US69496A - Daniel simmons - Google Patents

Description

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, Lettere Patent N. SSAQG, de

IMPltVB'D RMLWAY S'WITH.

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Be it known that I, DANIEL SIMMO'S, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Automatic Railroad Switches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a portieri oi'- this specification, in which- Figure l isa partiel vertical longitudinal section o" a railroad switch and a locomotive, constructed according to or furnishedA with my invention. i

Figure 2 fr horizontal section of the same..

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both gures.

This Ainvention consists in a novel arrangement of parts, whereby the operating-bars, after having acted npon'the heed of one `of the levers between the rails, to turn the switch in on'e direction or the other, as the case may be, are automatically lifted upout of the way, so as not to be interfered with by the vhead of the other lever when passing over the same.

The invention further consists in a novel means ot' locking the switch-rails in position, whereby any displacement of the switch is eiicctually guarded against.

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the dra-wings.

A. indicates the rails of the main track, and B those of the turn--out or side track, while the switch-rails ore shown nt C, one end, va', of' each of theilatter working in the chair in such manner as to allow the requisite lateral movement of the said switch-rails in the operation of the switch, and the free endsA of the said switchrails being connected by a transverse bar, a*. D' indicates two horizontal lerers, which are situated between the rails A, nearly or quite in line with each other, and with their innermost ends connected by a vertical pin, d', each of the said levers being pivoted at or near its centre to one of the ties E, which support the rails, by means of a vertical pivot, C. Formed upon the outer end of each lever D is a head, A*, the extremity of which is moderately sharp or pointed, as shown at a, in tlg. 2, and the side or lateral edges of which are inclined or situated at an angle to each other, es shownat ab in the eforesaid iig. Projecting laterally from cach side of the rearmost part of each of these heads A* is a strong pin, 5*. The innermost end of one of the levers D is connected with the switclnrails C by means of two rods c, the slots e formed in the inner ends of the said rods, and through which the lever D is passed, being made obiong'rin order to allow a limited lateral movement of the lever within the slots, the purpose of which will hereinafter appc'arf Pivoted Vto the linner side of cach of the` switchqaiis, und situated in a position transverse thereto, is a pawl, l d, the innermost end of which .is connected with the. seme icrer D with which the sw1tcli-rails are connected, as just set forth, by means of rods d. Formed in the npperside of a transverse sleeper, F, ere two notches ef, which are so situated that when the switch-raiis C nrein line with the rails A of the mein traclr, one or" the pawls, t?, will catch into the notch e, and thun prevent the switch-rails from being moved inward, except through the agency of the levers D, es will presently be criplfained, while, when the switcl1rails nrc in line with the rails B of the side 'rock or turn-ont, the other peril will hold in the other notch f, and in like manner prevent the switch-rails from moving inward uway from the said side trnch, zany outward movement of the switch-rails in either position being prevented by* iixed studs or shoulders j, secured to the tie E, situated at vthe free ends of the switch-rails, as shown more plainly in hg. 3. The shitting oi" the switch is produced by the lntsrol movement oi" the outer end of either of the leve Thus the outer end of either lever being moved in one direction, lthe innermost end thereof is, of course, moved in the opposite direction, und drawing iirst open enc o? the rods CZ', lifts' the lockingpewl iconA ,Scted therewith clear from the :notch c orf, as the ease may he, and then drawing upon the rod c turns or shifts the sw,itohroils to the desiredposition, the length or" the slots e, hereinheforo described, enabling the lever to act first upon the par-fl to disengage smne before shifting the switch. Situated. underneath the reni' part of the eax` or locomotive nre two longitudine here. G, which orepiaced at distance apart equal to the width of one-of the heads At, end the inner of which. nre made convex, as shown iig: 52. v Each of these bers G is attached to the lower extremities of' two stems it, which entendupward in suitable bearings provided in the framework of the locomotive, and are noted upon spiral springs t', which operate to bring the bars G upward tothe bottoni or" the locomotive, ashereinoiter more fully explained. l represents two upright bars, of which there is one to each ofthe operating bars G, just hereinbeforedescribed, thellowermcst end of each of the said upright hars I having shoulders m formed upon it, which rest upon the upper side of the contiguous horizontal operating bar G, and being provided with an extension on downwardly projecting portion m', which extends down through a. longi 'tudinal slot formed in the aforesaid bar G, as shown more plainly in fig. 1. The upper end or portion of each of the said upright bars I is formed with a notch in its front and rear side, as shown at u, and extends upwards through a slot, 71,', formed in the platform J, in such manner that when the bar I is pushed downward, one or the `otherof the notches u, according as the locomotive is running with one end or the other foremost, being caughtor fitted upon the shoulder formed at the end of the slot n', prevents the said bar from rising, and consequently retains the horizontal operating bar G attached thereto in a lowered or depressed position, as indicated in fig.

I. Situated transversely at'or about the longitudinal centres of the two upright bars I, one in front and the other in Vrear of the said bars I, are two fixed rods 1', which constitute a fuleruui, upon which the hars I are tilted in the operation of the apparatus, as will presently be fully explained.

As the locomotive approaches the switch one or the other of the upright bars I, according to the direction in which it is desired to turn er shift the switch, is pushed downward until the notch n thereof, catching upon the shoulder formed at the end of the slot n', through which thc said bar is passed, retains the operating bar G con nected therewith in a lowered or depressed position, as hereinbefore described, whereupon the advancing movement of the locomotive brings the end of the operating bar G, thus lowered, in contact with one ofthe inclined sides of the head A* of the lever D over which the locomotive first passes, and acting upon the said side of the head, turns the lever laterally and operates or shifts the switch, as hereinbefore explained, which heilig done the projection m of the upright har strikes theld-bterally projecting pin b* situated upon the aforesaid side ofthe head A, which tilts the bar I upon the fulcruin formed by the transverse rods r, and consequently brings the notch n away from the shoulder formed at the end of lthe slot n', whereupon the springs i force the operating bar G upward against the under side of the frame of the locomotive, so that it will not be interfered with by the other or opposite lever D when passing over the same. Inasinuch as the inner ends of the levers D are pivoted together, the switch may be operated with equal facility by the action of the .operating bars G upon the head A* of either of the said levers, so that the switch may be automatically shifted by the locomotive when advancing in either direction.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The horizontal operating bars G, upright bars z', stems h, and springs I, arranged to operate in relation with each other and with the platform J, fulcrum r, and the laterally project-ing pins er studs b* of the lever heads Af, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

l 2. The combination of the locking pawlsl and rods d, with the switch-rails C and' levers D, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

' DANIEL SIMMONS.

Witnesses:

J. W. Cocinas, G. W. REED.

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