US531804A - Interlocking switch and signal mechanism - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

H. D. MILES. INTBRLOGKING SWITCH AND SIG-NAL MEGHANISM. No. 531,804. Patented Jan. l, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Ormes,

HENRY D. MILES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO TI-.IE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

INTERLOCKING SWITCH AND SIGNAL MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 531,804, dated January 1, 1895 Application filed October I 1894. Serial No. 525,471. (No model.)

,To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HENRY D. MILES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit,

, in the county of Wayne and State of Michi- 5 gan, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Interlocking Switch and Signal Mechanism, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in interlocking mechanism of ground levers for switches and signals. It is customary to arrange ground levers for switches and signals in pairs, one member of each pair being connected to the switch rails, and the other to the signal, in such proximity to each other that a locking mechanism maybe interposed between them. This locking mechanism usually consists of a bar of alength a little greater than the distance between the levers or parts 4connected thereto, so that one end of such bar must project into a recess in either the switch or signal lever, thereby locking the same, before the other lever can be shifted. It is customary to make the ends of this bar conical, and the recesses in the signals or parts connected therewith, of corresponding shape, so that when the recesses in both levers are in line with the bar, the latter may be shifted by the movement of one of the levers, the inclined ends of thebar and the walls of the recesses combining to effect such longitudinal movement of the bar. It has been found in practice, that these inclined ends rapidly wear away, so that after considerable use it is possible to force one of the levers out of locked position, while the other lever is in unlocked position.

The object of the present invention is to provide a locking mechanism of such character as not to be liable to wear and to always present a positive lock for the levers.

In general terms, the invention Aconsists in the construction and combination substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a pair of interlocked switch and signal levers having my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elevations, the'planes of section being indicated by the lines and y, y, respectively, of Fig. 1.

In the practice of my invention, a base plate 1, provided with bearing blocks 2 on its sides, is secured upon a suitable foundation 3, in convenient proximity to the switch to be operated. In these blocks are mounted pins 4 and 5, and, on the projecting ends of these pins, are loosely mounted a pulley G and disk 7. To the pulley 6 and disk 7, are secured the levers 8 and 9, respectively, whereby these parts may be rotated on their pins. In the groove of the pulley 6, is attached one end of a chain or other flexible connection, to the signal to be operated, and the disk 7 is pro` vided with an eccentric pin connected in the usual or any suitable manner to the movable rails of the switch.

Bars' 10 and 11 are mounted in the blocks 2, between the disk and the pulley. These bars are made of such a length relative to the distance between the disk and pulley, that one end thereof must project into a recess in either the disk or pulley, before the other can be operated. One end of each of the bars is made conical, so that it will it within a corresponding recess in either the pulley or disk, while the opposite end is cut 0E square, and fits into a recess with straight walls, in either the pulley or disk-as, for example, the bar 10, has one end conical and is adapted to tit into a correspondingly shaped recess 12, formed in the inner face of the pulley 6, while the opposite end of the bar 10, is cut o square and fits into a straight walled recess 13, in the disk 7. The pin 11, however, is oppositely arranged, so that its conical end will fit into a correspondingly shaped recess 12 in the disk 7, while its squared end will fit into a straight-walled recess 13a in the pulley 6. It results from this construction that the pin 10 can be shifted longitudinally by rotation of the pulley 6, but will not be affected as regards longitudinal movement, by any attempted rotation of the disk 7. The

pin 11, however, will be shifted longitudinally by a rotation of the disk 7, but will not be affected by the pulley G.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the bars 10 and 11 are shifted to eect a locking movement by a rotation of the pulley and IOO disk. In order to effect an unlocking move- ,ment of these bars, springs 15 and 16 are placed around the bars and bear at their ends against collars 17 and 18, secured to the bars and the bearing blocks 2. These springs can operate to shift the bars into unlocking position only when the conical recesses 12 and 12 are in line with the conical ends of the bars 1,0 and 11, respectively.

The normal position of the parts of tho mechanism is shown in Fig. 1, the rails being at clear main line and the signal at safety. While in this position the squared end of pin 10 is held in the straight walled recess in the disk 7, the point of said pin bearing against the side of the pulley 6, as shown in Fig. 3. At the same time, the conical end pin 11 is held in its recess in disk 7 by spring 16, so that the switch lever 9 is locked and the signal lever 8 unlocked. If, now, the lever 8 be shifted to put the signal at danger, the recesses in the side of pulley 6 will come into line with the pins 10 and 1l. Thereupon the pin 10 will be shifted by its spring 15 unlocking disk 7, and as the straight walled recess in pulley is in line with its pin 1l, the lever 9 can be pulled over, thereby shifting the pin 11 into its recess in pulley 6 and locking the signal at danger. The bar 10 also serves as an additional lock, as its conical end would be forced into the correspondingly shaped recess in the pulley 6 by its spring when the lever 8 was shifted to danger position. If, now, the lever 9 be shifted to move the switch rails to position for clear main line, the spring on the pin 11, will shift saidpin longitudinally, thereby unlocking the-lever 8, and the bar .10 can be shifted longitudinally by a rotationbf the pulley 6, to clear the signal, as the straightwalled recess in the disk 7 would come into line with the bar IO, as soon as lever 9 is shifted to normal position. The recesses 12, 13, 12a and 13a, are so located as to be in line with the bars 10 and 11 only when the levers 8 and 9 are in normal position with the switch rails at clear main line and the signal at safety, thereby necessitating the shifting of the signal to danger before the movable rails can be shifted to open siding, and the maintenance of the signal in such position until the movable rails have been returned to clear main line.

The bar 10 is the lock for the switch lever 9 and the bar 11 for the signal lever 8, as, by reason of their squared ends engaging the straight-walled recesses, an attempt to rotate disk or pulley will not have any tendency to shift the bars.

As an additional protection as against shifting the switch rails to siding before the signal has been set to danger, the lever 8 is provided with an arm 20, which projects beyond the line of movement of the switch lever 9, and bears upon the front edge ofthe same, so that when the mechanism has been set up the signal must be set at danger before the switch rails can be set to siding, and the switch rails must be set to clear main line before the signal can be cleared. This construction can, if desired, be reversed, by forming the arm on the switch lever, in which the arm would project behind the signal lever.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. In a switch and signal mechanism,'the combination of a switch operating mechanism and a signal operating mechanism, each provided with a conical and a straight-walled recess and two longitudinally movable bars, each having a conical and a straight or noninclined end, said bars being of a length greater than the distance between said mechanisms by an amount equal to the depth of the recesses, substantially as set forth.

2. In a switch and signal mechanism, the combination of a switch operating mechanism and a signal operating mechanism, each provided with a conical and a straight-walled recess, two longitudinal bars, each having a conical and a straight or non-inclined end, said bars being of a length greater than the distance between said mechanisms by an amount equal to the depth of the recesses, and springs for shifting the bars out of .locking position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY D. MILES.

Vitnesses: GEO. E. TEGART, G. SCHNEIDER.

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