US48978A - Improvement in mode of switching street-cars - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN S. REID, OF MUNCIE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN IVIODF OF SWITCHING STREET-CARS Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,978, dated July 25, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. REID, of Muncie, in thecou'nty of Delaware and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switching Street-Gars; and Ido herebydeclare that the following is `a t'ull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters and figures marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

The nature of my said invention consists in the application or employment of a novel device upon the cars, which 'can readily be operated by the driver, whereby the cars may be easily and infallibly switched from one track to another without the employment of the ordinary movable rail or frog, and thereby obvia-ting the necessity of the driver, conductor, or other persons getting off at each switch for that purpose, as hereinafter more fully and at large set forth and explained.

To enable those skilled in the .art to understand how to construct and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with par. ticularity, making reference in so doing to the aforesaid drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side view of my invention; Fig. 2, an interior side view of the same, alongitudinal section being taken through the car; and Fig3 is a front or end view seen in perspective, showing also a view of the converging tracks.

Similar letters of reference in the different figures denote the same parts of my invention.

A represents the iioor or bottom of the car, B B being the ordinary truck-wheels, upon which the car is supported, having a ange upon the inner side thereof to prevent the car from running off the track.

C C represent a pair of wheels of a suitable size, arranged just in front of the car-Wheels, substantially as shown, and provided with an exterior ange, as shown. The said wheels C are so arranged as to lie above the track when not in use, but when operated as hereinafter described they lie upon and in contact with the track, the flange lying against the outer side thereof. The said wheels are arranged upon the shaft D, having its bearings in an adjustable box or boxes, (marked 60,) which have a vertical reciprocating motion in the grooves or 'slots in the standards G, as shown and hereinafter described. Said shaft D is supported at its center by the post or rod H, and toward each end by the springs d d, the upper ends of which are attached to the bottom of the car in any suitable manner.

E represents a lever, having its fulcrum at I, and resting upon or close above the shaft D, its front end being connected with the vertical post or arm F, which'passes up through the platform upon which the driver stands a short distance, so that he may readily place his foot upon one or the other of said posts F as the occasion may require. f

T T represent the rails of the main track, and R It the rails of the branch track, the end of the terminating rail of each track being fixed and stationary, substantially as represented in Fig. 3.

Having described the construction 0f my invention, I will proceed to describe its opera tion.

As the car is approaching the switch, as seen in Fig. 3, ifit is desired to continue along the main track T T, the driver places one foot upon the top of the arm F and presses itdown,where upon the lever E forces down the shaftD, overcoming the tension ofthe spring d, and brings the wheel C down upon the rail, and the iiange of said wheel G lying against the outside of the rail compels the car to move along upon said track T, as desired. If, on the other hand, it be desired to run the car upon the branch track It R, the driver presses down the arm F', upon the opposite side of the car, thereby forc ing the corresponding wheel C down upon the rail R, when the action of the flange, as afore said, will in like manner switch the car off upon the said branch track R It.

By placing the herein-mentioned invention at each end of the car, the same may with equal facility be run in either direction.

The wheels C may be fixed upon the shaft D or made to revolve upon the-same, as pre/ traok and providing` the saine with a I'rietion- Wheel to roll against the rail, or in any other suitable manner.

Although I consider my invention 'as especially adapted to street-ears, still it may be applied eqnallyas well npon railroad-trains, upon the locomotive or rear ear ot' the train,or both, as may be desired.

Having described the nature, construction, and operation ot' my invention, I will now specify what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. Shifting or switching ears from one track to another by pressure upon the outside of the rail or track, snbstantiall)v as herein specified.

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