US1724442A - Railway-switch-actuating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 13, 1929. E. G. WESSON 1,724,442

RAILWAY SWITCH ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed April 24, 1928 44 Mass on,

' TM} invention relates to railway switch Patented Aug. 13, was.

' barren stares 1,724,442- .Persrir oErica EUGENE G. wnssoN, or LrNcoLN, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO THE uNroN swiren &

SIGNAL COMPANY, or swrssvnrn, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENN- SYLVANIA.

' RAILWAY-SWITCH-ACTUATING Nnci-rANrsia.

Application filed April 24, 1928. Serial imzvasso.

actuating mechanisms, and has for an object the provision of means for'actuating a railway switch by two separate and distinct devices, such, for example, as by a lever of an interlocking machine and by a hand-actuated ground lever. V, a I will describe one form of mechanism embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the'accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing one form of switch actuating system to. which the mechanism embodying my invention may be applied. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism B shown in Fig. 1, with the cover re moved, which mechanism embodies my invention. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the mechanism shown in Fig. .1.

Similar reference characters refer to lar parts in each of the several views.

My invention constitutes an improvement on the mechanism shown in an application for Letters Patent of the United States'by Edwin G. Little, Serial No. 202,273, filed June29, 1927. In some instances mechanisms, of the type shown inthe said Little simiapplication have been operated and controlled by the levers of a mechanical interlocking machine in such manner that one lever is mechanically connected with the bar 5 and another lever is mechanically connected with the shifter plate 11, so thatnormally the switch is actuated by the first interlocking machinelever, but the switch maybe operably connected with the hand lever 1 byreversing the second machine lever. When the mechanism is used'in this manner, I'have found that after the shifter plate has been reversed to connect the switch with thehand lever 1, the compression which normally exists in the pipe line connecting theibar. 5 with the first machine lever may throw this barout of alignment with the shifting block 9, so that the mechanism cannot be restored to normal position by restoration ofthe second machine lever to its normal. position be cause block 9 will not enter the recess in bar 5. One feature of my invention is the pro vision of means for locking the bar 5 in its normal position when the selecting apparatus is operated to place the mechanism in condition for operation of the switch by the hand lever 1. I

Referring now to the drawing, the reference character B designates .a mechanism comprising a suitable box or casing 45,-Which is provided with guides to accommodate three parallel longitudinally movable bars 3, 4 and 5. The bar 4 isoperatively 'con nected with a railway switch A, andthe bar 5 is operatively connected. by a pipe line 48 wlth a switch actuating lever L of an interlocking machine. The bar 3 is operatively connected with a'manually operable ground lever 1 through the mediumofa miter gear 23, a second miter gear 24, and an arm 26 which is pivotally'connected with the bar 3.

Located within theImechanism case 47 is'a shifter plate 11 mounted tojslide, longitudi nally ina directionperpendicular to the direction of movement of the bars 3, 4, and 5. The right-hand end of'thisshifter plate is provided with a slot to receive two blocks 9 and l'Ofwhich coact with recesses cut. in the under sides of the bars 3, 4 and 5. When the shifter plate is'in its left-hand position,

in which it is shown in the drawing, block 10 cooperates with bars 4 and 5 .to connect these bars/for simultaneous movement. It follows that under this condition sWitchA can be 7 actuated by the interlocking machine lever L When the shifter plate llis moved toiits right-handposition, the block. 10re responding parts in the application of E. G. Little, referredto hereinbefore, and consequently, detailed explanation of the struc- 'ture and operation of these parts is not essentialin the present case. v In the present disclosure the shifter plate 11 is actuated by a fourth bar 41, which is mountedto slide longitudinally in suitable guidesformed at: the left-hand end of. the

casing 45; .This ,bar .41 carries a cam 43 coacting with two blocks 42 and 44 attached to the shifter plate 11, the co-action being such that longitudinal movement of the bar Y notches 37 and 37.

41 causes operation of the shifter plate to its right and left-hand positions. With the parts in the positions in which they are illustrated in the drawing, the shifter plate is in its left-hand position. When the bar 41 is pushed inwardly, cam 43 coacts with block 42. to move the shifter plate to the right, and when the bar 41 is again returned to its illustrated position, cam 43 coacts with block 44 to move the shifter plate to the left. The bar 41 is connected by a pipe line 49 with the selector lever L in the interlocking machine.

The shifter plate 11 actuates a circuit controller C through the medium of aslotted yoke 33, a crank 32, a shaft 31, and a pair of.

miter gears34 and 35. Thecircuit controller and the apparatus for operating it, have nothing to do, however, with my present in. vention;

Located in the right-hand end of the mechanism case 45 is' a plate 37 having two The notch 37 is in such position as to receive the block 10 when this block is'shifted to the right to disconnect bar 5 from bar 4. When the block 10 is in its right-hand position, it occupies the notch 37 and also the recess in the underside of bar 5, so that bar 5 is locked in its proper position, with the result that when the shifter plate is restored to its left-hand position, block 10 will enter the recess in .the underside of bar 4. The parts are so adjusted that during right-hand movement of the shifter plate 11, the block 10 enters the notch 37 before it leaves the recess inbar 4. It will be seen, therefore, that after the selector lever L has been reversed to place the mechanism in condition for ground lever operation of the switch, the bar 5 is located in its normal position in spite of the tendency of the compression in pipe 48 to throw this bar out of its normal position.

The notch 37 in the plate 37 is merely for use when the relative. positions of the switch and the mechanism shown in Fig.

'1 are reversed.

The plate 37 may be mounted in the case 45 in any suitable manner. As here shown,

this plate is provided with slotted holes to receive bolts 38 by which the plate is attached to the bottom of the casing, and the 1. Railway switch actuating mechanism comprising two separate and distinct devices for actuating the switch, apparatus for selectively connecting the switch with one or the other of said devices, and means for locking one of said actuating devices while the other actuating device is connected with the switch.

2. Railway switch actuating mechanism comprising two separate and distinct devices for actuating the switch, a bar operatively connected with the switch, a second bar operatively connected with the first actuating device, a third bar operatively connected with the second actuating device, means for selectively connecting said first bar with said second bar or said third bar, and a device associated with said selectingmeans for locking the second bar while said third bar is connected with said first bar.

3. Railway switch actuatingv mechanism comprising a casing containing three parallel longitudinally slidable bars, the first of which is operatively connected with the switch, the second of which is operatively connected with one actuating device and the third of which is operatively connected with a second actuating device, saidbars having registering notches, a shifter plate slidable transversely with respect to said bars, a pair ofv blocks slidably mounted in said shifter plate and coacting with the notches in said bars, a notched locking plate fixed in said casing, and means for moving said shifter plate to one position wherein the first block operatively connects the first and second bars, and to another position wherein the second block operatively connects the first and third bars and, the. first block coacts with both the notch in. the first bar and the notch in said locking plate.

4. Railway switch actuating mechanism comprising a bar'op'eratively connected with the switch, a second bar mechanically connected with an actuating lever of an interlocking machine, a third bar operatively connected with a ground lever, means including a selector lever of said interlocking machine for selectively connecting said first bar with said second bar or with said third bar, and a device associated with said last mentioned means for locking said second bar while the third bar is connected with the first bar. v

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

I EUGENE G. WESSON.

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