US810867A - Railway switch and signal mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

' 0. M. HURST.

SWITCH. AND SIGNAL MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27.1905.

RAILWAY lraeas 66 No. 810,867. PATENTED JAN. 23,1903.

0. M. HURST.

RAILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL MECHANISM APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1905.

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26629662 ,jzdezzfavt' PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

C. M. HURST. RAILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION-FILED MAY 27. 1905.

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through-track and contemplates means for, .opening the switch 'to accommodate the U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY SWITCH TAND. SIGNAL MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

3 Patented. Jan. 23, 1906.

Application filed May 27, 1905- Serial No, 262,564.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, CHARLES M. HURsT, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Rawlins, county of Carbon, and State ofWyo- .ming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Switch and Signal Mechanism, of which the following is a specification and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forminga part thereof. This invention relates to'the class of switch and signal mechanisms by means of which the switch and the signal indicating the osition of the switch are set to accommo ate the movement of a passing train by a contacting appurtenance of the engine or car of that train. I, a

The object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the'kind described of simple and durable construction and one whoseaction will be positive and reliable.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of a section of a railwaytrack, showing the invention applied Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the same, showing the parts in a different position. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail elevations drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a detail shown in Fig. 3 and Figs. 6 and 7 .are sectional viewson the lines 6 6 and 7 7,

res ectively, of Fig. 1.

n the drawingsmyinvention is illustrated as being employed in connection with a switch oining asiding and a main line or movement of a train coming out of the siding and for closing the switch'by a train approaching it on the main line from either direction. The adaptation-of the device to more complicated systems of track requires merely a duplication of the parts hereinshown and described.

At 10, 11, .and 12 are indicated the rails of themain line or through-track, which are secured to the usual cross-ties '13. The rail 10 is bent outwardly, as shown at 14, a continuation of the same forming the outer rail 15 'of'thesiding, While the inner rail 16 of the siding, joins the rail 12 of the through-track at the frog 17. j

. The movable or switch rails are. shown at 18 and 19. These are attached fat one end near the frog 17 and form, respectively, either a connection between the parts 10 and 12 of the inner rail of the through-track or a connectingfmeans between the outer rail 11 of the through-track and the rail 16 of'the siding. The points of the switch-rails 1 8 and 19 are. firmly'secured to a bridle-rod 20, placed beneath the trackand extending laterally for some distance in both directions. At one sideof the track this bridle-rod isconnected, bymeans of a lever 21 and pin 22, to the'bas'e of a signal or target 23, which is rotatably mounted in a tubular post 24, secured to one of the cross-ties 13, and is provided with the usual hand-lever 25, by means of which the target maybe manually rotatedgthus moving the bridle-rod 20 and setting the switch. ,Be-

yond the track at the opposite side from the target 23 the bridle-rod 20 is provided with a plurality of curved slots 26, 27, and 28,.each

of which is engaged byjone arm of a'belle crank lever, as 29, '30, or 31. Each of these bell-crank levers is. pivoted upon a bolt 32,

secured ina plate 33, spiked to-the cross-ties 13, and the end ofone of the arms of each is turned downwardly, as indicated at 34, such end passing through the correspondingly .curvedslot in the bridle-rod 20 and being providedbelow such rod with a nut an washer 35. The other arm of each of the bell-cranks is connected, by means. of a tension- rod 36, 37,- or 38, respeotively,withthe opcrating-lever 49 of'a trippin device 39, 40, 41. This tripping device may e of any desired construction, but preferably will be of the type having an oscillating apron located beside the track and adapted to be engaged by an appurtenance of a passing train, In the drawings I show in this connection a tripping device of this type, for which I filed an application for patent November24, 1904, Serial No. 234,290, and which consists of a pair of bell-crank levers 42and 43, pivoted in chairs 44 and 45, secured to the track adjacent one of the rails, so that one arm of each extends parallel to the rail and is inclined upwardly. These arms arev depressed when engaged by the passing train, and being joined by a pin and slot.46 the depression of one'causes the depression of the other. these bell-crank levers are substantially ver- The other arms of tical and are connected, by means of links 47 and'48, to the operating-lever 49 at opposite sides of its pivot 50,. so that the depression of the inclined arms causes this lever to swing always 111 the same direction.

I I0 For ,contacting'with the tripping device there is a shoe.

. tion and preferably has one end attached to the lever 49 and .the other secured to the track.

The tension-rod 38 is led across the track beneath the rails, so as to join the bell-crank 31 with the tripping device 41 by means of evers 54 and'55, spliced into two bell-crank the tension-rod intermediate of its ends and pivoted at 56 and 57 in suitable plates secured to the cross-ties at oppositesides of the track.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the position illus trated in Fig. 1, a train coming out of the siding and provided with such a shoe as-is shown at 53 will depress the levers 42 and 43 as it passes the tripping device 39, thereby causing a pull on the rod 36, which will swing the bell-crank 2'9 and move the bridle-rod 20, setting the switch-rails 18 19 to the open position, Fig. 2, and turning the target 23 so as to indicate such a position of the switch rails. After the shoe 53 has passed over the tripping device the spring '51 will raise the inclined arms of the levers 42 and 43. and retract the tension member 36, moving the downwardly-turned end 34; of the bell-crank 29 in the slot 26. During the movement of the bridle-rod 20 corresponding to the setting of the switch just described the bellcranks 30 and 31 remain stationary, the rod riding along on the downwardly-turned ends 34 of such cranks.- The slots in the rod are of such length that when the switch is completely open the crank-arms will bear against their outer ends, as shown in Fig. 2. When now the train after having passed out of-the siding reaches and depresses the tripping de-- vice 40, the bell-crank 30 will be swung'by the tension on the rod 37 .and moving the bridle-rod 2-0 by hearing against the outer end of the slot 27 will return the switch-rails and signal to the closed position of Fig. 1. A. train approaching the switch on the main track from either direction will depress one of the tripping devices 40 or 41 before reaching the switch and if the latter be already closed will merely oscillate the downwardly-turned end 34 of the bell-crank 30 or 31 in the corresponding slot in the bridle-rod 20. If, however, the. switch has been left open, the depression of the tripping device will close it and prevent the train running out on the siding if coming from the left as viewed in Fig.

1 or damaging the switch-rails 18 19 if co1n-' ing from the right. To avoid closing the switch by a train coming out of the siding before its last cars have reached the main track,

device 40 will neces arily be vers, each having a crank pin entering one of 7c the. slots; spring-supported trips for engage ment by a passing train and located respec'-- tively adjacent the switch and main tracks; rods connecting each trip mechanism with one of the bell-crank levers the belbcra nk levers controlled the switch and main track trips, respectively, being so mount d as to open and close the switch respectively when actuated in opposition be their retrac' ing-springa p 2. In combination, a railway-track; a switch-track connected therewith; a bridle; rod for actuating the switch; tri .mecham ism located adjacent the main trac and adj a-- cent the switch-track for engagement a moving train 5 connection between such trip mechanism and the bridle-rod, and arranged reverselyl, jacent t e main track will close the switch and the action of the trip adjacent the switch= track'will open the switch.

3. In combination, a 'reciprocative bridle= rcd for railway=switches; spring=retracted ing train and acting on the bridle-rod to move it in one direction only and independent train-actuated means for positively mov ing the bridle-rod in the opposite direction.

4. In combination, a pair of spring retracted mechanisms adapted to be actuated by a passing trainand each acting on the bri-- dle-rod to move it in one direction only, the direction of action of the two mechanisms be ing reverse.

5. In combination, a pair of vertically= swingingsprin raised interlocking bcll crank levers; an osci lating lever; links connecting the opposite ends of the oscillating lever with each bell-crank lever; a bridle-rod having a longitudinal slot; a bell-crank carrying a pin running in the slot; and a link connecting the other arm of the last-named bell-crank with the oscillating link.

6. In combination, a bridle-bar having longitudinal slots; a pair of bell-crank levers, each having a pin engaging one of such slots; spring-returned trip mechanisms adapted to be actuated by a passing train; a link connecting each bell-crank lever wit-h one of the trip mechanisms, such bell-crank levers be ing so mounted that they act in opposite directions under the influence of their respective trip mechanisms.

CHARLES M. I-IURST.

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