US1261647A - Grade-crossing gate. - Google Patents

Description

E. F. TALLEYI GRADE .CROSSING GATE APPLICATION FILED MAY 1915.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918` 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

f\ MI vwemtoz E. F. TALLEY. GRAD-E CROSSING GATE. APPLlcATloN FILED MAY s. |915.

1,261,647. Patented Apr.2,191&

(56` 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/lg-Zu f, f www 'UN-FIERE STATES @FFCFL EDWARD r. TALLEY, or WEBB cI'rY, MISSOURI, AssIGNoR or ONE-HALF 'ro RALPH S. KELLY, or ,WEBB CITY, MISSOURI.

eRnnncRossiive GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed May 6, 1915. Serial No. 26,383.

To all. whom t may concern): Y

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. TALLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Webb City, in the county of'Jasper. and State of Missouri', have invented certain new and usefiil Improvements in Grade-.Crossing Gates, of which the following a 'specification. i' I "5. f This invention relates to gates and more particularly relates to agrade ycrossing gate adap'tedto be automaticallyv operated bythe approach and passage -ofa train, in order to preventtravelers from 'attempting `to cross thetrack..`. M

As a principal object, it is contemplated by this. invention to provide a vertically swinging. gate by the V'side of the grade crossing andto providein association therewith Suitable track trips whereby movement of the gate may be automatically:controlled by the passagelof a train.. 1,'

.A further object is to provide a casing for housing the operating mechanism Jfor the gate in @device ofthis character-,such casing being slottedv to limitmovem'ent. of the gate and such 4mechanism including spring means for returning the gate to 'its normal position while the train ispassing4 the cross- 111g... .5. It. is a more specific objectto' pivot a gate within a casing,ffor vertical movement, to attach a segment to` suchgate, toprovide Aa spring pressedlocking ,bolt normally main'- taining the gate iii its raisedposition, to associate track trip means Vwithsaid `locking bolt in such manner thatapproachoi', a train will releasesaid .bolt and permit said gate to assume its'closed position fandto associate a second .track trip withspringlme'ans so that passage of the train will causethe spring to coact with. said segmentin .returning `said gate to itsnormallocked position. f i

The. above and; additional objects which will become app-arent.. as this explanatory description. .pro`ceeds,'are accomplished by such `meansas are illustrated inthe accom: panying ',drawings, .described.inY the following specification.andthen .more particularly Lpoi'nte'cljcmt the .Lclfairs :which .arev Lap.- pendedhere o. and .formapart of this appli..- caIl'.. -.With rete renceztoQtlie .dawinga wherein there?. is .illustrated the.y preferrediembodi nient.ofthiaimpmionc as; tiaduced Lto practiceaid throughout the several vviews of which like characters of reference designate similar parts:

Figure l is an elevational View of a portion of the grade-crossing gate operatively assembled,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the casing housing of the gate,

Fig. 3 is a vertical Sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 2, and looking` toward the left of the latter, the gate being lowered,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the casing showing a modified form of channel means, the'gate being shown in an operative position,

, Fig. v5 is an 'elevation of one form of track trip which may be used with this invention, Fig. 6 is a similar View but at right angles to Fig. 5, v i Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken through a modified form of track trip, -Y -r Fig. 8Yis a longitudinal section through the locking mechanism maintaining the gate in raised position, and Fig. 9 is a perspective detail of the hook member carried by the returning spring Vfor the gate, g

, Fig. 10 is an' enlargedhdetail showing the means for removably holding the Ygate locked in a vertical position, and

Fig. 11 is a detail view partly in section showing a tripping mechanism with its connection' te another track side element. j

In the assembled view of Fig. 1, there is illustrated a grade-crossing, as the term is applied to the intersection oi a public road or street,- with a railway track. rlhis latter is designated 10 'and includes rails mounted upon the usual cross ties 11 which Support track trip casings 1Q and 13, the-latter being positioned at one side of thctrack directly opposite a gate casing 14e while the' former are placed along thc track at such distances from the casing 14 as'to furnish ample time for the arm to be operated thereby uponthe approach of a train.

' Upon reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 which illustrate thc casing 14 in dctail,-it willbe seen that such casing is Aprovided with the arcuate t'op 16 which is formed'V with a-slot public road or grade-crossing, by the side of which the casing 14 is positioned. Upon that portion of the arm 18 within the casing 14 there is secured the channeled segment 2O which serves as a guide for the spring ribbon 21 which is received upon the segment 2O from a spiral coil 22 mounted upon the transverse axle 28 within the casing. The free extremity of this spring ribbon engages in the manner denoted by the numeral 24 with a hook member 25 which is formed on opposite sides with the hook portions 2G and 27, this latter carrying an eyelet 28 for the engagement tlier'e\\ith of a flexible connection. ln F ig. 4 l have illustrated a modified form of my invention and in this instance the casing has mounted therein the double segment 20 which consists of portions7 each equivalent to the segment of Fig. 8 and mounted upon opposite sides of the arm 18. By the use of this additional segment the spring ribbons 2l accommodated therein are rendered more positive and balanced in their action upon the arm.

rlThe locking means maintaining the gate 18 normally in raised position is illustrated in detail in Fig. 8 and will be seen to include separate casings 29 and() which are respectively carried by the gate 18 and by the housing 14 in juxtaposition to the upper terminus of the slot 17. ln each of these casings there is slidable a bolt 81 which bolt is normally maintained in the position illustrated in this figure by coil spring Each of these bolts is formed with an angular extremity 88 so that they may readily engage for longitudinal Vmovement without the slightest interference with the vertical swinging movement of the gate about its pivot 19. The bolt 81 carried by the swinging arm is provided with an elongation 34 which projects through the arm and into the channeled portion of the segment 20 unless withdrawn therefrom by a releasing pull from the other bolt 81, this latter having its extremity formed with an eye 35 for engagement with an operating flexible connection. A keeper 88 is secured to the arcuate top of the housing as indicated in Fig. and is adapted to normally engage the catch member 26 of the spring carried hook 25, as will be later more completely set forth in the discussion of the operation of this safety appliance.

Considering now the track trips adapted to operate the gate 18 through the housed mechanism just described, it will be apparent that these may assume either of the forms illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, or F ig. 7. ln the first mentioned figures the trip disclosed includes a base casting 87 which is supported upon the ties 11 adjacent the track 10. A. bearing cap 88 is secured to the base casting and a partially rotatable shaft 89 is mounted therein and projected toward the track 10. Secured to this shaft is the trip arm 40 the upper portion 41 of which Vis hinged by means 42, although normally alined with the lower portion by the leaf spring 43. This upper portion is adapted to be contacted with by a rod or similar device 44 which may project from the pilot or other suitable point of the engine designated 45, while the lower portion of the trip 40 has connected thereto the flexible control 46, the movement of which in one direction is limited by a stop 47 carried by the base casting.

The modified form of track trip illustrated in Fig. 7 includes the hollow casting 48 which may be positioned upon the ties 11 as previously described and in which is journaled the verticall shaft 49. The upper end of the shaft is extended upwardly from the casing 48 and is flattened upon its upper extremity the flattened portion being provided with a series of adjusting apertures 50 which variably receive the bolt or set screw 51 in maintaining the operating bar 52 in the desired adjusted position. At its lower extremity the shaft 49 carries a pulley 58 over kwhich is trained and to which is secured the flexible connection 46 extending into the casing and which is given an actuating movement substantially the same as by the first described tripping mechanism. A spring' 54 is coiled around the shaft 49 and has one end anchored in the casing 48 in order to return the shaft to that position Where the arm 52 extends at right angles to the track 10.

1t will bejunderstood that a pair of the track trips 12 are situated adjacent the track 10 and at opposite equal distances from the casing 14 toward which both of the flexible controls 45 from these trips 12 run, entering the casing to a common connection 55 after passing over a pair of pulleys 56 separately mounted upon simil ar supports 57. Continuing from the common connection 55 this double control 58 extends upwardly for engagement with the eye 35 of the operating bolt 31. Similarly a flexible connection 59 extends from the eye 28 carried by the hook member over the pulley 60 and transversely out of the casing 14 for any suitable engagement such as those already described in similar connections with the arm 61 mounted upon the track casing 18. The arm 61 is preferably pivotally mounted with respect to the casing 13. rlhe flexible connection 59 may pass in any suitable manner beneath the ties 11 and the track rails 10 to the casing 13. The end of this flexible member is then connected in a suitable manner so as to have coperative action with the arm 61. The arm 6l is preferably so posi tioned that it will serve to operate the tripping mechanism upon the in either' direction.'

passage of a train y In a reduction to practice, it will be obvious that the gate 18 may carry the sign board 62 having any suitable signal or warning legend thereon and may also be equipped with the illuminating means 63 freely mounted at the extremity of the bracket arm 64 so that either position of the gate 1S will permit the lamp 63 to occupy the necessary vertical position. Considering that the arm is in its vertical position and that the train L15 is approaching the grade-crossing in the indicated direction it will be seen that the trip 44 engaging with the gate 41 of the track trip 12 at the right of Fig. 1 will exert a pull upon the flexible control 16 which will withdraw the bolt portion 34 from the channel of the segment 20. This bolt portion is normally engaged by the hook 27 of the member 25, as will be obvious from an inspection of this portion of Fig. 2, so that the resistance of the spring 22 prevents the force of gravity upon the extended end of the gate 18 from permitting this gate to fall into its horizontal position. The withdrawal of the bolt 34 however disengages the gate from the action of the spring and causes the gate to close the highway against traffic. When the train has reached the trip 13, the arm 61 will be actuated thereby to exert a pull upon the flexible control 59 which will be so arranged as to be sufficient to pull the spring ribbon 21 forwardly in the channel segment until the hook 27 again engages with the bolt portion 34. The spring 22 having been thus called upon to exert its action upon the arm 18, the latter will be lifted to its normal vertical position, the hook 26 engaging the keeper 36 which prevents backward slipping oi' the spring ribbon when the gate is let down. Incidentally the hook ends 33 engage each other so as to allow subsequent operation.

While in the foregoing, however, there has thus been illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is desired to emphasize the fact that such minor changes in the matters of proportion and degree may be made in later adaptations of this device as shall not alter the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described, a slotted casing, a gate movably mounted within the casing and projecting through the slot, arcuate channel means carried by the inner end of the gate and positioned within the casing, spring means mounted in the casing and positioned in the channel means for holding the gate in a vertical posit-ion, means ttor releasing said spring means by an approaching train to permit the gate to fall to a horizontal position, and means for drawing said spring means again into engagement with the gate to return said gate into a vertical position.

2. In a device oi the character described,n

a slotted casing, a gate mounted within the casing and projecting through the slot; a channeled segment carried by said gate, a spring ribbon mounted within the casing and positioned in the channeled segment, a hook member connected to said ribbon, a bolt slidably mounted in said gate 'for engagement with said member for maintaining said gate in a vertical position1 means for automatically releasing said bolt by the approach of a train to permit of the gate to fall to a horizontal position, and means for drawing said member and said ribbon into engagement with said bolt to consequently return said gate into a vertical position.

3. In a device of the character described,

-a slotted easing, a gate mounted within the casing and projecting through the slot, a channeled segment carried by said gate, a spring within the casing and positioned in the channel of the segment, a hook member carried by said ribbon, means for releasably maintaining the gate in engagement with the hook member, means for releasing the bolt to consequently allow the gate to :tall into its lowermost position, and means for drawing said member and said ribbon again into engagement with said bolt to consequently return the gate into a vertical position.

4f. In a device of the character described, a slotted casing, a gate pivotally mounted within the casing and projecting through the slot, a channeled segment carried by one end oi said gate and arranged within the casing, a spring ribbon mounted within the casing and positioned in the channel of the segment, a member mounted on the spring ribbon, oppositely it'ormed hooks on the member, a bolt slidably mounted in said gate lor engagement with one oitl said hooks to consequently maintain the said gate in a vertical position, means for releasing said holt from said member at ythe approach of a train, a keeper carried by said casing for engagement with the other ot said hooks for preventing displacementl o't' said member when said bolt is released, and means for drawing said member and said ribbon again into engagement with said bolt to consequently return said gate into a vertical position.

5. In a device of the character described, a slotted casing, a gate pivotally mounted within the casing and projecting through the slot, an arcuate channeled segment mounted on the inner end of the gate and positioned within the casing, a spring ribbon mounted in the casing and positioned within the channel of the segment, a member connected to the outer end of said ribbon, oppositely formed hooks upon Said member, a bolt sliclably mounted on the gate for engagement with one of said hooks for maintaining the arm in a vertical position, 5 an engaging bolt mounted in the easing cooperating with the sliding bolt and adapte-d to release said sliding bolt from said member at the approach of a train, a keeper are ranged to engage the other of the hooks to l0 prevent displacement of said member upon release of the sliding bolt, and means a1'- ranged to draw said member and said ribbon again into engagement` with said Sliding bolt to Consequently return the gate to a vertical position. l5

ln testimony whereof I affix my Signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDVARD F. TALLEY.

VVitneeses W. ESPIVA,

HORACE MERRrr'r.

@omen of thier patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Qommissioner of Patents',

Washington, D. E3.

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