US624590A - Railroad-switch - Google Patents

Description

J. T. WESTWD.

RAILHUAD SWITCH.

(No Model.)

(APD

IH n Patented may 9, |899.`

2 Sheeis-Sheet I.

No. 624,590. Pate-med may s, |899. J. T. wEsTwoon.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

(App catxon filed Nov. 23, 1898 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

l NM

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN'TI-IOMAS WESTWOOD, OF WHEELING, VEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTI-IS TO SIMON KLINE, WILLIAM DAVIS, IIORACEM. VALLACE, LOUIS VVVHIT, AND ELGIE MYERS, OF SAME PLACE, JESSIE L. MOMEOI-IEN, OF MOMECHEN, vAND THOMAS FRANCIS- DEEGAN, OF

eENwooD, wEsr VIRGINIA.,

SPECIFICATION forming part er Letters Patent No. 624,590, dated Mey e, 189e.

Application tiled November 23, 189B. Serial No. 697,232. (No model.)

To all whom t mfc/y concern: i

Be it known that I, JOI-IN THOMAS WZEST- WOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wheeling, in the county of` Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad- Switches; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the an-V nexed drawings, making a part of this speciication,and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention has relation to switchoperating devices or mechanism for the railroads of street or steam cars; andthe object thereof is to provide means for operating the switch that will be simple, strong, and durable and may be operated by hand-levers from the ground, presser-feet connected with suitable mechanism on a street-car, or compressed air in cylinders connected with a locomotive which operates the presser-feet.

The invention consists in the construction, substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

AFigure l of the drawings is an under side y plan view of the top or cover of the switchbox, showing the switch-tongue upon the opposite side in dotted lines and showing handlevers 'for operating the switch-levers from the ground ,-Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section through the box and top or' cover thereof; Fig. 3, a transverse section taken on line a; of Figs. l and 2; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the front end of a street-car provided' with presser-feet and connections for operating the switch from the car-platform; Fig. 5, a detail view, on an enlarged scale, showing the ball-and-socket connections of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a detail view in perspective of the two air-cylinders for the admission of compressed air for operating the presser-feet from the front of a locomotive.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a rectangular box of any suitable metal and of any preferred size, which contains the switch-operating mechanism and may be illed `with oil in winter to keep the operating parts lubricated and preventing water from freezing thereon. The boxAislet into the ground and is provided 4with a removable switch, which forms the top or cover to the box, so that it may be readily detached and removed for repairs or for other purposes, such as adjustment of the parts, when found necessary.

To the under side of the switch B are suitably pivoted thelevers O D, and through their connection the switch is operated by suitable means on a street-car, locomotive, or by handlevers from the ground. The levers C D are arranged parallel with each other, as 'shown in Fig. l of the drawings, and are each provided at one end with bevel-plates E, which are removably connected to the ends of the levers by suitable bolts a or other well-known means, so that they can be conveniently removed/when worn and replaced by others. These bevel -plates E operate a double-inclinedhead F of any desirable construction, which head has a shank h extending through a transverse slot c in the switch topi or cover to the box. This shankb is detachably connected to the switch-tongue G, whichtongue is suitably pivoted at d to the upper side 'of the switch topor cover B.

The double-inclined head F has detachably connected thereto a bracket H, and to this bracket is detachably connected a lockingdog I,- adapted to engagewith a flat springJ, attached to a bracket K, which is adjustable by means of the set-screws c, extending through elongated slots f, or -by any other well-known and desirable means. The locking-dog I has connected thereto and tothe bracket H the arms of a coil-spring g, or any other suitable spring may be employed that will render the locking-dog spring actuated to retain it in engagement with the dat spring J.

The levers C D are retained in their normal position by means of suitable springs h. The ends of the levers C D opposite to the ends provided with the bevel-plates E have bearing pins or devices L, which extend up through elongated slots lin the switch top or cover B. These pins or devices L project up through the slots some little distance above the top or cover and have screw-threaded shanksj, which extend through holes in the ends of the levers C l) and are held in position by jam-nuts 7c Z.

The manner of -connecting the pins or devices L to the levers C D enables the pins or devices to be adjusted to increase the distance thereof above the surface of the switch top or cover B to compensate for the wear upon the bevel-'plates E or the double-incline head F, and also the wear upon the ends of the pins or devices L.

In operating the levers C D from the ground without they use of the pins or devices L, I

provide suitable hand-levers lVl N, which are connected to the outer ends of horizont-al rods' m-n, secured in bearings upon a plate O,` which plate is detachably connected to the under side of the switch top or cover B.

These rods m n have cam-lingers o on a line directly above the levers C D, and when the l' rods are turned by means of the levers connected thereto the fingers will be brought in contact with the levers C D, which ends are depressed and the opposite ends elevated,

which will operate the switch-tongue G through the mechanism hereinbefore described. These hand-levers, with their connections, are not needed on street-car lines,

but may be used to advantage on railroads. The two levers C D enable the switch-tongue to be operated to the right or left, as may be required, and when either lever is operated the bevel-plate E thereon will be brought in contact with the inclined head F and also in contact with the locking-dog I,which will move in a lateral direction the inclined head by first releasing the locking-dog from the spring J. The spring connected with the locking-dog, as shown at g, will automatically bring the dog back in engagement with the spring Jto lock the inclined head F after the latter has A been moved to operate the switch-tongue G.

The spring J is for the purpose of not only holding the locking-dog in position after the switch-tongue has been adjusted, but its elasticity admits of the tongue yielding to thev flange of the car-Wheel after said tongue has .p been locked in its adjusted position in backing out from a side track or switch. It will therefore be seen that the spring J performs a double function in providing means for locking the dog I and rendering the switchtongue G automatically yielding after being locked in its adjusted position.

The bracket K is adjustable by means of the set-screws e, extending through the elongated slots f in saidbrackct, thereby enabling the bracket to be adjusted to adapt it to the length of the locking-dog I and also to compensate for the wear thereon.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting my inven tion'to any particu-lar means for op- -erating the levers C D, as it is evident that suitable mechanism and levers, also compressed air, may be used, which construction may be applied to the car or locomotive, as may be found most desirable.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings I have shown a mechanism adapted to be operated from the front platform of a street-car and suit-ably connected thereto. The mechanism above referred to consists of thepresser-feet P, provided with detachable bearing-shoes c and pivotcd to hangers Q, depending from the under side of the car. These hangers terminate in rods p, which connect by ball-andsocket joints u to short upright rods q, which rods in turn connect with similar ball-andsocket joints to `a pivoted bracket r upon a standard 10, which standard at its upper end has a notched segment R, with which the hand-grasps t engage to lock and hold them in position, so that the presser-feet may be held out of the way of the track when not in use and to hold them in position when acting on the switch-tongue.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings are shown the two air-cylinders with their connections for operating the presser-feet by the action of compressed air. The two cylinders S T are provided with piston-rods U, to the lower ends of which are the presser-feet P, the slices thereto in the'present instance not being shown. The piston-rods have suitable piston-heads and coiled springs below them, as shown in dotted lines, and short guide-rods V are provided for the presser-feet. Suitable supplypipes W connect with the interior and lead to the engine of the locomotive to supply the air through the pipes to the interior of the cylinders above the piston-head. This compressed air entering the cylinder above the piston-head will force down the piston-rod and with it the presser-foot connected thereto. The presser-foot is automatically yelevated to its normal position by means of 'the coiled spring, (shown in dotted lines,) and to admit of this a suitable exhaust for the air above the piston-head may be provided in the pipes at any point along its length, this means of escape of the compressed air to allow the coiled spring to lthrow back `the piston-rod and presser-foot to their normal position being understood.

The operating mechanism shown in Figs. 4 and 6 of the drawings to apply,respectively, to a street-car and a locomotivemay be variously modified or changed as circumstances require, as I do not wish to be understood as coninin'g myinvention to any particular construction of devices for operating the presserfeet or any special construction of air-compressing devices.

It is of course Well understood that the presser-feet when brought in contact with the pins or devices L will depress one end of the lever C and raise the opposite end, and through the mechanism hereinbefore described theV switch-tongue G will be thrown to the right or left, as circumstances require. The locking-dog I, the adjustable bracket IOO IIO

K, and the spring .I are especially designed 4 to be used Where the switch-operating mechj consisting of two parallel and pivoted levers provided at their respective ends with detachable bevel-plates and removable and adjustable pins, andan upright double-inclined head connected to the switch-tongue and adapted to be operated by theinclined plates being brought in contact therewith, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a railroadswitch,two parallel and pivoted switch-operating levers, having at their respective ends detachable bevel-plates and adjustable bearing-pins, an upright doubleinclined head connecting with the switchtongue, and means for operating the levers from a car or locomotive, consisting of suitable presser-feet adapted to be brought in contact with the bearing-pins through the medium of suitable mechanism upon the car or locomotive, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a railroad-sWitch,tWo parallel and pivoted levers havin g at their opposite ends bevelplates and bearing-pins,a double-inclined and upright head connecting With the pivoted switch-ton gue, a spring-actuated dog pivoted toa suitable bracket, an adjustable bracket With locking-spring With which the dog is adapted to engage to retain the switch-tongue f in its adjusted position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. A rectangular box and a detachable top or cover having upon its upper side the switch,

and upon its under side vswitch-operating levers pivoted thereto, a double-inclined head connecting with the switch-'tongue and eX- tendiug down into the box, bevel-plates upon the ends of the pivoted levers to act against the `double-inclined head to operate the switchedj ustable bearing-pins upon the opposite ends of the pivoted levers and projecting through opening in the top or cover of the box, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a railroad-switch, a suitable rectanguiar box, a removable top or cover therefor,

a suitable switch upon the upper side ofthe` top or cover, a double-inclined head connecting with the pivoted tongue of the 'switch,a spring-actuated dog, an adjustable bracket provided with a flat spring with which the dog engages, bevel-plates and adjustable bearingpins upon the respective ends of the levers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony. that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of twowitnesses.

' roi-'1N rHoMAs WEs'rWooD.

Witnesses:

H. F. KILLEMQ,` JAS. MaN'roN.

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