Patent ID: 9238474
Filing Date: 2016-01-19
CPC Classification: B61L

Claim Text:
1. A railroad switch rod assembly, comprising: a switch rod housing having a first end adapted to couple with a switch point of a railroad switch, the switch rod housing further having a second end adapted to slidably receive a connecting rod into the switch rod housing; a detent assembly coupled to the switch rod housing, the detent assembly comprising a detent pin; and the connecting rod, one end of the connecting rod being adapted to couple with a railroad switch stand, the connecting rod having (a) a first notch to receive a tip of the detent pin in a first operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a first relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing and (b) a second notch to receive the tip of the detent pin in a second operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a second relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing, wherein a first sidewall of the second notch is steeply sloped to stop the detent pin from sliding further along the connecting rod, and wherein a second sidewall of the second notch is less steeply sloped than the first sidewall to allow a sliding motion of the connecting rod to disengage the detent pin from the second notch and cause the detent pin to re-engage with the first notch.