US2324622A - Track switch for railroads - Google Patents

Description

July 20, 1943. R.- w. HEwEs I 2,324,622

' TRACK SWITCHFOR RAILROADS Filed Jan 2 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG 1,

INVENTOR 3.20. mow BY July 20, 1943. R. w. HEWES TRACK SWITCH FOR RAILROADS Filed-Jan. 29, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 20, 1943 General Railway Signal C rnpany,Rches ter,

OFFICE Application January 29, 1942, Serial No. 428,733 1 Claim. (01. 246.449)

- The present inventionrelates tc track switches for railroads and more particularly to anti-frictional supporting means for the movable switch points of such track switches.

When two tracks are to converge into a single track of a railway system the right-hand rail of one of the two converging tracks and the lefthand rail of the other of the two converging tracks are made continuous, whereas the; left hand rail of such one track and the right-hand rail of such other track terminate in pointed rails called switch points, These switch points are iias tened to each other and are spaced a distance apart a little less than the normal spread between rails so that movement of these points to an extent to allow the flanges of the car wheels to pass between the switch points and their respective adjacent rails is possible at one side when the switch points assume one position and is possible at the other side when the switch points assume the other position. The rails which terminate into theseswitch points are movable for a considerable distance back from their pointed ends as these points are moved from one extreme position to the other. The point at which no movement of the switch point takes place is calledthehel and constitutes a joint between it and the next rail to afford pivoted movement These switch points of course rest on tie-plates secured to the top of the ties from which it is apparent that the friction between the movable switchpoints and the tie-plates would, without the use of the present invention, be considerable. Also, it is necessary to'have these switch points rest on the tieplates when a train passes thereover and for this reason roller supporting of the switch points if used must be such that the weight of the passing train will not rest on such rollers.

In View of the foregoing and other considerations itis proposed in accordance with the present invention to connect the switch points together bya strong and rigid tie-beam and to provide a roller support near the mid-point of such beam so that during operation of the switch points from one position to the other such roller will serveas apivotal support to support both of the switch points; whereas upon movement of a trainover the switch points since the train will only ride over one. of the switch points, the particular switch point upon which the train rides willbe depressed to a position where itrests entirely upon the tierplates and ties and without materially increasing the load upon such roller 1 9 h th r swi c oi w l be new Otherobje'cts, purposes and characteristic features of the present invention will appearfrom the following specification when consideredmin the light of with the accompanyingdrawings in which? Fig. 1 illustrates a railway track switch. to

which the present invention has been shown applied.

Fig. 2 shows an enlargement plan view of the tie-beam and roller support constituting part of the present invention.

Fig.3 shows an enlarged side elevation taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 when viewed in. the direction of thearrows and with the switchlpoints assuming the opposite position;

Fig. 4shows an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, taken on the lin e4-4 of Fig. 1 as viewed in the direction of the arrows; and- Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal sectiohalwelevation taken on the line5-5 of Fig. 1 as viewed in the direction of the arrows with the switch as suming theopposite position.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings the track rails l2 and 3-4 constitute the rails of two converging tracks which converge. into the tracl: constituting track rails5 and- 6. It will be seen that the rails l5 and 4-6 are continuousand are firmly fixed to the ties l0, whereas the- track rails 2 and 3 constitute movable rails terminating in switch points. To the top of the ties i0 are fastened tie-plates l-I upon which the rails t, 2 3, 4, 5 andG rest. The switch points 2=and-3,;however, slidably rest on riser-plates. i2; (see Figs. 1 and 3)- which lie on top of the tie-plates I! and are of varying thicknesses as shown in Fig. -5. It will be seen from Fig. 3 that these riser-plates l2 serve to build up the tie-plates to a thickness permitting the switch points 2 or 3, depending on the position assumed by the switch-,itb ride-upon the flanges I and 4 of the as'seciated trackrail's I and 4, respectively, as the case may be. If de} sired asingle stepped plate may be used instead of the two plates ll-l2 shown. In order to obtain perfectly flat surfaces and to re-enforce the switch points the webs 3 and -2 of-these switch points 3 and 2, respectively, are built up by reenforcing bars 3 3 and 2 2 respectively. These re-enforcing bars extend almost the full distance from the ends of the switch pointstm ward the heels (the point where the switch points are securely fastened to the ties? thereof.

In order to firmlyhold the switch points 2 and 3 in proper substantiallyparallelandspaced rela} i an or e h raqn's ointe r mafier sw t h was at am mgether by a tie-beam or channel-ii-preferably at points approximately two-fifths of the distance from the ends of the switch points to the heels thereof. The ends of this channel l are secured to the switch points through the medium of angle brackets or switch brackets l6 which are bolted to the switch points by bolts l1 and are bolted to the channel I5 by bolts l8. These bolts l1 preferably pass through the switch bracket It, the webs 3 and 2 as well as through the re-enforcing bars 3 -3 and 2 2 associated. with the switch points 3 and 2 respectively, (see Fig. 3). This may constitute an insulated connection as conventionally illustrated by the insulation 2|.

Near the middle of the tie-beam or channel IS a U-shaped saddle 2!] is preferably secured to the adjacent ties as by lag screws l9. This channel I5 is so secured to the switch points that it will lie substantially mid-way between two adjacent railway ties l3 and I4 usually constructed of hard wood, so that the saddle 23 having the lower portion'of U-shape projects between these adjacent ties and below the top of these ties, as shown in Fig. 4., and so that this saddle may accommodate the inverted channel or tie-beam I5 (see Fig. 4) which may also project below the top ofvthese ties.

-Into the saddle 29 is preferably firmly secured, as by welding, a U-shaped roller fork 22 into which is pivotally mounted the roller 23 by a bearing pin 24. This bearing pin is held in position by a lock screw 25. In order to keep the roller 23 well lubricated the bearing pin 24 is drilled endwise and radially as shown at 2'! to afford the passage of cup grease or oil through the lubricating pipe 28. 28 is preferably provided with a grease cup or oil cup 29 which is accessible from above the ties l3 and [4 through the opening 30 contained in the saddle 20, all as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. To the inside of the inverted channel I5 is secured a re-enforcing or track bar 32 which may rest and ride upon the roller 23. In other words, instead of employing a roller operating over a track for providing an antifrictional support for the switch points the track 32 rides over a fixed but pivoted roller 23, all as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This latter construction is resorted to so that dirt will not readily collect on the track 32 with which the roller 23 makes contact. In order to make the switch points 2 and 3 properly float at a slightly higher elevation than when in contact with the riser plates I2 adjustment hasbeen provided for at the point where the switch brackets [6 are connected to the inverted channel I5. This adjustment is preferably afforded through the medium of spacing washers or shims 34, which may be inserted in number to an extent to give the proper spacing between the switch bracket [3 and the inverted channel IE to cause proper floating of the switch points 2 and 3 slightly above the riser plates 12. It has been found in practicing the present invention that the sum of the distances between the switch points 2 and 3 and their respective riser-plates should be about one fourth of an inch. The roller 23 is preferably supported at the mid-point between fixed rails l and 4 so that at all times during movement of the switch points from one extreme position to the other these switch points 2 and 3 substantially counter-balance each other and cause very little friction between these switch points and the riser plates I2 over which they are supported. The extent of balance will of course vary slightly as the positions of the switch points vary.

This lubricating pipe This balancing of one switch point against the other is desirable because in this manner it is possible to have slight up and down movement of either switch point even though the switch points as a whole are firmly non-resiliently supported near the mid-point by rigid structure including a roller. Slight up and down movement of the switch points 2 and 3, one at a time, is necessary because during the movement of a train over the track switch a tremendous additional weight will come upon one of the switch points-but not upon the other. Since the switch points, when no train is present, substantially counter-balance each other they are practically entirely supported by the roller 23. It is readily seen that the movement of a train over one of the switch points will cause it to be depressed to a point where it firmly rests upon the riser plate l2, whereas the other switch point, which is not then supporting any portion of a train, is free to rise to approximately the same extent to a position ready to again counterbalance said one switch point as soon as the train has passed beyond the switch. After the train has passed the switch points will return to their original balanced position where they are substantially entirely supported by the roller bearing.

Applicants proposed construction of anti-fric tional switch point supporting means is thus rigid in nature and in spite ofits rigid and sturdy construction enables the switch points to be moved up and down, one at a time, in a rather free and yieldable manner. This yielding is not due to any spring construction of the roller bearing itself but is due to the fact that even though the two switch points are firmly secured together by a tie-beam, which tie-beam is supported on a roller near its mid-point so that the weight of one switch point substantially counterbalances the weight of the other switch point, there is sufficient yielding to allow one point to move up while the other moves down. From this consideration it is also readily understood that during movement of the switch points from one extreme position to the other substantially the entire weight of both of the switch points rests upon the roller 23 which affords a substantially frictionless support for movement of theswitch points, but that upon the movement of the train over the switch a points, which train will always depress only one of the two switch points, enables the other switch point to rise higher as the switch point then occupied by a train is depressed against its associated riser plates, and this is accomplished without materially increasing the forces exerted upon the roller 23.

Referring to Fig. 5, which views the rails 5, 3 and I in an upwardly direction as viewed in Fig. 1, and with the switch points assuming the opposite position from that shown in Fig. 1, as is also the case in Fig. 3, it will be seen that the switch rail 3is gradually raised as observed at successive points toward the point of this switch rail "3. Were it not for the chamfering of'the switch rail as shown at 35 in Fig. 5 the pointof the switch rail 3 would extend above the main rail I.. With this chamfering extending back only a short distance this rail 3, at the point where the'crosssection of Fig. 3 is taken, does actually extend This in itself is not new switch. In applicants construction the switch rails do, howevenextend slightly higher'above the fixed rails than in switches where the present invention is not used because the roller 23 lifts both switch points slightly above their operative position so that one may counterbalance, the other, so that if a train depresses one switch point the other will be lifted.

Having thus shown and described one rather specific embodiment of applicants invention it is desired to be understood that various changes, modifications andadditions may be made to the specific construction illustrated so longas these i constituting a part of the other converging double-rail track which converging double-rail tracks converge into a departing double-rail track and all supported on said ties, said switch points lying between the two rails of said departing double-rail track and engaging the rails of said departing double-rail track one at a time; and

switch point supporting means comprising a tiebar of inverted U-shaped cross-sectional configuration securing said switch points rigidly to each other in relatively fixed spaced relation, said supporting means including means for adjustably securing said tie-bar to said switchfpoints, a rigid bracket supported by two adjacent ties at a point substantially midway between the rails of said departing double-rail track, a roller,

means rigidly fixed to said bracket for pivotally supporting said roller on said bracket and between said adjacent ties with its axis substantially at right angles to said tie-bar and with its rolling surface living within and engaging the bottom of the U of said tie-bar for supporting said tiebar for rolling endwise movement at a fixed distance" above the bottom of said ties and in turn supporting said switch points for sidewise movement,

' whereby said switch points are adjustably sup,-

ported substantially Wholly by said roller and whereby said inverted U-shaped tie-bar also constitutes a shelter for said roller. 7

RALPH Q HEWES.

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