US1779266A - Locking mechanism for switch stands - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 21, 1930. A. A. ADAMS LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SWITCH STANDS Filed March is, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "Patented Oct; 21 1 936 ARTHUR A. AnAiirs, o i-BRooKLmE, MAfSs CHUSE'rTs. AssIGNoR. To .n rnwAx sAifE'rY :swr'ncn LcxcoMBANY oF sEAT'rLE, WASHINGTON, A1 CORPORATION 01? 'WASH- FOR swxiron 'sTANns 'A neafion mea Maich,1 6,192 9. Serie1INo.347,666.

This invention relates to locking me chenisms for switch stands, and, with re to certain 'niore specific features theieof,"t0

key-operative detent 'rneehanism: suitably housed and proteetefdf V V The invention has particular application toswitch operatin" device's known as VertlCEtl switch stands" these stands being o fa typeingeneral use on railroadset thegpi'es w tt m 1 H 'The invention hasfor 'one ofi'ts .obje'ctsito provide an inexpensive, compact and highly e'flic'ient loeking me an -Sm "forfthefswiteh i the standard, equipment. "Wlillefthe inven-,

tion in' one of its aspects ihvolv'es tliisfdetach'able unit c'har'aeteris'tic, it, nevertheless, in other aspects has'feaitureswliiehlmiglit serve as well in ahousing integralfwith the switch stand. f Still another object is to so avrrange and associate the detent with "the stand thet i't operates directly in "conjunction with a "vet'- tically movable fc'hit'chfpert, fwhereby opening of the elutoh is directly ,prevemdfiby thede'teiit; f Another olijeet" o: the invention resides "in the provision of extremely simpleo emting I mechanism for controllingtheniovernents of the detent; this I mechanism heing i inexpensive to produce, easykto assemble, extremely sturdy and particularly 1 effet ive; in preventwing'movement of theiideteiitsexcept in an authorized/manner; Y v

The invention,- accordingly; consists in various features of construction, eombimtions of elements and anag-hgements of pai ts which will be -exeniplifiedl the construction hereinafter set ifejf'th zi'nd illustrated in the accoinpiinyih fdtawings; ffThej scope of "the: eppli'ezttion o the invention will be indicatedinthe;'eppended cliiifns. 7 p

' In th'e ftlrewihg'gfFigiire lfisfa; perspective upper flan.ge 132 end a bolt hole v flange 32 extends alongthe 'plate ill-and then mec'han'is'in shown in another position;

I-Figu're 4 is a sectional view of the-deten mechanism taken substantiallyalong the-line 4 4 of Figure 2. i r

Figures 5, 6, 7 and8 are operative mechanism. I

Refernng now more particularly to the draw1ngs, there is indicated in "Figure 1 2.

switch standhaving i1 pedestal "lllfth'e upper end of which is provided with a square-d recess 11. The pedestal is-provided with a suitable our'nal, not shown, and a' cylindrical views of the keyportionl2 of a spindle 13. The s'pindl'eis I squaredthroughout the mzijor p'ortion of its length and is ieX'teriorly fitted with a squer'ed member 14 andsecured thereto byia -bolt 15 passingthrough a bolt hole in the squared member 14:, a part otthebolt serving is a; key

in a: semi-cylindrical groove 16 formedin the spindle 13, as shown in Figure 2-. The ineln- I her ltlias at the top an extended and curved arm 17, the end of which providese'ineans for pivotally supporting a 'foi'ked iswit'ch-operating lever 18, the forkeitl ends 19 of which zttthe -hottom end ofthe elutch body isadaptto be inoved into and out of position i wltllll l'tlle squared recess ;1'1 of the pedestal.

The qmechanfisin' as so "fer-described, 'i's at present standard equipment, inoluding the Bolt 15'] ReferringnowtoFigure 2. 3 1nd 4 (if-the,drawings 2 c'ast liousing 30-isffornied with a'laterzilly extending plate 3l hav-ing=en The at-right'angles as indicated a t'ii l. @n the ""front sidfe of the housing-there is another shprt liiterally extending flenge35 (see Fig- 1 provide a yokeembracin a ve'rtieal "ni'ovehle cluth'body21*betwen upper and lo'wer lugs '22 and 23 formed onopposite sides of the *clutch body" at'the upper end thereof. The clutch biody' has slidingsleeve'actionon the i squared member 14' u'nderfthe control of the lever 18.. By this action','a cliit'ch'element'24:

ure 1). Thesefiangesare formedto fit around the sides and top of the squared member 14 of the switch stand. The original bolt 15 may be removed and a slightly longer bolt substituted to accommodate the thickness of the flange 31. In this way the housing is secure ly fixed to the switch stand by the substitute bolt 15.

The cast housing has a hollow body 36 rounded at the top, as indicated at- 37, and formed with depending hollow arm 38, partially closed by an angle plate 39 separately produced and fitted to the housing. A cast web 40 divides the attached portion of the housing from the portion which contains the actuating locking mechanism.

The housing 30 is provided with bo x ll which is bored to receive a barrel 42 con .ining a key-operative mechanism, indicmed generally at 43, in Figures 5, 6 and 8. The forward face of the barrel 42 has pivoted thereon a spring pressed guard 44 normally held in position over a key hole 45 in the barrel. The guard is provided on one face with one or more irregularities 46 adapted to conform to the side of a key 47, whereby the. key may be located against the guard and used to move the same against the spring pressure until the key hole is exposed, whereupon the key may be fitted to the actuating mechanism in the barrel.

The key-operative mechanism comprises a crank 50, having a crank pin 51, to which is loosely connected, as at 52, :1 depending link 53. The lower end of the link is formed with extending bosses 54 on either side of the link, and these bosses are adapted to ride up and down in the housing between a wall thereof and a detent member 56, which is pivoted in the housing at 57. This detent member has a locking nose 58, a shank 59, and a laterally extending bifurcated arm formed on its lower side, as at 61, to receive the lugs 54 of link 53.

The operation of the dveice is follows. Assuming the switch stand to be in a normal locked position with the clu ch body 21 down and the squared clutch member in the squared recess 11 of the pedestal 12, the switch lever 18 will be in a lowered position with respect to that shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The operator inserts his key into the barrel 42, turns the key substantially 180 degrees, moving the crank 50 of the key-operative mechanism from the position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings to that shown in Figure 3. This lifts the link 58, which picks up the laterally extending arm 60 of detent 59, swinging it around the pivot 57, withdrawing the detent nose 5 8 entirely within the hollow arm 38 of the housing. This removes. the opposition to the upward move ment of the clutch body 21. The operator now raises the switch lever 18, which pivots around a bolt 20, and this, by reason of its engagement with lugs 22, raises the clutch body 21 separating the squared clutch part 24 from its engagement with the pedestal 10. The lever 18 is then moved rotatively, carrying with it the spindle 12, which latter is connected to the switch rail to be operated. This. movement may be through an arc of ninety degrees or one hundred and eighty degrees as desired, after which the lever arm may be dropped, allowing the clutch body to reset itself within the pedestal. During this movement, the key 47 is retained within the lock, but may now be removed by reversing the direction of movement of the key, which atlects a corresponding reverse movement of the crank lever 50 and a downward movement of the link 58. During this downward movement, the bosses 54 of link 53 have a wedging action between the wall 55 of the housing and the shank 59 of the detent. This urges the detentin the opposite direction around pivot protrudesthe nose 58 of the detent again into the path of the clutch body 21, and at this point the operators key may be withdrawn and the detentis reset in looking position. The locking movement of the detent is limited by engage ment of one side of the shank 59 with the angle plate 39. In the locking position, the

bosses 54 are positioned between the shank 59 of the detent and the Wall 55 of the housing. This prevents movement of the detent to unlocking position even under conditions.

of extreme leverage applied to the detent nose. It is to be noted, however, that the detentnose is positioned at this time against one face of the squared member 14, so that it is practically impossible to apply substantial leverage to the detent nose.

WVhile it is not claimed that any part of the present invention resides in the specific keyoperated device contained within the barrel 42, this mechanism has been shown somewhat in detail for the purpose of illustrating the point that the operation of the detent in both directions is dependent upon movement of the key in both directions, and also that the key is held against withdrawal except when the detent nose is in locking position. A key tang is inserted through the key hole 45, which simultaneously its the hollow stem 71 of the key over a reduced end 72 of an arbor 73. A dog 74 is pivoted at 7 5 on a partition 76 fixed in thebarrel at the rear thereof. This dog is spring pressed into the position shown in Figure 6 by a spring 7 7 Rotation of the key on the arbor 78 brings the tang of the key against the edge 7 8 of a flange 7 9 on the arbor. Continued rotation of the key carries with it the flange, the arbor and the crank 50 fixed to the arbor, after first releasing the locking lug 80 on the dog 74 from its engagement with the arbor. It will be obvious that the key may not be withdrawn until rotated in the reverse direction, during which action the Opposite side of the tang picks up an edge 81 on the flange 7 9 of the arbor, and moves the arbor in the opposite direction relocating the detent through the mechanism previously described. The key may then be withdrawn from thebarrel.

Attention is directed to the fact that the locking mechanism is extremely compact and sturdy, and that the action of the detent nose is directly upon the vertical movable clutch. The detent when locked, although with an exposed part, is nevertheless protected and reenforced in such a way that unauthorized manipulation is substantially impossible.

What I claim is 1. A switch stand for railroads, having in combination, a housing having a key-operative mechanism and a detent controlled by said mechanism, a lever and connections for throwing a switch, clutch means controlled by movement of the lever, the detent being arranged for movement toward and away from the clutch means respectively to lock and unlock the clutch.

2. A switch stand, having in combination, an operating lever, a clutch part movable by said lever, a housing having a key-operative mechanism therein, and a detent member movable into and out of locking position under control of the key-operative mechanism, said housing being at a. location on the stand that presents the detent opposite the ing position projected out of the housin and C) a link in thekey-operative mechanism having a wedging action between the housing and the detent to move the latter to locking position. 7. In a locking device for switch stands, a housing having a key-operative mechanism therein, a detent pivotally mounted in said housing, having a depending arm with laterally oii'set lockingnose and having also a laterally extending arm, a member in the keyoperated mechanism providing a wedge movable between a wall of the housing and said depending arm to throw the locking nose to locking position, said member being adapted,

'in an opposite direction of movement to pick up the laterally extending arm and Withdraw the locking nose.

7 ARTHUR A. ADAMS.

clutch part and prevents movement thereof by the lever until the detent to unlocking position.

3. In a switch stand, in combination, a spindle, a sleeve arranged for rotary movement therewith but movable longitudinally relatively to the spindle, a lever foretfecting both said movements, connections from the lever to a switch rail, and a housing on'the stand containing a movable detent and a keyoperative mechanism for moving the detent, one movement of the detent being to a position in the path of the longitudinal movement of the sleeve.

4;. A housing unit for application to a switch stand, said unit having a key-operative mechanism, a movable detent connected to said mechanism and a nose on said detent protruding from said housing for locking, and retractible into the housing for unlocking.

A housing unit for application to a switch stand, said unit having a pivoted detent and a key-operative mechanism for moving the same to locking and unlocking positions, the pivoted. detent having a cam face and an arm laterally extending from the face, a link in said key-operative mechanism having a member movable between an inner face of the housing and the cam face of the detent to move ti 2 detent to locking position, said is key-operated member being adapted upon reverse action of the key-operative mechanism to pick up the

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