Union Switch & Signal, Inc.

Kevin M McQuistian

Leonard M Wydotis

Edward E Edwards, Jr

Fred E Woodlief

Marvin R Wohlhueter

A switching assembly includes a pair of hollow ties, a pair of supports, and a linkage. The linkage extends generally through the hollow ties, whereby the cribs are generally free of linkage components, and the ballast in the cribs can be compacted with known automated machinery. The linkage includes a number of lugs and a number of rods, with the rods each being formed from standard bar stock and threaded, and with the linkage configuration avoiding the need to custom bend any of the rods. The hollow ties are formed from generally available standard box section steel, as are the supports. The spacing between the hollow ties can be varied in accordance with the pitch of the other rail ties of the railroad switch. Each hollow tie can include a heater. The switching assembly is highly adjustable, which makes it suitable for use in numerous different track configurations.

Hollow tie railroad switching assembly

An improved railroad switch apparatus includes a switch machine, a locking system lug, a detection system lug, a lock rod connecting rod, a point detector connecting rod, and a pair of movable rails. The locking system lug is mounted on a pair of lock rods of a switch machine, and the detection system lug is mounted on a point detector rod of the switch machine. The locking system lug includes a groove that receives the lock rod connecting rod and that permits a slight degree of pivoting therebetween while remaining securely mounted thereto. Similarly, the detection system lug includes a groove that receives the point detector connecting rod and that permits a slight degree of pivoting therebetween while remaining securely mounted thereto. The locking system lug and the detection system lug each include a pair of opposed convex retention surfaces formed on the groove thereof.

Drop down lug for railroad switch application

An improved point detector sleeve includes a tube portion and an adjustment portion that are integrally formed with one another as a monolithic member, whereby the point detector sleeve is substantially free of joints between the tube portion and the adjustment portion. The tube portion includes a beveled surface formed thereon, and the adjustment portion includes an internally threaded region formed thereon. In accordance with one method of manufacturing the improved point detector sleeve, a first end of a cylindrical pipe formed with a cylindrical cavity is cut with a rotary cutting tool to form a substantially cylindrical inner surface. The rotary cutting tool advantageously closely follows the cavity to form the cylindrical inner surface without the rotary cutting tool radially &ldquo;walking&rdquo; away from a central longitudinal axis of the pipe. In another embodiment, the pipe receives therein an insert having an externally threaded region and an internally threaded surface.

Point detector sleeve for railroad switch machine and associated method

A fixed rail mounted railroad switch point indicator is provided, wherein proximity detectors are mounted to the fixed stock rail to sense the position of the switch relative to those stock rails. Preferably, eddy current sensors are used as the proximity sensors to indicate the distance of the switch points relative to the fixed rails. A microprocessor converts a current reading from the proximity detectors into the distance measurement, such as by indicating an 'on/off' state of the sensor. Additionally, the microprocessor provides information as to the operation of the sensors to provide the reliability of the signals received.

Railroad switch point position indicator

A railroad switch machine gear box having a low vertical profile is provided, wherein a compound gear rotatably mounted within a housing along a first vertical axis cooperatively engages an adjacent main crank gear. The main crank gear is rotatably mounted within the housing about a main crank shaft that extends vertically within the gear box housing along a second vertical axis that is different than the first vertical axis. A bevel gear fixedly mounted to a hand throw shaft rotatably mounted within the housing along a first horizontal axis cooperatively engages the compound gear, thereby to rotate the compound gear when the hand throw shaft is rotated, typically with a hand throw lever affixed to the hand throw shaft external to the housing. The hand throw shaft may be rotatable about an eccentric shaft that is independently mounted and rotatable with the housing along the first horizontal axis. A motor/manual mode selector lever may be affixed to the eccentric shaft external to the gear box housing, thereby to rotate the eccentric shaft in a manner known in the art. Typically, rotation of the mode selector lever in a first direction selects a manual mode of gear box operation; rotation in the opposite direction selects a power mode of operation. A clutch yoke may be slidably mounted about a clutch cup assembly and the main crank shaft, and may be pivotable at a first end along a pivot pin positioned along a pivot axis that is parallel to the first horizontal axis, thereby to provide the advantage of simplifying movement of the hand throw lever and the mode selector lever from one side of the gear box to the other. The pivoting action of the eccentric shaft may be detected by a proximity sensor that senses a target associated with the second end of the clutch yoke.

Low profile switch machine gear box

A railway switch circuit controller has a housing enclosing a laterally movable platform with a first and second target affixed thereupon. A first and second proximity sensor within the housing is positioned to detect the first and second target, respectively, such that the proximity sensor upon detection of the respective target may provide a signal. The platform is connected to a point detector connecting rod of a railway switch, thereby to be movable relative to the movement of the point detector connecting rod. In a first preferred embodiment, the platform may be cooperatively engaged with a rotational drive shaft that is connected to the point detector connecting rod, thereby to move laterally when the drive shaft is rotated by lateral movement of the rod. In the first preferred embodiment, the first and second proximity sensor may be fixed within the housing and the first and second target may be adjustable laterally within the platform towards and away from the other target, respectively.

Railway switch circuit controller

A mounting arrangement for clamping telemetering monitoring equipment to the core holes of a railroad car coupler including a mechanical assemblage having a pair of fingers which are insertable into the core holes. A tightening mechanism including rotatable threaded rod engages a pivotal gripping block which contacts a web portion between the core holes to draw the outer surfaces of the fingers tightly against the inner surface of the web portion to rigidly hold the assemblage in place.

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Export, PA, United States of America

Kevin M McQuistian