US1737088A - Gate-operating system - Google Patents

Description

y Nov. 26,` 1929. F.y KAHLER GATE OPERATING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 6, 1926 4 Sheets- Sheet l R. m ,/,w N Y N m e im T. W//N Nov. 26, 192.9.

F. KAHLER GATE OPERATING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 6, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 m, my@

IN V EN TOR.

F. K AHLER GATE OPERATING SYS TEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 TH 2 M Filed Aug. 6, 1926 INVENTOR. /2 [92',

Nov, 26, 1929. F. KAHLER GATE OPERATING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 6, 1926 4 Sheets-#Sheet 4 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 26, 1929 UNTED STATES FRANK KAHLER, OF LGS ANGELES, CALEGRJA' GATE-OPERATING SYSTEM'.

Application led August 6, 1926.

My invention relates broadly to gate operating mechanism and more particularly to an automatic actuator for a system of gates where the gates may be opened or closed from a distant point.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a gate operating mechanism whereby the approach of a vehicle automatically controls the movement of the gate system.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of gate operating mechanism whereby a compressed air operated device is employed for securing swinging movement of a gate structure where means are. provided for controlling the supply of compressed air to the operating mechanism from a distant point.

Another object of my invention is to provide an arrangement for mounting a swinging gate structure under control of a ball bearing raceway for maintaining he gate structure in alignment with a compressed air operated cylinder system where a composite vertical and rotative motion may be imparted to the gate structure for opening or closing the gate from a distant point. l

A still further object of my invention provides a control structure mounted adjacent a system of rails which is normally guarded by a system of gates7 the control structure being actuated by the approach of rolling stoel; on the rail system for imparting movement to the system of gates.

Still another object of my invention re-` sides in the construction of a rail mechanism arranged to be engaged by the wheels of a moving train for actuating associated equipment for imparting motion to a gate system whereby the gate system is automatically moved in predetermined order vby an approaching train.

Another object of my invention is to pr vide a gate operating system wherein the gate is initially elevated and then rotatably moved to open position, so that accumulations of snow at the crossing points of the railroad are easily surmounted.

@ther and further objects of my invention i will be understood from the specification Serial No. 127,595.

hereina ter following by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a plan view illustrating the arrangement of the gate control system of my invention with respect to a safety door for mines; Fig. 2 is a front view of the safety door for mines showing the control mechanism of my invention applied thereto; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the actuating mechanism for the safety mine door of my invention; Fig. l is a cross-sectional view talien on line i-4 of Fig. 3 illustrating the foundation mounting for the mine door; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the swivel construction for the mine door partially broken away and in cross section; Fig. 6 is a crosssectional view of a fragmentary portion of the foundation mounting for the mine door showing the supporting swivel for the door in its uppermost raised position; Fig. 7' is a cross-sectional view taken through one of the rails and showing the controlfmechanism in normal'position with respect thereto; Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional View showing the control mechanism in operated position by virtue of the movement of a car wheel over the control mechanism; Fig. 9 is a plan view of a railway crossing employing a gate system in accordance with my invention and showing the valve gear by which the gate system is con trolled; Fig. l0 is a frontl view showing the gate system closed with respect to a highway or railroad crossing such as illustrated in il" 9; llig. ll is an enlarged cross-sectional vie v of a modified foundation mounting for a gate system in accordance with the principles of my invention; Fig. l2 is a cross-sectional view through the alternative foundation construction of tho gate system illustrated at Fig. ll; Fig. l?) illustrates the swivel for the gate system of Fig. 1l showing a part thereof in crosssection; Figs. 14, l5 and 16 illustrate the con r provide struction of the mechanism which l adjacent. to the rail system for securing actuation kof the valve control system -by the approach of a train; and Fig. li" is a. sectional view taken on line 1LT-17 of Fig. 2 showing tra ing the gate.

My present invention is an improvement the ball bearing racewav for vertically align-y over my invention set forth particularly in Letters Patent 1,424,913, granted to me August 8, 1922.

In my present invention I provide an automatic system for controlling the movement of a gate. I have illustrated my invention in connection with a compressed air operated mechanism, but I desire that it be understood that the system may be electrically controlled or mechanically actuated by the approach of a moving vehicle and that the system illustrated herein has been selected for the purpose of explaining one of the preferred embodiments of my invention and that I Vdo not intend that my invention shall be limited to the specific arrangement shown.

My invention has numerous applications, among which I may mention the employment of a gate in accordance with the principles of my invention herein as safety doors for mines, guards for railroad crossings, gates for highway crossings, farm gates, single and double acting doors and special gate structures used in connection with the right of way in a railroad system.

For the purposes of illustrating my invention I have shown its application in a safety door for mines and as a guard for a railroad crossing, and its application to other arrangements will be more fully understood from the following specification:

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, reference character 1 designates an underground timbered set forming a drift or tunnel in a mine with a swinging door 2 for restricting the passageway through the mine for the purpose of safety or for air restriction as part of a ventilation system in a mine where the doors are to be opened only upon the approach of a vehicle on rails through the mine. The door 2 is provided with a supporting post 3 at one side thereof, the post extending below the lower edge of the door into a foundation assembly indicated at il. The foundation assembly may be con-k structed of cement or suitable homogeneous material to which is secured a vertically extending cylinder member 5 anchored to the lower portion of the foundation fl as repren sented at 6. The cylinder portion 5 is pro vided with a cylindrical portion 7 which forms a longitudinal guide for a reduced.

portion 8 of the vertical post 3. The side wall of cylinder 7 is spirally grooved as rep! resented at 9 to receive a roller member 10 secured upon a bolt 11 which passes through the reduced cylinder portion 8 of the vertically extending post 3. The spiral groove 9 serves as, a means for imparting positive rotation to the gate, as it is moved vertically by the admission ofrcompressed air below the portion 8 of the post 3 within the cylinder 12. 'Ihat is to say7 upon the admission of compressed air into the portion l2 of the cylinder 5 the pressure against reduced portion 8 is such as to impart a vertical force thereagainst which is designed to move said portion 8 in a rotating path by roller 10 moving in spiral groove 9.

Air is supplied to the cylinder 12 through pipe line 1e which leads to supply lines 15 and 16, from a compressed air supply at 17 where the supply is controlled by means of valves 13 and 19 under control of valve rods 20 and 21 secured to points spaced along the longitudinally extending plate 22 which parallels the rails 2li. The plate 22 is secured with respect to the tread of the rails 24e by means of spring pressed members 25 in the form of bolts which pass through the web of the rail 24 and are spring pressed in such manner that the plate 22 is normally spring pressed and maintained acent the rail 24. A similar arrangement of the control system is provided on the oppositeside of the door 2 for actuation by a train approaching in an opposite direction, that is to say, a plate member 22 is spring pressed by members 25 adjacent the side of the rail, and there are provided valve rods 20 and 21 which lead to valves 13 and 19 to thereby control air under pressure through the pipe line 15 to the cylinder 12. It will be observed that pates and 22 are flared outwardly at 2G to enable the wheel flanges of an approaching train to engage between the rail 2a and plate 22 as represented at Fig. 8 for imparting movement to the valve control system.

In order to compensate for the weight of the door 2 I provide rollers 27 over which a cable 28 passes and a weight 29 attached through and vertically movable within a pit 30 of the foundation construction 4t. An automatic pressure release device 31 is connected to the cylindrical portion 12 for bleeding the cylinder of pressure directly beneath the piston member 8 in securing return of the door 2. In order to balance the upper portion of the door or gate 2 I provide a ball bearing raceway 32 suitably secured to the frame 1 as represented at '33. rIhe supporting post 3 is journaled in the raceway 32 for rotative movement and a portion of the gate 2 is cut away as represented at 34 permitting the rise of the gate during the turning movement thereof. f

In Ii 9 I have illustrated more particularly the application of the invention to a railway crossing where the traclrails are represented at 35 leading across a highway 36 prot cted by gates 37. A gate post 33 is provided for each of the gates having an annular reduced portion 39 as represented in F ig. 13 sliding in a cylinderdilie chamber d() having an enlarged port-ion 40 in which air under pressure is introduced. A bolt member 41 passes through the reduced portion 39 of the gate post and carries a roller l2 which operates in spiral track e3. A high llO pressure inlet to the cylinder 40 is represented at 44; with a pressure release device 45 of any suitable type connected to the upper portion of the cylinder 40 for bleeding the cylinder slowly so that when the pressure is cut ott from the'cylinder 40 the gate will tend to return slowly to its lowerinost position with respect to cylinder a0. A post 46 is anchored in the'ounda-tion 52 and carries a ball bearing raceway t7 for steadying the rotatable post Rollers 48 are carried on the extremities o'l' post i6 permitting a cable 49 to be passed thereover and secured to balance weights 50 operating in pit 5l of f the foundation block 52.

rhe trackway is provided with shoes 53 and 54 connected slidably by spring` actuated devices 55 with the rails 35. @ne end ot each of track shoes 53 and 54 is tapered as represented at 56 while the other end carries a spring device 57 with swinging extremity 58 thereon. The lower part oi' the shoe is engaged by an arm 59 slotted at 60 to receive a bolt member 61, the entire assembly being pressed inwardly against the action of the spring on bolt member 61 by the flange of railway wheel entering at 56. Valve rods 62 are secured to the shoes 53 and 5t for the control ot valves 63 and the supply of pressure to pipe line system 6a for admitting pressure at la to selected cylinders d0 tor raising the gate posts 88.

YV here a train enters at 58 the flange ot the railway wheel will force the shoe 54 away from the rail 35 and cause the operation oit corresponding valves 63. A train, however, approaching in the opposite direction will merely move the pivoted arm 59 against the action of the spring on bolt 61 in the direction of the rail 35 without actuating the air supply valves. ln this manner some of the gates may be controlled by a train approaching in a particular direction whereas they are not controlled by a train approaching from an opposite direction.

The arrangement ot the rail shoes permits an approaching train to initially actuate the gate system and then the several cars of the train serve to maintain the gates in actuated position until the train passes over the length of the shoes adjacent the rails. The move ment of the shoe with respect to the rail is relatively slight depending upon the thickness of the flange F ot the wheel W, but this movement is sutil ient to actuate the valve system for obtaining movement or" the gates. [is the last car passes over the shoe the shoe returns to its position adjacent the rail and cuts ed first one valve and then another valve permitting the release ot air from beneath the gate post and the return of the gate to a selected position by gravitational action.

The particular arrangement of the shoes adjacent the rails in the system of my invention permits the selective operation of certain of the gates by a train passing in one direction which would normally notbe oper-v ated by a train passing in another direction. The arrangement of the spring pressed device 58 is, such that a train may pass over one shoe system and actuate the railway gates and then pass over the other shoe system without ati'ecting the control already set up. A t-rain passing over the same right of way in the opposite direction will trip the shoe system opposite to that tripped by the train traveling` inthe first mentioned direction.

Railway gates are extremely important as cattle guards with respect to roadways con-v gestedwith traiiic and my invention is particularly useful in these arrangements.

While l have described my invention in certain preferred embodiments, I desire that it be understood that modications may be made and that no limitations are` intended other than are imposed by the scope ot the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

l. A gate operating system for railways including a track, a. pivotally mounted gate adjacent said track, means for imparting vertical and rotative motion to said gate, a control device located adjacent said track on opposite sides of the approach to said gate, one of said control devices being arranged to be actuated by movement of a train over said railway in one direction and the other of said control devices being arranged to be actuated by movement of a train over said railway in the opposite direction and connections between said control devices and said first mentioned means for rotatively moving said gate.

2. In a gate operating system tor railways including tracks, a gate mounted adjacent said railway, a compressed air operated mechanism for imparting vertical and rotative movement to said gate, a pair of longitudinally extending shoe members located adjacent said tracks on opposite sides of the approach to said gate and a plurality of valves secured to said shoe members and arranged to be actuated by the movement of a train over said shoe `members in predetermined direc tions for actuating the compressed air mechanism for controlling the rotation of said gate.

3. In a gate actuating system for railways, including the tracks, a gate rotatably mounted adjacent said railway, a compressed air operated mechanism for imparting vertical and then rotative movement to said gate, a pair of longitudinally extending shoe members positioned adjacent said tracks on opposite sides of the approach to said gate, said shoe members being normally spring pressed adjacent one side or' said tracks and arranged to be dis'- placed by the movement et the wheel iiange of a railway train over said tracks, a pluralitt7 ofva-lves controlled by the movement of said shoes and connections between lsaid valves and said compressed air mechanism for delivering a supply of air under pressure for iirst elevating and then rotatively moving said gate upon the approach of a train in a predetermined direction.

Li. A pneumatic gate control mechanism for railways including the rails Which consists of a longitudinally extending strip member normally spring pressed adjacent the side of one of the rails, said strip member carrying a movable trip device adjacent one end thereof, said trip device being operated by the entry of a moving train over said rails for laterally displacing said strip member and a valve actuating mechanism for initially elevating said gate and then rotatably moving the gate in accordance With the displacement 0 of said strip member.

In testimony whereof I aihx my signature.

FRANK KAHLER.

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