Reversing device for movable parts of a railway switch

In a railway switch which includes a frog and two wing rails having respective end portions which are generally transversally movable into alternative longitudinally overlapping close juxtaposition with the frog for providing with the frog two alternative longitudinal railroad paths, and

• a fixed base on which said frog and said two wing rails are supported,
• a reversing device, comprising:
• a respective supporting rod for each said wing rail end portion, each said supporting rod being supported on said fixed base and disposed generally beside the respective wing rail portion, for essentially reciprocal movement generally longitudinally of the respective wing rail end portion between an inactive position and an active position;
• means for longitudinally reciprocating each supporting rod between said inactive and active positions thereof;
• each wing rail end portion and each supporting rod having mounted thereto at least one thrust support arranged to act generally transfersally of the respective said railway path, each supporting rod thrust support, upon longitudinal movement of the respective supporting rod from said inactive position thereof to said active position thereof, being arranged to engage a respective said thrust support of a respective said wing rail end portion for generally transversally shifting such wing rail end portion into longitudinally overlapping close juxtaposition with said frog;
• each supporting rod thrust support and wing rail end portion thrust support which are arranged to engage one another each comprising a supporting surface which faces transversally of the respective said longitudinally railway path and extends substantially parallel to the respective said supporting rod when such supporting rod is in said active position thereof, these supporting surfaces forming a respective pair which are engaged in surface-to-surface engagement when the respective said supporting rod is in said active position;
• at least one of the supporting rod thrust support and wing rail end portion thrust support which has each said respective pair of supporting surfaces, and thus constitutes a pair of thrust supports, also having a wedge surface leading to the respective said supporting surface, each said wedge supporting surface being so oriented that, as the respective supporting rod is longitudinally moved from said inactive position thereof towards said active position thereof, as the respective said thrust supports begin to engage, each respective said wedge surface of one member of the respective pair of thrust support prior to surface-to-surface engagement being established between the respective said pair of supporting surface, whereby each said wedge surface facilitates establishment of such surface-to surface engagement.