US371470A

US371470A - Railway-switch

Info

Publication number: US371470A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1887-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 1904-10-11

Description

(No Model.)

0. C. MONTAGUB.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 371,470. Patented Oct. 11,1887.

29a 0 as as I I I UNTTED STATES PATENT Orrrcs.

CHARLES CARTER MONTAGUE, OF AUGUSTA, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF OXE-HALF TO JOHN HORNE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 37131670, dated October 11, 1887.

Application filed August 16, 1856. Ttrncwed August 16, 1867. Sirial N0.J i7,107. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES CARTER Mox- TAGUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Augusta, in the county of \Voodrutf and State of Arkansas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway- Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a top view of a railway-switch with my improvement applied, showing part of a track. Fig. 2 is transverse section taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and t are enlarged I5 detail views illustrating the cam that moves the switch tongues or points, Fig. 3 showing the normal position of the cam with relation to the bar or arm it operates, and Fig. 4 the position to which the parts are moved by an approaching train for tripping the detent which holds the switch-tongues in position to side-track the train, and allowing said tongues to be moved automatically into line with the the main track. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate the device against which the train impinges when approaching in one direction, and which operates to move the cam shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 5 the arm is shown upright. In

Fig. 6 it is shown down in the direction it turns when operating the cam, and in Fig. 7 it is shown down in the direction it turns when not operating the cam. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are views, similar to Figs. 5, (5, and 7, ot' the device against which a train approaching from the opposite direction impinges-for shifting the operating cam. Figs. 11. and 12 show the stand and parts located at the stand for (when acting in connection with the other parts) releasing the operat-ing-lever.

This invention relates to an automatic device for use in connection with railwayswitches, and by which aswitch is operated by the train it it should be set to the siding, the object being to prevent accidents, principally on fast trains, by preventing them from being sidetracked where the switch has been accidentally left set to the side track. I

Referring to the drawings, A represents the main track, aud B the side track.

A represents the ends of the main rails, which are moved to switch the train from the main to the side tracks, or vice versa. The rails A are provided with the ordinary spring red, O, by which they are moved into line with the main rail A when not held into line with the side track by the operating'lever D of the switch.

E represents the staiuhprovided with a notch, E, into which a cross bar or plate. D, on the lever D, tits to hold the points A back into line with the side rails B. and provided with a notch, 3 in which the bar D fits to hold the rails A into line with the rails of the main track. The lever D is connected to the rails A by a rod, D, in the usual manner.

\Ve will suppose now that a train is an preaching on the main track and the switch is set for the side track,(when thelever D would be in the position shown in Fig. 11 and the rails A would be in the position shown in dot- 7o ted lines,Fig. 1.) The pilot of the engine will strike an arm, G, pivoted at G to a bracket, H, secured to the ties, as shown in Fig. 1, between the rails of the track, and force it over from the position shown in Fig. 8 to the position shown in Fig. 9. This movement of the arm pushes forward a rod or bar, I, held and guided at its end by a pin, 1,fitting in a curved slot, H, in the bracket H, the arm preferably having a notch, G, fitting the pin l. The forward movement of the rod Icauses the movement of a cam, J, to which the rod is connected at J, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. The cam has an inclined face bearing against a projection, L, extending upward from a bar or rod, L, that extends to one side of the track. where its outer end is snpported'by a pin, M, fitting in a slot, L", of a head, L, formed upon the rod or bar L. The pin M is secured to the lowerend of a lever or levers, 0 X, pivoted at N to the switch-stand E. There may be one ot'these levers N on each side of the stand, as shown in Fig. 1, both of which would be made to turn together by being made to turn with the pivot-pin F. The up- 5 per ends of these lovers are turned inward, as shown at N, to cross the notch E, so that when the rod L is pulled in the direction shown by the arrow, Fig. 2, by the action of the cam J, as described, the upper ends, F [00 0f the lovers N will be raised, as shown in Fig. 12, lifting the plate D out of the not h E, which will release the switch-points A and allow them to be drawn over into line with the rails of the main track by means of the usual spring device with which these move into line with the main track should it be left open through neglect, as is frequently the case, thus avoiding a great danger to which fast-running trains are subjected.

The rodI extends in both directions from the cam J, and each end of it is provided with a pivoted arm, G.

In order that the same face of the camJ shall operate upon the arm L whichever way the train is moving, I connect the rod I on one side of the switch-stand to the arm G above .the pivot'G and on the other side below the pivot. The form I have describedthat is, where it is connected above the pivotis shownin Figs. 8, 9, and 10. In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 it is shown as connected, to the arm below the pivot, where the arm has alower portion, G provided with a notch, G, fitting the pin 1. The train approaching the switch from this direction would strike the arm and force it from the-position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 6 and cause the cam J to move in the same direction 'as it would be moved when the other arm is struck, or, in other words, to be moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4. \Vhen the cam, is moved it is returned to its normal position by means of a spring, I, surrounding the'rod I. *vVhen the train has passed the switch and comes against an arm, it moves it over into the position shown in Figs. 7 and 10 without operating the cam.

I have shown the cam double or with two inclined faces, and it would thus be made if the rod I were in each instance connected above the pivot-pin G of the arms G. The arm L is pulled down, after being operated, .by a spring, 0, which acts also to return the levers N from the position shown in Fig. 12 to the position shown in Fig. 11, so as not to protrude above the bottom of the notch E.

It will be seen that this device does not in any way interfere with the operation of the switch by hand.

In Figs. 8, 9, and 10 the arm G is shown as provided with-a spring, P, engaging beneath a lug, P, to restore the arm to its upright position after being moved over by the train into the position shown in Fig. 10.

The levers N can be operated, ifdesired, by means of a treadle, L,-extending beneath a projection, L, on the rod L, so that by simply pressing upon the outer end of the treadle the levers N will be operated. In this instance the pin M should be placed forward of the pivot-point N of the lever N, and when the head of the arm L is raised by the treadle a train-man to operate the switch while the operating-lever proper is locked by simply elevating the enlarged head of the rod L by the mechanism already described.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with the main and side tracks, the switch-points, and means for moving said points,the pivoted arms, cam to which the pivoted arms are connected, rod against which the cam bears, switch-stand provided with notches to receive a plate on the switchlever, and levers pivoted to the switch-stand and connected to the said rod, substantially as set forth.

.2. The combination, with the main ar d side tracks, the switch-points, and means for moving said points, of the pivoted arms located in the line of the track, acam, a rod forming a connection between the pivoted arms and the cam, a second rod provided with a projection against which the cam bears,switch-stand provided with notches to rcceivea bar on the operating lever of the switch, pivoted levers with ends ext-ending across one of the notches of the stand, and connection between the lower ends of the levers and the said camrod, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the main and side tracks, the switch-points, and means for moving said points, of the pivoted notched arms located in the line of the track, rod provided with pins engaging the notches in the arms, cam to which the rod is connected, rod provided with a projection bearing against the cam, switch-stand provided with notches to receive a plate on the switch-operating lever, and levers pivoted to the stand and connected to the said cam-rod by a pin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. Thecombination, with the main and side tracks, the switch-points, and means for moving the points, of the pivoted arms, rod to which the arms are connected, cam to which the rod is connected, rod extending laterally from said cam and provided with a slot at its outer end, levers connected to said arm by a pin fitting in said slot, stand to which the levers are pivoted, and which is provided with a notch to receive a plate on the operating-lever of the switch, and spring 0, for restoring said levers to their normal position, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with the main and side rails and switch-points, operating-lever for moving the switch-points, a stand provided with a notch to receive the plate on the lever, pivoted levers secured to the stand, spring-rod connected to the lower end of the levers, and a treadle engaging beneath the rod, by which the levers may be operated to release the plate from a notch in the stand, substantially as set forth.

CHAS. CARTER MONTA UE.

In presence of T. O. BRUNSON, F. D. DALE.