US1555386A - Grade-crossing safety apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 29, 1925. 1,555,386

R. SCHILLINGER GRADE CROSSING SAFETY APPARATUS Filed Feb. 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 29, 1925. 1,555,386

R. SCHILLINGER GRADE CROSSING SAFETY APPARATUS Filed Feb. 2, 1925 2 Shegts-Sheet 2 difh Arr-0km: Y6

Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrica.

RAYMOND SCHILLINGER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO GEORGE W. SCHILLINGER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRADE-GROSSING SAFETY APPARATUS.

Application filed February 2, 1925. Serial No. 6,162.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND SoHIL- LINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented a new and useful Improvement in Grade-Crossing Safety Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to prevent the possibility of vehicles being struck by railroad trains at grade crossings. Safety gates, warning signs, traffic control officers and other expedients afford only limited protection. The most eflicient known means to prevent grade crossing accidents involve the employment of trafiic directors or watchmen controlling the operation of safety gates, but this requires the services of two or three men working on twelve or eight hour shifts, if the crossing is to be properly guarded during day and night, involving an expense which, if it is to be applied to a large number of crossings, is almost prohibitive.

My inventioncontemplates the provision of automatically actuated means whereby a vehicle will be absolutely prevented from proceeding along the highway as far as the track while a train is approaching the highway and during its passage thereover.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the entire apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of that part of the mechanism for releasing the trap door directly actuated by an approaching train.

Figs. 3 and at are vertical sections across one of the railroad tracks and along the highway adjacent thereto, showing a vehicle pit, a trap door for the same, and a part of the mechanism for locking and releasing the trap door.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the last named mechanism.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are elevations of another part of the mechanism for locking and releasing the trap door.

Fig. 9 is a detail side view of certain of the elements shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

A represents a highway crossed by railroad tracks I), b. Beneath thev surface of the highway is a pit c, which may be of any suitable size and shape, preferably as shown in Fig. 1'. In this figure, the pit is shown as comparatively wide atthe rear (the end more remote from the tracks) the side walls being concavely curved toward a comparatively narrow front. Extending rearward from the pit are narrow channels cl, (Z, having the same depth as the pit. The pit is covered by a plate or trap door 6 and the channels by plates f, f. Just behind the pit, and below the front edges of plates f, f, is a shaft 9, on which are pivoted bell-crank levers 7L, 7a. One arm of each lever extends under, and is secured to and supports, the pit-covering plate or trap door 6. The other arm carries any suitable balancing device, such as weights 2'. These weights hold the trap door 6 in a horizontal position except when an overbalancing weight (such as that of an automobile) is imposed on the trap door. To normally prevent the tilting of the trap door by a passing vehicle, its front edge is supported by an upright lever j pivoted at its lower end. The above apparatus constitutes an automobile trap, the operation of which will be briefly described.

So long as trains are not passing along the tracks, the trap is functionless, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. 3. Suitable signs should be erected warning against approaching the tracks, while a train isapproaching orpassing, as far as the trap. Then the front of an approaching train reaches a predetermined distance from the crossing, automatic mechanism operated by the train moves the supporting arm or lever into the position shown in Fig. 4. However, the pit-covering plate or trap door 6 remains in the position shown in Fig. 3, due to the action of the weights 2'. If, however, the warning should be disregarded and a car be driven onto the trap door, the trap door will tilt into the position shownin Fig. 4:, carrying the car partly into the pit. The wheels on one or the other side of the car will strike the concave side walls of the pit, thereby breaking the force of the impact even if the car should be traveling at a considerable speed.

There are, of course two of these traps,

one on one side, and the other on the other side, of the railway.

The supporting member may be operated automatically in any suitable way; but the automatic means that I have designed presents advantages with respect to certainty of operation and simplicity and economy of construction.

Adjoining one of the rails of each track, at a predetermined distance from the crossing, is a curved lever adapted to be engaged by the flanges of passing car Wheels. (See Fig. 2). This lever is pivotally secured at one end to a tie. Its other end is attached to an arm m secured to a shaft carrying an arm n. The arm n is positioned between the rails of a track.

Extending under the tracks, and also along the longitudinal center line of the highway, is a shaft 3 carrying arms 25, 7). One arm 25 is connected, by means of a rod 1', with one end of a sliding plate 9, the other end of plate p being connected by means of a rod or chain 0, with the arm 47. between the rails of one of the tracks. Similar con nections are provided between the shaft a and the arm a between the rails of the othertrack.

Shaft s, at each end, carries an arm a, which is connected, by means of a link 4), with one arm of a bell-crank lever .w, pivoted on a vertical axis. This mechanism is contained in a chamber 00 located beneath the highway alongside the track. Extending through a hole underneath the highway is a rod or chain y, one end of which is connected to the other arm of bell-crank w and the other end of which is connected with the supporting lever j.

It will be understood, from the foregoing description, that when the front wheels of a train approaching the crossing along either track engage and depress lever 70, supporting lever j will be swung into the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby rendering the automobile trap operative.

It is desirable, however, that this mechanism should be restored to its normal inoperative position after a train has passed the crossing. For this purpose the following mechanism, associated with sliding plate 79, and illustrated in Figs. 69, is provided.

Plate p is slidable in ears on a plurality of adjacent ties 20, and by means of springs 10, is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 8, in which position supporting lever y is in the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position it supports the pit-covering plate 6. Projecting up from a fixed base in the road bed are two short posts 11, on which is sleeved a lower frame 12, supported on springs 13 coiled about the posts. Springs 13 normally hold frame 12 against collars 14 on posts 11. An upper frame 15 is sleeved on posts 11 between collars 16 and 17 Plate 79 is provided with projections 18 and 19 adapted, as hereinafter described, to engage frames 12 and 15 respectively.

Vhen, by the depression of lever is by means of a car wheel flange, plate 39- is pulled from the position shown in Fig. 8 to that shown in Fig. 6, projection 19 underrides frame 15, lifting it slightly. As soon as projection 19 rides beyond frame 15, the latter drops, latching the plate against a return movement. lVhen, however, the 10- comotive wheels reach the plate 29, the ties 20, due to the superincumbent weight of the locomotive, move downward, disengaging projection 19 from frame 15, but moving projection 18 in line with frame .12, which,

by the action of spring 10, it immediately engages, as shown on Fig. 7. This limited movement of the plate does not sufiice to restore supporting lever j to operative position. As soon, however, as the last car of the train has passed beyond plate 37, the ties will spring up into their normal position, withdrawing project-ion 18 from looking relation with frame 12 and permitting spring 10 to return plate 39 to normal position. This restores to normal position all the mechanism between the wheel-actuated lever 70 and the trap door sustaining lever j.

If two trains should be passing a crossing simultaneously, the pit cover sustaining lever j, the mechanism for actuating it, and the plates 39 associated with both tracks, will all be withheld from returning to normal position until after both tracks shall have been cleared.

' It will thus be understood that the natural elasticity of the railway road bed is utilized to unlatch plate 79 and restore to working position the trap door sustaining lever j. As soon, therefore, as the tracks are clear, it is perfectly safe to drive over the trap door. I

What I claim is 1. In a grade crossing automobile trap, the combination with a railroad track, a pit, a pit cover adapted to drop and open the pit, and a pit cover upholder, of means associated with the track and adapted to be operated by a moving train to withdraw said upholder from operative position.

2. In a grade crossing automobile trap, the combination with a railroad track, a pit cover adapted to swing into position to open the pit by the weight of a superincumbent vehicle, a tension device adapted to hold the pit cover in position to close the pit when the same is not so weighted, other means to positively uphold the pit cover in position to close the pit, and means associated with the track and adapted to be operated by a moving train to withdraw the positive pit cover upholding means from operative position.

3. In a grade crossing automobile trap,

the combination with a railroad track, a pit, a pit cover adapted to drop and open the pit, and a pit cover upholder, of mechanism associated with the track and adapted to be operated by a moving train to withdraw said upholder from operative position, and means adapted to hold said mechanism in the position to which it is so operated.

I. In a grade crossing automobile trap,the combination with a railroad track, a pit, a pit cover adapted to drop and open the pit, and a pit cover upholder, of mechanism associated with the track and adapted to be operated by a moving train to withdraw said upholder from operative position, a latch adapted to hold said mechanism in the position to which it is so operated, and means adapted to be operated by the moving train to withdraw same latch and permit said mechanism to be returned to position to restore said upholder to operative position.

5. In a grade crossing automobile trap, the combination with the rails and ties of a track, a pit, and a swinging trap door for the pit, of means to lock the trap door in position to close the pit, and mechanism controlled by a moving train to successively withdraw said look from operative position,

hold it in inoperative position and restore it to operative position.

6. In a grade crossing automobile trap, the combination with the rails and ties of a track, a pit, and a swinging trap door for the pit, of means to lock the trap door in position to close the pit, mechanism connected with said locking means and extending therefrom along the track, a lever relatively distant from said locking means and adapted to operate said mechanism to withdraw sa1d locking means from operative position, latches relatively close to said looking means adapted to hold said mechanism in the last named position and adapted to be disengaged by the lift of a tie after the rear end of a train has passed beyond the latches, and a spring adapted to return said mechanism to position to restore said locking means to operative position.

7. In a grade crossing automobile trap,

on one of the rails, a connection between the lever and the sliding plate whereby the latter is operable by the former, mechanism between the sliding plate and said upholder adapted to be operated by said plate to withdraw said upholder from operative position, a spring tending to return the plate, and coacting stops, one of which is carried by the plate, adapted to lock the plate from returning to position to restore said upholder to operative position.

8. In a grade crossing automobile trap, the combination with ties and rails of a railroad track, a pit, a pit cover adapted to drop and open the pit, and a pit cover upholder, of a plate slidable on one of the ties, a lever adapted to be operated by a wheel traveling on one of the rails, a connection between the lever and the sliding plate whereby the latter is operable by the former, mechanism between the sliding plate and said upholder adapted to be operated by said plate to withdraw said upholder from operative position. a spring tending to return the plate, a pair of coacting stops, one of which is carried by the plate, adapted to lock the plate against return by said spring, said stops be ing disengageable when said tie is depressed by the weight of the front of the train when it reaches said tie, and a second pair of coacting stops, one of which is carried by the plate, adapted to lock the plate against return by said spring when said tie is so depressed, said stops being disengageable when said tie rises, after the train has passed beyond it, to allow said spring to return said plate to its original position, thereby effecting the restoration of said upholder to normal position.

In testimonyof which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on this 26th day of January, 1925.

RAYMOND SCHILLINGER.

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