US810828A - Switch-operating mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JAN. 23, 19'0 6.v

m. amass.

WARD. SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG 31, 1905.

2 SKBETSSHEBT'2.

A 14 15 F w M J 2 W a y 5 ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WARD, OF HOMESTEAD. PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR OF ONE- EIGHTH TO THOMAS J. TIERNEY AND ONE-EIGHTH TO FRANK R. AGNEW, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1906.

Application filed August 31, 1905. Serial No. 276,517.

-' of Great Britain, residing at Homestead, in

the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Operating M echanism, of which the following is a specification,

reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specifi-' II III. Fig. 4 is a plan'vievy similar to Fig.

'1 but showing the switch closed for. main line; I

My invention refers to improvements in switch operatin mechanism for railways, and is designed. or the purpose of providing means whereby-the switch may be set b ac tuating mechanisnr'mounted u on the oco motive or car under the contro of an operator and'so arranged that the switch may be set at will to throw it to opened or closed position. for main line or branch line, respec tively.

The invention involves the setting of the.

switch b means of the usual transverse connectingar, actuated at one or both ends by means of rack-and-pinion gearing, which in turn is actuated by means of supplemental rack-and-pinion gearingadapted to be 0 erated by an adjustable abutment locate as stated, on the locomotive or elsewhere on a suitable portion of the rolling-stock.

Iteferring now to the drawings, 2 2 represent the main-line tracks, with which cooperate the sWitch-points 3 3 for throwing the cars to the side track 4 4. The switch-points 3 3 are connected by a transverse operatingbar 5, secured to the switch-points and extending outwardly, preferably at bothsides,

and provided with terminal rack extensions 6.-

7'is a vertical shaft mounted in suitable bearings, one such shaft bein preferably 10- eated at each side of the trac and carrying at its'lower portion a pinion 8, engaging a rack-terminal 6 of bar 5, whereby when.

either of shafts 7 is partially rotated bar 5 and the switch-points will be thrown to .the right or to the left, according-to the desired direction, and will operate to open or close 7 the switch.

9 is a pack-bar mounted in suitable bearings 10, arranged alongsidethe main track,

preferably at each side, and provided with rack-teeth 11, engaging pinion 12, also mounted on shaft. 7 above pinion 8, both of said inions being secured to the shaft. It will t hus be seen that when motion is transmitted to bar 9 corresponding motion will be transmitted to the switchshifting mechanism, as stated. At one or both ends bar 9 is also provided with additional rack-teeth 13, engaging pinion :14, mounted on vertical shaft 15, provided at. the to with an extended arm, 16, projecting into t e path of an ad justable abutment 17, r ounted upon the 10- comotive-or on any other suitable moving element of the rolling-stock. As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, construction is also duplicated at'the 0th .1 end of bar 9, the

corresponding elements hing referred to by the same numerals rime, as just described. Ialso preferably uplicate the same construction at the other side of the track, so that it will be operable from one side or the other of the locomotive and also in the reverse direction, as will be readily understood drawings such abutment 17 as consisting of a laterally-movable bar mounted m suitable bearings-and provided with rack teeth 18,

engagedbythe teeth of pinion 19, mounted on a stem 20, provided with an operating-lever 21 and connected by rod 22 with a shifting- 'lever-23 of any suitable construction or with any'convenient operating mech anism mounted within the locomotive-cab and in convenient position tobe readily reached by the en- The operation of my inventlon Wlll be readily understood from the foregoing descriptron. By setting the abutment 17 outwardly at the right or the left the desired motion will be transmitted to the switchpoint-shifting bar 5, either to the right or to the left, in order to open or close the main line.

. The location and arrangement of the shift ing abutments 17 the arms 16 or 16, and the various other elements of the device may be made to suit the various conditions of use or adaptation of the invention within the province of the designing engineer or skilled mechanic, while various other changes or modifications may be made in the different details of construction Without departing from the scope of the invention as covered by the following claims.

What I claim is- 1. In switchoperating mechanism, the combination with movable switch+points, .of a connecting-bar provided with a side rack, a vertical shaft provided with-a pinion engaging said rack, a second vertical shaft provided with a laterally-projecting arm,

gearing connecting said shaft with the rst-named shaft, and contacting mechanism mounted on a movable element arranged to cooperate with said means, substantlally asset forth.

2. In switch operating mechanism, thecombination with movable switch-points, of

a connecting-bar provided witli a side rack, a vertical shaft provided With a-pinion-en-- gaging said rack, a second vertical shaftprovided with a laterally-projecting; arm,

' stantially as set forth.

3. In switch-operating mechanism, the combination with adjustable switch-points,

of a connecting-bar provided with a rack-tor minal, aipinion engaging said rack, a pinion adapted to transmit movement to said first pinion, a rack-bar engaging said second pin-f pinion,- a rack-bar. engaging said second pinion provided with rack extremity, a pinion engaging-saidrack extremity, with an operstin -shaft and lever therefor, and a movable trash-supported adjustable abutment arranged to engage said lover to transmit motion to said mechanism, substantially as set forth.

5 The combination with switch-operating mechanism provided with a vertical:actuat- 'ing-shaft having a pinion engaging shifting gearing'and a laterally-projecting arm of anadjustable abutment mountedupon the 10- comotive, With-means for setting said abutment into or out of operative relation with saidarm, substantially as set forth.

Intestimony whereof I afiixmysignature in presence of two witnesses.

' GEORGE VVAR-D. Witnesses:

C. M.:GLARKE-, Crime. S; LEPLEY.

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