US797839A - Switching device. - Google Patents

Description

No. 7973839. PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905. a zr. CARLSON. Swmcmm www;

APPLICATION PLEB) 1330.9, 1901i.

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l(JARL JHN CARLSON, OF SPQKANE, iA/TASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO HIlV SELF AND HIRAM JESSE TABER, OF SPUKANE, l/VASHING-TON.

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Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1905.

Application led December 9, 1904. Serial No. 236,129.

To all La7/1,0m, t may' concern:

Be it known that l, CARL loi-1N CARLSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident oi Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State ot' Washington, have invented a new and lmproved Switching Device, of which the lollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose ol the invention is to provide a switch mechanism whereby the engineer, motorman, driver, or operator of a car or train of cars without leaving his station can direct the rolling-stock `from the main line to a siding or from the siding to the main line, the movement of the switch being' automatically accomplished through the medium oli' a device carried by the car and which is under the complete control oi the operator and may be brought instantly into operation.

Another purpose o the invention is to pro vide a very simple and readily-applied mech anism for accomplishing' all the results mentioned.

rlhe invention consists in the novel con struction and combination oiI the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

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

Figure 1 is a side elevation oi' a car and accompanying' switching device and a sectional side elevation oi the switch-operating mechanism adapted to be acted upon by the said shifting device. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of arnain track and siding, the switchrail, and mechanism for directly operating the switch-rail; `and Fig. 3 is a partial front elevation oi' a car and the shifting device carried thereby.

The device is particularly adapted for use in connection with tracks Jfor tram or street cars, and in the drawings A represents the rails ot' the main track, B the rails of the siding, and C the switch-point, which is provided with the customary guard-rail 10.

The shifting mechanism l) consists oi' a plate 11, which is secured in any suitable or approved manner to the ties, and on the said plate 11 a shitting-tongue 12 is centrally pivoted by means of a suitable pivot-pin 13. This shifting-tongue12 tapers in direction of its ends, the ends `being sharp, and, in fact, the sides of the switch-tongue 12 are oppositely inclined from the central point, rena dering the said tongue more or less lozengeshaped in plan view. The points on the said shitting-tongue are designated as a and c', the point c being' that which is nearest the switchrail C. Guard-rails 1A extend upward from the upperv face of the plate 11 at its side edges, and the guard-rails 1A- are shaped correspondingly to the shape oi' the sides of the shifting-tongue IQ-that is to say, the said guard-rails incline inwardly in opposite directions from a central point.

A guard. 15, preferably in the form of a tube, is made to extend from the guard-rail 10 to the opposing guide-rail 1A of the shifting mechanism, and a connecting-rod 16 is attached to the switch rail or point C at its free end, which connecting-rod passes th rough the guard-rail l() and through the guard 15 and is connected to the shiltingtongue 12, near the point a thereof, asis shown in Fig. 2.

A shaft 17 is mounted to rock beneath the platform oi' a car E, the said shaft beingjournaled in suitable bearings 18, and the shaft at one end is provided with an arm 19, which extends upward to be operated by the operator of the car, and at the other end of the said shaft 17 a downwardly-extending arm 2O is provided, having a fork 22 at its lower end, and between the members oi' the said fork 22, as is shown in Fig. 8, a shiftingwheel 21 is mounted to turn, the said wheel having conical side portions, so that it is provided with a sharp peripheral section 23.

in Fig. 2 the shifting-tongue 12 is shown set for the main track. In the event a car approaches the switch from the main track and it is necessary for the car to pass onto the siding' B the shifting-wheel 21 is made to venter the space between the point c of the shifting-tongue facing the approaching car and the opposing guide-rail 1A, whereupon the wheel will pass in engagement with the side edges of the shiiting-tongue next to the switch-point (l, and after the wheel has passed the central portion oli' the shifting-tongue it will force the opposite point (t of the shiftingtongue away `from the guard rail 1li with which it was in engagement to an engagement with the opposite guard-rail lei, and thus the switch-point C will be drawn inward or carried to a position to conduct a car onto the siding. l,ln the event another car approaches the switch on the main line and it is necessary for it to continue along the main line the shifting-wheel on that car is made to engage with the shifting-tongue 12 in such manner as to turn it on its pivot and restore the shifting-tongue to the position shown in Fig. 2 and consequently the switch-point C to a position to connect with a rail of the main track. In the event a switch is properly set for an approaching' car the shifting-wheel 2l is moved so far sidewise and upward as not to operate on the shifting-tongue l2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. In switch devices, the combination with the main and siding rails of a track, and the switch-point,of a switch-operating mechanism consistingr of a shiftingtongue pivoted at its longitudinal center, and inclined on each side vfrom its pivotal point inward to its ends,

guide-rails located opposite to the sides of the shifting-tongue and inclining inwardly in opposite directions from a central point to correspond with the shape of the sides of the shifting-tongue, a connection between one end of the switch-point and an end portion of the shifting-tongue, and a wheel carried by a car and having conical side faces, the said wheel being adapted to engage with and move the shifting-tongue.

2. In switch devices, the combination with the main and siding rails of the track and the switch-point, of a switch-operating mechanism consisting of a pivoted shifting-tongue, guiderails between which the tong'ue has movement, a connection between the switch-point and the shifting-tongue, a car, a horizontallyarranged rock-shaft journaled beneath the platform of the car, and provided at one end with an upwardly-extending arm for operating the said rockshaft, a downwardly eX- tending arm at the other end of said rockshaft, and a wheel carried by said arm and adapted to engage with and move ,the shifting-tongue.

3. In switch devices, the combination with the main and siding rails of a track and the switch-point, of a switch-operating mechanism consisting of a pivoted shifting-tongue inclined on each side from its pivotal point inward to its ends, guide-rails corresponding to the inclination of and located opposite to the sides of the shifting-tongue, a connection between the front end of the switch-point and an end portion of the shifting-tongue, a car, a rock-shaft journaled beneath the car, means for operating` the rock-shaft, a downwardlyextending arm attached to the shaft, and a wheel carried by said arm, having a sharp peripheral surface and conical side faces,

which wheel is adapted to engage with and move the shifting-tongue, as described.

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

' CARL JOHN CARLSON.

/Vitnesses:

M. F. MENDENHALL, STELLA E. REA.

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