US1604911A - Railway-crossing gate - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 26 1926.

S. N. HANKS RAILWAY CROSSING GATE Filed June 20, 1925 Patented Get. 26, 1926.

SILVIA:-

I[uQJ. l'KS, OF OKOLONA MISSISSIPPI.

RAILwAY-onossIitG GATE.

Application filed June 20, 1925. Serial in. 38,457.

The present invention relates to railway gate crossing structure, and more particularly to the operating" mechanisms therefor.

The principal object of the inve'iitio'n 1s to generally improve upon the structure shown iii-Letters Patent #1503344, issuer to me on July 29th, 1924. v

Another important objectof the invention is to provide'an improved mechanism for swinging a gate downwardly or to a closed position, in relation tothe' crossing the approach of a train in; either direction, said-means bein'g epeieble only as the train approaches" the crossing;

Another import-ant object of the invention to provid'e means for'holdin the gatem a closed position, and a mechanism for releasing said means;

A still furthervry important object or e invention is to generally improve upon structures of this nature by the provision or an exceedingly simple mechanism, which is thoroughly reliable and efficient in operati'o'n, strong, durable, not likely to easily become out: of order, and otherwise Well adapted to the purpose for which it is de signed;

With the above and numerous other 0bj'ects in View, as will appear as the description-proceeds, the invent-ion resides in certain novelfeatures of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved structure looking down the roadway across the tracks.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan View of the gate operating structure. I

Figure 3 is a detail vertical section, taken substantially on the line 3 5 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is another detail vertical section, taken substantially on the line 4 4: of F igure 2, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 5 is a similar section, showing the parts in afdi'iierent position, and

Figure 6 isa top plan view, showing one of. the reps.- A v w Referring to the drawing dfta'il, it -will be seen that lrle'Signatesa foadiv hsse'd b3 theitra'clis'fzl A past 3 is metered In onecorner formed bv the intersection of the faraway with the tfaclfs and has pivoted on its upper end a gate bar 4. This gate bar 4:-

is pivoted intermediate its ends, one end being provided with a weight element 5 and said gate being provided adjacent the other end with a pi'i ot'ed' prop 6. A rod 7 is slidable through the gate at a point between its pivot and weight'e'dend 5. Springs 8 are disposed about the rod 7 one'von each side of the gate bar 1-. It will thus be seen that when the rod 7 is moved downwardly the upper spring will be compressed and the gate bar 4: Will be swung to an open position', and that when the rod 7 is moved upwardly, the lower spring 8 will be compressed and the gate bar moved to' a horizontal or closed position, at which time the prop 6 will rest on the roadway 1. These struct-uresallow sufficient latitude to the op e'rating' mechanism aswill appear later in the description, so as to eliminate any sudden strains which might otherwise be placed thereon; such as would be occasioned by the limited movement of the gate bar t or by an obstacle being situated thereunder. These springs also prevent the gate bar from doing injury to vehicles and person should they be caught under the same when it is being moved to' a closed position.

A fran'i'e 9 is located alongside of one rail or the track 2' between said track and the post 3, and includes a pair of parallel members 10 and 11 extending longitudinally with the track 2 and a pair of transverse members 12 and 13 which extend from the ends of the member 11, so as to converge towardeach other and merge into the ends of the member 10.

The frame 9. is located in a horizontal plane below the plane of the upper surfaces of the ties l4 and is attached to the ties as at 15, intermediate portions of the member 11 being bent upwardly for this purpose. A. shaft 16 is journaled as at 17 on the middle of the member 11 and through a plate 18 rising from the member 10. This shaftextends transversely of the track way and has a 19 on its end pivotally engaged with th'e'b'o'ttom end of the rod 7. If two gates rare used, one on each side of the track way, of iorirse, the other end or the Shaft- 16 would be provided with asiniilar crank 19, a duplication which it'is unnecessary to illustrate in the drawings. 'A era-nit 20' is flied in't 'efined-ia te its ends to the shaft- 16, bettifeenth ember-s 10 and-11 adjacent the tti an asflpiilleys l -jou-ri1a1ed-irr its ends. Cables 22 are trained over the pulleys 21 and then extended back over themselves and fixed to the members 12 and 13, as is indicated at 23. It will thus be seen that by pulling either of the cables 22, the crank 20 will be rocked in the same direc-' tion, and the other cable will be slackened. This rocking of the crank 20 will cause the rocking of the shaft 16 and the crank 19. thereby actuating the gate to a closed position. A bar 25 is fixed intermediate its ends to the shaft- 16 immediately above a longitudinally extending cross member 26, fixed to the intermediate portions of the members 12 and 13. A spring 27 is fixed to the upper end of the bar 25 and to the member 26, and normally holds the bar 25 so that the shaft holds the crank 19 in such a position as to hold the gate normally raised with the assistance of its weighted end 5. A spring catch 28 is fixed at one end as at 29, to the member 26, and has its free end engageable with a seat 30 formed on the lower end of the bar 25 so that when the gate is closed and the bar is swung to tension the spring 27, the end of the catch 28 will engage inthe seat 30, as is illustrated in Figure 4, for retaining the gate in its closed position. Ad-

jacent the end of the spring catch 28 there is formed a pump 32. A shaft 33 is journaled across the frame in plate 18 and in a plate 34 and terminates in a crank end 35, adjacent one track rail 2. A bowed spring 36 has one end fixed to one tie as at 37 and a. pin and slot connection 38 with another tie so that the flange of the wheel of a train will press downwardly on the spring 36 and tend to straighten the same out, in order that it will engage the crank end and rock the shaft 33. A cross member 39 is mounted on the shaft 33, adjacent the hump 32 and when the shaft is rocked as described, this cross member will depress the spring catch 28, releasing its ends from the seat 30, so that the spring 27 will be free to rock the bar 25 and the shaft 16 and allow the gate to open.

To both sides of the roadway 1, along the trackway 2, there is located a trip mechanism. These trip mechanisms are identical in construction, and operate to pull the cables 22 and a description in detail of one will sufiice for both and for simplicity only one will be described in detail. The train engaging member 40 is disposed alongslde of one rail 2, and at one end is provided with an elongated slot 41, which receives a a tie 14. A link 43 is pivoted to the other end of the other member 40 and depends downwardly therefrom. The member 40 is constructed of spring metal or the like, so that when a train approaches,

pin 42, rising from be bent so as to move as is indicated in dotted lines to the left of Figure 1, said member 40 will. the link 43 down-. wardly. This link 43 is pivotally engagedwith a bell crank lever 44. The link 45 is pivoted to the bell crank lever 44 and also to a bell crank lever 46 pivoted on the rail 2, as at 47, and attached to the adjacent cable 22, so that when the member 40 is bent downwardly, as previously indicated, the bell crank levers 44 and 47 are rocked to pull the cable 22 thereby rocking the crank 20, as previously indicated. When the train progresses past the cross road and comes into engagement with the other member 40, the

wheel will engage the link end thereof, so that the member 40 will he slid in the direction of the travel of the train, the link 43 swinging therewith and since the slotted end is free to move, the member 40 will move in the direction of the travel of the train causing the swinging of link 43 on its pivotal connection with bell crank 44 until said member 40- is depressed sufficiently to disengage with the train. The bell crank lever 40 will not be rocked sufficiently to cause any percep tible movement in the gate bar 4. After provided, and engages an extension 50 at the slotted end of the member 40 to return it to its normal position'slowly. I

It is thought that the construction, operation, and advantages of the invention will now be clearly understood without a more detailed descriptionthereof. It is apparent that changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed, or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is A crossing gate structure comprising a gate, a shaft, means operatively connecting the gate and the shaft so that the former may be operated by the latter, means for rocking the shaft, a bar fixed intermediate its ends to the shaft, a spring engaged with one end of the bar and pendent to normally hold the shaft in such position as to dispose the gate open, a spring latch engageable with the other end of the bar for holding the shaft against rotation when the gate is closed, a second shaft having a cam engageable with the spring latch for releasing the same, a crank on the shaft last-mentioned, a bowed spring having one end fixed and the other end movably mounted, the intermediate portion of said bowed spring being disposed for engaging the crank so that when said bowed spring is actuated by a car wheel the intermediate portion thereof engages the crank for turning the second shaft to cause the cam to release the spring latch.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

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