Did You Know...
...that in 1800 ether was first used by partyers as a fun diversion? Sniffing the gas led to hilarious and raucous laughter as people watched each other become more and more intoxicated and silly. Several doctors independently realized the value ether would have to anesthetize surgery patients. Of those who claimed rights to the "discovery," none had a happy ending. One had a seizure and died defending his rights. Another spent his life in an asylum because he had been denied acclaim. A third became addicted to chloroform and, in a New York City jail, he soaked a cloth in the drug, severed an artery and bled to death.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7946538 | External point spring locking device The invention provides an external spring-loaded locking device for use with railroad switches. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7913956 | Mechanism for operating switch points The subject of the present invention is a mechanism for operating sets of switch points, comprising an actuator control assembly (1) actuating two points operating half-bars (2), each connected to one point blade (switch rail), by a point-setting devic... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7267304 | Railroad yard switch machine A railroad switch machine which is normally operated by an electric motor but which may be manually operated without causing rotation of the power shaft of the electric motor to enable the switch machine to move the switch points without having to overcome the brake... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7168664 | Assist rod and basket assembly A railroad switch assembly comprises a basket that directly actuates a torsional assist rod. The basket is located at a lower elevation than the assist rod, preferably in a hollow tie and preferably between the switch machine and the running rail. ... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7070152 | Sleeper-mounted railroad-switch actuator A railroad switch actuator has a transversely extending box sleeper having a pair of ends, adapted to be secured to a pair of longitudinally extending fixed rolling rails, and adapted to slidably support a pair of longitudinally extending and transversely shiftable ... | 07/04/2006 |
| 6648276 | Drop down lug for railroad switch application 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 rod... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6454221 | Switch box for railway, tramway points, or similar Switch box for railway, tramway, or similar comprising a drive unit (M, 3, 4, 5, 5', 5", 5'", 6) for the shifting motion of the blades (A1, A1', A2, A2') and at least one group of linear transmission (12, 20, 21, 24) of the drive motion to the blades, mov... | 09/24/2002 |
| 6422519 | Railroad track switch operator An improved cylinder head for a railroad track switch operator includes totally self-contained electronics and pneumatics for easy and direct replacement of a cylinder head on a prior art switch operator. The improved cylinder head has enhanced porting to... | 07/23/2002 |
| 6296209 | Railroad switch stand A railroad switch stand for moving a pair of switch points between two rails includes a vertically disposed spindle rotating about its principal axis and terminating adjacent its lower end in a stub shaft in which the spindle has a necked section of reduc... | 10/02/2001 |
| 6220553 | Railroad switch stand An improvement in a railroad switch stand of the general type in which a vertical spindle is mounted for rotation within a switch stand housing, a horizontally extending connecting rod is operatively connected at its one end to railroad switch points and ... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6168120 | Operator for a railroad implement An operator for a railroad implement is provided with a linkage which mechanically isolates an actuator from impact forces transmitted through the linkage. Isolation provided by the linkage permits the use of a low power actuators which easily lend themse... | 01/02/2001 |
| 6164601 | Railroad switch machine A railway switch stand includes a housing with a vertical shaft having a lower end connected to the switch throw rod, the shaft being rotatable to reciprocate the throw rod. A plate is mounted orthogonally on the shaft for rotation with the shaft, and has... | 12/26/2000 |
| 5775647 | Hydraulic switch stand An apparatus is provided for moving railroad switch points from side-to-side using a hydraulic power source operated using a DC electrical power source preferably in combination with a solar energy charging system. The apparatus has a hydraulic cylinder w... | 07/07/1998 |
| 5772157 | Operating railroad switches The railroad power switch operates from the energy stored in a hydraulic accumulator. A pump charges the accumulator and keeps it charged. A power cylinder acts on the moveable rail of a railroad switch through this hydraulic energy. The energy opens the ... | 06/30/1998 |
| 5582370 | Switch machine with ratchet mechanism on hand throw mechanism There is provided an improved hand throw device of an electric motor driven switch machine having a ratchet mechanism that permits torque to be applied to the hand throw device in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction as desired by an operator... | 12/10/1996 |
| 5531408 | Railroad switch stand A railroad switch stand for actuating a rail switch between open and thrown positions includes, in one embodiment, an upstanding frame supporting a handwheel at approximately chest height for movement between a first position enabling manual rotation of a... | 07/02/1996 |
| 5494242 | Low profile switch machine with hand throw or motor throw selector device A switch machine for railroad tracks is provided having a low vertical profile without increasing the axial length of existing switch machines. Also, the capability of being operated by an electric motor, hand crank or hand throw operation has been retain... | 02/27/1996 |
| 5494243 | Railroad switch stand with foot operated handle latch A railroad switch stand for switching railroad track switch points is provided with a manually-operated crank assembly that is coupled to the switch stand switching input shaft without included lost motion and that has an included yoke with latch bars tha... | 02/27/1996 |
| 5417392 | Hydraulic switch stand with rail pump charging and hydraulic lock The present invention relates to a hydraulic apparatus for moving railroad switch points from side-to-side. The apparatus has a hydraulic cylinder operatively connected to the switch points to move the switch points from side-to-side in fluid communicatio... | 05/23/1995 |
| 5375796 | Railway switch stand having slide block actuator and two independent operating mechanisms A railway switch stand includes a reciprocating toggle arm which extends from the stand to operate a railway track switch between open and closed positions. The toggle arm has one end connected to a block which is operably mounted on the switch stand base... | 12/27/1994 |
| 5052642 | Switch stand A railroad track switch stand includes a support frame having a throw crank operably mounted thereon for reciprocating a connecting rod. A pair of cams are mounted on the throw crank so as to rotate the throw crank on the frame. A throw arm is operably co... | 10/01/1991 |
| 5050823 | Radio-based railway switch control system A switch machine operates a track switch under radio control via a switch controller. The switch controller may be given an identifying address unique to it which distinguishes the switch machine from other switch machines in the railway territory. In add... | 09/24/1991 |
| 4428552 | Railroad switch machine A high-speed switch machine for actuating railroad switch points. The machine has an electric motor which drives a hydraulic pump. The pump supplies pressure fluid to a hydraulic cylinder adapted to move the switch points from an initial to a second limit... | 01/31/1984 |
| 4337914 | Railway switch stand cover A railroad head block switching installation having a safety cover secured to the track ties between which extend the connecting rod of the rail switching mechanism, so as to overlie such rod in spaced relationship therewith and protect persons from tripp... | 07/06/1982 |
