US367842A - potter - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

R. POTTER & H. MGDOUGALL.

SWITCH FOB. SUSPENDED RAILWAYS. No. 367,842. Patented Aug. 9, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROGER POTTER AND HENRY MODOUGALL, OF N EXV YORK, N. Y.

f SWITCH FOR SUSPENDED RA l L WAY S SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,842, dated August 9, 1887.

Application filed April 4, 1887. Serial No. 233,680. (No model.)

To 60% whom it may concern: I

Be it known that we, ROGER POTTER and HENRY MoDoUGALL, both citizens of the United States of America, and residents of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switches for Suspended Railways, of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to an improvement in switches for suspended railways, such as are used for carrying and transferring meat or other weights; and it consists in the construction and combination, with the suspended main rail and its chair or hanger, of a dropping and vertical diagonal jointed switch rail for switching from the main rail, by which means a very simple and more solid and less expensive switch is obtained than with those heretofore used.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 represents a sideview of a portion of a suspended railway with several switches from a main to branch railways constructed according to our invention.

connecting with themain railway. The chairs or'hangers are shown bisected. Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the railway chairs or hangers. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the pivoted switch-rail joint.

A represents a main rail, and B B are branch rails, which connect with the main rail by means of the switch-rails O, and the meat car'- rier or car D is fitted to travel upon said rails, and may beswitched to'either of them. The rails are suspended on the ceiling of the room or building by means of railway chairs or hangers E, secured to the ceiling. At the junction of the main railway with one or more branch railways each railway is provided with a switch-rail, G, of which the proper rail for passing the meat-carrier is dropped to connect with the main, and those not engaged may be raised by hand and held up out of the way by spring-hooks H, hereinafter referred to, to pass by themeat-carrier. The main rail end F at such junction is supported and attached to the side of a hanger, E, and the switchrails meet the main with adiagonal joint, the pointed ends of the switch-rails being fitted to join the main between the side of Fig. 2 is a top View of the same, showing the several branch railways the hanger and the point at the end of the main rail. The opposite ends of the switchrails are each pivoted to its respective rail and meet with a vertical diagonal j oint,through which the pivot Gr passes at right angles to said joint, and said pivot is riveted in a counter-bore made in each opposite end of the joining-rails, so that the switch-rail can be readily turned on the pivot to raise its loose end from itsjunction with the main rail; but when dropped to connect with said main rail the switch-rail in such position presents an even surface over its junctions with the main rail, as Well as over its pivoted joint, to avoid all obstructions against the smooth travel of the meat-carrier, which'object is mainly gained by the employment'of the diagonal joints of the switch-rail. The end of the rail close to the pivoted end of the switch-rail is secured to a hanger applied thereto. For holding the switchrails up out of the way'which are not engaged, we employ the spring J, which is secured on the fixed rail or hanger near the pivot-junction of the switch-rail, and said spring has a hooked end, so that its hook H passes under the switch-rail as-soon as said rail is raised properly. By this means said rail is held up out of the way for the carrier to pass.

Whichever branch rail is desired to be used, the respective switclrrail is readily dropped in its seat to connect with the main rail by disengaging its spring-hook H. The switchrail not used is held up out of the way by the spring-hook H.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a suspended railway, the combination, with the supporting-hangers and the main and branch rails, of thedropping switch-rails 0, adapted to connect the main rail with the side rails, and suitable spring-hooks for holding the switch-rails out of engagement with the main rail when not in use, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, in a suspended railway, of a pivoted switch-rail connected with its main-track rail by a vertical diagonal joint and pivot at right angles to said joint, all substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the main rails A and the branch rails B and their supporiingour invention we have signed our names, in I0 hangers, of the switch-rails O, united to their I presence of two witnesses, this 31st day of Aurespect-ive rails by diagonal Vertical joints and gust, 188G.

rivets G, and the spring-l1ooks 1H, for holding the switch-rails out of engagement with the main-track rail, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially in the manner and for Vitnesses:

the purpose set forth. I JOHN DILLON, In testimony that we claim the foregoing as D. II. LANE.

ROG ER POTTER. HENRY MCDOUGALL.

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