Improvements in Railway Switches.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Switches.
I, JOHN HARTMAN, of 43 North 7th Street, in the City of Philadelphia,
County of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, 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:—
My invention relates to automatic railway switches and has for its object the
provision of certain new and useful improvements therein to the end that the
construction thereof may be simplified, the efficiency increased and the operation
of the same more perfectly controlled.
My invention has relation particularly to street railways and consists of a
revolvable or reciprocating switch member and its operating mechanism and an
actuating medium carried by the car which when once set or adjusted will ensure
a certain predetermined condition of the switch, at the time of the passage there-
over of such car, regardless of the previous condition of such switch; avoiding
the misplacement of the latter and the consequences thereof, all as hereinafter
more fully described and claimed and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
wherein :
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved switch in one of its positions, and
Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same in the other position, the switch-box cover
being removed and the contents exposed to view.
Fig. 3 is an end view of a car truck provided with the improved actuating
device, and a cross section on line 1—2 of Fig. 1 of the switch box and switch
member, illustrating the operative relation of the respective parts.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of that portion of said truck which sustains the switch
actuating device aforesaid.
Fig. 5 is a plan view partly broken away of a modified form of my said invention.
Referring to said drawings, A A' A' represent sections of the main track of a
street railway system. B B the said rails or branches thereof, and C, a hori-
zontally disposed cylindrical switch member is interposed between the ends of
section A and the opposite ends of section A', and side rail B, and is supported at
its ends in correspondingly curved bearings, or recesses d, in the bearing blocks d'
which latter are located at opposite sides of the interior of the switch box D, in
which bearings said switch member is adapted for rotation under the impulse of
the switch rod e, which is pivotally connected to the lug c, thereof through the
medium of the pin c.
As shown more clearly in Fig. 3 the switch box rests upon the cross ties F
which supports the rails at one end projecting outside the line of those rails
between the ends of which it is interposed, and at the other end extending past the
middle of the track or way, the lid of said box being divided into sections d³, d², d',
secured in place by the bolts do, do, d', sections d', d, being in or about the plane
of the flanges of the rails and the section last mentioned having an upwardly
projecting flange do, which overlaps the flanges, and its top is flush with the treads
of the rail sections A A' between which flange do and the section d' the ends of the
adjacent rail-sections are embraced and thereby secured in alignment, which is
quite necessary where the rails are flat or of the form usually employed for street
railways, instead of being of the "girder" type as shown.
Said Hange and section have oppositely disposed recesses do, do in their upper
parts which co-jointly form a longitudinal opening through which the upper

page_text: -
portion of the switch member projects, the edges of said recesses being beveled
or following the curvature of the periphery of said switch-member and are thereby
permitted to be brought into close relation without interfering with the rotation of
the latter, preventing the access of dirt; etc!, to the interior of the switch box, while
the drain pipe G serves to lead off any water which may find its way thereinto.
Midway between the rail sections A A' or in the center of the track or way is
located an oscillating lever or cam H, the edges of which taper in the direction
from whence the car comes, said lever being sustained on the upper end of the
vertical rock-shaft h, outside the switch-box which shaft has bearings in the
blocks in said box and the lid' section of the latter is provided' between its
ends with a laterally projecting arm h³, to which the switch rod e, is pivotally
connected,, through the pins e, i, link or connection e, said' lid section having
thereon at each side of and a certain distance from the lever H the guides !!* h³,
which, for convenience of construction are preferably of angle-iron and serve as
guards to prevent injury to said lever by passing vehicles.
זין
In Figs. 3 and 4, are shown the end of a car truck K provided with horizontal
ledges disposed one above the otlier, and having secured thereon by the bolts 2
the block K', each of said ledges having a pair of vertical openings therein, the
openings of one ledge being in alignment with those of others, forming slide-way
for the rods L. L' and said block having vertical grooves in its face, as shown at k
for reception of the rear ends of the pins kk, in said rods, serving to prevent the
turning of the latter in said openings, while the forwardly-projecting ends of said
pins engage with notches m m in the forked link m²; said link being secured on
rock-shaft m³ which at its rear end has its bearings in the block K' and is secured
against dislodgement therefrom by the collar m' and at its forward end is coupled
at n, to the lower end of the shaft N.
Obviously the turning of this last-mentioned shaft causes the rocking of the
shaft m³, and the link m² thereon; and by reason of the engagement of the pins in
the rods L L with the notches of said link effects the raising of one and the
lowering of the other of said rods:
As will be observed the switchi neber has in its upper side a diagonal
groove c¹ and a straight groove adapted respectively for interposition between
and rendering continuous the rail section A and side rail B, and said section A
and the section A¹ as well. The bottom of each of said grooves being flush with
the flanges of the particular rails between which is placed the upper side of the
metal which forms the sides of said grooves being flush with the treads of such
rails. Groove is located' in a detachable section c* of the switch member C
which may be of harder metal than the main portion of said member and; when
worn out, may be replaced' by another section and the groove o³ is formed By one
side of said section and a longitudinal recess in the edge of the opening in which
the section is secured!
Now, suppose à car provided with the rods LL' to be approaching the switch
and it be desired to have the car turn off the main track, in which event the driver,
motor-man or other person in charge turns the shaft N through the use of a hand-
wheel, crank or other convenient device, in such direction as to cause the
depression of the guide and the lever H, forcing the latter into position as shown
in Figs. 1 and 3 where it is limited against further movement by the other guide,
and causing the rotation of the switch member C, through the shaft li, arm h²,
link e; and switch-röd' e, in such manner as to bring the diagonal groove of between
the rail section A and the branch rail B'as shown in said. Fig. 1, said groove forming
a turnout for the flange of the car wheel and the metal at the left side of the
groove affording a tread surface for said wheel.
On the other hand' if it be desired to have the car continue straight on the
"shaft N' is turned in the rêverse direction and the depression of the rod L. and the
raising out of operation of rod L thereby secured.
The lower, end of said rod L passes Between the lever H. and the guide and
forcing said lever into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 causing, the

page_text: rotation of the switch member C in the other direction and the placing of the
straight groove between the rail sections A and A', as shown in the figure last
mentioned, the operation of the switch being thus controlled from the car without
necessitating the operator leaving the same.
In lieu of the rotary switch-member, a sliding one may be employed and
similarly operated. For example as shown in Fig. 5, the lid of the switch-box
may be provided with cleats or housings o, o¹ within which is secured a slide O
provided with diagonal and straight grooves o³, o', for interposition between the
straight and curved rail sections or in the case of the rotary switch-member
herein before described, said lid having a slot P therein through which extends a
depending lug on the under side of said slide to which lug is pivotally connected a
switch-rod pl similar to and operated in the same manner as the rod e, before
mentioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
:-
. 1. The combination in a railway switch, of the cylindrical switch member having
a detachable grooved section extending throughout its length, said member having
its axis in the horizontal plane with the railway and adapted to be rotated between
the adjacent ends of a track rail, as set forth.
2. The combination with a railway switch, of the cylindrical switch member
having a longitudinal cavity and having its axis in the horizontal plane with
the railway, and the section located in the said cavity and adapted to be rotated
with the said switch member between the adjacent ends of a track rail as set
forth.
3. The combination in a railway switch, of the cylindrical switch member having
a detachable section extending through its length and adapted to be rotated
between the adjacent ends of a track rail having its axis in the same horizontal
plane with the latter as set forth.
4. The combination of the longitudinal grooved switch member with the switch
box containing the said switch member and having a longitudinal opening and
means housed by the switch box and operated by a propelled car to bring the
grooves of the said switch member into continuity and discontinuity with the
said switch box opening, as set forth.
5. The combination of a switch box interposed between the ends of the adjacent
rail sections, containing the switch operating mechanism and having concavities
therein, a rotary switch member connected with said mechanism and having its
bearings in the concavities, the lid of said box being sectional certain of the
sections of which having oppositely disposed flanges which overlap and retain the
ends of the rail sections between them, substantially as specified.
6. The combination of a switch box interposed between the ends of adjacent
rail sections having concavities therein, and provided with a sectional lid, a rotary
switch member having its bearing in the concavities and provided with a rod or
pitman, certain sections of said lid having oppositely disposed flanges which overlap
and retain the ends of the rail sections between them, a vertical rock shaft
provided with a lateral arm or extension having bearings in another lid section and
in the bottom of the box, an approximately wedge-shaped lever on said shaft, and
a link connecting the arm of the latter and the rod or pitman, a suitable propelled
railway car and an actuating device carried thereby adapted for contact with either
of the inclined sides of said lever, substantially as specified.
Dated this 2nd day of Anril 1895