US57353A - Improved turn-table for railroads - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES G. B. MASSEY, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

IMPROVED TURN-TABLE FOR RAILROADS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,353, datedAugust 21, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, G. B.MAssEY, of Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Operating Railroad Turn-Tables; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

` clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a vertical central section ot' my invention, taken in the line x Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a plan or top view of the same; Fig. 3, a side view of a portion of a metallic endless band pertaining to the same; Fig. 4, a hori` zontal section of' Fig. 3, taken in the line y y.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention consists in constructing a turn-table and applying certain mechanism thereto in such a manner that the drivingwheels of the locomotive7 when on the turntable and the power applied to them, may be rendered subservient in turning the table, and the locomotive at the same-time he stationary on the rails thereof, thereby dispensing with hand-power now employed for effecting such result.

A represents the pit in which the turn-ta ble is fitted and works, said pit being of circular forni, of the usual or an v proper depth, and having a toothed wheel, B, secured centrally on its bottom by being bolted to a proper bed-piece, a. O is an upright fixed shaft secured centrally in the wheel B, and D is a rectangular frame composed of timbers secured together in a permament and durable manner and fitted on the shaft C so that it may freely turn on said shaft as a center.

On the top of the frame D there are secured two parallel bars, b b, on which rails c c are secured. The frame D constitutes the turn-table, and when the latter is turnedso that the ends of the rails c care brought in line with rails d d, which intersect the rails of the main road, the locomotive may be run on and off from the turn-table.

In the frame D there are fitted four vertical drums, E E E E', two atV each side of the turntable. The lower ends of the shafts of two of the drums E E have pinions F upon them, which gear into the wheel B, and around each pair of drums a metallic belt, G, is fitted. These belts G G are composed of a series of metallic plates, c, connected together by hinges f, as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4. These belts are perfectly fiexible and still very strong, and their upper edges, at their inner sides,are in line with the rails c and flush with the upper surfaces of the same, the rails and bars b b being cut away to receive said belts.

The operation is as follows: The locomotive vis run upon the rails c c, the driving-wheels bearing upon the upper edges of the inner sides of the belts G G, and the front Wheels being scotched, in order to prevent the locomotive from moving. The steam is then applied, and the driving-wheels will rotate and move the endless belts G G, and consequently the drums E E E E', and as thepinions F on the lower ends of the shafts of the drums E E gear into the fixed wheel B, the table will be rotated and is turned a half-revolution in order to turn the locomotive.

The belt G on the drums E E is used to serve as a bearing for the driving-wheel opposite to that which is on the belt that is around the drums E E. Thus by this simple means the table may be turned by the locomotive, so as to dispense with hand-power entirely.

I would remark that any suitable stop or fastening may be used to prevent the turn-table from turning casually when its rails c are in line with the rails d d of' the branch track on which the locomotive passes upon and off' from the turn-table.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A railroad turn-table provided with endless metallic belts G, fitted on drums E E', the shafts of one or more of which have pinions F on their lower ends, in combination with the fixed wheelB at the bottom of the pit in which the turn-table is tted, and into which wheel the pinions gear, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

G. B. MASSEY.

Witnesses:

WM. F. MCNAMARA, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

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