Improvements in Railroad Switches.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1889-Accepted, 19th June, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railroad Switches.
I, JOHN ADAMS DUGGAN, of Quincy, in the County of Norfolk, and State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention consisting of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILROAD-SWITCHES," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
I make use of guard-rails and switch-rails having their ends securely fastened to
prevent lateral or rotary movement, resting upon solid bearings and provided with
joints so that the middle portion of the rail may have a vertical movement. Instead
of imparting the vertical movement to the switch-rail by a crank-shaft, I accomplish
the raising and lowering of the rail by means of operating rods moving longitudinally
and bent at the proper distance apart at the proper angles so as to form an incline on
each side, which inclines pass under the movable rails so as to depress the one and
elevate the other, and thereby accomplish the switching from the main track to the
siding and from the siding to the main track. Other improvements upon the switch
will be hereinafter described.
In the drawings, I have shown in Figure 1 a plan of my switch; Figure 2,
enlarged view of a portion of the rails and adjustable elastic yoke; Figure 3, enlarged
longitudinal sectional elevation of Figure 2, on line 2, 2; Figure 4, section on line x, x,
Figure 3; Figure 5, plan of cross arms and solid blocks; Figure 6, sectional elevation
on line y, y, Figure 5; Figure 7, section on saine line showing operating bar thrown
to the left; Figure 8, plan at joints and slide blocks attached to rails; Figure 9,
section on line y¹, y¹, Figure 8; Figure 10, plan of blocks, wedges and incline;
Figure 11, section on line t, t, Figure 10, looking to the right of said figure.
a, a¹ are the outside or stock rails, the middle or movable rails are made up of the
sections b¹, b³, b³, 64, 6. c, c, are the guard-rails; d, d, are the switch or operating
rods which accomplish the raising and lowering of the rails by means of a longitudinal
movement. The mechanism for raising and lowering is shown in a section in
Figures 6 and 7. A strap is firmly attached to the middle rail and passes down
under the operating rod d. In Figure 6, there is shown the strap on the left side
under the rod and just above the incline d; and on the right side the strap is below
the incline d' on that side. In this position the upper part on the left side of the
rod d supports the middle rail on that side, while the rod d, by means of the strap 0,
on the right side, holds down the middle rail on that side. When it is desired to
elevate the right hand middle rail and depress the other, the rod d, is moved to the
left, as shown in figure 7. As the rod d is moved, the strap on the left side passes
down the incline d³, pulling down the middle rail on that side by means of the strap
until the strap is under that part d³ of the rod, when the middle rail is held at its
lowermost point; at the same time the strap on the right side which has before held
down the middle rail on that side passes up the inclined, the middle rail being pushed
up by the upper face of the incline, and the movement continues until the middle rail
on the left side is at its lowest point when the middle rail on the right side is raised
so as to be on a level with the outer and guard rails and supported by the part d' of
the rod d. This position of the middle rails, straps o, o, and operating rod d, is shown
in figure 7. The pieces f₁ connected by arms f to the rod d (Figure 5) pass under
the middle rail, which is to be held up, sliding upon side projections or flanges on
the chairs, which flanges also furnish a bearing on which the pieces f¹ rest, and
thus a firm support is given to the middle rail.
In Figure 1, I have shown on the left side the device for a rigid support, and on
the other side I have shown an elastic support for the rod d, of which an enlarged
view is shown in Figure 3. This consists of the yoke p, resting at each end on the

page_text: springs r, and secured by the bolt and nuts to the chair V, to which the several rails
are attached, as shown in Figures 9 and 11. If it should be desired to stiffen the
springs, it may be done by unscrewing the nut t, removing the bolt and spring and
inserting the washer u; and also by means of the nut t, the spring may be adjusted
so as to increase its stiffness if desired.
The chair V is so constructed that the outside or stock rail is supported upon a solid
seat having braces v' on the outside of the rail. The rail is held in position against
these braces by bolts n, n. The guard rail is in like manner supported on its seat by
braces and also held in position by holts, one of which is shown in Figure 9.
This chair which has its entire bearing surface upon a solid tie, is provided with a
space g, directly beneath the middle rail, which allows the rail to move up and down,
as already explained. It is obvious that the outside rail and guard rail are fixed and
immovable, and the middle rail can only have a vertical motion. The chairs V, differ
from the others in having a flange on which f¹ slides, and has a bearing, as above
explained.
The middle rail b is made up of the following parts; the pieces 61, 62, 63, 64, and b³.
The solid piece b' has no motion whatever. The short piece 62, is held firmly in place
so as to allow of no lateral motion by means of the long piece and the piece o¹, and
bolts passing through from side to side as shown in Figure 10; but it has a vertical
motion, that is, when the piece b³ is raised, as hereinafter explained, the front end
of 6 is correspondingly raised, and for that purpose is provided with the joints k,
formed by two pieces of metal k', placed in the hollow of the rail, one on each side,
and lapping over the joint between 62 and 63, and having a bolt passing through each
end and through the pieces 62 and 63, on which bolts the part 2 can turn, so as to
adapt part 6 to 63 when the latter is raised. A similar joint is provided at the point
where 6 meets 6, so that 6 moves down when a descends and forms an incline.
.
The piece extends across the joints k so as to impart strength to the joints and
prevent all sideway motion. It is provided with a smooth face which bears against
the piece k¹, also provided with a smooth face, and is permanently fastened to the
guard rail. This arrangement obliges the middle rail to remain firmly in its position
and allows it no motion but a vertical one. Just in front of the piece o¹ is the space h,
and immediately in front of this space is the wedge g, which fills a space which would
otherwise exist between the middle rail and the running side of the outside rail and
would allow a wheel flange to press in between the outside rail and the middle rail,
and thus force the latter rail laterally from its position. It is securely fastened to the
middle rail and has its top on a level, or nearly so, with the top of the movable rail.
The piece b is also jointed by means of bolts at each end. It is so fixed as to have
only a vertical motion, and is directly acted upon by the operating rod which lifts it
'up on one side, and depresses it on the other, as above explained. Midway of this
centre rail are two blocks y, y, for holding in the centre rail in position so that it can
only move vertically.
It will be seen that when the piece 6 is depressed, the piece bat one end, and
the piece 6 at the other move downward, turning on the bolts forming their joints
and thus make a slight incline from the solid and unmoving parts of the middle rail.
A part of the top of the piece 6² of the middle rail is planed off on the back side,
as shown in Figure 10, so as to make the space narrow between the running side of
the guard rail and the running side of the outside rail, in order to secure a
bearing for narrow wheel treads on the outside rail and also to provide a
space for the wheel flange to move in. The piece 6 has also a part of its
top planed off to give a space for the wheel flange to pass between it and
the outside rail. At one end of the piece 68 (Figures 1 and 10), is an incline,
which is made by planing off a part of the top of the rail, but so that the running
side of the rail is left intact. The wedge which fills the space between the middle
rail and stock rail is also planed off at the top, the two surfaces thus planed off
forming the incline w. I is a block rigidly fastened to the guard-rail and having a
smooth vertical face, and filling a part of the space between the guard-rail and the
movable rail. I' is a block or bar of sufficient length to lap over the joint of the two

page_text: parts of the middle rail and secured by the bolts j¹, shown in Figure 2. This piece
is enlarged in its central part so as to fill the remaining space between the guard-
rail and the middle rail, and is provided with a smooth face and adapted to
have a vertical motion, moving with the part 6 of the middle rail to which it is
attached.
The operation of my invention is as follows:
Referring to Figure 1, which shows the switch placed for the passage of a train in
the direction of arrow l, from the main track to the siding, if a train should come
along the main track, from the opposite direction, or
"
heel-on as it is called, the
wheel flanges running in the space between the solid part of the middle rail and the
outside rails would bear upon the incline on the right hand side and force the rail
down, the yoke mounted upon the springs giving way for that purpose; on the other
side the wheels lap over on to the outside rails in the ordinary manner, and thus the
train would pass through safely. That is, when the switch is misplaced, being set for
the siding, the wheels will force down the side which is mounted upon the spring-yoke,
and the wheels will run on the top of the rail on the other side. The weight is
ordinarily supported on the outside or stock-rail, the middle-rail serving to guide,
and by means of the vertically moving middle portion 6 to switch the train.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. A switch having guard, and stock, or outside rails, supported upon solid
bearings, to which they are fixed so as to permit of no motion, in combination with
a middle or switch rail, having neither ends nor points, the switching being
accomplished by raising the central portion of the switch rail on one side and lowering
it on the other, substantially as, and for the purpose above described.
Second. In a railroad switch, a switch-rail, having the middle part adapted to be
raised and lowered and connected with sections of the switch-rail which form inclines
when the middle portion is lowered, the inclined parts being jointed at one end to
the fixed section of the rail, and at the other end to the vertically moving middle part,
substantially as, and for the purpose above described.
Third. The horizontally moving operating rods d, having thereon the inclines ď ď³,
and the horizontal supporting faces d, d², in combination with the switch-rails and
straps o, o, substantially as, and for the purpose above described.
Fourth. The operating rod, the switch-rail having neither ends or points, the
central portion of which is capable of being elevated and depressed throughout its
entire length, and the arms f, f, provided with the supporting pieces f¹, f¹, in
combination, substantially as described.
Fifth. The operating rod d, the yoke p, the springs 8, s, and the switch-rails, in
combination, substantially as described.
Sixth. The yoke p, the spring r, bolt s, nut t, and washer w, in combination,
substantially as, and for the purpose above described.
Seventh. The double chair V, provided with outside braces, and having a central
recess, in combination with the stock-rails and guard-rails, independently secured to
said braces, respectively, substantially as, and for the purpose above described.
Eighth. The incline W, in combination with the switch-rail, the yoke p, and the
spring r, substantially as, and for the purpose above described.
Ninth. The stock-rails lapping by the joint. between 61 and 63, having its top
substantially level with the switch-rail, and bolted through the guard-rail in
combination with the guard-rail, substantially as, and for the purpose above
described.
Tenth. The block and o¹ in combination with the parts & and 6 of the middle
rail, substantially as, and for the purpose above described.
Eleventh. The vertically sliding blocks 1, 1 in combination with the guard and
switch rails, substantially as, and for the purpose above described.

page_text: Twelfth. The blocks y, y, in combination with the middle rail, substantially as and
for the purpose above described.
Thirteenth. The pieces k¹, k¹, in combination with the piece and the parts 63, 6,
substantially as and for the purpose above described.
Dated this Twenty-fifth day of May 1889.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.