Improvements in and connected with Railway Switches.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr.. 1897-Accepted, 19th June, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Railway Switches.
I, HENRY PATRICK SPAIN, of Draketown, in the County of Haralson and State of
Georgia, United States of America, Mechanic do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in railway switches,
and it has for its object, among others, to provide a simple and cheap construction
of switch and switch operating device mounted upon the car, whereby the switch is
operated by the gripman or motorman without the necessity of leaving the car.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel
features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The invention in this instance resides in the peculiar combinations and the con-
struction, arrangement and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described,
shown in the drawings, and then particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which with the
letters of reference marked thereon form a part of this specification, and in which,
Figure 1 is an elevation showing the application of my invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical section through the switch showing its spring, and a vertical
cross section through the front end of the car.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism of the car, shown in a raised
position.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the track and switch.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.
Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates the main track,
B the side track and C the movable switch. This is pivotally mounted at one end as
at c, and its other end is held to the rail by spring D concealed beneath the road bed,
acting upon the dependent arm & on the end of the switch, and which is movable in
the slot, providing therefor a cover by the plate B'-projecting laterally from the
side of the switch. Outside of the rail is a spring arm E, one end of which is
secured to the rail, and its other end bent horizontally and extending through the
slot e in the rail and bearing against the switch near its movable end. This spring
arm is inclined outward as shown in the drawings. It will thus be seen that when the
arm is pressed inward by any cause, the switch is moved against the tension of its
spring and when the pressure is removed from said arın, the spring returns the switch
to its normal position.
The mechanism employed for operating the switch comprises the rod F mounted
to work through the opening in the platform of the car, the portion thereof beneath
the platform working through a tube or guide G and its lower end bent or expanded
horizontally as at f, lengthwise of the car, then downward as at f¹ and horizontally as
at, and on this horizontal portion is a roller H adapted to travel upon the upper
face of the rail. At the outer end of this horizontal portion is a dependent arin I,
which is adapted to travel by the side of the rail and to engage the spring arm which
moves the switch. This rod is provided at its upper end with a handle, or if designed
to be actuated by the foot, with a foot piece J. K is a spring confined within the
tube G, and serves to normally hold the rod in its upmost position. L is a combined
brace and guide for this rod.

page_text: With the parts constructed and arranged substantially as above described, the
operation will be apparent, and briefly stated is as follows:
As the car approaches the switch, and if designed to be switched from the track on
which it is moving, the person on the car depresses the rod against the action of
its spring, which brings the lower end of the rod into such position that its roller
engages the upper face of the rail, and its projecting portion rides upon the side of
the rail, and as it approaches the spring arm it rides upon the same, forcing it upward
and moving the switch against the tension of the spring. After the car has passed
the switch, the spring thereof returns it to its normal position, and the spring on the
car forces the rod up into its normal position.
Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the
invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
-claim is:
1. The combination of the rail, the pivoted switch on a spring arm arranged along-
side the rail and inclined outward, and having its other end passed through the rail
and engaging the switch, and the spring acting to normally force the switch against
the rail, substantially as described.
.
2. The combination of the rail, a pivoted switch on a spring arm arranged along-
side the rail and inclined outward, and having its other end passed through the rail
and engaging the switch, a spring mounted to act upon the switch to normally force
it against the rail, and the plates carried by the switch and covering the slot through
which its arm works, substantially as described.
3. The combination with the rail and a pivoted switch on an inclined arm having an
end passed through the rail and mounted to act upon the switch, of a rod on the car
having a portion to engage said arm, and a spring acting upon said rod to normally
hold it in its normal position, substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of April 1897.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.