1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
(a) a vehicle seat, said vehicle seat comprising a seat support and a back rest,
(b) a first restraint system for said vehicle seat, and
(c) a second restraint system for said vehicle seat, said second restraint system being coupled to said vehicle seat and at least partially retractable, said second restraint system operating independently of said first restraint system, said second restraint system comprising,
(i) a first belt designed to fully retract onto a first take-up reel that is located within the back rest of the vehicle seat, the first belt having a free end,
(ii) a second belt designed to fully retract onto a second take-up reel that is located within the back rest of said vehicle seat, the second belt having a free end,
(iii) first and second tongues, the first tongue being mounted onto the free end of the first belt and the second tongue being mounted onto the free end of the second belt, and
(iv) a buckle assembly adapted to releasably receive the first and second tongues, wherein the buckle assembly can be configured between a first position in which said buckle assembly is disposed entirely within the seat support of the vehicle seat and a second position in which the buckle assembly at least partially projects out from the seat support of the vehicle seat.
2. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein said buckle assembly is accessible through a pivotal flap which is integrated into the seat support of said vehicle seat.
3. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein said buckle assembly comprises:
(a) a strap adapted to selectively project out from the seat support of said vehicle seat,
(b) a first buckle affixed to said strap, said first buckle being adapted to receive the first tongue, and
(c) a second buckle affixed to said strap, said second buckle being adapted to receive the second tongue.
4. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first take-up reel resiliently retracts the first belt in the absence of any outside force thereon to the extent that the first tongue protrudes partially out through a corresponding slot formed in the back rest of the vehicle seat.
5. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4 wherein the second take-up reel resiliently retracts the second belt in the absence of any outside force thereon to the extent that the second tongue protrudes partially out through a corresponding slot formed in the back rest of the vehicle seat.
6. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
(a) a vehicle seat comprising a seat support and a back rest, and
(b) a restraint system for said vehicle seat, said restraint system comprising,
(i) a first strap designed to resiliently retract onto a first take-up reel, the first take-up reel being located within the back rest of said vehicle seat, the first strap having a free end,
(ii) a second strap designed to resiliently retract onto a second take-up reel, the second take-up reel being located within the back rest of said vehicle seat, the second strap having a free end,
(iii) first and second tongues, the first tongue being mounted on the free end of said first strap, the second tongue being mounted on the free end of said second strap, and
(iv) a buckle assembly adapted to be releasably receive each of said first and second tongues, wherein said buckle assembly can be configured between a first position in which said buckle assembly is disposed entirely within the seat support of said vehicle seat and a second position in which said buckle assembly at least partially projects out from the seat support of said vehicle seat.
7. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 6 wherein the first take-up reel resiliently retracts the first strap in the absence of any outside force thereon to the extent that the first tongue protrudes partially out through a corresponding slot formed in the back rest of the vehicle seat.
8. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 7 wherein the second take-up reel resiliently retracts the second strap in the absence of any outside force thereon to the extent that the second tongue protrudes partially out through a corresponding slot formed in the back rest of the vehicle seat.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A railroad switch rod assembly, comprising:
a switch rod housing having a first end adapted to couple with a switch point of a railroad switch, the switch rod housing further having a second end adapted to slidably receive a connecting rod into the switch rod housing;
a detent assembly coupled to the switch rod housing, the detent assembly comprising a detent pin; and
the connecting rod, one end of the connecting rod being adapted to couple with a railroad switch stand, the connecting rod having (a) a first notch to receive a tip of the detent pin in a first operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a first relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing and (b) a second notch to receive the tip of the detent pin in a second operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a second relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing,
wherein a first sidewall of the second notch is steeply sloped to stop the detent pin from sliding further along the connecting rod, and
wherein a second sidewall of the second notch is less steeply sloped than the first sidewall to allow a sliding motion of the connecting rod to disengage the detent pin from the second notch and cause the detent pin to re-engage with the first notch.
2. The railroad switch rod assembly according to claim 1, wherein the detent pin is spring-loaded in the detent assembly.
3. The railroad switch rod assembly according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the detent pin protrudes through an opening in a sidewall of the switch rod housing to engage with the first notch and the second notch.
4. The railroad switch rod assembly according to claim 1, wherein contours of the tip of the detent pin and sidewalls of the first notch are so configured as to allow a significant force exerted along the connecting rod to disengage the detent pin from the first notch and to cause the detent pin to slide relative to the connecting rod towards the second notch.
5. A railroad switch system comprising the railroad switch rod assembly of claim 1.
6. A method of using the railroad switch rod assembly of claim 1, the method comprising:
causing the detent pin to engage with the first notch on the connecting rod so as to maintain the railroad switch in the first operating state; and
installing the railroad switch rod assembly to couple the switch point of the railroad switch with the railroad switch stand.
7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:
resetting the railroad switch rod assembly causing the detent pin to engage with the first notch on the connecting rod after the railroad switch is run through.
8. A method of making a railroad switch rod assembly, the method comprising:
forming a switch rod housing having a first end adapted to couple with a switch point of a railroad switch and a second end adapted to slidably receive a connecting rod into the switch rod housing;
coupling a detent assembly to the switch rod housing, the detent assembly comprising a detent pin;
adapting one end of the connecting rod the connecting rod to couple with a railroad switch stand;
forming a first notch and a second notch in the connecting rod, the first notch being adapted to receive a tip of the detent pin in a first operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a first relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing, and the second notch being adapted to receive the tip of the detent pin in a second operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a second relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing,
wherein first sidewall of the second notch is steeply sloped to stop the detent pin from sliding further along the connecting rod, and
wherein a second sidewall of the second notch is less steeply sloped than the first sidewall to allow a sliding motion of the connecting rod to disengage the detent pin from the second notch and cause the detent pin to re-engage with the first notch; and
assembling the connecting rod with the switch rod housing.
9. A method of using a railroad switch rod assembly, the method comprising:
providing a railroad switch rod assembly comprising:
a switch rod housing having a first end adapted to couple with a switch point of a railroad switch, the switch rod housing further having a second end adapted to slidably receive a connecting rod into the switch rod housing,
a detent assembly coupled to the switch rod housing, the detent assembly comprising a detent pin, and
the connecting rod, one end of the connecting rod being adapted to couple with a railroad switch stand, the connecting rod having (a) a first notch to receive a tip of the detent pin in a first operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a first relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing and (b) a second notch to receive the tip of the detent pin in a second operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a second relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing,
wherein a first sidewall of the second notch is steeply sloped to stop the detent pin from sliding further along the connecting rod, and
wherein a second sidewall of the second notch is less steeply sloped than the first sidewall to allow a sliding motion of the connecting rod to disengage the detent pin from the second notch and cause the detent pin to re-engage with the first notch; and
installing the railroad switch rod assembly to couple the switch point of the railroad switch with the railroad switch stand, the installing further comprising causing the detent pin to engage with the first notch on the connecting rod so as to maintain the railroad switch in the first operating state.
10. A railroad switch rod assembly, comprising:
a switch rod housing having a first end adapted to couple with a railroad switch stand, the switch rod housing further having a second end adapted to slidably receive a connecting rod into the switch rod housing;
a detent assembly coupled to the switch rod housing, the detent assembly comprising a detent pin; and
the connecting rod, one end of the connecting rod being adapted to couple with a switch point of a railroad switch, the connecting rod having (a) a first notch to receive a tip of the detent pin in a first operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a first relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing and (b) a second notch to receive the tip of the detent pin in a second operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a second relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing,
wherein a first sidewall of the second notch is steeply sloped to stop the detent pin from sliding further along the connecting rod, and
wherein a second sidewall of the second notch is less steeply sloped than the first sidewall to allow a sliding motion of the connecting rod to disengage the detent pin from the second notch and cause the detent pin to re-engage with the first notch.
11. A method of making a railroad switch rod assembly, the method comprising:
forming a switch rod housing having a first end adapted to couple with a railroad switch stand and a second end adapted to slidably receive a connecting rod into the switch rod housing;
coupling a detent assembly to the switch rod housing, the detent assembly comprising a detent pin;
adapting one end of the connecting rod the connecting rod to couple with a switch point of a railroad switch;
forming a first notch and a second notch in the connecting rod, the first notch being adapted to receive a tip of the detent pin in a first operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a first relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing, and the second notch being adapted to receive the tip of the detent pin in a second operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a second relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing,
wherein a first sidewall of the second notch is steeply sloped to stop the detent pin from sliding further along the connecting rod, and
wherein a second sidewall of the second notch is less steeply sloped than the first sidewall to allow a sliding motion of the connecting rod to disengage the detent pin from the second notch and cause the detent pin to re-engage with the first notch; and
assembling the connecting rod with the switch rod housing.
12. A method of using a railroad switch rod assembly, the method comprising:
providing a railroad switch rod assembly comprising:
a switch rod housing having a first end adapted to couple with a railroad switch stand, the switch rod housing further having a second end adapted to slidably receive a connecting rod into the switch rod housing,
a detent assembly coupled to the switch rod housing, the detent assembly comprising a detent pin, and
the connecting rod, one end of the connecting rod being adapted to couple with a switch point of a railroad switch, the connecting rod having (a) a first notch to receive a tip of the detent pin in a first operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a first relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing and (b) a second notch to receive the tip of the detent pin in a second operating state of the railroad switch to maintain a second relative position of the connecting rod in the switch rod housing,
wherein a first sidewall of the second notch is steeply sloped to stop the detent pin from sliding further along the connecting rod, and
wherein a second sidewall of the second notch is less steeply sloped than the first sidewall to allow a sliding motion of the connecting rod to disengage the detent pin from the second notch and cause the detent pin to re-engage with the first notch; and
installing the railroad switch rod assembly to couple the switch point of the railroad switch with the railroad switch stand, the installing further comprising causing the detent pin to engage with the first notch on the connecting rod so as to maintain the railroad switch in the first operating state.