US536668A - Switch interlocking mechanism - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) .4 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. J. TURNER.

SWITCH INTERLOGKING MECHANISM.

N0. 536,668. Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

INVENTOR" gym 7 A'm/ (No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet a.

J. J. TURNER.

SWITCH INTERLOGKING MEOHANISM.

No. 536,668. Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. J. J. TURNER. SWITCH INTERLOCKING MEGHANISM.

No. 536,668. Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

WITNESSES INYENTOR:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES JEWETT TURNER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH INTERLOCKING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,668, dated April 2, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMEs J EWETT TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Pittsburg, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Switch Interlocking Mechanism, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to the interlocking system used on railroads in connection with will be from and to positions beneath the rail,

so that the bar never remains in a fixed position above the rail.

The nature of my invention will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings in which it is illustrated, and in Which t Figure 1, is a plan view of a switch, switchlock, and detector-bar combined in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2, is a plan view on an enlarged scale showing the special construction of the switch-lock. Fig. 3, is a cross section on the line :rm of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is a longitudinal section on the line yy of Fig. 2. Fig. 5, is a perspective view of the end of the locking bar actuated by the switch; Fig. 6, a perspective view of the boltsoperating to lock the bar which the switch actuates. Fig. 7, is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relative position of the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, and while the switch is yet unlocked. Fig. 8, is a similar diagrammatic view showing the position of the parts when the switch is moved and locked in its new position, and Fig. 9, is a similar diagrammatic. 'view showing the'position of the parts, the

switch being in the position indicated in Figs.

1 and 7, but the lock being in operation.

A and A indicate the fixed .or stock rails Application filed December 27,189. Serial No. 533,059. (No model.)

of the switch, B B being the movable rails or switch points bound together at the ends byof the mechanism are secured.

E is what I may call the lock-box of the switch lock, it serving as a support and guide for the movable parts of the look. It is provided with a longitudinal groove E in which moves the bolt carrying plate H, and with a transverse groove E through which moves a locking bar G attached to and moved by the switch point. In the construction shown, a plate F is secured beneath the lock box E having in it a slot F which connects and registers with the slot E the said plate F serving to support and guide the bar G. It will also be noticed that the lock box E is provided with braces or extensions E which abut against the stock railA or A and are secured to the said rail by bolts. This is a very advantageous construction, principally for the reason that it insures that the lock box will move with any movement of the stock rail, and thus will efiectually prevent the engagement of the switch look. This particular feature of construction, however, forms the subject matter of another application for Letters Patent filed by me on the 27th day of December, 1894, and bearing Serial No. 533,061.

It will be noticed that in the construction shown the lock bar G is provided with notches G and G on its upper face, and that the bolt carrying plate H is provided with downwardly extending lugs or bolts H and H the arrangement being such that when the switch is in one position, the notch G in the bar G will register with the bolt H so that by a movement of the plate H the said bolt will enter the notch and lock the switch in position. In the other position of the switch the notch G will register with the bolt H so that a movement of the plate H in the opposite direction will .force the bolt into the said notch, and lock the switch in this position, the arrangement being such that each bolt can only enter its appropriate notch.

J J and J indicate portions of the switch actuating connection.

I is a rod connected with the plate H through the perforated lug H and through the bellcrank lever I with the connection 1 l l by which motion is given to the switch lock.

Besides moving the switch look I cause the switch lock connection to give motion also to a device which may be generally described as consisting of two clutches so connected with the actuating line that with each movement of the said line connection they are moved in opposite directions. As shown these clutches consist of the forked ends L Z of the bellcrank levers L L and Z Z, the arms L and lot which are pivotally secured to the rod 1 The clutch carrying arms L and Z are arranged opposite to each other and so that the clutches will registerin the position they occupy when the switch is unlocked. It will be readily seen that by this construction each movement of the connection 1 will cause the clutches to move in opposite directions.

In another application filed by me on the 27th day of December, 1894, and bearing Serial No. 533,060,'I have described and claimed broadly the combination in the switch interlocking mechanism of the two clutches arranged to move in opposite directions in accordance with each movement of one of the interlocking elements, and operating upon another elemeut of the system in one direction or another, as determined by a third element of the system. My present invention is limited to the use of those devices in combination with a detector bar which is shown in the drawings at O and which is provided with an operating connection indicated at M M M This connection is made engageable with either of the clutches by means of an adjustable clutch engaging device which, as shown, consists of a pin N fastened to the end of rod M and engaged by the forked ends of the lever arms L and Z, the said pin being readily moved from one clutch to the other when the clutches register as indicated in Figs. 1 and '7, the position of the clutch engaging device being regulated by the position of the switch lock bar G by means of a connection K K K, the rod K having connected with it a slot K into which extends a pin N secured to the rod M. I

In the diagram Fig. 7 the detector bar is shown in the position which it occupies when the switch is unlocked, the other parts of the system being shown in the same relative positions they occupy in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The diagram Fig. 9 illustrates the result effected by locking the switch in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 7. The rod 1 to effect this locking is thrust upward, this movement drawing the bolt H into the notch G and forcing the clamp Z with which the rod M is engaged to the right, the result of which is to throw the dectector bar over to the position indicated in Fig. 9, the bar being, of course, as is usually the case, secured on the ends of rocking levers P P.

It will be readily seen that the movement of the switch from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 8 will have the eifect of drawing down the rod M until its terminal pin N engages with the clutch Z To lock the switch in this new position the rod 1 is drawn downward as shown in Fig. 8, and at the same time by reason of the action of clutch L the rod M is drawn to the right as before, and the detector bar again forced from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fi 8.

It will be noticed that no matter which way the switch lock is moved the detector bar is always moved in the same direction, and always from the position below the rail to a position also below the rail, there being no position of rest in which the detector bar is left standing above the rail.

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

1. In a switch interlocking system a detector bar in combination with an actuating connection including a clutch engaging device, two clutches arranged to move simultaneously in opposite directions and actuated in a fixed relation to one of the interlocked elements of the system, and mechanism for operating the clutch engaging device operating in a fixed relation to another element of the system to engage the said device with one or the other of said clutches.

2. The combination with a railroad switch of switch locking mechanism the bolts of which are actuated by an element other than the connection to throw the switch and moved in opposite directions to lock the switch in its alternate positions, clutches actuated simultaneously in opposite directions by each movement of the mechanism which actuates the lock bolts, a detector bar, connections for actuating said detector bar including a clutch engaging device which is adapted to engage either clutch at will, a connection from the switch to the clutch engaging device whereby with each movement of the switch the said device is shifted from one clutch to the other, and means whereby the switch locking bolts and the clutches are simultaneously operated, all substantially as and for the purpose specitied.

3. In combination with the movable rails of a switch a locking bar G moved by said rails, a bolt or bolts as H H adapted to lock the bar G in either correct position of the switch, a pair of oppositely disposed levers L Z having clutches as L Z at their ends which clutches register with each other when the switch is unlocked, power transmitting mechanism whereby the lock bolt or bolts are moved and whereby, also, the levers L Z are simul ICC taneously moved in relatively opposite direc one clutch to the other at each shift of the tions, a detector bar, a power transmitting switch rails. connection having'a device adapted to engage the clutches and arranged so that it can be JAMES JEWETT TURNER shifted from one to the other while they reg- Witnesses:

ister and a connection from bar G whereby W. S. WHITE,

said clutch engaging device is shifted from CHARLES A. GEEGAN.

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