US528867A - Automatic railway-switch - Google Patents

Description

(N0 Model.)

l 0.F.DUVAL. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

No.r 528,867.

Patented Novf 6, 1894.

% 36am/f.

WITNEEEEE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

CHARLES DUVAL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION farming para ofV Lettere Patent No. 523,867, dated November e, 1894.

Application filed November 25,1893. Serial No. 491,959. (No model.)

Y automatically operated railway switches, and

may be said to consist broadly in the combination of normally disconnected switch-operating means adapted to be actuated by the A passing car and adjustable to turn the switch either way, and electrical devices controlling the adjustment of said switch-operating means.

The invention is illustrated in theaccom-- panying drawings, of which Figure l shows a plan view of a switch constructed in accordance 'with my invention. Fig. 2 shows a vertical section. i Y

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in both the figures.

In the drawings: the letter a designates the rails of the main track; b, the rails of the switch; and c, the switch-point, which is of ordinary construction'. This switch-point is engaged by an eccentric pin d, projecting from the upper end of a vertical rock-shaft cl', which extends into a vault cl2 below the track and is supported in ya bearing therein, an arm cl3 being afxed to the lower end of said rockshaft and having a slot, which receives apin e on/a slide e,1itting ways on the bottom of said vault and adapted to be reciprocated therein.

An armature fis pivoted at its middle to suitable supports on the slide e, and electromagnets g are supported in the vaultd2, in position to co-act with opposite ends 'of said armature. These electro-magnets wil-l be suitably connected through the track-rails with a source of electricity, and will be arranged to be controlled by the motor-man by means of a switch, so that either of the magnets can be energized at will.

The armature f is slotted, as at f on opposite sides of its pivot, and a pair of weighted levers h, hung in juxtaposition within the vault d2, are provided at their lower ends with armature is brought into engagement with thel projection h' on the lower end of one of the levers h. A wheel of the passing car depresses ,the push-piece t" and therebyY operates said lever h, causing its projection h to act against the end of the slot f. and move the slide e,

' and the switch-point c is 'shifted through" its connections with the said slide, which have been previously described. While one arm of the armature is engaged with one of the levers h, the other arm is disengaged from the other lever h, so that the movement of that other lever, caused by the depression of the pushpiece t', produces no effect on the slide e.

It is evident that other means might be employed to carry out the invention, and that the invention is not therefore limited in this respect.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-= 1. In a railway switch-apparatus, the combination of a movable switch-point; a push piece arranged for actuation by a passing car; operating, connections between said pushpiece and the switch-point with provisions for turning Y said point in either direction and including an adjustable member whose position determines the direction of movement of the switch-point under impulse of the pushpiece; and electrical devices for establishing two different positions of thesaid adjustable member.

2. The combination of a switch-point; a push-piece adapted to be actuated by the passing car; suitable connections between said push-piece and the switch-point adjustable to move the latter in either direction, said connections including two separate members roo respectively, and a push-piece adapted to actua'tevsaid levers and to be actuated hy the passing car.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 21st day of November, A. D. 1893.

CHARLES F. DUVAL.

`both in operative relation with the push-piece and adapted to The moved thereby in opposite directions, and adi'sconnectingmemb'e'r movable to engage either of said members; and electro-magnets controlling said disconnecting member, substantially as described.

3. The combnationof a switch-point, a slide operatively connected with said switch-point, a pvoted armature on said slide, electro-magnets adapted to co-act With opposite ends of the armature, levers adapted to engage the said armature when attracted bythe magnets Witnesses:

A. D. HARRISON, A. W. CRossLEY.

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