US488599A - Tram way-switch - Google Patents

Description

UNrr STATES PATENT rrrcn.

WILLIS G. CARMELL, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

TRAMWAY- SW|TCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,599, dated December 27, 1892.

Application filed December 11, 1891. Serial No. 414,746. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WVILLIs G. CARMELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at O0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates to the improvement of street railwayswitches and means for operating the same.

The objects of my invention are, to provide a switch of this class of superior construction and arrangement; to provide in connection therewith superior means for throwing the switch-tongue of a street railway from the car; to so construct my device as to facilitate the direction of the cars, either upon abranch or main-track; to produce said invention in a simple, durable and inexpensive form and to produce other improvements in the construction and arrangement of parts thereof which will be more specifically pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure is a central longitudinal section of a street railway and car thereon having my improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line at x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view on line y y of Fig. 2 showing the switch operating rod and its casing, partly in elevation and partly in section. Fig. 4 is a view of the under side of a car having my improvements thereon, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of a railway track. 7

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

a a represent the main-track. rails of a street railway track and b b branch or switch railsiwhich connect with and lead from said main-track rails in the usual manner. At the switch point or intersection of the rails b and a, is pivotally supported in the usual manner, upon a suitable switch-plate W, a switch-tongue h The rails are supported from the ties at in the usual manner. Between the main-track rails at the desired distance in front of the switch-plate, is formed a suitable excavation c, (Fig. 2) within one end of which is seated transversely a suitable metallic casing c. The floor of this casing c is provided on each side of the center of its length with an upwardly. projecting bearing lug or bracket 0 said brackets having fulcrumed thereto, the central portion of leverbars 0 c. The inner ends of these two leverbars or arms are j ointedly connected by an intervening lever-bar c, the ends of which are pivotally connected with or fulcrumed to the inner ends of said bars 0 c Jointedly connected with the outer end of each of the bars 0 0 is an upwardly extending pressure arm, the latterbeing indicated at 0 0 Upon the upper ends of these pressure arms are supported as shown, suitable forms of pressure buttons, the latter being indicated at 0 0 As shown in the drawings, these buttons are thus sup ported above and adjacent to the inner sides of the flattened or tread portions of the rails.

d represents a shaft or connecting-rod, which extends longitudinally through the central portion of the excavation c and which has one end which I will term its forward end, rigidly connected with the central portion of the central lever-bar c and which adjoining said lever-bar is provided with abearing in the frame or casing oi. The opposite end of said connecting rod (1 is journaled in the lower portion of a suitable frame or casing 11 the latter rising as shown, from the forward portion of the excavation to the street level and being provided with a lateral extension in its upper end in the form of a boxing 61 which extends to the inner side of the switchplate 19 With that extremity of the rodd which projects from the frame-piece d is rigidly connected the lower end of a lever arm e, the upper end of which is jointedly connected as shown at e with a horizontal operating rod e, which extending within the casing (1 has its outer termination within an opening f of the web of the switch-plate. In this position the outer end of the operating rod e is connected as shown, with the lower end of a pin f, said pin extending upward through a slotted openingf in the body of the switch-plate and havingits upper end connected with the switch-tongue b 9 represents a oarfloor or frame, g the wheels thereof, and g the axles. Upon one of the axles g are fulcrumed swinging arms 1' and 4?, each of said arms consisting of a sleeve 71 which loosely surrounds the axle or a fixed collar i thereon at a point adjacent to the inner side of the car-wheel. These sleeve portions 43' are as shown in the drawof the arms 2' t ings, provided with oppositely located projectingportions 1' Each of these arms 2' has pivotally connected with its extremity a suitable roller 1', which, when said portion t of the arm 1' is depending vertically, is adapted to come into contact with and exert a pressure upon one of the lever buttons 0 or c which adjoin the track rails. 43 which projects from the sleeve 2' has projecting therefrom, an arm which carries on its outer extremity a suitable weight 70, the latter projecting substantially at right-angles with the arm '5. i

m m represent respectively, vertical stems or reel-posts which are journaled in theends ot' the .car platform g, said stems carrying upon their' upper endssuitable crank handles m and upon their lower ends :beneath said platform grooved pulley or reel wheelsmi m 0. and 0 represent-suitable operating-ropes or chains, which may be formed of any desired material. The central :portion of the rope 0 isxsecured as shown at 0 in the groove of the :reel wheel'm l From this reel wheel the rope extends toward the zlongertsides of theiplatform g and'passes over suitablepulley'w'heels m m5, arranged on oppositesides of the pulley wheel m From these pulley wheels,the rope is extended in the direction of the length Lot the platform, and has its ends connected with the projecting portion t The icentralrportion of the rope o is as described for the rope o'secured within-thegroove of the reel wheel on. From said reel wheel, said'rope extends in opposite directions as described for the rope 0 and passes about'pnlleys orsheaves 0 which correspond withthe pulleys m m From these'pulleys, the portions ofthe rope 0' extend inward and have their ends secured-as shown, to the projecting portions 2' of the arms'i. Each of the reelstems mis provided adjacent to the upper side of the platform g with a small ratchet wheelip with which is adapted to engage a suitable pawl '10 pivoted to the plat form.

Presuming that the car upon the main-track is approaching the points where the buttons 0 '0 project above the rail tread and it being desired to-tdirect said car on the branch track I), and presuming that the switch tongue b is inthe position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings,t'. (5., against the inner switch-plate flange,

the method of operating my device is as foldrawings; in which position the roller wheel tion therewith of the lever bars 0 0 c and arm c in imparting such movement to said bars as to elevate the pressure button a. The movement of said lever bars will also through the bar 0 sufficiently rotate the connecting rod d as to result in-the movement of the arm ein a small arc of a circle and in a consequent inward'movement of the rod c. This movement of the rod 6 will result in moving the switch tongue which is connected therewith as described laterally toward the main-track rail, and in directing the car-wheel upon the branch track I). This having been accomplished, the reel stem m is released from the grasp of the operator, when the dropping of the weight it of the arm 41 which will =result from gravity, will-operate to throw the portion i of :s'aidarnrto such an angle asto elevate the-.roller-t -i'from con-tact with the track or buttons. .It will thus "be seen that the weights 10' "will serve to automatically hold the rollers out of vthe pathof 'the buttons, when it is desired to continue the car upon the main-track, past the switch point. In case a main track car desires to continue thereon, and th'e 'switchv'tongue isin position to direct the car upon the branch track t h'c operator of the main track ear 'may, by rotating the reel stem m, and reel wheel m take upth-at portion of said rope 'owhich-conn-ects with the arm-t and thereby cause the roller z' of the arm i to come into contact with thebutton c and thro'ughi contact with the latter so turnthers-witch tongue as to open the :main trackat the switch point.

From the construction shown and described, it will be. seen'tha't 'withoutstopping or le'aving his'car, the'driver-or operatormay control the direction taken by the car. atth'e switchpointand thatthie means em ployedareexceedingly simple I and effective.

It is obvious that Imay provide the workinglparts of my device with suitable casings or covers and that the opening) of the switch plate may be covered at all times by the switch tongue, thus preventing the entrance of dirt and the clogging 'of the parts.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure 'by'Letters Patent is,

In a railway switch operating mechanism,- the combination with the main 'and branch track-rails, :a switch-plate and pivoted tongue thereon, jointedlyeonnected lever bars as described, between the main track rails and pressure .buttons supported therefrom adjacent to the main track rails, .ofan operating rod 6' connected with the switch-tongue, connecting red at having one end connected with one of saidlever bars and its remaining end connected as described withthe operating rod 6, through an arm '6, substantially as-spe'cified.

WILLIS G. OARMELL.

In presence of- O. O. SHEPHERD,

BARTON GRIFFITH.

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