of the heads B, having the inclined upper sides and provided with the depending side plates, 0, adapted to engage the outer sides of the main-track rails, and the bolt-rods F, connecting the said heads B together to clamp I00 the latter in position against the main-track rails, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a portable railwayswitch, of the heads B, having the inclined upper sides and the projecting studs or offsets H at their inner elevated corners, the trackrails K, having their inner ends connected to the said studs or offsets, the said track-rails being arranged above and crossing over the main rails A, and the knees E, to support the switch-rails, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a portable railwayswitch, of the heads B, having the inclined upper sides and adapted to be attached to the main-track rails, the switch-rails K, connected to the heads B, arranged above the track-rails and crossing the same, the said switeh-rails having the depending tonguesNon their lower sides, and the supporting-knees having the grooves in their upper ends to receive the tongues N, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MOKAY ALFORD.

Witnesses:

H. (J. ALFORD, W. A. ELLis

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