US867411A - Railway-switch. - Google Patents

Description

No. 867,411. PATENTED OCT. 1, 1907. E. M. REILY.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLIGATION FILED 00'1.19. 1904.

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UNIT D STATES EUGENE M. REILY, OF MARSl-IFIELD, WISGONSlN.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907.

Application filed October 19, 1904. Serial No. 229,129.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE M. REILY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marshfield, in the county of Wood, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches; 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 1 and use the same.

This invention has for its object to provide a railway switchby which term it is meant to include the means -ior operating the switch-rails or switching means, as

well as the latter whereby a train may be enabled to run down the main track when the switch is open as well as to run down the siding across the switch and down the main track, and to run up the main track across the switch onto the siding or switch-track, all without resetting the switch; and when the switch is closed, a train may be run up and down the main track,

and from the siding onto the main track without reset-- ting the switch.

In my improvements, the switch-stand by which the switch is opened and closed, as well as the means for controlling the switch automatically is located at the side of the track, out of the way of the locomotive and coaches or cars and not between the rails of the track, and the movable ends of the switch-rails each have their opposite ends pivoted to the ends of the rails of the siding or switch-track.

The ends attained by my improvements are the saving of time and consequently of expense in the operation of the switch, the latter being actuated or moved automatically, as it were, at times, through the intervention of the flanges oi the truck-wheels.

The annexed drawings and numerals or" reference marked thereon are to be referred to as forming a part of this specification, of which drawings- Figure 1 is a plan of a main track and siding or switchtrack constructed according to, and equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional view hereafter more particularly explained.

Similar numerals of reference designate similar parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

In the drawings, 1 designates the rails of the main track and 2 and 3 the switch rails of the siding, both of which switch rails are pivoted as at 4, to their respective rails 2 and 3 of the switch track.

It is to be particularly noted that the switch rails throughout are adapted to be brought into contact with the sides of the main rails but not to in anywise overlap the same.

5 designates a cylindrical casing suitably supported, having its end 6 nearest the track closed, and to which closed end the outer end of the bar 7 is attached, the said bar extending under and being secured to the switch rails 2 and 3 by fingers on the bar engaging the sides of the flange of each of said rails, and passing also under the nearer rail 1 of the main track but without engaging it.

8 designates a switch-stand provided with a handoperating lever 9 capable of being locked in any position to which it may be moved by any suitable or known means. 7

10 is a rod connected at its outer end with the lever 9 which passes through an aperture formed in the head ll of the cylinder 5 and is provided on its inner end with a head 12 similar to a piston.

13 and 14 designate helical springs disposed on opposite sides of the head 12 and bearing at their inner ends against the said head 12 and at their outer ends against the inner sides oi the cylinder heads. The said springs normally operate to balance or hold the head 12 in the longitudinal center ofthe cylinder 5.

The construction and arrangement of my invention is such that if the switch should be set as shown in Fig. l, a train on the main track passing, say, upward from a would be switched off on the siding rail 2 3 to c, and proceeding from this siding across the switch would run down the main track along the line a. Again a train coming down the main track from b to a, (which commonly could not be done and would re sult in an accident,) will press the free end of the switch rail 3 inward carrying the rail 2 with it in the same direction, by the operation of the flanges of the wheels against the outside of the ball of said rail, the spring 14 yielding against the pressure thereon by the rod 7; and after the said downtrain has passed the switch rails will be restored to the position represented in Fig. 1 by the action of the spring 14.

Should the-switch be set by the manual operation of the lever 9 and its connections so as to open the way for up and down trains on the main track from a to b and from b to a, a train could not ordinarily pass from the siding etc a because of the break between the ends of the rails 1 and 2 and 3, but under my improvements, without resetting the switch by means of the lever 9, the pressure of the flanges of the wheels against the inside of the ball of the switch rail 3, will move the latter rail against the adjacent rail, 1, carrying the connected switch-rail 2 with it in the same direction the spring 10 yielding to compression by the pull of rod 7 on the cylinder to allow this to be done. In this way both switch rails will be adjusted in position with respect to the rails of the main track to allow the train to pass from the siding upon the main track; and after the train shall have passed, as last explained the spring 10 through its connections will restore the switch-rails to open position, allowing an up-train to pass the switch from a to b on the mai track without obstacle from the switch. In all cases the main rails will have free tread surfaces where the side rails are brought into contact therewiththat is, the side rails when brought into contact with the main rails will not overlap the latter,

as has been proposed in somestruetures.

It will now be observed that my invention is semiautomatic in the operation oi the switch and thereby saves much time-and labor.

Any usual or suitable signal (not shown) may be employed to indicate whether the switch is open or closed, it need be What is claimed is 1. The combination, with the rails of the main track and the rails of the siding, of the switch rails pivoted at one end to the respective ends of the sidingaails, their free ends being adapted to be moved into contact with the main rails to t'orm a connection therewith the said main rails having at all times t'ree tread Surfaces where the siding rails are brought into contact therewith and to be moved away from said main rails to break said connections, a rod connected with both of the said pivoted switclrrails, and a balanced spring mechanism with which said rod is also connected and means also for moving the said rod and rails manually.

2. The combination, with the rails of the main track and the rails of the siding, of the switch rails pivoted at one end to the respective ends of the siding-rails, their free ends being adapted to be moved into contact with the main rails to form a connection therewith the said I main rails having at all times tree tread surfaces where the siding rails are brought into contact therewith and to be moved away from said main rails to break said connections. a rod connected with both of the said pivoted switch-ralls, a balanced sprint mechanism with which said rod is also connected, and a manually operated lever and operable connections between the same and the balanced spring mechanism for setting: the switch.

2%. The combination, with the rails of the main track and the rails of the siding, ot' the switch rails pivoted at one end to the respective ends of the Sltlillg'dtlllS, their free ends being adapted to be moved into contact with the main rails to form a connection therewith the said main rails having at, all times t'ree tread surfaces where the siding rails are brought into contact therewith and to be moved away from said main rails to break said connections. a rod connected with both of the said pivoted switch rails. a balanced spring mechanism with which said rod is also connected, and a manually operated levcr and operable connections between the same and the balanced spring mechanism for setting the switch. the said lever and its connection and the balanccd spring mechanism being located outside of the track rails.

in testimon whereof, I attix my signature, in presence of two witness s.

l llltl ENE 11. 1! El LY.

Witnesses:

(,nas. lli-urrma, Anuns'r A. 'lnoaus.

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