US572292A - Switch-operating device - Google Patents

Description

E. D. FARNSWORTH.

SWITCH OPERATING DBVIGE. l

No. 572,292. v x Patented Deo. 1, 1896.

@No Model.)

E. D. PARNSWORTH.

2 Sheets- Sheet ,2.

SWITCH 'OPBRAUNG DEVIGE. No. 572,292. y Patentgd 1390.1, 1896.

I /a/ F /a/ Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERVIN D.. FARNSVVORTH, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

Y' SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,292, dated'Decernber 1, 1896. Application filed February 2, 1895. Serial No. 537,036. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LERWINDFARNSWORTH, a citizen of vthe United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Operating Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

The object of this invention is toy reduce the cost of construction and enable the switching a operations to be conducted more easily and conveniently, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which will be referred to hereinafter inconnection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved car mechanism for operating the' switch and in the arrangement and combinations of parts, all substantially as will be hereinafter described and finally pointed out in the clauses of the claim.

Referringto the accompanying drawings, in which'like letters indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views, Figure l` is a plan of a railway embodying certain features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the track and an elevation of a portion of a car having the improved switchoperating device. Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofV a lever adapted to be fulcrumed upon the under side of the car and to be employed in operating the switch-tongue. Fig. 4 is a detail of the switch-operating device, illustrating a modification of the construction; and Fig. 5 is another detail likewise showing a modifiedl construction of the switch-operating device. Fig. 6 is a plan of a railway, in-

dicating a modification in the construction of the switch-ton gue-operatin g mechanism. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the track and shows an elevation ofthe car and the relation of the latter toV the switch-operating device, and Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional details also illustongue of any ordinary construction adapted to lead the car from the main line to the siding, and d indicates the car, the wheels of which are suited to run upon the said tracks and to engage the switching-tongue and be directed thereby upon the siding-rails in the usual manner. The said switching-tongue is connected by a pivot e to a transverse bar f, which extends from one rail to the other, preferably fitting in perforations in said rails. Said transverse bar is seated upon a plate g and slides longitudinally thereon and is held fromlateral motion by lugs or projections h, the said projections being disposed at frequent intervals to protect the said bar and prevent it from being bent by heavy vehicles, &c., passing thereover. By moving the bar f longitudinally back and forth the switchingtongue .is turned on its pivot t' from its open to its closed position, and vice versa. To said transverse bar f are pivoted levers j j, and these latter are also pivoted at points, as lo 7c, at a distance from the bar f, and are disposed so that one or the other will lie in an inclined position with respect to the main-line rails and where certain switch-operating devices of the car will engage the inclined surface and thus throw said levers and bar fand the switching-tongue c to or from their open or closed positions. 4

Then one of the levers j is thrown from an initial inclined position to its position parallel or approximately parallel with the rail, the other lever is thrown to an inclined position, so that the switching mechanism of the car will engage the incline thereof and throw the parts back to said initial position. The

said levers j] form a pair at each switch and present to the car mechanisms very long inclines, so that when the said switch-operating devices of the car engagethe said inclines the rapid movement of the car and its said switch-operating devices will produce only a slow or easy movement of the switch, thus reducing the impact and avoiding any liability to produce a rupture or disarrangement of the parts. By making the levers jj in a pair, as shown, I am enabled to secure the long inclination desired without adding much to the weight to be moved in operating the switch. These levers j j are disposed apart or less sharply at their ends, so that the switch-operating device of the car will not engage the extremity of the lever and will` become disengaged from the said levers jj before passing the extremities of said levers,

and thus therecan be no binding of the parts,

so that .the weighted lever of the vcar cannot operate as referred to.

to the `rails an, although they may be vas in Fig. 6, where a .single plate is arranged -midway between the tracks, the one plate carrying the two levers. By having the plates and their levers j j .at the sides of the track, as in l Fig. l,.a full space is provided for the horses feet, enabling him to travel freely along the track without `danger of having his shoesv caught v0r of being otherwise injured.

rIhe switch-operating .devices consist of Weighted levers, which are fulcru-med upon hangers n, fastened to the bottom of the car inany suitable position. I have shown a variety yof methods of arranging the said levers, but the preferred construction and arrangement is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, where each lever is shown to consistof an angular frame which may be `of a single casting or, and preferably, of wrought-iron made in jointed parts. The parts of the frame forming the angle are braced by stays 0, and the said frame at one end is provided with a contact tongue p, adapted to engage one of the levers j j of the track, and at the other end is provided with a weight which normally holds the levers so that the contact-tongue is elevated. above the plane of engage-ment with lthe said levers jj. Said Weights q may be integrally cast with the frame or, and preferably, may be independent pieces. fra-me is joined to the said frame so as to have an independent movement thereon, a pivotal connection being preferable. The said tongue is held in normal position to engage the lever j by a spring r, the said spring being of sufiicient strength to enable the lever and its connections to be operated; but

should the said-parts be blocked in their operation by stones or other obstructive matter on the track the said spring will then give and thus prevent the frame from being dis- The contact-tongue of each arranged or forced from proper operative relation to the car or hangers. The said frame lm is provided with bearings s, adapted to receive the pressure from the foot-piece t.- The foot-pieces are' arranged to slide in suitable bearings in or of the platform, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 9. The said foot-pieces are held in elevated positions by the power of the Weights q, the latter being of sufficient strength to not only hold the contact-tongues in elevated positions, but also the said footpieces. I may employ a spring s to assist the weight or to hold the foot-piece and the contact-piece inv anelevated position when the weight is not employed, as in Fig. 9.

It is evident that the switch operating mechanisms of the car, as well as the switch mechanisms of the track, may be modified or varied in construction. The switch-operatj .ing levers may ybe arranged longitudinally The levers 7' j also rest upon platesl, which are in the preferred construction disposed longitudinally adjacent with respect to the car, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 18, or transversely, as in the preferred construction -of Fig. 2. y

In Fig. 9 I have shown a construction in which the contact-piece p is hinged directly to the lower end `of a sliding plunger t in vertical li-ne with the foot-piece, so that by a simple depression of the foot-piece tthecontact-piece is brought directly into the plane of the lever j.

In Fig. 4 the switch-operating mechanism of the car is shown to be operable by the hand, the handle t in this case extending up in front of the dashboard of Jthe car. In this case the handle is coupled to an inter- Inediate lever m', Which extends longitudinally backward to the bearings s of the lever m, said lever m bein-g stationed far-ther back from the end of the car, so as to leave room for other parts. The intermediate lever may be operated by the foot-piece t, :as in Fig. 5. The foot-piece projectingabove the platform of the car, as shown, is preferably removable from its bearings, so as to be transferred from 011e platform to the other yand thus not be in position to interfere with or obstruct the standing-space when not in use. I am aware that otherchanges may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention, and so I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact constructions shown and positively described.

In operating the invention the `driver or motorman simply depresses the foot-piece and brings the contact-piece p into the horizontal plane of the inclined lever j prior to the passage of the car over the same. The inclined bar is, when an engagement is made, caused to vibrate on its pivot as the car advances and with the transverse bar f and the switch-tongue c move to its open or closed position, as will be understood.

I-Iaving thus described the invention, what I claim as new isum IOO IIO

1. The combination with the ear, of the angular lever Weighted at one end and at the other provided with the hinged contact-piece and a spring, o", controlling said contact-piece, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination With the angular frame fulerulned upon the car, of ahinged contactpiece, a spring, fr, for holding the same in normal position to engage the switch meeh- Io anisms, and a depression-piece adapted to throw said frame into position to make a oontaet, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of January, 1895.

ERWIN D. FARNSWORTH.

Witnesses CHARLES I-I. PELL, BEATRICE CHARLES.

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