Abstract:
The present disclosure relates generally to an improved safety device for use in the railroad industry. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to an above ground lock extension for train derails. Train derails are used in the railroad industry for derailing and therefore effectively stopping trains or unattended rolling stocks which rolls over said derail. The lock extension device comprises a locking device allowing an individual to lock said lock extension device to a derail while standing in an upright position, thereby diminishing injuries that may occur with prior art locking devices that are at ground level.

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
   The present disclosure relates to an improved safety device for railroads, and more specifically, to an above ground lock extension for a train derail. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
   Train derails are safety devices widely used in the railroad industry. A train derail is a device for derailing and therefore effectively stopping trains or unattended rolling stock (a railroad vehicle that is not a locomotive; a railroad car) which runs into the derail. The train derail works by derailing the train or rolling stock as it rolls over or through the derail. 
   Train derails may be utilized at various locations of the railway network. These locations can be exemplified by (1) where sidings meet main lines or other tracks, (2) at junctions or other crossings to protect the interlocking against unauthorized movement, and (3) at areas wherein railroad personnel are working on a rail line. 
   Train derails come in different forms. The most common and therefore the most widely used forms are (1) the wedge-shaped piece of steel type, (2) the “spilt rail” type and (3) the portable derail type. 
   The wedge-shaped piece of steel type of derail fits over the top of the rail. If a locomotive or rolling stock attempts to roll over it, the wheel flange is lifted over the rail to the outside thus derailing it. When the derail is not in use it can be folded away leaving the rail unobstructed. It can be manually operated via a locking device to prevent unauthorized removal of the derail from the rail. 
   The “split rail” type of derail is a complete or partial railroad switch which directs the “runaway” locomotive or rolling stock away from the main rail line. 
   The portable derail type is used as the name suggests, in situations where temporary protection is required due to men working or the presence of work equipment. 
   Train derails both of the permanent or portable type are provided in various sizes and weight to accommodate different sizes of rail. 
   Train derails whether permanent or portable can be used in conjunction with visible signaling devices such as a flag, which are usually blue in color. A flag is a signal used on a railroad track, usually to protect railroad workers or equipment on or about the track and serves as a warning that the track must not be entered and that equipment on or about the track must not be coupled to or moved. A flag signal is usually displayed above and between or beside the track rail. Since safety is a major concern of the rail industry signaling devices such as flags are usually used in conjunction with a derail so that their conjoint use provides a ultimate level of safety. 
   Train derails whether permanent or portable and whether used in conjunction with a signaling device or not are known in the art. 
   The state of the art in portable derails are known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,906, U.S. Pat. No. 1,130,433 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,106,155. U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,906 describes lightweight and ultra lightweight portable derails that can be installed and locked on a rail for protection of a certain location. U.S. Pat. No. 1,130,433 describes a portable derail which can be easily mounted or removed from the rail and one which is used in conjunction with a signaling device. U.S. Pat. No. 1,106,155 describes a portable derail which can be easily transported, adapted to be connected to a rail at any desired point. 
   The state of the art in permanent derail are known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,517,186, U.S. Pat. No. 1,287,214. U.S. Pat. No. 1,420,425 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,190,029. These patents describe various types of permanent derails as well as the use of a signaling device in conjunction with the derail. 
   Derails, whether permanent or portable, need to be locked in place in order to prevent their unauthorized removal from the rail. While the prior art has describes various improvements in the construction and design of derails, the locking device or mechanism has remained unchanged. The locking device or locking mechanism known in the prior art is positioned on the same plane as the derail itself. Therefore the prior art derail must be locked and unlocked by personnel in a prone, kneeling, bending, or squatting position.  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7  illustrate Prior Art devices, and an individual having to lock the derails in a prone, kneeling, bending or squatting position. 
   The locking or unlocking of the derail&#39;s lock from a prone, squatting, kneeling or bending position can result in many medical problems for the personnel engaged in such activity. Additionally, the placement of the derail&#39;s lock at ground level makes the lock susceptible to the snow and ice which can result in frozen locks. Also, the frequent thawing of the frozen locks requires additional personnel and time which ultimately results in lost production time. Also, the placement of the lock at ground level usually requires that the person locking or unlocking the lock use both hands. 
   A need therefore exists for a locking device or locking mechanism which can be operated by personnel from a standing position. 
   SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
   The present disclosure provides a lock extension device wherein said lock extension device can be mounted, affixed or inserted to a train derail and wherein said lock extension comprises 1) pole having a longitudinal member and a horizontal member and wherein said horizontal member of the pole can be inserted, affixed or mounted to the train derail, 2) a sleeve disposed over the pole, said sleeve comprising a cover on an end of said sleeve, said cover comprising an aperture for engaging said horizontal member of said pole, and 3) a locking device for holding said horizontal member in said aperture of said cover, said locking device further locking said pole to said sleeve. 
   It is an advantage of the present disclosure to provide a lock extension device which can be mounted, affixed or inserted to a train derail. 
   It is another advantage of the present disclosure to provide a lock extension device having a locking device for holding a lock. 
   It is a further advantage of the present disclosure to provide a lock extension device having a locking device wherein said locking device is positioned above the ground from the train derail. 
   It is a still further advantage of the present disclosure to provide a lock extension device having a locking device wherein said locking device can be operated by personnel in a standing position. 
   Moreover, it is another advantage of the present disclosure to provide a lock extension device having a locking device wherein said locking device is removed from environmental elements because it is located above the ground from the train derail. 
   Additional features and advantages of the present disclosure are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the embodiments and from the drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a lock extension device of the present invention that is locked in an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the lock extension device of the present invention that is unlocked and slidable in an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate a preferred method of using said lock extension device with a derail in an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an individual using the lock extension device of the present invention in an upright position. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of a person bending to operate the prior art locking device. 
       FIG. 6  is a frontal view of a person twisting to operate the prior art locking device. 
       FIG. 7  is a frontal view of the prior art locking device which is located at ground level. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
   It will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art that the lock extension of the present disclosure may be mounted, affixed or inserted to a train derail of different forms including, but not limited to, the wedge-shaped piece of steel type, the split-rail type, and portable type. While only a lock extension which is inserted into a wedge-shaped type of derail will be described herein, and the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that the lock extension of the present disclosure may be applied to the different forms and/or types of derails as well as to derails of different sizes and weights. 
   With reference now to the figures and in particular with reference to  FIG. 1  showing a frontal view of a lock extension device  1  of the present disclosure. There is shown a pole  10  which is, preferably, cylindrical in shape having a longitudinal member  11  and a horizontal member  12  which is perpendicular to said longitudinal member  11 . Pole  10  can be formed from metals, metal blends, woods or plastics. Metals or metal blends suitable for the practice of this disclosure can be exemplified by, but not limited to, copper, iron, aluminum, and steel. Woods can be exemplified by, but not limited to, any of the hard woods. Plastics can be exemplified, but not limited to, polycarbonates, polyvinyl chlorides, or others. 
   While the pole  10  has been described as having a longitudinal member  11  and a horizontal member  12 , it is to be understood that in a preferred embodiments both members are formed integrally and simultaneously from the same material. It is also contemplated that the two portions of the pole may be formed independently and join together by means of welding or other assembly methods known in the art. 
   The longitudinal member  11  of the pole  10  may be any length useful for the present invention, but preferably from about 2 feet in length to about 6 feet in length. The length of the longitudinal member  11  of the pole  10  will depend on the desired height of the locking device (described below) to maintain operability of the locking device by an individual in an upright position. The horizontal member  12  of the pole will be shorter in length than the longitudinal member  11 . The length of the horizontal member  12  should be sufficient to allow for complete insertion of the horizontal member  12  of the lock extension device  1  into a derail itself for locking said derail to a rail. 
   The pole  10  can be hollow or solid in construction. Since the longitudinal member  11  of the pole  10  is designed to accommodate a locking device and a signaling device (described below), this portion of the pole may have a circumference larger than the circumference of the horizontal member  12  of the pole  10 . It will be understood that while the pole has been described as having a cylindrical shape, other shapes are also contemplated by this present disclosure. 
   Still referring to  FIG. 1 , a locking device  13  is provided on the lock extension  1  for locking the horizontal member  12  to a derail, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
   There is also provided a signaling device  16  which is placed over the top of the longitudinal member  11  of the pole  10 . The signaling device  16  comprises a signal staff member  18  for holding a flag or other suitable signal  19 . The signaling device  16 , except for the flag or signal  19 , is usually formed from the same material as the pole or from material that would be compatible with the material used to form the pole. The flag or signal  19  of the signaling device  16  is usually made from cloth or plastic and may be blue in color. The color of the flag, however, is preferably governed by the current railway safety code standards. 
   In a preferred embodiment, the signal staff member  18  is integrally formed with the pole  10  and, preferably, is an extension of the pole  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the pole  10  is disposed through a pole sleeve  20 . 
   The pole sleeve  20  slidably extends over the pole  10  and terminates in a lock cover  21  having an aperture  22 . The aperture  22  may be disposed over the horizontal member  12  when said pole sleeve  20  is disposed downwardly. The lock cover  21  allows the horizontal member  12  to be disposed within said aperture  22 , thereby locking a derail to a rail, as illustrated below in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
   Still referring to  FIG. 1 , the locking device  13  is now described. When disposed downwardly, flange  23 , which is attached, adhered, welded or otherwise disposed to said pole sleeve  20  aligns with plate-like member  14 , which is attached, adhered, welded or otherwise disposed to said pole  10 . Preferably, flange  23  includes an aperture  24  that aligns with an aperture  26  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) in the plate-like member  14 . A lock  25  may be disposed through aperture  24  in the flange  23  and the aperture  26  in the plate-like member  14  to lock said pole sleeve in place, thereby locking said lock cover  21  over said horizontal member  12  and, more specifically, locking said horizontal member  12  within aperture  22 . 
   As with pole  10 , said pole sleeve  20  and said lock cover  21  may be constructed of the same or different materials as the pole  10 . One having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the materials for constructing the lock extension  1  are dictated by the necessity for strength, to lock the lock extension to a derail and to maintain proper verticality. Therefore, a steel construction is preferred, with parts adhered together preferably via welding. 
   A bulbous member  17  may also be provided adhered to said pole  10  at a location such that a terminal end  29  may be slidably disposed therein. The bulbous member  17  restricts upward movement of the pole sleeve  20  by stopping the terminal end  29  of the pole sleeve  20  when the pole sleeve  20  moves upwardly. As shown in  FIG. 1 , plate-like member  14  is preferably adhered, welded, or otherwise disposed on said bulbous member  17 . 
     FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of the lock extension device  1  with said pole sleeve  20  disposed upwardly. The terminal end  29  of said pole sleeve  20  is disposed upwardly inside said bulbous member  17 , thereby lifting said lock cover  21  away from horizontal member  12 , allowing removal of said lock extension device from a derail, as described below. 
   To move said pole sleeve  20  upwardly, lock  25  must be removed, thereby allowing the flange  24  on the pole sleeve  20  to be raised with respect to said plate-like member  14 , thereby misaligning aperture  24  of said flange and aperture  26  of said plate-like member  14 . 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate a preferred method of using the herein-described lock extension device  1  and locking said lock extension device  1  to a derail. Specifically,  FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate a lower portion  30  of said lock extension device  1  shown with said horizontal member  12  locking a derail  32  to a base  34 , thereby holding or locking said derail  32  onto a track  36 . The derail  32  acts to cause a train to dislodge its wheels from said track  36  for protection of life and/or property. 
   Specifically, the horizontal member  12  engages a derail flange  38  having an aperture (not shown) therein. Moreover, the horizontal member  12  engages a further flange  40  on said base  34 . Said flange  40  on said base  34  further has an aperture  42  therein, and said horizontal member  12  goes through both the flange  38  of the derail  32  and the flange  40  of the base  34  thereby locking the derail  32  to the base  34  and, by extension, locking said derail  32  to said rail  36 . The lock cover  21  then slides over the horizontal member  12 , and said horizontal member  12  goes through the aperture  22  in said lock cover  21 . The lock cover  21  further engages the flanges  38 ,  40  and restricts movement of the horizontal member  12  through the flanges  38 ,  40  when locked with the locking device  13 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
   Removal of the locking device requires removal of the lock such that the pole sleeve  20  may slide upwardly with respect to the pole  10 , thereby lifting lock cover  21  and disengaging lock cover  21  from the horizontal member  12 . The horizontal member  12  may then be removed from the flanges  38 ,  40  and the derail  32  may then be removed from the rail  36 . 
     FIG. 4  shows a person operating the locking device  13  of the lock extension device  1  of the present disclosure in a standing-upright position. As discussed herein, having the locking device  13  at a person&#39;s height allows the person to easily lock said derail to said track while standing, thereby diminishing bending and twisting of the person (as illustrated in  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 ) and protecting said person from injury. 
   The present disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, one skilled in the art having read this disclosure will recognize that changes and modifications may be made to the specific embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.