US90272A - Improvement in railroad-switches - Google Patents

Description

thtittd ,gatita tutti @milite MATTHEW' KEER, OF NEW FLORENCE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, D

v (l. HOOVER, AND W. N. HAYS, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters .Patent .N 90,272, lated May 1S, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILRQAD-SWITCI-IES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom 'it may con/cern.-

Be it known that I, MATTHEW Kulm, of New Florence, in the county of Westmoreland, and in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Railroad- Switch; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specificatiomand inV whichl v Figure 1 represents a 'plan or top view of 'my imi proved railroad-switch; and

Figure 2, a vertical longitudinal section of the same, at the line a; a: of lig. 1.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and secure railroad-switch, which can be readily operated, and when locked, will hold the movable rails firmly in posit-ion, obviating all risk of lateral or vertical displacement, and causing it to be as safe as any other part of the track.

The device to which my improvement applies con- .sists of a chair or chairs, in which the ends of the rails with which the switch is to communicate rest, provided with a series of recesses to receive the ends of the movable rails. lhe movable rails are operated by locking-rod, carrying arms which bear against the bottoms of the movable rails.

By my improvement, flanges are formed on the side ofthe switch-rod, beneath the rails, on which the arms ofthe locking-rod rest when the switch is locked, and thereby pre-,vent tilting or vertical displacement of the rails, the bottom ilanges of which rest in the recesses, which hold them firmly, and prevent lateral displacement, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which sho'.. .t convenient arrangement ofthe parts for calrying ont the objects of iny invention,

A A1 represent the movable rails, pivoted by pins, a a' to the cross-tie A2, and when locked, resting upon the cross-ties A,

The drawings show what is termed athree-throw switch, D D', O C', and E E, representing portions of three lincs of' track, with any one. of which the rails A A1 can be thrown into communication, as shown by thefull black lines, dotted black lines, and full red lines, respectively.

My improvements, however, are equally well adapted to be used in connection with a greater or less number of tracks.

The ends of the rails C C', D D, land. E E which are adjacent to the movable rails A A1, rest in chairs, B B1, secured to a cross-tie, B.

' Recesses b b', c c', cl fl', are formed in the chairs B Bl, to receive the lower flanges of the movable rails A A1, when the same are brought inline with-either of the three tracks before stated, respectively, and when resting in the recesses, the movable rails are electually secured from lateral displacement The rails A Al are shifted by means of a switch-rod 'or bridle, G, having lips, g2, which embrace their lower flanges, and connected by a rod, g1, to a crank-shaft, G', pivoted to a fra1ne,-H, ou the cross-tie B2.

Flanges q are formed on one side of the switch-rod G, beneath the rails A A1.

A locking-rod, F, operated by a level', F', is pivoted" upon the cross-tie B2, transversely to the rails A A1, and carries arms, ff, which bear against the bottoms of the same, near their ends, and raise them from the recesses in the chairs B B1, to be shifted as desired, by means ot' the crank-shaft Gr', and connections, as shown in iig. 2.

The rails A A1 being moved into such position as to have their ends stand above the recesses, in which it is desired that they shall rest, the arm or lever F is raised, and secured by a chain and padlock, or other suitable fastening, to a staple, h, on the'fianie H.

` The ends of the rails A Al then drop into a pair of recesses, and the arms ff bear upon the flanges g of the switch-rod G, and the lever F being secured to the staple h, it is impossible for the rails to be tilted or vertically displaced.

4'I'he red lines in tig. 2 show the relative position of the arms and flanges when locked.

The pins a a are so `formed as to admit of the proper lateral and vertical swing of the movable rails.

It'will be seen that my improved switch is of simple construction, and fiee from liability to derangementof its parts when Operated. The ends of the movable rails resting in the recesses of the chairs, and being likewise held down by the locking-rod, as hereinbefore described, all risk of displacement is removed, and the switch is rendered as safe for the passage of a train as a permanent portion ofthe track.

It is'a well-known fact that in switches in common use, accidents from displacement are frequent, and q of February, 1869.

MATTHEW KERK. i

Witnesses:

F. O. Scams, CHARLES HERRoN.

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