Patent ID: 6138959
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: B61L

Abstract:
A low vertical profile railroad switch machine gear box having a mode selector for selecting among a plurality of modes, including a power mode and a hand throw mode, and a hand throw lever for operating the gear box in the hand throw mode, the gear box comprising:a crank shaft;a main crank gear freely rotatable about said crank shaft;a worm gear freely rotatable about said crank shaft;an eccentric shaft positioned adjacent and substantially perpendicular to said crank shaft, being rotatable in a horizontal axis by the mode selector in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite said first direction;a hand throw shaft freely rotatable about said eccentric shaft, being rotatable by the hand throw lever;a spring-loaded clutch assembly mechanism cooperatively engaged with said crank shaft, for rotating said crank shaft when engaged therewith, wherein said spring-loaded clutch assembly mechanism engages the power mode while disengaging the hand throw mode, and disengages the power mode while engaging the hand throw mode; anda shifter mechanism having a first end that is pivotable and a second end that is drivable upwardly and downwardly, being cooperatively engaged with said spring-loaded clutch assembly mechanism, said shifter mechanism having a pivot axis that is parallel to said horizontal axis;wherein, when the hand throw mode is selected by the mode selector, rotating said eccentric shaft in said first direction drives said second end upwardly to enable said hand throw mode by engaging said main crank gear and disengaging said worm gear, and, when the power mode is selected by the mode selector, rotating said eccentric shaft in said second direction drives said second end downwardly to enable the power mode by engaging said worm gear and disengaging said main crank gear.