US402856A - Track-switch shifter - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. W. QUEITSGH. TRACK SWITCH SHIPTER.

No. 402,856. Patented May 7. 1889.

R O T N E V N I WITNESSES:

u. PETERS P'holo-Limngnphar, Wnhingion, ma-

(No Mode 1".) 2 fleets-Sheet 2.

. L. W. QUEITSCH.

TRACK SWITCH SHIFTBR.

No. 402,856. Patented May '7, 1889.

WITNESSES: I

J8. :m I

INVENTOR':

BY AM ATTORNEY.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS \VM. QUEITSCH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TRACK-SWITCH SHlFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,856, dated May 7, 1889. Application filed January 19, 1889. Serial No, 296,825. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis WILLIAM QUEITSCH, a citizen of the United States, re-

. siding at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Switch Shifters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a track-switch de- Vice for attachment to street-cars. The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the car-driver may, by moving a lever on the car, readily open or close the trackswitch. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation showing a crosssection of a car-track and certain parts of the device attached to a car-body, which latter is also in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, a part of the car-body being in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of one of the hangers which supports one of the holders.- Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the foot-lever holder. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section showing a top view of the'parts on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an inverted plan or bottom view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a view of a switch and shows the position of the shiftingrollers.

' The letter A designates part of the frame of'a car-body; B, the platform where the driver has position; O, a car-wheel, and D the trackrails. The leverE has a foot-piece, a, and has two m0vements-an up-and-down and also a lateral movement-and this lever operates. the two rollers F G, which shift the trackswitch.

Two sets of shifting-rollers, F G, and connected parts are employed, each set having position below the car, so that one set will be directly above each of the two rails D of the track, and thereby be capable of shifting switches that may be on either rail. A horizontal bar, J, connects the two sets of rollers. One set of the shifting rollers will now be described. Each roller is sharp-edged and has bearing in a foot-piece, b and b, on the lower end of a vertical shaft. The first roller, F, is

carried on the lower end of a shaft, F, which is movable up and down in bearings c on a holder, H, which is movable laterally on a hanger, I, secured by bolts (1 to the oar-frame A. The said. hanger I has two horizontal slots, 6, and the holder H has on its rear two pins, which are provided with friction-rollers f, and which fit in the said slots 6. A vertical bar, f, connects the pins and confines the rollers. Thus the first roller, F, and its shaft F has twomovements an up-and-down movement and a lateral movement. the lateral movement of roller F (by which is meant a movement in a direction that is crosswise of the car-track) is shown in Fig. 5. It will be seen, also, from Figs. 5 and 7 that the first roller, F, always maintains the line of its edge or rim parallel with the car-track D, which is not the case with respect' to the second roller, G. This latter turns or oscillates slightly on a vertical axis, and thereby the line of its edge or rim takes an oblique direc tion with respect to the car-track, as shown in Figs. 5 and '7.

The second roller, G, is carried on the lower end of a vertical shaft, G, which is movable up and down, and also oscillates. To provide for these movements, the shaft G in the The extent of w present instance is tubular or has a socket,

first shaft, F, is moved laterally, by causing its holder H to slide across the' hanger I, the arms 2 will cause the second shaft, G, to 0scillate or turn on its vertical axis.

The above description of one set of switchshifting rollers will serve for both sets.

As already mentioned, a cross-bar, J, connects the shafts F of the two sets of rollers. A spring, k, interposed between the upper bearing, 0, and the cross-bar J, serves to press down on the first shaft, F, and thereby tends to depress both of the rollers F G. A spring of this kind is used with each set of rollers.

The foot-lever E has two arms, E, below the platform B, and a treadle-piece, a, is above the floor of the said platform, where the drivers foot may readily have access to it. Below the platform the two arms E are each pivoted to a swiveled hanger, L, (see Figs. 2 and 6,) and the rear end of each arm fits loosely in a pivot-box, m on the cross-bar J,

the ends of said cross-bar being secured to the shafts of the holders by means of loops F embracing the said ends of the cross-bar, and secured adjustably thereto by means of 5 bolts m, extending through slots at in the loops. The forward parts of the two arms E are loosely connected by a loop or keeper, n, which is fixed 011 one arm, and through which the other arm passes loosely. It will be seen that the drivers foot may depress the treadlepiece a, and thereby tilt the two arms on their pivot-s 0 in the hangers L, causing their rear ends, which fit in the boxes m, to move up the bar J and shifting-rollers F G. The

floor of the platform B has a cross-slot, p, to allow the foot-lever E to be moved laterally, which may be readily done, as the swiveled hangers L permit such movement. ing the forward part of the two lever-arms o E will slide on each other at the loop or keeper, and the holders ll, shafts F, and rollers F will move laterally, as already described.

, In order to retain the foot-lever E in the 5 position the drivers foot may place it, a holder, N, is employed. This consists of a suitable plate or frame secured to the carplatform B and having position above an arm, (1, attached to the foot-lever E and lo- 0 cated above the platform. It will be seen that this arm g has a path or sweep below the said plate or frame N, which latter has a central notch, ogand two end vertical slots, 3. the foot-lever E has the central position, as

5 shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the treadle-piece a must be depressed, and the arm (1 will engage the central notch, o on the holder, and the shifting-rollers will be elevated, as in Figs. 1 and 2.

a \Vhen the driver desires to move the shifting-rollers laterally to either side, he will place his foot on the treadle-piece a and first depress it sufficiently to disengage the arm g from the central notch, r, and then with his 5 foot force it sidewise until the said arm enters one of the end slots, 3. As the arm q rises in the vertical slot s,thc two lever-arms E will tilt on their pivots 0 and the shiftingrollers will move down and take the position a shown in Figs. 5 and '7.

The holder N, it will be seen, serves to retain the shifting-rollers wherever they may be set.

The switch T will be acted on as shown in Fig. '7-that is to say, the first roller, F, will come between the switch T and the rail- In so do- WVhen 1 flange u and start the switch, and then the second roller, G, with its rim in an oblique direction, will enter and force the switch wide open.

It is quite possible that instead of the two shifting-rollers F G, to act directly on the switch T, some other equivalent devices may be employed, as two plates or tongues or one roller and one plate or tongue, the movement of said parts, however, to be the same.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, with a car-platform, of a foot-lever pivoted to have an upand-down and also a lateral movement, a vertical shaft,

F, carrying at its lower end a roller and movable both up and down and laterally, a

second vertical shaft, G, carrying on its lower end a roller and movable up and down and also oscillating, and a lateral arm rigidly attached to the second or oscillating shaft and pivoted to the first shaft.

2. The combination,wi th a car-platform, of two sets of switch-shifting rollers, one set above each of the two track-rails, a horizontal bar, J, connecting the two sets of rollers, and a pivoted footlever connected with the said horizontal bar.

13. The combination, with a car-pl'atform,of two sets of switch-shifting rollers, one set above each of the two track-rails, a horizontal bar, J, connecting the two sets of rollers, a pivoted foot-lever connected with the said horizontal bar, and a holder plate or frame, N, to retain the foot-lever wherever placed.

4. The combination, with a car-platform having a cross-slot, 13, of a swiveled hanger, L, a foot-lever pivoted to said hanger and projecting up through said cross-slot, a laterallymovable holder, H, a vertical shaft, F, movable up and down on the holder,a second vertical shaft pivoted to partly turn or oscillate, and also movable up and down, and a lateral arm, 1', connecting the two vertical shafts.

5. The combination,with a car-platform, of an up-and-down and laterally movable switchshifting roller, F, an oscillating and up-anddown movable roller, G, a foot-lever for moving said two rollers, and connections between the rollers and foot-lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS WM. QUEITSCH.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. MORRIS, J NO. '1. MAnDoX.

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