US1513431A - Switch-stand lock - Google Patents

Description

L. R. SHAFFER swn'cn STAND LOCK Oct. 28,4924. 1,513,431

Filed June 2. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Get. 28, 1924.

LARKIN RICHARD SHAFFER, 0F GAR-LAND,

Application filed. June 2, 1924.

To G lli/172.0771 it may concern:

Be it known that I, LARKIN Bron/inn SHAFFER, citizen of the United States, residing at Garland, in the county of Box Elder and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Stand Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to switch stand locks and has for one of its objects the provision of a locking mechanism for the switch operating lever that will be inexpensive, of simple construction, and easily installed in switch stands of the usual ty es now in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism that will not only effectively lock the switch lever but one that will be maintained in or returned to its locking position by gravity.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details ,of construction, and arrangements and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a switch stand containing the present improvements.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a general view of the entire switch stand.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the lever obstucting member.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the pivoted end portion of the switch lever.

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of the operating arm for manipulating the obstructing member.

The switch stand shown in Fig. 4 is of the type now in general use, comprising a vertical tubular member 10 in which the shaft of target 11 is journaled and a similar tubular member 12 in which is enclosed a portion of the switch operating connections and as is common in the art, the table 13 of the switch stand has a recess or notch 14 in its periphery in which the switch operating lever 15 engages when said lever is in its normal depen ing vertical position.

Serial 1T0. 717,360.

through which the projection 19 must pass when the lever is returned on its pivot. This lock prevents unauthorized persons operating the switch and forms no part of the present invention as its construction is such as is ordinarily found in this art.

The lock of the present invention, however. comprises an obstructing member, in the form of a ring 21, that is adapted to be interposed between the upper pivoted end r of lever 15 and a rigid abutment 22 such as a cross pin mounted in casing 17 Preferably the npper end of said lever is recessed or cut away as at 23 to insure the ring member 21 seating firmly against the lever when positioned between the lever and said abutment. lVhen the ring is in this position the lever 15 cannot possibly be turned on its pivot to moveout of notch 14 and assume a horizontal position, such as is neces sary before the lever can be revolved in a horizontal plane to throw the switch, but to permit such a movement of the lever at times when an authorized person desires to operate the switch means are provided for temporarily removing the obstructing ring from between the ring and the lever.

Such means for removing the obstructing member preferably take the form of a crank 24, journaled in the casing 17, on which said ring member 21 is loosely carried, and at each of its ends said crank is provided with an operating arm 25 lo cated on the exterior of the casing whereby the crank can be rotated on its axis to remove the ring from its obstructing posi= tion.

To insure the ring member invariably returning to its looking or obstructing position the crank 24 andv its operating arms 25 project from the axis of the crank in different radial planes, the crank being offset, so to speak, with respect to said arms towards the lever 15.

Due to this construction, when the operating arms are rotated to raise the ring ment 22 to the position shown in dottec in Fig. 3, the crank proper Will be br to rest by jamming the abutment before said arms either assume or pass vertical position or their upper dead center. As the arms 25 normally occupy a depending vertical. position the crank thus limits the movement of said to an arc of less than 180 and as the arms cannot, therefore, assume or pass a vertical upward position their weight, as well as the weight of the crank itself, will insure the ring dropping back or returning b grzwity, to its obstructing position immediately upon the switch lever 15 being returned to normal depending position This, i Feet, means that there is little, it any, p-o litv of the locking ring remaining unintentionally in its upper or unobstr gositir '1 because, in the absence of any st the lever 15, said lever must necessarily drop back to its normal position a d said ring will consequently be tree to be returned by gravity to its obstructing position es ust described.

hat I claim is:

1. In a switch stand lock, the combination of a casing, an abutment iin the casing, a lever adapted to norn'ialiy occupy a depending position, a crank journaled in the casing, a ring member carried by the crank and into posed between the abutment and lever when the latter is in normal position, and an arm on the crank on the exterior of the casing for rotating said crank about its axis to remove the rii from between the abutment and lever.

tion or a casing, an abutment wi casing, a lever ad pted to normally occupy a depending position, a crank journaled in the casira ring member carried by the crank and interposed between the abulmei and lover when the latter is in norn a] position, and an. arm on the crank on the exterior ot the casing for rotating said crank about its axis to remove the ring fro '1 be tween the abutment and lever, said crank and arm projecting from a common pivotal center in different radial planes and having their movement limited to an arc of less than 18( 3. In a switch stand lock, the combination of a casing, an abutment within the casing a lever adapted to normally occupy dependit 1 iii about its axis to remove the obstructing member from between the abutment and lever,

in a switch stand lock, the combination of a casing, an abutment within the casing, a lever, a crank journalcd in opposite sides ot the casing and having an arm on the ext ior of the casing, crank and rm en ending from their iferent radial planes and the movement of said crank being limited by the abutment to limit the n'lovement of the crank and a m and prevent the latter assuming or passing a vertical position, and a ring member carried on said crank and normally positioned between said abutment and lever.

5. in a switch stand lock, the combination of a casing, a normally depending lever pivoted in the casing, an abutment Within the casing, and a crank journaled in the casing intermediate said abutment and the pivotal center of the lever, and an obstructing member on the crank interposed hetween the abutment and lever,

said k havim an operatin arm on the exterior ot the casing for revolving said arm and ren'ioving said obstruction; said crank, ohstructing member, and operating arm being automatically returnable and held in their obstructing positions by gravity .vhenever the lever assumes its normal position.

6. a switch stand lock, the combination of a 021"" g, a normally depending lever pivoted in. the casing, an abutment within the caring, a crank joumaled in the musing, and an obstructing member on the crank interposed betweenthe abutment and lever, said crank having an operating arm on the exterior of the casing from revolving said crank and removing said obstruction, said crank with respect to its operating arm being offset toward the pivotal center of the lever whereby said crank, obstructing member and operating arm will be automatically returned and held in their obstructing positions by gravity when the lever assumes its normal position.

LARKIN RICHARD SHAFFER.

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