US790335A - Tongue-switch. - Google Patents

Description

No. 790,335.y

UNITED STATES Pafteritel May S, 1905. l

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM CLARK WOOD, O F HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NEW YORK SWITCH t CROSSING COMPANY,

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A

TONGUE-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,335, dated May 23, 1905. Application filed January l,1905. Serial No. 239,634.

T0 LZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM CLARK WOOD, a citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of the city of Hoboken, in the State I ofNew Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tongue Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tongue-s witches for street-railway service and it consists in certain novel combinations of partshereinafter set forth and claimed.

The leading object of the present invention is to compel the movable point or tongue to lay firmly at either side lof the switch-groove without the aid of a block In the improved tongue-switch the tongue is held in its respective positions of rest by an automatic safety device, as hereinafter set forth. E A v Another object of the invention is toA pivot the tongue in a simple and effective manner,

said safety device serving to keep the pivot in Working condition.

Other objects will be set forth in the general description which follows.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specifcation as part thereof.

Figure lis a top view of the improved tongueswitch with the cover of the safety-device housing removed. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section in an approximately central plane. Fig. 3 represents a cross-section on the line A B, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a top view of the tongue detached. Fig. 5 represents a cross-section on the line C D, Fig. 4t; and Fig. 6 represents a cross-section on the line E F, Fig. 4, said cross-sections being drawnV on a larger scale. Like reference characters refer to like parts in all the'igures. l

The body a of the improved switch and the connections of said body with the adjoining Vrails 1, 2, and' may be of any known or improved description. Vithin the switchbody a, and preferably and conveniently in part within a steel center Z), the movable point or tongue c is ar'ranged, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to be movable horizontally in customproved construction apart from -the features hereinafter specified and included in the appended claims, respectively.

For pivoting the tongue c its heel end is constructed with a peculiarly-beveled knuckle 4C, fitted to an undercut pivotal recess 5 in the adjoining edge of a steel heel-cap d, which is fastened in place by vertical bolts e, having nuts f, Fig. 2, at the bottom of the switchbody. i For holding the tongue c inl its respective positions of rest, the tongue itself is provided at or about mid-length, hereinafter described `as at mid-length, with a downwardly-projecting stud-pin 6. (Shown in dotted lines in Figs. l and @and in the plane of sectionin Fig. 2.) This shifting pin 6 is pivotally. connected with a laterally-extending lever orv shifting bar 7, having convenientlya notch 8 opening said pin. At one side of lthe switch-body a and bolted thereto a housing-box g, open at the top, incloses the remainder of the safety device, as shown in Fig. l,which see. The other end of said shifting bar7 is pivotally connected to a horizontally-swinging clevis 9, whose other end is pivoted toa fixed support l0, bolted fast within said box g. At an intermediate'point and preferably at mid-length the shifting bar 7 is pivotally connected with one end of a spring-strut 11, containing a compressionspring 7L, which tends to hold the tongue cin either of its two positions of rest and in connection with said clevis 9 forms an untenable center for the tongue, so that it cannot rest at the middle of its travel. The other end of said spring-strut l1 has a knuckle-bearing l2, bolted fast within said box g. A screw-nnte' provides for regulating the tension of' the spring /L in assembling the parts of the device. Ordinarily it will require no further attention.

Owing to the construction Aabove particularly described, when the point of the tongue c is moved from either of its positions of rest past the center of its travel its movement is instantly and effectively completed by said safety device, and it is securel y held in its new position of rest until the resistance of the spring h is overcome. Y

When the tongue c is moved by means of the switch-iron to the center of its travel, the safety device gives it, in other words, an inclination to complete the movement and holds the tongue firmly in place against the side of the groove toward which it was moved, so that all the wheels of the car passing over it must take the same run and the spring /L must be compressed in order to move the tongue c to the opposite side or away from the position of rest in which it is thus placed. At the same time the pressure of the spring L, acting through that end of the strut l1 that is attached to the shifting bar 7 and through said shifting bar 7 and shifting pin 6,tends to keep the bevel of the pivotal knuckle 4 in place within the pivotal recess 5 of the heel-cap cl, so as to obviate the employment of other means for preventing the longitudinal displacement of the tongue c. It also tends to hold the tongue c firmly down upon its bed formed in part by said steel center and to maintain an efficient joint between the heel-cap Z and the tongue c.

Instead of being arranged within a strut, as above described, the spring /L may be applied to the opposite edge of the shifting bar 7 in the form of a tension-spring, or the spring /L may be placed directly under the tongue c either in front of the shifting pin 6 orbehind the same; but I find in practice that it is preferable to use the shifting bar, clevis, and spring-strut housed within a suitable boX bolted to one side of the switch-body, as above described. The clevis 9 makes said untenable center very acute or sensitive. 1t also forms a strut or brace opposite the springstrut 1] and constitutes the fulcrum of the shifting bar 7. Other forms of movable fulcrum may, however, be substituted for said clevis 9, and other like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described said improvement, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of a switch-tongue having an undercut pivotal bearing at its heel end and having the customary horizontal travel from one position of rest to another, and a safety device for insuring completed movements of the tongue, said safety device including a horizontally-arranged spring acting upon said tongue and tending to hold the tongue in one or the other of' its positions of rest and also to press the heel end of said tongue into such pivotal bearing.

2. rlhe combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of a switch-tongue having the customary horizontal travel from one position of rest to another, and a safety device for insuring completed movements of the tongue, said safety device comprising` a horizontallymovable shifting bar one end of which is pivotally connected with said tongue, a clevis pivoted to the other end of said bar and forming a horizontally-movable fulcrum therefor, and a horizontally -arranged spring acting upon said bar and tending to hold the tongue in its respective positions of rest.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of a switch-tongue having the customary horizontal travel from one position of rest to another and provided at mid-length with a downwardly-projeeting shifting pin, and a safety device for insuring completed movements of' the tongue, said safety device comprising a horizontally-movable shifting bar one end of which is pivotally connected with said pin, a clevis pivoted to the other end of said bar and forming a horizontallymovable fulcrnm, and a horizontally-arranged spring acting upon said bar and tending to hold the tongue in its resgective positions of rest.

4. The combination, snbstantiall y as hereinbefore specified, of' a switch-tongue having the customary horizontal travel from one position of rest to another and provided at mid-length with a downwardly-projecting shifting pin, and a safety device for insuring completed movements of the tongue, said safety device comprising a horizontally-movable shifting bar one end of which is pivotally connected with said pin, a clevis pivoted to the other end of said bar and forming a horizontallymovable fulcrum, and a horizontally-arran ged spring acting upon said bar and tending to hold the tongue in its respective positions of rest, and a laterally-projccting box forming a housing for said shifting bar, clevis and spring, and provided with fixed supports for said clevis and spring respectively.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of a switch-tongue having the customary horizontal travel from one position of rest to another and provided with a downwardly-projecting shifting pin, a laterallyprojecting shifting bar movable horizontally and pivotally connected at one end to said pin, a horizontally-swinging clevis pivoted to the other end of said bar at one edge thereof, a spring -strut provided with a compressionspring and pivotally connected with said bar at mid-length at its opposite edge, and a box forming a housing for the laterally-projecting parts and provided with pivotal bearings for said clevis and strut respectively.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of a switch-tongue having an undercut pivotal bearing at its heel end, a horizontally-movable shifting bar pivotally coupled to said tongue at one end, a horizontallyswinging clevis pivoted to the other end of said bar and forming a horizontally-movable IOO fulcruln, and a horizontally-arranged spring acting upon said bar at mid-length and tending to hold the tongue in one or the other of its positions of rest and also to press the heel end of said .tongue into its said pivotal bearing.

7. rlhe combination, substantially as hereinbefore specified, of a switch-tongue constructed With a beveled knuckle at its heel end, an

.undercut cap interacting with said knuckle as the pivotal bearing of said tongue, a horizontally-movable shifting bar pivotally coupled to said pin at one end, a horizontally-swinging clevis pivoted to the other end of said bar, and a horizontally arranged spring acting upon said bar at mid-length and tending to hold the tongue in one or the other of its positions of rest and also to press the heel end of said tongue into its said pivotal bearing.

8. Atongue-switch having, in combination,

a horizontallymovable tongue constructed vided With pivotal supports for said clevis and strut respectively, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

WILLIAM CLARK WOOD.

Witnesses: v

THos. S. EVANS,

lM. F. TWEEDDALE.

Images