Latch mechanism for a railboard track switch cover

A latch mechanism to hold down a railroad switch cover housing having a latch opening and positionable over a section of railroad track bed, comprising:

• an anchor member securable to a railroad track bed beneath the latch opening of the housing;
• an elongate linkage rotatable about a first axis and having a cam end and a latch end, said latch end having a hook that is engageable and releasable with respect to the anchor member when the anchor member is secured to the track bed, said cam end having a linkage pin;
• a cam mechanism including a cam member and a cam hinge, said cam hinge having a fixed plate secured to the housing adjacent the latch opening, and a second plate pivotally connected to the first plate;
• said cam member rotatably connected to the second hinge plate for rotation about a second axis;
• said linkage pin eccentrically connected to the cam member, with the first axis of the linkage perpendicular to the second axis of the cam member, at a location on the cam member movable upon rotation of the cam member between a release position with the end of the linkage pin in a relatively lowered location and on one lateral side of the axis of rotation of the cam member and with the hook in clearing relationship to the anchor member, and a latch position with the end of the linkage pin in a relatively elevated location on the opposite lateral side of the second axis of the cam member and the hook in engagement with the anchor member;
• means fixed to the cam member for rotation of the cam member between the latch position and the release position.

A railroad track switch cover panel assembly positionable over a section of railroad track bed adjacent a railroad track rail, comprising;

• a housing having a first wall positionable adjacent a railroad track rail, a top wall extending from the first wall in covering relationship to the railroad track bed section adjacent the rail, and a second wall spaced from the first wall and resting on the railroad track bed when the first wall is located adjacent a railroad track rail;
• a latch opening in the top wall of the housing;
• an anchor bar securable to the track bed at a location beneath the latch opening;
• an elongate linkage rotatable about a first axis and having an upper end and a lower end;
• said lower end of the linkage having a hook engageable with the anchor bar when the anchor is secured to the track bed beneath the latch opening;
• lever means rotatably mounted on the upper surface of the top wall of the housing for rotation about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis of the linkage;
• said upper end of the linkage being eccentrically connected to the lever means for longitudinal movement of the linkage between a latch position with the hook in engagement with the anchor bar and a release position with the hook clear of the anchor bar upon rotation of the lever means about the second axis;
• and
• means for back and forth rotation of the lever means about its central axis between the latch position of the linkage and the release position of the linkage.