US1118462A - Automatic safety switch-lock. - Google Patents

Description

F. G. ANDERSON. AUTOMATIC SAFETY SWITCH LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 18. 1913.

24 I 4/ W L tnesses: 2'6 i3 134 f vendor g s; w M

FRANK C. ANDERSON, OF GINCINNATIQOHIO, ASSIGNOR IO THEAMERICAN' VALVE &

METER COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY SWITCH.-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Iatent. Patented N 24 1914 Application filed October 18, 1913. Serial No. 796,061.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK. C. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in, Automatic Safety Switch-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means to be used in connection with a switch stand for automatically locking the switch points of a rail way independently of the swltch stand.

' The objects of my invention are to provide simple, economical, convenient and effective means of the above character in connection with a switch stand of the weighted ground lever automatic type, and to prevent the locking of said switch stand unless the switch is properly closed, as well as to provide convenient means to unlock the switch points to open the switch; to provide such a device which will always hold the switch points in locked position even though the switch stand should become disconnected, damaged or destroyed by accident under trailic; to provide means in connection with certain forms of switch stands to insure the proper closing of the switch points against the stock rails before the switch can be locked in closed position; and to provide a device of the above character which can be readily applied My invention consists in the parts and in the construction and arrangement of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a switch and switch stand with which my invention is associated; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the locking device constructed accordingto my invention,

.45 i is a side elevation of the same, and also the section being on the line w s of Fig. at; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on a line corresponding to the line l y of Fig. 2, the dog or bolt being shown in elevation; Fig. 41

is suitably mounted upon head blocks or ties 2 and connected to the switch points 3 by a connecting rod 4i. The operating lever 5 of the switchstand is held down by the keeper 6 of the latch in the usual manner when the switch is in closed position. This keeper has a treadle 6 which is engaged by the foot of the operator, after the latch has been unlocked, to draw the keeper back and release the operating lever.

My automatic safety switch lock which is used in connection with the above described mechanism is mounted in a casing 7 and a housing 8 secured, respectively, to the upper and lower sides of a plate 9, which is rigidly mounted upon one of the head blocks 2. The housing 8 has a transverse slot 10'in whichslides the interlocking bar 11. This interlocking bar 11 is suitably connected to the switch point rail-3 so as to move with said point rail when the switch is thrown. This housing 8 is also provided with a vertical passage 12 into which extends the lower end 01 the dog or bolt 13. The passage 12 has a keyway l2 and the dog or bolt 13 has a lug 13 entering this keyway to prevent the bolt i'rom turning. The interlocking bar 11 is provided with a recess 14 in its upper edge which is adapted to receive the lower end of this bolt 13. The main part of the bolt 13 is cylindrical but the recess in the interlocking bar has straight parallel sides, and to fit with the proper degree of ac curacy in this straight sided recess, the terminal part of the bolt has flattened sides 15. The width between these flattened sides of the dog or bolt is such with relation to the width of the recess 14: that the bolt will on ter the recess easily when the point rail is brought up close enough to the stock rail to be perfectly safe against the entrance of a flange betwcen the point rail and thestock rail, but is such that if the point rail is held dangerously far away from the stock rail, for any reason whatever, this dog will not descend into the recess 14;. s

The plate 9 has an opening 16 alined with the passage 12 in the housing 8, for the bolt 13 to extend through. This passage also has a continuation 16 of the keyway 12. Above the plate 9, the dog has the flange 17 and the lug 13 terminates at this flange.

The upper part of the bolt extends up and is guided in the upper part of the casing 7 and is surrounded by a helical spring 18 compressed between said flange 17 of the bolt and the under side of the upper part of said casing 7. Thus the bolt is normally held down by this spring and will automatically enter the recess 1% in the interlocking bar 11 as soon as the point rail is brought to safe position as above described.

To manually raise the bolt and withdraw it from the recess in the interlocking bar, a bracket 19 is fixed on a reduced upper part of the bolt above the top of the housing 7 by means or a nut 20. This bracket extends back and down along the side of the casing which has a flattened side 19 to guide this bracket, and the bracket is provided on its lower part with a backwardly opening pocket 21 having a top 22 and a bottom 23. The casing 7 has a rearwardly extended base 2 1 which carries a pedestal 25 within which is pivoted, to swing in a vertical plane, a lever 26, extending forward into the pocket 21 and having convex lugs 27 and 2S to engage with the inner sides of the top 22 and bottom 23, respectively, of said pocket. 1V here it extends rearwardly from the pedestal 25, the lever 26 has a treadle 29 with which the foot of the operator may be engaged, so that by depressing this treadle and the rear end of the lever 26 the dog 13 may be raised, through the agency of the bracket 19, with the convex lug 27 of the lever 26 hearing up against the top 22 of the pocket 21 in said bracket 19.

As is best seen in Fig. 1, the lower side of the treadle 29 has a convex flange 30 that bears against the top of the treadle 6 on the keeper 6 of the latch. The purpose of this arrangement is to cause the locking device to hold the latch keeper 6 out so that the bow or shackle of the padlock cannot be inserted into the opening in the ear 31 of the latch as long as the switch point 3 is not properly drawn up to the stock rail of the track in the manner before described. This will be efiected throughthe agency of the operative connection from the inter locking bar 11 to the latch made up of the above described bolt 13, bracket 19 and lever 26; and when acting in this capacity, the lower end of the bolt 13 will be engaging with the upper edge of the interlocking bar 11 outside the recess 1 1 therein, and the bottom of the pocket 21 on the bracket 19 will be bearing up against the lower convex lug 23 on said lever 26 while the lever 26 will be hearing down on the top of the treadle 6 with the convex flange 30 of the treadle 29. As soon as the switch point 3 has been properly brought up to the stock rail the dog or bolt 13 will automatically enter the recess 1 1 in the interlocking bar 11 under the pressure of the spring 18, and the rear end of the lever 26 with its treadle 29 will rise, permitting the treadle 6 of the keeper 6 to rise and said keeper to swing back into the latch over the operating lever 5 of the switch stand, whereupon the bow of the padlock may be inserted in the opening in the ear 31 on the latch and the switch can thus be locked.

In order to prevent the accumulation of obstructing substances, such as dirt or ice, under the lower end of the bracket 19, the base 2-1 of the casing 7 has an opening 32 and the plate 9 is providedwith an opening 33 adapted to register with the opening 32 when the parts are assembled, while the head block 2 is provided with a proper recess 31 leading from the openings 32 and 33 down and out through the side of the head block, so that the obstructing matter. can thus fall out of the way. The housing 8 below the plate 9 and the casing 7 thereabove are both secured to said plate by means of bolts 35 passing through ears 36 and 37 on the sides of said casing and housing, respectively, and the casing 7 is further secured to the plate 9 by means of tap screws 38 passing down through the base 24 of said casing into the plate 9.

By providing the simple dog or bolt 13 with its flattened end part to coact with the simple straight sided recess in the interlocking bar, 1 am enabled to make the housing 8 of very moderate dimensions and to confine it entirely outside the head block 2 and thereby avoid gaining or recessing this head block to apply the device. This housing 3, in fact, when assembled on the plate 9 along with the other parts, acts as a gage for the proper placing of the device on the head block, since the inner side of this housing 8 is adapted to engage against the side of the head block as is best seen in Fig. 4. Where it is necessary to recess or gain the head block in applying such devices, not only the extra labor of thus cutting away the material of thehead block is involved but considerable care is necessary to insure the proper placing of the device on the head block.

The transverse slot 10 in the housing 8 may be cored, and then the passage 12 in the housing and the opening 16 in the plate may be bored while the housing is bolted to the plate, so that they thus form a smooth and continuous passage and guideway for the lower cylindrical part of the bolt 13. The keyways 12 and 16 in the housing and plate, respectively, may be formed continuous in the two parts by boring a small hole with its center where the circumference of the larger bore is to be, and then afterward making this larger bore to form the opening 16 and passage 12 as above noted, thus leaving the keyway of substantially semi-circular cross section. To correspond with this keyway, the lug 13 is also made of substantially se1ni-circular cross section, being cast integral with the dog or eration on this part of the bolt. In forming the passage 12 in the housing, the bore is made to stop at such a point that its bottom will be even with or slightly below the bottom of the recess 14in the interlocking barwhen that bar is inserted into the transverse slot 10. The lower part of this bore will then have a shape as indicated in Fi 5, and will consist only ofremainingsegmental side spaces where it enters the rectangular transverse slot 10, so that when the straight sided recess 14: in the interlocking bar registers with these segmental side spaces there is formed a cavity with straight parallel sides and arc-shaped ends to re ceive the terminal part; of the bolt, which terminal part is of cross sectioncorresponding in shape to this cavity and of such dimension that it will slide into the cavity easily when the recess 14 registers with the lower part of the bore 19. as above noted.

Just above the flange 17 on the bolt 13,

there is a reduced part or neck 39, whereby this part of the bolt is made the weakest, so that, in case of an accident carrying away the casing 7 and the other parts above the plate 9, the bolt 13 will break at this weakestpart in the neck 89, leaving the lower part of the bolt supported by its flange 17 parts above the plate 9. The plate 9 being" rigidly secured to the head block will maintain its position, with the housing 8 and the lower part of the dog or bolt 13 therein, under the most severe conditions.

An important advantage attained by the use of this type of locking mechanism is the prevention of the locking of the switch with an obstruction between the switch point and stock rail which would be small enough to permit the negligent operator to spring the parts suiiiciently to bring the operating lever 5 down into the latch and lock it, although this obstruction would be large enough to hold the switch point away and cause derailment. Likewise this look prevents the looking of the switch stand with the switch point left away from the stock rail due to wear or disconnection of the operative connection between the switch points and the switch stand mechanism. In either contingency, as the interlocking bar 11 is moved by the switch points, it will not move up far the recess 14: unless these switch points ac-.

tually move up to safe position against the stock rails. The device herein illustrated provides for this inexpensively, due to the simplicity and comparative smallness of the parts used, thereby saving in labor of con: struction as well'as material; and is also more easily installed, as has been above pointed out.

It will be understood that the invention is capable of some modification from the construction specifically illustrated and described herein without departure from the scope and spirit of the invention,.which is defined by the following claims. a

I claim- 1. An automatic safety switch-lock comprising an interlocking bar having a recess in the upper edge with straight parallel sides and a dog or bolt having a terminal part,

with straight parallel sides, to enter the recess in the interlocking bar.

2.,An automatic safety switch-lock com prising an interlocking bar, a housing through whichthe bar slides, said bar having a recess and said housing having a passage with which the recess is adapted to register, and a dog or bolt in said passage and engaging with its terminal part in said recess. V

3. An automatic safety switch-lock comprising an interlocking bar having a recess with straight parallel sides, a housing through which the interlocking bar slides, said housing having a cylindrical bore with which said recess is adapted to register, and a cylindrical dog or bolt extending through said here andhaving a terminal part with straight parallel sides to enter said recess ins-aid bar. 1

4. An automatic safety switch-lock comprising an interlockingbar having a recess, a housing through which said bar slides, said housing having a passage with which the recess is adapted to register, a bolt eX- tending through said passage with its terminal part engaging in said recess, and a flange on said bolt integral therewith and engaging to limit the extension of said bolt through said passage and into said recess, said bolt having a weakened part above said flange whereby the bolt may be broken and leave the part of the bolt with the flange holding it in position projecting into the recess in the interlocking bar.

5. An automatic safety switch-lock comprising an interlocking bar, a bolt to coact with the bar, means for manipulating the bolt, and a housing having a rectangular transverse slot in which the interlocking bar slides, said interlocking bar having a recess with straight parallel sides, and said housing having a cylindrical bore, the lower end of which enters the rectangular transverse slot in the housing and thereby consists only of remaining segmental side spaces, and the straight sided recess in the interlocking bar registering with these segmental side spaces and forming a cavity with straight parallel sides and arc-shaped ends, and said bolt having its terminal part of cross section corresponding in shape to said shape of the cavity.

6. An automatic safety switch-lock comprising an interlocking bar, a bolt having a lower cylindrical part, a lug projecting radially on said cylindrical part, means for manipulating the bolt, and a housing having a rectangular transverse slot in which the interlocking bar slides, said interlocking bar having a recess with straight parallel sides and said housing having a cylindrical bore the lower end of which enters the rectangular transverse slot in the housing and thereby consists only of remaining segmental side spaces, and the straight sided recess in the interlocking bar registering with these segmental side spaces and forming a cavity with straight parallel sides and arc-shaped ends, said bolt having its terminal part of cross section corresponding in shape to said shape of the cavity, and the bore in the housing above said transverse slot-having a longitudinal keyway receiving the lug of the bolt to maintain the bolt in position such that its terminal part enters said cavity.

7. An automatic safety switch-lock comprising an interlocking bar, a bolt having a lower cylindrical part, a lug projecting radially on said cylindrical part, means for manipulating the bolt, and a housing having a rectangular transverse slot in which the interlocking bar slides, saidinterlocking bar having a recess with straight parallel sides and said housing having a cylindrical bore.

the lower endof which enters the rectangular transverse slot in the housing and thereby consists only of remaining segmental side spaces, andthe straight sided recessin the interlocking bar registering with these segmental side spaces and forming a cavity with straight parallel sides and arc-shaped ends, said bolt havingits terminal part of cross section corresponding in shape to said shape of the cavity, and the .bore in the housing above said transverse slot having a longitudinal keyway receiving the lug of the bolt to maintain the bolt in position such that its terminal part enters said cavity, a plate above and secured to and supporting said housing, said plate having an opening registering with the bore in the housing, and having a keyway registering with the keyway of the bore in the housing.

8. An automatic safety switch-lock com prising an interlocking bar, a housing through which the bar slides, said bar having a recess with straight parallel sides and having a cylindrical passage with which the recess is adapted to register, a dog or bolt having a cylindrical part in said cylindrical passage, and having a straight sided terminal part to enter said recess in the interlocking bar, and a radially extended lug on said cylindrical part of the bolt, said cylindrical bore having a longitudinal keyway receiving said lug.

FRANK C. ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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