US332899A

US332899A - hawks

Info

Publication number: US332899A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 1902-12-22

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

G. E. HAWKS.

SAFETY GATE EOE DRAW BRIDGES; No. 332,899. Patented Dec. 22, 1885.

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G. E. PLLUYVKS. SAFETY GATBTOR DRAW "BRIDGE-s.

No. 332,899. Patented Deo. 22, 1885.A

(No Model.) l 3 ShQQtSQSheet 3.

, G. E. HA-WKs.

SAFETY GATE FOR DRAW BRIDGES.

10.332,899. Patented'ne. 22, 1885.'

N. PETERS. Plwnfuahegnmlmr. washzngwn |10.y

iiNrrnn STATES PATENT Orifice.

GEORGE E.VHAWKS, OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO EDGAR A. HILL, OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY-GAT FOR DRAW-BRI DG ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332.899, dated December 22. 1885.

YApplication tiled September 24, 1883. Serial No. 107.1712. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HAWKS, of Highland Park, in the county ofLake and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Gates -for Roadways; and I do hereby declare that the following is a' full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ot' referr3 ence 'marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to safety gates or guards, such as are placed at the approaches to swing bridges and at railway-crossings.

Its object is to provide for the operation of the gates by means of some available and continuously-operating hydraulic force, whereby the necessity for direct manual effort, or of force operating, for example, through the 2o movement ot'thebridge, is avoided; and it consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims. 1

As a preferable means of applying hydraulic pressure for the purpose above stated, a water-motor is employed, consisting, essentially, of a cylinder provided with a suitable piston and4 piston-rod, said cylinder being connected by a valved passage with a city water-main affording a constant supply ofwater under 30 pressure, andthe watermotor being applied to operate a gate by connecting the piston-rod thereof with the gate through the medium of suitable intermediate connections. rIhe gates mentioned are either moved in both direc- 3 5 tions by the movement of the piston in thecylinder or, as preferably constructed, the said gates are moved in one direct-ion only by the movement of said piston, and weights or springs are applied to move them in the oppo- 40 4site direction.

As a preferable form of valve for controlling the inlet and exhaust passages ofthe hydraulic cylinder above mentioned, au ordinarythreeway valve is used, which is constructed to bring the interior of said cylinder into communication either with the supply-pipe or exhaust-passage, as desired. In the case of a swinging bridge, the valve is preferably operated automatically by the movement of the 5o ends of the bridge in opening and closing it.

In order that the power required for opening the valve, when the construction last mentioned is used, shall not be added to that required in starting the bridge in its opening movement, devices operatingindependently of 55 the force used in giving lateral movement to the bridge are provided for actuating such valve. Such means, as preferably constructed, consist of a spring or weight applied to throw the valve in one direction as the bridge is 6o opened, and devices upon the bridge constructed to reverse the valve and to hold it at the opposite limit of its movement in opposition to the force of the spring or weight when the bridge is closed. When the cylinder and its connections are vso constructed that the gates are ,moved in but one direction by the admission of water to said cylinder, the spring mentioned is preferably arranged to normally retain the valve in position to allow ingress of 7o water to the cylinder, and the devices upon the bridge are constructed to actuate the valve,

so as to cut oft' the water therefrom, the connections between the piston and gates being arranged in such manner that the gates will tend to remain open (either by their own weight or by a weight or spring applied to them) when the water is cut oiii'rom the cylinder, and in such manner, also, that the gates will be closed by the admission of water there- 8o to. By this constructionv the said gates will remain open when the bridge is closed, and will be closed automatically by the movement of the bridge in opening it.

Suitable devices are also provided by this invention for transmitting the motion of the cylinder-piston to two pivoted gates, so as to move them in opposite directions, and for u other purposes, as will be hereinafter set fortrhx 1' In the accompanying drawings, Figurelfis 9o a vertical cross-section through the roadway or approach to a bridge, taken upon line of Fig. 2, and showing a device embodying my invention for operating the gates. Fig. 2-l is a central longitudinal section of the same, taken upon line :v x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetail horizontal section taken upon line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross -section through the roadway or approach to the bridge, taken upon line x of Fig. 6, and 10o showing another form of the device for operating the gates. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken upon line y y of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is alongitudinal vertical section of the end of 5 the bridge-approach and the abutment, taken upon line .z a: of Fig. 4, showing the devices upon theV abutment for operating the gates. Fig.7 is a detail vertical section' taken upon line y y of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the end of the adjacent parts of the approach to the bridge, showing a modilied form of swinging gates. Fig. 9 is a detail vertical section taken upon line m x of Fig. 8, showing the top of one of the posts for supporting the gates and the portion of the gatebars adjacent thereto. Fig. 10 is a vertical transverse section through the bridge-approach, showing means for operating a horizontally-movable gate. Fig. 1l is a detail sectional plan view taken upon line a: x of Fig. l0.

As illustrated in the drawings, A is the end of a swinging draw-bridge,wl1ich is supported upon a central pier, and is constructed to rotate thereon in either direction in a wellknown manner. B is one of the walls or abutments which support the approaches to t-he bridge, and with which the bridge comes in contact when it is closed. C indicates the sur- Aface of the roadway, and C the footpaths adjacent thereto upon the approach to the bridge.

In the form of the device embodying my invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 two posts or supports, D, are located at either side of the bridge-approach, and to the upper ends of said posts are pivoted two arms, E, which are constructed to swing in a vertical plane, and are adapted to be placed in a horizontal position, so as to meet at the center of the roadway and close the approach to the bridge, and to be raised to a vertical position, so as to leave said approach open. Beneath the roadway C, and centrally between the posts D, is located a cylinder, F,which is provided with a piston, F, and piston-rod F2, the latter being connected at its upper end to a cross-bar, G, extending toeitherside of the bridge-approach, with its extremities beneath the posts D. To the ends of the said bar G are connected two vertical rack-bars, H, which are constructed to move in suitable guides in the posts D, and are engaged at their upper ends with two toothed segments, E', secured to the arms E concentrically with the pivotal points thereof, said segments being so arranged with reference to the arms that when the piston-rod, the bar G, and the rack-bars II, are at the downward limit of their move ment said arms will be raised to a vertical position, and when the said rack-bars and the .bar G arelifted by the upward movement of the said piston-rod the said arms will be thrown downwardly into a horizontal position.

The piston and piston-rod mentioned are raised for the purpose of operating the gates inder F, obtained by means of suitable pipeconnections between said cylinder and the mains of a city water-works or other source or means of water-supply, a suitable valve, I, being connected with said cylinder and constructed to permit an iniiow of water to the cylinder when it is desired to close the gates and to cut oft' the water and allow it to escape from the cylinder, so as to permit the bar G and the piston to descend by the weight of the several parts therewith connected, and thus cause the gates to open. The valve I, as preferably constructed, is in the form of an ordinary three-way valve, which is desirably operated by the movements of the bridge in opening and closing the latter. 4

As illustrated in Figs. l and 2, the valve I is connected with the main of the city water system by means of a supply-pipe, I', to the cylinder F by means of a pipe, l, and to an outlet or exhaust pipe, I3, said valve being constructed-in a well-known manner to bring the pipe I2, leading to the cylinder, either in communication with the supply-pipe I or the eX- haust-pipe I3.

For the purpose of operating the valve I, a lever, t', is connected with the stem fi thereof, and to said lever is connected one end of a coiled spring, t, the opposite end ot' which is secured to a stationary part of the abutment, and which tends to keep said valve in position to close the communication between the supply-pipe and the cylinder and to afford egress for the water in the cylinder through the exhaust-pipe I3. To said lever I is also attached a horizontal rod, K,which extends outwardly through the abutment-wall B, with its end in a position adjacent to and beneath the swinging end of the bridge. Upon the end of the bridge, in the same horizontal plane with and in position to engage therod K, is placed a block, L, which, as shown, is bolted to the lower cross-piece, a, at the end thereof', and is provided with two oppositely-inclined surfaces, Z, the said block being constructed to movesaid rod K inwardlyin oppositionto the action of the spring t2, so as to throw the lever t in position to cutoff' communication between the supply-pipe and the cylinder when the bridge is closing, and to release said rod and permit the valve to be moved so at to allow water to enter said cylinder when the bridge is moved laterally in either direction in opening it. rlhe bar K is preferably provided witha roller, k, constructed to bear upon theinclined IOO surfacesl in the movement of the bridge, so as V to prevent lateral deflection in the end of said bar, which would otherwise be consequent upon the frictional contact of said surfaces therewith.

In the above-described device the cross-bar l G and connecting parts are made sufliciently heavyto lift-the bars Ewhen they are permitted to descend by the exit of the water from the cylinder F. Instead of this construction,

however, the said bars may be both opened Vpath C', as shown.

and closed by water-pressure. A suitable valve and passages will preferably be provided for this purpose, the said valve being operated in such case by the movement of the bridge, in the same manner as before described.

In Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 the gates are shown in the form of horizontally-swinging bars E, which are pivoted to posts D at a point intermediate to their ends, the parts of said bar inside of and outside of the posts extending, respectively, across the roadway C and footrIhe bars E are secured to the upper end of vertical rods J, which are extended downwardly through the said posts to a point beneath the roadway, and are provided upon their lower ends with pulleys J and J2, to which the power is applied by which the said rods are rotated and the bars E moved.

In the device shown for applying hydraulic pressure to operate the bars a cylinder, F, is used, which is provided with a piston, F', and a piston-rod, F2, as before described,the wateroutlet pipe Iz in this case, however,being connected with the end of the cylinder adjacent to the piston-rod,:soa that said rod is drawn into the cylinder by the action of the waterpressure. The axis of the said cylinder is preferably arranged tangentially with reference to the periphery of the pulley J,and the piston-rod FZ is connected with Ione end of a rope or chain, j, which passes around the said pulley at its opposite end, and is secured thereto by means of an eye, j', secured in said pulley,or other fastening` device, so as to give a positive movement to said pulleywhen the said piston-rod is retracted. Motion from the. pulley J is transmitted tothe pulley J2 by means of a rope or chain, j, which passes partially around the pulley J at its side opposite to that over which the rope j passes, and is extended diagonally to the pulley J, around vwhich it passes in an opposite direction, its

end being connected therewith by means of an eye, js, so that when the pulley Jis rotated in one direction by the movement of the ropej the pulley J2 will be thereby turned in the opposite direction.

In the construction shown the gates are moved in one direction only by the waterpressure upon the piston connected with the rope j; and in order to move the gates'in an opposite direction when the water is allowed to escape from said cylinder a weight, M, is connected to the end of a rope, m, which is trained over a pulley, m', mounted in a lstationary hanger, M, said rope being extended partially around a second groove in the pulley J, and connected therewith at its ends by means ol' an eye, jt, as shown. By this construction the weight M tendsl to revolve the pulleys J and J2 in the direction opposite thatin which they are moved by the action of the piston in the cylinder F, so that when water is allowed to escape from said cylinderthe piston-rod will be drawn outwardly and the said pulley revolved so as to open the gates. f

The means shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 for operating the valve I are constructed to operate in connection with the locking device by which the bridge is held in position when closed. The locking device shown in said figures is one ordinarily used, and consists of a projection or block,O,located upon the bridgeabutment and provided with a notch, O', and a latch-bar, N, which is constructed to engage said notch. The said latch-baris pivoted atits end which is toward the center of the bridge,to a projection, N', thereon, and is supported in a vertical position by means of a suitable stop, N2, secured to the fra me of the bridge near the free end ofsaid bar, the said free end ofthe bar being located in position t-o engage the notch O in the block O, and said block being provided with oppositely-inclined surfaces o, constructed to encounter and lift the end ofthe bai-,so as to permit it to pass to the notch O during the closing of the bridge, in a well-known manner.

'The means shown for lifting the free end of the latch-bar N, so as to release the bar from the notch O when it is desired to open the bridge, are devices ordinarily used for this purpose, and consist of a chain, a, which passes over a, pulley, u', located upon the bridge-structure above the latchbar N, said Vchain being connected With-said latch-bar at one end and at the other end with a rod, n, which extends to the middle of the bridge or other point thereon convenient to the attendant, and is connected with an arm, a3, upon a cross-shaft, N, which is provided on one end with a lever, N4, by the movement of which lever said shaft `may be rotated, and, throughthe medium of the several connections described, the end of the latch-bar lifted frol engagement with the notch O.

For the purpose of operating the valve I from the lockingv device described, the latchbar N is extended past the inner face of the block O, and is provided upon its end with a transverse horizontal groove or notch, u", constructed to engage the end of a verticallyswinging lever, P, which is pivoted in `the abutment-wallwith itsend projecting there- IOO IIO

from in position to enter said groove or notch.

The inner end of the lever P is, as shown, provided with a segmental raclgp, constructed to engage a piniomp, upon the stem t" ofthe valveI, and thereby operate said valve when the lever is moved; vbut the connection between the said bar P and the valve may be made in any other desired or convenient manner-as, for instance, the valve maybe located below the inner end of the said lever P and providedwith ahorizontal arm connected able guides, P2, at its end adjacent to the latchbar N, so as to permit such end to move freely in a vertical direction, but to prevent side motion therein. `'Iheconnections between the lever P and the valve I are so arranged that when the latch-bar N is placed in thefnotch O', and the end of the said lever P is engaged with the latch-bar, communication between the induction-pipe and the cylinder F will be closed, and when the latch-bar is lifted and the outer end of the lever P is raised, the valve will be moved so as to admit water to the cylinder. preferably connected to one end of a coiled spring, p2, the other end of which is attached to a project-ion upon the abutment below the said end of the lever, so that said spring tends to keep the outer end of the lever at the upper limit of its movement and the valve I open or in position to admit water to the cylinder.

A stop, p3, is preferably placed at the upper end of the guides P, for the purpose of limiting the upward movement of the outer end of the lever P under the action of the spring p2, and the block O is provided with -located in position to retain the end of the lever P horizontally in line with the notch n4 in the bar N when the latter .is resting upon one of the said surfaces o', so that when the said bar is approaching the notch Oin closing the bridge it will automatically engage the end of said lever, as illustrated by the dotted lines, Fig. 7.

By this construction, when thelatch is lifted and released from the notch for the purpose of allowing the bridge to turn, the lever P will be actuated and water will be admitted to the cylinder, so as to close the gates. After the latch is lifted the side movement of the bridge will carry the latch-bar away from and out of engagement with the end of the lever P, which will be held in its elevated position and in contact with the stop p3 by the spring p during the time that the bridge is open. In the closing of the bridge the end ofthe latch-bar will iirst strike one ofthe inclined surfaces o of the block O, and will be thereby lifted to the horizontal verse movement ofthepinion p', occasioned by such movement of the lever, will close the induction-pipe and permit the escape of water within the cylinder and allow the gates to open by the action of the weight M.

In case the weight of the latch-bar Nis not sufficient to throw the end of the barPdownwardl y iu opposition to the action of the spring p, a spiral or other spring, N5, may be inter- The inner end of the lever P issaid spring tending to depress the said bar and rendering its return to the notch O certain.

Instead of the construction above described, by which a single cylinder is connected with the gate-arms upon opposite sides of the roadway, a separate cylinder may be applied to operate each arm. Vihen two cylinders are used in the device shown in Figs. l and 2, they would preferably be placed beneath and-operate directly upon the vertical rack-bars, and in the device shown in Figs. 4, 5,`and 6 the piston-rods of the cylinders would be connected directly with the pulleys J and J2, or otherwise arranged, so as to independently operate the gate-arms.

yIii/hen two cylinders are used, the entrance of water to both of them may be controlled by a single valve or by two valves operated independently by a projection upon the bridge. In the latter case, asa preferable construction, the device for operating the valves would be laterally separated, so that one gate will be opened or closed before the other one, the valve-operating devices upon the abutmeutand the bridge being relatively so arranged that when the-bridge is opening the gate at the side of the approach with which the end of the bridge is in contact longest will be closed last, and when the bridge is closing the gate at the side of the approach which the bridge irst encounters will be iirst opened. The advantage of this construction is that one of the gates will remain open, to permitpedestrians who have remained upon the bridge after it has begun to move to pass therefrom, and,

similarly, one gate will open before the other,

to permit passageto the part of the bridge which rst overlaps the abutment when the vbridge is closing.

Instead of the construction previously described in the horizontally-swinging bars used to form the gates, each of said bars may consist of two arms, E3 and E, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, said arms being pivoted to posts D', between the roadway C and the footwalk C', similar to those shown in Figs. 4, 5,4

and 6. The inner and longer arms, E3, are in this case arranged to close the roadway, and

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the outer and shorter arms, E", are extended across the foot-path, said arms being provided upon their adjacent ends with iutermeshing toothed segments e364, constructed of equal diameters, and so arranged that the movement of one arm through a certain arc will` move the other arm a corresponding distance. The arms E3, as shown, are pivoted upon the upper ends of vertical shafts J, which are constructed and may be rotated in the manner described in connection with the form of device shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and the arms E* are pivoted upon short vertical shafts E5, having bearings in the upper ends of the posts D', as shown clearly in the detail, Fig. 9.

Thegate-bars, when constructed in the man- V posed between the upper surface of the said ner last described, will usually be made to ro- A,

; latch-bar and a stationary part of the bridge,

tate forwardly toward the bridge when opened, so that in closing them each of the several arms will move toward the abutment, so that persons or vehicles approaching the bridge will be forced backwardly or away from the bridge. v

In Fig. still another device for applying hydraulic pressure for opening a safety-gate is shown. In this case the gate is composed of a single horizontal bar, E, which is lifted above the roadway, to afford passage beneath it. As shown in said Fig. 10, the said bar is supported upon two vertical posts, D2, which are secured upon thesides of the roadway at the approach to the bridge, and are provided upon their upper ends with pulleys d2, over which are placed ropes Q Q', which are attached at one end to the said bar E6, pass over said pulleys d, and extend vertically downward through the flooring of the roadway, and are connected at their ends to a large drum or pulley, R, which is provided with grooves 1' r' for said ropes Q and Q', respectively. Upon the said drum R is rigidly secured a smaller pulley, R', over which is placed a rope, r",

` attached to the piston rod F2 of a cylinder,

F, similar to that before described.

As preferably constructed, the drum R is located beneath one of the posts D2, the rope Q extending vertically downward from the pulley d2 to said drum, and the rope Q being trained over a pulley, q, beneath the roadway and extended horizontally to said drum,l as shown.

The drum R is preferably made of such diameter that one rotation thereof will give sufcient movement in the ropes Q and Q to lift the bar E a desired height above the roadway. In case, however, it is desired to use a smaller drum, the several grooves therein may be made spiral and the drums turned more than once around with the same result. The entrance of the water to the cylinder F in the case last mentioned may be controlled by the movements of the bridge in the same manner as before described.

I am aware that water or other liquid has been used for transmitting manual power for actuating a gate or other similarlyoperating device from a point at which the manual power is applied; and I am also aware that compressed air has been similarly used for transmitting power, the air in the latter case being compressed periodically by the operator, and used when needed to actnate the gate.

My invention differs from the devices above referred to, in that it contemplates the use of force derived from a water-supply under continuous pressure for actuating the movable gates, whereby the necessary power for this purpose is always present, and no application of manual force by the attendant is at any time required.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with a gate and a street water-main affording a constant supply of water under pressure, of awater-motor actuated by a supply derived from said water main, and constructedland applied to move the gate in one direction, and a weight or spring applied to move the gate in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

'2. The combination. with a swing or draw bridge, a gate, and a street water-main affording a constant supply of water under pressure, of a water motor, actuated by a supply derived from the street-main, said motor being controlled by the movements of the bridge, and constructed and applied to operate the gate, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with a bridge, a gate, and a pipe communicating with a source or means of water-supply giving continuous pressure in said pipe, of a cylinder provided with a suitable piston and piston-rod, a valve or valves for controlling the inlet and outlet' of said cylinder, meansvoperated by the movement of the bridge for controlling said valve, and connections between the piston-rod and gate whereby the movement of said rod is transmitted to the gate, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a swing or draw bridge, a gate, and apipe communicating with a source or means of water-sup ply giving continuous pressure in said pipe, of a water-motor actuated bya supply derived from said pipe and constructed and applied to operate the gate,a valve constructed4 to control the flow of water to the said motor, and means upon the bridge constructed to automatically operate the said valve when the bridge is moved, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a swing or draw bridge, a gate, and a pipe communicating with a source or means of water-supply giving continuous pressure in said pipe, of a watermotor actuated by a supply derived from the said pipe, and constructed and applied to operate a gate, a valve constructed to control the ilow of water to the said motor, a spring constructed to retain said valve at one limit of its movement, and means upon the bridge constructed to hold the valve at the opposite limit of its movement in opposition to the action of the spring, substantially as described.

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6. The combination, with two oppositelyforth.

7. The combination, with two oppositelyswinging gates and apipe communicating with a source or means of water-supply giving continuous pressure in said pipe, of a cylinder provided with a suitable piston and piston- In testimony thatIclaim the foregoing as my rod, a valve or valves for controlling the inlet l invention I afx my signature in presence of and outlet of said cylinder, pulleys rigidly two witnesses.

connected with the gates, ropes connected with GEORGE E. HAWKS. 5 the said pulleys, and constructed to move the Witnesses: l

gates in one direction, and a Weight applied M. E. DAYTON,

to move the gates in the opposite direction, J EssE Cox, J r.

substantially as described.