US734260A - Switch-throwing device. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JULY 21, 1903;

F. A. GRAHAM & J. R. NEELY. I

SWITCH THROWING DEVICE. APPILIOATION FILED JAN. 10, 1902. RENEWED FEB. 24. 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 21, 1963. PATENT OFFICE.

FRED A. GRAHAM AND JOHN R. NEELY, OF MUNCIE, INDIANA.

SWITCH-THROWING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,260, dated July 21, 1903.

Application filed .lanuary'lO, 1902. Renewed February 24, 1903. Serial No. 144,830. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRED A. GRAHAM and JOHN R. NEELY, citizens of the United States, and residents of Muncie, in the county of Delaware and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Switch-Throwing Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in devices for operating tongueswitches from the front platform of a car and by means of the drivers or motormans foot.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which will perform its functions at all times and in any kind of weather.

A still further object is to provide a device which is extremely simple, easily operated, and cheaply manufactured. v

These and other objects not hereinbefore mentioned are accomplished by the con struction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in. the several views, and

in which Figure l is a side elevation of our device applied to the front platform of a car, the platform and bracket being shown in longitudinal section. Fl 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. e is a top plan view of a tongue-switch, showing the tongue which is operated. Fig. 5 is a perspeotive of the switching-head.

In the drawings, A designates a portion of the front platform, andB a bracket depending therefrom. The bracket is secured to the bottom of the car by means of bolts E. Di-' rectly over the bracket there is formed in the platform a transverse slot 0.

D designates the switch-throwing lever. This lever passes through the slot in the platform and through an aperture D in the bottom of the bracket. The portion of the lever between the bottom of the platform and top of the bracket is rounded for a purpose hereinafter described. The upper portion of the lever, which passes through the slot in the platform,is squared to prevent the lever from rotating. Surrounding the rounded portion of the lever is acoiled spring E. The upper end of the spring is secured to a ferrule E, which surrounds the lever. Secured to the upper end of the ferrule is a plate E, which bears against the bottom of the squared portion of theleveigthereby supporting the same. The lower portion of the spring is secured to a ferruleF. Secured to the lower end of this ferrule is a plate F, which bears against the upper face of the bottom of the bracket. By this construction the lever is normally held in its uppermost position. Secured to the upper end of the lever is a foot-rest G. In the construction as far as described it will be seen that when the lever is lowered by the foot of the m otorm an the spring will be compressed and when the pressure is removed from the lever that the spring will force back the lever to its initial position. The foot-rest is provided with guard-flanges G to prevent the foot of the motorman from slipping off.

Secured to the lower end of the lever below the bracket is the tongue-throwing head H. This head is detachably secured to the lever by means of the set-bolt H. The upper 'portion of the head,through which passes the set bolt, is square, as shown at I. The portion directly below this is diamond-shaped, as shown at 1. Below this diamond-shaped portion is a point I. The longitudinal sides of this point form oppositely-extending bevels If, which extend up to the diamond-shaped portion. These sides are also slightly rounded,

forming sharp front and rear edges to come the lever, and in dotted lines is shown the two inclined positions into which the lever is moved to either throw the tongue to the right or the left. torman placing his foot on the foot-rest and moving it either to the right or the left, it being understood that the pivotal point of the lever is at the bottom of the bracket. Inasmuch as the lever cannot rotate owing to the square upper portion, when the lever is forced down the point I will be forced down between the tongue and rail and the bevel side portions of the point and diamond-shaped portion of the lower portion of the lever willforce the tongue to either the right or left, as the case might be. The point having the rounded and beveled sides will make a wedge which will instantly start the tongue, and the diamond-shaped portion will force the tongue This is accomplished by the 1110- over to the limit of its movement, so that a flying switch can be made without stopping the car. Inasmuch as the diamond-shaped portion only has its opposite sharp edges touching the tongue and rail, there is no chance for the lever to bind between the tongue and rail, and it only takes a small amount of pressure by the motorman to move the tongue. The length of the slot in the platform is of a sufficient length to allow the lateral movement of the lever only far enough so that when once moved the point of the lever will always be forced down between the side of the tongue and side of the rail. By rounding the portion of the lever around which the spring is coiled and reducing the size of the same we are enabled to use a small spring and at the same time reduce the friction. By referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the top of the spring bears against the ferrule E and that the ferrule bears against the lower portion of the square portion, and not against the bottom of the platform. 3ythis construction we do away with all friction when the lever is laterally moved. 7

Te are aware that many minor changes can be made in the construction and arrangements of parts without in the least departing from the nature and principles of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a switch-throwing device, the combination with a car-platform provided with a transverse slot, of a bracket depending from the platform beneath the slot, a lever pivoted to the lower portion of the bracket and provided with a square upper end which passes through the slot in the platform, a spring surrounding the lever below the platform, a ferrule to which the upper end of the spring is secured, the ferrule bearing against the lower portion of the square portion of the lever, a ferrule to which the lower end of the spring is secured, the ferrule bearing against the lowerportion of the bracket, and a switchinghead secured to the lever below the bracket.

2. In a switch-throwing device, the combination with a car-platform provided with a transverse slot, of a bracket depending from the platform beneath the slot, a lever pivoted to the lower portion of the bracket, the upper portion of the lever extending above the platform through the slot, and a switching-head secured to the lower end of the lever below the bracket, the lower end of the head being formed with a point and opposi tely-extending beveled and rounded sides, longitudinally arranged, and extending upwardly and outwardly from the point, and a diamond-shaped portion above these sides.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

FRED A. GRAHAM. 7 JOHN R. NEELY. \Vi tnesses:

N. N. SPENCE, WM. DU VAL BROWN.

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