US1207609A - Collapsible bridge-gate. - Google Patents

Description

S. L. NEELY.

COLLAPS IBLE BRIDGE GATE. APPLICATION FILED MAY r. 1915( Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

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COLLAPSIBLE BRIDGE GATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. l9l 5.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

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nn nnn SAMUEL L. NEELY, OF LONGTON, KANSAS.

COLLAPSIBLE BRIDGE-GATE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 11.916.

Application filed May 7, 1915. Serial No. 26,604.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. NEELY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Longton, in the county of Elk and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Bridge- Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a collapsible bridge gate.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical, and comparatively inexpensive collapsible bridge gate designed for use at railroad crossings for preventing automobiles, wagons and various other vehicles from crossing the railroad track and equipped with inner and outer platform sections normally arranged in an oppositely inclined elevated position and adapted to sink gently to a horizontal position when there is no train approaching and it is safe to cross a railroad track and provided with electrically controlled means for releasing the inner platform section so that the latter will remain in an elevated position and effectively prevent a wagon, motor-car or other vehicle from crossing the track while a train is approaching.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible bridge gate of this character adapted to permit a'vehicle caught between the gate at the opposite sides of a track to pass over the platforms of either gate in leaving the track.

Also the invention has for its object to provide counter-balancing weights for normally maintaining the sections in an elevated position and for controlling the upward movement of the platform sections under the influence of the weight to prevent a platform from being lifted quickly and catching the body of an automobile or other vehicle after the wheels have left such platform or section.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a collapsible bridge gate constructed in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same partly in section. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of the motors of the collapsible bridge gate in a normally open circuit.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the collapsible bridge gate which in practice is located at each side of a railroad track 1 comprises in its construction inner and outer platform sections 2 and 3 hinged at their opposite ends at a and 5 by any suitable means and extending upwardly from their hinged ends at an inclination and having their proximate ends arranged contiguous to eachother, the upper or inner end 6 of the outer platform section 3 beinglocated or extended beneath the adjacent end 7 of the inner platform section 2 in order that a motor car, wagon, or other vehicle leaving the track may cross the collapsible bridge gate and depress both of the platform sections 2 and 3. The inner platform section 2 by extending over the inner end of the outer platform section 3 is adapted to depress the latter whether the outer platform section is interlocked with the inner platform section by the means hereinafter described or not, but when the inner platform section 2 is released from such interlocking means it will be impossible for the outer platform section 3 when depressed to carry with it the inner platform section. This will cause the inner platform section to be left in an elevated position so as to effectively prevent an automobile, wagon or other vehicle from crossing the railroad track. The platform sections 2 and 3 which may be of any desired length to suit the distance their inner ends suitable flexible connections which pass over overhead pulleys that are supported by a frame 11. I

Thecaloles fi) are secured at one end to the 7 platform sections; 2 and 3v by anyv suitable means and the weights which operate in vertical cylinders 12 are equipped with piston heads 13 The cylinders which are located atopposite sides of the inner portionsof the platformsections 2 and 3 are arranged in a verticalposition and are'suitably mounted at their lower ends'where they are prov ded with inwardly opening valves 1% adapted to permit a? free inletyof air soas not to interfere with the upward movement of the weights when the platform sections 2 and 3 are depressed The cylinders whichare connected at the valves 1% with the outside atmosphere byshortpipes 15 or other suitable means are also provided with vent ports 16 whieh'allowv the air to escape slowly from thecylinders injtlie downwardmovement of the weights so that it will be impossible for the inner platform section 2 to fiy up sud denly after the wheelsof. a vehicle have left thefplatform sections. This willprevent the platform sections 2 from catching the body of an automobile or other vehicle should the said inner section be released from the interlocking means while a vehicle is traveling over the collapsible bridge gate.

In orderto interlock the platform sections and enable the inner platform section V to be depressed by the outer platform. section when there is no train in the block with whichthe gate is connected the outer plat form sectionisequippedat each side with a slidable bar or member 17 preferably ar ranged horizontally when the platform sections are at the limit of their upward movement and provided at its engaging end with downwardly extending portion or bill 18 to form a hook for engaging an upwardly extend ng lug orsbill 19 carried by the inner platform section 2 to coact with the hook of the slidable bar or member 17. V

Thesli dable bar or member 17 which is guided in a suitable casing 20 is urged outwardly with respect to the casing by a coiled "spring 21 housed within the casing and nor- (so mally maintaining the hook of the slidable rodior member in position for engaging the innerplatformsection 2. This w1ll cause the'inner plat-form section 2 to be depressed the outer platform section 3 when the latter is subjected to the weight of the vehicle.

The inner or rear end of the slidable bar or member 17 is connected by a cord or cable 22 or other suitable flexible connection with a drum 23 of an electric motor 2 L The electric motors of both collapsible gates of a railroad crossing are arranged in circuit and are simultaneously operable by electrically controlled'means which is operated when an engine enters the block so that the motors will beeaused to rotate the drum and withdraw the slidable bars or members from their engaging positions over the hooks of the inner platform section The two motors are arranged in a normally open circuit 2 1 which is closed when a train enters the block. WVhenthe slidable bars or members 17 are withdrawn the outer platform section may be depressed without carrying with it the inner platform section 2 which will be left in an elevated position so as to prevent an automobile or team from reaching the railroad track. Should an automobile or other motor car run on to the outer section 3 while the slidable bar or member 17 is withdrawn it must be run off the same before the said outer platform section can operate the inner section. lVhen such car or vehicle backs off the outer section, the latter will rise and as soon as the train leaves the block the circuit including the motors will be broken and the slidable bars or members 17 will be moved forwardly to their engaging positions. The upwardly extending lugs or projections 19 of the inner platform section 2 are adapted to prevent the slidable bars or members from being withdrawn should the motor circuit be closed while a vehicle is crossing the gate as there will be sullicient timewhen a train first enters the block for vehicles crossing the track to pass over the same. hen the track is clear and a vehicle is driven on to the outer platform 3, the

latter and the inner platform section will sink gently to a horizontal position and permit the vehicle to pass over them. After being relieved of the weight of a vehicle the platform sections will be slowly elevated to their normal inclined positions.

The collapsible bridge gate is preferably arranged between fences and in practice a suitable signal such as a. bell will be sounded to warn persons of the approach of a train but any other audible signal. may of course be provided and a collapsible bridge gate or a locking stile or any other suitable means may be provided for preventing foot passengers from crossing the railroad track. As the collapsible bridge gate at a railroad crossing will be arranged in circuit with the controlling means of each track any number of tracks may be employed in connection with one set of gates.

\Vhat is claimed is 1. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclined platform sections hinged at their lower ends and having their upper ends arranged adjacent to each other, means for yieldably supporting the same in an elevated position, means for connecting the adjacent ends of the platform sections to cause the said sections to be depressed simultaneously when one of the sections is depressed, and means for disconnecting the sections to permit one of the sections to remain elevated when the other section is depressed.

2. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclined platform sections having contiguous upper ends and hinged at their lower or outer ends, electrically controlled means carried by one of the sections for engaging the other to cause the sections to move downwardly simultaneously when one of the sections is subjected to pressure, and means for disconnecting the sections to permit one of the sections to remain in an elevated position when the other section is moved downwardly.

3. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclined depressible platform sections hinged at their lower ends and having contiguous upper ends, one of the sections being extended beneath the other to enable it to be depressed by the latter when the same is subjected to pressure, and means carried by the extended platform section for detachably engaging it with the other section.

4. A gate of the class described including inner and outer oppositely inclined depressible platform sections having contiguous upper ends, means for mounting the sections to permit the same to swing upwardly and downwardly, means for yieldably supporting the sections in an elevated position, and electrically controlled means. carried by the outer platform section and movable inwardly and outwardly to project over the inner platform section and to be withdrawn from such projecting engaging position.

5. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclined depressible platform sections, a slidable bar mounted on one of the sections and movable inwardly and outwardly to and from a position for engaging the other section and means for operating the said bar.

6. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclined depressible platform sections, a slidable bar mounted on one of the sections and movable inwardly and outwardly to and from a position for engaging the other section, a spring for urging the bar in one direction and a motor connected with the bar for moving the same in the opposite direction.

7. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclined depressible platform sections, a slidable bar mounted on one of the sections and movable inwardly and out wardly to and from a position for engaging the other section, a spring for urging the bar in one direction, a motor having a drum and a flexible connection arranged to be wound around the drum and connected with the slidable bar for moving the same against the action of the spring.

8. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclined depressible platform sections having adjacent upper ends, the upper end of one of the platform sections being provided with relatively rigid projecting means and a movable device carried by the other platform section and normally arranged to engage with the said projecting means to connect the sections, said movable device being adapted to hold the movable device in such engagement when the platform having the said movable means is subjected to pressure, and means for withdrawing the movable device to disconnect the sections.

9. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclined depressible platform sections, means for connecting the sections to cause the same to move downwardly in unison when one of the sections is subjected to pressure and means for releasing the platform sections to permit one of the same to remain in an elevated position when the other is detached and counter-balancing weights connected with the platform sections for yieldably maintaining the same in an elevated position, said weights being movable upwardly and downwardly and means for controlling the downward movement of the weights to cause a slow upward movement of the platform sections.

10. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclined depressible platform sections, means for connecting the sections to cause the same to move downwardly in unison when one of the sections is depressed, means for releasing the platform sections to permit one of the same to remain in an elevated position when the other is depressed, counter-balancing weights connected with the platform sections for yieldably maintaining the same in an elevated position, said weights being movable upwardly and downwardly, and cylinders receiving the weights and having pneumatic means for controlling the downward movement of the same.

11. A gate of the class described including oppositely inclined depressible platform sections, means for connecting the sections to cause the same to move downwardly in unison when one of the sections is depressed, means for releasing the platform sections to permit one of the same to remain in an elevated position when the other section is depressed, counter-balancing weights connected with the platform sections for yieldably maintaining the same in an elevated position, said weights being movable upwardlynnddownwardly, cylinders receiving" In testimony whereof I aifix my signature the Weights and provlded with lnwardly in presence of two Witnesses.

opening valves and having Vent ports and SAMUEL L. NEELY. piston, heads carried by the heads and 0p- Witnesses: '5 erating in the eylinders to cause afslow MICAJAH D. ORGAN,

i V downward movement of the Weights. JOHN DUNLOP.

"Gopiesof this patent may be pbtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Y Washington, D. G.

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