US996275A - Interlocking and detector bar mechanism for railway-switches. - Google Patents

Description

. 1 T411. QTLEY. q INTERLOGKING AND DETECTOR BAR MEGHANISM F03 RAILWAY SWITCHES.

121 1101411011 FILED AUG. 16,1910. 996,275.

Patented 1116 27, 1911.

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T. H. OTLEY. 'INTERLOOKING AND DETECTOR BAR MECHANISM FOR RAILWAYSWITGHES.

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Patented June 27, 1911.

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APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1910. r 996,275. Patented June 27,1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ornion.

THOMAS H. OTLEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1911.

Application filed August 16, 1910. Serial No. 577,424.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. OTLEY, a subject of the Crown of England, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, United. 1 States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Interlocking and Detector Bar Mechanism for Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to interlocking and detector bar mechanism for railway switches, and consists in a duplex detector switch and lock mechanism by which both the switch mechanism and the lock mechanism are controlled by the detector bar.

It has been common in the past to control either the lock movement or the switch movement by means of the detector bar. Formerly the switch points themselves were so controlled but latterly it has been considered better practice to control the lock movement thereby, because it is undesirable that the lock lever should be moved and the switch thereby unlocked to such extent, except and unless the switch be in a condition to be operated. But the disadvantage of this arrangement is that should a train pass a signal at danger and the signal be at some distance from the switch points as often happens, it is possible to operate the lock mechanism to unlock the switch before the train reaches the switch, and then there is nothing to prevent the throwing of the switch with the train passing-thereover. In my present invention, I positively prevent such a contingency, because I not only interlock the lock mechanism with the detector bar but also the switch itself, although at the same time I soarrange the parts that both the lock mechanism and the switch mechanism may be independently operated as is necessary. In other words, the connection with the detector bar is such that the operation of either the lock or the switch mechanism may be carried out, the one without interference with the other.

In carrying out my invention I employ many novel details of construction and combinations of parts such as will be fully explained hereinafter, and in order that my invention may be thoroughly understood, I

will now proceed to describe an embodiment thereof, having reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating the same, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top view showing a portion of a railway including a switch provided with interlocking means constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a partial top view and a View partly in horizontal section, of the inter locking means. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through the interlocking means upon the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a viewin vertical longitudinal section through the same upon the line 4L-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a View in vertical transverse section through the same upon the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a view in vertical transverse section through the same upon the line 6-6 of Fig. 2. Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary views showing one of the motion plates in intermediate positions.

The portion of railway illustrated comprises a track 10 composed of the usual rails and sleepers, and switch points 1111 through which the track 10 either continues, or branches off to another track 12. For convenience of expression herein I will term the continuous track 10, the main track; and the track 12 as a branch track, it being noted that as the switch points are set in Fig. 1 the branch track 12 is arranged in operative relation with the advance portion of the main track 10. i

The switch points are arranged to be operated through the usual or any desired form of switch lever (not shown) being connected thereto through a link 13, a crank 14, a slide bar 15, a motion plate 16, and a connecting rod 17. When the switch lever is moved in a direction to push the connecting rod 17 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, a roller 18 upon the slide bar 15 (see Fig. 2) will engage one of the arms of the crank 14 so as to reverse the position thereof and thereby to reverse the position of the switch points 11 and so to complete the connection through the switch points between the two sections of the main track 10. Similarly when the switch lever is operated so as to pull upon the connecting rod 17, moving it in a direction opposite to the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, the roller 18 upon the slide bar will move the crank 14 to its opposite position, that is, to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1, returning the points to the position shown in Fig. 1 and so connecting the branch track 12 with the main track 10.

Operating in conjunction with the longitudinally movable slide bar 15 is a locking bar 19 mounted to slide in a direction transverse with respect to the longitudinal move ment of the said slide bar 15, being conveniently arranged between upper and lower elements of the longitudinal slide bar 15 as is clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. This slide bar is connected through suitable connecting elements 20 with the extremities of the switch points 11 whereby the said looking bar is caused to partake of the sliding movements of the said switch points. This locking bar is provided with upper and lower notches 21-22 (see Fig. 5) with which. abutments 2324 carried by the said slide bar 15 are arranged to engage respectively.

Uien the slide bar 15 is moved to its extreme position in one direction (and in which position it is shown in the drawings) the abutment 24 is arranged to engage with the notch 22, while when it is moved to its extreme other position the abutment 23 is arranged to engage with the upper notch 21. It may be here noted that there is considerable lost motion between the slide bar 15 and the switch, both before the switch moves and after it has been moved: that is to say, during the first portion of the movement of the slide bar no corresponding movement will be imparted to the switch points, because the roller 18 must travel some distance before it reaches the arm of the crank 14 with which it is to engage (see Fig. 2), and during this time the abutment 24 will be permitted to move to a sufficient distance to clear the locking bar 19 and so to release it; this movement of the slide barmay be, for

ment. During, say, the next third of its entire movement it will, through its movement with the crank 14, throw the switch points to the opposite position, the distance between the abutments 24 and 23 of the slide bar 15 giving the necessary clearance so as to permit the movement of the locking bar which necessarily takes place with the movement of the switch points; while during, say, the last third of the movement of the slide bar the abutment 23 will slide into position in the notch 21 to look the switch in its finally adjusted position.

Besides the locking notches 2122, the locking bar 19 is also provided upon its upper surface with two other locking notches 25-26 (see particularly Fig. 5). These locking notches are arranged for co-action with an abutment 27 carried by a second longitudinal slide bar 28. This longitudinal slide bar 28 is arranged in parallel relation with the longitudinal slide bar 15, being mounted upon the same base plate 29, and the said slide bar is connected to a motion plate 30 corresponding to the motion plate 16, the said motion plate 30 being connected through a suitable connecting rod 31 with any suitable form of lock lever such as is commonly employed in combination with switch levers at the present day. In the position in which the parts are shown in the drawings the abutment 27 is out of operative engagement with the locking bar 19, the reason for this being that the locking lever at such time is in its non-operated position. After the switch has been moved to the desired position it is intended that the lock lever be operated so as to move the motion plate 30 and the slide bar 28 to their opposite positions as viewed in the drawings herein, and in such position the abutment 27 of the slide bar 28 will engage with either the notch 25 or the notch 26 of the looking bar 19 in accordance with the position of the switch points at that time.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is a double lock provided for the switch points, one through the operation of the lock f lever and the other through the operation of :the switch lever. In the normal position of 5 the switch lever in either direction the switch points are locked by the slide bar 15 in the position in which they are set, while in the non-operative position and then to move the switch lever, and it is not until after the lock lever has been thus moved and the switch lever moved through a portion of its movement that the switch is unlocked and can be moved. mstance, the first third of its entire move- 3 I will now describe how the detector bar interlocks with the motion plates of both the switch and the lock mechanism so as to prevent the switch being either unlocked or thrown during the passage of a train thereover. The usual or any desired form of detector bar 32 properly located with respect to the rails is connected through suitable links and levers 33 with a transverse slide bar 34 mounted in the said bed plate 29 across the faces of the mot- ion plates 16 and 30. The transverse slide bar 34 is provided with two studs or rollers 3536 (sec particularly Fig. 6) arranged to enter cam grooves in the said motion plates 16 and 30. The two cam grooves are alike, hence a description of one of them will suflice for the two. Each cam groove comprises a central curved portion 37 and transverse end passages 38 and 39. The transverse end passages 3839 are spaced apart a distance equal to the throw of the motion plate so that they come respectively in line with the line of movement of the transverse slide bar 34 in the two extreme positionsof the said motion plate. The length of these transverse end passages are of a length suitable to permit the transverse slide bar 34 to move the distance required by the extreme throw of the detector bar, and the rise of the portion 37 of the cam groove which connects the two transverse end passages is suficient in its engagement with the stud or roller upon the transverse slide bar to cause the slide bar to move such a distance when the motion plate is moved from one extreme position to the other.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that if either of the-motion plates is moved from one of its extreme position to the other, the portion of the cam groove 37 which engages the stud or roller 35 or 36 will move the transverse slide bar so as to raise the detector bar above the level of the rails, as is usual when such a detector bar is operated, while during that time the other stud or roller 35 or 36 will be permit-ted to play freely in the transverse portion 38 or 39 of the cam groove in the other motion plate. In other words, the form of the slot is such that the one motion plate when stationary in either extreme position will not interfere with the movement of the transverse slide bar to operate the detector bar during an operating movement of the other motion plate, and it will also be seen that the movement of either motion plate will produce a like movement of the detector bar whereby neither the switch lever nor the lock lever can be operated except and unless the detector bar is free to be moved at the time.

In order to compel a proper movement of the .transverse bar throughout the entire movement of the motion plate, I have provided the transverse slide bar with two sets of downwardly projecting studs 4041, and the motion plates each with a pair of cheek pieces 4243. The operation of these parts is as follows: Referring to Fig. 2 and assuming that the motion plate 16 is to be moved to the right, the rise of the cam portion 37 will, by its engagement with the main stud or roller 35, cause the transverse slide bar to be moved upward, and during this portion of the movement the stud 40 will pass behind the cheek piece 43 while the stud 41 will pass in front of it, 2'. 6., upon that side thereof which is shown as coincident with the lower wall of the curved cam portion 37. In the continued movement of the motion plate 16 to the right, the main stud or roller 35 will pass the center of the cam groove 37 and will begin to descend. At this time the stud 40 will pass in front of the cheek piece 42, i. 6., upon that side there of which is shown as coincident with the lower wall of the curved cam portion 37, while the stud 41 will pass behind the said cheek piece. Bearing in mind that while it is the lower wall of the cam groove portion 37 which operates upon the stud or roller 35 to lift the detector bar in the first half of the movement of the motion plate, it is the upper wall thereof which operates to depress it again upon the latter half of the movement of the motion plate, and noting that the said upper wall ceases at the point wherein the curved portion 37 of the cam groove meets the cross passages 38 and 39, it will follow that as the motion plate in the completion of its movements reaches a point wherein the stud or roller 35 passes beyond the end of the upper wall of the cam groove portion 37, such cam groove portion will lose control of the said stud or roller. Just prior to this time, however, the rear face of the cheek piece 42 in its engagement with the stud 41 will become operative and will compel the final return movement of the transverse slide bar to its initial rest position. The force required for this final movement is a very slight one due to the fact that the weight of the detector bar will tend to force the slide back in any event, but it is essential that the slide bar be returned to its normal position as otherwise upon an attempted return movement it might be caught by the shouldered portion between the portion 37 of the cam groove and the end passage, and furthermore, if the detector bar did not move freely its weight might not be sufiicient to return the parts, so that the detector bar itself might come to rest at an undesired position.

From the foregoing description the following facts will be apparent. Both the lock and the switch lever control mechanism are interlocked with the detector bar so that under a running condition it is not possible either to unlock the switch when a train is passing over it, nor tomove the switch, yet the arrangement is such that the lock lever may be moved freely subject, of course, to its being permitted to so move'by the fact that the detector bar is free at the time, without in any way thereby interfering with the later control of the switch mechanism by the detector bar. I

What I claim is:

1. The combination with switch operating means and lock operating means, of a detector bar, and means operated individually by the movement of the switch operating means and by the movement of the lock operating means for operating the said detector bar.

2. The combination with a detector bar and a slide connected thereto, of switch operating means and lock operating means, each including an individual longitudinally movable motion plate having a cam groove 13 Cir for individual cooperation with the said slide and each said motion plate adapted in its cooperation with the said slide to move the same longitudinally to operate the detector bar.

3. The combination with switch operating means and lock operating means, each including an individual longitudinally movable motion plate having a cam groove therein, of a detector bar, a slide connected thereto and by which it is operated, the said slide being arranged to move transversely with respect to the said motion plates and provided with two abutments for individual engagement with the said cam grooves therein, each of the said cam grooves being provided at the ends thereof with cross passages arranged parallel with the path of movement of the slide, one of the said cross passages in each motion plate being longitudinally in line with the respective slide abutment therefor, when the said motion plate is in its normal rest position, whereby when the said slide is moved by the engagement of one of its abutments with the cam groove in one of the said motion plates when the latter is moved, the other abutment will be free to move in one of the said end cross passages 4. The combination with a detector bar' and a slide connected thereto provided with two abutments, of switch operating means and lock operating means each including an individual longitudinally movable motion plate having a cam groove therein for indi vidual cooperation with one of the abutments of the said slide and each said motion plate adapted in such cooperation to move the said slide longitudinally to operate the detector bar, each of the said motion plates being provided with cross passages at the ends of its said cam groove whereby the slide will be free to be moved by the one said motion plate while the other said motion plate is in its rest position, the said motion plates being provided with supplemental cam elements and abutments for cooperation as the motion plate, in its movement, reaches a position wherein one of the first said abutments of the slide leaves the cam groove and enters one of the said cross passages. V

, THOS. H. OTLEY. Witnesses: D. HOWARD HAYWOOD, F. B. GRAVES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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