Branch Opener Direction Indicator

Abstract

To improve the ease of recognition in an opening direction while preventing the breakage due to snow damage.SOLUTION: A turnout opening direction display device 10 includes a display part 12 having four display plates 14A to 14D connected to a shaft rod 16 in a cross shape, a crank part 20 forming an U-like cutout part 22 extending in a bifurcated shape from a lower end of the shaft rod 16 and held to be rotatable in a range of 90 degrees between a first rotation position and a second rotation position, and a drive mechanism 30 for display having a switch roller 32 in which the switch roller 32 is moved while being loosely fitted to the cutout part 22 during driving of a link mechanism 102 so as to rotate the crank part 20 to the first rotation position or the second rotation position. Since opening direction displays of two tracks are simultaneously displayed on two display plates 14A, 14C or 14B, 14D arranged in right and left, the ease of recognition in the opening direction can be improved. In addition, since a display part 12 is installed outside the gauge, the collision of a snow block and the like against the display plates 14A to 14D can be prevented.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a switch opening direction indicator.

Background Art

[0002] There are various types of switch opening direction indicators for railway switches, which are mainly confirmed by maintenance vehicles for railways. For example, the switch opening direction indicator 120 shown in FIG. 9 is connected to one of the switch adjusters 108 and 110 for moving the movable rail 112, which is driven by the turntable 100 via the link mechanism 102 and the crank devices 104 and 106. That is, in the switch opening direction indicator 120, two display plates 124 and 126 connected to the switch adjuster 110 via the link mechanism 122 are rotated 90 degrees as the switch adjuster 110 moves in the left-right direction in FIG. 9 by the turntable 100, and the display contents of each are switched. On the other hand, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose indicators for displaying the opening direction of a switch in a manner different from the example of FIG. 9.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, since the conventional branch opening direction indicator 120 shown in FIG. 9 is installed in the track, when it is used in a relatively cold area, snow blocks and the like scattered as a train passes may collide with the display boards 124 and 126, and there is a risk that the display boards 124 and 126 may be damaged. To avoid this, in winter, the display boards 124, 126, etc. were removed and reinstalled in spring. However, not only could the opening direction display not be confirmed during the removal period, but the removal and reinstallation were also time-consuming. On the other hand, the branch opening direction indicators in Patent Documents 1 and 2 both have their display parts installed outside the track gauge, and in this regard, snow damage is less likely to occur, but there is room for improvement in the display method of the opening direction. That is, the branch opening direction indicator in Patent Document 1 displays the opening direction by a combination of two reflecting plates installed at intervals and one reflecting plate that is moved so as to appear adjacent to one of those reflecting plates. Therefore, it may be difficult to recognize which track is open depending on conditions such as the weather. Also, the branch opening direction indicator in Patent Document 2 has its display part installed separately on both sides of the two tracks where the branch occurs, and the opening direction is displayed by moving both display parts so that one of the display parts can be visually recognized. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm whether the display parts can be seen for both of them, and the presented opening direction is also difficult to intuitively understand.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to improve the ease of recognizing the opening direction while preventing damage due to snow damage.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (Aspects of the Invention) The following aspects of the invention illustrate the configuration of the present invention and are described separately for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the various configurations of the present invention. Each item does not limit the technical scope of the present invention, and even when some of the components of each item are replaced, deleted, or other components are added while taking into consideration the best mode for implementing the invention, they may be included in the technical scope of the present invention of this application.

[0007] (1) A switch opening direction indicator for a switch that moves a movable rail via a switch adjuster by a crank device connected to a link mechanism extending from a transfer machine outside the gauge. The switch opening direction indicator has four display plates whose edges are connected in a cross shape centered on the shaft rod in a plan view with respect to a shaft rod extending in the vertical direction. At least one surface of each of the four display plates is provided with a display indicating opening or non-opening. A display unit installed outside the gauge, a crank unit connected to the lower end of the shaft rod and extending bifurcately from the shaft rod so as to form a U-shaped notch in a plan view, and held rotatable together with the shaft rod within a range of 90 degrees between a first rotation position and a second rotation position with the shaft rod as a rotation axis, and a conversion roller having a size that loosely fits into the notch. When the link mechanism is driven by the transfer machine, the conversion roller moves while loosely fitting into the notch to rotate the crank unit to the first rotation position or the second rotation position, and a display drive mechanism connected to the link mechanism.

[0008] The switch opening direction indicator described in this item includes a display unit, a crank unit, and a display drive mechanism. The display unit is installed outside the gauge and has four display plates for indicating the opening direction. The four display plates are connected to a shaft rod extending in the vertical direction. At this time, the edges of each of the four display plates are connected to the shaft rod so as to be arranged in a cross shape centered on the shaft rod in a plan view. Further, each of these four display plates is provided with a display indicating opening or non-opening on at least one surface. The display plate provided with the display indicating opening and its surface, and the display plate provided with the display indicating non-opening and its surface are arbitrarily set within a range that satisfies at least the conditions of the display content described later so as to function appropriately as a switch opening direction indicator in the applicable switch.

[0009] The crank portion is connected to the lower end of the shaft rod to which the four display plates are connected as described above, and extends bifurcated from the shaft rod so as to form a U-shaped notch portion in plan view. Further, the crank portion is held so as to rotate together with the shaft rod with the shaft rod as the rotation axis, and at this time, it is held so as to rotate within a range of 90 degrees between the first rotation position and the second rotation position. Therefore, when the crank portion rotates, the four display plates connected to the shaft rod also rotate simultaneously with the shaft rod as the rotation axis, and are rotated within a range of 90 degrees in the same manner as the crank portion. As a result, the two display plates that are viewed from the front in a predetermined direction when the crank portion is in the first rotation position become parallel to the predetermined direction without facing the predetermined direction when the crank portion is rotated to the second rotation position, and thus are not visible from the predetermined direction. Instead, two other display plates that were not visible from the predetermined direction when the crank portion was in the first rotation position become visible from the predetermined direction when the crank portion is rotated to the second rotation position. For this reason, the display content conditions of the four display plates described above are such that the content displayed on the left and right by the two display plates that are viewed from the front in a predetermined direction when the crank portion is in the first rotation position and the content displayed on the left and right by the other two display plates that are viewed from the front in the same predetermined direction when the crank portion is in the second rotation position are such that the left and right open / closed states are reversed.

[0010] On one hand, when the link mechanism connected to the crank device is driven by the tumbler mechanism to move the movable rail via the crank device and the switch adjuster, the display drive mechanism is connected to the link mechanism so as to rotate the crank portion by utilizing the movement of the link mechanism. That is, the display drive mechanism has a conversion roller sized to loosely fit into a notch formed in the crank portion, and receives the movement of the link mechanism when the link mechanism is driven by the tumbler mechanism to move the conversion roller. At this time, by moving the conversion roller while loosely fitting it into the notch of the crank portion, the crank portion is rotated to the first rotation position or the second rotation position. As a result, as the crank portion rotates to the first rotation position or the second rotation position along with the drive of the link mechanism when the opening direction of the track is switched, the opening direction display of the display portion visually recognized from a predetermined direction before and after the drive of the link mechanism is switched to be opposite left and right as described above.

[0011] Therefore, by installing the display portion so that the above-mentioned predetermined direction matches the direction of the track, an opening direction display that is appropriately switched as described above is presented to the vehicle traveling on the track. Moreover, since the opening direction displays of the two branched tracks are simultaneously displayed by two display plates arranged side by side, they are intuitively recognized and the ease of recognizing the opening direction is improved. In addition, since the display portion having the display plate is installed outside the track gauge, it is possible to prevent snow blocks and the like scattered as the train passes from colliding with and damaging the display plate. Furthermore, both the crank portion located directly below the display plate and the display drive mechanism connecting the link mechanism installed outside the track gauge and the crank portion are necessarily installed outside the track gauge. For this reason, the labor for removing in winter and reinstalling in spring is saved.

[0012] (2) In the above (1), the display driving mechanism includes a flat bar with the conversion roller attached to the upper surface on one end side, a plurality of guide rollers for guiding the flat bar so that the conversion roller moves linearly, and a long transmission part with one end pivotally pin - connected to the other end side of the flat bar and the other end pivotally pin - connected to the link mechanism. The conversion roller rotates the crank part to the first rotation position while loosely fitting in the notch when the link mechanism is moved to the minimum stroke by the tilting machine, then exits from the notch, and rotates the crank part to the second rotation position while loosely fitting in the notch when the link mechanism is moved to the maximum stroke by the tilting machine, and then exits from the notch, so as to linearly move the branch - opening direction indicator.

[0013] The branch - opening direction indicator described in this item is such that the display driving mechanism includes, in addition to the conversion roller, a flat bar, a plurality of guide rollers, and a long transmission part. The flat bar has the conversion roller attached to the upper surface on one end side, and the other end side is connected to the long transmission part. The plurality of guide rollers guide the flat bar so that the conversion roller moves linearly, and are arranged at positions sandwiching the flat bar along the moving direction of the conversion roller. The long transmission part is long as a whole, one end of which is connected to the other end side of the flat bar as described above, and at this time, is pivotally pin - connected to the other end side of the flat bar so as to be rotatable. Also, the other end of the long transmission part is pivotally pin - connected to the link mechanism extending from the tilting machine so as to be rotatable. Thus, the movement of the link mechanism when driven by the tilting machine is converted into a linear motion of the flat bar and the conversion roller attached thereto and transmitted through the long transmission part having a movable part by pin - connection and the plurality of guide rollers.

[0014] Then, when the link mechanism is moved to the minimum stroke by the tumbler mechanism, the conversion roller rotates the crank portion to the first rotation position while loosely fitting into the notch provided in the crank portion, and then moves linearly until it exits the notch. Further, when the link mechanism is moved to the maximum stroke by the tumbler mechanism, the conversion roller rotates the crank portion to the second rotation position while loosely fitting into the notch of the crank portion, and then moves linearly until it exits the notch. Therefore, the large stroke of the link mechanism is not transmitted to the crank portion because the conversion roller moves out of the notch and continues to move, so only the necessary momentum from the large stroke is used and the crank portion is rotated 90 degrees. Also, for a plurality of diverters, a display drive mechanism or the like using members of the same size is applied, and since it is installed outside the gauge, the size of the members does not change according to the shape of the track or the like, so the cost is reduced by the commonization of the members.

[0015] (3) In the above (1) and (2) items, the display unit is a diverter opening direction indicator in which, among the four display plates, a display indicating opening is provided on the front and back surfaces of two display plates that are in a perpendicular positional relationship with each other in plan view, and a display indicating non-opening is provided on the front and back surfaces of the remaining two display plates. The diverter opening direction indicator described in this item is such that, among the four display plates of the display unit, a display indicating opening is provided on the front and back surfaces of two display plates that are in a perpendicular positional relationship with each other in plan view, and a display indicating non-opening is provided on the front and back surfaces of the remaining two display plates that are also in a perpendicular positional relationship with each other in plan view. For this reason, no matter which of the four display plates is viewed from the front or the back, another display plate arranged parallel to that display plate is also visible at the same time, and moreover, different displays indicating opening and non-opening are provided on the two display plates that are visible at the same time. Therefore, it easily satisfies the conditions of the display contents of the four display plates described in the above (1) item, and further, since the same display contents are provided on the front and back surfaces of each of the four display plates, the same opening direction display is presented to vehicles traveling in either direction before and after the track.

[0016] (4) In the above items (1) to (3), the crank portion is rotated by a conversion roller that moves linearly, and the display portion and the crank portion are arranged at positions offset from the display drive mechanism in a plan view by installing the shaft rod at a position away from the movement locus of the conversion roller. A branch opening direction indicator. In the branch opening direction indicator described in this item, the crank portion is rotated by a conversion roller that moves linearly. At this time, the movement direction of the conversion roller is such that the crank portion is rotated with a shaft rod extending in the vertical direction by the conversion roller as the rotation axis, so that it is a direction along the horizontal plane. And such a crank portion and display portion are arranged at positions offset from the display drive mechanism in a plan view by installing the shaft rod at a position away from the linear movement locus of the conversion roller.

[0017] That is, for the direction orthogonal to the movement direction of the conversion roller in a plan view, since the shaft rod is at a position away from the movement locus of the conversion roller, the crank portion connected to the lower end of the shaft rod and the four display plates cross-connected to the shaft rod in a plan view The display unit having the above is arranged at a position offset in the direction with respect to the display drive mechanism when the position of the movement locus of the conversion roller is assumed to be the center in the direction. As a result, by installing the direction so as to coincide with the width direction of the track, the display unit located above the display drive mechanism with the crank portion in between is installed at a position farther from the track than the display drive mechanism, so that it can easily cope with the construction limit of the track.

[0018] (5) In the above item (4), the display unit and the crank unit have a line-symmetric shape or a substantially line-symmetric shape with the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the conversion roller in a plan view as the axis of symmetry, and have a configuration that can be divided from the display drive mechanism. When the display unit and the crank unit are assembled with the display drive mechanism, they are rotated 180 degrees about a rotation axis parallel to the extending direction of the shaft rod, and the direction is switched, so that in a plan view with the moving locus of the conversion roller as the vertical direction, the shaft rod is installed at a position away from the moving locus of the conversion roller to the right, and is assembled at a position offset to the right with respect to the display drive mechanism, or the shaft rod is installed at a position away from the moving locus of the conversion roller to the left, and is assembled at a position offset to the left with respect to the display drive mechanism. Branch opening direction indicator.

[0019] The branch opening direction indicator described in this item is such that the display unit and the crank unit have a line-symmetric shape or a substantially line-symmetric shape with the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the conversion roller that linearly moves in a plan view as the axis of symmetry. As a result, when the display unit and the crank unit are rotated 180 degrees about a rotation axis parallel to the extending direction of the shaft rod (vertical direction), the left and right are inverted with respect to the moving direction of the conversion roller. Further, the display unit and the crank unit have a configuration that can be divided from the display drive mechanism, and are assembled to the display drive mechanism in two directions before and after being rotated 180 degrees as described above.

[0020] That is, in one direction, in a plan view with the movement locus of the conversion roller as the vertical direction, the shaft rod is installed at a position separated from the movement locus of the conversion roller to the right, and the display unit and the crank unit are assembled at positions offset to the right with respect to the display drive mechanism. Also, in the other direction, in a plan view with the movement locus of the conversion roller as the vertical direction, the shaft rod is installed at a position separated from the movement locus of the conversion roller to the left, and the display unit and the crank unit are assembled at positions offset to the left with respect to the display drive mechanism. Thereby, regardless of whether the transfer machine, the link mechanism, etc. are on the right side or the left side of the track, the directions of the display unit and the crank unit are switched by 180 degrees as described above, and the members constituting each part are not changed, and it is installed while corresponding to the building limit.

[0021] (6) In the above items (1) to (5), it includes a cover member that covers the display unit, the crank unit, and the display drive mechanism, and in the cover member, the part that covers the display unit at a position facing the longitudinal direction of the track is formed of a transparent material, which is a branch opening direction indicator. The branch opening direction indicator described in this item further includes a cover member that covers the display unit, the crank unit, and the display drive mechanism. Thereby, it is possible to prevent snow from adhering to the display board and the movable parts during snowfall, and the snow damage countermeasures become more perfect, and furthermore, deterioration due to the influence of wind, rain, etc. is also prevented. Moreover, since the part of the cover member that covers the display unit and faces the longitudinal direction of the track is formed of a transparent material, the opening direction display by the display board of the display unit is not obstructed by the cover member, and it is favorably presented to the vehicle traveling on the track.

[0022] (7) In the above items (1) to (6), a branch opening direction indicator attached to the snow protection cover in such a manner that a part of the display drive mechanism is arranged inside the snow protection cover that covers the link mechanism. The branch opening direction indicator described in this section is suitable for the case where the link mechanism extending from the switching machine is covered by a snow shield for snow disaster prevention or the like, and is attached to the snow shield in such a manner that a part of the display drive mechanism is arranged inside the snow shield. That is, since the display drive mechanism is connected to the link mechanism, at least the connection part thereof is arranged inside the snow shield that covers the link mechanism, so that the force can be transmitted from the link mechanism to the display drive mechanism without any problem. Further, as described in the above item (6), when the branch opening direction indicator includes a cover member, the entire cover member is attached to the snow shield, and appropriate snow disaster prevention measures are taken together with the link mechanism.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, it is possible to improve the ease of recognizing the opening direction while preventing damage caused by snow disasters.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same parts or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Also, detailed descriptions of the same parts or corresponding parts as the prior art are omitted. FIG. 1 shows an installation example of a branch opening direction indicator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the surroundings of the branch to which the branch opening direction indicator 10 is applied are shown. The branch in FIG. 1 moves the movable rail 112 by a turnout machine 100, and a link mechanism 102, crank devices 104, 106, and switch adjusters 108, 110 are interposed therebetween. That is, when the track route is switched, the crank devices 104, 106 are driven by the turnout machine 100 via the link mechanism 102, and thereby the crank devices 104, 106 move the switch adjusters 108, 110 in the left - right direction in FIG. 1, so that the movable rail 112 is switched in the left - right direction in FIG. 1.

[0026] The link mechanism 102 is mainly driven in the vertical direction of FIG. 1 by the tilting machine 100. In FIG. 1, it is in the state of the minimum stroke driven downward in FIG. 1. In this state, the movable rail 112 has moved to the left side of FIG. 1, the track on the right side of FIG. 1 is open, and the track on the left side is in a non-open state. Also, a part of the upper side of the link mechanism 102 in FIG. 1 is covered with a snow shield 96 together with the crank device 106, and in FIG. 1, it is shown through the upper surface of this snow shield 96. Note that the entire link mechanism 102, the crank device 104, the tilting machine 100, etc. may be covered with the snow shield 96. And the branch opening direction indicator 10 applied to the above-described brancher is installed connected to the link mechanism 102 outside the gauge.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the periphery of the branch opening direction indicator 10 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 shows the branch opening direction indicator 10 alone in a perspective view. In FIG. 2, the branch opening direction indicator 10 in a state where the upper surface plate 62 of the cover member 50 to be described later is transparent is shown alone on the left side of FIG. 2, and the branch opening direction indicator 10 in a state where up to the crank case 70 of the cover member 50 to be described later is transparent is shown connected to the link mechanism 102 on the right side of FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the branch opening direction indicator 10 includes a display unit 12, a crank unit 20, a display drive mechanism 30, and a cover member 50. The cover member 50 is roughly composed of a display unit case 52 that covers the display unit 12, a crank case 70 that covers the crank unit 20, and a drive mechanism case 80 that covers the display drive mechanism 30.

[0028] The display unit 12 includes four display plates 14A to 14D connected to a shaft rod 16 extending in the vertical direction. The four display plates 14A to 14D are connected to the shaft rod 16 so as to be arranged in a cross shape in a plan view, as can be particularly confirmed in FIG. 2. In the present embodiment, among the four display plates 14A to 14D, display indicating opening is provided on the front and back surfaces of two display plates 14A and 14B that are in an orthogonal positional relationship in a plan view, and display indicating non-opening is provided on the front and back surfaces of the remaining two display plates 14C and 14D. The display content provided on each of the display plates 14A to 14D can be well confirmed in FIG. 6. Each of the display plates 14A to 14D is formed of a material that reflects light when illuminated by the headlight of a vehicle running on a track.

[0029] Also, in the present embodiment, two display plates 14A and 14B are formed of a single plate material bent at right angles in two stages, and two display plates 14C and 14D are formed of a single plate material bent at right angles in two stages, but it is not limited thereto, and all of the four display plates 14A to 14D may be formed of separate plate materials. The shaft rod 16 is rotatably held by a crank case 70 or the like with the shaft rod 16 itself as a rotation axis, and the four display plates 14A to 14D also rotate with the shaft rod 16 as a rotation axis. Although details will be described later, the display unit 12 shown in FIG. 3 is illustrated in a state where it is in a different rotational position from the display unit 12 in FIG. 2.

[0030] The display case 52 of the cover member 50 that covers the display unit 12 configured as described above includes opposing portions 54, 56, side plates 58, 60, an upper plate 62, and a lower plate 64. The opposing portions 54, 56 are portions that face each other in the longitudinal direction of the track in a state where the splitter opening direction indicator 10 is installed along the track as shown in FIG. 1, and are made of a transparent material such as acrylic, and are curved in the present embodiment. The side plates 58, 60 are portions that cover the sides of the display unit 12, and the upper plate 62 is a portion that covers the upper side of the display unit 12. The display case 52 is also fixed to the crank case 70 of the cover member 50. At this time, in accordance with the position of the display unit 12, as can be particularly confirmed in FIG. 2, it is fixed at a position offset in a direction away from the track (the left direction in FIG. 2) from the crank case 70. For this reason, the display case 52 protrudes to the left side of FIG. 2 from the crank case 70, and the lower plate 64 covers the bottom surface of this protruding portion. The lower plate 64 is also shown in FIG. 5. A reinforcing plate 92 is provided and is connected to both the side plate 58 and the crank case 70.

[0031] As can be confirmed in FIG. 6, the crank portion 20 is connected to the lower end of the shaft rod 16. Between the four display plates 14A to 14D and the crank portion 20, the upper surface portion 72 of the crank case 70 (not shown in FIG. 6) is interposed, and the shaft rod 16 extends through the upper surface portion 72 of the crank case 70. Further, the crank portion 20 is a so-called escape crank, and as shown in FIG. 2, it extends bifurcated from the shaft rod 16 so as to form a U-shaped notch portion 22 in plan view. On the opening side of the notch portion 22, guide surfaces 24, 26 extend continuously from the notch portion 22 so as to spread, and the guide surfaces 24, 26 are in a positional relationship perpendicular to each other. The restricting surfaces 27, 28 located near the root where the crank portion 20 bifurcates into two are also in a positional relationship perpendicular to each other.

[0032] Further, since the crank portion 20 is connected to the lower end of the shaft rod 16, the crank case 70 rotatably holds the shaft rod 16 with the shaft rod 16 as a rotation axis. The range in which the crank portion 20 rotates is limited to a 90-degree range between the first rotation position shown in FIG. 2 and the second rotation position shown in FIG. 7, which will be referred to later. In the present embodiment, the rotation range of the crank portion 20 is limited by using the positional relationship between the crank portion 20 and the conversion roller 32, which will be described later, and the shape relationship between the crank portion 20 and the crank case 70, etc., but it is not limited thereto, and a regulating member provided in the crank case 70 or the like may be used to limit the rotation range of the crank portion 20.

[0033] The crank case 70 of the cover member 50 that covers the crank portion 20 configured as described above has side portions 74 and 76 connected to both lower sides of the upper surface portion 72 to form a U-shaped cross section, and the display unit case 52 is fixed above the upper surface portion 72. Here, the display unit 12 and the display unit case 52 that covers it, and the crank portion 20 and the crank case 70 that covers it, have a configuration that can be divided from the display drive mechanism 30 and the drive mechanism case 80 that covers it. FIG. 4 illustrates the state of being divided in this way, and FIG. 5 illustrates the back side of the crank case 70 after division. As shown in FIG. 5, the crank portion 20 is attached to the back surface of the upper surface portion 72 of the crank case 70 opposite to the display unit case 52 via the shaft rod 16 that penetrates the upper surface portion 72. That is, the above-described division is performed only by removing the crank case 70 from the drive mechanism case 80. Further, the crank case 70 also plays a role of limiting the rotation range of the crank portion 20, which will be described in detail later. A reinforcing plate 94 is provided by being connected to both the lower surface plate 64 of the display unit case 52 and the side portion 76 of the crank case 70.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the display driving mechanism 30 includes a conversion roller 32, a flat bar 34, a plurality of guide rollers 36, and a long transmission part 38. The conversion roller 32 is sized to be loosely fitted in the notch 22 of the crank part 20 and is rotatably attached to the upper surface of one end side of the flat bar 34. One end of the long transmission part 38 is connected to the other end side of the flat bar 34 via a pin 40, and the other end of the long transmission part 38 is connected to the link mechanism 102 via a joystick pin 42. Therefore, the flat bar 34 and the long transmission part 38, and the long transmission part 38 and the link mechanism 102 are rotatable via the pin 40 and the joystick pin 42.

[0035] The plurality of guide rollers 36 guide the flat bar 34 so that the conversion roller 32 moves linearly. In the present embodiment, a total of six guide rollers 36 are arranged at three positions with a gap in the direction in which a pair of guide rollers 36 sandwiching the flat bar 34 guide the flat bar 34, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number and installation positions of the guide rollers 36 are arbitrary. With such a configuration, the display driving mechanism 30 receives the movement of the link mechanism 102 when the link mechanism 102 is driven via the long transmission part 38 connected by pins, and converts it into a linear motion of the flat bar 34 guided by the plurality of guide rollers 36, thereby linearly moving the conversion roller 32.

[0036] The drive mechanism case 80 of the cover member 50 that covers the display drive mechanism 30 configured as described above has a shape in which a joining plate 82 and side lower plates 86 and 88 are connected in a bottomed and lidless box shape that is rectangular in plan view. The joining plate 82 is connected to the front surface of the box shape (the lower surface in FIG. 2) and extends wider than that surface, and the mounting holes provided in this extended portion are used to fix the snow shield 96 that covers the link mechanism 102 and the like with bolts or the like. Further, an opening 84 is provided in the joining plate 82, and a bottom plate 90 that forms the bottom of the box shape protrudes from the opening 84, and the flat bar 34 and the long transmission portion 38 extend to the link mechanism 102 through the opening 84. That is, an opening corresponding to the opening 84 is also formed in the snow shield 96, and a part of the bottom plate 90, the flat bar 34, and the long transmission portion 38 protrude into the snow shield 96. The plurality of guide rollers 36 described above are rotatably attached to the bottom plate 90, and the flat bar 34 is guided along the bottom plate 90. The crank case 70 is assembled to the drive mechanism case 80 in such a manner that the side surfaces 74 and 76 of the crank case sandwich the box shape of the drive mechanism case 80 from both sides.

[0037] Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the display switching operation of the branch opening direction indicator 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, which utilizes the movement of the link mechanism 102 during the conversion of the track route, will be described. In FIG. 6, a part of the display plates 14A to 14D is hatched for easy understanding of the display content. First, FIG. 6(a) corresponds to the state where the link mechanism 102 is in the minimum stroke state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this state, referring also to FIG. 2, the flat bar 34 is pulled out to the maximum from the drive mechanism case 80, and the conversion roller 32 is at a position where it has come out of the notch 22 of the crank portion 20 and is separated. The guide surface 24 of the crank portion 20 is in contact with the conversion roller 32, whereby the rotation of the crank portion 20 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2 is restricted. Also, in the state of FIG. 2, the crank portion 20 is at the rotational position shown in FIG. 5 with respect to the crank case 70, and one regulating surface 27 of the crank portion 20 is close to the side surface portion 76 of the crank case 70, so that the rotation of the crank portion 20 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 5 and the clockwise direction in FIG. 2 is restricted. By restricting the rotation in both directions in this way, the crank portion 20 in FIGS. 6(a) and 2 is held at the first rotational position.

[0038] When the crank portion 20 is in the first rotational position, the four display plates 14A to 14D connected via the crank portion 20 and the shaft rod 16 are in the state as viewed from the lower left side in Fig. 6(a) or the lower side in Figs. 1 and 2, in other words, in the state as viewed from a vehicle traveling in the direction in which the track branches. That is, since the display plate 14A provided with the display indicating opening faces forward on the right side in the line-of-sight direction, it is visually recognized through the opposing portion 54 formed of the transparent material of the display portion case 52. Similarly, since the display plate 14C provided with the display indicating non-opening faces forward on the left side in the line-of-sight direction, it is visually recognized through the opposing portion 54. On the other hand, since the display plate 14B provided with the display indicating opening is on the back side of the display plates 14A and 14C, it is not visually recognized, and since the front and back surfaces of the display plate 14D provided with the display indicating non-opening are parallel to the line-of-sight direction, at least its display content is not visually recognized. Therefore, the opening direction display visually recognized from a vehicle traveling in the direction in which the track branches in this state corresponds to the opening state of the track on the right side in Fig. 1, where the right track is open and the left track is non-open.

[0039] On the other hand, in the state as viewed from the upper right side in Fig. 6(a) or the upper side in Figs. 1 and 2, in other words, in the state as viewed from a vehicle traveling in the direction in which the track merges, the four display plates 14A to 14D are as follows. That is, since the display plate 14A provided with the display indicating opening faces forward on the left side in the line-of-sight direction, it is visually recognized through the opposing portion 56 formed of the transparent material of the display portion case 52, and since the display plate 14C provided with the display indicating non-opening faces forward on the right side in the line-of-sight direction, it is visually recognized through the opposing portion 56. On the other hand, since the front and back surfaces of the display plate 14B provided with the display indicating opening are parallel to the line-of-sight direction, at least its display content is not visually recognized, and since the display plate 14D provided with the display indicating non-opening is on the back side of the display plates 14A and 14C, it is not visually recognized. Therefore, the opening direction display visually recognized from a vehicle traveling in the direction in which the track merges in this state also corresponds to the opening state of the track in Fig. 1.

[0040] Now, when the link mechanism 102 is driven mainly upward in FIG. 2 by the turntable 100 from the state of FIG. 6(a) toward the maximum stroke from the minimum stroke, in response to the movement of the link mechanism 102, the flat bar 34 moves toward the upper right side in FIG. 6(a) while being guided by the plurality of guide rollers 36. Then, the conversion roller 32 attached to the tip of the flat bar 34 moves linearly along the guide surface 24 of the crank portion 20 and loosely fits into the notch portion 22 of the crank portion 20 as it is. And as the flat bar 34 continues to move further, the conversion roller 32 moves while rotating the crank portion 20 counterclockwise in a plan view in a state of being loosely fitted in the notch portion 22. FIG. 6(b) shows a state in the middle of the crank portion 20 being rotated in this way. Along with the rotation of the crank portion 20, the four display plates 14A to 14D connected to the crank portion 20 via the shaft rod 16 also rotate counterclockwise in a plan view.

[0041] Also, when the flat bar 34 moves further toward the upper right side in FIG. 6(b) from the state of FIG. 6(b), the conversion roller 32 rotates the crank portion 20 90 degrees counterclockwise in a plan view compared to the state of FIG. 6(a), and then exits from the notch portion 22 of the crank portion 20. And as the flat bar 34 continues to move further, the conversion roller 32 moves linearly along the guide surface 26 of the crank portion 20, and eventually, since the movement of the link mechanism 102 ends and the flat bar 34 stops, it stops at the positions shown in FIGS. 6(c) and 7. That is, FIGS. 6(c) and 7 correspond to the state where the link mechanism 102 is at the maximum stroke. In this state, the flat bar 34 is pushed into the drive mechanism case 80 to the maximum, and the conversion roller 32 is at a position where it has come out of and separated from the notch portion 22 of the crank portion 20.

[0042] The guide surface 26 of the crank portion 20 is in contact with the conversion roller 32, thereby restricting the rotation of the crank portion 20 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 7. Also, in the state of FIG. 7, the crank portion 20 is at a position rotated 90 degrees in the clockwise direction from the state shown in FIG. 5, and the other restricting surface 28 of the crank portion 20 is close to the side surface portion 76 of the crank case 70, so that the rotation of the crank portion 20 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 5 and the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 7 is restricted. By restricting the rotation in both directions in this way, the crank portion 20 in FIGS. 6(c) and 7 is held at the second rotation position. Note that the branch opening direction indicator 10 shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to the state where the flat bar 34 is pushed into the drive mechanism case 80 to the maximum and the crank portion 20 is at the second rotation position.

[0043] When the crank portion 20 is at the second rotation position, the four display plates 14A to 14D connected to the crank portion 20 via the shaft bar 16 are in the state as viewed from the lower left side in FIG. 6(c) or the lower side in FIG. 7, in other words, in the state as viewed from a vehicle traveling in the direction in which the track branches, and are as follows. That is, since the display plate 14D provided with the display indicating non-opening faces forward on the right side in the line-of-sight direction, it is visually recognized through the opposing portion 54 of the display case 52. Similarly, since the display plate 14B provided with the display indicating opening faces forward on the left side in the line-of-sight direction, it is visually recognized through the opposing portion 54. On the other hand, since the display plate 14A provided with the display indicating opening is on the back side of the display plates 14B and 14D, it is not visually recognized, and since the front and back surfaces of the display plate 14C provided with the display indicating non-opening are parallel to the line-of-sight direction, at least its display content is not visually recognized. Therefore, the opening direction display visually recognized from a vehicle traveling in the direction in which the track branches in this state corresponds to the case where the opening direction of the track is changed from the state of FIG. 1 and the right track in FIG. 1 is non-opening and the left track is opening.

[0044] On the other hand, in the state viewed from the upper right side of FIG. 6(c) or the upper side of FIG. 7, in other words, in the state viewed from a vehicle traveling in the direction in which the tracks merge, the four display plates 14A to 14D are as follows. That is, the display plate 14D provided with a display indicating non-opening faces forward on the left side in the line-of-sight direction, and thus is visually recognized through the opposing portion 56 of the display unit case 52. The display plate 14B provided with a display indicating opening faces forward on the right side in the line-of-sight direction, and thus is visually recognized through the opposing portion 56. In contrast, since the front and back surfaces of the display plate 14A provided with a display indicating opening are parallel to the line-of-sight direction, at least its display content is not visually recognized. The display plate 14C provided with a display indicating non-opening is not visually recognized because it is on the back side of the display plates 14B and 14D. Therefore, the opening direction display visually recognized from a vehicle traveling in the direction in which the tracks merge in this state also corresponds to the case where the opening direction of the track is changed from the state of FIG. 1.

[0045] In the above description, the display switching operation of the branch opening direction indicator 10 when the link mechanism 102 is driven from the minimum stroke to the maximum stroke has been described. However, the display switching operation when the link mechanism 102 is driven from the maximum stroke to the minimum stroke is simply the reverse of the above-described operation. Briefly explained, as shown in FIGS. 6(c) and 7, when the flat bar 34 linearly moves in the direction of being pulled out from the drive mechanism case 80 from the state where the crank portion 20 is in the second rotational position, the conversion roller 32 also linearly moves along the guide surface 26 of the crank portion 20 and loosely fits into the notch portion 22 as it is. Then, while the conversion roller 32 is loosely fitted in the notch portion 22, it moves while rotating the crank portion 20 in the clockwise direction in plan view, and becomes the state as shown in FIG. 6(b). Further, the conversion roller 32, compared with the state of FIG. 6(c), rotates the crank portion 20 90 degrees in the clockwise direction in plan view and then exits from the notch portion 22 of the crank portion 20. After that, the conversion roller 32 linearly moves along the guide surface 24 of the crank portion 20 and eventually stops together with the flat bar 34. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 2, the crank portion 20 has rotated to the first rotational position.

[0046] Here, as can be confirmed in FIGS. 2 to 5, the branch opening direction indicator 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a line-symmetric shape or a substantially line-symmetric shape with the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the conversion roller 32 (i.e., the longitudinal direction of the track) as the axis of symmetry in plan view, where the display unit 12 and the display unit case 52 covering the display unit 12, and the crank unit 20 and the crank case 70 covering the crank unit 20 are concerned. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the display unit 12 and the display unit case 52, and the crank unit 20 and the crank case 70 are configured to be separable from the display drive mechanism 30 and the drive mechanism case 80. Therefore, even when the display unit 12, the display unit case 52, the crank unit 20, and the crank case 70 are rotated 180 degrees about a rotation axis parallel to the extending direction of the shaft rod 16 and the direction is switched from the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, they can be assembled to the display drive mechanism 30 and the drive mechanism case 80.

[0047] Specifically, the branch opening direction indicator 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 corresponds to the case where the tumbler 100 and the link mechanism 102 are installed on the left side of the track in FIG. 2. By installing the shaft rod 16 at a position away from the moving locus of the conversion roller 32 to the left side of FIG. 2, the display unit 12 is assembled at a position offset to the left with respect to the display drive mechanism 30. On the other hand, when, as described above, it is rotated 180 degrees and the direction is switched, and in the state of the direction as shown in FIG. 4, the display unit 12, the display unit case 52, the crank unit 20, and the crank case 70 are assembled to the display drive mechanism 30 and the drive mechanism case 80, the form as shown in FIG. 8 is obtained.

[0048] That is, by installing the shaft rod 16 at a position away from the movement locus of the conversion roller 32 to the right side in FIG. 8, the display unit 12 is assembled at a position offset to the right with respect to the display driving mechanism 30. This form corresponds to the case where the turntable 100 and the link mechanism 102 are installed on the right side in FIG. 8 of the track. Even in this form, it will be understood that the crank portion 20 is rotated to the first rotation position and the second rotation position under the drive of the link mechanism 102, and the opening direction display by the display unit 12 is switched. For reference, the left diagram and the upper right diagram in FIG. 8 show the state where the crank portion 20 is in the first rotation position, and the lower right diagram in FIG. 8 shows the state where the crank portion 20 is in the second rotation position.

[0049] Note that the branch opening direction indicator 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, and depending on the conditions of the applicable track, branch, etc., a part of the above-described components may be deleted, changed, or appropriately added. For example, the display unit 12 may present the opening direction display only for the vehicle traveling in the branch direction of the track, and each of the four display plates 14A to 14D may be provided with a display indicating opening or non-opening on at least one surface thereof so as to function appropriately as a branch opening direction indicator in the applicable branch. Further, the display driving mechanism 30 may adopt any configuration as long as it rotates the crank portion 20 to the first rotation position and the second rotation position using the conversion roller 32. Furthermore, the cover member 50 may have any configuration and shape according to the configurations and shapes of those as long as it covers at least a part of the display unit 12, the crank portion 20, and the display driving mechanism 30. Extremely, it may be a configuration of only the minimum housing portion capable of exerting the functions of each part. Also, when the link mechanism 102 is not covered by the snow cover 96, the branch opening direction indicator 10 may be installed via any member capable of ensuring the required accuracy for positioning the link mechanism 102.

[0050] Now, according to the embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration, the following operational effects can be obtained. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the branch opening direction indicator 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a switch that moves the movable rail 112 via the switch adjusters 108 and 110 by the crank devices 104 and 106 connected to the link mechanism 102 extending from the tumbler 100 outside the track gauge. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the branch opening direction indicator 10 includes a display unit 12, a crank unit 20, and a display drive mechanism 30. The display unit 12 is installed outside the track gauge and has four display plates 14A to 14D for displaying the opening direction. The four display plates 14A to 14D are connected to a shaft rod 16 extending in the vertical direction. At this time, the edges of each of the four display plates 14A to 14D are connected to the shaft rod 16 so as to be arranged in a cross shape centered on the shaft rod 16 in a plan view. Further, each of these four display plates 14A to 14D is provided with a display indicating opening or non-opening on at least one surface.

[0051] The crank unit 20 is connected to the lower end of the shaft rod 16 to which the four display plates 14A to 14D are connected as described above, and extends bifurcated from the shaft rod 16 so as to form a U-shaped notch 22 in a plan view. Further, the crank unit 20 is held so as to rotate together with the shaft rod 16 with the shaft rod 16 as a rotation axis. At this time, it is held so as to rotate within a range of 90 degrees between a first rotation position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6(a) and a second rotation position as shown in FIGS. 7 and 6(c). Therefore, when the crank unit 20 rotates, the four display plates 14A to 14D connected to the shaft rod 16 also rotate simultaneously with the shaft rod 16 as a rotation axis, and are rotated within a range of 90 degrees like the crank unit 20.

[0052] As a result, when the crank portion 20 is in the first rotational position as shown in FIG. 2, the two display plates 14A and 14C that are viewed from below in a front view as shown in FIG. 2 will, when the crank portion 20 is rotated to the second rotational position as shown in FIG. 7, become parallel to the line of sight from below and will not be visible from below in FIG. 7. Instead, two other display plates 14B and 14D that were not visible from below in FIG. 2 when the crank portion 20 was in the first rotational position as shown in FIG. 2 will become visible from below in FIG. 7 when the crank portion 20 is rotated to the second rotational position as shown in FIG. 7. And the content displayed on the left and right by the two display plates 14A and 14C that are viewed in a front view when the crank portion 20 is in the first rotational position and the content displayed on the left and right by two other display plates 14B and 14D that are viewed in a front view from the same direction when the crank portion 20 is in the second rotational position are reversed in terms of left and right open and non-open states.

[0053] On the other hand, when the link mechanism 102 is driven by the turning machine 100 to move the movable rail 112, the display driving mechanism 30 is connected to the link mechanism 102 so as to rotate the crank portion 20 by utilizing the movement of the link mechanism 102. That is, the display driving mechanism 30 has a conversion roller 32 sized to loosely fit into a notch portion 22 formed in the crank portion 20, and moves the conversion roller 32 in response to the movement of the link mechanism 102 when the link mechanism 102 is driven by the turning machine 100. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, by moving the conversion roller 32 while loosely fitting it into the notch portion 22 of the crank portion 20, the crank portion 20 is rotated to the first rotational position or the second rotational position. As a result, as the link mechanism 102 is driven when the opening direction of the track is switched, the crank portion 20 rotates to the first rotational position or the second rotational position. Therefore, before and after the driving of the link mechanism 102, the opening direction display of the display portion 12 visible from below in FIGS. 2 and 7, for example, can be switched to be opposite on the left and right as described above.

[0054] Therefore, by installing the display unit 12 in accordance with the direction of the track as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, it is possible to present the opening direction display that can be appropriately switched as described above to the vehicle traveling on the track. Moreover, since the opening direction displays of the two branching tracks are simultaneously displayed by the two display plates 14A and 14C or 14B and 14D arranged side by side, they can be intuitively recognized, and it is possible to improve the ease of recognizing the opening direction. Also, since the display unit 12 having the display plates 14A to 14D is installed outside the track gauge, it is possible to prevent snow blocks or the like scattered as the train passes from colliding with the display plates 14A to 14D and causing damage. Furthermore, both the crank portion 20 located directly below the display plates 14A to 14D and the display drive mechanism 30 that connects the link mechanism 102 installed outside the track gauge and the crank portion 20 will inevitably be installed outside the track gauge. For this reason, it is possible to save the labor of removing in winter and reinstalling in spring, etc.

[0055] Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the branch opening direction indicator 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the display drive mechanism 30 includes a flat bar 34, a plurality of guide rollers 36, and a long transmission portion 38 in addition to the conversion roller 32. The flat bar 34 has the conversion roller 32 attached to the upper surface of one end side thereof, and the other end side is connected to the long transmission portion 38. The plurality of guide rollers 36 guide the flat bar 34 so that the conversion roller 32 moves linearly, and are arranged at positions sandwiching the flat bar 34 along the moving direction of the conversion roller 32. The long transmission portion 38 is long as a whole, and one end thereof is connected to the other end side of the flat bar 34 as described above. At this time, it is pivotally pin-connected to the other end side of the flat bar 34 by a pin 40. Also, the other end of the long transmission portion 38 is pivotally pin-connected to the link mechanism 102 extending from the turntable 100 by a joystick pin 42. Thereby, the movement of the link mechanism 102 when driven by the turntable 100 can be converted into a linear motion of the flat bar 34 and the conversion roller 32 attached thereto and transmitted through the long transmission portion 38 having a movable portion by pin connection and the plurality of guide rollers 36.

[0056] Then, when the link mechanism 102 is moved by the transfer machine 100 to the minimum stroke, as shown in Fig. 6(a), the conversion roller 32 rotates the crank portion 20 to the first rotation position while loosely fitting into the notch portion 22 provided in the crank portion 20, and then moves linearly until it exits from the notch portion 22. Further, when the link mechanism 102 is moved by the transfer machine 100 to the maximum stroke, as shown in Fig. 6(c), the conversion roller 32 rotates the crank portion 20 to the second rotation position while loosely fitting into the notch portion 22 of the crank portion 20, and then moves linearly until it exits from the notch portion 22. Therefore, since the large stroke of the link mechanism 102 is not transmitted to the crank portion 20 because the conversion roller 32 moves out of the notch portion 22 and continues to move, the crank portion 20 can be rotated 90 degrees using only the necessary momentum from the large stroke. Also, for a plurality of branchers, a display drive mechanism 30 or the like using members of the same size can be applied, and since it is installed outside the gauge and the size of the members does not change according to the shape of the track or the like, it is possible to reduce the cost by commonizing the members.

[0057] Furthermore, as can be confirmed in Fig. 6, the brancher opening direction indicator 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a display indicating opening provided on the front and back surfaces of two display plates 14A and 14B that are in a perpendicular positional relationship with each other in plan view among the four display plates 14A to 14D of the display unit 12, and a display indicating non-opening provided on the front and back surfaces of the remaining two display plates 14C and 14D that are also in a perpendicular positional relationship with each other in plan view. For this reason, no matter which of the four display plates 14A to 14D is viewed from the front or the back, another display plate arranged parallel to that display plate can also be viewed at the same time, and moreover, the two display plates that are viewed at the same time can present different displays of the display indicating opening and the display indicating non-opening. Further, since each of the four display plates 14A to 14D has the same display content on the front and back surfaces, it is possible to present the opening direction display of the same content to vehicles traveling in either the front or the back direction of the track.

[0058] Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the branch opening direction indicator 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is rotated by a conversion roller 32 in which a crank portion 20 linearly moves. At this time, the moving direction of the conversion roller 32 is a direction along the horizontal plane because the crank portion 20 is rotated about a shaft rod 16 extending in the vertical direction by the conversion roller 32 as a rotation axis. Then, such a crank portion 20 and a display portion 12 are arranged at positions offset with respect to the display drive mechanism 30 by being installed at positions where the shaft rod 16 is separated from the linear movement locus of the conversion roller 32 in a plan view.

[0059] That is, with respect to the direction (the left - right direction in FIGS. 2 and 7, the width direction of the track) orthogonal to the moving direction of the conversion roller 32 in a plan view, since the shaft rod 16 is at a position separated from the moving locus of the conversion roller 32, a crank portion 20 connected to the lower end of the shaft rod 16 and a display portion 12 having four display plates 14A to 14D cross - connected to the shaft rod 16 in a plan view can be arranged at positions offset in this direction with respect to the display drive mechanism 30 when assuming the position of the moving locus of the conversion roller 32 as the center in this direction. As a result, the display portion 12 located above the display drive mechanism 30 with the crank portion 20 interposed therebetween can be installed at a position farther from the track than the display drive mechanism 30, so that it becomes possible to easily cope with the construction limit of the track.

[0060] Furthermore, in the branch-opening direction indicator 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the display unit 12 and the crank unit 20 have a line-symmetric shape or a substantially line-symmetric shape with the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the conversion roller 32 that linearly moves in a plan view as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 (the left-right direction in FIGS. 2 and 7) as the axis of symmetry. As a result, when the display unit 12 and the crank unit 20 are rotated 180 degrees about a rotation axis parallel to the extending direction of the shaft rod 16 (the direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIGS. 2 and 7), the left and right are inverted with reference to the moving direction of the conversion roller 32 (the up-down direction in FIGS. 2 and 7). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the display unit 12 and the crank unit 20 are configured to be separable from the display drive mechanism 30, and are configured to be assembled to the display drive mechanism 30 in two directions before and after being rotated 180 degrees as described above.

[0061] That is, in one direction, in a plan view as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, by installing the shaft rod 16 at a position separated from the moving locus of the conversion roller 32 to the left, the display unit 12 and the crank unit 20 can be assembled to a position offset to the left with respect to the display drive mechanism 30. Also, in the other direction, in a plan view as shown in FIG. 8, by installing the shaft rod 16 at a position separated from the moving locus of the conversion roller 32 to the right, the display unit 12 and the crank unit 20 can be assembled to a position offset to the right with respect to the display drive mechanism 30. As a result, regardless of whether the switching machine 100, the link mechanism 102, etc. are on the right side or the left side of the track, by switching the directions of the display unit 12 and the crank unit 20 by 180 degrees as described above, it becomes possible to install while corresponding to the building limit without changing the members constituting each part.

[0062] Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the branch opening direction indicator 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a cover member 50 having a display unit case 52 that covers the display unit 12, a crank case 70 that covers the crank unit 20, and a drive mechanism case 80 that covers the display drive mechanism 30. Thereby, it is possible to prevent snow from adhering to the display plates 14A to 14D and the movable parts during snowfall, to make the snow disaster countermeasures more perfect, and to prevent deterioration due to the influence of wind and rain. Moreover, since the opposing portions 54 and 56 of the display unit case 52 that covers the display unit 12, which oppose the longitudinal direction of the track, are formed of a transparent material, the opening direction display by the display plates 14A to 14D of the display unit 12 is not obstructed by the cover member 50, and it can be presented well to vehicles traveling in either direction of the track.

[0063] In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the branch opening direction indicator 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is adapted for the case where the link mechanism 102 extending from the turntable 100 is covered by a snow protection cover 96 for snow disaster countermeasures and the like, and a part of the display drive mechanism 30 is arranged within the snow protection cover 96, and it is attached to the snow protection cover 96. That is, since the display drive mechanism 30 is connected to the link mechanism 102, at least the long transmission part 38 and the flat bar 34, which are the connection parts thereof, are arranged within the snow protection cover 96 that covers the link mechanism 102, so that the force can be transmitted from the link mechanism 102 to the display drive mechanism 30 without problems. Further, since the branch opening direction indicator 10 includes the cover member 50, the entire cover member 50 can be attached to the snow protection cover 96 via the joint plate 82, and appropriate snow disaster countermeasures can be taken together with the link mechanism 102.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0064] 10: Branch Opener Direction Indicator, 12: Display Unit, 14A~14D: Display Boards, 16: Shaft Rod, 20: Crank Part, 22: Notch, 30: Display Driving Mechanism, 32: Conversion Roller, 34: Flat Bar, 36: Guide Roller, 38: Long Transmission Part, 50: Cover Member, 54, 56: Opposing Parts, 96: Snow Shield, 100: Rotary Hearth Furnace, 102: Link Mechanism, 104, 106: Crank Devices, 108, 110: Switch Adjuster, 112: Movable Rail

Claims

1. A switch opening direction indicator for a turnout that moves a movable rail via a switch adjuster by a crank device connected to a link mechanism extending from a transfer machine outside the gauge, comprising: a display unit installed outside the gauge, having four display plates whose edges are connected in a cross shape centered on the shaft rod in a plan view with respect to a shaft rod extending in the vertical direction, and at least one surface of each of the four display plates is provided with a display indicating opening or non-opening; a crank portion connected to the lower end of the shaft rod, extending bifurcated from the shaft rod so as to form a U-shaped notch in a plan view, and rotatably held together with the shaft rod within a range of 90 degrees between a first rotation position and a second rotation position with the shaft rod as a rotation axis; a display drive mechanism connected to the link mechanism, having a conversion roller sized to loosely fit into the notch, and when the link mechanism is driven by the transfer machine, the conversion roller moves while loosely fitting into the notch to rotate the crank portion to the first rotation position or the second rotation position. The turnout opening direction indicator is characterized by including the above.

2. The display drive mechanism includes a flat bar with the conversion roller attached to the upper surface of one end side, a plurality of guide rollers for guiding the flat bar so that the conversion roller moves linearly, and a long transmission portion with one end pivotally pin-connected to the other end side of the flat bar and the other end pivotally pin-connected to the link mechanism. The conversion roller linearly moves such that when the link mechanism is moved to the minimum stroke by the transfer machine, it rotates the crank portion to the first rotation position while loosely fitting into the notch and then exits the notch, and when the link mechanism is moved to the maximum stroke by the transfer machine, it rotates the crank portion to the second rotation position while loosely fitting into the notch and then exits the notch. The turnout opening direction indicator according to Claim 1 is characterized by this.

3. In the display unit, on the front and back surfaces of two display plates that are orthogonal to each other in a plan view among the four display plates, a display indicating opening is provided, and on the front and back surfaces of the remaining two display plates, a display indicating non-opening is provided. The turnout opening direction indicator according to Claim 1 or 2 is characterized by this.

4. The crank portion is rotated by a conversion roller that moves linearly, The display portion and the crank portion are arranged at positions offset from the display drive mechanism by being installed at positions where the shaft rod is separated from the movement locus of the conversion roller in a plan view, according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the brancher opening direction indicator.

5. The display portion and the crank portion have a line-symmetric shape or a substantially line-symmetric shape with a direction orthogonal to the movement direction of the conversion roller as a symmetry axis in a plan view, and have a configuration separable from the display drive mechanism, When the display portion and the crank portion are assembled with the display drive mechanism, the direction is switched by being rotated 180 degrees about a rotation axis parallel to the extending direction of the shaft rod, and in a plan view with the movement locus of the conversion roller as the vertical direction, the shaft rod is installed at a position separated from the movement locus of the conversion roller to the right and assembled at a position offset to the right with respect to the display drive mechanism, or the shaft rod is installed at a position separated from the movement locus of the conversion roller to the left and assembled at a position offset to the left with respect to the display drive mechanism, according to claim 4, the brancher opening direction indicator.

6. Including a cover member that covers the display portion, the crank portion, and the display drive mechanism, The cover member is characterized in that a portion covering the display portion at a position facing the longitudinal direction of the track is formed of a transparent material, according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the brancher opening direction indicator.

7. The brancher opening direction indicator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is attached to the snow protection cover in such a manner that a part of the display drive mechanism is arranged inside the snow protection cover covering the link mechanism.

Images