US1588849A - Crossing gate and highway signal - Google Patents

Description

June 15 1926.

- 1,588,849. w. B. MILLER V CROSSING GATE AND HIGHWAY SIGNAL I v Filed Sept. 9, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet-i A gwuentoz W727, J/M/sh June 15 1926.

. 1,588,849 w. B. MILLER 8 CROSSING GATE AND HIGHWAY SIGNAL Filed Sept. 9 1824 2 SheetS -Sheet 2 v I I I gwwntoz Patented June 15, 1926.

UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM s. MILLER; or CUMBERLAND, MARYLAND.

Application filed September 9, 1924-. Serial N'o. items.

This invention relates to an improved automatic crossing gate and signaling device which I have devised for use upon highways crossed by railroad tracks. The invention relates to a device of this class whichserves to notify automobilists and pedestrians when a train is approaching the highway. It has specific reference to a device of this class which comprises a barrier or gate'adapted to be swung to vertical operative position crosswise of the road or highway to prevent passage of vehicles across the tracks until the train has passed.

Onefeature of theinvcntion is the collapsible barrier or gate which when in operative position obstructs traflic, but when in inoperative position permits unobstructed assa 'e of vehicles.

Another feature of the invention is the association with the barrier of inotor driven means which is controlled by track switches the means being absolutely positive in operation for both moving the barrier to operative and inoperative positions at predetermined intervals.

It is also a feature of the invention. to equip the barrier with indicating lights to render it readily visible at'night, and to incluoe means for rendering the lights visible the moment the barrier beginsto rise.

It is also an object and advantage to use, in addition to the barrier, a pair of automatically controlled semaphores or signaling devices, one of which is disposed adjacent the highway and the other one of which is disposed at a distant point up the track, the track semaphore being for the use of the engineer so that he may observe whether or notthe gate is up and the traffie is closed. The other semaphore is for the use of the automobilists and pedestrians enabling them to determine whether or not the track is clear. u v

. There are other important detalls which I might well emphasize here, but these are to be referred to'as the description goes on.

In the drawings g Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device constructedin accordance wit-h the present invention showing the same in association wit the highway and a caressing railway this s. I

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the device showing the gate or bartaken on the line 66 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the spring pressed plunger used in association with the device.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference character 1 designates an elongated box or housing which is adapted to be embedded in the road surface at an appropriate depth, the same being adapted to extend crosswise of the road as observed in Figure 1. As more plainly seen in Figure 6, the box may be provided with a removable cover 2 which maybe secured to interiorly disposed brackets 3. It is also to be noted here that the cover doesnot entirely close the box, the open space being adapted to be closed by a transparently bowed shield or movable cover 4 pivoted upon the upper ends of the barrier of these arms are directed laterally and journaled in bearings secured to the interior face of the bottom of the box. Attached to the under side of the shield are electric bulbs? arranged at suitably spaced points. Connected to one end of the shield 4 is an L-shaped trip 8 which serves in manner to be later described. n, Also secured to the under side of this shield is a projection 8 to be later described.

Pivotally connected to the intermediate portionof the end-most arm 5 at the right hand end of the barrier is an operating rod 9. This operating rod extends to a suitable point and is connected with a pivotally mounted arm 10 supported on the uprights 11 (see Figures 2 and As also seen in these figures, the upper end of'this arm 10 is forked andone of the arms of the fork is provided with an especially shaped curved finger 12, the other arm being fashioned to provide a segmental gear 13. As also clearly seen in Figures 2 and 3, a comparatively large gear 14: is germane. between. the ripper ends of the up-* arms 5. The lower ends rights. On the left hand side, the gear is provided with an eccentric or cam 15 which cooperates with the aforesaid finger 12. On its opposite side it is provided with a small gear segment or sector 16 which meshes with a reversing pinion 17 which in turn meshes with the aforesaid arcuate gear .13. For rotating the gear let a motor 19 is provided. The pinion on the drive shaft ot the motor meshes with the gear 14-. ()bviously, when the motor is driven in the proper direction, and assuming that the gear 141- is rotated in a clockwise direction (Figure 5 the cam 15 will engage the finger 12 in a manner to exert a push upon the arm 10 to force the operating rod forwardly and to lift the barrier. Owing to the relative positions of the gear segment 13 with respect to the finger 12, continued rotation of the 14 will be active upon this gear V nent through the medium of the reversing pinion, to exert movement in the opposite direction upon the arm 10, thus lowering the barrier. As before intimated, a track semaphore 19 see Figure 1) acts in conjunction with the barrier. This semaphore is disposed a convenientpoint along the track and it constitutes an indicator for the engii'iecr. The semaphore is operated in unison with the barrier. To accomplish this, I utilize a cable, the short portion 20 of which is connected at one end to the operating rod 9 with the intermediate portion w apped around an idler pulley 21. The other long end 22 of the cable leads to and is connected with the semaphore arm to raise the latter. It is clear that when the operating rod 9 moves in a direction from right to left, it will exert a pull upon the cable 20, thus rotating the pulley 21 in a direction to wind the intermediate portion of the cable thereon and to elevate the semaphore arm to a vertical position in alignment with the post on which it is mounted. The pulley 21 is provided with a notch with which a latch 23 coacts. \Vhen the barrier is lowered, the aforesaid trip 8 engages the latch J3 to disengage it from the notch in the periphery of the pulley, thus permitting the semaphore arm to lower by gravity. The nose of the latch is weighted so that it engages in the notchunder the influence of the gravity also.

Observing Figure 2, it will be seen that the operating rod 9 carries a longitudinally bowed spring 24. The free end of the spring is directed laterally as indicated at 25 and this laterally directed. end bears against the correspondingly directed end 26 of a pivotally mounted bell crank 27 (see Fig. 3). To the opposite arm of the bell crank, a pull cable 28 is connected. The cord in turn being connected to a semaphore arm 29 disposed to extend across the highway to serve as a safety signal. The semaphore arm may be provided with a signal light 30 and the standard upon which the same is mounted may be provided with a signaling bell 31. It is clear that when the barrier is up, the semaphore arm 29 is in a horizontal signaling position, and vice versa. Thus, the semaphore arm serves to show whether or not the track is clca r. It is also evident that as the barrier is raised, the spring 24: moves away from and is followed by the bell crank, the semaphore arm 2 dropping to horizontal position under the influence of gravity. Vvhen the barrier is lowered, the spring 2 1- exerts a push upon the bell crank to pull the cord and again raise the semaphore arm to vertical safely position (see Figure It is desirable to raise the shield 4L slightly from its seat just after the motor has been started in its action. to move the gate to raised position, and to accomplish this end, I arrange a spring pressed plunger 32 in the socket 33 in the bottom of the aforesaid box. The upper end of the plunger forked as seen in Figure 7 and receives the operating rod 9. The yieldable pressure insorted upon the red by the plunger serves to raise the shield ofi' oi. its seat a distance sufficient to display the lights 7.

In Figure 1, I have shown a highway 3 1. one of the rails of a transversely disposed track 35, train controlled switch 36 and the electric circuit wires 37 in which it is included.

Assuming that the cover 4: of the box is resting upon its seat as seen in Figure 3 and that the motor has just started, the gear segment 16 moves out of mesh with the pinion 17, and at which time the spring pressed plunger 13 comes into play to raise the cover off of its seat slightly to display the danger lights 7 carried by the under side. Continued rotation of the gear 1 1 brings the eccentric 15 into engagement with the linger 12 and rocks the arms 10 in a manner to exert a push upon the rod 9 to raise the barrier to operative position. Movement of the rod 9 in this direction exerts a pull upon the cable 20, winding the cable 22 on the pulley 21 to move the distant track signal 19 to vertical hidden position behind the post. This indicates that the track is clear to the engineer. At the time the gate starts to rise, the paddle 29 is in a vertical ineffective position, but as soon as the gate begins to move, the bell crank 27 follows the movement of the spring 24 away from it and permits lowering of the semaphore arm 29 under the influence of gravity. Now, when the gate is lowered again, the spring 24 serves to rotate the bell crank in an opposite direction and pulls upon the cord 28 to again raise the semaphore arm to vertical position. In other words, the semaphore arm 29 is supposed to be in horizontal position when the gate is up, and at the same time, the track signal is behind the post.

It is thought that the foregoing descri tion taken in connection with the drawing will enable persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates to obtain a clear comprehension of the same. For this reason, a more lengthy description is deemed unnecessary. Numerous circuit wires, switches, and the like has been omitted from the drawing, these being unnecessary since in practice they may be of any suitable construction. The invention resides in the mechanical parts and a relative arrangement as set out in the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim 1s:-

1. A device of the class described comprising a box, a barrier including legs pivotally connected to and foldable into said box, a shield pivoted upon the upper ends of said legs, an operating rod pivoted to one of said legs, a pivotally mounted arm to which said operating rod is pivotally connected, a finger on said arm, an eccentric engageable with said finger for rocking the same in one direction to operate said rod, and gearing associated with said eccentric and finger for bringing the eccentric into action at a predetermined time to move the finger in one direction, and for returning said finger to its normal position.

2. A device of the class described comprising an open top box, a barrier including legs pivotally connected to and foldable in to said box, a shield pivoted upon the upper ends of said legs, said shield functioning additionally as a closure for the top of said box when the barrier is folded into the latter, an operating rod pivotally connected to said barrier at one end, a pivotally mounted arm to which the oppositeend of said oper- -ating rod is pivotally connected, a finger carried by the free end of said pivoted arm, a segmental gear also carried by said arm, a driven gear interposed between said finger and segn'iental gear, and an eccentric carried by said driven gear, and cooperable with said finger for rocking said arm upon its pivot to operate said rod, a gear sector also carried by said driven gear; a reversing pinion cooperable with said sector and segmental gear, and a spring pressed plunger arranged in said box and cooperable with said rod.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM B. MILLER.

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