Improvements in Switches for Railways.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept.. 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Switches for Railways.
A communication from abroad by Louis DUNN, of Minneapolis, in the County of
Hennepin and State of Minnesota, United States of America, Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S. M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to he particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of the invention is to provide a safety switch for railway tracks by
means of which the derailment of trains running in either direction upon the main
track is rendered impossible, whatever position the switch may be in, whether set to
the main track, to the switch track, or between the two.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification
Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a main track and side track fitted with the
improved switch, the switch being set for the main track.
Figure 2 is a similar view with the switch set for the side track.
Figures 3 and are details.
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2, with the switch set part way between
the main and side tracks and not connecting with either.
Figures 6 and 7 are details.
In the drawings:—
1 represents the rails of the main track, 3 the rails of the side track, and 5 the
switch or throw rails.
Fastened to and moving with the switch rails 5, are the branch or stub rails 9
and 11. These stub rails are arranged on the side of the switch rails that is furthest
from the side track. The ends of the stub rails are located at a short distance from
the ends of the switch rails, the space between the ends of the stub rails and the
ends of the switch rails being equal to the space between the ends of the rail 1 of the
main track and the ends of the rails 3 of the side track, so that when the switch rails
are set to connect with the rails 3 of the side track, the stub rails will connect with
the rails of the main track, as shown in Figure 2. The other ends of the stub rails
approach the switch rails, the end of the rail 9, which is upon the outside of the
switch rail, being against the rail 5, and the end of the rail 11 being a short distance
from the inside of the other rail 5, so as to permit the flange of a wheel to pass
between the end of the rail 11 and the inner side of the switch rail. Filling
pieces 24, preferably formed of hard wood or other suitable material, are arranged in
the triangular spaces between the rails 11 and 5, and 9 and 5. These filling pieces
extend, preferably, a part of the distance from the base to the top of the rails, but
leaving a sufficient portion of the rails projecting above the filling pieces to prevent
the wheels from running over the tops of the rails.
If preferred, one or more diagonal grooves 15 may be arranged in the top of the
rail 5, to which the outside stub rail 9 is connected. It is also preferable to provide a
guard piece 19, which is secured to the inner side of the rail 5 at a point opposite
the junction of the rail 11 with the other rail 5. This guard piece preferably tapers
toward each end, as shown particularly in Figure 6, and serves the purpose of
crowding the trucks toward the opposite rail, so as to insure the passage of the flange
of the wheels between the end of the rail 11 and the rail 5 when a train is passing
over the track in the direction of the arrow b.
It is also preferred to place the fixed guard rail 30 inside and adjacent to the point
of the rail 11, against which the point will lie when the switch is set to the main line,

page_text: and from which it will be soparated, when the switch is set to the side track, a
sufficient distance to allow the flange of the wheel to pass between. The
purpose of
this is to provide a farther safeguard against the derailing of a car running in the
direction indicated by the arrow & when the switch is set to the main line, if the right
hand wheels should, from any unevenness of track or other cause, be led into the
groove 15 and tend to follow the rail 9, thus assisting the action of the guard 19, and
- it will also steady the flange of a wheel passing in the opposite direction through the
groove 15 nearest the junction of the rails 5 and 9. In such a case, the flange of the
opposite wheel would strike against the guard rail, which thus would hold the wheel
upon the rail 3.
The device already described prevents derailment of a train passing on the main
track in the direction of arrow c, even though the switch does not connect with the
main line, but is set to the side track, as shown in Figure 2, or between the side track
and the main track, as shown in Figure 5. If the switch is set to connect with the side
track, as shown in Figure 2, and a train passes over the main line in the direction of
arrow c, the wheels will pass on to the rails 9 and 11, the wheels that pass on to the
rail 11 will be guided on to a switch rail at the junction of rail 11 with that rail, and
the wheels that pass on to the rail 9 will pass over the top of the other switch rail at the
point of junction between the two, passing through the groove 15, where that groove
is used.
Where the switch is set as shown in Figure 5, so that it does not connect with
either the side track or the main track, if a train passes over the main track in the
direction of arrow c, the wheels will pass into the triangular spaces between the rails 9
and 11, and the switch rails and on to the filling 24, that is arranged in those spaces.
The rail 11 then serves as a guard rail, and the wheels will pass along in these
triangular spaces until the wheels on one side pass over the top of the switch rail in
one of the grooves 15, where such grooves are used. The wheels will thus be directed
on to the switch rails 5, and derailment of trains passing in this direction will be
prevented.
In connection with the rails 1 of the main track, stub rails 25 and 27 are also
provided. The rail 25 extends from the outer side of the rail of the side track, that-
is between the two rails of the main track, to within a short distance of the inside of
one of the rails of the inain track, a space being left for the passage of a wheel-flange
between the end of rail 25 and the inside of rail 1.
The rail 27 is arranged with a space between its points and the inside of the other
rail of the side track, and extends to the outside of the other rail of the main track,
against which it fits. A groove 28 is preferably formed in the top of the rail 1 at
the junction of the rail 27. The triangular spaces between the rails 27 and 25 and
the rails 1 are preferably provided with hard wood fillings 26 and 29, which extend to
within a short distance of the top of the rails.
If the switch is partially thrown, so that the switch rails do not connect with either
the side track or the main track, the wheels of a train passing in the direction of
arrow b will pass into the triangular spaces between the rails 25 and 27 and 1, and
on to the fillings 26 and 29. The wheels which were in the space between the
rails 27 and the rail 1 of the main track will be directed back on to the rail 1, passing
over the top of that rail through the groove 28, where such groove is used. The
wheels at the other side of the cars will be guided by the rail 25 on to the other rail
of the main track.
It will thus be seen that it is impossible for a train running in either direction
upon the main track to be derailed.
It is preferable to cut away a portion of the ball of the rail 11 on the side toward
the rail 5, as shown in Figure 5, so as to increase the space between the ends of the
rails 5 and 11, and thereby to insure catching the wheels between the rails 11 and 5,
even though the switch rails have been moved very little and almost connect with the
rails of the side track. It is also preferable to cut away the inner side of the end of
the inner rail of the side track, and thereby to bring the end of the rail nearly to a
point, so as to insure a passage of wheels moving in the direction of arrow b,

page_text: If
Figure 5, either on to the side track or into the space between the rails 25 and 1.
this rail is not cut away, and the switch is moved not more than the width of the top
of the rails from full connection with the side track, and a train passes in the
direction of arrow b, the flange of the wheel might strike directly against the end of
the rail of the side track and be derailed.
It will be obvious that the invention is applicable to a three-way switch, and that by
duplicating tho safety rails on the switch, a guard may be formed for the side track,
so as to prevent derailment of trains running from the sido track.
The invention may also be applied where two main tracks come together on to a
single track.
It is also preferable to provide a series of spikes which will prevent the switch rails
from being thrown too far in either direction.
Where blind drive wheels are used on the locomotive, to prevent the possibility of
one of them becoming wedged between the rails when directed upon the filling 26, a
narrow double pointed strip 31 is provided, arranged upon the filling midway between
the rails, to serve as a false flange for the wheel and to carry it upon the ball of the
rail.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with the rails of the main and side tracks and the switch rails,
of the stationary rails 25 and 27, arranged between the rails of the side and main
tracks, and extending from the rails of the. side track toward the rails of the main
track, and adapted to guide on to the main track a train passing into the space
between the main and side tracks, substantially as described.
2. The combination, with the movable switch-rails, of the rails 3 and 1, with either
of which said switch is adapted to connect, of the rail 25 extending from the outer
side of one of the rails 3 to the inner side of the corresponding rail 1, and the rail 27,
extending from the inner side of the other rail 3 to the outer side of the other rail 1,
substantially as described.
3. The combination, with the rails 3 and 1, one of the said rails 1 being provided
with the groove 28, of the rail 25 aud 27, extending from said rails 3 to said rails 1,
as described, and the switch adapted to connect with either said rails 3 or 1, sub-
stantially as described.
4. The combination, with the switch rails 5, provided with the branch rails 9
and 11, of the rails 3 and 1, and the branch rails 25 and 27, extending from said
rails 3 to said rails 1, all substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of September 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.