US522219A - Switch-lock - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

I). LAVERY. SWITCH LOOK.

No. 522,219. Patented July 3,1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC DAVID LAVERY, or K'ANKAKEE, ILLINOIS.

SWITCH-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,219, dated July 3, 1894.

Applicationfiledlebruary17,189fl. SerialNo.500,449. (NomodelJ To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID LAVERY, of Kankakee, in the county'of Kankakee and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and;

to the letters of reference marked thereon,-

which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic or spring locks for railroad switch stands, and it consists in the matters hereinlock. Fig. 6 is a plan View of this form of switch stand. I;

The form of stand illustratedin Figs 1, 2

' and 3 is of an ordinary type comprising an after set forth and pointed out in the apoperating lever A 'pivotally secured-to asuit tion. Said lever isoperatively connected with" the movable railsof the switch in any suitable manner, being herein shown rigidly at tached to'its pivot D which is movably journaled in the standard B, and which may be provided with a crank 01' other suitable de-- vice (not shown) by which the switch is operated as the lever 'is moved. At its outer end the lever A normally passes between two guide standards E and F arranged on opposite sides of the lever,serving to protect the same from lateral displacement. One of said standardsfln this instance the standard E, is designed to be engaged by a lock-G provided on the lever A adjacent to said standard E. The belt mechanism within the casing G of the lock is 'of any ordinary self-acting or springactuated type, comprising in thisinstance a reciprocating bolt g suitably formed at its rearend g to be engaged and withdrawn by a key H, and normally maintained in its protracted position by a coil spring 9 inserted in a recess g in the bolt and resting at its rear end against a lug G? projecting from the wall of the casing. of the bolt g'is shown'beveled off in the usual manner in order that it may be automatically thrust inward by engaging the rounded upper end of the standard E as the lever is dropped, and said standardis provided with a suitable notch einto which the bolt slips asthe lever A reaches its lowermost or horizontal position.

In' order to prevent, as far as possible, any unauthorized person from tampering with the lock, the casing is'extended at its front end to'form an integral hood G which entirely 1 covers the upper end of the standard E and The outer end the outer end of vthelbolt gwhen the lever is locked. in place, it being evident that by this construct-ion it is impossible to insert anyinstrument betweenthe standard and the end of the boltvto retract thelatter, unless said instrument beintroduccd from the'under side where the space is. so limited as to render'the operation awkward anddifficult. Said hood, I

readily adjusted to the. switchstands at pres-- ent in use, such for example as that herein illustrated. Inasmuch, therefore, as the standard E of such stands normally closely engages the side of the lever. A, I have herein shown the-inner side G of the, lock casing cut awayat that portionwithin the hood G and have made the inner side G5 of the dome of said hood to project over the edge of the top of the lever A, as shown in Fig. 3. Alock casing of great strength is, however provided by eX- tending inward the top G of the casing to forma flange G which rests upon the top of the-lever and is secured thereto by suitable screws a," said flange G extendingthe entire length of the lock casing and being integrally connected at its extreme front end with a vertical flange G? engaging the side of the lever ;A. A similar flange G isherein shown provided at the rear of the lock casing, said flangesG and G being secured to the lever ICO by screws 0.. Alock constructed in this mannor may obviously be readily applied to any old switch stand of the general pattern shown by simply tapping the necessary screw holes in the operating lever A, and filing or otherwise cutting out a suitable notch e in the standard E to be engaged by the point of the lock bolt. When provided with a lock of this description, the switch obviously cannot be operated except by one provided with a proper key, while at the same time the lever will be automatically locked without the use of the key as soon as it is dropped back in its normal horizontal position.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I have shown my improved lock as applied to awell known form of switch stand of the vertical type. In said figures, I designate the supporting column within which a vertical operating shaft J is journaled, said shaft being suitably connected at its lower end with a rod or shaft J by means of which the switch is actuated as the shaft J is turned. K designates a sleeve rigidly secured to the shaft J immediately above the standard I and provided with outwardly projecting parallel arms it between which an operating lever L is pivoted, the pivot K thereof being herein shown arranged slightly below the upper end L of said lever, so that when the lever is swung up into a horizontal position said upper end L passes between the parallel arms 70 and relieves the pivot of a' large part of the strain. The upper end of the standard I is herein shown enlarged to forma generally circular plate I which is provided at suitable intervals with notches '11 into which the lever L is adapted to drop. Directly beneath said notches i are provided radially extending rigid arms 1 reduced at their outer ends to form tongues t" which are adapted to project through a suitable aperture in the lever L. Upon the outer face of the lever L is provided a spring lock M of a similar type to the lock G hereinbefore described and the easing of which is provided at one end with a hood M adapted to receive and conceal the end of that tongue 11' with which the lever is engaged, thereby preventing the insertion of an instrument between the tongue and bolt to retract the latter, and at the same time protecting the parts from the weather. The lock casing M is herein shown as secured to the face of the lever by flanges m and suitable screws Z passing through said flanges into said lever. With this construction, as with the construction previously described as applied to the horizontal type of switch stand, my lock may be readily attached to the stand already constructed by simply tapping the operating lever to receive the screws 1 and forming in the upper edge of the tongues z" a suitable notch '5 for receiving the bolt of the look. When supplied with a lock of this character the stand will obviously operate in all respects as before, except that when once locked it can only be unlocked by one possessing the proper key; the lock being at the same time self-acting so as to securely fasten the lever when it is again dropped to engage either of the tongues 13'.

I claim as my invention-- A switch stand provided with a standard having an operating lever pivoted thereto, guide standards engaging the sides of the lever, a lock provided on the said lever adjacent to one of said guide standards and the bolt of which is adapted to engage a notch on said standard, flanges at the end of the lock casing, and afiange forming ac'ontinuation of the top of the lock casing and adapted to engage the top of the lever, the inner side of the lock casing being cut away within the hood to permit the inclosed standard to di rectly engage the face of the lever, substantially as described. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

1 DAVID LAVERY.

Witnesses:

J. P. OLEARY, HARRY SYLVESTER.

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