US1389134A - Manually-operated circuit-crossing switch - Google Patents

Description

1. B. GROSSWEGE. MANUALLY OPLRATED CIRCUIT`CROSSING SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED Aue. I5, 1918.

I1,389, 1 34. PaIenIedAAug. 3o, 1921.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

AII'OYHN B. ,GROSSWEGE OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGrNOiEt` 'IOV THE WEST- INGHOUSE AIB. BRAKE COMPANY, OF WILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, Av CORPO- RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

MANuALLYprERA'rED CIRCUIT-CROSSING swrrcii.

speifcafion of Leiters Patent. Patented Ang. .30, 1921.

Application led August 15, 19.18. Serial No. 249,942.

To all whom it may cov/wem.'

Bey it known thatI, JOHN B. GRosswEGE, oflVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Manually-Operated Circuit-Crossing: Switches, of 4which improvement'the following is a specification.

This invention .relates toswitchmechanism for electric train line circuits, particularly where an automatic electric coupling is employed having a plurality of butt vcontacts upon both sides :of the center line for establishing electric connection between the corresponding circuits on adjoining cars.

As is .well known by thosev familiar with -this1a1t, it is customary where there are severalcircuits uponboth sides of the center line to cross the circuits from one side to the otheruponweach car so that the contact lter- `minalvof each lcircuit at.A one end ofthe car is on the opposite lside ofthe `center from the contact terminal at the other end of the car. The cars are then reversible land either end may be connected to either end of an ad-y joining car.' vVvVhere the electric connection between the cars is made by the ordinary jumper,thecircuits` are a'lso crossed in they jumper in :order to preserve the identity'of ycircuits from c'ar to icar.' f

Where an automatic electric coupler` of c the butt'type isernp'loyed, however, there is no Vopportunity for .crossing the circuitsV be- E tween the cars, and for the purpose of preserving the identity of the circuitsyit has been proposedto employ a switch in the car circuits near the terminals at each end of thecar, and adaptedin' oneJ position to connect the circuits rdirect,.and in another'position, to cross connect the circuits.` vVthere two cars are .coupled together, therev are, therefore, two ofy thesev switches, one upon each car, andv in order to set up thedesired f combination of train line'circuits, it is necessaryato set one of Vthese switches to the di.- rect'position andthe `other. to the crossed position. f

The principal object of my inventiton is 1 to provide improvedswitch mechanism `for this purpose, and means manually operated from .the side-ofthe carffor'readily settingk vthe switchesto the :desired positions.

flnf couplingcars together, the trainmen standing at one side are accustomed to'performing the same operation upon the devices of each car, and one'of the `features of my improvement comprises a manually operated connection, which is manipulated in ythe same direction upon Veach car but actuates the switch on one car to the direct position, and the corresponding switch on. the

\ other. car to its crossed position, thereby establishing the proper continuity of the corresponding circuits 'from car to car throughout the train.

According to another feature of mv invention, the switch mechanism may be `manipulated from either side of the car when it is-desiredto return the switch to its neu# tralfposition for disconnecting and separatingthe cars. `The switchesmay also be provided with contacts for closing certain local circuits upon a car, when returned tothe neutral position,:and this comprises another feature of my` improvement. In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1, is a .circuit diagram illustrating switches and'cir'cuits for theends of two cars coupled'together accordingr tofmy improvement; Fig, 2, `a horizontalsectionof one form` lof switch operatingmechanism; Fig. 3,a`1verti `cal transverse sectionl taken on the line 3 3 ofFigs 2 and 4; and Fig.v 4, a vertical lonf gitudinalsection-of the same. y

. According to the diagram shown in Fig.

1,.ther`eare indicated only ive car circuit wiresA, B, C, D,`and E, and three terminal contact points at the coupler L, M, and AR, for establishing electric connection for wires A, C and E, through the train, the wires B andV D, being.l only for local car circuits.

Each car circuit wire leads to a fixed con# tact yon .the crossing switch and the coupler contactsare also connected 'with corresponding fixedA contacts on the switch;r Thevmovable portion of the switch has a set `of contact bars X, vfor making direct connection Y between the car wires `and the coupler in one a third set of contact bars Z, for closing 1 `local circuits on thev respective cars when setin .the intermediate or neutral position.

The coupler.V contacts M, indicatefsuch as be located onV the vertical center line of the coupler, which, of course, dov not need to one of thelbars l0.

be crossed, while the contacts L, and R, indicate those located on opposite sides of the center line and of which there are usually a large number in the actual coupler, as will be readily understood.

According to my present invention, I provide manually operated means preferably extending to the sides of the car for actuating the' switch to either its direct or crossed position. It isv also preferred that the switch should be actuated from only one side of the car to move same to the direct position, and from theother side of the car to movesaid switch to the crossed" position. One form of mechanism for this purpose is shown more particularly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, in which the movable member or shaft 6, of the Nswitch is provided with a plate or cam 7, rigidly attached thereto, inclosed within the casing 5, and having the two pairof converging grooves or slots 8, and 9, at opposite ends. A bar or rod l0, is slidably mounted in guides 11, in the casing 5, at Veach side, the two bars extending to the opposite sides of the car, and each having a pin 12, provided with a roller extending into the apex of the slots 8 and 9. in the neutral position, as indicated particularly in Fig. 3. The tip or point 18, of the inner face of the slots is offset in each case so that when either bar is pushed inits roller pin l2, will engage below the point and be forced into the slot 8. It will thus be seen that when the bar or rod 10, at one side is pushed in the cam and switch will be turned in one direction to its direct position, and when the bar at the other side is pushed in the cam and switch will be turned in the opposite direction to its crossed position. Vhen either bar is pushed in with its roller pin entering the groove 8, it will be noticed that the roller pin ofthe other bar will be moved into the slot 9, drawing the bar inward, as the cam turns, so that from either direct or crossed position the switch may be returned to neutral position by pulling either Vhen the switches are symmetrically installed in the circuits at the ends ofeach car, as indicated, and the cars are coupled up in a train, it will be seen that the push rods on one side of the train at each coupling will be alternate, that is to say, by pushing in the two bars on the adjoining cars at each coupling and on the same side of the train, one switch willv be shifted to the direct position and the other to the crossed position, thus establishing the proper continuity of circuits throughout the train, as will be readily understood.`

To release the switches for disconnecting the cars and for closing local car circuits, either one of the bars 10, at either side of the train may be pulled out thus returning the cam to neutral position with contact bars Z,

`car to shift said switch to its direct connecting circuit wires C, D and B, E, for local car circuits.

In order to prevent accidental displacement of the switch, a spring actuated impositive stop 14, engaging a star wheel 15, on the shaft 6, may be employed, if desired, as shown in Fig. 4.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is z-` Y l l. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits and having one position for direct connections and another position for cross connections, of a mechanical connection adapted to be operated from the side of the car for shifting said switch either to its direct or to its crossed position.

2. The combination with acrossing switch for car line circuits and having one position for direct connectionsand Vanother position for cross connections, of manually operated mechanism actuated from one side of the car to shift said switch to its direct position and actuated from the otherside of the car, to shift the switch to its crossed position. 3. In an electric train line system, the combination with a crossing switch for the circuits of each car, and having two positions, one for direct connection and one for cross connection, of a manually operated mechanism actuated by Va certain movement from the side of the car for shifting A011e of said switches to its direct position, and

another manually operated mechanism actuated by the same movement at the same side of the train for shifting the adjacent switch of the adjoining car to its crossed position.

4. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits and having one position for directly connecting said circuits, another position for cross-connecting said circuits, and a neutral position having con tact bars for closing local car circuits.

5. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits and having one position for directly connecting said circuits, another position for cross-connecting said circuits, and a neutral position having contact bars for closing'local car circuits, and a manually operated mechanism actuated from the sides of the car for shifting said switch from its neutral position to either its direct position or lto its crossed position.

6. rI he combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits and having-one position for direct connections and another position for cross connections, of manually operated mechanism actuated from one side of the position and actuated from the other side of the car, to shift the switch to its crossed position, and actuated from either sideof the car to return said switch to its neutral position.

7. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits and having one position for direct connections and another position for cross connections, of rods extending to the opposite sides of the car, and mechanism operated by manipulating one rod to shift said switch to its direct position and operated by manipulating the other rod to shift said switch to its crossed position.

8. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits and having one position for direct connections and another position for cross connect-ions, of push rods extending from said switch to the opposite sides of the car, and mechanism operated by pushing in the rod at one side to shift said switch to' its direct position, and operated by pushing in the other rod at the other side to shift said switch to its crossed osition.

9. The combination with a crosslng switch for car line circuits and having one position for direct connections and another position for cross connections, of push rods extending from said switch to the opposite sides of the car, and mechanism operated by pushing in the rod at one side to shift said switch to its direct position, and operated by pushing inthe other rod at the other side to shift said switch to its crossed position, and operated by pulling out either of said rods to return said switch to its neutral position. 10. In an electric train line system, the combination with a crossing switch for the circuits of each car, and having two positions, one for direct connection and one for cross connection, of a push rod extending from said switch to the side of the car, and mechanism operated by pushing in one of the rods for shifting its switch to the direct position, and mechanism operated by pushing in the adjacent rod of the adjoining car for shifting its switch to the crossed position.

11. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits and having one position for direct connections and another position for cross connections, of a cam for operating said switch, and push rods extending to the opposite sides of the car for operating said cam.-

12. The combination with acrossing switch for car line circuits and having one position for direct connections and another position `for cross connections, of a cam having oppositely converging slots, and push rods having pins projecting into said slots.

13. The combination with a crossing switch for car line circuits and having one position for direct connections and another position for cross connections, of a plate fixed upon the sha-ft of said switch, push rods extending to the opposite sides of the car, and connections between the rods and the plate whereby the inward movement of one bar will turn the plate in one direction and the inward movement ofv the other bar will turn the plate in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y JOHN B. GROSSW EGE.

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