US379709A - Half to i - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- (No Model.)

W T. MANNING. RAILROAD SWITCH LOOK.

v Patented Mar. %1888.

2 Sheets-Sheet-2.

(No Model.)

v w. T. MANNING.

RAILROAD SWITCH LOCK.

Patented Man 20, 1888.

w A I EL a 5 NITED STATES PATENT rrrc.

WILLIAM T. MANNING, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO I. N. KALBAUGH, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILROAD-SWITCH LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,709. dated March 20, 1888.

Application filed October 6, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM T. ll/IANNING, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad- Switch Locks, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to afford increased safety and economize time in the 0p- 1 eration of railroad-switches by the provision of a lock of simple and inexpensive construction and ready application to any of the ordinary forms of switch-stands, and of such construction that the switch-lever will, upon the withdrawal of the key, be automaticallylocked when thrown to close the main track, thelock being in such position unaffected by strain brought upon the lever in the passage of trains over the switch-rails, and the lever will be 2 prevented from being locked when in position to open the switch to the side track.

To this end my invention, generally stated, consists in the combination of a switch-stand having a lateral recess to receive a switch 2 lever when thrown into position to set the switch to the main track, a switch-lever pivoted to the stand and having a recess to receive a locking-bolt, and a lock-case having a fixed keeper and sliding upon the switch-lever and provided with a spring locking-bolt sliding in the case transversely to the plane of movement of said lever and adapted to en gage the recess thereof when in the main-track position; also, in the combination, with a 5 switch-stand having recesses to receive a switch-lever in main and side track position, of aswitch-lever pivoted to said stand, a lock sliding on thelever, and a stop to prevent the engagement of the lock-bolt and lover when in side-track position.

The improvements claimed are hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side View in elevation of a switch-stand illustrating an embodiment of my invention,

the switch-lever being shown as in the position which sets the switch to the main track; Fig. 2, a similar view with the switch set to side track; Fig. 3, an end view; Fig. 4, aplan Serial No. 251,601. (No model.)

view with the lever and target removed; Fig. 5, a side view of a portion of a switch-lever with the lock elevated to admit of the movement of the lever; Fig. 6, a front view, on an enlarged scale, of the lock detached; Fig. 7, a side view, Fig.8 a top view, and Fig. 9 a longitudinal central section,of the same; Fig.

10, a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the key; Fig. 11, a side view, and Fig. 12 an end view, of the lockingbolt.

My invention is herein illustrated as applied in connection with a high or vertical switchstand, the stand 1 of which is, as in constructions heretofore employed, provided at top with a segmental guide, 2, composed of two bars or plates connected at their ends and set at a sufficient distance apart to admit of the free passage between them of the switch-lever 3, which is pivoted by a bolt, 4, to the vertical portion of the stand. A lateral recess, 5, is formed at one end of the guide 2 to receive 0 the switch'lever when moved into position to set the switch-rails to the maint-rack, and a similar recess, 6, is formed at the opposite end of the guide to receive the switch-lever when moved into position to set the switch-rails to the side track,-the switch-lever being in either case sprung laterally to enter the recess and bearing against an end shoulder thereof, so that strain imparted to the lever in the passage of trains over the switch will be trans- 8o mitted to and sustained by the stand. The switch-bar 7, by which the switch-rails are moved, is coupled to the lower end of the le ver 3, and a vertical rod, 8, upon which is fixed a one-way target, 9, and lamp 10, is coupled by an arm, 11, and link 12 to the switch-lever, so as to be moved for half a revolution about its axis by each traverse of the lever from one recess of the guide to the other.

A lock-case, 13, having a vertical slot or 0 passage, 14.,to inclose the switch-lever, is fitted to slide freely thereon, and is provided witha lateral tongue or keeper, 15, adapted to fit between the bars or side plates of the guides 2 when the switch-lever is engaged in either 5 of the end recesses, 5 and 6, and to hold the lever therein until raised clear of the guide, which may be done by a handle, 16, on its upper end. A locking-bolt, 17, is fitted to slide freely in an opening in the lock-case 13 transversely to the slot 14-that isto say, perpendicularly to the plane of traverse of the switch-leverand is normally caused to project into the slot 14.by a spiral spring, 18, which bears against a collar, 19, on the locking-bolt and against a cap-piece, 20, at the opposite end of the case. A threaded stem, 21, is formed upon the locking-bolt beyond the collar 20, said stem being adapted to be engaged by a correspondingly-threaded socket, 22, on aswitch-key, 23. The outer end of the cap 20 is tapered or beveled outwardly, so as to facilitate the insertion of the key, as well as to prevent as far as practicable the access of water and dirt to the locking bolt and spring. It will be seen that by engaging the key with the stem of the locking-boltand rotating the key the locking-bolt may be wholly withdrawn from the slot 14, and that upon the disengagement of the key the locking-bolt will be forced by the spring 18 into the slot.

A recess or slot, 24, is formed in the switchlever3 in such position as to engage the projecting end of the lockingbolt 17 when the lock-case is slid sufficiently far down upon the switch-lever, which is only practicable when the leverrests in the main-track position recess 5, of the guide 2, for the reason that the space between the bars is made only of sufficient width between the two recesses 5 and 6 to admit the switch-lever, and that in order to prevent the lever being locked when in the side-track position recess 6, a stop, 25,is formed upon the top of the guide 2, above said recess. As shown in the drawings,the stop 25 consists of an upward extension of the bars of the guide 2 above the curvature of the remainder of their length; but a pin or projection, serving to limit the downward traverse of the lock case and keeper, might be equivalently employed. A pin, 26, fixed in the switchlever, serves to limit the upward traverse of thelock-case and keeper and prevent their detachment.

In operation, when the switch is set to the main track, the switch-lever rests in the recess 5 of the guide 2, in which it is held by the keeper 15,and is locked by the engagement of the locking-bolt 17 and the switch-lever slot 24, so that the lock-case and keeper cannot be raised to admit of the movement of the switchlever until the locking-bolt is withdrawn from the slot by a proper key. When the lever has been unlocked, the lock-case and keeper raised, and the lever thrown over into position to set the switch to the side track, the lever rests in the guide-recess 6 and is'held therein by the keeper, but cannot be locked, as the stop 25 prevents the lock-case from falling or being pushed sufficiently far down to effect the engagement of the locking-bolt and lever-slot. If the key has been withdrawn by the brakeman or switchman after unbolting the switch, as should'be done, the lever will be locked automatically in setting the switch to the main track, as the lock-case will drop to the top of the guide when the lever is thrown back to the recess 5, and the spring will push the locking-bolt into theleverslot 24. Failure to lock the switch when set to the main track will occur only if the key be negligently left in the lock, and such negligence will be detected and traced to the person in fault by his inability to produce the registered key which he is charged with. V I,

My improvement provides a lock which is strong and durable and may be readily applied to any of the ordinary patterns of switch- -stands without material expense or change of any of their operative members. The necessity of the replacement and locking of a detachable keeper being obviated and an automatic lock being provided, the liability of accident from failure to lock the switch is correspondingly reducedand the time required for replacing and locking a keeper is saved. An additional advantageous feature, distinctively different from those of prior constructions, so far as within my knowledge and practice, in the maintenance of way on railroads, is the fact that the locking-bolt is relieved from any function other than that of preventing the switch from being tampered with, as it and its spring are exempt from the strains brought upon the switch-lever by passing trains and are not liable to be broken or deranged thereby.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a switch -stand, a

guide-plate fixed thereto and having a lateral recess to receive a switch-lever when thrown to set the switch-rails to one of the tracks, a switch-lever pivoted to the stand and having a recess or opening to receive a locking-bolt, a lock-case sliding longitudinally on the switchlever and having a connected keeper adapted to bear against the switch-lever and prevent its lateral movement in the recess of the fixed guide, and a spring locking bolt fitted to slide in the lock-case transversely to the plane of movement of the switch-lever and adapted to engage the recess thereof when the lever rests within and is held as against pivotal movement by the lateral recess of the fixed guide, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a switch-stand having recesses to receive a switch-lever when in main and in side track positions, respectively,

a switch-lever pivoted to said stand and havof said slot, a locking-bolt having a threaded In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my stem and fitting in an opening in the case 10- hand. cated on the opposite side of said slot and communicating therewith, and a spring bear- WILLIAM MANN ING' 5 ing' against a collar or shoulder on the lock- Witnesses:

ing-bolt and against a fixed cap or stop on the J. SNOWDEN BELL, look-case, substantially as set forth. I F. E. GAITHER.

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