US780596A - Switch-operating device. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905.

- T. J. GALLAHAN. SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. I

w' M L APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25, 1904.

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Witn ess es I 2% No. 780,596. PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905.

T. J. GALLAHAN.

SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

. APPLICATION FILED 00125, 1904.

' 2 BHEETS-SHEET 2.

j I N24 w n T/Zamas J. wlhizan, Witnesses,

. b8 u Inve nt-or V/7 t I Attorneys UNITED STATES Patented January 2 1, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. OALLAHAN, OF LYNOHBURG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO JOHN R. WINGFIELD, OF- LYNOHBURG, VIRGINIA.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 780,596, dated January 24, 1905. Application filed October 25, 1904:. Serial No. 229,964. I I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. CALLAHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented a new and 'useful Switch-Operating Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switch-operating devices for street-railways; and its object is to enable the switch to be operated by the motorman of an approaching car, so as to cause the car to remain upon the main track or to be switched off upon a siding, as may be desired.

With this and other ends in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel ar-- rangement and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that the right is reserved to any changes, alterations, or modifications to which recourse may be had within the scope of the invention and without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the efliciency of the same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a switch-operating mechanism constructed in accordancewith the principles of the invention, showing also the forward portion of a car equipped with mechanism for actuating said mechanism. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken throughthe front end of the car and actuating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by like characters of reference.

One of the switch-rails 2 of a railroad-track T is providedwith a pivoted switch-tongue 3, which extends between one of the rails 4 of the main track and one of the guard-rails 5, a pair of which are disposed adjacent to the inner sides of the'main-line rails. Mounted upon cross-ties 6 are bearings 7 for a rockshaft 8, having at one end a crank 9, which is connected by a link 10 with the switchtongue 3. The link 10 extends through and is guided in a slot 11 in one of the guard-rails.

The rock-shaft 8 carries at its front end a transverse plate 12, having apertures 13 disposed at opposite sides of the rock-shaft. These apertures are for the reception of the ends of a pair of levers 14:, which are fulcrumed upon a rod or shaft 15, supported upon a suitably-disposed block 16. The front ends of the levers 14: are curved upwardly to present contact surfaces for the actuating mechanism upon the car, which will now be described. 7

Upon the under side of the front platform of the car, which has been indicated at 17, is mounted a bracket 18, consisting of an approximately horizontal plate which is connected with the front platform by a bolt 19 and spaced therefrom by a tubular spacing member 20. The front platform and the bracket member 18 are provided with alining perforations 21 22 for a pair of verticallyslidable rods 23, provided at their upper ends with foot-pieces or treadles 24 and having collars 25 adjustably secured thereto beneath the front platform. Springs 26 are mounted upon the rods 23 between the collars 25 and the bracket member 18 to force the said rods normally in an upward direction.

Beneath the car is a bracket 27, with which a pair of arms 28 are pivotally connected, the free ends of said arms or links being also pivotally connected with the lower ends of the vertically-movable spring-actuated rods 23. The arms or links are provided with stirrups 29, carrying flanged wheels .or rollers 30, adapted to engage the upwardly-curved ends of the levers 14 when the ends of the links or arms 28 are depressed by means of the rods 23.

The operating-levers 1a are to be suitably spaced apart between the track-rails, and it is obvious that the actuating-rollers 30 are to be suitably spaced apart to engage said levers.

The operation of this device will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.- When a car approaches the switch, one of the rods 23 is depressed against the tension of the spring 26 by the foot of the operator, thus causing one of the rollers 30 to engage one of the levers 14:, which will thereby be rocked upon its fulcrum, thus engaging the transverse plate 12 at the front end of the rock-shaft 8, so as to tilt or oscillate the latter, thus causing the switch-tongue to be drawn in the proper direction, which of course is determined by operating the right or left lever, as the case may be. If the switch is already properly set, it is obviously unnecessary to operate either of the rods 23, although the proper rod is preferably depressed whenever the car approaches the switch as a matter of precaution.

This device, as will be seen, is of an extremely simple construction, and by the operation thereof a switch will be properly set in advance of the car without manual attendance and without trouble to the motorman other than that of depressing the proper actuating-rod with one foot. As soon as the foot-pressure is released the action of the spring will instantly restore the actuatingrod and its related parts to normal position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. A railroad-switch including a pivoted switch-tongue, a rock-shaft having a crank, a

link connecting said crank with the switchtongue, a transverse plate at the front end of the rock-shaft having apertures formed at opposite sides of said rock-shaft, a pair of levers having their rear ends extended through said apertures and front ends curved upwardly, and lever-engaging means connected with a car.

2. A pivoted switch-tongue, a rock-shaft having a crank, connecting means between said crank and switch-tongue, a transverse apertured member upon the rock shaft, a pair of levers extended through the apertures of said member and having their opposite ends curved upwardly, and lever-engaging means.

3. A car platform, a bracket supported horizontally below the same, vertically-movable spring-actuated rods guided in said platform and bracket, arms or links having their rear ends pivotally supported and connected pivotally at their front ends with the springactuated rods, and roller-carrying stirrups connected with said arms or links.

at. A switch including a pivoted switchtongue, a rock-shaft having a crank, a link connecting said crank with the switch, a transverse apertured member connected with said rock-shaft, levers extending through theapertures of said member and having their opposite ends curved upwardly to present contactsurfaces, in combination with a car-platform, arms or links pivotally supported under said platform, stirrups connected with said arms or links and carrying lever-engaging rollers, and vertically-movable spring-actuated rods having treadles at their upper ends and connected pivotally at their lower ends with the free ends of the roller-carrying arms.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

11S THOMAS X J. CALLAHA N.

mark

Witnesses;

S. G. Human, R. T. HARmsoN.

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