US1199649A - Operating means for railway-switches and the like. - Google Patents

Description

7A.]. ALLARD.

OPERATING MEANS FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED APR.B,1916.

1 1 99,649 Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

I J g \O) ANDREW J. ALLARD, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

OPERATING MEANS FOR RAILWAY-SWITCHES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed April 8, 1916. Serial No. 89,965.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. ALLARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Opcrating Means for Railway-Switches and the like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

This invention relates to improvements in operating means for railway switches and the like, and more particularly to the depressible track bar construction,my present invention being applicable for use with switch mechanism such as disclosed in application for patent filed by me on the second day of November 1915, and designated by Serial No. 59,290.

The object of my present invention is to simplify and improve the depressible track bar so that it shall not be weakened by perforations and to so mount the same as to insure its retention in place and prevent injury from lateral or other strains.

WVith this and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional View on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the track bar.

1 represents the main track of a railroad; 2 the siding, and 3, 3, the switch rails. The switch rails are connected with a switch stand mechanism at such as disclosed in my former application hereinbefore identified, and said mechanism is connected with a depressible track bar 5 by means of devices which may be such as disclosed in my said prior application, but which will be hereinafter described in connection with my improved track bar construction.

The track bar 5 consists of a straight bar of metal, the upper face of which may be slightly curved or beveled at its respective ends, as indicated at 6,said bar being provided at its respective ends with depending lugs 7. Each of the lugs 7 may ha e a thickness equal approximately to one-half the transverse thickness 'of the bar, and each lug is made with a hole 8 which is slightly elongated.

The track bar 5 is placed in such proximity to the track rail 2 that it will be in position to be depressed by the wheels of a train passing over the same and in order that the track bar shall be properly guided in its vertical movements and prevented from lateral displacement, a guard rail 9 is located in close proximity to the inner side of said track-bar,the latter being thus disposed between a track rail and a guard rail. In order that the accuracy of the vertical movements of the track bar shall be insured and all danger of engagement of the same under the head of the track rail shall be avoided, I secure filler plates 1011 to the inner faces of thewebs of the track and guard rails, the exposed faces of said filler plates lying flush with the inner edges of the heads of the track and guard rails.

To guard against possible longitudinal displacement of the track bar which might tend to strain the lever connections with said bar, blocks 1213 are located between the track and guard rails at respective ends of thetrack bar and secured in place by means of bolts 14:.

The devices hereinbefore referred to, which may constitute the connections between the switch mechanism and the track bar, whereby the switch may be controlled by the operation of said track bar and whereby said track bar is maintained yieldingly in normal position, will now be explained.

A bell-crank lever 15 is pivotally sup ported at the juncture of its two arms 1617, and the arm 16 is adapted to cooperate with the switch stand mechanism as explained in my previous application. The arm 17 of the bell-crank lever 15 is pivotally connected with one end of a rod 18 mounted to slide through a fixed yoke bracket 19. A spring 20 encircles the rod 18 (within the yoke bracket 19) and bears at one end against a collar 21 onsaid rod,the other end of said spring having a bearing at one end of the bracket. The rod 18 is threaded, as at 22, for the reception of a nut 23 which bears against a sleeve 24 projecting from the yoke bracket 19 and through which the rod passes freely. By adjusting the nut 2&011

the rodv 19, the tension ofthe spring 20 as well as the throw of the bell crank 15' may crank is pivotally connected with the rod-W 18. The other end of the bellcrank 25 is connected, by means of a rod 27, with one arm of a bell-crank 28 and the other arm of the latterenters the hole 7 of the lug 8,at one end of the track bar 5. One arm of a bell-crank29 enters the hole 7 of the lug 8 depending from the other end of the track bar 5. The other arm of the bell-crank 29 is connected with one arm of a bell-crank 30 and the other arm of the latter is connected by meansof a rod 31 with the same arm of the bell-crank 25 as that to which the rod 18 is connected.

From the construction and arrangement of parts above described, it will be seen that the track bar will be held up in its normal position by the action of the spring 20 in the power transmitting devices between the track bar and switch stand mechanism.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is p 1. The combination with a track rail and a guard rail, of a depressible track bar disposed between and guided by said track and guard rails, transmitting mechanism connected with said track bar, and a spring connected withsaid transmitting mechanism and operating normally to sustain the track bar in its normal raised position.

2. The combination with a track rail and a guard rail adjacent thereto, of a depressible track bar confined between said track and guardrails, filler plates secured tothe I the depending lugs of the track bar, and a spring connected with said transmitting mechanism and operating normally to maintain it in its operative raised position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two sub-- scribing witnesses.

ANDREWV J. ALLARD \Vitnesses:

I. B. BLACKBURN, WM. P. REDD.

copisof this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. c.

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