Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~0'776~3
STATIC SWITCHING APPARATUS FOR PASSEN~ER VEHICLE
Background of the Invention
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to railway vehicles and in
particular to their supporting track structures and apparatus
for switching the vehicle between different track sections.
2 Description of the Prior Art
.
; A prior art disclosure is contained in U.S. Patent
3,774,543, Welsh, patented November 27, 1973. The present invent-
ion is an improvement in that the switching arrangement includes
at the switching junction conventional type track rails and
specially built trac~ rails. Raised flanges of the truck wheels
- on the vehlcle are adapted to ride on the specially built track
rails and the vehicle has in combination therewith an improved
camming arrangement for steering the vehicle relative to the
switching junction.
Summary of the Invention
The present switching device is for a vehicle of the type
having wheel and axle assemblies with each assembly having a pair
of wheels and an axle and the wheels having treads and flanges ex-
tending radially outwardly therefrom. The vehicle rides on main-
line rails having surfaces upon which the wheels are adapted to ride
upon their treads and having side edges engageable by the flanges
for guiding the vehicle, and switching rails converge with the
mainline rails. A means shifts the vehicle laterally onto the
switching rails to cause the vehicle to ride with one wheel of each
assembl.v upon its tread and with the other wheel upon its flange
during switching, and a means guidably embraces the flange of the
wheel riding on its tread during passage thereof through the junct-
ion.
`~ A further switching apparatus for a transportation vehicle
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includes vehicle supporting track means for providing guided move-
ment to the vehicle including a main line track portion and a switch
track portion mèrging with the main line portion at a switching
junction. The main line track portion at the switching junction
includes a first continuous straight flanged track rail, and a
continuous substantially parallel flat track rail extends through
the switching junction. The switch track portion at the ~switchin~
junction also includes a continuous curved second flanged track
rail merging with the flat track rail and a second curved flat track : .
rail merging with the first flanged track rail, with the curved
flat tracl rail extending through the switching junction. Laterally
spaced flanged wheels including flat rims and radially raised flang-
es support the vehicle, a cam means is located between the flanged
rails and a vehicle mounted cam follower means, with the cam means
including cam surfaces, the first of which extends parallel to the
first continuous flanged track rail and the second of which extends :- -
concentric with the curved flanged rail. First and second guide
rails are located inwardly of and adjacent to the first straight
flanged track rail and the curved flanged track rail, and the first
cam surface and first guide rail are disposed in overlapping relat-
ion and the cam surface and the guide rail are disposed in over-
lapping relation for guiding the vehicle through the switching
junction, with each of the flat rails having a flat horizontal tread
portion of greater width than the radially raised flanges. ..
A still further embodi.ment of the invention provides a
switching apparatus for a transportation vehicle which includes
,
. a gap-free continuous rail system comprising vehicle supporting
track means for providing guided movement to the vehicle and in- -
cluding a main line track portion and a switch track portion
merging with.the main line portion at a switching junction. The - .
main line track portion at the switching junction includes a first
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continuous straight flanged track rail, and a continuous
substantially parallel flat track rail extending through the
switching junction, with the switch track portion at the switch-
ing junctlon also including a continuous curved second flanged
track rail merging with the flat track rail and a second curved
flat track rail merging with the first flanged track rail. .The
curved flat track rail extends through the switchinq junction,
and a wheel and axle assembly including a pair of
laterally spaced flanged wheels on the vehicle include flat
rims and Fadially raised flanges, with the flanges beina normally
adapted for guiding the wheels along the flanged rails and for
supporting the wheels on the flat rails for carrying the vehicle.
The flat rails and .flanged rails are coextensive for sub~
stantial lengths in the junction, and both of the wheels of the
assembly simultaneously ride on their flanges and on their
rims on the respective rails within the switching junction. A
cam means is located between the flanged rails and extends in
~ advance of the junction, together with vehicle mounted cam
follower means, and the cam means includes cam surfaces the
first of which extends parallel to the first continuous flanged
track rail and the second of which extends concentric with ~
the curved flanged rail. First and second guide rails are located -
inwardly of and adjacent to the first straight flanged track
rail and to the curved flanged track rail, with the first cam
surface and first guide rail being disposed in overlapping
. . .
~ relation and said second cam surface and second guide rail being
.
disposed in overlapping relation for guiding the vehicle through
the switching junction. Each of the flat rails has a flat
horizontal tread portion of greater width than the radially raised
.
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flanges and the flat rails have leading and trailing end portions
of extensive length butted against the respective flanged rails
and providing bump-free transition areas for rolling contact by ..
the rims of the wheels, and the flat track rails provide uninterr-
upted continuous tread surfaces throughout the entire junction,
with the cam surfaces on the cam means extending above the level
of the flanged and flat rails.
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Brief Description of the Drawings '
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a passenger vehicle
supported on a track sunporting structure;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the stationary track structure
-, involved with the present invention;
,
, FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional vlew taken substantially
i along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sec'tional view taken substantially along .: .
, the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, and
FIG~ 5 is a schematic view in plan of a portion of a vehicle
s,howing the orbital movement of cam followers supported thereon. :
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Description of the Preferred Embodiment
A passenger vehicle of the tracked type is designated at 10
and includes a body 11. Suitable side windows 12 are provided in
the body 11 and end windows 13 are provided at the opposite ends
of the car. One of these side windows 12 is provided in a central
door 14 providing for access to the interior of the vehicle 10.
The body 11 is supported on wheel trucks 15 each of which includes
a pair of conventional flanged wheels 16 having treads or rims 17
and a rai~;ed flange 18. The wheels are interconnected by axles 19
10 which project through a supPorting and housing structure 20. The
- housing structure 20 supports the axle 19 and in turn is connected
to a supporting structure 21 which suitably connects the structure : :
20 to the body 11. The vehicle 10 is shown supported on a track : ~:
supporting structure 22 having a track bed 23 supporting longit~
udinally spaced track ties 24 which may be of conventional design. ~: -
A rail track arrangement is designated at 25 and includes a
switching junction generally designated at 26. The rail track
further includes a main line track portion 27 and a switching
portion 28 having switching rails connected at the switching ~-
20 .junction 26. The main line track portion 27 includes a first cont-
inuous flanged track rail 29 of conventional design and at the :
switching junction it also includes a substantially continuous
flat track rail or fourth rail of special design designated at 30.
Leading into the switching junction is a straight portion of
flanged track rail 31 of convention design. Similarly, a
second straight portion of flanged track rail 32 is
parallel to the straight-rail 29 as it leaves the ~ -
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switching junction 26. The first straight por~ion of
flanged track 31 also is integral with and meets a contin-
uous curved flange track rail 33 forming part of the switch-
ing portion 28. A.curved flat track rail or fourth rail of
special design 34 meets at one end with-a portion of the
flat rail 29 and is then parallel in.curving relatlon with
respect to the third rail 33. The specially built flat
track rails 30 and 34 as best shown in FIG. 3 are con-
structed of a.box-like section having secured thereon
1~ at the upper surace a flat hardened layer of tread which
as best shown in FIG. 3 during switching is adapted to ~ -
.
provide support for the ra;sed 1ange 18 of one of the ~ --
- flanged wheels 16. A conventional rail track portion 36
is connected to the second curved flat track rail 34 which ..
includes a juncture 37 at the meeting point of the rails
30, 32, 34 and 36. The.main line track rail has positioned
- adjacent and parallel ~ith respect thereto a straight guide
rail 38 and similarly the curved track rail 33 is provided . .
with a curved guide rail 39 adjacent and parallel with
respect thereto.
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' As best sho~n in FIGS. 2 and 3, a cam 40 is
: positioned substantially centrally with respect to the . ~.
rails 29 and 31, and includes a curved cam face 44 extend-
ing substantially parallel to portionF of the rail 33 and
. 25 a second cam surface 45 extending parallel to the rail 2g.
. As best shown in FIG. 3, the cam surfaces 44 and 45 are
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provided on the outer portions of vertical walls 41 and
42 of the cam 40. The walls 41 and 42 are connected by
means of a top wall 43.
Referring now particularly to FIG. 4 a bracket
structure 46 includes a vertical flange 47 w~ich is rigidly
connected to the housing 20 and a horizontal flange 48
which supports a pair of hydraulic extensible units generally
designated at 49. The extensible units may be of con- -
ventional type adapted to be actuated by any type of fluid
and each includes a cylinder 50 having a piston rod 51
; - connected to a piston 52 which moves vertically within the
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interior of the cylinder 50. As best shown in FIG. 3,
suitable fluid line connections 62 are connected to a pump
' designated P which in turn may be connected to a suitable
lS reservoir for directing fluid under pressure to opposite
ends of the cylinder 50 in conventional fashion. A cylindri-
cal housing 53 is provided with an inner cylindrical wall 54
and has at its lower end a cylindrical bearing 55. A cam
1 '
cylinder 56 is connected at its upper end to a cylindrical
bearing portion 56' which is guided within the inner cylin-
drical wall 54 for vertical movement. The cam cylinder 56
is provided with a spiral groove 57 which is engaged in
mating relation with a guide pin 58 supported on the
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cylindrical housing 53 and extending inwardly with respect
25~ thereto. The guide pin 58 thus projects into the spiral
groove 57 ànd is secured by means of a jam nut 59. Each
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of the cam cylinders 56 is provi~ed at its lowcr cnd with
a follower wheel 60 suitably supported and connected to
the cam cylinder 56 by means of bearing and retainer pins
61 so that the follower wheels 60 may freely rotate about
a vertical axis with respect to each of the cam cylinders 56.
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The Operation :
Assuming now that the passenger vehicle 10 is to -:
- be steered so that it passes through the switching junction -
and remains on the main track portion 27, the right hand
fluid extensible unit 49 in FIG. 3 is actuated by proper
selector l~echanism (not disclosed) whereby the pump directs :;
fluid into the right hand cylinder 50 forcing the piston 52
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downwardly whereupon the cam cylinder 5~ is lowered to the
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. position sh~wn in FIG. 4. The action of the guide pin 58,
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with respect to the spiral groove 57, provides for orbital : :
rotation of the follower wheel 60 in the direction of the
arrow shown in FIG. 5 where it then engages the cam surface
45 of the cam 40. The right hand flanged wheels, in FIG. 3
jl: ~: ~: are now maintained and supported on the main line straight
track 29 and as they enter the switching junction the left .
hand flanged wheels 16 are moving on top of the specially
~ : f~lat straight track rail 30 with the flanges 18 riding
: ~ upon the flat treadways or tread layers 35. Thus the
vehicle 10 is steered through the switching junction on
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~ 25 the~main track Iine.
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Assuming now that the passenger vehicle 10 is to
be switched or steered through the switching junction onto
the switch track portion 28, the right hand cylinder 50 in
FIG. 3 remains in a non-actuating position with the follower -
S ~heel raised. The selector mechanism is now actuated toprovide for lowering of the left hand cam cylinder 56 to
its lowered position whereby the cam follower 60 is moved
in the orbital path shown in FIG. S and downwardly into
engagement with the curved cam surface 44. This causes
the vehicle to be steered onto the switching portion 28
wherein as shown in FIG. 3 the left hand wheels 16 ride
on the conventional curved track rail 33 and the right
hand wheels 16 are supported and the flanges 18 ride on
the special flat track rail 32 which is curved and parallel
to the rail 33 so that the vehicle is now moving through
the switching junction and continues on the switching
portion of the arrangement. The guide rails 38 and 39,
of course in both instances during steering, assist in
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~ ~ ~ maintaining the vehicle along the direction of steering
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which has been selected. Thus, it is believed that an
improved track arrangement and steering guide means
therefor~has been disclosed.
The foregoing description and drawings merely
explain and illustrate the invention and the invention
is not limited thereto, except insofar as the appended
claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who
have the disclosure before them will be able to make
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modifica~ions and variations therein without depar~ing :~
from the scope of the invention.
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