US1854022A - Tongue switch - Google Patents

Description

l. K. DIXON April 12, A 1932.

TONGUE SWITCH Filed Sept. 16, 1931 l lNvEN'ro /QHEL/AXO/w BY H IS ATTORN EYS Patented Apr. 12;, 1932 UNITED STATES ISRAEL K. DIXON, OF JOHNSTOWN, 'PENNSYLVANIA TONG'UE SWITCH Application filed September 16, 1931. Serial No. 563,167.

This invention relates to railway switches and more particularly to railway switches of the movable tongue type wherein means are provided to yieldingly retain the free end of the tongue in contact with the rail portion of a supporting base.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved type of means to yieldingly retain the end of the switch tongue in contact with the rail portion of the sup porting base.

Another object is to provide an improved means to protect the heel of the movable tongue switch from car wheels passing there- Another object of the present invention `is to provide an improved railway switch structure of the movable tongue type.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the invention is more fully disclosed.

In accordance with the objects of this invention, I have devised an improved railway switch of the movable tongue types in which a novel type of switch tongue end retaining means and switch tongue heel protecting means is employed all as is more fully disclosed in the accompanying drawings; wherein- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a movable tongue switch incorporating the improve* ments of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same partly broken away through the switch heel;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through plane 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional vview through plane 4-4, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through plane 5 5, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the railway tongue switch of Fig. 1 comprises a switch base 1 carrying two converging rails 2 andl 3 and a movable tongue 4 adapted to be positioned so as to divert railway car wheels 5 to either rail (2 or 3) in a manner heretofore practiced. Means 5 is provided to yieldingly retain the free end of Vthe movable tongue in a predetermined fixed operating position; and means 6 is provided todivert or to carry railway car wheels 5 over' the switch tongue heel without ycontacting therewith. "i Means 7 to pivotally retain" the `movable 1 tongue f4* in position in the switch' base -is .also provided.

i The yieldingly retaining f means '-5 ofg'the "555 present invention is illustrated'in 'enlarged 'detail in Fig. 4 and comprises essentiallyra pivoted lever 'arm 8 adapted to be-'engaged at one end by spring tension means@ 13 joperatingltofbring'theother -endlther'eo'f into en- 500 gagement 'withV the switch tongue end'insuch manner as toeyieldinglyretain the tongue end'vin a desired operating posit-ion. vVV-hen the l tongue end is displaced ktherefrom .i the spring tension means operates on the pivoted W5 lever arm to return `the yton-"gue to? the desired fixed position.

` In theV specific Y embodiment illustrated in enlargedv detailV in Fig-4, the pivotedf lever Y armislocated withinthe switchbase` 4l'be- "'70 low the switc-hf tongue4 and' is j comprised" of two angularly disposed sections 8vafndf12-'and is `adaptedto be pivotedfat'the apex Aofthe angle by laterally 'extending pins llyada'pted toviit-infrecesses in 'Seat 10-integrali5with 75 base 1. Leverarm 12 isprovided with a Spin seat l 16 r"for spring 13l and@ base l" isa'l'somprovidedwith means such-aspingseat 17 "tolocate the opposite endf'of the spring 13.

. lzInthe arrangement shown in"Fi'g.14,-fwhen 80 thelever arm Vand 'spring are assembled, spring 1'3 isunder#slightfcompression 'and is exerting a pressure through the j pivoted ,lever arms 12 and-8 upon switch-tongue-4.

A llateral *movement of the switch tonguef'4 35 still further* compresses the spring L13 .and

upon the removal of Lthe'displacing 'l force the spring compression Vreturns the tongue 4 to the'desired fixed position. 'y Y The tongue heel protecting means-Spf the 90 present invention 'comprises a ange bearing 6 forming an `integral part of the switch base structure 1 which is adapted to lift the Y car wheel over the tongue heel 14 in a manner as is shown in Figs. 3 and 5. In Fig. 3 the 95 car wheel 5 shown in segmented dotted line is traversing the switch and is riding in nor# mal position upon the rail. In 5 in solid lines the wheel is shown with the wheel iiange 15 `engaging the flange bearing 6 in passing over the switch heel. In Fig. 5 a sectional view of the same taken along plane 5 5, F ig. l is shown, illustrating how the tread of the car wheel 5 is held above the tongue heel by the engagement of the wheel flange l5 with flange bearing 6.

From the above description taken with the drawings it is believed apparent that the improved movable tongue switch includin 0' the improved tongue end retaining means and tongue heel protecting means of the present invention may be modified in many details without departing essentially from the nature and scope thereof as may be lset forth in the following claims.

l That I claim is:

l. In a tongue switch including a switch base, a movable switch tongue and means to yieldingly retain the switch tongue end in a predetermined desired operating position in said base, said means comprising a pivoted lever arm, pivotal means integral with the switch base to pivot the arm, and spring tension means operating against one end of the pivoted arm to bring the opposite end thereof in engagement with the movable switch tongue end in its fixed operating position and adapted to'resist displacement of said switch tongue from its fixed operating position, without interfering with the normal passing of car wheel traliic through the switch.

2. In a tongue switch the combination of a: switch body casting including xed rails, a tongue between said rails having a pivot entering a recess in the body and permitting the ready introduction of the tongue into position or the lifting of it out of position and means below the top of the tongue at a point forward of the heel for holding the tongue down on the body, said body casting including a portion adjacent to the heel of the tongue and adapted to form a bearing for the flange of the car wheel and to hold the tread of the carwheelv above the heel portionoil the tongue, the body casting having a flange bearing portion in line with said wheel flange bearing extending from heel of tongue towards tip of the tongue so that a wheel entering at the tip of the tongue will bear on the tongue until 'it is nearly yat the heel thereof and will be carried on the fixed bearing and will be lifted above the tongue as it passes over the heel thereof.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

- ISRAEL K. DIXON.

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