US1655896A - Gate structure for railway crossings - Google Patents

Description

Jan', W, 1928.D 1,655,896

w. T. FERGUSCN GATE STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS Filed Oct', 9, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l wqu @Tl I LM nfvenior Jan., 1 1928. 1,655,896

W. T. FERGUSON l GATE STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS Filed Occlv 9, 1926 3 Sheets-Shea?J 2 Inventor 1m w, 192s. 1,655,896

' W. T. FERGUSON GATE STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY GROSSINGS Filed OoiH 9, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 10, 1928.`

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GATE STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

Application led October 9, '1826. Serial No. 140,508.

lo tion, inexpensive of installation and opera.

tion, and one wherein the gates are positively moved to closed position whenever a train comes within the block. and wherein the gates may be forcibly opened should a vehicle la be caught between the gates when the same are fully closed or are being moved to a closed position. By reason of the present in`v vention said gate members per se will automatically swing to closed position after the 26 vehicle has passed therethrough.

@ther objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.-

In the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals indicate like parts:

Figure l is a top plan view of a railway crossing equipped with my improved gate mechanism, the gate bars per se being dis- 30 closed inl ull line closed ted line open position.

Figure 2 is a transverse section through the roadway at one side of the crossing for more clearly disclosing the means whereby the ing are automatically simultaneously moved to an open or closed position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail vertical section through one of the gate units per se.

Figure 4 is an enlarged ragmentary vertical section taken substantiallyv upon the line 4 4 of Figure 3 for more clearly disclosing the means for limitingl the inward swinging movement of the gate arm.

y Figure 5 is an outside elevation of one of the gate unit stands,v and Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view disclosing the hydraulic means for forcibly moving the gate toa closed position, said view also disclosing the wiring between the said trackway blocks and thel electrical means included in the present invention.

Now having particular reference tothe drawings, A indicates a trackway, while' B indicates a roadway intersecting said trackway. ln carrying out the present' invention lafi position and in dotpair -of gate units at each side of the cross- I provide at each side of the trackway A pairs of gate units C-C and DD, the units of the pairs being arranged at the opposite edges of the roadway B as clearly indicated 1n Figure 1. Each gate unit constitutes the provision of an inverted conical shaped stand 5 closed at its opposite' ends and being so constructed at its lower end as to permit the same to be anchored to the ground by bolts or other suitable anchoring means. Extending .vertically through the bottom wall of each stand 5 and terminating Within the upper end thereof is a shaft 6 upon the lower outer end of which is a segmental bevel shaft 6 is a hollow shaft 8 the upper end of which projects through the top Wall of the stand 5 and to which 'end is secured a circular head 9 preferably in the form of a castmg and equipped at its side with a socket 10 for receivingthe inner end of the gate arm 11.

4 Secured to the shaft 6 directly beneath the lower end of the hollow shaft 8 is a collar 12 beneath which is. a suitable bearing unit vi3, while secured to the hollow shaft 8 within the stand 5 is a similar collar i4. Surrounding thehollow shaft-8 between said collars and connected at its respective ends thereto isa helical spring l5 thatprovides a flexible connection between the solid shaft 6 and hollow shaft 8 so that when said shaft 6 is forcibly rotated, rotation'will be imparted to the shaft 8 and consequently the gate 'arm 11 will be moved to an open or closed position as indicated inthe dotted full lines in Figure 1.

Extending parallel beneath the stands shafts C and D',

with the trackway A. C-C and D-D are each of which is equipped with segmental bevel gears 16-16 for mesh w1th thesegmental gears 7 upon the lowerv ends of the solid shaft 6 of each ate unit.'

Therails of the track way att e crossing B and considerably beyond the crossing atrom opposite sides thereof are insulated the adjoining rails so as to rovide a block as indicated in Figure 6, tlie rails `of the track way being respectively electrically oonnected as at a and b to one pole of a storage battery c and to onebinding post of an electrim motor d, the other pole of said Stora e batter 4being electrically connected .to t e other inding post of the storage battery by electric wirin e within which line 1s a spring control ed normally closed switch y.

gear 7. Arranged upon the vot the shaft D. 21 at one side of its pivot is one end of a Directly adjacent the motor d is a closed cylinder 17 that is arranged horizontally at the inner end of the armature shaft of said motor d as indicated in Figure 6. The motor d as well as the cylinder .17 are arranged at the side ofthe roadway Boutwardly of the gate arm operating shaft D as indicated in Figure 1.

Rectilinearly movable within the cylinder is a piston 18 mountedupon the inner end of a piston rod 19, the outer end of which is pivotally connected as at 20 to a rock lever 21 suitably pivoted adjacent the end Pivoted to this rock lever relatively elongated bar 22 that extends beneath the rails of the trackway and that is connected lat its opposite ends to an arm 23 depending from a shaft C at the opposite side of the-trackway as clearly disclosed in Figures 1 and 2. The inner end of the rock lever is pivoted to a short bar 24 that is in turn connected at its opposite end to an arm 25 that depends from the gate arm operating shaft DC Arranged within the cylinder 17 in back of the piston 19 is a. heavy expansibl'er spring 26 that normally forces said piston in a for` ward direction so as to normally swing-the gatearm 11 in the open dotted line position shown in Figure 1.

Arranged entirely around the cylinder 17 is a Huid pipe 27 in which is arranged. a'

liquid pump 28 that isV .operatively connected to the armature shaftof the electric i motor df 'For iestablishing communication between the cylinder 17 at `opposite sides of the piston 18 and the pipe 27 at opposite sides 'of the pump 28 are branch pipes 29-29. 'In communication with the cylinder 17 in back of the piston 18 by reason of a pipe 30 is'a liquid reserve tank 31.

.Arrangedin the pipe 27 at the side of the'cylinder 17 opposite from the motor d.

is a spring controlled normally open globe valve 32, the stem 34 of which is slidably disposed through an electromagnet 33 of the solenoid type, said stem being of such material as to act as the core for said magnet. Surrounding the stem between the outer end lthereof fand said magnet is an 'expansible coil spring 35 that normally maintains the l valve in open position.

The binding posts of said magnet 33 are respectively connected as atl g and h to the opposite pole of the storage battery c to which the track wire a is attached and .to

'the wiring connection between the motor d and the opposite rail of said track way.

Obviously as soon as a train enters the block as disclosed in Figure 6 the circuit will be completed to the motorI d as well as to the magnet 33. The .valve will immediatelv close while the'motor will be opered fol' fQrGIlg th@ Huid into the cylinder 17 in front of the piston 18 causing a movement of the same against the action of the coil spring 26 which movementwill pull upon the rod 19 for so rotating the shaft C and D as to swing the gate arm 11 into closed full line position as shown in Figure l. Just prior tothe piston 18 reaching its inward limit of movement, a finger 19 upon the piston rod 19 will engage the movable contact of thevelectric switch f so as to break the circuit to the motor (l thus stopping the operation of the pump 28. However, by reason of the fact that the valve 32 is maintained closed as long as the train is within the block, the fluid will be trapped within the cylinder so as to prevent the gate from swinging to open position. The fluid will flow through the pump 28 when the motor d becomes deenergized. After the train has passed out ofthe block the circuit is then broken to the electromagnet 33 and by reason of the spring 35 the valve 32 will open and due to the pressure of the heavy 'spring 26 the fluid will be caused to flow out ofthe cylinder through the innermost branch pipe 29 around through the valve 32 and then into the cylinder in back of the piston through the outermost branch pipe 29. Upon the outward movement of the piston 18 the finger 19 will disengage from the movable contact switch f so as 'to permit the same to close. y

By reason of the spring connection 15 between the shaft 6 and hollow shaft 8 ot all of the gate units any one of the gates may be forcibly moved to o en position should a vehicle be trapped etween the gates while the same are being moved to closed position or in fully closed position. However, after the vehicle has passed through the gate said springs will forcibly move the opened gate to closed position.

Formed upon the inner side of each gate arm attached head 9 is a lug 36 that will engage a lug 37 upon the upper end of the respective stand 5 when the gates have been moved to fully closed position so as to prevent '.any further inward swinging movement of said gate arm.

As disclosed in Figure 5, each conical gate stand 5 is equipped with ahinged door 5 in order that access may be had to the interior of the stand to facilitate repair, rcnewal, or cleaning of the structural elements within said stand.

In view of the foregoing description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it will at once be apparent that I have provided a highly novel, simple, and etlicient gate mechanism for .railway crossings that is well adapted for all tenaces understood that some changes may be made therein without effecting the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus 'described the invention, what ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A gate structure tor railway crossings, gate units disposed at opposite sides of the trackway and at opposite edges ot the roadway, each unit consisting of a supporting stand, a shaft journaled vertically through.

the stand, a gate arm connected tothe upper projecting end of the shaft, automatic elect-ric means tor rotating all of said shafts simultaneously tor moving the gate to closed position, said means consisting of a fluid cylinder, a piston rectilinearly movable within the cylinder and normally maintained in such a position as to place the gates in open position, there being an operative connection between the piston and all ot said gate units, a source ot lluid supply, electric motor actuated means for forcing the Huid into one end ot the cylinder tor moving the piston rearwardly therein so as to close the gates, a source oit electric supply in normally open circuit with said motor, said circuit to the motor adapted to be completed bya car moving into an insulated track bloclr, means tor trapping the fluid within the cylinder in front oi: the piston while t-he train remains within the block, and automatic means coni e trolled by the train passing out ot the block ."ill

for permitting the tluid to pass out ot the liront end of the cylinder whereby the gates will be moved to open position. r

2. lln combination, a swinging gate arm mounted at the side ot a railway crossing, a tluid cylinder arranged at the side ot the crossing, a piston rectilinearly movable within the cylinder, an operative connection between the piston and saidgate arm, means within the cylinder tor normally moving the piston in one direction so as to maintain the gate open, a source ot iluid supply, a motor operated fluid pump in communication with the opposite ends ot the cylinder, train control means tor completing the circuit to a source et supply to the motor it'or operating the pump so as to project the lluid between the inner end ol the cylinder and said piston tor moving said piston rearwardly within the cylinder so as to more the gate to closed position, and automatically operable means tor opening' the circuit to the motor atter the piston has been forcibly moved to a predetermined degree in gate closing direction, means tor trapping the Huid within the cylinder, automatically operable means tor releasing the duid trom the ,trent end et' the connected to said gate, means for maintainy ing the piston in one end ot' the cylinder so as to maintainthel gate open, an electric motor operated pump in communication with a source of lluid material for forcing the fluid into the front end ot the cylinder so as to move the piston rearwardly therein resulting in the closing of the gate, a source ot .electric energy in normally open circuit with the electric motor, said circuit adapted to be closed by a car passing into the track block, means tor preventing` the escape ot the lluid from said end ot the cylinder while the train is in the block, and automatic means tor opening the valve so as to permit of the escape ot said lluid so that the piston will be forced forwardly resulting in the opening ot' the gate.

a.. ln combination, a pivotally mounted gate tor railway crossings, train controlled means for automatically moving the gate to closed position when the train passes into an insulated train block, said means consisting of a Huid cylinder, a piston rectilinearly movable within the cylinder, a piston rod actuated by the pist/on and being operatively connected to said gate, means for maintaining the piston in one end ot the cylinder so as to maintain the gate open, an electric motor operated pump in communication with a source ot` fluid material for forcing the lluid into the front end ot the cylinder so as to move the piston rearwardly therein resulting in the closing ot the gate, a source ot electric energy in normally open circuit with the electric motor, said circuit adapted to be closed by a car passing into the track block, means for preventing the escape ot the fluit .from said end ol" the cylinder while the train is in the block, automatic means tor openingr the valve so as to permit ot the escape ol said lluid so that the piston will be forced 'torwardly resultingr in the opening of the gate, and automatic means actuated by the movenient ot the piston for breaking the circuit to the motor attera predetermined movement ot the piston within the cylinder.

ln testimony whereof ll affix my signature.

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