US927917A - Switch mechanism for trolley-wires. - Google Patents

Description

P. M. ZIMMEBMAN.

SWITCH MEOHANISM FOR TROLLEY WIRES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented July 13, 1909.

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P. M. ZIMMERMAN.

SWITCH MECHANISM FOR TROLLEY WIRES.

APPLICATION FILED IEB.1,1908.

927,917, Patented. July 13,1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. ZIMMERMAN, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

SWITCH MECHANISM FOR TROLLEY-WIRES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. ZIMMER- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Aurora, Kane county, Illinois, have invented a new Switch Mechanism for Trolley- Wires, of which the following is a full and correct specification of the same, reference being had to the drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which Figure 1 shows my said new device in side elevation together with a fragment of a trolley-wheel just passing from the main to a branch-wire; Fig. 2 shows a top plan view of the same; and Fig. 3 shows the same in bottom lan view but whereof the suspending lugs are shown partly broken away; Fig. 4 shows a transverse section on the cutting plane 4 4 of Fig. 1 Fig. 5 shows an end elevation, as seen from the two-wire end and up to near the central transverse part shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 shows my said device as seen from the single-wire end; Fig. 7 shows a transverse section of Fig. 1 on the cutting plane 7 7 of Fig. 1, the parts beyond being omitted Fig. 8 shows the two-wire end of the switch-plate with its wire holders.

Like reference letters denote like parts throughout.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction and operation of trolleyswitches, and said improvement consists chiefly in making the device of less parts and all switch-blades rigid in their bed or holder and so shaped as to enable a trolley-wheel to take the correct course as to main or branch line in either direction of travel relative to said switch; said new construction being much cheaper in its first construction. as well as in its repairs, both as to material and labor in replacing worn parts with new ones, and sundry further advantages as will be made manifest in the matter following herein. To attain said desirable ends I construct my said new device in substantially the following manner, namely; 1 provide a centrally raised bridge or arched main or body-piece a, having suspending-ears I), also, and preferably, made of malleable iron, provided with rounded channels a, hidden in the side view, but indicated by broken outlines. Said piece a is raised or arched at its center from near its ends in ap iroximately straight lines to said plate to al ow free room for a transverse clamping-plate cl held by two bolts 6, passing through the large transverse lugs e and forming an integral part of said bridge- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1, 1908.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Serial No. 413,838.

piece. In the upper surface of said plate are transverse notches c for receiving and holding the wires j which, said wires, in this construction, are bent and raised upward centrally to the bridge instead of being laid on the bridge and forced downward at the ends of the bridge. Thereby is also provided room and means for making the bed of the switch-blades easily attachable and detachable from said bridge and leaving the wires undisturbed, as well as the bridge ,for all time to come.

The bed-plate a and its switch-blades form the second main piece of this device which with the clamp d and its two bolts 0 and three small screws 6 constitute all the pieces of this device. The said second piece a consists of a flat plate, or bed-plate a slightly convened downward at its central and under surface, and it is secured, removably, under said bridge-piece a by means of three screws 6 which pass down through said main piece and into said bedplate. To said bed-plate are attached in tegrally and depending from it the switchblades 9 g 9 and, as here shown, though not necessarily so constructed, whereof their approaching ends over-lap more or less or extend a short distance past the end or ends of the oppositely pointing blade or blades, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. But if said switch-blade ends do not reach the transverse line of the opposite switch-point it can only be such a short distance as will be overlapped or be stridden by the trolleywheel itself to insure its correct course. Besides being tapering in form the ends of said blades alsotaper or round upward, preferably in a more or less curved form, andieach of the lateral or branch blades g 9* also round. their inner sides outwardly and at the same time become sharper toward their points while the central or main switchblade tapers equally from both. sides in about straight lines toward its center line, and all of said parts are of such size and distances apart that the two flanges of the trolley-wheel It will easily embrace any two of said three parts, and so as to pass said wheel readily and correctly from any two of said parts onto the third. switch-blade on going in either direction. Said latter point being controlled by means of the track and car which, necessarily, has moved onto the curve of the track almost entirely before the trolley-wheel gets to the switch-blades.

At such times, however, the trolley-pole has placed its trolley-wheel at more or less of an angle to the switch-blades; as indicated by the broken outlines which show the trolley-wheel in Fig. 3; which, in this case, is running from the main onto the branch-wire line whereof the curve of the track is to the left of the direction in which it is going, as indicated by the arrow-head 7c on central line of direction of said wheel, the outer or right hand flange of the trolleywheel having by means of said. change of its direction been forced inside of the inside or lower and curved side of the outer or upper switch-blade and, thereby, caused the left hand or lower flange of the wheel to pass or ride over the point of the lower or inner switch-blade which, at said crossing-point,

is lower than at the opposite switch-blade where the outer flange of the wheel is holding the outer edge of the wheel and, whereby, immediately, as said lower flange passes from said switch-blade the transposition of said wheel is completed the rounded edge of the transferring branch switch rising to receive the advancing trolley-wheel and. the rounded edged central blade releasing its hold on the trolley-wheel, all in but a very few inches of motion, the trolley-wheel runs securely on the branch switch. During said transposition there is perfect electrical contact on one or the .other or both switches or one switch and the bed of the blades, which are all integral and good electrical conductors and therefore there is little or no sparking and, consequently, correspondingly little burning out of the metal forming said parts, and, as a natural result, a corresponding economy in the use of this device. Whenever the said second part a namely, the switches and their holder or bed, has to be replaced by a new one it can be done by any intelligent Workman no other expert knowledge being required than releasing the old switch-blade bed from its three screws (2 and inserting said screws into correspond- 1 ingly fitting screw-holes in the new replacing-piece.

At each switch-end the wires y', j, j lie in upwardly inclined half round channels or grooves i which are dug out of the upper edges of the switch-blades, but, at the branching end of the switch the wires spread beyond the width of the blade a and, therefore, the outer edge Z of said channels is unsupported and is cut down into a reverse curved edge terminating at Z beyond which and on to the point of the switch-blade said edge becomes a mere line or edge of a surface which gives said blade a neat appearance.

Owing to the fact that the main wire 3', j, is under considerable tension strain the pressure of the switch-wires is upward and in to the grooves i formed in each end of the bridge-piece a and the grooves in the switch blades are merely to make room for the wires and to thereby enable the parts a and a, to approach each other more closely and to use shorter screws c which thus find their places more easily. Said arrangement also brings the contact-edges of the switch-blades and of the wires more nearly into the same plane and, consequently, causing the least sparking from the trolley-wheel as it passes from the one'of said parts to the other.

One of the essential elements of this device is that the top piece, which is the bridg e piece, is provided with suspension lugs by mcans'of which, when once placed, this main element of the device remains undisturbed when switch repairs are made, which is the mechanism under and. attached to it, and which is in direct contact with the trolleywheel. In this structure the trolley-wires are attached under the bridge and keep their permanent position with it, and the switchmechanism proper is attached under the wires and held to its place either by two or three simple screws or by equivalent mechanism and, thereby, is produced the very great advantage and convenience that a single man capable of using a screw-driver, can in a few minutes, make the needed replace ment of worn out switch-mechanism, thus making the shortest interruption of the running schedule of a railroad and, thereby, saving a great deal of time which cannot now be done, owing to the fact that the method of suspension is more or less directly to the switch-mechanism itself and which is in the lower plane of the structure and, therefore, requires more time, as well as higher skilled and, therefore, more expensive labor for the same end.

What I claim is:

The combination with an arched bridgepiece provided at its ends with conductor wire-channels, and mechanism at its center to hold conductors against its under side, of replaceable switch-mechanism under said wires and bridge-piece, said switch-mechanism secured to said bridge-piece.

FRANK M. ZIMMER-h IAN. l/Vitnesses:

WM. ZIMMERMAN, F. A. HOWARD.

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