US780239A - Switch-operating device. - Google Patents

Description

No. 780,239. PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905.

V W. K. SMITH.

SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 28, 1904.

WITNESSES: l INVENTOR Q Q? By ATTORNEYS No. 780,239. PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905.

W. K. SMITH. SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 28, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTUR ler/ihiih HTTOR/VEYS WITNESSES.

employed.

Patented. January 1'7, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

VVILBER K. SMITH, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,239, dated January 17, 1905. Application filed April 28, 1904:. Serial No. 205,291.

To all 'LUITI/OWI/ it 711,114 concern:

Be it known that I, VVILB ER K. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Denver, in the county of Denver and State of U010- rado, have invented a new and Improved Switch-Operating Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for shifting switch-tongues on streetrailways, an object being to provide a device for this purpose carried bya car and so arranged as to be easily operated by a motorman or driver to shift the switch in either direction while the car is moving.

I will describe a switch-operating device embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the "figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing a switch-operating device embodying my invention as attached to a car. Fig. 2 is a detail showing a portion of the shifting mechanism Fig. 3 is a section on the line a: :1: of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan showing a switchtongue and its connections. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the shifting-rollers employed. Fig. 6 is a plan thereof, and Fig. 7 shows a modification in the shifting-lever.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a frame mounted to swing on a hanger 2, attached to the car-truck frame, and arranged between the frame 1 and the upper wall of the hanger or the bar to which the hanger is connected is a coiled, elliptic, or some other suitable spring 3, which serves to normally hold the frame in horizontal position, as indicated in Fig. 1. Arranged in the frame at the front and rear of the hanger are rollers 4 5. Each roller is provided with aflange 6, which, as here shown, is slightly tapered. It is to be understood, however, that these flanges may be made straight. The rollers are arranged out of alinement-that is, they are arranged at opposite sides of a line drawn through the lengthwise center of the swinging frame. These rollers are designed to engage between a fixed rail 7 and flanges 8 on a tongue-shifting plate 9, which has connection, by means of a rod 10, with the switch- I tongue 11.

Extended rearward from an arm 12, secured to the shaft of the frame 1, is a draw-rod 13, and at its rear end this rod 12 connects with a lever 14, pivoted to a bracket 15. The upper end of the lever 14 is connected to a cable 16, which passes around a pulley 17, attached to a cross-bar 18 on the car, and the ends of this cable are connected to a windingdrum 19, arranged underneath the platform of the car.

As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the stretches of the cable 16 may be provided with turnbuckles 20 for the purpose of tightening the cable. One stretch of the cable extends over the top of the drum 19, while the other stretch extends around the under side thereof. Integral with the drum is a gear-wheel 21, which is engaged by a segment-gear 22, attached to an operating-lever 23, which passes upward through an opening in the car-platform and is provided with oppositely-extended arms 24 25, with which the motorman or driver may engage his foot for moving the lever in either direction. Instead of the foot-operated lever I may employ a hand-lever, as indicated at 26 in Fig. 7.

In operation by moving the operating-lever forward the cable 16 will swing the lever 14: in a direction to tilt the frame 1, carrying the rear wheel or roller 5 downward, so that it will be engaged between the fixed rail 7 and a rib 8 of the shifting-plate, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and obviously by moving the operating-lever in the opposite direction the front roller 4: will b emoved downward to operating position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A switch-shifting mechanism carried by a car, comprising a vertically-swinging frame, rollers arranged in said frame at opposite sides of its pivot. the said rollers being arranged at opposite sides of a lengthwise center line through the frame, and an operatinglever extended through the platform of the car and having connection with said frame.

2. A switch-tongue-shifting mechanism comprising a frame mounted to swing on a car, rollers arranged in said frame at the front and rear of its pivotal point, the said rollers being arranged out of alinement one with the other, a spring for holding the frame normally in a horizontal position, a lever rearward of the frame and connecting therewith and an operating-lever having connection with the first-named lever.

3. A switch-tongue -'shifting mechanism comprising a swinging frame, rollers carried by said frame, a hanger attached to the cartruck and in which said frame is mounted, an

' arm extended upward from said frame, a

draw-bar extended rearward from the frame, a vertical lever with which said bar connects, a cable having connect-ion with the lever, a pulley attached to the car, around which said cable passes, a winding-drum arranged underneath the platform of the car, and with which the ends of the cable are connected, a gear-wheel on said drum, and an operatinglever having a segment-gear for engaging with the gear on the drum.

4. A switch-tongue-shifting mechanism comprising a frame carried by a car, rollers mounted in said frame, a means for raising or lowering either of said rollers, an arm extended upward from the frame, a draw-bar extended rearward from said arm, a vertical lever with which said bar connects, a cable having connection with the lever, a pulley on ment-gear on said lever for engaging with the gear on the drum.

5. A switch -tongueshifting mechanism comprising a framemounted to swing on a cartruck, rollers carried by said frame, the said rollers being placed out of alinement one relatively to the other, an arm extended upward from the frame, a draw-bar extended rearward from said arm, a lever with which said draw-bar connects, a cable having connection with the upper end of the lever, a pulley on the car, around which the cable passes,a winding-drum arranged underneath the carplatform and with which the ends of the cable are connected, a gear-wheel on said drum, a lever extended upward through the car-platform, a segment-gear on said lever for engaging with the gear on the drum, and oppositely-extended arms on the upper ends of said lever.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WI'LBER K. SMITH. Witnesses:

JNo. M. Rrrrnn, (J. R. FERGUSON.

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