US748811A - Switch - Google Patents

Description

N0. 748,811. PATENTED'JAN. 5, 1904. W. F. TAYLOR, J11.

SWITCH.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 30. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

K0 MODEL WITNESSES:

No. 748,811; PATENTED JAN. 5, 1904." 1

w. F. TAYLOR, JR.

SWITCH.

APPLIGATIOH FILED MAR. 30' 19.03.

' 2 SHEETS SHEET 2 H0 MODEL.

filllilllllllllmm 1 L WI I l Alforzzey "UNIT D STATE-S fiatntd January 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM-F; TAYLOR, JR, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS D. TAYLOR, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

. CH." I

'IlECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 748,811, dated January 5, 1904. Application filed March 30, 1903. Serial No 150,148. (lilo model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWILLIAM F. TAYLOR,J r. a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and switch-controlling agencies arranged in the.

road bed. The current for actuating the switch controlling agencies is preferably obtained from the overhead wire.

The invention further has for its object to provide a novel means whereby the mechanism carried by the car for engaging the afore mentioned agencies located in the road-bed are elevated or lowered, as the case may be.

Further objects and advantages will be fully set forth in the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar parts are referred to by corresponding o designating characters, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the forward end of a car pro-- vided with my improvement and showing the cooperating parts carried by the car and roadbed, res pectivel y, con tactin g with one another. Fig. 2isaviewin end elevation. Fig. 3isa top plan view of'a portion of the car-frame, the body portion of the car being removed. Fig. 4 is a detailed view of one of the contact members carried by the car and the contact plates or rails arranged in the road-bed. Fig. 5 is an end elevation thereof and partly in section; and Fig. 6 is a planview of a portion of the road-bed, the switch-tongue, and the mechanism for operating the same; and Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the switchmechanism casing.

1 indicates the main rails, 2 the rails of the siding, and 3 the switch-tongue pivoted at the juncture of the main and siding rails, as at 4, so as to be capable of lateral movement in the customary manner.

The switch-tongue is controlled by suitable agencies which are arranged on each side of the switch-tongue, as will be apparent in view offthe following description: Pivoted Arranged ateach side of theswitch-tongne and at a point below the same are motors 8, to the shafts of which are keyed pinions 9. Thesezpinions mesh with intermediate pinions 10, which are journaled in suitable bearings 11 and which in turn meshwith the gearwheels 12. The gear-wheels 12 are keyed upon the shafts 1.3,- which shafts are also provided with star-wheels 14. It will therefore be obvious that as the motors are energized movement will be imparted to the respec-. tive train of gears, which in turn will impart movement'to the star-wheels 14. These rollers 6 are adapted to alternately engage the respective star-wheels l4, and in Fig. 6 I have shown one of the rollers contacting with its'star-wheel. As these star-wheels are rotated they impart an outward movement through the medium of the rollers 6 to the T- shapedlever 5, and thereby swinging it upon its pivotal point, so as to move the switchtongue laterally, when one roller 6 is acted uponand forced into engagement with its wheel, thereby providing means whereby the 0 switch-point can be alternately swung laterally in both directions.

Having thus described the means employed for operating the switch which is arranged in the road-bed, I will proceed to describe the 5 mechanism carried by the car which coact therewith.

Mounted upon the car at points adjacent its forward and rearward ends are the swinging arms 15. bifurcated lower ends in which are journaled the contact shoes or disks 16. These These arms are provided with disks areinsulated apart, the insulating composition .being indicated by the reference-numeral 17. These arms have their upper ends provided with shoulders 18, which abut against the shoulders 19, carried by the brackets in which the arms are pivoted, whereby the downward movement of the said arms is limited. indicates springs for holding the shoes in engagement with the contact-plates arranged in the road-bed. These contactplates, which are designated by the referencenumeral 21, are arranged in pairs and insulated apart, as at 22, and are arranged in the road-bed a short distance in front of each switch-tongue throughout the entire length of tracks, so that as the car proceeds on its journey the numerous switches encountered can be readily operated. As heretofore stated, the power or electrical energy which is employed for operating by my switch-operating means is obtained from the overhead trolley-wire through the medium of the trolley-pole, (not shown,) which is obtained in the following manner: 23 indicates a feedwire which leads from the controller 24 to the inner end of the circuit make and breaker 25. 26 indicates contactplates which are adapted to be engaged by the means 25 for completing the circuits through the wires 27 and 28, which lead from the said contactplates through the pivoted arms 15 to the disks 16. 29 and indicate wires which lead from the contact-plates 21 of the road-bed to the respective motors 8.

The circuits are formed as follows: As the circuit make and breaker 25 is swung so as to engage one of the contact-plates 26 the current passes from the controller through the wire 23 and thence through one of the wires 27 and 28 to one of the disks 16, which as it contacts with the plates 21 of the road-bed causes the current to pass through one of the wires 29 to one of the motors and thence to the rails through wires 38 and 39. The motor when energized rotates and aetuates the switch-lever, as heretofore described. To move the switch-point in an opposite direction, the circuit make and breaker is moved into engagement with the other contact-plate 26, which will form or complete the circuit with the other motor in a manner similar to the one previously described.

By reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings it will be observed that I have provided novel means whereby the arms 15 can be readily elevated, the same comprising cords 33, one of which is attached to each arm, the said cords passingover suitable pulleys 34 and v 35, respectively, and thence to the shafts 36,

upon which the same are wound by operating the handles 37, arranged upon the upper ends of the said shafts. In connection with my improvement I have found that by providing a casing, such as indicated by the referencenumeral 40, the motors and adjacent mechanism for operating the switch-tongue are greatly protected and that, further, by providing the rollers 6 and 7, the same engaging the bottom of the casing, the switch-lever 5 is more easily operated.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 1. The combination with the switch-tongue and the contact-plates arranged in the roadbed, of means interposed between the said switch-tongue and plates for operating the said switch tongue, alternately actuated means for actuating said first mentioned means and means carried by the car adapted to contact with the said plates whereby the first-named means is actuated.

2. The combination with the switch-tongue of a motor arranged adjacent to the switchtongue, means alternately actuated by the said motor pivotally connected with the switch-tongue for moving the said switchtongue and means for operating the said motor.

3. The combination with the switch-tongue of an electrical means arranged adjacent the switch-tongue, contact-plates arranged in the road-bed, an approximately T-shaped lever operatively connected with the switch-tongue, means carried by the car adapted to contact with the said contact plates and means whereby the said first-named means is energized, when the means carried by the car and the said contact-plates are in engagement with each other.

4. The combination with the switch-tongue, of a motor arranged at each side of the switchtongue, a pivotally-mounted lever of approximately T shape operatively connected with the switch-tongue, means actuated by the said motors for alternately moving the said lever and moving the said switch-tongue and means for actuating the said motors.

5. The combination with the switch-tongue of an approximately T-shaped lever, pivotally mounted and having one of its arms pivoted to the said switch-tongue, an electrical means arranged on each side of the switchtongue, means for actuating the said means alternately, and means whereby, as the said last-named means are energized, the said lever will be alternately actuated thereby.

6. The combination with the switch-tongue and the means arranged adjacent thereto, of contact-plates arranged in the road-bed, and electrically connected to the said means, a pivoted arm carried by the car, contact-disks journaled in the said arm and insulated from each other, said disks being adapted to contact with said contact-plates, a circuit make and breaker carried by the car and electrical connections between the said circuit make and breaker and the said disks.

7. The combination with the switch-point and the switch-throwing mechanism, arranged in the road-bed, of a pivoted arm carried by the car for actuating the said mechanism, disks journaled in the lower end of the said arm, a circuit make and breaker, electrical connectionsbetween thesaid disks and circuit make and breaker as a source of supply.-

8. The combination with the car and a circuit make and breaker carried by the car, of a pivoted arm, a pair of disks journaled inv the lower-end of the said arm and being insulated apart, electrical connections extending through the said arm and connecting the said disks, a circuit make and breaker, the switch-tongue and means arranged in the road-bed, coacting with the means carried by the car, for actuating the said switch-tongue.

9. The combination with the switch-tongue of a motor arranged in the road-bed at a point below the switch-tongue, a contact-plate arranged in the road-bed, electrical connections between the said plate and the motor, means carried by the-car adapted to contact with the said plates to complete the circuit whereby the said motor is operated, and means actuated by the said motor for operating the switch-tongue.

10. The combination with the switchtongue, of a motor arranged on eachside ot' the switch-tongue, a pivoted lever connectedwith the switch-tongue, means actuated by the said motors to swing the said lever, whereby it is alternately actuated by the respective motor, actuated means and means for operating the said means alternately.

11. In combination with the switch-tongue of an approximately T-shaped lever, pivotally mounted in the roadbed and having one of its arms pivoted to the switch-tongue, means arranged on the opposite sides of the said switch-tongue for alternately engaging: the lateral arm of the said lever for moving the switch-tongue, and means for operating the said means.

12. The combination with the switchtongue, of a motor arranged on each-side of the switch-tongue, pinions carried on the shafts of the said motors, shafts arranged adjacent the motor'shafts and provided with pinions actuated'by the first-named pinions, star-wheels carried by the last-named shafts, a means interposed between the said starwheels and being pivotally connected with the switch-tongue, means whereby when thesaid motors are operated, the said means will be alternately moved into engagement with the respective star-wheels, and means for actuating the said motors.

13. The combination with the switch-point of an electrically-actuated means arranged on each side of the switch-tongue, an approximately T-shaped lever, pivoted beneath the switch-point and having one of its arms pivotally connected thereto, rollers journaled on the outer ends of the lateral arm of the said lever, means actuated by the said first-named means for engaging the said rollers to swing the said lever and means for actuating the first-named means.

14. The combination with the switchtongue of a pivotally-mounted lever, said 1ever being pivotally connected with the switchtongue, an electrically-actuated" means arranged on each side of the said switch-tongue,

and adapted to alternately swing the said le- 7 sulated apart, electrical connections between a the said plates and motors, and means carried by the car for engagement with the said plates.

16.- The combination with the switchtongue, a switch-operating mechanism arranged in the road-bed, and the contactplates electricallyconnected therewith, of a means carried bythe car for engagement with the said contact-plates, said means comprising a pivoted arm, disks journaled in the lower end of the said arm, a wire leading from each disk through the said arm, contact-- plates carried by the car to which the said wires are secured, a circuit make and breaker adapted to. engage the last-named contactplates, a source of energy and means raising and lowering the said pivoted arm.

a In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in. presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM. F. TAYLOR, JR;

Witnesses:

THOMAS D. TAYLOR, HORATIO E. BELLOWS.

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