US949776A

US949776A - Switch-point-adjusting mechanism.

Info

Publication number: US949776A
Application number: US50126409A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank J Olander
Original assignee: Morden Frog & Crossing Works
Current assignee: Morden Frog & Crossing Works
Priority date: 1909-06-10
Filing date: 1909-06-10
Publication date: 1910-02-22
Anticipated expiration: 1927-02-22

Description

F. J. OLANDER.

SWITCH POINT ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1909.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

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40km a GRAHAM cc).v PNOTD-LITHOGRAPNERS, wASuWnTnN h r- F. J. OLANDER. SWITCH POINT ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1909. 949,7?6@ Patented Feb. 2.2, 1910.

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SWITCH POINT ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATIOK FILED JUNE 10, 1909. 949,776. Patented Feb.22,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTQF.

FRANK J. OLANDER, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO I'IORDEN FROG 86 CROSSING WORKS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SWITCH-POINT-ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. OLANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago Heights, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Switch-Point-Adjusting Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for readily adjusting the fit between railroad switch points with adjacent stock rails, as wear takes place, thereby doing away with the danger of accidents.

In previous practice the switch points between adjacent stock rails have been connected by a rod and many devices have been designed and patented for adjusting the length of such a rod and consequently adjusting the switch points in the beginning and changing said adjustment as wear takes place. Such devices while practical are not wholly satisfactory because of the number of parts necessary and because of the factthat all of the adjustments have to be made at a level with the track and consequently close to the ground where there may be ice, snow or other obstacle in the way of readily making such adjustments.

The object of this invention is to provide a device capable of being easily and accurately adjusted at the switch stand itself thereby doing away with the necessity of getting too close to the ground and doing with what is practically one operation that which requires two operations where separate switch lugs are adjusted.

The invention consists in the use of a switch rod usually of fixed length between the switch points the same being connected to the switch stand by a connecting rod hav ing an elongated slot therein within which is slidably mounted a crank pin, with or without a cross head of an ordinary switch stand, this in combination with means for adjusting the length of the slot in the connecting rod with specific reference to the desired adjustments of the switch points.

More in detail the invention consists in the specific means for adjusting the length of the slot and connecting rod and in other details of construction which will be hereafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the track and adjacent switch points showing the preferred form of this invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view of the parts of Fig. 1 taken 011 the irregular line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the connecting rod. Fig. 4 is a vertical detail view partially in section on the line l4t Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view on the line 5-5 Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a corresponding detail view on the line 6-6 Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified structure corresponding to Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional detail view on the line 88 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan of the connecting rod and Fig. 10 is a smaller scale side view of the corresponding stock rails and switch points in a given position. Figs. 11 and 12 are similar corresponding views of these parts in a difi'erent position and Figs. 13 and 14 are similar views of the same parts in still a difierent position.

Again referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates one stock rail while 12 indicates the opposite stock rail. Between these two

stock rails

10 and 12 are

switch rails

16 and 18 terminating respectively in the

switch points

20 and 22 in the ordinary manner; said switch rails being adapted to slide in the ordinary manner upon the plates 2d secured to the ties 26 or other suitable supports. To each switch point 20 are connected switch lugs 28 and correspondingly connected to the switch point 22 are other switch lugs 30; one pair of lugs on opposite switch points being connected by the bar or rod 32 and bolts 36 and the other pair of lugs being connected by the rod 3t and bolts 37. So far as this invention is concerned, these connections need not be adjustable and they are not here so shown but each one of these

rods

30 or 32 may be adjustably connected to the

switch lugs

28 and 30 by any of the well known devices for this purpose only one of which is illustrated in United States patent to Lee and Moore, No. 679,153, issued July 23, 1901.

The rod 34 heretofore referred to is as shown longer than the distance between stock rails and has on one of its outwardly extending ends as 38, a pin, bolt or other suitable device 40 to which is attached a connecting rod 42, preferably upwardly turned at 4.4 as shown so as to be off from and clear of the ground. The opposite end portion 46 of the rod is enlarged and fiattened into the block 48 to which the U or clevis shaped member 50 is attached by means of the bolts 52. This U shaped member 52 is as shown so connected to the portion 48 of the rod that an elongated slot 54 is formed at the ends of the rod within which slot the cross head 56 provided with flanges 58 is slidably mounted. The top and bottom faces of this U shaped member 50 are provided with serrations or teeth 60, as shown, in which corresponding teeth upon the

blocks

62 and 64 are adapted to rest and fit as shown, said blocks 62 being connected together by a bolt 66 and nut 68 and said blocks 64 being connected together by a bolt 70 and nut 72. The result of the construction just described is that by loosening the nut 68 the blocks 62 may be adjusted lengthwise of the connecting rod and that by loosening the nut 72 blocks 64 may be correspondingly adjusted, both bolts being tightened up after they are in their new position.

Through the cross head 56 is a normally circular hole 70 through which the crank pin 74 upon crank 76 upon shaft 78 of an ordinary switch stand 79 passes.

Figs. 7 and 8 show modified forms of construction in which the crank pin 75. enters directly into an elongated slot 81, the cross head 56 beingomitted. The length of travel of this crank pin 7 5 in the slot 81 is regulated by the use of blocks 82 at one end and blocks 84 at the opposite end of the slot, the blocks 82 being held in position by the bolt 86 and the blocks 84 being held in position by the bolt 88 as in the other construction.

In the operation of the device, the parts are first connected up in the general relation shown in Figs. 1, 2, 9 and 10 with the adjusting

blocks

62 and 64 intermediate between the ends of the elongated slot 54 and the

switch points

20 and 22 not in actual contact with their adjacent stock rails, after which each switch point is adjusted to its stock rail. A full description of one such operation will be suificient;Assuming that the operator desires to properly adjust the switch point 22 to the stock rail 12, he first loosens the nut 68 in the manner described and moves the connecting rod, the parts connected thereto including the switch point 22 and the adjusting blocks 62 from the position of Figs. 9 and 10 to the position shown in Figs. 11 and 12 in which with the crank 7 6 at its extreme throw the switch point 22 does fit the rail 12. The operator then tightens up the blocks 62 by means of the nut 68 and the device is ready for operation in so far as the rail 12 and the point 22 are concerned. The switch stand itself is designed to give the switch points a full throw from open to closed position with reference to their adjacent stock rails when the shaft 78 makes a quarter or ninety degrees revolution or in other words while the crank 76 moves from the position of Figs. 9 and 11 to that of Fig. 18. and 12 show the relations of all the parts when the point 22 is adjacent to the stock rail 12 and Fig. 14 shows the opposite 8X1 treme position of all the parts when the switch. point 20 is adjacent to the stock rail 10. If the switch point 20 does not properly fit the stock rail 10 either at the time of the original adjustment of the device or after wear has taken place the relation of the parts is changed by moving the blocks 64 in exactly the same way as the blocks 62 were moved to change the adjustment of the partsfrom that of Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 12. From the foregoing it will be seen that by making the

blocks

62 and 64 adjustable, the bearing force of the crank pin 72 upon each switch point is controlled independently of its action upon the opposite switch point and that therefore the accuracy of fit of each switch point againsteach stock rail may be accurately adjusted. at the stand.

Another object of the invention herein described is that the pressure which the device exerts upon each switch point to force it against its adjacent stock rail may be varied to take up lost motion due to the spring or give of the parts between the crank 7 6 and the rail whose switch point is being adjusted. Attention is also especially called to the fact that in order to permit the adjustments herein described the throw of the crank is greater than the travel of the switch points; in other words there is normally a portion of the pathof travel of the crank pin in the slot in the connecting rod when it is not in engagement with the blocks at either end of the slotand it is this fact which makes adjustment possible.

The claims are:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of stock rails and switch points adjacent thereto, a connecting member between both switch points, a connecting rod attached to said member, a shaft with its crank and crank pin, said crank pin entering an elongated slotin the connecting rod, and means for adjusting the length of said slot at each end whereby the fit of the switch points against the rails may be varied.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of stock rails and switch points adjacent thereto, a switch stand provided with a pivoted shaft carrying a crank and crank pin, a connecting member attached to both switch points provided with a slot in which said crank pin is adapted to slide, members on the connecting member, near the ends of said slot therein against which said crank pin is adapted .to

In other words Figs. 11

bear, and means permitting the adjustment of said last mentioned members lengthwise of the slot for the purposes described.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination with a pair of rails and switch points adjacent thereto, a bar connected to both switch points, a switch stand adjacent thereto, provided with a rotatable shaft bearing a crank arm and crank pin, a connecting rod attached to said bar and having a slot in which the crank pin is adapted to move backward and forward, blocks upon said elongated slot and against which said crank pin is adapted to bear, and means permitting the adjustment of said blocks along said connecting member.

at. A device of the class described, comprising a switch stand, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, a crank and crank pin carried by said shaft, a connecting rod entering said stand, provided at one end with means for connection to railroad switch points, provided at the other end with an elongated slot in which said crank pin is adapted to travel, and means by which the length of travel of the crank pin in said slot may be varied.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of stock rails and switch points adjacent thereto, a connecting member attached to both switch points, a

&

mechanism for operating the switch points, a pin and slot connection between said connecting member and said operating mechanism comprising a pin on one member operating within -an elongated slot in the other member and means on the member provided with the slot, adjacent to its ends adapted to be adjusted along the slot so as to vary the length of the slot and the travel of the pin therein.

(3. In a device of the class described the combination with a pair of stock rails and switch points adjacent thereto, a connecting member attached to both switch points, a mechanism for operating the switch points, a pin and slot connection between said connecting member and said operating mechanism comprising a pin on one member operating within an elongated slot in the other member and means adjustable in the direction of the length of the slot to independently vary the points of contact of the pin with each end of the slot for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. OLANDER. YVitnesses DWIGHT B. CHEEVER, C. J. CHRIsToFrnL.