US605599A - Automatic railway-switch - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. DELLER.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 605,599. Patented June 14,1898.

lllll \IIIH' IHIIV UNITE-D. STATES PATENT Onnrcs.

' JOSEPH DELLER, OF NAPOLEON, INDIANA.

, AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 605,599,. dated June 14, I898. Application filed March 18, 1898- erial No. 674,296. (No model.)

Switches; and I do hereby declare the follow ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention comprises a railway-switch which is capable of being conveniently operated by a driver or motorman on a street-car as soon'as he brings'a grab or trip into serv-.

ice. The trip is applied under a car-platform a suitable distance in advance of the front wheels and is preferably operatedby the depression of atreadle, which act causes the effective end of said trip to'enga'ge with a starter-plate atone-end of a main shaft, the

other end of said shaft being provided with a tread-plate that .is normally horizontal and out of the way. This engagement of the trip with the starter-plate is only momentarily but is sufficientto turn the main shaft-a limited distance, and thereby swing the treadplate up to a positionwhere it will be struck by one of the front ear-wheels. The contact of the wheel with said plate then completes the turning of the main shaft, and thefmotion of the latter is by means ofbevel-gears transmitted to acounter-shaft arranged longitudinally of the track and having a crank and connecting-rod, which devices throw the switch, as hereinafter more fully described. In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a street-railway track provided with my switch-operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical section at the line .2 z of the preceding with the'starter-plate. Fig 3 is a similar section, but showing said trip in the actof turning said plate in the direction of an arrow thereon. Fig. 4 is a'vertical section showing the tread-plate in its normal position. Fig. 5 is a similar section,but showing said plate turned up to a verticaliposition and about to be struck by a car-wheel. lFi'g. 6 is an enlarged vertical section through the connecting-rod that communicates motion from the counter-shaft to the switch.

' AA represent grooved rails of a main track, and B B are the rails of a branch track or siding, an ordinary switch 0 being located at the junction of the rails A Band being connected by a rod 0 with a crank or eccentric wrist-pin d at one end of a counter-shaft D, as more clearly seen in Fig. 6. This shaft is journaled in suitable bearings, is arranged parallel with the rail A, and has keyed to it a bevel-gear E, that engages with a similar wheel F, fastened to the main shaft G, the latter being disposed at a right angle to said rail or transversely of the track. Furthermore, this main shaft G has one of its ends journaled in the rail A, while its other end is journaled in .a short third railI-I, arranged comparativelynear said rail A and parallel therewith. Rail H is grooved longitudinally ou its upper surface, as at h, and one end of this groove communicates with a mortise h of said rail, a starter-plate I being housed within said mortise; This starter-plateis secured to the main shaft G and has a notch z' at one corner and a similar notch t" at its diclosed until'intentionally opened by a cardriver or motorman.

a is a vertical mortise in the rail A to admit a tread-plate M, secured to the main shaft G,'. the diagonally opposite corners of said plate being rounded off, as shown in Figs. 4: and 5; illustration,the trip'being about to engage 1 N is a' ratchet-wheel fastened to the counter-shaft Gr,and n isa pawl so engaged with said wheel as to prevent retrograde "turning of said shaft in case a wheel of a passing vehicle should wedge tightly against one side of the switch 0.

b in Fig. 6 is a slot that permitsthe upturned end of rod 0 to move. laterally. of the rails A and B when the switch is thrown in either direction. v

O in Figs. 2 and 3 isaportion of the front platform of a street car, and o is a hanger depending therefrom,a hook-shaped trip or grab 1? being pivoted to said hanger and having one end of a treadle Q connected to it.

, R is a spring that so elevates the treadle Q as to maintain the free end of the trip asuitable distance above the track.

S in Fig. 5 is one of the front wheels of a car.

When all the operative parts of my switch mechanism are in their normal positions, they are disposed as seen in 1, 2, and 1t, reference to which illustrations shows that the switch 0 is now so set as to keep the main track open and prevent cars being run over on the siding or branch l3 l3". Again, it will be noticed that the starter-plate I is n ow completely housed within the mortise 7t and is almost entirely concealed by the flap .I; also, it will be observed that the tread-plate M is completely housed within the mortise a.

If a car should approach the switch in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2 and it should be desired to run straight forward on'the main track, the driver or other attendant on the front platform pays no attention to the trip I and simply permits it to remain in its elevated or inoperative position; but if itshould be desired to run a car over onto the side track, the aforesaid attendant depresses the treadle Q at the proper moment, so as to cause the free end of the trip to swing down and traverse the longitudinal groove 7r of the third rail II. Consequently this groove so guides said trip as to compel its hooked end to enter the notch i of plate I and swing the latter over in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. This swinging motion of the plate causes the flap .I to turn up to the vertical position indicated by the dotted lines in said illustration, therounded endj of said flap enabling it to smoothly clear the advancing trip. Now as the plates I M are rigidly united to the main shaft G it is evident this turning up of the plate I will cause the other plate Ill to travel simultaneously with it. Therefore by the time the plateI has reached a perpendicular position the plate M will also be vertical, as shownin Fig. Again, this motion of plate I effects a limited turning of shafts G D and merely starts the throwing of the switch C toward the rail A; but about the instant said plate reaches a ver tical position the trip is disengaged from it, and for this reason some other means must be provided for completing the setting of the switch. This final setting is effected by the tread of car-wheel S coming in contact with the plate M, as suggested in Fig. 5, thereby forcibly swinging said plate over in the direction of the arrow and retaining the switch in contact with the main rail A. Hence itis evident the momentum of the car is utilized in the final throwing of the switch, thereby relieving the trip of this severe duty,which frequently requires considerable power, especially when the rails are covered with thick snow and ice. As the tread-plate M is thus forced down to a horizontal position the starter-plate I is also brought to a horizontal position, and its notch i is now in line with the groove 7L and ready to be caught bya car trip or grab. Again, as these plates have described one-half of a circle, it is evident the shafts D G have also made a half-turn in their bearings. to be run in on the side tracks no manipulation of the switch is necessary; but if said ear is to continue along the main track the trip is again operated as previously d escribcd, the result being to cause the shafts I) G to complete their revolutions and restore the switch to its normal position. Finally, in the drawings the stringers, crossties, and the covers for the shafts, gears, 85c, have been omitted for the purpose of rendering the mechanism more distinct; but it is to be understood that the third rail or beam if and flap J are the only parts exposed to the wear and tear of street traffic.

I claim as my invention- 1. A switch mechanismincluding a main shaft provided with starter amltread plates, and a counter-shaft geared to said main shaft and coupled to the switch proper, said starterplate being adapted to be operated by a cartrip, substantially as herein described, and for the purpose stated.

2. A switch mechanism including a main shaft G, provided with a tread-plate ill, and starter-plate I, notched at i, 1.", a mortiscd and longitudinally-groovcd third rail ll 71. 7t, within which mortise 71/, said plate I 'II t" is fitted, a flap J that covers this plate, a counter-shaft D (l, a rod 0 that couples said shaft to the switch C, a spring I, for retaining said flap in its closed position, and bevelgears F, E, for communicating motion from said main shaft to said counter-shaft, all as herein described, and for the purpose stated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Vitn esses:

Janus ii. LAYMAN, Jena (,1. toonns.

lhereforc if the next car is'

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