Improvements in Railway Frogs.
Year: 1896

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Frogs.
I DUNCAN MACPHERSON of Montreal in the County of Hochelaga, Province
of Quebec in the Dominion of Canada Civil Engineer 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 improvements in that class of railway frogs, which are
designed for use in conjunction with an unbroken main line rail; and it has for its
general object to provide simple and cheap movable frog of the character
mentioned, which may be made out of two pieces of ordinary steel rail and equally
as strong as a fixed frog, and one whose parts will rest away from the main line
rail when the switch is set for a clear main track so as not to be damaged by
fast trains passing over said track, and which, when inadvertently set for a siding,
will permit a train coming from the direction opposite to the switch, to pass
through without being raised or jolted and this without in any manner injuring the
frog or parts connected therewith, or the rolling stock.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the
following description and claims when taken in connection with the annexed-
drawings, in which:
Fig. 1, is a plan view of a portion of a railway, illustrating my improved frog
as set for a siding, together with the mechanism through the medium of which the
frog is adjusted.
Fig. 2, is a similar view with the frog set for a clear main track.
Figs. 3, 4, and 5, are enlarged sections taken in the planes indicated by the
lines x, x, y, y, and z, z, respectively, of Figure 1, and:
Fig. 6, is a detail elevation.
Referring by letter to said drawings: A, A¹, indicate unbroken main track rails;
B, indicates that portion of an inner, broken turnout rail which rests between the
main rails and is fully spiked so as to securely hold it in position; B', indicates
that portion of the inner, broken turnout rail, which rests on the outside of the
main track rails and is also fully spiked; and C, indicates the inner member of
my improved frog which is suitably connected in a hinged manner with the heel of
rail B, and is mounted upon plates a, spiked to the sleepers or ties, so that it will
rest sufficiently high to enable the flanges of wheels passing it to clear the main
rail A. This frog member C, may be and preferably is for the sake of economy,
formed of a piece of ordinary steel rail, and by reason of its being mounted upon
the plates a, it is adapted to overlap the rail A, as better shown in Fig. 4, and
conduct the wheels of a train across the same. The said member C, is bent so
that its free end, when it is in the position shown in Fig. 1, will rest away from
the rail A, and not offer an obstruction to the passage of the wheels of a train
travelling in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 1; and the said end is
beveled as indicated by b, so that it will not be caught by anything hanging from
a passing train, while the upper side of the forward portion of the member is
inclined as indicated by c, for a purpose presently described.
D, indicates the outer frog member which is connected in a hinged manner to the
end of the turnout rail B', and is mounted upon plates d, spiked to the ties so as to
enable it to also overlap the main rail A, as better shown in Figure 4. This
member D, like the inner member C, may be and preferably is formed of a piece
of steel rail and it preferably has its upper side beveled at its free end as indicated

page_text: by e, so as to permit the treads of wheels to pass from the member C, onto it
without knocking against or damaging it and without jolting and also has the outer
side of its head beveled at its free end as indicated by e', so as to enable the flanges
of the wheels to better engage it as they pass off of the member C, and furthermore
has its inner side beveled at its free end
When my improved frog is in the position shown in Fig. 2, or out of operation,
it will be observed that both members C, D, rest at such a distance from the main
rail A, that they will not be touched and consequently will not be damaged by the
wheels of fast trains passing over the main track rails, which are the chief factors
in damaging and destroying frogs; and it will also be observed by virtue of the
main rail being unbroken and continuous and the frog members resting, at a
considerable distance from the same, there can be no possibility of loose or wide
gauge wheels taking the wrong side of the frog point. It will also be observe.]
that when the frog is in the position shown in Fig. 1, or set for a siding, it is just
as strong as a fixed frog and is just as reliable, if not more so. Indeed when set
for a siding, my improved frog will permit the wheels of a train moving on the
main track in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 1, to pass through without
any rise or jolt, and as the flanges of the wheels press against the frog member C,
while the outer sides of the wheels press against the member D, it will be seen
that the strain on the parts of the frog is equally distributed and consequently
neither the members C, D, nor any of the parts connected therewith will be strained
out of shape or otherwise damaged.
My improved frog may be used to advantage in conjunction with various kinds
of switches and may be operated through the medium of any suitable mechanism.
The frog operating mechanism as better illustrated in Figures 1, and 2,
comprises the plate f, which is connected with the frog member C, by bolts I, the
heads of which are designed to bear against the head of main rail A, when the
frog is in the position shown in Figure 4, the plate h, which is connected with
the frog member D, by bolts i, the heads of which are also designed to bear
against the head of rail A, when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 4,
the T-lever M, mounted opposite the frog members and preferably at the side of
the track, and the rods N, N', which are pivotally connected, to opposite ends
of the lever M, and are pivotally connected at their opposite ends to the plates,
and h, respectively. By virtue of this construction, it will be seen that when the
lever M, is rocked, the frog members C, and D, will be. moved synchronously in
opposite directions toward or from the main rail A, according to the direction in
which the lever M, is rocked.
P, indicates a rod which is connected to the branch m, of lever M, at one end
and is provided at its opposite end with an eye n; Q, indicates a plate which is
mounted preferably in an adjustable manner, as shown, upon the rod P; R, indicates
what I term a compensating lever, which has one end connected to a rod S,
designed to be connected in a suitable manner with switch operating mechanism
(not illustrated), and its opposite end connected with a rod T, which has a reduced
portion g, passed loosely through the aperture in plate Q; U, indicates a plate
mounted, preferably in an adjustable manner upon rod T; V, indicates a rod
connected to the plate U; and having an eye t, and W, indicates a coiled spring
which surrounds the rod..T, and has its opposite ends connected to the eyes n, t, of
the rods P, V, respectively. This spring W, is of such a tension as to allow the
frog members to be readily adjusted through the medium of the connecting rod T,
and also to give sufficiently to allow wheels travelling on rail A, in the direction
indicated by arrow in' Figure 1, to push the frog members away from said rail A,
as before described. By reason of the wheels engaging both members of the
frog, as just stated, they exert a firm steady pressure in two directions and thereby
obviate any tendency to twist or disturb any of the parts connected with the frog
members.
If desirable the spring W, can be locked through the medium of a light pin y,
passed through the connecting rod T, as better shown in Figure 3. This affords

page_text: all the advantages of a rigid connection with the switch operating mechanism, and
yet allows the spring W, to act in ease the frog is set for a siding when a train
passes over the main track in the direction indicated by arrow, for it will be-
observed that the engagement of the first wheel with the frog members C, D, will
break the pin y.
I have termed the lever R, before described, a compensating lever, for the reason
that it will compensate the expansion and contraction of the parts, so that the
mechanism will work freely at all times which is a desideratum.
An ordinary track guard rail is employed opposite the frog on the turnout side.
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. In combination with an unbroken main rail and portions of a broken turnout
rail arranged upon opposite sides of the main rail, a frog comprising a member
connected in a hinged manner with the end of the inner turnout rail portion and
having its free portion bent so that its end will rest away from the main rail when
it is adjusted against said rail, and a member connected in a hinged manner with
the end of the outer turnout rail portion and adapted to be adjusted against the
opposite side of the main rail with respect to the first named member, a lever M,
having an angular arm m, rods connecting the opposite ends of said lever and the
frog members, a rod T, for connection with a switch operating mechanism and having
a reduced end z, a plate adjustably fixed on said rod, a rod connected to said plate
and having an eye, a rod P, connected with the arm or branch m, of the lever M,
and having an eye, a coiled spring having its ends connected to the eyes of rods V, P,
and surrounding the rod T, a plate Q, mounted on and secured to the rod P, and
having an aperture receiving the reduced end of the rod T, and a weak device for
holding the rod T, against movement with respect to said plate Q, substantially as
specified.
2. The combination of two movable frog-members arranged on opposite sides of
a main rail and adapted to be thrown in opposite directions on and off the same, a
lever, rods connecting the opposite ends of the lever and the frog-members, a rod
for connection with a switch operating mechanism, a connection easily changed
from rigid to flexible between said rod and the lever, and a coiled spring connected
with said rod and the lever, substantially as specified.
Dated this 14th day of January 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.