Improvements in and connected with Railway Switches.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 27th Mar.. 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Railway Switches.
I, GEORGE MORRIS HILBERT, residing at Mountain Top, in the County of
Luzerne, and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Watchmaker, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to railway switches, and the object thereof, is to provide
an improved switch apparatus which is particularly adapted for use in connection
with tramway cars; a further object being to provide a switch operating
mechanism which is adapted to operate devices connected with the platform
of a car.
The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the
accompanying drawing forms a part, in which :-
Fig. 1, is a side view of the end of a car, provided with my improvement, and
showing a part of the switch ;
Fig. 2, an end view thereof;
Fig. 3, a plan view of the switch and the operating devices connected
therewith; and
Fig. 4, a bottom plan view of the end of the car, shown in Figs. 1, and 2.
In the drawing forming part of this specification, the separate parts of my
improvement are designated by the same numerals of reference in each of the
views, and in said drawing, reference being made to Fig. 3, I have shown at 5,
the main rails of a railway track, and at 6, the rails of a side track or switch,
and the said switch is provided with the usual switch bar or tongue 7, which is
pivoted at 8, and in the practice of my invention, I form on the free end thereof,
an inwardly directed shoulder or projection 9, with which is pivotally connected a
rod 10, which extends inwardly to near the centre of the main track, and which
is provided at its inner end with an upwardly directed pin 11, which passes through
a transverse slot 12, formed in a plate 13 which is secured in position centrally
and longitudinally of the main track, and the pin 11, is secured to the wider
end of a triangular plate 14, the narrower end of which is pivoted to the
plate 13, at 15.
The wider end of the plate 14, is in the direction of the switch, and by moving the
same laterally the switch may be opened, and closed as will be readily understood, and
in practice, I connect with the platform of a car, devices by which this plate 14, may
be operated as hereinafter described, and these devices are shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,
in which the reference numeral 16, designates the platform of a car, to the bottom of
which and preferably near one side and adjacent to the forward end thereof, are
secured hangers 18, the lower ends of which are connected by a shaft 20, on which
are mounted two levers 21 and 22, which project upwardly through the platform
of a car.
The lower ends of the levers 21 and 22, are held in proper relative position on the
shaft 20, by spiral springs 23, which are mounted thereon, and secured centrally of
the bottom of the platform of the car, and near the rear end thereof, are two other
hangers 24, the lower ends of which are connected by a shaft 25, on which are mounted
two crank levers 26, which are separate by a spiral spring 27, and one end of each of
the crank levers 26, projects backwardly and downwardly and the other end forwardly

page_text: .
and upwardly, and said crank levers 26, are connected with the levers 21, and 22, by
the angle arins 27.
The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description, when
taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the following statement
thereof.
The levers 21 and 22, may be operated to open and close the switch as will be
readily understood, the operation of one of said levers serving to force the free
end of the plate 14, in one direction, and the operation of the other serving to
move it in the opposite direction, and the opening and closing of the switch will
depend on the direction in which said plate 14, is moved.
This result is accomplished by depressing the backwardly and downwardly
directed ends of the levers 26, so as to cause them to strike the plate 14, and the
shape of the plate 14, produces the hereinbefore mentioned result as the car passes
thereover.
This device is simple in construction and operation and is well adapted to accomplish
the result for which it is intended; and
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 with the main rails of a railway track, of a pivoted plate
mounted longitudinally of the track between said rails, and being wider at one
eud than at the other, said plate being connected at its wider end with a rod
which is pivotally connected with a switch tongue or bar, substantially as shown and
.described.
2. The combination with the main rails of a railway track, of a pivoted plate
mounted longitudinally of the track between said rails, and being wider at one
end than at the other, said plate being connected at its wider end with a rod
which is pivotally connected with a switch tongue or bar, and means connected
with the platform of a car for operating said plate, substantially as shown and
described.
3. The combination with the main rails of a railway track, of a pivoted plate
mounted longitudinally of the track between said rails, and being wider at one
end than at the other, said plate being connected at its wider end with a rod
which is pivotally connected with a switch tongue or bar, and means connected
with the platform of a car for operating said plate, comprising two levers which
are pivotally supported below the platform and which extend upwardly therethrough,
and said levers being pivotally connected with the crank levers which are adapted
to operate said pivoted plate, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 15th day of February 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.