Patent GB-190228340-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Railway Switches and in Means for Operating them.
Inventor: DAY CHARLES AUBREY
Filed: 1902-12-23
Granted: 1903-03-05
Abstract: 28,340. Day, C. A., [Lawrence Switch Co.]. Dec. 23. Points and switches have vertically-movable, blocks instead of pivoted tongues, and means are pro-. vided for operating them automatically from the vehicle when trailing through the point, or at the will of the driver when running through them in the facing position, or from a switch stand on the line. The vertically-moving blocks 9 are raised or lowered to act as guides for the flanges o f the wheels running on the fixed rails, and they are of such dimensions that the tread of the wheels is never wholly supported by them. They are lowered on to the spring cushions 12 or are lifted by a number of toggles 21, 23, which bear against the stop 22 past their centre when the blocks are raised. The lower toggle members 23 are connected by rocking shafts to a bar 20 which is connected by links 62, 69, and bell cranks to plungers 41, 63, 88. The plungers 41 are mounted in the rails to be acted on by the vehicle wheels so as to let the trailing vehicle pass, and the plungers 63, 88 may be depressed by special rollers lowered from the vehicle when approaching in the facing direction. On the right-hand side of Fig. 3 is shown the connection of the plunger 41 to the bell crank 40 acting through the link 62 and a spring-mounted roller 46 which locks the bell crank against depression except by the weight of a vehicle. Fig. 22 shows an arrangement of pivoted treadle 125 placed before the plunger 41 to ease the motion and the roller 46 adapted to lock the gear both in the up and down position. A similar treadle may also be applied to the plunger 63, which, as shown on the left of Fig. 3, acts through the bell crank 64, links 71, lever 68, link 69 on the bar 20, the arrangement being such that the lever 68 can move back without affecting the plunger when the points are set by the other means. The bell crank 40 of the plungers 41, and, through them, their corresponding point blocks, are connected by links 29 to a rocking lever 30 with its pivot mounted on a spring support, and thus one set is always down while the other is up. This lever 30 is also connected by a link to the vertical shaft 102 in the switch stand. A loose collar on the shaft 102 carries a pivoted hand-lever 111, which works between stops on the shafts so as to be unaffected by the automatic operation of the points which turns this shaft. Normally this handle hangs down and is prevented from being lifted by the locked bar 112. When the points are to be worked by band, this bar 112 is turned to clear the hand lever 111, and, in doing so, it acts through the link 59 and cranks 58, 55 to withdraw the spring locking - rollers 46. The cranks 58, 55 are connected by a shaft 56 and coupling 57. To operate the plungers 63, a roller 77, Fig. 16, carried by a swinging arm 75 on the locomotive is lowered by the link 78 and lever 79 worked from pneumatic cylinder 82. A similar appliance is used to act on the plunger 88 between the rails and then the lever 79 may be connected to a hand-lever on the car, and the spindle of the roller 77 may carry additional wheels to run on the rails.