Railroad signal battery box

Claim 2

A box for the out-door storage of batteries of electrical railroad signal backup systems comprising: a battery receptacle of sufficient size to receive at least one battery, the receptacle having a base, upright walls, an open top and being constructed of a relatively lightweight, thin-walled plastic material, the receptacle including a vertically oriented, elongate tubular cable entrance chute, the chute having a lower end which communicates with the exterior disposed at the base an an upper end which communicates with the interior terminating adjacent the top of the receptacle, a cover for placement across the top of the receptacle, and means in addition to the chute and disposed adjacent the top for communicating the receptacle interior with the exterior to permit breathing of the battery when the cover is in place.

Claim 3

A box according to claim 1 wherein the chute terminates slightly below the top end of the receptacle, and including a terminal strip secured to the receptacle between the upper end of the chute and the top to facilitate the formation of electric connections.

Claim 4

A box according to claim 1 including a corrugated liner placed on the base for spacing the battery above the receptacle base and prevent contact between water collecting on the receptacle bottom and a battery placed in the receptacle.

Claim 5

A box according to claim 1 including anti-flotation lobes protruding outwardly from the walls at opposite points of the receptacle for burying the lobes underground and prevent the box from flotation when ground water rises above the base.

Claim 6

A box according to claim 1 wherein the cover is separate of the receptacle, wherein the top of the receptacle is defined by a doubled over rim defining a continuous downwardly facing channel, wherein the cover is substantially flat and includes a downwardly depending skirt for placement over the rim, and including means for interengaging a portion of the rim and an adjacent portion of the skirt, and mutually aligned apertures in another portion of the rim and of the skirt opposite from the first mentioned portion of the rim and the skirt for locking the cover to the receptacle with a conventional padlock.

Claim 7

A lightweight railroad battery box for storing a battery used for railroad signal backup systems and for protecting such battery from the atmosphere, the box comprising a generally rectangular receptacle having a flat bottom member, upwardly extending walls and an opened top, the walls terminating in a downwardly opening, generally U-shaped rim extending all around the top, the receptacle being constructed of relatively lightweight fiberglass so that one person can carry it, the rim defining a flat top surface and including means defining at least one, relatively shOrt depression in the top surface for communicating the receptacle interior with the exterior when the receptacle is closed, at least one pair of opposing walls each defining an outwardly protruding anti-flotation lobe disposed adjacent the bottom member and integrally constructed with the respective wall, a vertically oriented, elongate tubular cable chute communicating the receptacle interior with the exterior from a point adjacent but spaced below the top to a point at about the bottom member of the receptacle for passing electrical cables generally through the bottom member into the receptacle interior while preventing ground water and the like from rising in the receptacle interior, a wooden terminal bar secured to the receptacle interior adjacent the upper terminus of the chute for the formation of electrical connections, a flat cover for placement on the flat surface of the rim and sealing the receptacle interior from the exterior except for air communication permitted by the depression, the cover including a downwardly depending skirt positioned to be disposed closely adjacent a free leg of the rim, at least one side of the cover including a lid-keeper disposed generally parallel to the flat cover portion and spaced therefrom for placement beneath and closely adjacent a lowermost end of the free leg portion of the rim for preventing upward lifting of the cover by engaging the lid-keeper with the leg of the rim, at least one aperture in the skirt and in the free leg of the rim at a side thereof generally opposite from the keeper, the apertures being in mutual alignment when the cover is placed over the receptacle so that the cover can be locked to the receptacle with a standard railroad padlock or the like, and means for spacing a battery placed in the receptacle above the bottom member and any moisture that collects on the member.

Claim 8

A lightweight railroad battery box for storing a battery used for railroad signal backup systems and for protecting such battery from the atmosphere, the box comprising a generally rectangular receptacle having a flat bottom member, upwardly extending walls and an opened top, the walls terminating in a downwardly opening, generally U-shaped rim extending all around the top, the receptacle being constructed of relatively lightweight fiberglass so that one person can carry it, the rim defining a flat top surface and including means defining at least one, relatively shOrt depression in the top surface for communicating the receptacle interior with the exterior when the receptacle is closed, at least one pair of opposing walls each defining an outwardly protruding anti-flotation lobe disposed adjacent the bottom member and integrally constructed with the respective wall, a vertically oriented, elongate tubular cable chute communicating the receptacle interior with the exterior from a point adjacent but spaced below the top to a point at about the bottom member of the receptacle for passing electrical cables generally through the bottom member into the receptacle interior while preventing ground water and the like from rising in the receptacle interior, a wooden terminal bar secured to the receptacle interior adjacent the upper terminus of the chute for the formation of electrical connections, a flat cover for placement on the flat surface of the rim and sealing the receptacle interior from the exterior except for air communication permitted by the depression, the cover including a downwardly depending skirt positioned to be disposed closely adjacent a free leg of the rim, at least one side of the cover including a lid-keeper disposed generally parallel to the flat cover portion and spaced therefrom for placement beneath and closely adjacent a lowermost end of the free leg portion of the rim for preventing upward lifting of the cover by engaging the lid-keeper with the leg of the rim, at least one aperture in the skirt and in the free leg of the rim at a side thereof generally opposite from the keeper, the apertures being in mutual alignment when the cover is placed over the receptacle so that the cover can be locked to the receptacle with a standard railroad padlock or the like, and means for spacing a battery placed in the receptacle above the bottom member and any moisture that collects on the member.

Claim 9

A box according to claim 6 wherein the chute is integrally constructed with the receptacle.

Claim 10

A box according to claim 6 wherein the anti-flotation lobe is defined by contiguous, flat wall sections protruding outwardly from the respective receptacle walls.