Lock for Railway Switch Actuating Devices

Abstract

A lock for railway switch adjusting devices, including a locking member having a guide contour extending in the direction in which the switch is actuated and forms a locking seat projecting transversely from the guide contour; a locking lever hinged to an engaging tongue and carries, at the end remote from the tongue, an arresting bolt to be blocked at the locking seat; a guide bolt slidable in the guide contour; a hinge bolt connected to a remote tongue; a bearing block rotatable about the guide bolt axis and in which the arresting bolt, the guide bolt and the hinge bolt are journalled in a triangular configuration such that the arresting bolt and the hinge bolt are positioned on opposite sides of the guide contour and are closer to the engaging tongue than the guide bolt, and a spring that biases the remote tongue towards its remote position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lock for railway switch adjusting devices having an engaging switch tongue and a remote switch tongue, comprising:
 a locking member having a guide contour that extends in a direction in which the switch is actuated and forms a locking seat that projects transversely from the guide contour;   a locking lever that is hinged to the engaging switch tongue and carries, at an end remote from the engaging switch tongue, an arresting bolt adapted to be blocked at the locking seat;   a guide bolt that is slidable in the guide contour;   a hinge bolt connected to the remote switch tongue;   a bearing block that is rotatable about the axis of the guide bolt and in which the arresting bolt, the guide bolt and the hinge bolt are journalled in a triangular configuration such that the arresting bolt and the hinge bolt are positioned on opposite sides of the guide contour and are closer to the engaging switch tongue than the guide bolt; and   a spring that biases the remote switch tongue in a direction towards a remote position thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The lock according to  claim 1 , further comprising a hinge that connects the locking lever to the engaging switch tongue, and the arresting bolt and the hinge are disposed on opposite sides of a central axis of the guide contour. 
     
     
         3 . The lock according to  claim 1 , wherein the lock has a symmetric configuration about a plane of symmetry with respect to the locking lever and wherein said guide contour includes first and second guide contours disposed on both sides of said locking lever. 
     
     
         4 . The lock according to  claim 3 , wherein each of the bearing block and the guide bolt are formed by two parts disposed on opposite sides of the plane of symmetry. 
     
     
         5 . The lock according to  claim 1 , further comprising a link which connects the hinge bolt to the remote switch tongue, and wherein the spring is supported at one end thereof by the link. 
     
     
         6 . The lock according to  claim 5 , wherein the spring is arranged in a plane that is offset relative to the guide contour and wherein the link includes a lug that projects from the link approximately at a center thereof and the one end of the spring is supported at the lug. 
     
     
         7 . The lock according to  claim 1 , wherein the spring is configured to be expanded to an amount that corresponds to a range of displacement of the switch tongues.