US795159A - Railway-switch mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

PATBNTED JULY 18, 1905.

H. B. NICHOLS. RAILWAY SWITCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1906.

2 SHEETS SBBET 1.

PATENTED JULY 18, 1905;

H. B. NICHOLS. RAILWAY SWITCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1805.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY-SWITCH MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 795,159, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed January 16, 1905. Serial No. 241,360.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY B. NIcHoLs, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to railway switch mechanism, and has for its object the production of a switch which shall be certain in its operation, of long life as to its operating parts exposed to wear, and unaffected by the weather, by climate, or by changes in temperature.

In certain types of switches heretofore employed the mechanism of the switch-lock has been actuated by means of coiled springs usually so placed that when the switch-tongue was forced past the intermediate or center line the actuating-spring would act to force it over the rest of the way and would then hold it in position until positively disengaged. I have employed springs of this type in constructing switches, and experience has shown that the springs are not entirely reliable under all conditions. After use for some time they deteriorate rapidly, and in a large system with many switches this means either a great deal of trouble some of the time or some trouble a great deal of the time. Nevertheless by immersing the springs in oil and by similar means good results have been attained, such a construction being described in other applications of my own.

In the present case I have entirely eliminated the spring and have even succeeded in eliminating any heavy moving bodies capable of causing a shock at successive intervals, which of course conduces to wear. The basic principle of the invention is control by gravity and the mode of application is to suspend a balance-weight so that in either of two positions it exerts pressure on the switch-tongue, while in the third or intermediate position it is in unstable equilibrium, with a tendency to move over and force a completion of the switch-tongue movement.

More specifically stated, my invention comprises a drop-arm on the switch-tongue engaged by a pivoted lever swung to and fro as the tongue is moved, together with a pivoted hollow body having enlarged ends and a dam in the middle, this body containing a quantity of liquid and being connected to the pivoted lever, so as to control its movements. As the body rests in either extreme position the liquid is all in one end, and its weight holds that end down,the lever over, and the switch-tongue in position. When the tongue is pushed over, the body tilts and the liquid runs over the dam until the weight acts to depress the other end of the body with force sufficient to complete the movement of the tongue and to hold it against the rail when reached. Any liquid of comparatively high specific gravity may be employed, water itself being available, if desired. With very heavy switch-tongues it might beadvisable to employ'mercury; but ordinarily I find a mixture of water and glycerin quite satisfactory, as it is non-freezing and does not soon affect the iron of which the hollow containing-body is preferably formed. Such a switch-lock can be adjusted so that it will work with great smoothness and no shock, as the liquid takes a determinate time to pass over its dam, even after the tilting movement is well commenced, and the effect is cumulative rather than instantaneous, as in the case of a snap-spring or rolling weight. Moreover, it is cheap to construct, easy to adjust, very easy to assemble, and as the wearing parts are few and those but little exposed the life is long.

My invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a transverse section of aswitch mechanism and lock with their inclosing casing, the rails, switch-tongue, and rail-support. Fig. 2 is a sideview with the casing removed.

Referring to the drawings, Ais the switchtongue, playing between the rails a and a, all resting on a channel-iron or sleeper a, having outwardly-extending foot-flanges a and inner foot-flanges-a connected by a circular web transverse of the channel in the support. There are two of these webs and either two pair of flanges a or continuous flanges of sufficient length to permit the spacing of the drop-hangers for the reception of the fluidcontainer or flask. These drop-hangers D are in pairs, one pair for each mechanism of the sort herein shown, and each hanger is bolted to the inner foot-flanges a by its headflange d the latter connected by a strengthening web or flange (Z to the reinforced bearing or journal-box (Z, formed in the lower end of the hanger. The two hangers being spaced apart a sufficient distance, the flask E is journaled with its trunnions e in the bearings 62, so as to swing or oscillate between the hangers and beneath the support a. This flask is a hollow castingsomewhat contracted in the middle and expanded toward each end, like two frustums of cones joined at their small ends or like a sack of grain with a string around it. This figure is so shaped to accommodate a quantity of liquid F in either end and to provide a dam a, over which the liquid must run to pass from end to end. This dam or baffle is cast in the flask, being most conveniently formed by the uprising walls on each side of the bottom passing to the top of the web or flange 0 where they join and form the apex 6 To restore the strength lost through this distortion of the cylindrical figure in the flask, I provide flanges or webs joining the end portions of the under walls of the flask, as indicated at a These may be of any shape desired. To guard against any possibility of the liquid being purposely distributed equally on both sides of the dam 0 so as to balance the flask in an intermediate position, I form the flanges a tubular, so as to make the two ends of the flask communicating. By this means in the event of a small quantity of the liquid being thrown to one side, as by jerking the rail slightly toward the center, it will immediately run back through the by-pass 6 At each end of the flask, or at least in the end 0 1 provide openings 0 into which plugs e are tapped, so as to seal them except when the flask is to be filled. For convenience of manufacture additional openings 0" are provided in the bottom of the flask with tapplugs 0 The box or casing B is formed in two halves divided longitudinally at b and is assembled around the parts of the switch-lock andfrom opposite sides of the rail-support a. An extension or collar-casting 7) surrounds the hand-hole opening, which is closed at the top by a lid Z). A drainage connection is mabd e at the bottom of the casing, as indicated at The method of assembling, adjusting, and operating this mechanism is as follows: The rail or switch sleeper or support a being in position and the connections made, so that the switch-tongue is ready for operation, the drop-hangers D D are bolted on the flanges a which brings the lever G into position, with its upper end 0 in the slot or crotch a of the hanger a from the tongue A. It will be observed that this lever O is pivoted on the flanges (Z by means of trunnions 0, so that the whole flask set may be assembled asa unit before applying it to the switch. This is particularly apparentfrom Fig. 2, wherein it is plain that the top flanges d of the hangers D may be made continuous, so as to constitute a frame for the assembling of the parts C, D, and E in the shop before going out on the work. Thelower ends of the levers C, which, as appears in Fig. 2, are made in pairs, like the hangers, engage the ends of the crankspindle 0 This is cast on the flask with the crank-arms e, the ends of the spindle constituting wrist-pins extending in opposite directions. The pins play in slots between forked or bifurcated ends of the levers C, reinforced by flanges 0 The proportions of the two ends of each lever O are such that the power applied to the lower end is multiplied, say, three times at the switch-tongue drop (0 When the parts are assembled as shown in the figures, the bolts tightened up, and flask turning from side to side smoothly, with the pins 0 working in the slots of levers U and the head 0 in the slot (0 the flask is filled through the hand-hole if the casing has been applied, or it may be filled before that; This is done by removing the plug 0 While the end 6 is down and pouring in the liquid until it runs over the edge of the opening 0 This opening is so set that its edge determines exactly the proper level for the liquid in the flask; so no skill or judgment is required in filling. When no more can be poured in, the workman screws in the plug, and if the casing has not been applied the same is put in place, and the switch is ready for operation.

In operation when the tongue A is started over by an iron applied from above or by any well-known or desired appliance the fork a moves the upper end or lug c of the levers C and swings the flask E in its bearings. As the end 0 of the flask rises the liquid Fchanges its level f and commences to run over the dam 6 As the movement of the flask continues the liquid passes over the dam in sufficient quantity to reverse its tendency to move, and the weight continues to settle toward the end a, with the result that that end is finally carried down with force and through the levers C forces the switch-tongue hard over against the companion rail (0, to which it was started. The operation throughout is uniform and steady without shock or jerk, and yet it is very positive. The only parts subject to wear direct are the pins or pintles e trunnions e, bearing-faces of flanges 0 and of head 0, and the pivot ends 0. Of these the only heavy wear is on the parts 0 0 a and 0', and these are so constructed as to resist any ordinary strain and for a long time not to show the wear. Moreover, the whole apparatus is selfcompensating in this respect, that no ordinary wear will destroy any adjustments, and lost motion is of no importance. Even after the pintles and trunnions are worn, therefore, the apparatus will operate with the same efficiency as before.

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, as I am aware that they may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit of the invention; but,

Having described my invention in a convenient and what at this time I consider its best embodiment, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In arailway-switch mechanism, a switch tongue, a device for locking the same when moved, and means for controlling the said device through the movement of a bodily-movable liquid element.

2. In a switch mechanism, a moving part for switching, a lever moving with the same to move or be moved by it, and a flask or vessel containing liquid and so connected to the lever that movements thereof are accompanied by shifting bodily the'liquid in the flask.

3. In a switch mechanism, a switch-tongue, and a bodily-movable liquid counterbalance therefor.

4:. A railway-switch mechanism comprising an operating-lever and a bodily-movable liquid counterbalance therefor.

5. A railwayrswitch comprising a switchtongue, a drop member thereon, an operatinglever engaging the drop member, a pivoted flask engaging the lever, and a body of liquid in said flask.

6. In a railway-switch mechanism the combination of the following instrumentalities: a

support or sleeper, rails and a switch-tongue carried thereon, adrop member for the switchtongue, an operating-lever engaging the drop member, and a liquid-containing flask connected to the lever to control its movements.

7. In a railway-switch mechanism the combination of the following instrumentalities: a sleeper or support, rails and a switch-tongue carried thereon, drop -hangers also carried thereon, a tilting flask carried on trunnions journaled in the said drop-hangers, a lever journaled to oscillate with one end engaging the switch-tongue and the other engaging the flask, and a body or liquid in the flask.

8. In a liquid counterbalance a hollow vessel or flask, a tilting center for said vessel, and an opening for filling the same, the said opening so located that when the vessel is tilted into one extreme position the level of the opening will determine the level of the liquid.

9. In a liquid counterbalance for switches and the like, a flask, and an openingtherein so located as to be below the level of the dam or baflie in the flask when the latter is in position for filling, the level of the opening determining the operative level of the liquid.

10. A switch comprising a switchtongue, a drop member thereon, means engaging said member, a pivoted flask connected to said means and divided into compartments, abodily-movable element in said flask comprising a liquid, retarding means for said liquid and means to drain either of said compartments.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY B. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

WM. S. TWINING, CLARKE S. TERHUNE.

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