US904278A - Railway switch-frog. - Google Patents

Railway switch-frog. Download PDF

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Publication number
US904278A
US904278A US42924708A US1908429247A US904278A US 904278 A US904278 A US 904278A US 42924708 A US42924708 A US 42924708A US 1908429247 A US1908429247 A US 1908429247A US 904278 A US904278 A US 904278A
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Prior art keywords
switch
frog
bar
siding
points
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US42924708A
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Harry F Roach
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Continuous Rail & Safety Switch Co
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Continuous Rail & Safety Switch Co
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Priority to US42924708A priority Critical patent/US904278A/en
Priority to US457933A priority patent/US947530A/en
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Publication of US904278A publication Critical patent/US904278A/en
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B61—RAILWAYS
    • B61L—GUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC; ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC
    • B61L5/00—Local operating mechanisms for points or track-mounted scotch-blocks; Visible or audible signals; Local operating mechanisms for visible or audible signals

Definitions

  • FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the outside rail of the siding and one of the wheel-operated members that cooperates with said rail;
  • Fig. i is an enlarged top plan view of parts of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1;
  • Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the housing which contains the automatic locking means for the switch operating bar and also the device that trips said locking means to release said bar;
  • Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through approximately the center of said housing;
  • Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6;
  • FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the outside rail of the siding and one of the bars that is employed for preventing the frog-point from moving back to its normal position before the train has passed the frog;
  • Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 8;
  • Fig. 10 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 1010 of Fig. 4.;
  • Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of a frog-point base plate of slightly difierent form from that illustrated in Fig. 10;
  • Fig. 12 is a top plan view of still another form of base plate;
  • Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12, a portion of the frog-point being broken away;
  • Fig. 14 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 1411 of Fig. 12;
  • Fig. 15 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 1515 of Fig. 12;
  • Fig. 16 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the wheel-operated members that. actuates the movable frogpoint or tongue;
  • Fig. 17 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 16;
  • Fig. 18 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 1S18 of Fig. 17;
  • Fig. 19 is a cross sectional view Specification of Letters Patent.
  • Fig. 20 1s a cross sectional view taken on the line 2020 of Fig. 17;
  • Fig. 21 is a cross sectlonal view taken on the line 2121 of Fig. 17;
  • Fig. 22 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 22 of Fig. 17;
  • Fig. 23 is a diagrammatic view of a construction in which the movable tongue or frog-point is actuated by mechanism controlled by the switch-operating bar;
  • Fig. 2a is an enlarged detail view of one of the yielding links employed in the construction shown in Fig. 23 for actuating the frog-point;
  • Fig. 25 is a side elevation of the outside rail of the siding of the construction illustrated in Fig. 23;
  • Fig. 26 is a diagrammatic view of a construction similar to that illustrated in Fig. 23 but in which a rigid frog-point is used;
  • Fig. 22 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 22 of Fig. 17;
  • Fig. 23 is a diagrammatic view of a construction in which the movable tongue or frog-point is actuated by mechanism controlled by the switch-operating bar;
  • Fig. 2a is an
  • FIG. 27 is an enlarged top plan view of the switch stand and shows the locking means for the operating shaft of the switch stand;
  • Fig. 28 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2S28 of Fig. 27;
  • Fig. 29 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2929 of Fig. 27;
  • Fig. 30 is a detail view of a different form of looking device for the switch-operating bar;
  • Fig. 31 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3131 of Fig. 30;
  • Fig. 32 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the switchoperating bar shown in Figs. 30 and 31.
  • This invention relates to railway switch frogs and automatic safety switches.
  • One object of my invention is to provide an automatic safety switch having means of novel construction for preventing the switch points from returning to normal position to close the siding until after the last car of a train has passed onto the siding or from the siding onto the main line.
  • Another object of my invention is to provide a safety switch which comprises automatic means of novel construction for looking the switch point operating bar when the switch points return to their normal position to open the main line, said locking means preventing the switch points from being moved by an unauthorized person.
  • Another object of my invention is to provide a safety switch comprising a locking device that automatically locks the switch points in position to open the siding, a yie ld ingly operated tripping device for trlpping said locking device so that the switch points can return to normal position to close the siding, and means operated by the wheels of a train on the siding for storing up energy in the means that moves the tripping device into engagement with the locking device.
  • Another object of my invention is to provide a railway switch -frog comprising switch-points and a movable frog-point, yielding means for normally holding the frog-point and switch-points in such a position that the main line is open, and means operated by the wheels of a train for moving the frog-point into position to open the siding.
  • Another object of my invention is to provide a switch-frog comprising switch-points and a movable frog-point, yielding means for normally holding said switch-points and frog-point in such a position that the main line is open, and mechanism actuated by the switch-point-operating means for actuating the movable frog-point.
  • Fig. 1 of the drawings which illustrates the preferred form of my invention
  • 1 and 1 designate, respectively, the inside and outside rails of a main line
  • 2 and 2 designate, respectively, the inside and outside rails of a siding
  • 3 designates movable switch-points
  • 4 designates a movable tongue or frog-point arranged at the intersection of the inside rails of the main line and siding.
  • the movable frogpoint 4 and switch-points 3 are normally held in such a position that the main line will be open and the siding closed, and means are provided for shifting the switchpoints and frog-point to open the siding and close the main line.
  • the construction shown in Fig. 1 comprises yielding members such, for example, as springs or weights, for holding the switchpoints and frog tongue in such a position that the main line is open, means operated by the wheels of a passing train for moving the frog-point in the opposite direction so as to open the siding, and a switch-point operating bar that is adapted to be actuated manually or by some suitable mechanical, electrical or air-controlled means for moving the switch-points into position to open the siding.
  • the construction shown in Fig. 1 also comprises means for preventing the frog-point and switch-points from moving back to their normal positions to open the main line until the train has passed the frog pr has passed from the siding onto the main
  • switch-operating bar said bar being adapted to be moved in the direction of the arrow at in Fig. 1 to open the siding and close the main line.
  • This switchoperating bar can be-actuated manually or by some suitable mechanical, electrical or fluidoperated means, not shown.
  • the switch-points are moved in the opposite direction by an expansion spring 6 which acts on a plunger 7 pivotally connected to one of the switch -points, said spring and plunger being arranged inside of a housing 8, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. While I have herein shown an expansion spring 6 for moving the switch-points into position to open the main line it will, of course, be obvious that any other suitable form of spring or yielding device could be employed for this purpose without departing from the spirit of my invention.
  • a plunger 9 is pivotally connected to the movable rog-point 4, as shown in Fig. 4, and a coiled expansion spring 10 is interposed between a head on said plunger and one end of a housing 11 into which the plunger projects for moving said frog-point into alinement with the inside rail of the main line and hold it in this position so that the main line will be open.
  • Said movable frog-point or tongue is moved in the opposite direction to bring it into alinement with the inside rail of the siding by means of wheel-operated members 12 and 12 that will be hereinafter fully described, said wheeloperated members being carried by pivotally mounted devices that normally hold said members in such a position that they will extend above the tread of the outside rail 2 of the siding so that when a wheel strikes said members they will be depressed and moved longitudinally and thereby actuate devices which impart movement to the frog-point or tongue 4.
  • wheel-operated members are so constructed that the member 12 will be depressed and moved longitudinally in the direction of the arrow 1) in Fig. 1 and the member 12 will be depressed and moved longitudinally in the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrow 0 in Fig. 1.
  • the movements of the wheel-operated members 12 and 12 are transmitted to the movable tongue 4 by means of a system of links and levers comprising a bell crank lever 13 ar ranged adjacent the free end of the tongue 4, a link 14 connected to said lever and to the tongue 4, a link 15 connected to the opposite arm of said lever 13 and to one arm of a bell crank lever 16, and a link 17 connected to the to a rock arm 24 which is actuated by the wheel-operated member 12.
  • the switch-operating bar 5 will, of course, have to be moved in the direction indicated by the arrow at in Fig. 1 to open the siding, and when a train has entered the siding and is approaching the toe end of the frog the wheels of said train will depress the wheeloperated member 12 and move it longitudinally in the direction of the arrow 7) in Fig. 1, thereby actuating the rock arm 24 so that the straight lever 22 moves in a direction to cause the long rod 21 to pull on the threearmed lever 18 and thus move the link 17 in the direction indicated by the arrow (Z in Fig.1, the movement of the link 17 in this direction causing the tongue at to move into alinement with the inside rail 2 of the siding.
  • the movement of the three-armed lever 18 also rocks the arm 20 and causes the wheel-operated member 12 to move clownwardly simultaneously with the depression of the wheel-operated member 12. If a train on the siding approaches the heel end of the frog when the tongue 1 is in alinement with the inside rail of the main line, the wheeloperated member 12 will be depressed by the wheels of the train and moved longitudinally in the direction of the arrow 0 in Fig. 1 and thus cause the rock arm 20 to move the three-armed lever 18 in such a direction that the link 17 will move in the direction indicated by the arrow at in Fig.
  • the tongue or frog-point 1 is automatically moved into alinement with the inside rail of the siding whenever a train approaches the frog from either direction, the wheeloperated members 12 and 12 being connected together in such a manner that both members move simultaneously so that when one member is in an operative position the other member will also be in an operative position and when one member is depressed the other will also be depressed.
  • one arm of the bell crank lever 13 is provided with a tooth or projection 25 that enters a recess in the end of the frog tongue d when said tongue is in alinement with the inside rail of the siding and thus locks it in this position, said projection and recess being so formed that the projection will pass out of the recess when the spring 10 is permitted to expand to return the tongue to its normal position.
  • a gravity-operated dog 26 which drops into oper ative position in the path of movement of the switch-operating bar 5 and prevents the spring 6 from returning said bar and the switch-points to normal position.
  • This looking dog 26 and the mechanism that moves said dog into an inoperative position to release the switclroperating bar 5, is shown in detail in Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive.
  • the dog 26 is pivotally mounted inside of a housing 27 arranged adjacent to the switch-points, as shown in Fig. 1.
  • the end of the switchoperating bar 5 projects into said housing underneath the dog 26 and when the switchpoints are in operative position said dog will rest on the upper side of said bar.
  • said bar is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow a in Fig. 1 it will pass from under the dog 26 and thus permit said dog to move downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 6 and thus form an obstruction which prevents said bar from moving in the opposite direction.
  • a roller 28 can be mounted in the end of the bar 5 for reducing the friction between said bar and the locking dog.
  • the locking dog 26 is provided with a finger-piece 29 that projects laterally through an elongated slot 30 in the housing to enable said dog to be raised manually so as to release the switch-operating bar.
  • the mechanism for automatically tripping said locking dog to release the switchoperating bar consists of a reciprocating device 31 arranged inside of the housing and adapted to engage an extension 26 on said dog and swing it upwardly, said reciprocating device being operated by mechanism hereinafter described.
  • the housing 27 is provided with inclined guides 32, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, that form a track for a pin 31 which extends transversely through the inner end of the reciprocating device 31, said guides being so formed that when the pin 31 rests on the lowest portions of said guides the inner end of the device 31 will be out of the path of movement of the extension 26" on the locking dog.
  • Hinged guides 33 that lie in an approximately horizontal plane are arranged over the inclined guides 32 and the free ends of said hinged guides are drawn downwardly so that they contact with the inclined guides, by means of contraction springs 34 which are connected to the underneath sides of said hinged guides. hen the tripping device 31 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow 0 in Fig. 6, the pin 31 will ride up the inclined guides 32 and when said pin strikes the hinged guides said guides will yield and thus permit said pin to pass onto horizontal guides 34 on the housing which form continuations of the hinged guides 33, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6.
  • the reciprocating tripping device 31 is moved in the opposite direction by means hereinafter described and the pin 31 will then ride over the hinged guides 33 until the end of the tripping device strikes the extension 26 on the dog, thereby swinging said dog upwardly and releasing the switch-operating bar 5 so that the spring 6 can move it back to its normal position. ⁇ Vhen the pin 31 leaves the hinged guides 33 the tripping device 31 will drop downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 6.
  • the housing 27 preferably consists of two cast members provided with laterally projecting flanges 35 that receive fastening devices which secure the housing to the ties of the track.
  • a bar 40 is arranged adjacent the outside rail 2 of the siding and is carried by a number of links 41, each of which is pivotally connected at its lower end to a bracket 42 that is connected to the base of the rail 2 as shown in Fig. 8.
  • the bracket 42 preferably consists of a cast member having portions which embrace the edge portion of the base of the rail and laterally projecting stops 43 between which the link 41 is arranged, as shown in Fig. 9.
  • the lower end of the link is connected to the bracket by a bolt 43 and cotter pin 44 and the bracket is clamped to the rail by means of bolts 45 which pass underneath the base of the rail, said bolts having bent heads 45 that hook over the edge portion of the base of the rail.
  • the upper edge of the bar 40 normally lies flush with the tread of the rail 2' and when any of the links 41 are swung on their fulcrums the bar 40 will move longitudinally, the swinging movement of the links raising said bar and then returning it to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 9.
  • the stops 43 limit the movements of the links 41 and as the bar 40 has to move upwardly above the tread of the rail 2 in order to move longitudinally of said rail, it will be obvious that said bar cannot move longitudinally whenever a wheel is on that portion of the rail 2* alongside of which the bar 40 extends for the tread of the wheel will prevent the bar from moving upwardly.
  • the reciprocating tripping device 31 which disengages the locking dog '26 from the switch-operating bar is pivotally connected to a link 46 that is fastened to the bar 40, and one of the links 41 which support said bar 40, is connected to the wheel-operated member 12 so that the movements of said wheel-operated member will be transmitted to the bar 40.
  • a plunger 47 that is pivotally connected to the wheel-operated member 12 projects into a casing 48 that is pivotally connected to one of the links 41 which support the bar 40, and a coiled expansion spring 49 is interposed between one end of said casing and a head on the end of plunger 47.
  • the tripping device for the locking element as consisting of a reciprocating member that is moved into engagement with the locking element by means of a spring, and in the opposite direction by means of wheel-operated members, I do not wish to have it understood that my broad idea is limited to the use of a spring for actuating the tripping device, as a weight or pneumatic means could be used for this purpose without departing from the spirit of my invention.
  • Figs. 41 and 10 illustrate clearly the construction of the base plate 52 on which the movable frog-point l is slidingly mounted.
  • Said base plate is connected to the ties of the track and a hollow wheel tread member 53 preferably a casting or drop forging is mounted on one end of said base plate, the member 53 being provided with laterally projecting flanges 53 through which fastening devices pass to connect said member to the base plate.
  • the movable frog-point is pivotally connected to said member, as shown in Fig. 4, and the rails which form continuations of the inside rails of the main line and siding have their vertical webs connected to wings or lugs 5% on the member 53 by bolts or other suitable fastening devices, as shown clearly in Fig. 10.
  • the ends of said rails butt against the end wall of the member 53 and the base plate is ofiset to form a vertical shoulder or face 55 against which the ends of said rails abut.
  • a detachable member 56 having tread portions 57 that form continuations of the inside rails of the main line and siding, the webs of said rails being connected to lugs or wings on said member in a manner similar to that illustrated in Fig. 10.
  • the frog-tongue slides transversely over the base plate, as previously described, and the base plate is provided with a stop of similar construction to that illustrated in Fig. 15 which projects into a chamber in the frog-tongue for limiting the movements of said tongue.
  • the base plate can be provided with an integral member 58, as shown in Fig. 11, to which the frog-point and the rails which form the continuations of the inside rails of the main line and siding are connected.
  • the base plate shown in Fig. 11 is also provided with pairs of integral upwardly projecting lugs 59 that embrace the webs of the rails and are connected thereto by fastoning devices, the bases of said rails having slots through which said lugs project.
  • Figs. 12 to 15 illustrate a base plate 60 of different construction from that shown in Figs. 10 and 11.
  • the base plate shown in Figs. 12 to 15 preferably consists of a drop forging and is provided with a longitudinally extending strengthening rib 61 and a number of transversely extending ribs 62, the transverse ribs 62 being higher than the longitudinally extending rib 61 so as to form a flat supporting surface on which the movable tongue 63 slides.
  • the base plate is provided with an upwardly projecting semicircular flange 6 1- that extends into a semicircular recess on the underneath side of the tongue 63 to pivotally connect said tongue to the base plate.
  • a chamber 65 is formed in the underneath side of the tongue 63, and the base plate is provided with an upwardly projecting stop 66 that extends into said chamber for limiting the movements of the tongue, said stop being provided with laterally projecting flanges that coiiperate with flanges on the tongue 63 to prevent said tongue from moving upwardly from the base plate.
  • this stop 66 can consist of a separate piece that is riveted to the base plate, as shown in Fig. 15.
  • the base plate 60 is provided at each of its'ends with a pair of vertical webs 67 T to which the webs of the rails are connected,
  • the webs 67 on the base plate being strengthened by means of transversely extending T-shaped ribs 68 arranged between each pair of webs and integrally connected thereto.
  • the upper edges of the webs 67 are flanged laterally, as shown in Fig. 14, to form seats for the heads of the rails and one-half of the base of each rail is cut away so that the web of the rail can lie up against the web 67 to which it is connected by bolts or fastening devices 69 that extend through the webs of the rails and the webs on the base plate.
  • the end of the movable tongue cooperates directly with the terminals of the inside rails 1 and 2 of the main line and siding, and the rails which form continuations of said inside rails butt against an integral tread portion 70 on the base plate, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13.
  • Said member 12 comprises a base 71 arranged in alinement with the outside rail of the siding and a movable element 12 carried by links 72 that are pivotally connected to said base.
  • the base 71 has a vertically disposed web 7 3 provided on its opposite sides with shoulders 7 4 that form bearing faces for the movable element 12 said movable element having an inverted channel-shaped tread portion that embraces the reduced portion of the web 7 3 and a shank 75 that is arranged at one side of said web 7 3, as shown in Figs. 16 and 18.
  • An inverted channel-shaped tread portion 76 which is preferably formed from some hard material, such for example, as manganese steel, is permanently connected to the vertical web 7 3 of the base 71 adjacent the shank 75 of the movable element so as to form a continuation of the tread of the rail and the tread portion of the movable element 12 but, if desired, the vertical web of the base can be provided with an integral tread portion at this point.
  • the base 71 is provided on its underneath side with thickened portions 77 that form bearings for pins 78 which pivotally connect the links 72 to the base, and the links that are connected to the shank 75 of the movable element are arranged at one side of the vertical web of the base, as shown in Figs. 18 and 19, the base being provided with slots through which said links extend.
  • the links 72 which are connected to the inverted channel shaped tread portion 12 of the movable element extend through slots in the vertical web of the base 71 and the upper ends of said links are corneas:
  • inverted channel-shaped tread portion arranged inside said inverted channel-shaped tread portion, as shown in Fig. 20, the reduced portion of the vertical web of the base 71 being cut away, as shown in Fig. 17, so as to permit said links to swing on their fulcrums and thus move the movable element longitudinally of the base.
  • the vertical web of the base is provided with an inclined bearing face 80 on which a cooperating inclined bearing face on the movable element 12 rests when said movable element is in its normal elevated position.
  • the links 72 which supports the movable element 12 is rigidly connected to a rock shaft 81 that is journaled in a bearing 82 connected to the underneath side of the base 71, as shown in Figs. 17 and 22, and the rock arm 20 to which the link 19 is fastened, is rigidly connected to said rock shaft 81.
  • Fig. 23 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of my invention wherein the frog-point or tongue 4 is operated by mechanism which is moved by the switch-operating bar 5 instead of by wheel-operated members.
  • the switch-operating bar is pivotally connected to bell crank levers 83 and 83 that are connected by means of long rods 84 and 84 to bell crank levers 85 and 85
  • the bell crank lever 85 is connected by a yielding link 86 to a bell crank lever 87 arranged on one side of the movable frogpoint 4, and the bell crank lever 85 is connected by a yielding link 86 to a second bell crank lever 87 arranged on the other side of the frog-point, said bell crank levers 87
  • One of and 87 being connected by means of short bar is moved in the opposite direction by its 1 operating spring 6 the tongue 1 will be moved back into alinement with the inside rail of the main line.
  • iVheel-operated bars 88 and 88 which normally lie above the tread of the outside rail of the siding are employed for moving the reciprocating tripping device 31 arranged inside of the lions ing 27, into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and a spring 89 which is connected to the bar 88 moves said bars back to their normal position when the train has passed through the frog or has passed from the siding onto the main line, thereby causing the reciprocating tripping device 31 to trip the locking dog 26 and release the switch-operating bar 5.
  • the members 88 and 88 are so mounted that they move longitudinally in opposite directions, and means is provided for causing said members to move simultaneously so that when a wheel strikes one member and depresses it the other member will be depressed.
  • the means herein shown for causing said members to be depressed and returned to their elevated position simultaneously consists of a lever 90 havingone of its ends pivotally connected to the member 88 and its opposite end connected to a stationary support, a lever 90 pivoted intermediate its ends to a support and having its inner end pivotally connected to the member 88, and a link 91 connected to the outer end of lever 90 and to the intermediate portion of lever 90.
  • Fig. 24 illustrates in detail the construction of the yielding link 86 that operates the bell crank lever 87, the link 86 being of the same construction.
  • This link 86 consists of two sections, one of which passes freely through one end of a housing 92 into which the other section of the link extends.
  • the section first referred to is provided with an adjustable stop or nut 93 located inside of the housing and the second section of the link is provided with a head 91 located inside of the housing and an adjustable stop or nut that contacts with the outside face of the end of the housing.
  • a coiled expansion spring 96 is interposed between the inside face of the end of the housing and the head 94 on the second section of the link so as to hold the stop 95 in contact with the housing.
  • Fig. 26 The form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 26 comprises a rigid frog-point 99 and a switch-point operating mechanism of the same construction as that shown in Fig. 23.
  • Fig. 1 One form of locking means that is embodied in the construction shown in Fig. 1 is illustrated in detail in Figs. 27 to 29, and referring to said figures, it will be seen that the switchoperating bar 5 is pivotally connected at its outer end to an arm 1.00 on a vertically disposed shaft 101 which projects up through a switch-stand. Said shaft is provided with an operating lever 102 that is arranged above the horizontal top plate 103 of the switch-stand and a rigid hook 101 on said arm is adapted to project into a housing 105 on the plate 103 when the switch-points are in position to open the main line, as shown in Fig. 1.
  • a pivotally mounted pawl 106 is arranged inside of the housing 105 for engaging the hook 104: on the arm 102 so as to lock the shaft 101 which imparts movement to the switch-opera ing bar, and said housing is provided with a hinged top, as shown in Fig. 28, that can be raised to permit the switchman to lift the pawl 106 out of engagement with the hook 10 1 so as to release the operating shaft 101.
  • the hinged top of the housing 105 can be locked by means of a padlock 107 or any other suitable form of look so as to prevent the pawl 106 from being disengaged from the hook 104: by an unauthorized person. WVhen the switch-operating bar 5 is moved in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow a in Fig.
  • the hook 104 will strike an inclined face on the pawl 106 and thus swing said pawl on its fulcrum to permit the hook to pass same, the pawl thereafter swinging back into position to lock the hook, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 27.
  • the pintle 108 of said hinge is arranged inside of the housing and the screws 109 which connect the housing to the plate 103 pass through the bottom of the lower portion of the housing so that the housing cannot be removed or the pintle of the hinge removed without first raising the top of the housing.
  • the fulcrum pin for the pawl 106 is also arranged inside of the housing, said pin being carried by lugs 109 on the underneath side of the top of the housing.
  • Figs. 30 to 32, inclusive illustrate another form of locking device for the switchoperating bar, said locking device consisting of a shoulder orfriction roller 110 on the switch-operating bar 5 which cooperates with the locking dog 26 to prevent said bar from being moved in the direction indicated by the arrow at in Fig. 1, without first raising the dog 26.
  • the housing 27 in which said locking dog 26 is, arranged, has a hinged portion 27 which can be raised to permit the switchman to swing the locking dog 26 upwardly into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 30 so as to disengage said dog from the shoulder or roller 110 on the bar 5, the hinged portion 27 of said housing being locked by a padlock or any other suit able lock to prevent an unauthorized person from swinging the dog 26 upwardly.
  • the bar 5 is also provlded with a sliding block 111 which can be moved longitudinally of the bar inthe direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 32 so as to hold the locking dog 26 in its inoperative position and prevent it from dropping back into engagement with the roller 110 on the bar 5 while the switchman is walking over to the switch-stand to operate the shaft that actuates said bar 5
  • the switchman first unlocks the padlock and then raises the hinged portion 2" of the casing so that he can get at the dog 26. After the dog has been swung upwardly the block 111 is moved into position to support said dog and the hinged portion 27" of the housing is then returned to its closed position and locked by the padlock.
  • the switchman then turns the operating shaft of the switch-stand so as to move the bar o to open the siding and when the block 111 on the bar 5 strikes the wall 27 of the housing 27 said block will be returned to its normal position so that when the bar 5 moves back to its home position the block 111 will be out of the path of movement of the locking dog 26 and thus permit said dog to swing down into position to engage the roller 110 on the bar 5 and thus lock said bar.
  • a railway switch comprising switch points, means for moving said switch points in position to open the siding, means for moving said switch points in the opposite direction to close the siding and open the main line, a locking device which automatically locks the switch points when they arrive in position to open the siding, a member that is adapted to trip said locking device so as to release the switch points, wheel-operated members arranged adjacent one rail of a siding for moving said tripping member in one direction, and independent means for moving said tripping member in the oppo site direction to cause it to trip said locking device; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch comprising switch points, an operating bar for moving said switch points into position to open the siding, means for moving said switch points in the opposite direction to close the siding, a locking device adapted to engage said bar and lock said switch points in position to keep the siding open, a tripping member cooperating with said locking device, depressible wheel-o erated members arranged adjacent one rai of the siding and being operatively connected to said tripping member for setting it in an operative position, and means for moving said tripping member into engagement with the locking device to trip same after the wheels of the train have passed off said wheel-operated members; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch comprising switchpoints, yielding means for normally holding said switch-points in position to open the main line, an operating bar for moving said switch-points into position to close the main line and open the siding, a locking device cooperating with said bar for preventing the switch-points from moving back to their normal position, a member for tripping said locking device to release said bar, means operated by the wheels of a passing train for moving said tripping member to an operative position, and yielding means for moving said tripping member into engagement with said locking device; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch comprising switch points, an operating bar for moving said switch oints, a locking device cooperating with said bar for holding the switch points in a certain position, means for tripping said locking device, and means arranged adjacent one rail of the siding for causing said tripping device to become operative, said means and tripping device being so constructed that the locking device remains in operative engagement with the operating bar until after the wheels of the train have passed o'tl said tripping device operating means; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch comprising switch points, an operating bar for moving said switch points, a locking device cooperating with said bar for holding the switch points in a certain position, and automatic means adapted to be operated by a train on the sid ing for tripping said locking means to release the' switch points after the train has passed through the switch; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch comprising switchpoints, an operating bar for moving said switch-points, a locking device cooperating with said bar for holding the switch-points in a certain position, a member for tripping said locking device to release said bar, wheeloperated members for moving said tripping member into an operative position, and means for actuating said member to cause it to engage the locking device; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch frog comprising switch points, a movable frog point, means for normally holding said frog point and switch points in position to open the main line, means for moving the switch points into position to open the siding, wheel-operated members operatively connected to the frog point, a locking element for locking the switch points in position to open the siding, and means operated by the wheels of a train on the siding for releasing said locking element; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch frog comprising switchpoints, a movable frog-point, yielding means for holding said frog-point and switch-points normally in position to open the main line, an operating bar for moving the switch-points into position to open the siding, wheel-operated members for moving the frog-point into position to open the siding, and means for causing the switch-points and frog-point to remain in such position while a train is in the zone between the switch-points and frog-point; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch frog comprising switch-points and a movable frog-point, means for normally holding said switchpoints and frog-point in position to open the main line, wheel-operated members for moving the frog-point into position to close the main line and open the siding, and an independent wheel-operated member for preventing the frog-point from returning to its normal position until after a train has passed through the frog; substantially as described.
  • a railway track structure comprising switch points, a movable tongue, means for normally holding the switch points and movable tongue in such a position that the main line is open, an operating bar for moving the switch points, means for causing the tongue to move with the switch points, wheeloperated members operatively connected to said movable tongue to insure a full movement thereof, a locking element for holding the switch points in position to open the siding, a device for tripping said locking element, a wheel-operated member adapted to be operated by a train on the siding for setting said tripping device in an operative position, and independent means for causing said tripping device to trip said. locking elemeut after the wheel-operated members have been released; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch frog comprising switch-points and a movable frog tongue, means for normally holding said switchpoints and frog tongue in such a position that the main line is open, a pair of wheelopcrated members forming part of the outside rail of the siding, mechanism actuated by said wheel-operated members for moving the frog tongue into position to open the siding, and a wheel-operated bar arranged between said wheel-operated members and cooperating with the frog tongue actuating mechanism for locking said frog tongue in position to close the main line; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch frog comprising a main track and a siding, movable switchpoints, a movable frog-point, means for normally holding said switch-points and frogpoint in position to keep the main line open, wheel-operated members arranged adjacent the outside rail of the siding, mechanism operated by said members for moving the frogpoint into position to close the main line and open the siding, and an independent wheeloperated bar operatively connected to the frog point moving mechanism for locking the frog-point in position to keep the siding open; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch frog comprising a main track and a siding, movable switchpoints, a movable trogpoint, yielding means for normally holding said switch-points and the frog-point in such a position that the main line is open, an operating bar for moving the switch-points into position to close the main line and open the sidin wheeloperated members for moving the frog-point into position to open the siding, a locking device cooperating with the switch-point operating bar, a tripping member for moving said locking device into an inoperative position, and a connection between said tripping member and one of said wheel-operated members; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch frog comprising switch-points and a movable frog-point, yielding means for normally holding said switch-points and frog-point in such a position that the main line is open, an operating bar for moving the switch-points into position to close the main line and open the siding, wheel-operated members for moving the frog-point into a.
  • a locking device cooperating with said operating bar for preventing the switch-points from returning to their normal position
  • a tripping member for disengaging said locking device from said operating bar
  • a wheel-operated bar connected to said tripping member, a connection between said wheel-operated bar and one of the wheel-operated members whereby the tripping member is caused to move into an operative position when the wheel-operated member is depressed, and means for causing said tripping member to trip the locking device when the wheeloperated member returns to its normal position; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch frog comprising a main line and a sliding, movable switchpoints, a movable frog-point, yielding means for normally holding said switch-points and frog-point in such a position that the main line is open, an operating bar for moving the switch-points into position to close the main line and open the siding, wheel-operated members for moving the frogpoint into a similar position, a locking device cooperating with the operating bar for locking said switch-points, a tripping member for disengaging said locking device from said bar, a
  • a railway switch frog comprising switch-points, a movable frog-point, means for normally holding said switch-points and frog-point in position to open the main line, a locking device for preventing said switchpoints from returning to their normal position, a tripping member, yielding means for moving said tripping member into engagement with said locking device, and wheel-operated members for storing up energy in said yielding means; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch frog comprising switch-points, a movable frog-point, an operating bar connected to said switch-points for moving them into position to open the siding, yielding means for moving the switch-points in the opposite direction to close the siding and open the main line, mechanism actuated by the operating bar for moving the frog point, a locking device cooperating with said operating bar for holding the switch-points in position to keep the siding open, and means operated by the wheels of a train that has passed through the switch for releasing said bar from said locking device so that the yielding means can operate to close the switch; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch frog comprising switch-points, means for locking said switch points, a movable frog-point, an operating bar for moving said switch-points, and a. connection between said operating bar and the movable frog-point, said connection being so constructed that the frog point can move while the switch points remain locked substantially as described.
  • a railway switch frog comprising switch-points, a movable frog-point, an operating bar for moving said switch-points, a system of links and levers arranged betwee the opposite sioes of said frog-point and said operating bar for transmitting the movements of said bar to said frog-point, and yielding links forming part of said system; substantially as described.
  • a railway switch frog comprising switch-points, a movable frog-point, yielding means for normally holding the switchpoints in such a position that the main line

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Description

Inventor; Harm Roach L m I 0T 0 9H s In I 1 Q Nu w 0.. wAsnmc-rou. o c,
H; P. ROAGH.
RAILWAY SWITCH FROG.
APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1908.
. Patented Nov. 17, 1908.
10 SHEETS-SHEET 2.
inventor:
Harm F. Roach bY MW rawwwe Abbw Witnesses H. F. ROACH.
RAILWAY SWITCH FROG.
I APPLICATION FILED APR.25,1908.
Patented Nov. 17, 1908.
10 SHEETS-SHEET 3.
. ligvangorz by an YF. oac m Witnesses H. P. ROACH. RAILWAY SWITCH FROG. AI PLIOATION rum) APR. 25, 1908.
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H. F. ROAOH.
RAILWAY SWITCH FROG.
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H. F. ROACH.
RAILWAY SWITCH FROG.
APPLICATION mum APR.25,1908.
904,278 Patented Nov. 17, 1908.
10 SHEETS-SHEET 6.
11- 5 mums PEYERs co, WASNINUTON, n. c.
H. P. ROAGH.
RAILWAY SWITCH FROG. APPLIOATION FILED Arm-25. 190a.
904,278 v Patented Nov. 17, 1908.
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Witnesses H. F. ROACH.
RAILWAY SWITCH FROG. APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1909.
Patented Nov. 17, 1908 10 SHEETS-SHEET 8 :x
\nventor: Harm F. Roach owns PETERS cm. wnsnllvarorv. n
H. F. ROAGH.
RAILWAY SWITCH FROG.
APPLICATION rum) APR. 25. 1908.
Patented Nov. 17, 1908. 10 SHEETSSHBET 9.
M h R M i J m MGQ 1 m a k H M 3 5 M H. F. ROAUH.
RAILWAY SWITCH FROG.
APPLICATION FILED 111.26, 1909.
904,278. Patented Nov. 17, 1908.
10 SHEETS-SHEET 10.
A llllllli- "IMWWZL Illlllilll Witnesses. H F invggltorz EW'TY 0a alg'mfigww N bY M/m aw rm: NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON. n. cy
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
HARRY F. ROAOH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINUOUS RAIL & SAFETY SWITCH 00., OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.
RAILWAY SWITCH-FROG.
To all whom it may concern.
Be it known that I, HARRY F. Roacn, a citizen of the United States, residing at St.- Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway Switch-Frogs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of a railway switch-frog constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View of parts of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the outside rail of the siding and one of the wheel-operated members that cooperates with said rail; Fig. i is an enlarged top plan view of parts of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the housing which contains the automatic locking means for the switch operating bar and also the device that trips said locking means to release said bar; Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through approximately the center of said housing; Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the outside rail of the siding and one of the bars that is employed for preventing the frog-point from moving back to its normal position before the train has passed the frog; Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 1010 of Fig. 4.; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of a frog-point base plate of slightly difierent form from that illustrated in Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a top plan view of still another form of base plate; Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12, a portion of the frog-point being broken away; Fig. 14: is a cross sectional view taken on the line 1411 of Fig. 12; Fig. 15 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 1515 of Fig. 12; Fig. 16 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the wheel-operated members that. actuates the movable frogpoint or tongue; Fig. 17 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 16; Fig. 18 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 1S18 of Fig. 17; Fig. 19 is a cross sectional view Specification of Letters Patent.
Application filed April 25, 1908.
Patented Nov. 17, 1908.
Serial No. 429,247.
taken on the line 1919 of Fig. 17; Fig. 20 1s a cross sectional view taken on the line 2020 of Fig. 17; Fig. 21 is a cross sectlonal view taken on the line 2121 of Fig. 17;
Fig. 22 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 22 of Fig. 17; Fig. 23 is a diagrammatic view of a construction in which the movable tongue or frog-point is actuated by mechanism controlled by the switch-operating bar; Fig. 2a is an enlarged detail view of one of the yielding links employed in the construction shown in Fig. 23 for actuating the frog-point; Fig. 25 is a side elevation of the outside rail of the siding of the construction illustrated in Fig. 23; Fig. 26 is a diagrammatic view of a construction similar to that illustrated in Fig. 23 but in which a rigid frog-point is used; Fig. 27 is an enlarged top plan view of the switch stand and shows the locking means for the operating shaft of the switch stand; Fig. 28 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2S28 of Fig. 27; Fig. 29 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2929 of Fig. 27; Fig. 30 is a detail view of a different form of looking device for the switch-operating bar; Fig. 31 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3131 of Fig. 30; and Fig. 32 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the switchoperating bar shown in Figs. 30 and 31.
This invention relates to railway switch frogs and automatic safety switches.
One object of my invention is to provide an automatic safety switch having means of novel construction for preventing the switch points from returning to normal position to close the siding until after the last car of a train has passed onto the siding or from the siding onto the main line.
Another object of my invention is to provide a safety switch which comprises automatic means of novel construction for looking the switch point operating bar when the switch points return to their normal position to open the main line, said locking means preventing the switch points from being moved by an unauthorized person.
Another object of my invention is to provide a safety switch comprising a locking device that automatically locks the switch points in position to open the siding, a yie ld ingly operated tripping device for trlpping said locking device so that the switch points can return to normal position to close the siding, and means operated by the wheels of a train on the siding for storing up energy in the means that moves the tripping device into engagement with the locking device.
Another object of my invention is to provide a railway switch -frog comprising switch-points and a movable frog-point, yielding means for normally holding the frog-point and switch-points in such a position that the main line is open, and means operated by the wheels of a train for moving the frog-point into position to open the siding.
Another object of my invention is to provide a switch-frog comprising switch-points and a movable frog-point, yielding means for normally holding said switch-points and frog-point in such a position that the main line is open, and mechanism actuated by the switch-point-operating means for actuating the movable frog-point.
Other objects and desirable features of my present invention will be hereinafter pointed out.
Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings which illustrates the preferred form of my invention, 1 and 1 designate, respectively, the inside and outside rails of a main line, 2 and 2 designate, respectively, the inside and outside rails of a siding, 3 designates movable switch-points, and 4 designates a movable tongue or frog-point arranged at the intersection of the inside rails of the main line and siding. The movable frogpoint 4 and switch-points 3 are normally held in such a position that the main line will be open and the siding closed, and means are provided for shifting the switchpoints and frog-point to open the siding and close the main line.
The construction shown in Fig. 1 comprises yielding members such, for example, as springs or weights, for holding the switchpoints and frog tongue in such a position that the main line is open, means operated by the wheels of a passing train for moving the frog-point in the opposite direction so as to open the siding, and a switch-point operating bar that is adapted to be actuated manually or by some suitable mechanical, electrical or air-controlled means for moving the switch-points into position to open the siding. The construction shown in Fig. 1 also comprises means for preventing the frog-point and switch-points from moving back to their normal positions to open the main line until the train has passed the frog pr has passed from the siding onto the main The switch-points 3 of the construction shown in Fig. 1 are connected to a bar 5 that I will term a switch-operating bar, said bar being adapted to be moved in the direction of the arrow at in Fig. 1 to open the siding and close the main line. This switchoperating bar can be-actuated manually or by some suitable mechanical, electrical or fluidoperated means, not shown. The switch-points are moved in the opposite direction by an expansion spring 6 which acts on a plunger 7 pivotally connected to one of the switch -points, said spring and plunger being arranged inside of a housing 8, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. While I have herein shown an expansion spring 6 for moving the switch-points into position to open the main line it will, of course, be obvious that any other suitable form of spring or yielding device could be employed for this purpose without departing from the spirit of my invention.
A plunger 9 is pivotally connected to the movable rog-point 4, as shown in Fig. 4, and a coiled expansion spring 10 is interposed between a head on said plunger and one end of a housing 11 into which the plunger projects for moving said frog-point into alinement with the inside rail of the main line and hold it in this position so that the main line will be open. Said movable frog-point or tongue is moved in the opposite direction to bring it into alinement with the inside rail of the siding by means of wheel-operated members 12 and 12 that will be hereinafter fully described, said wheeloperated members being carried by pivotally mounted devices that normally hold said members in such a position that they will extend above the tread of the outside rail 2 of the siding so that when a wheel strikes said members they will be depressed and moved longitudinally and thereby actuate devices which impart movement to the frog-point or tongue 4. These wheel-operated members are so constructed that the member 12 will be depressed and moved longitudinally in the direction of the arrow 1) in Fig. 1 and the member 12 will be depressed and moved longitudinally in the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrow 0 in Fig. 1. The movements of the wheel-operated members 12 and 12 are transmitted to the movable tongue 4 by means of a system of links and levers comprising a bell crank lever 13 ar ranged adjacent the free end of the tongue 4, a link 14 connected to said lever and to the tongue 4, a link 15 connected to the opposite arm of said lever 13 and to one arm of a bell crank lever 16, and a link 17 connected to the to a rock arm 24 which is actuated by the wheel-operated member 12. I prefer to connect a long rod or link 21 to the other end of the straight lever 22 and to the arm on the lever 18 to which the link 19 is connected so that the movements of the straight lever 22 will be imparted to the three-armed lever 18 and. vice versa, by a pull of either the rods 21 or 21 instead of a thrust as these rods are of such length that they would tend to bend if they were put under compression.
The switch-operating bar 5 will, of course, have to be moved in the direction indicated by the arrow at in Fig. 1 to open the siding, and when a train has entered the siding and is approaching the toe end of the frog the wheels of said train will depress the wheeloperated member 12 and move it longitudinally in the direction of the arrow 7) in Fig. 1, thereby actuating the rock arm 24 so that the straight lever 22 moves in a direction to cause the long rod 21 to pull on the threearmed lever 18 and thus move the link 17 in the direction indicated by the arrow (Z in Fig.1, the movement of the link 17 in this direction causing the tongue at to move into alinement with the inside rail 2 of the siding. The movement of the three-armed lever 18 also rocks the arm 20 and causes the wheel-operated member 12 to move clownwardly simultaneously with the depression of the wheel-operated member 12. If a train on the siding approaches the heel end of the frog when the tongue 1 is in alinement with the inside rail of the main line, the wheeloperated member 12 will be depressed by the wheels of the train and moved longitudinally in the direction of the arrow 0 in Fig. 1 and thus cause the rock arm 20 to move the three-armed lever 18 in such a direction that the link 17 will move in the direction indicated by the arrow at in Fig. 1 and thus move the tongue 4 into alinement with the inside rail of the siding, the long rod 21 pulling on the straight lever 22 and thus rocking the arm 24 so as to cause the wheel-operated member 12 to move downwardly. By mounting the members 12 and 12 in such a manner that they move longitudinally in opposite directions, I overcome the possibility of either member moving in an opposite direction to that in which the wheel that operates it is traveling; that is to say, the member 12 is depressed and moved longitudinally in the direction of the arrow 6 by a wheel that is approaching the toe end of the frog, and as the member 12 is depressed simultaneously with the member 12, said member 12 will be in its depressed position at the time said wheel passes onto it. The wheel that is approaching the heel end of the frog will depress the member 12 and move it in the direction indicated by the arrow 0 in Fig. 1, and as the member 12 is depressed simultaneously said member will be in its depressed position when the wheel passes onto it.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the tongue or frog-point 1 is automatically moved into alinement with the inside rail of the siding whenever a train approaches the frog from either direction, the wheeloperated members 12 and 12 being connected together in such a manner that both members move simultaneously so that when one member is in an operative position the other member will also be in an operative position and when one member is depressed the other will also be depressed.
Preferably, one arm of the bell crank lever 13 is provided with a tooth or projection 25 that enters a recess in the end of the frog tongue d when said tongue is in alinement with the inside rail of the siding and thus locks it in this position, said projection and recess being so formed that the projection will pass out of the recess when the spring 10 is permitted to expand to return the tongue to its normal position.
After the switch-points have been moved into position to open the siding they are locked in this position by means of a gravity-operated dog 26 which drops into oper ative position in the path of movement of the switch-operating bar 5 and prevents the spring 6 from returning said bar and the switch-points to normal position. This looking dog 26 and the mechanism that moves said dog into an inoperative position to release the switclroperating bar 5, is shown in detail in Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive. The dog 26 is pivotally mounted inside of a housing 27 arranged adjacent to the switch-points, as shown in Fig. 1. The end of the switchoperating bar 5 projects into said housing underneath the dog 26 and when the switchpoints are in operative position said dog will rest on the upper side of said bar. \Vhen said bar is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow a in Fig. 1 it will pass from under the dog 26 and thus permit said dog to move downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 6 and thus form an obstruction which prevents said bar from moving in the opposite direction. If desired, a roller 28 can be mounted in the end of the bar 5 for reducing the friction between said bar and the locking dog. The locking dog 26 is provided with a finger-piece 29 that projects laterally through an elongated slot 30 in the housing to enable said dog to be raised manually so as to release the switch-operating bar. The mechanism for automatically tripping said locking dog to release the switchoperating bar consists of a reciprocating device 31 arranged inside of the housing and adapted to engage an extension 26 on said dog and swing it upwardly, said reciprocating device being operated by mechanism hereinafter described. The housing 27 is provided with inclined guides 32, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, that form a track for a pin 31 which extends transversely through the inner end of the reciprocating device 31, said guides being so formed that when the pin 31 rests on the lowest portions of said guides the inner end of the device 31 will be out of the path of movement of the extension 26" on the locking dog.
Hinged guides 33 that lie in an approximately horizontal plane are arranged over the inclined guides 32 and the free ends of said hinged guides are drawn downwardly so that they contact with the inclined guides, by means of contraction springs 34 which are connected to the underneath sides of said hinged guides. hen the tripping device 31 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow 0 in Fig. 6, the pin 31 will ride up the inclined guides 32 and when said pin strikes the hinged guides said guides will yield and thus permit said pin to pass onto horizontal guides 34 on the housing which form continuations of the hinged guides 33, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. The reciprocating tripping device 31 is moved in the opposite direction by means hereinafter described and the pin 31 will then ride over the hinged guides 33 until the end of the tripping device strikes the extension 26 on the dog, thereby swinging said dog upwardly and releasing the switch-operating bar 5 so that the spring 6 can move it back to its normal position. \Vhen the pin 31 leaves the hinged guides 33 the tripping device 31 will drop downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 6. The housing 27 preferably consists of two cast members provided with laterally projecting flanges 35 that receive fastening devices which secure the housing to the ties of the track. These two members are provided with cooperating flanges 36 through which fastening devices pass to secure said members together, and in the preferred form of my invention, as shown in Fig. 7, one of said members is provided with an integral wall that forms the top of the housing, and the vertical side web of the other member has a lip 37 that interlocks with a lip 38 on said top wall, thus producing a structure in which the joint be tween the two members is so located that water cannot enter the housing.
A bar 40 is arranged adjacent the outside rail 2 of the siding and is carried by a number of links 41, each of which is pivotally connected at its lower end to a bracket 42 that is connected to the base of the rail 2 as shown in Fig. 8. The bracket 42 preferably consists of a cast member having portions which embrace the edge portion of the base of the rail and laterally projecting stops 43 between which the link 41 is arranged, as shown in Fig. 9. The lower end of the link is connected to the bracket by a bolt 43 and cotter pin 44 and the bracket is clamped to the rail by means of bolts 45 which pass underneath the base of the rail, said bolts having bent heads 45 that hook over the edge portion of the base of the rail. The upper edge of the bar 40 normally lies flush with the tread of the rail 2' and when any of the links 41 are swung on their fulcrums the bar 40 will move longitudinally, the swinging movement of the links raising said bar and then returning it to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 9. The stops 43 limit the movements of the links 41 and as the bar 40 has to move upwardly above the tread of the rail 2 in order to move longitudinally of said rail, it will be obvious that said bar cannot move longitudinally whenever a wheel is on that portion of the rail 2* alongside of which the bar 40 extends for the tread of the wheel will prevent the bar from moving upwardly. The reciprocating tripping device 31 which disengages the locking dog '26 from the switch-operating bar is pivotally connected to a link 46 that is fastened to the bar 40, and one of the links 41 which support said bar 40, is connected to the wheel-operated member 12 so that the movements of said wheel-operated member will be transmitted to the bar 40.
In the preferred form of my invention, as shown in detail in Fig. 2, a plunger 47 that is pivotally connected to the wheel-operated member 12 projects into a casing 48 that is pivotally connected to one of the links 41 which support the bar 40, and a coiled expansion spring 49 is interposed between one end of said casing and a head on the end of plunger 47. -When the wheel-operated member 12 is depressed and moved longitudinally by the wheels of a train that has ust passed onto the siding the spring 49 in the casing will be compressed because the bar 40 is prevented from moving longitudinally with the wheel member 12 owing to the fact that the wheels of the train are passing over said bar and thus prevent it from moving upwardly. As soon as the wheels pass out of contact with said bar 40, however, the spring 49 will eX- pand and thus move the casing 48 and bar 40 in the direction indicated by the arrow f in Fig. 2, this movement of the bar 40 bringing the reciprocating tripping device 31 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. After the train has passed through the frog and the wheels of the train have left the other wheel-operated member 12 both of the wheel-operated members will be restored to their normal elevated position by the expan sion of the frog-point operating spring 10. As the wheel-operated member 12 returns to normal position the plunger 47 connected thereto will engage the casing 48 and move the bar 40 in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, thereby causing the reciprocating tripping device 31 to engage the locking dog 26 and swing it upwardly to release the switch-operating bar 5 and permit the spring 6 to restore the switch points to their normal position so as to open the main line. WVhen a train approaches the heel end of the frog the wheeloperated members will both be depressed, as previously stated, and the reciprocating tripping device 31 will be set in position to trip the locking dog 26 after the train has passed from the siding onto the main line, it being understood that the switch-operating bar has to be thrown to open the siding before the train reaches the switch-points.
While I have herein shown the tripping device for the locking element as consisting of a reciprocating member that is moved into engagement with the locking element by means of a spring, and in the opposite direction by means of wheel-operated members, I do not wish to have it understood that my broad idea is limited to the use of a spring for actuating the tripping device, as a weight or pneumatic means could be used for this purpose without departing from the spirit of my invention.
To prevent the frog-tongue 1 from moving back to its normal position after it has been thrown by one of the wheel-operated members, I arrange one or more bars 50 and 51 of practically the same construction as the bar 40, between the two wheel-operated members, as shown in Fig. 1. These bars 50 and 51 extend longitudinally of the outside rail of the siding with their upper edges flush with the tread of said rail so that a wheel traveling on said rail and engaging said bars will prevent said bars from moving upwardly. One of the links which support the bar 50 is connected by a short link 50 to the long rod 21, as shown in Fig. 1, and one of the links which support the bar 51 is connected by a short link 51 to the long rod 21*. Consequently, these bars 50 and 51 form a lockingmeans for the movable tongue 4 for when a train is in the zone between the' switch-points and the frog-point the wheels of the train will bear upon the bars 50 and 51 and thus prevent the rods 21 and 21 from moving.
Figs. 41 and 10 illustrate clearly the construction of the base plate 52 on which the movable frog-point l is slidingly mounted. Said base plate is connected to the ties of the track and a hollow wheel tread member 53 preferably a casting or drop forging is mounted on one end of said base plate, the member 53 being provided with laterally projecting flanges 53 through which fastening devices pass to connect said member to the base plate. The movable frog-point is pivotally connected to said member, as shown in Fig. 4, and the rails which form continuations of the inside rails of the main line and siding have their vertical webs connected to wings or lugs 5% on the member 53 by bolts or other suitable fastening devices, as shown clearly in Fig. 10. The ends of said rails butt against the end wall of the member 53 and the base plate is ofiset to form a vertical shoulder or face 55 against which the ends of said rails abut. At the opposite end of the base plate is a detachable member 56 having tread portions 57 that form continuations of the inside rails of the main line and siding, the webs of said rails being connected to lugs or wings on said member in a manner similar to that illustrated in Fig. 10. I prefer to provide the base plate with tread portions 57, as shown in Fig. 4, but if desired, the end of the frog-point could coperate directly with the terminals of the inside rails of the main line and siding, as illustrated in Fig. 23 of the drawings. The frog-tongue slides transversely over the base plate, as previously described, and the base plate is provided with a stop of similar construction to that illustrated in Fig. 15 which projects into a chamber in the frog-tongue for limiting the movements of said tongue.
Instead of providing the base plate with a detachable member 53, as shown in Fig. 10, the base plate can be provided with an integral member 58, as shown in Fig. 11, to which the frog-point and the rails which form the continuations of the inside rails of the main line and siding are connected. The base plate shown in Fig. 11 is also provided with pairs of integral upwardly projecting lugs 59 that embrace the webs of the rails and are connected thereto by fastoning devices, the bases of said rails having slots through which said lugs project.
Figs. 12 to 15 illustrate a base plate 60 of different construction from that shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The base plate shown in Figs. 12 to 15 preferably consists of a drop forging and is provided with a longitudinally extending strengthening rib 61 and a number of transversely extending ribs 62, the transverse ribs 62 being higher than the longitudinally extending rib 61 so as to form a flat supporting surface on which the movable tongue 63 slides. The base plate is provided with an upwardly projecting semicircular flange 6 1- that extends into a semicircular recess on the underneath side of the tongue 63 to pivotally connect said tongue to the base plate.
As previously stated, a chamber 65 is formed in the underneath side of the tongue 63, and the base plate is provided with an upwardly projecting stop 66 that extends into said chamber for limiting the movements of the tongue, said stop being provided with laterally projecting flanges that coiiperate with flanges on the tongue 63 to prevent said tongue from moving upwardly from the base plate. If desired, this stop 66 can consist of a separate piece that is riveted to the base plate, as shown in Fig. 15. The base plate 60 is provided at each of its'ends with a pair of vertical webs 67 T to which the webs of the rails are connected,
as shown in Fig. 12, the webs 67 on the base plate being strengthened by means of transversely extending T-shaped ribs 68 arranged between each pair of webs and integrally connected thereto. The upper edges of the webs 67 are flanged laterally, as shown in Fig. 14, to form seats for the heads of the rails and one-half of the base of each rail is cut away so that the web of the rail can lie up against the web 67 to which it is connected by bolts or fastening devices 69 that extend through the webs of the rails and the webs on the base plate. The end of the movable tongue cooperates directly with the terminals of the inside rails 1 and 2 of the main line and siding, and the rails which form continuations of said inside rails butt against an integral tread portion 70 on the base plate, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13.
Both of the wheeloperated members 12 and 12 shown in Fig. l are of the same construction so that I will describe only the member 12" which is illustrated clearly in Figs. 16 to 22, inclusive. Said member 12 comprises a base 71 arranged in alinement with the outside rail of the siding and a movable element 12 carried by links 72 that are pivotally connected to said base. The base 71 has a vertically disposed web 7 3 provided on its opposite sides with shoulders 7 4 that form bearing faces for the movable element 12 said movable element having an inverted channel-shaped tread portion that embraces the reduced portion of the web 7 3 and a shank 75 that is arranged at one side of said web 7 3, as shown in Figs. 16 and 18. An inverted channel-shaped tread portion 76 which is preferably formed from some hard material, such for example, as manganese steel, is permanently connected to the vertical web 7 3 of the base 71 adjacent the shank 75 of the movable element so as to form a continuation of the tread of the rail and the tread portion of the movable element 12 but, if desired, the vertical web of the base can be provided with an integral tread portion at this point. The base 71 is provided on its underneath side with thickened portions 77 that form bearings for pins 78 which pivotally connect the links 72 to the base, and the links that are connected to the shank 75 of the movable element are arranged at one side of the vertical web of the base, as shown in Figs. 18 and 19, the base being provided with slots through which said links extend. The links 72 which are connected to the inverted channel shaped tread portion 12 of the movable element extend through slots in the vertical web of the base 71 and the upper ends of said links are corneas:
arranged inside said inverted channel-shaped tread portion, as shown in Fig. 20, the reduced portion of the vertical web of the base 71 being cut away, as shown in Fig. 17, so as to permit said links to swing on their fulcrums and thus move the movable element longitudinally of the base. I also prefer to provide the inverted channel shaped tread portion 12 of the movable element with depending flanges 7 9 that telescope over the wide portion of the vertical web of the base, as shown in Figs. 20 and 21, so as to prevent dirt or ice from collecting on the bearing surfaces 74 on the web 73 on which the movable element 12 rests when in its depressed position.
As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 17 the vertical web of the base is provided with an inclined bearing face 80 on which a cooperating inclined bearing face on the movable element 12 rests when said movable element is in its normal elevated position. the links 72 which supports the movable element 12 is rigidly connected to a rock shaft 81 that is journaled in a bearing 82 connected to the underneath side of the base 71, as shown in Figs. 17 and 22, and the rock arm 20 to which the link 19 is fastened, is rigidly connected to said rock shaft 81. A wheel that travels over the outside rail of the siding in the direction indicated by the arrow 0 in Fig. 1, will ride onto the shank 75 of the movable element 12 and thus depress said movable element and move it longitudinally in the direction indicated by the arrow in said figure, thereby rocking the arm 20 and actuating the links and levers which cause the frogpoint 4 to move into alinement with the inside rail of the siding, the movable element being returned to its normal elevated position by the mechanism previously described.
In Fig. 23 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of my invention wherein the frog-point or tongue 4 is operated by mechanism which is moved by the switch-operating bar 5 instead of by wheel-operated members. In this form, the switch-operating bar is pivotally connected to bell crank levers 83 and 83 that are connected by means of long rods 84 and 84 to bell crank levers 85 and 85 The bell crank lever 85 is connected by a yielding link 86 to a bell crank lever 87 arranged on one side of the movable frogpoint 4, and the bell crank lever 85 is connected by a yielding link 86 to a second bell crank lever 87 arranged on the other side of the frog-point, said bell crank levers 87 One of and 87 being connected by means of short bar is moved in the opposite direction by its 1 operating spring 6 the tongue 1 will be moved back into alinement with the inside rail of the main line. iVheel-operated bars 88 and 88 which normally lie above the tread of the outside rail of the siding are employed for moving the reciprocating tripping device 31 arranged inside of the lions ing 27, into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and a spring 89 which is connected to the bar 88 moves said bars back to their normal position when the train has passed through the frog or has passed from the siding onto the main line, thereby causing the reciprocating tripping device 31 to trip the locking dog 26 and release the switch-operating bar 5. The members 88 and 88 are so mounted that they move longitudinally in opposite directions, and means is provided for causing said members to move simultaneously so that when a wheel strikes one member and depresses it the other member will be depressed. The means herein shown for causing said members to be depressed and returned to their elevated position simultaneously, consists of a lever 90 havingone of its ends pivotally connected to the member 88 and its opposite end connected to a stationary support, a lever 90 pivoted intermediate its ends to a support and having its inner end pivotally connected to the member 88, and a link 91 connected to the outer end of lever 90 and to the intermediate portion of lever 90. By constructing the members 88 and 88 in this manner I cause each member to move longitudinally in the same direction as that in which the wheel that operates it is traveling.
Fig. 24 illustrates in detail the construction of the yielding link 86 that operates the bell crank lever 87, the link 86 being of the same construction. This link 86 consists of two sections, one of which passes freely through one end of a housing 92 into which the other section of the link extends. The section first referred to is provided with an adjustable stop or nut 93 located inside of the housing and the second section of the link is provided with a head 91 located inside of the housing and an adjustable stop or nut that contacts with the outside face of the end of the housing. A coiled expansion spring 96 is interposed between the inside face of the end of the housing and the head 94 on the second section of the link so as to hold the stop 95 in contact with the housing. When a train traveling on the siding approaches the heel end of the frog, the flange of the wheel that is traveling on the inside rail will engage the movable frogpoint 1 and thus shift it laterally into alinement with the inside rail of the siding with which the end of the frog-point coiiperates, the spring 96 being compressed and the section of the link 86 which is provided with the stop 95 moving the housing of said link but not imparting any movement to the section of the link 86 which is provided with the stop 93. After the train has passed through the frog the spring 96 of the link 86 will expand and thus move the frog-point 1 back to its normal position in alinement with the inside rail of the main line. By adjusting the stops 93 and 95 of the links 86 and 86 I am able to position the frog-point accurately with relation to the terminals of the inside rails with which the frog-point coiiperates.
For insuring a full movement of the frogoint I employ wheel-operated members 97 and 97 that are connected by means of links 98 and 98 to the bell crank levers S7 and 8'7 arranged on opposite sides of the movable frog-point 1, as shown in Fig. 23. In case the levers and links which connect the tongue 1 to the switch-operating bar 5 fail to move said tongue far enough to bring it into alinement with the inside rail of the main line or siding, the wheel of a train that approaches the frog on either the main line or siding will depress the bars 97 or 97 that cotiperate with the rail 011 which said wheel is traveling and thus move said bar longitudinally so as to actuate the bell crank levers 87 and 87 to complete the movement F of said tongue 4.
The form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 26 comprises a rigid frog-point 99 and a switch-point operating mechanism of the same construction as that shown in Fig. 23.
To prevent an unauthorized person from actuating the switch-operating bar 5 I have provided means for locking said bar in position to keep the main line open. One form of locking means that is embodied in the construction shown in Fig. 1 is illustrated in detail in Figs. 27 to 29, and referring to said figures, it will be seen that the switchoperating bar 5 is pivotally connected at its outer end to an arm 1.00 on a vertically disposed shaft 101 which projects up through a switch-stand. Said shaft is provided with an operating lever 102 that is arranged above the horizontal top plate 103 of the switch-stand and a rigid hook 101 on said arm is adapted to project into a housing 105 on the plate 103 when the switch-points are in position to open the main line, as shown in Fig. 1. A pivotally mounted pawl 106 is arranged inside of the housing 105 for engaging the hook 104: on the arm 102 so as to lock the shaft 101 which imparts movement to the switch-opera ing bar, and said housing is provided with a hinged top, as shown in Fig. 28, that can be raised to permit the switchman to lift the pawl 106 out of engagement with the hook 10 1 so as to release the operating shaft 101. The hinged top of the housing 105 can be locked by means of a padlock 107 or any other suitable form of look so as to prevent the pawl 106 from being disengaged from the hook 104: by an unauthorized person. WVhen the switch-operating bar 5 is moved in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow a in Fig. 1 by the spring 6 so as to close the siding, the hook 104 will strike an inclined face on the pawl 106 and thus swing said pawl on its fulcrum to permit the hook to pass same, the pawl thereafter swinging back into position to lock the hook, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 27. I prefer to form the housing 105 in the manner shown in Figs. 28 and 29 so as to prevent the housing from being removed from the base plate or the top of the housing from being removed by taking out the pintle of the hinge that connects said top to the lower portion of the housing. The pintle 108 of said hinge is arranged inside of the housing and the screws 109 which connect the housing to the plate 103 pass through the bottom of the lower portion of the housing so that the housing cannot be removed or the pintle of the hinge removed without first raising the top of the housing. The fulcrum pin for the pawl 106 is also arranged inside of the housing, said pin being carried by lugs 109 on the underneath side of the top of the housing.
Figs. 30 to 32, inclusive, illustrate another form of locking device for the switchoperating bar, said locking device consisting of a shoulder orfriction roller 110 on the switch-operating bar 5 which cooperates with the locking dog 26 to prevent said bar from being moved in the direction indicated by the arrow at in Fig. 1, without first raising the dog 26. The housing 27 in which said locking dog 26 is, arranged, has a hinged portion 27 which can be raised to permit the switchman to swing the locking dog 26 upwardly into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 30 so as to disengage said dog from the shoulder or roller 110 on the bar 5, the hinged portion 27 of said housing being locked by a padlock or any other suit able lock to prevent an unauthorized person from swinging the dog 26 upwardly. The bar 5 is also provlded with a sliding block 111 which can be moved longitudinally of the bar inthe direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 32 so as to hold the locking dog 26 in its inoperative position and prevent it from dropping back into engagement with the roller 110 on the bar 5 while the switchman is walking over to the switch-stand to operate the shaft that actuates said bar 5 To release the bar 5 the switchman first unlocks the padlock and then raises the hinged portion 2" of the casing so that he can get at the dog 26. After the dog has been swung upwardly the block 111 is moved into position to support said dog and the hinged portion 27" of the housing is then returned to its closed position and locked by the padlock. The switchman then turns the operating shaft of the switch-stand so as to move the bar o to open the siding and when the block 111 on the bar 5 strikes the wall 27 of the housing 27 said block will be returned to its normal position so that when the bar 5 moves back to its home position the block 111 will be out of the path of movement of the locking dog 26 and thus permit said dog to swing down into position to engage the roller 110 on the bar 5 and thus lock said bar.
As my invention is applicable to other types of switches than the particular type of switch point shown in the accompanying drawings, 1 wish to be distinctly understood as including within the scope of my invention, such other types of switches, and where the expression switch-points is used in the specification and claims the same is to be understood as comprehending switches such as stub switches, etc.
I do not wish to be confined to the use of the spring 6 as the motive power for moving the switch as pneumatic or electrical power,
or a weight could be employed for the same.
purpose.
In the operation of my device, where a train passes onto a siding, where the movable frog is employed, it is necessary that the train pass beyond the point of the frog, say, for instance, the distance of or feet in the case of a No. 9 frog. Where a rigid frog is employed the zone of release will not be less than 45 feet (in a No. 9 frog) so that the switch will be thrown when the last wheel is within fifty or sixty feet of the switch.
Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:
1. A railway switch comprising switch points, means for moving said switch points in position to open the siding, means for moving said switch points in the opposite direction to close the siding and open the main line, a locking device which automatically locks the switch points when they arrive in position to open the siding, a member that is adapted to trip said locking device so as to release the switch points, wheel-operated members arranged adjacent one rail of a siding for moving said tripping member in one direction, and independent means for moving said tripping member in the oppo site direction to cause it to trip said locking device; substantially as described.
2. A railway switch comprising switch points, an operating bar for moving said switch points into position to open the siding, means for moving said switch points in the opposite direction to close the siding, a locking device adapted to engage said bar and lock said switch points in position to keep the siding open, a tripping member cooperating with said locking device, depressible wheel-o erated members arranged adjacent one rai of the siding and being operatively connected to said tripping member for setting it in an operative position, and means for moving said tripping member into engagement with the locking device to trip same after the wheels of the train have passed off said wheel-operated members; substantially as described.
3. A railway switch comprising switchpoints, yielding means for normally holding said switch-points in position to open the main line, an operating bar for moving said switch-points into position to close the main line and open the siding, a locking device cooperating with said bar for preventing the switch-points from moving back to their normal position, a member for tripping said locking device to release said bar, means operated by the wheels of a passing train for moving said tripping member to an operative position, and yielding means for moving said tripping member into engagement with said locking device; substantially as described.
4. A railway switch comprising switch points, an operating bar for moving said switch oints, a locking device cooperating with said bar for holding the switch points in a certain position, means for tripping said locking device, and means arranged adjacent one rail of the siding for causing said tripping device to become operative, said means and tripping device being so constructed that the locking device remains in operative engagement with the operating bar until after the wheels of the train have passed o'tl said tripping device operating means; substantially as described.
5. A railway switch comprising switch points, an operating bar for moving said switch points, a locking device cooperating with said bar for holding the switch points in a certain position, and automatic means adapted to be operated by a train on the sid ing for tripping said locking means to release the' switch points after the train has passed through the switch; substantially as described.
G. A railway switch comprising switchpoints, an operating bar for moving said switch-points, a locking device cooperating with said bar for holding the switch-points in a certain position, a member for tripping said locking device to release said bar, wheeloperated members for moving said tripping member into an operative position, and means for actuating said member to cause it to engage the locking device; substantially as described.
7. A railway switch frog comprising switch points, a movable frog point, means for normally holding said frog point and switch points in position to open the main line, means for moving the switch points into position to open the siding, wheel-operated members operatively connected to the frog point, a locking element for locking the switch points in position to open the siding, and means operated by the wheels of a train on the siding for releasing said locking element; substantially as described.
8. A railway switch frog comprising switchpoints, a movable frog-point, yielding means for holding said frog-point and switch-points normally in position to open the main line, an operating bar for moving the switch-points into position to open the siding, wheel-operated members for moving the frog-point into position to open the siding, and means for causing the switch-points and frog-point to remain in such position while a train is in the zone between the switch-points and frog-point; substantially as described.
9. A railway switch frog comprising switch-points and a movable frog-point, means for normally holding said switchpoints and frog-point in position to open the main line, wheel-operated members for moving the frog-point into position to close the main line and open the siding, and an independent wheel-operated member for preventing the frog-point from returning to its normal position until after a train has passed through the frog; substantially as described.
10. A railway track structure comprising switch points, a movable tongue, means for normally holding the switch points and movable tongue in such a position that the main line is open, an operating bar for moving the switch points, means for causing the tongue to move with the switch points, wheeloperated members operatively connected to said movable tongue to insure a full movement thereof, a locking element for holding the switch points in position to open the siding, a device for tripping said locking element, a wheel-operated member adapted to be operated by a train on the siding for setting said tripping device in an operative position, and independent means for causing said tripping device to trip said. locking elemeut after the wheel-operated members have been released; substantially as described.
11. A railway switch frog comprising switch-points and a movable frog tongue, means for normally holding said switchpoints and frog tongue in such a position that the main line is open, a pair of wheelopcrated members forming part of the outside rail of the siding, mechanism actuated by said wheel-operated members for moving the frog tongue into position to open the siding, and a wheel-operated bar arranged between said wheel-operated members and cooperating with the frog tongue actuating mechanism for locking said frog tongue in position to close the main line; substantially as described.
12. A railway switch frog comprising a main track and a siding, movable switchpoints, a movable frog-point, means for normally holding said switch-points and frogpoint in position to keep the main line open, wheel-operated members arranged adjacent the outside rail of the siding, mechanism operated by said members for moving the frogpoint into position to close the main line and open the siding, and an independent wheeloperated bar operatively connected to the frog point moving mechanism for locking the frog-point in position to keep the siding open; substantially as described.
13. A railway switch frog comprising a main track and a siding, movable switchpoints, a movable trogpoint, yielding means for normally holding said switch-points and the frog-point in such a position that the main line is open, an operating bar for moving the switch-points into position to close the main line and open the sidin wheeloperated members for moving the frog-point into position to open the siding, a locking device cooperating with the switch-point operating bar, a tripping member for moving said locking device into an inoperative position, and a connection between said tripping member and one of said wheel-operated members; substantially as described.
14. A railway switch frog comprising switch-points and a movable frog-point, yielding means for normally holding said switch-points and frog-point in such a position that the main line is open, an operating bar for moving the switch-points into position to close the main line and open the siding, wheel-operated members for moving the frog-point into a. similar position, a locking device cooperating with said operating bar for preventing the switch-points from returning to their normal position, a tripping member for disengaging said locking device from said operating bar, a wheel-operated bar connected to said tripping member, a connection between said wheel-operated bar and one of the wheel-operated members whereby the tripping member is caused to move into an operative position when the wheel-operated member is depressed, and means for causing said tripping member to trip the locking device when the wheeloperated member returns to its normal position; substantially as described.
15. A railway switch frog comprising a main line and a sliding, movable switchpoints, a movable frog-point, yielding means for normally holding said switch-points and frog-point in such a position that the main line is open, an operating bar for moving the switch-points into position to close the main line and open the siding, wheel-operated members for moving the frogpoint into a similar position, a locking device cooperating with the operating bar for locking said switch-points, a tripping member for disengaging said locking device from said bar, a
wheel-operated bar to which said tripping member is connected, a casing connected to a link on which said wheel-operated bar is mounted, a plunger projecting into said cas ing and pivotally connected to one of the wheel-operated members, and a spring interposed between the end of said casing and a head on said plunger; substantially as described.
16. A railway switch frog comprising switch-points, a movable frog-point, means for normally holding said switch-points and frog-point in position to open the main line, a locking device for preventing said switchpoints from returning to their normal position, a tripping member, yielding means for moving said tripping member into engagement with said locking device, and wheel-operated members for storing up energy in said yielding means; substantially as described.
17. A railway switch frog comprising switch-points, a movable frog-point, an operating bar connected to said switch-points for moving them into position to open the siding, yielding means for moving the switch-points in the opposite direction to close the siding and open the main line, mechanism actuated by the operating bar for moving the frog point, a locking device cooperating with said operating bar for holding the switch-points in position to keep the siding open, and means operated by the wheels of a train that has passed through the switch for releasing said bar from said locking device so that the yielding means can operate to close the switch; substantially as described.
18. A railway switch frog comprising switch-points, means for locking said switch points, a movable frog-point, an operating bar for moving said switch-points, and a. connection between said operating bar and the movable frog-point, said connection being so constructed that the frog point can move while the switch points remain locked substantially as described.
19. A railway switch frog comprising switch-points, a movable frog-point, an operating bar for moving said switch-points, a system of links and levers arranged betwee the opposite sioes of said frog-point and said operating bar for transmitting the movements of said bar to said frog-point, and yielding links forming part of said system; substantially as described.
20. A railway switch frog comprising switch-points, a movable frog-point, yielding means for normally holding the switchpoints in such a position that the main line
US42924708A 1908-04-25 1908-04-25 Railway switch-frog. Expired - Lifetime US904278A (en)

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