US3866446A

US3866446A - Locking handle cock

Info

Publication number: US3866446A
Authority: US
Inventors: Luther H Lemley
Original assignee: WILLEM CORP
Current assignee: WILLEM CORP
Priority date: 1972-10-26
Filing date: 1972-10-26
Publication date: 1975-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 1992-02-18

Abstract

A lockable valve used in a pneumatic line extending between adjacent railroad cars. The valve has a main body with a passage extending therethrough. A blocking member is pivotally mounted to the main body and extends across the passage. A handle is mounted externally to the blocking member and may be pivoted with the blocking member to and from a first position wherein fluid flow through the passage is allowed and to and from a second position wherein fluid flow through the passage is blocked by the member. The handle and blocking member have depending ears which are positionable against a projection and a ledge on the main body. In order to pivot the handle and blocking member to and from the first position and second position, the handle must be pivoted upward past the ledge and projection. A cylinder lock is mounted to the handle and has a movable cam which may be lockingly positioned beneath the ledge to prevent movement of the handle to the upward position thereby preventing movement of the blocking member from the first position to the second position.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 Lemley 1 1 Feb. 18, 1975 1 LOCKING HANDLE COCK [75] inventor: Luther H. Lemley, Lafayette, Ind.

[73] Assignee: Willem Corporation, Rushville, Ind.

[22] Filed: Oct. 26, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 301,164

[52] US. Cl. 70/176 [51] Int. Cl. Fl6k 35/00 [58] Field of Search 70/175, 176, 177, 178,

Primary Examiner-Werner H. Schroeder Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Woodard, Weikart, Emhardt 8L Naughton ABSTRACT A lockable valve used in a pneumatic line extending between adjacent railroad cars. The valve has a main body with a passage extending therethrough. A blocking member is pivotally mounted to the main body and extends across the passage. A handle is mounted externally to the blocking member and may be pivoted with the blocking member to and from a first position wherein fluid flow through the passage is allowed and to and from a second position wherein fluid flow through the passage is blocked by the member. The handle and blocking member have depending ears which are positionable against a projection and a ledge on the main body. In order to pivot the handle and blocking member to and from the first position and second position, the handle must be pivoted upward past the ledge and projection. A cylinder lock is mounted to the handle and has a movable cam which may be lockingly positioned beneath the ledge to prevent movement of the handle to the upward position thereby preventing movement of the blocking member from the first position to the second position.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEU FEB 1 8 I975 sum 10F 5 PATENTED f 3,866,446

' SHEET 2 OF 3 LOCKING HANDLE COCK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention is in the field of locking stop cocks.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the event that an angle cock in the railroad train brake pipe has been closed by an unauthorized person or has been negligently closed, the engineer will lose control of the brakes of the train especially if the angle cock is closed near the head end of the train. Serious accidents are then liable to happen since the engineer cannot apply the brakes to stop the train in case of necessity. To prevent the unauthorized or accidental movement of the angle cock, a locking handle cock was devised and is disclosed in the US. Pat. No. 1,447,651 issued to C. C. Farmer. Another such lock is disclosed in the US. Pat. No. 852,303 issued to C. H. Thompson. Three other different types of locks are disclosed in the following US. Pat. Nos: 606,680 issued to M. OSullivan; 724,912 issued to F. H. Mobley; and 838,308 issued to S. H. Dunning.

Over the years, the design of the valve which is used in the pneumatic line of the railroad train has been changed and improved. Thus, the locks which were previously available are not easily adaptable to the new structures. As a result, the valves or stop cocks presently in use are not provided with any means for locking the valves in the opened position. Disclosed herein is an improvement over the prior art locking stop cocks in that the lock disclosed herein may be very readily mounted to the existing valves or stop cocks presently in use. As a result, it is unnecessary to completely replace the stop cocks as would be necessary if some of the prior art locks were utilized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One embodiment of the present invention is in a valve used in a pneumatic line extending between adjacent railroad cars, the valve having a tubular main body with an inlet, an outlet and a passage extending therebetween, the valve also having a blocking member pivotally mounted to the main body and extending across the passage, the valve further having handle means mounted to the blocking member, the means being operable to pivot the blocking member to and from a first position wherein fluid flow through the passage is allowed and to and from a second position wherein fluid flow through the passage is blocked by the blocking member, the main body having a ledge with a first stop surface and a projection with a second stop surface, the handle means having a handle pivotally mounted to the member being pivotable to and from a downward position and an upward position. the handle having a first depending ear and the member having a second depending ear, the first and second ear positioned adjacent and between respectively the second stop surface and the first stop surface when the handle is in the downward position and the member is in the first position preventing movement of the member from the first position to the second position, the handle being movable to the upward position whereupon the handle and the member may be then pivoted to the second position wherein the improvement comprises lock means mounted to the handle being operable to lock the handle to the ledge preventing movement of the handle from the downward position to the upward position when the member is in the first position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved locking stop cock.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lock which may be easily mounted to the existing valves or stop cocks in use on railroad train cars.

Yet another object of the present invention is to pro-' vide a valve for use in the pneumatic lines which extend between adjacent railroad cars which may be easily locked in the open position.

Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. I, there is shown a valve which is used in a pneumatic line which extends between adjacent railroad cars. The tubular main body 11 of valve 10 is provided with an inlet 12 and an outlet 13 with passage 19 extending therebetween. End 13 is provided with external threads 14 for receiving an internally threaded collar 15 to secure the main body to the pneumatic line at end 13. End I2 is also coupled to the pneumatic line in a conventional manner.

Pivotally mounted to body 11 is a blocking member 17 which extends across passage 19. Handle 16 is pivotally connected to member 17 and is movable from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 5. Fluid flow through passage 19 is not blocked by member 17 when handle 16 is aligned with the main body; however, when the handle is turned to the sideways position as shown in FIG. 5, the blocking member is pivoted so as to completely extend across and block passage 19. Cap plate 18 is mounted to main body 11 and provides the pivotable mounting of blocking member 17. A variety of means may be utilized for the pivotal mounting of member 17. In addition, a variety of means may be utilized to insure the blockage of passage 19 when member 17 is pivoted to the second position (FIG. 5). For example, blocking member 17 may be sufficiently thin so as to not block passage 19 when it is pivoted to the first position as shown in FIG. 1 whereas the blocking member may have a sufficiently large width to block passage 19 when it is pivoted to the second position shown in FIG. 5.

Handle 16 is provided with a hole 24 through which member 17 projects (FIG. 2). Member 17 has extension 20 rigidly secured thereto which pivotally receives portion 21 (FIG. 1) of handle 16. Pin 22 extends through portion 21 and extension 20 providing for the pivotal mounting of the handle and thereby allowing the handle to be pivoted from a downward position to an upward position.

The main body of the valve is provided with a ledge 26 (FIG. 4) which has a stop surface 27. In addition, projection 32 is provided on main body 11 and has a stop surface 33 (FIG. 1). Handle 16 is provided with two depending ears 28 and 30 (FIG. 3) whereas member 17 is provided with depending car 34 (FIG. 4).

Ears

34 and 30 are positioned adjacent and between stop surfaces 27 and 33 when the handle is in the downward position and blocking member 17 is in the first position corresponding to the location of the handle as shown in FIG. 1, thereby allowing fluid flow through the passage. As a result, movement of the handle is prevented to the second position as shown in FIG. since

ears

34 and 30 contact stop surfaces 27 and 33. In order to move the handle to this second position shown in FIG. 5, the handle is pivoted upward allowing surface 31, ear 30 to move upwardly over projection 32 past stop surface 33 and is then rotated with the blocking member to the position shown in FIG. 5 with the handle then being pivoted to the downward position as shown in FIG. 5. As a result, fluid flow through the passage is blocked. In the blocked position,

ears

28 and 34 are positioned between and adjacent stop surfaces 27 and 33 thereby preventing movement of the handle to the first position until the handle is pivoted upward and then rotated.

To prevent accidental or unauthorized movements of handle 16, the improvement is to mount a cylinder lock 41 to the fiat portion 40 (FIG. 5) of handle 16 immediately adjacent hole 24 and over ledge 26 when the handle is in the position corresponding to the open position. Cylinder lock 41 may be a conventional lock having a top flange preventing movement of the lock completely through the handle and being secured on the bottom side of the handle by a conventional hexagonally shaped nut 44. The lock is operable when the appropriate key is inserted and turned to pivot a cam 45 beneath ledge 26 and adjacent to the bottom surface 47 of the ledge. As a result, handle 16 is prevented from pivoting to the upward position and thus, the handle and blocking member may not be pivoted to the closed position. This is true since surface 49 of ear 34 is adjacent to stop surface 27, ear 30 is adjacent to stop surface 33 and cam 45 is beneath and adjacent surface 47. It should be noted that the thickness 43 of portion 40 of the handle is sufficiently thin so as to allow for the easy insertion of the cylinder lock. As a result, presently utilized valves may be easily modified with the cylinder lock.

While in the open position 26 shown in FIG. 5, the lock is not operable to secure the handle in the downward position; however, stop surface 29 of ear 28 is positioned adjacent to stop surface 27 thereby preventing the accidental movement of the handle back to the open position unless the handle is first pivoted to the upward position. Likewise, surface 31 of ear 30 prevents the handle from being pivoted to the closed position unless the lock is first unlocked and the handle is then pivoted upward. Member 17 is provided with an extension 23 which extends into recess 25 (FIG. 2) of the handle thereby allowing the handle to contact the blocking member at extension 20 as well as extension 23 providing for ease of movement of the blocking member. Extension 23 extends downwardly forming ear 34.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected;

I claim:

1. In a valve used in a pneumatic line extending between adjacent railroad cars, said valve having a tubular main body with an inlet, an outlet and a passage extending therebetween, said valve also having a blocking member pivotally mounted to said main body and extending across said passage, said valve further having handle means mounted to said blocking member, said means being operable to pivot said blocking member to and from a first position wherein fluid flow through said passage is allowed and to and from a second position wherein fluid flow through said passage is blocked by said blocking member, said main body having a ledge with a first stop surface and a projection with a second stop surface, said handle means having a handle pivotally mounted to said member being pivotable to and from a downward position and an upward position, said handle having a first depending ear and said member having a second depending ear, said first and second ear positioned adjacent and between respectively said second stop surface and said first stop surface when said handle is in said downward position and said member is in said first position preventing movement of said member from said first position to said second position, said handle includes a flat top wall having a slot extending therethrough with said second ear of said member extending through said slot, said handle being movable to said upward position whereupon said handle and said member may be then pivoted to said second position wherein the improvement comprises lock means mounted to said handle being operable to lock said handle to said ledge preventing movement of said handle from said downward position to said upward position when said member is in said first position, said locking means is a cylinder lock mounted to said flat top wall adjacent said slot with said cylinder lock having a movable cam wall movable beneath said ledge.

2. The valve of claim 1 wherein:

said handle has a third depending ear positionable against said first stop surface while said second depending ear is positioned against said second stop surface when said handle is in said downward position and said member is in said second position preventing movement of said member to said first position while said handle is in said downward position;

said means is operable by a key fittable into said cylinder lock.

Claims

2. The valve of claim 1 wherein: said handle has a third depending ear positionable against said first stop surface while said second depending ear is positioned against said second stop surface when said handle is in said downward position and said member is in said second position preventing movement of said member to said first position while said handle is in said downward position; said means is operable by a key fittable into said cylinder lock.