US1714274A - Switch lock - Google Patents

Description

May 21, 1929.

C. C. MITCHE LL SWITCH LOCK Filed Jan. 13, 1928 v //v VEA/TOR 2a WM 6 MITCHELL.

MLv-QM ATTORNEY V Fetented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES CLYDE C. MITCHELL, OF MARION. OHIO.

SWITCH LOCK.

Application filed January 13, 1928.

This invention relates to a switch lock and is designed primarily for the purpose of positively locking the switch points against movement when the switch actuating lever is in its normal or closed position.

One object of the invention is to provide such a device which will be simple in its construction and operation and will positively hold the switch points against movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device in which the position of the switch operating lever will in part be controlled by the locking device, thereby preventing the return of the lever to its normal position when the locking device is in an inoperative position.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which, together with its connecting mechanism, will be so arranged that it will not be liable to injury by equipment or parts dragging from a car, or the like.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described in detail.

gr, In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a plan view of a switch lock embodying my invention, showing the same in connection with a railway switch; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the track showing the locking 30 mechanism in elevation; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a locking mechanism taken transversely to the track; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the locking mechanism taken parallel to the track.

In these drawin s I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown the same in connection with a railway switch of the standard type. It will be understood that this embodiment has been chosen for the purpose of illustration only, that the mecha nism may take various forms and may be applied to switches of various kinds without departing from the spirit of the invention.

As shownin Fig. 1, the switch comprises the usual movable switch points 5 which are connected at points more or less remote from their ends with an actuating rod 6 which in turn is connected with a switch stand 7. A weighted lever 8 mounted on the switch stand is operatively connected with the actuating rod 6 in such a manner that when the lever is moved to a position on one side of the switch stand the switch points will be moved to their closed positions and when the lever 56 is moved to a position on the other side of the switch stand the points will be moved to Serial No. 246,409.

their open positions. The switch stand and its associated operating mechanism are of a well known type and need not be here illustrated or described in detail.

The locking mechanism comprises a sup porting structure here shown in the form of a housing 9 having in the lower portion thereof a guideway 10 extending transversely to the switch. Mounted in this guideway is a locking bar, one end of which is connected with the switch points. The locking bar is here shown as comprising a main or lower portion 11 which extends below the supporting structure or housing 9 and is connected at its inner end with a lug 12 depending from a connecting bar or head rod 13 which is rigidly secured to the switch points near the ends thereof. The outer end of the locking bar extends beyond the lock housing and is bent upwardly and inwardly so as to provide an upper portion 14 arranged parallel with the lower portion 11 and this upper portion is slidably mounted in the guideway 10 of the lock housing. By thus constructing and arranging the locking bar so that it may extend beneath the lock housing the bar may be located between adjacent ties and at such a distance below the tops thereof that it will not be struck by dragging car equipment or other parts which may be moved along the track close to the ties.

The housing 9 is mounted on a fixed support or base adjacent to the switch stand and is preferably provided in its upper portion with a recess 15 adapted to receive the switch lever 8 when the latter has been actuated to move the switch points to their normal or closed positions. The lock housing ismounted in such relation to the switch stand that the operating lever when in the recess will occupy its normal or horizontal position and to this end the base or supporting ties for the switch stand may be cut away to permit the lock housing to be mounted in proper relation thereto. Any suitable means may be provided for retaining the operating lever in the recess and, as here shown, a latch 16 is pivotally mounted on the housing 9 at 17, on one side of the recess 15, and has a slot 18 to receive a lug 19 extending upwardly from the housing on the other side of the slot. This lug is apertured to receive the hasp of a padlock 20, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper portion 14 of the locking rod, which is slidably mounted in the guideway 10, is provided with a locking recess which, in the present instance, consists of an ll'iOl'l'Ul'O 21 extending through the flat upper portion of the bar. Slidably mounted in the housing and movable into and out of the locking recess 21 is a locking member 22. As shown, this locking member is in the term of a bolt or plunger slidably mounted at it lower portion in an apertnred lug 23, ere tending inwardly from one wall of the housing, and having its upper end slidably mounted in an opening 24 in the bottom wall of the recess 15, the arrangement being such that when the locking member has been moved to its inoperative position. to release the locking bar, it will extend into the recess such a distance as to prevent the operating lever 8 being moved to its normal position, thus preventing the latch 16 irom being moved to a locking position. In the present instance, the plunger 22 has an enlarged head 25 arranged within the recess 15 and serving to limit the downward movement of the plunger. This head is spaced from the top of the recess such a distance that when the 'ilunger or looking member is in its opcrative position the operating lever may lully enter the recess and many be locked therein by the latch 16.

Any suitable means may be provided tor actuating the locking member 22. In the present instance, a lever 26 is pivotally mounted on lugs 27 on the outer side or the housing and is pivotally connected with a locking member or plunger above the guide lug 23. The outer end of the lever extends some distance beyond the housing and is provided with a foot piece 28 to enable it to be operated by the foot of the operator. A stop or stud 29 is mounted on the inner porhe re tion of the lever 26 and arranged to e ge a fixed part oi? the housing, such as the nettom wall of the recess 15, and thus prevent the lun er from bein moved uiwardlv tai- D b enough to withdraw it from the guide lug 22- The operating lever 8 :tor the switch has a certain amount of lost motion which is ficient to permitthe end oi the lever to he raised an inch or two before movement imparted to the switch actuating'rod t n this lost motion in the lever enables the looking member or plunger to be moved into operative position after the switch has been closed and before the lever has assumed its tinal position, and also to be moved to its inopci'zn tive position before the lever imparts movement to the switch points. \Vhcn it is desired to open the switch the operating lever is roleased by removing the padlock and the oper-- ating lever is then lifted a short dis ncc, to the extent of its lost motion, either by hand or by means of the foot lever 26. When the lever has thus been raised the locking memher is withdrawn from the locking bar to release the switch points and the operating lever may then be thrown over. to its opposite position to open the switch. As the switch is moved. to its open position the locking recess will move out of line with the plunger and when the lever 26 has been released this plunger will rest upon the upper surface of the part 14L of the locking bar. Vhen the operating lever is thrown over to a postion to close the switch the locking recess will be again moved into line with the plunger and the plunger will drop into the same but the operating lever cannot be fully seated in the recess 15 or locked in that position until the locking plunger has entered the locking recess.

While I have shown and described one embodiment oi my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to belimited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

*l aving now fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. in a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, a structure having a guideway, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch points and having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a locking recess, a locking member mounted on said structure for movement into and out oi? said locking recess and having a part arranged to extend into the path of said switch operating lever when said locking member is in its inoperative position, and means for actuating said locking member.

2. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, a structure having a guideway, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch points and having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a locking recess, a locking member mounted on said structure for movement into and out of said locking recess and having a part arranged to extend into the path of said switch operating lever when said locking member is in ts inoperative position, means for actuating said locking member, and means'tor looking said operating lever and said locking member against movement whensaid lockllijf member is in its operative position.

25. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever. a structure having a guideway, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch points and having a part slidably mounted in said, guideway and provided with a locking recess, a locking member mounted on said structure for movement into and out of said locking recess and having a part so arranged with relation to the operating lever that said lever will be prevented from completing' its movement when said locking me1nher is in its inoperative position and said looking member will be retained in its operative position by said lever when the latter has completed its movement.

In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, a structure having a guideway, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch points and having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a locking recess, a locking member mounted 011 said structure for movement into and out of said locking recess and having a part so arranged with relation to the operating lever that said lever will be prevented from completing its movement when said locking member is in its inoperative position and said locking member will be retained in its operative position by said lever when the latter has completed its movement, and means carried by said structure for locking said operatin g lever in its final position.

5. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, a structure having a guideway and having a recess to receive said oper ating lever, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch points and having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a recess, a locking member mounted on said structure for movement into and out of the recess in said bar and so arranged that one end thereof will extend into the recess in i said structure when said locking member is withdrawn from the recess in said bar, and means for actuating said locking member.

6. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, a structure having a guideway and having a recess to receive said operating lever, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch points and having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a recess, a locking member mounted on said structure for movement into and out of the recess in said bar and so arranged that one end thereof will extend into the recess in said structure when said locking member is withdrawn from the recess in said bar, means for actuating said locking member, a latch ivotally mounted on said structure and a apted to be moved across the outer end of the recess in said structure, and means to lock said latch in said position.

7. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, a structure having a guideway and having a recess to receive said operating lever, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch points and having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a recess, a plunger mounted on said structure for movement into and out of the recess in said bar and having one end slidably mounted in the wall of the recess in said structure, said plunger being of such length that when withdrawn from the recess in said bar it will project into the recess in said structure such a distance as to prevent said operating lever from being seated therein.

8. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, a structure having a guideway and having a recess to receive said operating lever, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch points and having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a recess, a plunger mounted in said structure for movement into and out of the recess in said bar and having one end slidably mounted in the wall of the recess in said structure, said plunger being of such length that when withdrawn from the recess in said bar it will project into the recess in said structure such a distance as to prevent said operating lever from being seated therein, and a foot lever pivotally mounted on said structure and operatively connected with said plunger.

9. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, a housing having a guideway in the lower portion thereof and having a recess in the upper portion thereof to receive said operating lever, a bar adapted to have one end connected with the switch points and having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a recess, the bottom wall of said recess having a guide opening therein, a plunger slidably mounted in said guide opening for movement into and out of the recess in said bar, and means for actuating said plunger.

10. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, a housing having a guideway in the lower portion thereof and having a recess in the upper portion thereof to receive said operating lever, a bar adapted to have one end connected with the switch points having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a recess, the bottom wall of said recess having a guide opening therein, a plunger slidably mounted in said guide opening for movement into and out of the recess in said bar, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on one wall of said housing and having one end extending 1nto said housing and operatively connected with said plunger.

11. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, a housing having a guideway in the lower portion thereof and having a recess in the upper portion thereof to receive said operating lever, a bar adapted to have one end connected with the switch points and having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a recess, the bottom wall of said recess having a guide opening therein, a plunger slidably mounted in said guide opening for movement into and out of the recess in said bar, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on one wall of said housing and having one end extending into said housing and operatively connected with said plunger, and a part connected with said lever to engage a fixed part of said housing and limit the upward movement of said plunger.

12. In a switch locking device, a structure having a guideway, a locking bar having a lower portion arranged below'said structure and having its inner end adapted to be connected with the switch points, said bar also having an upper portion connected with the outer end of said lower part and slidzilil' y mounted in suid guidewny, said upper purl having :1 locking recess and a locking ine1nher mounted on said structure tor movement into and out of said locking recess.

13. In a switch looking device, :1 structure having a guideway, a locking bar arranged below said structure adapted to have its in ner end connected with the switch points and having its outer portion bent upwardly and inwardly and slidably mounted in said guidewzy, the last mentioned part of said her having it looking recess, and a plunger slidzibly mounted in said structure for movement into and out of said locking recess.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

CLYDE C. MITCHELL.

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