US1710668A - Switch-locking device for railroads - Google Patents

Description

April 23, 1929- J. E. STEPHENSON 1,710,563

SWITCH LOCKING DEVICE FOR RAILROADS Filed llafch 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 He. 1 I

I7 20 so l4 2 36 35 v29 l5 L q T I Q l l 4 5} 47 April 23, 1929. J. E. STEPHENSON SWITCH LOCKING DEVICE FOR RAILROADS Filed March 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet VE TOR. 3Y2

r EY.

Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. STEPHENSON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW "YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL RAIL- WAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

SWITCH-LOCKING DEVICE FOR RAILROAIJS.

Application filed March 18, 1927. Serial No. 176,508.

This invention relates in general to a lock device and has more particular reference to lock means for use in connection with railway track switches.

In operating track switches, and more particularly in cases where the switch in question outlying some distance from a signal lower, it is often times lIlQSlI'tllllG to have the operation of the switch under the joint control of a tower man, and of a switch man at. the location oi. the switch. In such cases it desirable that means of communication between the tower man and the switch man on the track be afforded, together with various indicating means for advising the proper parties when certain operations have been initiated or completed or both.

"ith the above and other considerations in mind it is proposed in accordance with this invention to provide a switch lock which carries into ell'ect the above set forth cousidcrations.

Further objects of this invention are, to increase the etticiency, decrease the cost of production, and prolong the useful life, of device of the character in question.

Further objects, purposes, and characteristic features of this invention will appear as the description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, showing, solely by way of illustration, one embodiment of the invention. In the drawingsz Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a device in accordance with the present invention; i

Fig. 2 a front elevation of part of the device, with the casing door open and portiOns broken away and in section to better show the construction; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a part of the device with portions broken away to more clean-1y show the structure.

Referring to the drawings two casings 1 and 2 are mounted one on top of the other, held together by bolts 3, and supported on a hollow post 4: connected at its base 5 to a foundation structure 6.

Parsing through the base 5 is a switch operating lever 7 having a hole 8 therein for receiving a lock bolt 9 adjustably connected at '10 to a rod 11 arranged to be reciprocated by means of a crank 12 to which it: connected. The crank 12 is operated by shatt 13 to which it is connected by pin 14, the shaft being rocked through substan tially 180 by means of a handle 15. In connection with this handle it should be explained, for a purpose to be later explained, that just before the handle reaches its 90 position, moving counter clockwise, from the position shown in Fig. 2, the lock bolt 9 just clears the rod 7, while when rotated to 180 in a counter clockwise direction, from its position as shown in Fig. 2, the lock bolt 9 is raised considerably above the rod 7. The casing 2, in which the structure just described received, has a hinged cover 16, and carries an inwardly projecting rib 17 arranged as shown in Fig. 2 to be directly in the path of the handle when the cover is closed, and this rib is so positioned as to permit closure of the cover only when the handle 15 occupies the position shown in Fig. 2, or in any position, when moved counter clockwise, up to the re :lerred to position of slightly less than 90 from the horizontal at which time the boltt9 just clears the hole in the lever 7.

A counter weight 47, is attached to rod 11 and operates, when handle 15 is moved counter clockwise from its shown position to 'ust before it reaches a vertical position, to. ias the handle clockwise tolock the switch lever 7, and when handle 15 is moved further towards its 180 positionto bias the handle counter clockwise to unlock the switch lever. Thus the handle 15 has the unlock position shown in Fig. 2 in which it is biased to switch locking position, a switch unlocking position in which .it is biased to switch locking position, and a switch unlockin *position in which it is biased to switch unloc ing position.

Connected to the crank 1250 as to rotate therewith is a segment 18 having a notched portion 19 engageable by a detent-2O to thus prevent rotation of the handle 15. Engaging the upper side of the detent 20 is an arm 21 which operates an indicator 22, through crank means 23, between stops 24, the indicator thus showing whether the detent 20 isin raised or lowered position. i

For raising and lowering the detent .20, a rod 25 is connected thereto and passes into a casing 26 in which is preferably a rotor type motor controllable by an attendant in a distant signal tower, for example. Instead of a rotor type motor, anyother desired form of motor or other driving means capable of distant control, can equally well be used and it has been thoughtunnecessary to illustrate in letail either the moving means or a circuit or control means running from the casing 26 to a distant signi'il tower.

The detent 20 is carried by an arm 27 pivoted at and carrying a contact 29 which cooperates with a iixed contacttltl, the contacts being so arrnug l as to be separated when the detent is raised. These contacts 2S) and 30 are connected in an indicating circuit (not shown) rumiing to the above referred to signal tower and are employed to indicate to the tower 1111111, the positio1'1 oi? the detent 2th The track switch 1111111 bctore being able to unlock the switch lever 7, must have the dctent 20 in raised po-ution, and to enable him to notity the tower man who has control oi? the motive means in causing 26, there is provided a push button 31 which he can depress to close contacts 132 and 1111 termed o1: normally separated spring arms, to thereby notify the tower man that it is desired to have the detcut 20 raised out of the path oi the segment 18.

From Fig. 1. it will be noted that operation of the handle 15 rotates the shaft ill to thus operate contacts makers 35 to make and break circuits including contact members 36. The circuits controlled by the means just described can control various devices, one

be an indicating means in the signal to r to notrry the tower man that the lock bolt9 has been raised.

Also included in the casing 2 is a spring pressed plunger 87, biased outwardly by a spring 38 hearing against a support frame 39, the plunger carrying a contact member l0, which, in the outer position. oi the plunger, closes a circuit including contarts tl positioned at either side of the member 40. hen. the 1ne1nbcr37 is pushed inwardly the circuit through the contacts 41. is broken, and this circuit controls any desired source of power such asbatterics or the like, employed in connection with throwing oi. the track switch, and is conveniently dc:1ignatcd as a powenoil switch. 011 reterring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that closure of the cover 16 will force the plunger 37 inwardly and thus effectually cut off power from. the systeu'l.

In the upper casing 1 is a series of contacts 42 arranged to control any desired circuits in connection, for example, with signal means for interlocking arrangements for the track switch, and these contacts 42 are no erated by a rod 43 which is rocked through a crank 44- connected to a pull rod mount ed in a casing 2 and spring pressed inwardly by spring 46 to break connection at the contacts 42. This rod 45 cannot be operated until after the covcr'lG of easing 2 is opened and hence the mechanism both-in casing l and easing 2 is subject to control of the cover of casing 2.

A conduit 48 connects to casing 2, for carrying various lead-in wir s. The device just described is used in the following 11111111101. it is assumed that the switch operated by the lever 7 is positioned a considerable distaure from a signal tower the rod 7 being :lurnished with a single hole 8 for locking the switch, for example, only in. main lineposition. it a train, passing along the main line is to turn out into a siding controlled by the track switch in question, the track brake- 1111:11 opens the door oi. casing 2 and advises the tower man by pressing the button 3]., that it is desired to operate the switch to turn out position. The tower 1111111, it conditions be proper, energizes the motor in casing 26 so as to raise the latch 20, and upon raising of such latch, the tower man receives an indication that this has been done, by means controlled through a cirruit including the contacts 29 and 30. The switch man at the track then turns handle 15 through snibstantially 180 to thereby unlock the member 7, and in turning the ha die 15, a circuit controlled by the contacts 36 gives an indication to the tower man that the switch is unlocked. In passing, it should be noted that even though the tower 1111111 de cncrgizes the motor in casing 26 after he has received in torniation that the switch is unlocked, the latch 20 will still be lufltl in. its upper posit-ion, thus holding the .i'iulicatcd arm 22 in its upper position, and the latch 20 will not fall to its lower position until the handle 15 has been rocked back to within a tow degrees oi. the position shown in Fig. The track brakeman now throws the switch and then rocks the handle 15 in a clockwise direction just past a vertical position so that the handle is biased by means oil a counter weight 4-7, to the locking position the bolt 9 bcii 11g prevented from locking the switch lever 7, because the hole 8 is not in registry with the bolt at this time. W'ith the handle in the stated position the door 16 can be closed on the casing 2, the rib 17 just clearing the handle 15, after which the train proceeds onto the siding. The rear track switchman can now operate the track switch to main line position, whereupon, as soon as it hasreached its final position, the hole 8 registers with the bolt 9, which descends to lock the switch in. main line position and restore the various parts to the position shown in the drawing.

If desired, the rib 17 can be extended to cover the entire 180 of possible movement of handle 15, in which case, the cover 16 cannot be closed on its casing 2, until. after the track switch has been thrown to main line position, and the lock bolt 9, lowered into hole 8.

While the present invention has been described rather specifically, it should be understood that this description has been given solely by way of example, and is not intended, in any manner whatsoever, in a limiting sense. Obviously the invention can assume many physical forms, and is susceptible of various modifications, and it is intended to include in this invention all such forms and modifications as come within the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I now claim 1. In a switch lock, a switch operating lever, a lock bolt for the lever, a first casing containing, operating means for the bolt, a distant controlled detent for the operating means, distant communicating means adjacent the operating means, means for indicating at a distance, the operation of the distant controlled detent, and control and indication circuits controlled by the operat ing means, a second casing connected to, and communicating with, the first casing, switch means in the second casing operable only from within the first casing, and lockable doors on the casings.

2. In a switch look, a first casing, a switch operating lever, a lock bolt for the lever, operating means for the bolt, a distant controlled detent for the operating means, a door on the first casing, a second using connected to the first casing, an electric switch in the second casing, an operating rod in the first casing accessible only when the first casing door is open, and means connecting the rod to the electric switch.

3. In a switch look, a track switch operating lever, a bolt for locking the lever, a first casing, an operator for the bolt in the casing, said operator having a locking position, an unlocking position in which it is biased to locking position, and an unlocking position in which it is biased to unlocking position, a door on the casing, means to prevent closure of the door when the operator is in its last named position, a closed second casing connected to, and communicating with, the first casing, switch means in the second casing, and means inside the first casing, for operating the said switch means.

4. In a track switch lock, a switch operating lever, a lock bolt for the lever, a first casing containing, a manual operator for the bolt, a detent for preventing operation of the operator, distance controlled electrical means controllable b a tower man distant from the track switc for releasing the tie tent to permit manual operation of the switch, means at the switch for communicating with the tower man, tower indication circuits controlled respectively by the said electrical means, and by the manual operator, a second casing connected to the first casing, electric switch means in the second casing, and means, accessible only when the first casing is open, for operating the elec t-ric switch means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES E. STEPHENSON.

Images