Improvements in Foot Guards for Frogs, Guard Rails, and Switches.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Foot Guards for Frogs, Guard Rails, and Switches.
1, DAVID DANIEL ZWEIG, Gentleman, resident of 722 North 23rd Street
St. Louis, State of Missouri, United States of America, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved "foot guard for frogs," guard rails and
switches, and consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of
parts hereinafter specified and designated in the claims.
The object of my invention is to provide an improved foot guard for the foot-
traps or apertures of frogs, switches and the like, so that accidental catching of the
feet of the train-men, yard-men and other persons, in the foot-traps or apertures of
frogs and switches, will be prevented, and lives will thereby be saved.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a sectional end elevation of a railway switch having my invention
applied thereto, the section being taken on the line X-X of Fig. 3.
Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of a railway-switch, with portions broken away, having
my invention applied thereto.
Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspective of the spring-held foot-guard plate, inverted.
Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of the fixed base-plate of the guard.
1 indicates the adjacent converging rails of the railway switch or frog, which
are mounted upon the usual cross-ties 2 and secured thereon so as to form the
usual aperture or foot-trap 3 between said rails.
4 indicates a base-plate, which has its under side bevelled from its opposite
edges inward so as to form a lougitudinal rib or apex 5 upon said side, and so
that the bevelled surface thus formed will fit the correspondingly inclined upper
surface of the adjacent rail flanges 6, and permit said apex to rest upon the cross-
ties.
The upper surface of this base-plate is preferably plain or smooth with the
exception that at a point adjacent each end there projects upwardly a bolt or
lug 7 upon which a spring is mounted in a manner presently described.
Upwardly projecting arms or flanges 8 are formed upon said base plate at a
point adjacent each of its ends so as to project at a right angle to the body of
said base plate and have free upper ends.
The base plate is secured in position upon the ties 2 by means of a bolt or
spike 9 driven through an aperture 10 formed in said plate and into one of the
ties 2.
If desired, a number of bolts or spikes 9 may be used in the same manner, for
such purpose.
11 indicates the foot guard plate which is preferably constructed with a plain
or smooth upper surface and with its opposite edges bevelled or inclined upon
said upper surface so that the adjacent heads of the rails 1 are engaged by said
bevelled edges, and permit the upper surface of said plate to pass above the
point of engagement, when the foot-guard is in normal position during use.
Downwardly projecting arms or flanges 12 are formed adjacent each end of the
guard plate 11 so as to project downward therefrom at a right angle to the body
thereof, and telescopically engage the arms or flanges formed upon the base
plate 4, so that said guard plate may move loosely up and down between the rails 1
while the flanges upon each plate engage telescopically.
The arms or flanges 12 also have a length less than the width of the guard
plate 11.

page_text: This construction prevents the guard plate from being disengaged during use,
and yet permits great latitude of movement in various directions during use.
The under surface of the guard plate 11 is provided at a point adjacent each end,
and at a point opposite one of the lugs or pins 7 on the base plate, with an annular
recess or spring socket 13, in which the upper and larger end of a helical spring 14
is mounted and secured.
The lower and smaller end of each spring 14 is mounted upon and in engagement
with one of the projecting lugs or pins 7 of the base plate 4, so that each of said
springs is held securely in a vertical position during operation.
In practice I may increase the number of springs 14 and in some cases their
number should be increased in order to provide a proper support for the guard
plate 11 throughout its length, especially if it have a comparatively great length.
The operation is as follows:
The foot guard as above described is constructed with a guard plate 11 of any
desired length and marginal configuration, in order to fit the aperture or foot-trap 3
between the rails.
The parts are located as shown, with the guard plate 11 normally held in position
by the springs 14, with its bevelled edges closely in contact with the under portion
of the heads of the rails 1.
The power of the springs 14 is such that the weight of a human being will have
no appreciable effect upon them, so that should a person step upon said guard plate
it will retain its normal position, and effectively fill the foot trap or aperture between
the rails 1, so that it will be almost impossible for a train-man or yard-man to
inadvertently have his foot caught between said rails.
But the flanges of the wheels of passing cars or trains will engage the upper
surface of said plate 11 and depress the same, without injury thereto, and immedi-
ately upon disengagement of said flanges, the springs 14 will cause said plate to
resume its normal position.
This operation is clearly indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.
It will be observed that the springs 14 are located upon a central longitudinal
line drawn through both the base plate 4 and the guard-plate 11, so that said guard
plate is yieldingly supported and free to rock upon said yielding support.
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 improved foot guard for frogs, switches and the like, constructed with a
base-plate 4 and a spring held guard plate having flanges 12 on its edges which
telescopically engage flanges upon said base-plate, substantially as herein specified.
2. The improved foot guard for frogs, switches and the like, constructed with a
base-plate having its under side bevelled from its opposite edges inward so as to
form a longitudinal rib or apex upon said under side, so that the bevelled surface
thus formed will fit the correspondingly inclined upper surface of adjacent rail
flanges and permit said apex to rest upon the cross-ties, and a spring supported guard
plate mounted upon said base plate, substantially as herein specified.
3. The improved foot guard for frogs, switches and the like, constructed with a
base plate 4 having bolts or lugs 7 projecting from its upper surface and arms or
flanges 8 formed upon said base plate at a point adjacent each of its ends and pro-
jecting at a right angle from the body of said base-plate, in combination with
springs 14 mounted upon said bolts or lugs 7, and a guard plate mounted upon said
springs, substantially as herein specified.
Dated this 6th dex of Amal 1001
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.