US643881A - Railroad-switch stand. - Google Patents

Description

No.' 643,88I. Patented Feb.. 2o, |900.

W. McCAFFERY. RAlLnoAn swlTcH STAND.

catxon led .Tune 21, 18

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

v WILLIAM MOCAFFERY, OF TYLER, W'ASI'IINGTON.

RAILROAD-SWITCH STAND.

SPEOIFICATXON forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,881, dated February 20, 1900.

Application led June 21, 1899. Serial No. 721,324. (No model.)

To all wwn t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MCCAEEERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tyler, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Switch Stands; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the'invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in railway-switch stands, and more particularly to the lock mechanism for locking the switchlever in the stand.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device whereby the switch handle or lever may be freely manipulated during the operation of switchingv and when the latter is completed the lever or handle locked in the switch-stand in a simple and effective manner.

To this end the invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective detail view of the upper portion of a switchstand embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the switch lever and lock with a portion of the lever and lock-case broken away to show the lock mechanism.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures of the drawings.

1 denotes the switch stand, and 2 the notched cap-plate in whichthe switch-actuating shaft is mounted; .and 3 represents the arm xed to said shaft and in which the switch-lever 4 is fulcrumed, and when the latter is extended horizontally the switch may be thrown to the right or left in the usual manner. l

5 and 6 denote the retaining-notches in the cap-plate to receive the lever 4 when in a vertical position to lock the switch, and this lever is provided with a spring-lock 7, the bolt 8 of which is adapted to engage either of thekeepers 9 or 10, fixed in the contiguous walls of the notched portion of the cap-plate. The lock-bolt is provided with a stud 12, which when said bolt is retracted projects into the path of ahook 13, xed on a shaft 14, extending through the switch-lever and Y terminating in a plate or arm 15, by means of which the shaft and hook may be conveniently manipulated.

When the brakeman is required to manipulate the switch, he first unlocks the switchlever by inserting a key in the lock and retraeting the bolt, and while the bolt is retracted he then throws the plate or arm 15` upwardly, thus causing thehook 13 to engage the stud-pin 12 and retain the bolt in its retracted position. The lever may now be raised to the horizontal position and the switch thrown in either position and the lever then dropped into its appropriate notch without the -lock bolt catching, and after the switch has been thrown for the last time the trainman has only to push the plate or arm 15 downward to release the bolt and lock the lever in the top plate.

Of course it will be understood that the use of the device is not confined to a switchstand, as it is evident that it is equally efficient as applied to the levers used for manipulating semaphores, targets, and other mechanism of an analogous character.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

The combination with the notched switchhead and the pivoted switch-lever, of alocking device carried by the switch-lever and comprising the lock-bolt 8 and its stud 12, the shaft 14 and itshook 13 projecting into the path of the stud, and the plate 15 fixed to the outer end of said shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MCCAFFERY.

Witnesses:

L. J. MCKINNEY, LS. CLARK.

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