US760846A - Electric railway-switch. - Google Patents

Description

HO MODEL.

R. L. BORDER.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLIQATION IIIIED OUT. 15. 1903 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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PATENTEDMAY 24; 19 4.

R. L. BORDER. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

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APPLIOATIONIILED 0013.15, 1903.

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PatentedMay 2Q, 1904.

()FFICE.

RUPERT: L. BORDER, F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

snEoIFIeA'rIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,846, dated May 24, 1904.

' i Application filed (lcto ber 15, 1903. Serial Not 177,172. (No model.) 3

To all whom it mar/yconcern.-

Be it known that I, RUPERT L. BORDER, a citizen of the United'nStates of America, residing at Pittsburg-,-- in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railway-Switches, of which the following is a;

specification. This invention relates to railwayfswitches,

I and particularly to that class designed for use on tramways in which the switch-point is automatically thrown by the employment of electric currents suitably controlled,

An object of the invention is to provide I5 means under the control of amotorman or the controlling device of an electrically-operated car whereby the switch-point may be thrown to open or close a'switc'h or in which the mechanism may be held stationary against. 0 movement.

Furthermore, an object of the invention is to provlde novel means for retaining the said switch-point against displacement either in an open or'closed position. 5 Furthermore, an. object of the invention is to-providenovel current-controlling means for establishing and breaking a current through the switch-operatingmagnet and means for returning the current-controlling means to a 3 position to be actuated by a succeeding current.

. Furthermore, an object of the invention is to provide 'a novel contact for the trolleywheel with means for suspending said contact from the trolley-wire and inihsulating the contact from the trolley-Wire.

Furthermore, anobject of the invention-is to provide a solenoid-casing in which two electromagnets are inclosed and having a cen- 4 t-ral tube in which a solenoid-core travels.

' Finally, an object of the invention is to produce a switch-controlling mechanism of the character noted comprising comparatively few inexpensive parts which would prove eflicient and satisfactory in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in View the invention consists in 'the details of construction and in the arrangement and com.-

I bination of parts to be hereinafter more fully .5 set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying draw? ings,forming part of this specification,where in like characters-denote corresponding parts in the severalviews, and in which 5 5- Figure 1 is a'view in elevation, showing a fragment of -a trolley-wire, trolley pole and wheel, and the guards suspended from the. v wire,with a diagramm atic view of the circuits and the -switch-controlling mechanism in ele- 0 vation. Fig. 2 is a .top'plan'view of the mechanism shown in Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a yiew inelevation of one end of the controllingmechanism with the conductors omitted; Fig.

4 is a simple vertical sectional. view of the com troller-withthe conductors omitted. Fig. .5 is a vertical sectional view of the'casing for thesolenoid. I In the drawings, 1 indicates the trolleywire, from which is suspended in any suitable manner the contact 2, which comprises two; L-shaped tracks connected by the hangers-3, which are attached to and insulated from a trolley-wire The two tracks are sufficiently separated as to be out of engagement with the trolley wire, but close enough thereto that the trolley-wheel 4 will engage the said tracks and travel thereon,as indicated in dotted lines The current-controlling device comprises-a "3O commutator 5, a ratchet-wheel 6, arock-arm 'Z, 1

'mutator 5 has insulating-sections 11, and the commutator is connected electrically with the trolley-wire by means'pf the conductor 12, which is wired to the coil of the solenoid 9 and to the frame of the controlling device through the boltor shaft 13. a The brushes 13 and 14 are secured in suitable brush-holders 15 and 16, respectively, and the said brushes are al'ternately in engagementwith the energized and insulated sections of the commutator con.- duotor 17 leads from the brush-h 15. to the "coil 18 of thesolenoid and from ere byconductor 19 to the contact 2. The ,Jbrus'hholder 16 has a conductor QOlea'dingto the; {9

coil 21 of the solenoid and from there by means of the conductor 22 to the contact 2. The coils l8 and 21 form a double solenoid, which alternately acts upon the solenoid-core 23, according to the action of the controlling mechanism. The double solenoid is provided. with a.cylin' drical casing 24, having heads 25 and 2 3,

' threaded thereon, each head having a central aperture and a connecting-tube 27. Centrally of the cylindrical casing is a partition 28, secured by having the cylinder in two sections connected by means of the threaded ring 29, the

is threaded in one end (if the casing and isconnectedto the solenoid-core 23. .A rod is threaded in the opposite end of tlie casing and has its lower end pivoted to the bell-crank lever 36, and the said bell-crank lever is pivfloted to a connecting-rod'37, and the connecting-rod in turn is attache'd'to fadepending .member 38 of the switch-point 39. in order to limit the movement of the rock-arm"? and to 'adjustfsam'e in order that the brushes may contact withthe'insnlated andenergized'por- ,i'11O I1S of the commutator, adjusting-screws a0 are threaded in the brackets 41, in position to alternately engage the'said rock-arm. The

commutator and the ratchet-wheel are mount :ed on the hollow shaft 13, and the rock-arm is loosely mounted or pivotedthereon, The dog 8 being pivoted to the inner surface of the rock-arm is in position to eng'agethe teeth of the ratchet-Wheel, sothat motion of the rockarm is communicated to the said vwheel and through it to the commutat r.'

' The operation of the dev ce is as'follows:

switch-point being in the full-line position shown in Fig. 1 audit being necessary in order to establish a current through the contraile d re-1e, do solenoid, a a @m'rnt be established throughlthe r' track the inotorma'n by opening the circuit through the car may permit the car to drift while the trolley-wheel is passing over the-"con tact 2, in which event, no current beingestablished throughthle-controller and double solenoid, the switchp'oint will remain in the full line position and be held against displacement through the medium of the arms 30. If the motorman desires to shift his, car to another track, he

ftor. mounted I and mechanically controlled means for moving would establish a circuit through thecar and the current would energize -the commutator the medium of the solenoid-core 9. and con-1 against the action of the springlO. This movemeht' would carry the dog 8 a distance of one tooth on the ratchet-wheel 6 and-cause I it to engage a tooth in advanceof the one it engages, as shown in Fig. 1. The parts are held in this position, and at the same time the coil18 is energized and the solenoid-core 23 is attracted, resulting in the operation of the bell-crank lever 36 and the movement of the switch-point 89. When the trolley-wheel has passed-beyond the contact 2, the coils 9 and 18 are demagnetized. The solenoid-core 23 would be held in its elevated position by the springsBO, and the solenoid-core 9 would be elevated by reason of the aetionof the spring 10, which would serve to pull the rock-arm 7 to the position shown in full lines, Fig. 1, thereby rotating the ratchet-wheel 6 the dista nce of one tooth, as will be understood, and

carrying the'insulated segment of the commutater into engagement'with the brush 13 and allowing the brush M to contact with the commutator between the insulating-segments in order that a current mi ghtbe established through the conductor 20 and through the coil 21 when the trolley-wheel again engages the contact 2' and it is necessary to throw the switchp n a Bythe construction shownthe coils 18 and 21 may be alternately energized, or, if desired, the trolley-wheel may be permitted to pass over thecontact 2 without changing the position of the controlling mechanism or the ener'gizat'ion of the c'oils18 and 21.

The construction, operation, and advantages will, it is thought, be understood from, the

foregoing description, it being noted that va- 'rious changesma be resorted to in the pro- I portions and details of construction for successfully carrying the invention into practice without departing from the scope.

Having fully described the invention, what Ifclaim as new, and

Patent, v y 1. An, electrically-operated switch; a contact suspended from the trolley-wire, a commutaon a suitableshaft, electrically desire to secure by Letters a solenoid-core positively operated in each direction by the coils, suitable connections whereby the movement of the core is com municated to the SWliiCll P'Oll'lb, and means for 1 retaining the switch-point in its adjusted po- 1 sition. through, the conductor 12, which conductors would also energize the coil 9 and? through suspendedfrom the trolley-wire, a 'cbmmut'a- 2 An electrically-operated switch, a contact tor mounted on a suitable shaft, electrically -6'5 nection 9" draw the rock-arm 7 downward iandmechanicallycontrolled meansfor moving the commutator, brushes set to alternately engage the insulated and contactsurfaces of the commutator, a conductor for simultaneously" energizing the commutator and the means for electrically operating the commutator, a double solenoid electrically connected to the brushes and to the contact of the trolley-wire, a solenoid-core positively operated in each direction by the coils, suitable" connections whereby the movement of the core is communicated tothe switch-point, arms depending from thehdouble solenoid, and engaging a connectionbetween the solenoid-core and the switch-point, whereby the parts are me chanically held against displacement.

3. An electrically-operated switch, a contact I suspended from the trolley-wire, a commutator mounted on a suitable shaft, electrically and mechanically controlled means for moving the commutator, brushes set to alternately en--- gage-the insulated and contact surfaces of the commutator,a conductor for simultaneously' energizing the commutator and the means for electrically operating the commutator, .a double s lenoid electrically connected to, the brushes and to the contact of the trolley-wire,

i a solenoid-core positivelyoperated in each direction-by the coils, a rod depending from the core, a casing to which the rod is adjustably connected, arms depending from the solenoid engaging the casing and holding it in its adjusted position and suitable rods and lesubstantially as described.

vers connecting the casing to the switch-point 4. An electrically-operated switch, a contact suspended from the trolley-wire, a commutator mounted on a suitable shaft,'electrically and mechanically controlled means for moving the commutator, brushes set toalternately engage the insulated and contact surfaces of the commutator, a conductor for simultaneously energizing the commutator and the' means for electrically operating the commu-' tator, a double solenoid electrically connected to thebrushes and to the contact of the trolley-wire, a solenoid-core positively operated,

in each direction by the coils, a rod connected 'to the solenoid-core, a casing comprising an enlarged central portion and reduced ends with concaved side surfaces, arms depending from-the solenoid and having their ends embracing the casing, the said casing being slidable longitudinally between the arms, and suitpomt.

5. An electrically controlled switch, the combination with a conductor, a contact supported by and insulated from said conductor, a commutator and a ratchet-wheel on a common shaft, a rock-arm mounted on the shaft, means carried by the rock arm for engaging and parable connections from the casing tothe switchtially rotating the ratchet-wheel, electrical and J mechanical means for rocking the arm, adjusting-screws for limiting the movement of the arm, a conductor for energizing the commutator and the electrical means for rocking the arm, brushes alternatelyengaging the insulated and contacting surfaces of the commutator in its rotation, a double solenoid, con ductors from the double solenoid to the contact and suitable connections from the double solenoid to the switch-point substantially as described. v

6. An electrically controlled switch, the combination with a conductor, a contact su-pported by and insulated from said conductor, a

central partition, heads for the casing, a solenoidcore operating in the tube, the coil of said solenoid being woun'd around the tube and lying in the casing on each sideof the central partition, conductors from the brushes to the double solenoid, conductors from the solenoid to the'contact and suitable connectio ns to the switch-point substantially'as, de-

scribed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 1st day of October, 1903. v

RUPERT L. BORDER Witnesses:

- JOHN NOLAND,

J. P. APPLEMAN.

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