US1682353A - Automatic gate mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 28, 1928. 1,682,353

' J. W. SHEAN AUTQMATIC GATE MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS Filed Jan. '7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 x 1 r a Bylgtmw Attorney Aug. 28, 1928. 1,682,353

J. w. SHEAN AUTOMATIC GATE MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS Filed. Jan. 7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jim/29027 Byg ' Attorney I Inventor Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH WILLIAM SHEAN, OF-SIEARVILLE, KANSAS.

AUTOMATIC GATE MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS. I

Application filed January meved into closed position whenever a train approaches the crossing in either'direction, and this in a simple but yet highly eflicient operating manner. j y i A still further and in'iportant object is to provide a mechanism that may be installed without great expenditure and without re' quiring the employment of skilled labor.

lVith the above and other objects in view as the nature of the invention will be better understood, the same comprises the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts l'iereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and claimed.

In the drawings wherein'like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

liigure 1 is a top plan View of my 1mproved automatic gate mechanism wherein is clearly disclosed the electric Wiring diagram necessary in the successful operation of the mechanism.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the mecha nism.

Figure 3 is a. detail vertical section of one of the which the operating mechanism for the arm :lorinoving the same from vertical to horizontal position, andviee versa. I V Figure 4. a similar vertical section taken at right angles through the post shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section through a train cnginecab H001 and to a third rail construction, the latter comprises essential elements of the invention, the floor being equipped with manually controlled-contact means for engaging said third rail, said means being disclosed in side elevation, and

flligure 6 is an enlarged perspective of one of said manually controlled contacts.

Now having particular reference to the drawing, there is shown in Figure 1 a high way designated A, that crosses a railroad track B, the rails of which are designated 0c.

In carrying out my invention there is installed in the trackway directly intermediate the rails o0 a third. rail designated generally 5, that includes an inverted T'-shaped ingate arm supporting posts within:

7, 1925. Serial in). 79,840.

sulating rail 6 which is secured to the usual I rail supporting tics. A metallic bar 7 .is disposed directlyupon the upper edge of said insulating inverted'T-shaped rail, as shown 'in'liigure 5. i v

g The invention further constitutes the pro-- vision of pairs of gate arm supporting posts disposed upon opposite sides of the trackway B and upon opposite sides of the roadway A. each of said post-s being vertically disposed as clearly shown in Figure 2, and being desig- Suitabl y jonrnalcd nated by the numeral 8. within openings in the opposed. side walls 01" each post 8 and arranged parallel. with the roadway A is a shaft 9, the inner end of which projects through the adjacent side *all of the post, and carries a gate arm 10. Each. shaft 9 carries a. spur gear 11 that meshes with teeth 12 of a vertically slidably disposed rack bar 13 of relatively great weight guided for vertical movement within suitable bearings 1et1l, as shown in Figures 3a'nd l. r

Supported upon a suitable platform 15 within each hollow post is a heavy duty elec.

, tric motor 16, one end of thearmature *shaitt oi wlnch is equipped with a relatively large spur gearl'? that also meshes with the teeth 1.2 of the rack bar-'18 in order that a rotation of the motor in one direction will cause the raising of the arm which movement will cause a rotation of the shaft 9 in such a direction as to swing the gate arm downwardly into position horizontally above the roadway A as shown in Figure 2.

Also mounted within each. hollow post 8 directlyabove the raclrbar l3, and in spaced relation therewith when the same is in its' lowered position is an electro-magnet 18, the source of electric supply for said magnet and said motor 16*being' hereinafterdescribed,

In Figures 2 and 5, the reference character 19 designates an. engine cabin floor that is provided. with a suitable opening 20 directly above the third rail 5 between the rails c c of the t ackway B. Pivoted to the underside of said floor at opposite edges of the opening 20 and exten ding upwardly through the opening at their upper ends are pivoted handle levers 21-21 that carry at their upper ends conventional detents 22-22 for cooperation with toothed segments 2323 secured upon the floor board for maintaining the levers in various adjusted positions. The lower end of each lever 21' is forked as at 24,-in Figure 6, and rigidly secured therein and insulated from the lingers of the forks is a metallic contact plate 25 that carries at its rear side a wire securing jack 26.

As more clearly shown in Figure 5, the Contact carrying ends of the levers 2121 extend downwardly at opposite sides of the third rail 5 and are normally maintained in the out of contact position as shown in this figure. 15y swinging the lovers 2.l2l upon their pivots in acertain direction, said contrically connected to said contacts of the motors l6 and electromagnets 18 within the posts 8, while the other contacts of said motors and electromagnets are electrically connected tohe third rail ,5, it being noted that the motors and magnets in the posts upon both sides of the track way are connected to the rail and sides of the third rail adj a.- cent these posts for the obvious purpose of )ermittin the ate arms of each )air of i s to be'swung downwardly in unison. Associated with each motor 16 is a cut out switch that includes a pivotal plate 28 thatis adaptedto be engaged by a pin 29 carried by each rack bar 13 after the same has been moved upwardly to such an extent as to draw its corresponding gate arm in the downward horizontal posit-ion as shown in Figure 2 for thus cutting out the circuit to theparticular motor for preventing further operation of the same. 7

The third rail 5 extends a great distance beyond opposite sides of the roadway A and it will be obvious that upon theiengagement of the lever contacts with the bar 7 of the rails, the circuit will be completedto the battery to the motors 16 and electromagnets 18. Each rack bar 13 upon reaching its upward limit ot'movement willengage its respective electromagnets and be held in the upward position thereby. As soon as the train passes beyond the third rail 5 the circuit will be broken and the weight of the bars 13 will cause the same to drop and consequently raise the gate arm 10 to thenormal vertical position more clearly shown in Figure 4.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a highly novel, simple, and eiiicient form of automatiegate mechanism for railway crossings that is well adapted for all of the purposes hereinbefore designated, and that may be installed in an easy and cheap manner and thatis 'n'ot'liable to readily become out of order. i

Minor changes may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention and appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is In an. automatic gate mechanism for railroad crossings, hollo vposts at the crossing, each including a horizontally pivoted gate arm mounted for swinging movement on the outside 7 of the post, a vertically sliding ii 'eightcd bar arranged within each post and operatively connected with the arm whereby movement of the same in oppositedirections will cause the swinging of the arms in opposite directions, an electric motor operatively connected to said bar for moving the same upwardly, said bar being adapted to move downwardly by gravity, an electric magnet in each hollow post supported above-the slidable weighted bar arran ed in the same circuit with the motor, said electromagnet engaging the upper end of the bar for holding the same in a raised position for maintaining the swinging arm in a' horizontal position, cooperating means between the electric motor and the slidable weighted bar for cutting off the electric motor automatically when the weighted bar is raised to a predetermined position, said last mentioned means comprising a switch associated with the electromotor, said switch including pivoted plate and a trip carried by the weighted bar and adapted forengagement with the pivoted plate of the cut-out switch. i V

In testimony whereof I atria; mysignature.

JOSEPH FILLIAM SHEANQ

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