US499459A - Switch-lock - Google Patents

Description

P. P. HILBURN.

SWITCH LOCK.

(N0 Model.)

No. 499,459. I Patented June 13, 1893.

m m. V 11W.

- ATTORNEY.

I WITNESSES.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK P. HILBURN, OF ANNAPOLIS, MISSOURI.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,459, dated June 13, 1893. Application filed March 8. 1893- Serial No, 465,115. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK P. HILBURN, of Annapolis, in the county of Iron and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Locks; and I. do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it'appertains to make and usethe same, reference being bad to the accompany ing drawings, and to the letters of reference.

marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in switch locks. The object of the invention is to provide an lmproved switch lock, exceedingly cheap, simple, and durable in construction and composed of a minimum number of parts and whereby the padlock and chain generally used can be entirely dispensed with and all of the operative and locking parts of the device can beentirely inclosed, and thereby protected against breakage and the destructive influences of the elements.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in combinations of parts more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation showing the switch stand and switch operating mechanism, my invention being shown applied. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of my invention applied to the operating shaft of the switch, showing portions of the stand, and the handle controlling the switch shaft.

In the drawings the reference letter a, indicates any suitable base or support.

12 indicates the switch stand in which the vertical rock shaft d, is journaled. This shaft has a crank or other means at its lower end connected with the switch barf, so that said bar is reciprocated by rocking said shaft. This shaft has a suitable signal or semaphore g at its upper end.

It, indicates a hollow block or arm rigidly secured to said switch shaft and extending laterally therefiom at the top of and beyond the switch stand.

which is pivoted at its upper end at j, within said block so that said handle can be swung up to a horizontal position to form a continuation of said block to permit turning of the switch shaft, or, so that said handle can drop to a vertical position as shown in Fig. 2 into a notch m, in the upper edge of the switch stand. When in this position the block and shaft are locked against swinging movement by means of said handle resting in the notch.

Now it is the object of, this invention to provide improved means for locking this handle in this position so that the switch cannot be thrown in any direction. To this end the upper end of the switch operating handle or lever is preferably provided with a shoulder or stop n, and the outer edge of the lever extending outwardly from said shoulder or stop is curved or rounded, see 0, in the form of a segment. However this is not absolutely necessary, as the only necessary thing is to provide the upper end of the operating handle with some kind of a projection, shoulder or stop for the purpose hereinafter mentioned.

This partof the lever justmentioned is pref-' erably located above the pivotal point of the lever within the block rigid with the switch shaft.

A suitable latch is provided to hold the switch operating handle in locked position in the notch in the switch stand and any suitable locking mechanism is provided for the latch. The preferred form of latch is that shown in Fig. 2 wherein the latch 19, is located above the upper end of the switch operating lever or handle and is pivoted at one end at p in the block before mentioned and is provided with the notch or shoulder q, adapted to drop down in front of and engage the stop '11, of the switch operating handle, so as to prevent said handle being swung up and to lock the handle in the notch of the switch stand. This latch'extends beyond the upper end of the lever above or into the path of a suitable lock or raising mechanism 25. This latch is so pivoted as to swing vertically from the upper end of said handle so as to permit the handle to be swung up out ofthe notch of the switch stand so that the switch can be thrown. WVhen the latch is swung up so that its stop or shoulder q disengages the shoulder n, of the handle the latch glides on the curved end of the lever so that when the lever or handle is dropped the shoulder of the latch will automatically drop down in front of the shoulder of the switch operating handle and will thus automatically lock the handle in position. This latch is free to rise and fall under the action of gravity or spring q, and its normal position is down on the lever.

Any suitable raising mechanism or means can be employed to raise the latch from the handle or lever of the switch. The mechanism here shown consists of the vertically movable block t, confined in a suitable casing in the outer end of the arm or block 71.. The free or outer end of the latch 19 extends into a recess 3, or above the upper end of this block so that when the block is in its normal low est position the latch will be in its normal position locking the handle, and when the block is raised the latch will also be raised to release the handle. This block is normally held in its normal position by means of a spring catch to, adapted to engage a keeper v, in the bottom of the casing for the sliding block. This catch can be if desired operated by the spring 10. The outer end of the arm h, or the casing for the sliding block is provided with a suitable key hole a and the sliding block is also provided with a recess or opening to receive the key, and the spring catch u is so located and arranged, and the opening in the block to receive the key is so arranged that when the key is fitted in the key hole and is turned the tongue of the key will engage said spring catch and will release the same from its keeper and will at the same time raise the sliding block and release the latch. hen the key has been removed from this lifting mechanism or look after the latch has been raised to release the lever the slide block will automatically drop to its normal position and the catch will engage its keeper and thereby lock the block in lowered position, and when the switch handle has been dropped it also drops to its normal position between the lugs or in the notch of the switch stand and the latch drops down and automatically locks the lever or handle.

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction of lifting mechanism or look for the latch, nor do I wish to limit myself to any particular construction of latch, and it is evi dent that various changes might be made in the forms, constructions and arrangements of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence 499,4 gse I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction here shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination of a switch stand, a switch shaft having a lateral arm, the swinging operating handle carried by said arm and adapted to lock the arm against movement when dropped to engage the switch stand, a vertically movable latch to engage and hold said handle in dropped position, said latch being pivoted in said lateral arm above said operating handle, and extending outwardly beyond the same and mechanism substantially as described, movably located in the outer end of said lateral arm in operative relation to the extended end of said latch so as when operated by a key to raise the latch to release said handle so that the arm and shaft can be operated, substantially as described.

2. A switch lock comprising the lateral arm rigid with the shaft, the handle pivoted in said arm and adapted to engage the switch stand, a vertically movable latch adapted to hold said handle in lowered position and in engagement with the switch stand, and a sliding key operated block arranged to raise said latch from the handle, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the switch stand, a switch shaft, a lateral arm rigid with the switch shaft, the swinging handle pivoted in said arm and arranged to engage the switch stand when lowered to lock the shaft and arm, a vertically movable latch in said arm having a shoulder to engage the upper end of said handle and lock the handle in lowered position, said latch having an extended end, and a vertically movable switch operating block in engagement with said end, and adapted to raise the latch from said handle so that the handle can be raised from the switch stand substantially as described.

4:. In a switch lock, the latch raising mechanism consisting of a sliding block in a casing provided with the spring catch arranged to engage a keeper in the casing, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

FRANK P. I-IILBURN.

Witnesses:

W. R. LENCE, G. D. ALEXANDER.

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