Improved Means for Operating Railway and Tramway Switches.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
CORT DIE DICITICATION
Improved Means for Operating Railway and Tramway Switches.
We, ROBERT CARLETON HART, Travelling Salesman, residing at No. 411 Centre
Street, New Haven in the County of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, and
ROBERT SELKIRK FIELD, Clerk, residing at No. 342 South 5th Street,
Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, and State of New York, 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 :-
This invention relates to railway switch operating devices, and the object thereof,
is to provide improved devices of this class, which are adapted to be operated by
improved mechanism connected with a car; a further object being to provide an
improved switch operating device for tramway cars, and improved devices which
are connected with the bottom of the car and the platform thereof, for operating
the same.
The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification of which the
accompanying drawing forms a part, in which ;-
-
Fig. 1, is a plan view of a section of a railway track, showing also a section of a
side track, a switch and means for operating the same;
Fig. 2, a sectional side view of the section being taken on the line 2, 2
of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3, a bottom plan view of one end of a car, and the platform thereof, showing
the switch operating devices connected therewith;
Fig. 4, a side view thereof; and,
Fig. 5, a front view of the dash board, showing a lever which forms a part of the
switch operating devices.
In the drawing forming part of this specification, we have shown at 6, the rails
of the main railway track, and at 7, the rails of a side track, and in the practice of
our invention, we place between the rails of the main track, a cross head 8, which
is provided in its upper side with a longitudinal groove 9, in which is placed a
sliding bar 10, which is held in place by cross plates 11, and one end of the sliding
bar 9, is pivotally connected with a switch tongue 12, and said sliding bar is
provided at about the middle thereof, with a transverse groove 13, the side walls
of which are rounded at the corners as shown in Fig. 1.
We also employ a lever 14, which is pivoted in a suitable support 15, and which
is provided centrally thereof, with an arm 16, which projects at right angles
thereto, and the end of which passes through the transverse groove 13, in the
bar 10, and connected with each end of the lever 14, is a rod 17, which extends
backwardly along the track to a pre-determined point where each of said rods is
pivotally connected with a dog 18, which is pivotally connected with the inner side
of each of the rails 6, or any other suitable support, and each of said dogs is
provided with an upwardly directed prong or projection 19.
The cross head 8, the sliding bar 10, the lever 14, and the parts connected
therewith are all preferably enclosed in a suitable box or casing, as shown
in Fig. 2, consisting of a bottom 20, a top plate 21, and end plates 22, and we also
connect with the bottom of a car, operating devices which are adapted to operate
in connection with the dogs 18, to open and close the switch, and these devices are
shown in Figs. 3, to 5, inclusive and will now be described,

page_text: In Fig. 3, we have shown the bottom of one end of a car, and in Fig. 4, a side
view thereof, the bottom being designated by the reference numeral 23, and being
also provided with a platform 24, and the dash board 25, and mounted at the
opposite sides of the truck frame, and preferably between the axles are vertically
movable bolts 26, which are held in their highest position by springs 27, and pivoted
in front of each of said bolts is a lever 28, the rear ends of which bear on the heads
of said bolts as shown at 29, and the front ends of which are projected downwardly,
and connected with the downwardly projecting front ends of each of said levers is a
rod 30, the outer ends of which are connected with the ends of a lever 31, which is
pivotally supported at 32, beneath the platform of the car, and which is provided
centrally with an outwardly directed arm 33, with which is pivotally connected a
lever 34, which projects upwardly in front of the dash board, and which is pivotally
connected with said dash board at 35.
By moving the upper end of the lever 34, transversely of the dash board, either
of the bolts 26 may be depressed as will be readily understood, the bolt depressed
depending upon the direction in which the lever 34, is moved, and the operation
will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection
with the accompanying drawing and the following statement thereof.
If a car be moving along the main track in the direction of the arrow a, and it is
desired to take the side track, all that is necessary is to operate the lever 34, 80 as
to depress the bolt 26 on the left hand side of the car, which operation will draw
the switch tongue 12, or the free end thereof, to the left, and the switch will thus
be opened, so as to enable the car to take the side track, and if the switch be set to
the siding as the car approaches, and it is necessary or desirable for the car to
remain on the main track, the lever 34, is operated so as to depress the bolt 26,
on the right hand side of the car, which operation will throw the switch tongue
in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the car may proceed on the main track.
This device is simple in construction and operation and perfectly adapted to
accomplish the result for which it is intended, and it is evident that changes in, and
modifications of the construction herein described may be made without departing
from the spirit of our invention or sacrificing its advantages.
Having now particularly described the nature of our said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The combination with the switch tongue of a railway switch, of a sliding bar
mounted transversely of the track, and pivotally connected therewith, a lever
pivotally supported adjacent thereto, and provided with an arm by which said bar
is operated, and rods pivotally connected with the ends of said lever and extending
along the rails of the track, and pivotally connected with dogs which are adapted
to be operated from the platform of a car by devices connected therewith substantially
as shown and described.
2. The combination with the switch tongue of a railway switch, of a sliding bar
mounted transversely of the track, and pivotally connected therewith, a lever
pivotally supported adjacent thereto, and provided with an arm by which said bar
is operated, and rods pivotally connected with the ends of said lever, and extending
along the rails of the track, and pivotally connected with dogs which are adapted
to be operated from the platform of a car by devices connected therewith, consisting
of spring operated bolts mounted in the truck of the car at each side thereof, a
lever pivoted in front of each of said bolts and adapted to bear thereon rods
connected with said levers and extending towards the end of the car, and connected
with a lever which is operated from the platform of the car, substantially as shown
and described.
3. The combination with the switch tongue of a railway switch, of operating
devices connected therewith, and adapted to operate by dogs pivotally supported
adjacent to each rail of the main track, and devices connected with a car for
operating said dogs, substantially as shown and described.
4. The combination with the switch tongue of, a railway switch, of operating

page_text: devices connected therewith, and adapted to be operated by dogs pivotally supported
adjacent to each rail of the main track, and devices connected with a car for
operating said dogs, consisting of spring supported bolts mounted in each side of
the truck of the car, levers mounted adjacent thereto, and adapted to bear thereon,
and rods connected with said levers and adapted to be operated from the platform
of the car, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 15th day of February 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.