US857533A - Means or device for operating tramway and other points and the like. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907.

Y J. R. PEAGOGK= MBA-NS 0R DEVICE FOR OPERATING TRAMW'AY AND OTHER POINTS AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED 13110.18. 190's.

hi'iwesses, in I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN READ PEACOCK, OF NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND.

MEANS OR DEVICE FOR OPERATING TRAMWAY AND OTHER POINTS AND THE LIKE.

Patented June 18, 1907.

A hcati fil d December 18, 1906. Serial No. 348.399.

To (LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN READ PEAOOCK, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at N o. 43 Radford boulevard, Nottingham, in the county of N ottingham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means or Devices for Operating Tramway and other Points and the Like,- and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This my invention consists of an improved appliance or device for operating tramway and other points from the car or other vehicle traveling on the said tramway, so as to avoid the necessity of having pointsmen at the different junctions for operating these points.

In order that my invention may be fully understood and more readily carried out and into effect, I have appended hereunto one sheet of drawings, Wl16I6OI1Z- Figure l is an elevation of my improved appliancepartly in section-as applied to a tramway. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same appliance showing the position of the point rail bei fore the appliance for operating same is put into operation. Fig. 3 is also a plan of the above showing the position of the point rail after being moved by my appliance.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

In these figures R is the main tram rail, P is the point rail to be operated-pivoted at one end P and fitted near the other end with a connecting rod C, which is attached to one end H of the horizontal lever H, fulcrumed near its center from the axle Acarried by bracket B which in turn is bolted to the tram rail R or point box D inclosing the appliance, and is fitted with a loose cover E. The other end H of lever H is fitted on its upper side with one or more friction rollers It F, which move in slots formed in the cover E.

S is a spring attached to the point box D at one end, and at the other end takes a bearing against a stirrup or other suitable attachment fixed to end H, of the lever H. This spring S holds the point rail P against the rail R, and also holds the friction rollers F. F in the position shown in Fig. 2which is the normal position of the switch.

To bring this appliance into action, I suspend from suitable slides L, L attached to the framing G of the tramcar or the likea bar J parallel with the tramway and I fit this bar with one or more shoes K, K suitably pointed at the front ends. The bar J has two spindles M, M, each sliding in one of the slides L and fitted with a suitable spring to keep the bar J raised up clear of the rail R when out of actionas shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The bar J and the shoes K, K can be lowered so that the shoes enter the groove N formed by plates 0, O for a suitable distance on each side of the point box D or they can be raised clear of this groove and the road by the bell-crank lever T, fulcrumed to the framing G, and actuated by suitable means from a pedal or handle under control of the driver or conductor of the tramcar.

The action of the whole is as follows: When the car is approaching the point rail P in the direction of the arrow shown on the drawings, and it is necessary for it to turn off the curved track V on to the straight track X, the attendant on the car depresses the shoe pedal so as to lower the shoes K, K into the roove N, in such a manner that when the front shoe comes in contact with the friction rollers F, F, it forces outward the end H of the lever H, and moves inward the end H moving with connecting rod 0 and the point rail P attached to it, and by this means opens the point rail P so that the car may pass on to the straight track X,-as all parts then being shown in Fig. 3. It is evident that the same appliance can also be used for turning off a tramcar or the like from a straight track on to a curved track. After the car has passed the point rail P, it is closed again automatically by the spring S and lever H; and the shoes K, K are raised clear of the-track by the attendant on the car.

In some cases I may suspend the bar J and shoes K, K from the car by parallel sus pending links, or other suitable means, all under control of the attendant.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. In tramway points the combination of the moving end of a point rail attached to one arm of a two armed lever pivoted from the tram rail, and the other arm carrying one or more friction rollers, a spring attached at one end to a point box or to the tram rail with its other end pressing against one arm of the two armed lever, a grooved guide formed alongside the tram rail, with one or more shoes suspended from the tramcar frame which can be lowered into the grooved guide 1 until they come in contact with the friction rollers, all for the purposes specified and substantially as described.

2. A tramway point operating appliance comprising a two armed lever pivoted from the tram rail, having one arm connected to the moving end of a point rail, a springbearing against the lever, one or more friction rollers or studs on the other arm which can be moved horizontally by one or more shoes suspended from a passing tramcar when lowered into a grooved guide formed alongside the tram rail, all for the purposes speciiied and substantially as shown and described hereinbefore.

In testimony whereof I have afliXed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN READ PEACOCK. Witnesses:

H. WALKER HILL, FRANK A. DADY.

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