US474665A

US474665A - Railway-siding

Info

Publication number: US474665A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1892-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 1909-05-10

Description

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-8l1eet 1.

W. R. KIRK. RAILWAY SIDING.

No. 474,665. Patente ay 10, 1892.

Wnexsex I 4Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. R. KIRK. RAILWAY SIDING.

Patented May 10, 1892.

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W. R. KIRK.

' RAILWAY SIDING.

No. 474,665. Patented May 10, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIQE.

\VALLAOE R. KIRK, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,665, dated May 10, 1892.

Application filed July 11, 1391. Serial No. 399,144. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALLACE R. KIRK, of Kansas City, Jackson county, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Sidings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to the construction of railwaysidings; and the object of my invention is to produce a siding for railway-tracks which are laid in alley-Ways and similar confined narrow or otherwise-restricted places, and by means of which one or more cars of freight or other railway trains can be readily side-tracked from the main line in such mannor as not to obstruct the alley-way nor the main track.

To the above purpose my invention consists in certain peculiar and novel features of construction and arrangement, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a perspective viewof a railwaysiding constructed in accordance with my invention, the main line being in condition for the passage of trains and certain parts being partially broken away to more clearly disclose the construction. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, certain parts being partially broken away to more clearly disclose the construction. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, the siding being out of alignment with the main line, as when supporting a shunted car. Fig. 4 is an irregular verticallongitudinal section on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5is atransverse vertical section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an irregular transverse vertical section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a detached perspective view of one of the movable ties for the movable main-line section.

Previous to my invention it has been im possible to provide sidings in narrow alleyways between warehouses and similar structures, and consequently in many instances such warehouses are deprived entirely of railway facilities, and their occupants are obliged to endure the delays and expense of teaming in order to load their goods upon and unload them from railway-cars. As will be seen from the ensuing description, I have devised means whereby one or more cars can be readily detached from a train in a narrow alley-way and side-tracked in such a manner that the shunted car shall in no way obstruct either the main line or the alley-way, and so, also, that the cars shall occupy the most advantageous position for discharging and receiving their loads. I

Referringnow to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the Walls of two warehouses, factories, or other similar buildings, the space 2 between said walls being a narrow alley or driveway, such as is frequently found in manufacturing or commercial districts. 3 designates the permanent or main-line rails of a railway laid through said alley or driveway 2, and the proportions illustrated are those which generally exist between a railway of the usual standard gage and an ordinary alley or driveway of the kind described. From an inspection of the drawings it will be seen that it would be imposssible to lay an ordinary spur of siding in the space intervening between the adjacent walls 1 of the opposite buildings, and that none of the other various resources of railway engineering would avail to enable cars to be shunted off of the main track and not obstruct the alley or driveway 2. In order to accomplish this result, I provide the alley or driveway 2 with one or any number of suitable pits 3, (see Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7,) each of which is of suitable depth and which extends transversely of the alley or driveway from near the outer line of the wall 1 of one building beyond the adjacent wall of the opposite building and into the a latter a distance somewhat greater than the width of a car. This pit may be of a width somewhat greater than the length of a single car or somewhat greater than the length of several cars, as preferred, and in the bottom of this pit are laida number of ties or sleepers 4:, of any suitable 0r preferred kind, said ties or sleepers extending, preferably, transversely of the pit and being laid from one end of said pit to the other. Upon the ties 4 in that end of the pit which terminates outside of the wall 1 of one building are laid a number of fixed IOO . which the chains 19 are secured.

or stationary stringers 5, which extend parat lel with each other and longitudinally of the pit, and upon these stringers are laid two movable rails 6 and 7, which extend transversely of the pit and which are moved into and out ofalignment with the main-line rails 3, as hereinafter fully described. These two rails 6 and 7 are immediately supported by two or more movable tie-bars 8, (see, also, Fig. 8,) the base of the rail 7 being embraced by a chair 9 at the outer end of each tie-bar 8, and the outer side of the base of the rail 7 being en gaged at times by a projection or half-chair 10 upon the corresponding end of each of said ties, or, in other words, upon the opposite end from that which carries the chair 9. These two or more tie-bars 8 each move upon one of the stringers 5 just described.

Upon the ties 4, which are not covered by the stringers 5, are laid two or more rails 11, which extend parallel with each other and longitudinally of the pit, and upon these rails run four or more truck-wheels 12, which support a movable platform 13, said platform corresponding in length with the width of the pitand of a width somewhat greaterthan the space between the two main-line rails 3. Upon this platform 13 are placed and immovably secured two rails 14, which extend parallel with each other longitudinally of said platform, and the space between which corresponds exactly with the space between the main-line rails 3; or, in other words, the gage of the rails 14 upon the platform 13 is the same as the gage of the mainline rails 3. Within the pit at points between the main-line tracks 3 are located four pulley-wheels 15, which are disposed in two pairs, each of said pairs of pulleys being so located as to be at one end of the platform 13 when it is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2,

5, and 7. In each of the corners of that end of the pit which enters one of the buildings is placed a pulley-wheel 16, preferably journaled in aguard-frame 17, and midway of each end of the pit are placed two pulley-wheels 18. Two chains 19 are connected, each at one end to one side of the platform 13 midway of its length, and said chains extend thence oppositely over the two middle pulleys 18, also over the two cornerpulleys 16, and also around the two corresponding pulleys 15, the ends of these chains extending upward to the surface of the alley or driveway, as shown. A pair of chains 20 extend over two opposite pulleys 15 from those engaged by the chains 19 and thence around two corner and middle pulleys, (not shown,) but corresponding with the pulleys 16 and 18, just described, and the opposite ends of these chains 20 are secured to the opposite side of the platform 13 from that to The outer ends of these chains 20 extend upward to the surface of the alley or driveway similarly as do the chains 19, before described. The rails 14. of the platform 13 rest upon ties 21,which are so arranged as to alternate with the stringers 5, before described, and the operation of the mechanism thus far described is as follows: When a car is to be side-tracked, the train is pushed or pulled by the engine and brought to a standstill with the car to be sidetracked standing upon the rails 14, said rails being, of course, in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 6, or, in other words, in alignment with the rails 3 of the main line. The car is now uncoupled from the train, at one end only if at one end of the train and at both ends if in the body portion of the train, and that portion of the train to which the engine is coupled is drawn away. Before this portion of the train is moved away the free end of one of the chains 19 is connected to the coupling of the end car of the train, and as said car moves it draws the platform 13 to that end of the pit which enters the building, and thus carries the car sidewise into said building. As the rails 11 are thus moved away from the main-line rails 3 the outer rail 1 1, acting through a chain 21 or other flexible connection, draws the adjacent rail 7 with it until said rail7comes into alignment with the main-line rails 3, which are next to the building into which the car is being carried. This movement of the rail 7, acting upon the tiebars 8, causes the half-chairs 10 of said ties to engage the base of the companion rail 7 and draws said companion rail. into alignment with the main-line rails which are farthest from the building into which the carhas been carried. Thus it will be seen that when the car has entered the building the main line is unbroken. The chain 19 can now be uncoupled from the car or engine and the latter backed down and coupled to the rest of the train if the shunted car or cars were from the body of the train, and the train can proceed on its way. When it is desired to replace the car which has been side-tracked upon the main line, one end of one of the chains 20 is coupled to the engine or to one of the cars of the train and the engine or car is moved upon the main line. This movement draws the rails 14 toward the main line, moving the ties 21 between the stringers 5 and first causing the advancing rail 1 1 to strike the rail 7, next to the building out of which the car is being drawn. This railthen strikes the companion rail 6, and both are moved out of line with the main-line rails 3, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 7, and the main line is closed by the rails 14, so that as soon as the car is coupled to the train it can be drawn away.

In order to close the pit when the movable rails let are in line with the main-line rails 3, a removable platform 22 may be placed upon that part of the pit which is in the building into which the movable rails are drawn at times, as above described, and in order to cover the driveway or alley when the car is side-tracked a platform 24 is hinged adjacent to the wall of the building opposite from that into which the side-tracked car runs. This platformis let down and covers the space be tween the rails 7. The two lower bars 25 of this platform 24 are pivoted at their ends into the two side pieces 26 of said platform and at their corresponding ends each of these bars carries a gear-wheel 26, the teeth of said gearwheels intermeshing. A lever 27 is pivoted,

upon this end of the, upper bar and carries a pawl 28, which meshes with the teeth of the corresponding gear-wheel. Thus before the platform is lowered the bars are turned a quarter of a revolution, so as to fit closely between the rails 7, as shown in Fig. 7. At the completion of the shunting movement of the movable side-track rails 14 the movement of the movable rail 7 of the main line is arrested by a short chain or similar flexible connection 30, one end of which is secured to the outer side of the rail 7, while its opposite end is secured stationarily to the ground, and the length of said chain being such as to arrest the movement of the rail 7 when it is in alignment with the corresponding mainline rails 3.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided means whereby a car can be side-tracked in a confined space-such as an alley-without obstructing an alley-way or the main line, and also the mechanism employed can be readily and easily operated and is simple and inexpensive in construction, and it will also be seen that these side-tracking and other described operations can be performed within the length of a single car, or of two or more cars, as the case may be.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An improved railway-siding comprising a main line having a movable rail-section, a pair of movable side-track rails, and a pair of chains connected to said movable rails and serving to effect the required movements of the same, substantially as set forth.

2. An improved railway-siding comprising a main line, apair of movable side-track rails, a number of movable tie-bars, each permanently connected to one of said rails and having a projection to engage the opposite movable rail, a pair of movable main-line rails connected with one of the movable side-track rails, and a pair of chains connected each s de of the movable main-line-railsupporting frame, substantially as set forth.

3. An improved railway-siding comprising a main line having a movable track-section, a movable side track, and a hinged platform having a pair of rotating bars and a ratchetgearing for operating said bars, substantial] y as set forth.

4:. An improved railway-siding comprising a main line having a movable rail-section, movable ties supporting said movable railsection, apair of movableside-track rails, and stationary stringers 5, supporting said sidetrack rails and alternating with said movable ties, substantially as set forth.

5. An improved railway-siding comprising a pair of laterally-movable side-track rails, a pair of movable main-line rails connectedby sliding ties, a flexible connection connecting the adjacent main-line rail and inner sidetrack rail, and a flexible connection connected to the outer movable side-track rail and to the ground, substantially as set forth. I

6. An improved railway-siding comprising a laterally-movable rail-section, a pair of movable side-track rails, and apair of chains connected to the said movable rails and serving to effect the required lateral movements of the same, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. WALLACE R. KIRK.

Witnesses:

J NO. L. CONDRON,

H. E. PRICE.