US1696637A

US1696637A - Safety arrangement for railroad crossings

Info

Publication number: US1696637A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1928-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 1945-12-25

Description

Dec, 25,1928.

G. E. JORDAN SAFETY ARRANGEMENT F011 RAILROAQCRO8SINQ$ Filed w 1, 192a Patented ea. 25, 1928.

GEORGE E. JORDAN, F PERRY, GEORGIA.

SAFETY ARRANGEMENT FOR RAILROAD CROSSINGS.

Application filed May 1, 1928.

This invention relates to safety arrangements for railroad crossings, and more articularly to devices of this character w rich are placed in the roadway near the crossing so as to check the speed of oncoming vehicles and force the drivers thereof to give their attention to the railroad crossing.

It has been proposed to provide a ramp or hump structure across the path of traffic ad- 1 jacent the railroad crossing so that the jolting of the vehicle passing over such obstruction will forcibly call the attention of the driver to the proximity of the railroad crossing. The ramp portions also serve the purpose of checking the speed of the vehicle so that proper precautions can be taken.

However, such arrangements are for the purpose of controlling automobile or high speed traffic, and impose an unwarranted hardship upon horse-drawn vehicles, the

speed of which is such that the ramp structure is unnecessary.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device of this character with means whereby horse-drawn vehicles may pass without interference from the ramp structure.

In order to preventreckless drivers from driving around the safety ramps heretofore proposed, they have been so arranged'that all traffic must pass over the ramp before crossing the railroad. However, many emergency conditions arisein which it is a great disadvantage not to be able to drive'around the ramp, as in the case of the passage of government motor transport equipment or troops.

It is therefore another object of the invention to provide a safety ramp structure with arrangements whereby authorized traflic may pass around the ramp.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement whereby automobile traffic is forced to pass over the ramp in approaching a crossing, but is permitted to pass by the ramp in leaving the crossing.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an automatic one-way traffic control device which will serve as a bar'to traffic in one direction, but will allow passage of traffic in the other direction.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a planview of a highway rail-= Serial No. 274,287.

road crossing showing the safety arrangements according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is an elevation of the railroad crcgssing as it appears to oncoming traffic; an

Figure 4 is a detail view of trafiic device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a railroad crossing has been illustrated, in which a highway 5 passes over railroad tracks including rails 6, 7, 8 and 9. This crossing has been provided with safety arrangements according to the present invention, and a ramp structure indicated generally at 10 is placed in the highway in the path of the right hand or approaching traliic, so as to substantially occupy onehalf of the width of the highway. This ramp may be of any desired construction or material, so long as itfis of sufficient strength to withstand the trafiic loads. Concrete is very satisfactory for this purpose.

I The ramp 10 is somewhat longer than the average vehicle and has a smoothly curved upper surface comprising a main incline 11, a lump 12, a trough 13 and a depression 14 formed by two

smaller humps

15 and 16.

the one-way Beyond the hump 15 the ramp terminates in v a short incline 1 An automobile passing over this strl'lcture will first ride up the incline 11 over the hump 12 into the trough 13. If the car approaches at highspeed, this arrangement will cause considerable olt to the vehicle, which will check its speed'and force the driver to give his attention to the railroad crossing, and apply his brakes. However, if the car approaches at proper speed, it can pass over with no discomfort. The front wheels riding over the first small hump 16 will tend to further check the vehicle so that it will come to rest with its front wheels inthe smaller trough 14. The trough 14 is spaced fromthe nearest rail of the railroad crossing a suflicicnt distance to allow adequate clearance for the rolling stock, so that an automobile with its front wheels resting in the trough 14 will be entirely safe.

When the crossing is clear the driver may release his brakes and drive the front wheels of the car over the hump 15. The front wheels will then ride down the incline 1'? and the r-ear wheels at the same time ride down into the trough 13, imparting sullicient momentum to the car to assist in carrying it over the humps and 16 and thus permit a. rapid get-a-way.

As shown in Fig. 3, hump 10 is constructed of two spaced portions 20 and 21 having between them a clear channel 22, the bottom of which is the normal roadway sur ace. This channel permits the passage of horse-drawn vehicles which have much greater road clearance than automobiles.

The highest hump 12 of the ramp 1() is of greater heightthan the clearance of the average automobile, so that if the driver attempts to pass by allowing the automobile wheels to pass through the channel. crank cas-ee or other parts of the automobile will engage with the hump 12, which will prevent its passage. However, with horse-drawn vehicles the horse may walk in the channel 22, with the wheels of one side passing through the channel. 22 and the wheels of the other side passing outside of the ramp 10. In the case of a two-horse vehicle the second horse may walk outside of the ramp. A curb 25 is provided for each outer edge of the ramp 1() in order to prevent automobiles from slipping or skidding off the ramp.

In order to prevent reckless drivers from merely driving around the ramp, the left hand side of the highway is provided with a swinging obstruction 26 comprising a flat member such as a board, of suiiicient height to offer an obstruction to the passage of traftie, and extending substantially across the entire left hand side of the roadway. The side of the member 26 toward the oncoming traffic is painted with a warning sign as large and conspicuous as possible, as shown in Fig. 3, and a pedestal 27 is preferably placed in the center of the roadway and. provided with. a warning sign 28 at the top.

The member 26 is hinged at its intersection with the highway as by means of eyes 30 portably resting in sockets formed in the surface of the roadway.

Counterweights

31 and 32 are provided for the member 26 and serve to hold it erect under normal. conditions, and also form. braces to strengthen it against accidental impact.

It will thus be readily apparent as shown in Fig. 3 that the member 26 appears to oncoming trailic as a barricade and the ramp structure appears open so that the traffic will be directed to the ramp. However, as shown in 1, after the ramp is aassed and the railroad tracks are crossed, the vehicle leav ing the tracks must pass over the member 26. The driver merely approaches the member 26 at comparatively slow speed and the front wheels of the vehicle engaging the top of the member 26 swing it down about its pivot, as shown in 4, against the action of the counterweights S1 and 32.

From the foregoing description it will be readily apparent that the safety arrangen'ients accordlng to the present invention are automatic and fool-proof, and will take care of travel for long periods of time without any attention. However, in the case of emergency conditions, when it is necessary to have traffic pass over the highway as quickly as possible and the passage of trains has been taken care of, the members 26 may be removed by pulling the eyes 30 out of their sockets and the emergency traflic may pass around both ramps alt comparatively high speed. 7

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in great detail, it will be obvious that the broad idea is susceptible of many modifications and alterations, and therefore the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details shown and described, but includes such embodiments of the broad idea as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A safety traflic speed control apparatus for highways, comprising in combination, a permanent speed obstruction stationed in one-half of the highway, and a portable automatic one-way traffic device stationed in the other half of the highway.

2. A safety traffic speed control apparatus for highways, comprising in combination, a permanent speed obstruction stationed in one-half of the highway, and a barricade pivoted across the other half of the highway,

said barricade having counterweight struc-.

ture permitting the barricade to swing down to permit traffic to pass in one direction, but causing the barricade to swing up to prevent traffic in the opposite direction.

3. In a highway, a pair of obstructions occupying substantially the entire width of the highway, one of said obstructions being permanent, and provided with an undulating surface over which trafiic may readily pass at proper speed, and the other being portable, permitting an emergency by-pass of the traffic.

4. A safety trafiic speed control apparatus for highways, comprising a hump stationed in the path of the traffic, said hump having channels therethrough permitting the passage of the wheels of horse-drawn trafiic, but of such depth as to exclude motor vehicle traflic therefrom thereby causing its wheels to pass over the hump.

5. In a highway having a Zone in which conditions require slow speed traffic, a permanent obstruction in the path of the entering traffic, and a one-way obstruction permitting the exit of trafiic leaving said zone.

6. In a highway having a zone inv which conditions require slow speed traflic, a permanent obstruction in the path of the entering trafiic, and a one-way obstructionlpermitting the exit of traflio leaving said zone, said oneway obstruction being portable to permit emergency high speed entrance and eXit.

7. A safety traflic control device for highways comprising an elongated obstruction arranged transversely of the path of the traffic forming an effectual bar to traflic in one direction, said member being pivotally mounted to swing about an axis transverse to the path of travel to an inoperative position under the weight of the traflic to permit such trafiic to pass thereover in the opposite direction.

8. A safety trafiic control device for highways comprising an elongated obstruction arranged transversely of the path of the traffic forming an effectual bar to traffic in one direction, said member being pivotally' mounted to swing about an axis transverse to the path of travel to an inoperative position under the weight of the traffic to permit such traffic to pass thereover in the opposite direction, and means for returning said obstruction to operative position when the traffic has passed.

9. A traflio control device comprising a permanent obstruction having a smooth surface curved in the direction of travel, said curved surface rising above the normal highway surface a distance greater than the road 5 clearance of automobiles, and straight channels in said surface, dividing said obstruction into a plurality of portions of width greater than the wheel tread of automobiles, whereby automobiles pass over the curved surface,

but other traffic having difierent wheel tread may straddle the curved surface.

10. A highway having two transversely aligned obstructions extending substantially the entire width thereof, one of said obstruc- A GEORGE E. JORDAN.