US479027A - Railroad-crossing - Google Patents

Description

. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. SMITH.

RAILROAD cnossme.

"Patented July 19,1892.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. SMITH.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

No. 479,027. Patented July 19, 1892.

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PATENT Erica.

THOMAS SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-CROSSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 479,027, dated July 19, 1892.

Application filed September 18, 1891- Serial No. 406,061. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS SMITH, a citizen of the United States. residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and.

useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad-crossings, and has for its objects the provision of a crossing for railroads which will be simple in its construction, easy of operation, and which will permit trainsto pass thereover safely at a high speed without jarring. This object I accomplish by the use of the mechanism illustrated in the annexed drawings; and the invention consists in certain novel features of the same, which will be hereinafter first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings referred to, Figure l is a plan view of my improved crossing set for the main track. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing it set for the intersecting track, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line a: 00 of Fig. 1.

For convenience of description I will refer to the track as the main track which I have marked A on the drawings and the track which I have marked 13, I will refer to as the cross or intersecting track. The main and cross tracks are constructed in'the usual manner, and the ends of the rails are brought closely together, so as to present an unbroken surface over which the car-wheels may pass.

The ends of the rails of the tracks are supported on bed-plates 1, which are secured on the ties at the corners of the crossing and also serve to support the ends of the inner rail-sections 2 and the corners of the guardrails 3. The inner-rail sections 2 are arranged in alignment with their respective tracks and have their ends beveled, as shown at 4, for a purpose which will be hereinafter set forth. The guard-rails form an unbroken parallelogram having its corners secured on the bedplates 1 audits sides connected with the inner rail-sections by the check plates 5, which maintain it at the proper distance from the rail-sections.

At each corner of the crossingI providea pair of angular movable rail-sections 6, which are adapted to slide on the bed-plates 1 to and away from the track-rails, and thereby presen t a continuous rail or track on one road and simultaneously break and close the track on the other road. The end of one arm of each of these movable rail-sections is beveled, so as to engage the beveled end of the inner fixed rail-section and be thereby guided into its proper position when the crossing is operated. The end of the other arm of each one is turned slightly outward, as shown at '7, so that the said section will serve as a guard-rail. The members of each pair of movable rail-sections move in opposite directions, so that when one of said sections is moved into position to form a part of its track its mate will be moved against the guard-rail, so as to close, theintersecting track, and thereby prevent travel thereover, as well as to form a continuous guard-rail for the track which has been opened.

The movable rail-sections that are moved in the same direction are connected by rods 8, which have their ends secured to the bases or flanges of the said sections and extend diagonally across the crossing, one of said rods being extended beyond the crossing and connected toatargetand signal to permit a switchmantooperatethecrossingand properly-signal the state of the crossingto approaching trains. At the center of the crossingI provide a plate 9, on which I secure a pivot bolt or pin 10, upon the upper end of which I pivot: the links 11, which have their ends pivoted to the rods 8, thus connecting the said rods, so that the rods which are parallel will move in opposite directions. At one side of the center of the crossingand thepivot-boltlO I provide apivotbolt 12, on the upper end of which I mount an angle-lever 13, the ends of which are pivoted to the adjacent rods 8, as shown. These rods are thus connected so that the operation of the target (not shown) will operate all the rods simultaneously.

The operation of the switch is thought to be apparentfrom the foregoing description,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. As shown in Fig. 1 the crossing is arranged to permittrains to travelover the main track A and to prevent travel over the crosstrack. It will be observed that the movable rail-sections lying between the rails of the cross-track are abutting against the said rails and that their inner arms form a part of the main track, while the movable rail-sections lying between the rails of the main track have been moved up against the inner guard-rail and form extensions or oontinuations of the same. If it be desired to permit the passage of a train over the cross-track, the target is operated so as to draw the rod 8 to which it is attached outward. The movable rail-sections to which the said rod is attached will be thus moved away from the guard-rail and against the track-rails, while the parallel rod will be set in motion by the connecting-link 11 to move the corresponding movable rail-sections away from the track-rails and against the guard-rail, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 2. At the same time the angle-lever will impart motion to the other pair of parallel rods and the movable rail-sections at the remaining corners of the crossing will be adjusted.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that I have provided a railroad-crossing which is very simple in its construction and which will be easily operated to permit the passage of trains on one track, while preventing travel on the intersecting track. Inasmuch as the movable rail-sections are connected through intermediate devices and are operated sinnlltaneously, it is impossible for both tracks to be left open at once. Consequently all danger of collisions is overcome. Furthermore, as the movable rail-sections are moved close against the guard-rail and the track-rails a continuous unbroken track and guard rail is provided along the track that is open, and trains can therefore pass over the crossing at a high rate of speed w thout any liabilityof jumping the track and without any jarring.

The operating mechanism is very simple 1n its construction,and is consequently not liable to get out of order, and is positive in its action, so that there can be no misapprehension of the state of the crossing at any time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the track-rails, the guard-rail, the fixed rail-sections, and the movable rail-sections adapted to move from the guard-rail to the track-rails between the track-rails and the fixed rail'sections.

2. In a railroad-crossingof the character described, the movable rail-sections having one end turned slightly outward, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

The combination of the movable rail-sections, the rods connecting the same in pairs, links connecting the rods in pairs, an anglelevcr connecting the pairs of rods, and means for operating the said lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS SMITH.

Witnesses:

' EDW. II'AUGH,

WALTER W. CALMORE.

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