US427395A - Automatic gate for railway-crossings - Google Patents

Description

6 Sheets-Sheet 1;

(No Model.)

W. BURLEIGH. AUTOMATIC GATE FOR RAILWAY GROSSINGS.

No. 427,395. Patented May 6, 1890.

(No Model.) 6 SheetsSheet 2.

W. BURLEIGH.

AUTOMATIC GATE FOR RAILWAY (mossmes.

No. 427,395. Patented May 6, 1890.

W @551 attozmm (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet '3.

W. BURLEIGH. AUTOMATIC GATE POE RAILWAY oaossmes.

No. 427,395. Patented May 6, 1890.

6 SheetsSheet 4.

(No Model.)

W. BURLEIGH. AUTOMATIC GATE FOR RAILWAY UROSSINGS.

Patented May 6, 1890.

m: scams PETERS 120., PHDTG-LITHO., WASHINGYON a, c.

6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

W. BURLEIGH.

AUTOMATIC GATE FOR RAILWAY onossmes.

Patented May 6, 1890.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet '6 W. BURLEIGH.

AUTOMATIC GATE FOR RAILWAY GROSSINGS.

No. 427,395. Patented May 6, 1890.

UNITED STATES ATEN'r OFFICE.

WVALLACE BURLEIGH, OF FRANKLIN, NETV HAMPSHIRE.

AUTOMATIC GATE FOR RAlLWAYr-CROSSINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,395, dated May 6, 1890.

Application filed March 11, 1889. $erial No. 302,927. (lilo model.)

I To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALLACE BURLEIGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Franklin, in the county of Merrimac and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Gates for Railway-Orossin gs, of which the following is a specification.

, This invention relates to operating mechanism for gates at grade-crossings for railways, the objects of the invention being essentially to provide means whereby the gates may be closed and opened and the necessary motive power be supplied to the mechanism by a moving train.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the following specification and claims and to the accompanying drawings, forming an inseparable part thereof, of which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing the hollow standard, aportion of the railwaytraok and closed gate, and my improved operating mechanism, portions of the latter and the gate being also shown by dotted lines as when opened. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a standard and gate, which may be located at the opposite side of the track and the necessary operating mechanism inclosed in said standard. Fig. 4 is a perspective View showing a portion of railway-track, a gradecrossing for a highway, an approaching railway-train, and the open gates, with my improved mechanism in proper position in relation thereto. Fig. 5 is a broken sectional elevation showing the railway-track and the cow-catcher of a locomotive approaching at the left of a portion of my improved mechanism, which is located at the left of a road-crossing. Fig. 6 is a similar view of that portion of my improved mechanism which is located some distance at the right of a road-crossing. Fig. 7 illustrates the position assumed by the mechanism shown in Fig. 6, when a train may approach from the left. Fig. 8 is a broken plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. (5, with portions of ails and a sleeper in a proper position in relation thereto. Fig. 9 is a section'taken at y y, Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation showing a portion of that mechanism by which the gate operating mechanism within the hollow standard is wound up ready for use by the wheels of a passing train. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the same, showing an additional lever connected to a section of another lever, which in practice is within the hollow standard. Fig. 12 represents a portion of the mechanism to be located at some distance to the left of a roadcrossing. Fig. 13 is aview of the like parts when adapted to a position some distance to the right of a road-crossing. Fig. 14 is aperspective view showing a section of track and a modification of the mechanism shown in detail in Figs. 10 and 11. Fig. 15 is a detached view showing a-slight modification of a portion of the mechanism located within the hollow standard. Fig. 16 is asectional plan of-the two levers shown at the bottom of Fig. 15. Fig. 17is aplan view of the sprocket wheels and chain and the tubes or pipes through which the chain passes from one to another of the hollow standards in a system of four gates, the said standards and a section of double track being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 18 represents a signal-bell and means of operating it at the time the gates I are closing.

Corresponding reference-letters designate similar parts throughout the various views.

A represents a hollow standard, in which in Fig. l, will be sufficient; Operating mechanism connected with the shafts B O and gears Z) c ofa single standard A is sufficient for operating the other gates, by means of the sprocket-wheels E, mounted at thelower end of each vertical shaft 0, the several sprocketwheels and their shafts being connected by a chain belt 6, which may pass through tubes ICO E, extending nnderground,between the several hollow standards A, as seen in Fig. 17. lVithin one of these hollow standards A, I place the following mechanism for transmitting motion and power to the shafts B C of the several standards: A winding drum F is loosely mounted upon a horizontal shaft F. Upon said drum is attached one end of a rope or cable said rope or cable extending thence around suitably-located guiderolls to and over a pulley f, located near the top of the standard, the free end being then connected to a suitable weight f as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2; A small ratchet-wheel G is mounted rigidly upon said shaft F, close to one side of said drum F, and a spring-pawl g is mounted upon the side of said drum in a manner to slip the teeth of the ratchet-wheel when said drum is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow there on, and to engage said teeth when rotated in the opposite direction. By this construction the drum may rotate independent of the shaft for the purpose of winding the cord f thereon and raising the actuating-weight f A spurgear H, mounted rigidly upon the said shaft F, meshes with a spur=pinion 11 mounted rigidly upon a horizontal shaft I, and transmits motion to said shaft and to a wheel J, also rigidly mounted on shaft- I. A connecting-rod j, having one end pivoted to said wheel J and. the opposite end to a crank J mounted upon the shaft 13, produces an oscillatory movement of said crank and shaft, by reason of the said crank being formed considerably longer than is the radial measurement of said wheel J.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that to rotate the wheel J one-half revolution in the direction of the arrowshown thereon will bring the connecting-rod the crank J, and the gate D to the positions shown by dotted lines, and that it has only to be allowed to proceed in its rotative course to place the said parts again in the position shown by full lines. The action of the weight f 2 and cord f upon the drum F in connection with the gearing before mentioned sets the wheel J in motion and causes the gate alternately toopen and close; but in order to accomplish my purpose the wheel J should be stopped at each half of its revolution. This may be accomplished in numerous ways. The said wheel may be slotted, as at j on opposite sides, and a dog may be provided which shall normally rest in one or the other of said slots and be released at the proper time by suitable electrical apparatus in connection with the railway-track. I show in the drawings,

however, mechanical means which may be employed for releasing such a dog from the slots in the wheel J.

A pawl K projects upward from a rockerarm la, having at ornear one end a stop-pin 7c or its equivalent, which may bear upon the upper edge of an arm K, which, together with the arm 70, is pivoted at to the standard A. The arm k is weighted at 70 in order to hold the pawl K normally within one of the slots j or j of the wheel J. The free end of the arm- K passes out through a slot a in the standard A, and it is obvious that to disengage the pawl K from either slot in the wheel J it is only necessary to raise this protruding end of the arm 7o; hence a wire L may be attached to the protruding end of this lever or arm 70 and extend upward, preferably within a hollowsupport M, to a casting m, carrying an arm N, pivoted at n within said casting, to the free end of which arm N is fastened the upper end of the wire L. One end of the pivot-pin 01 extends far enough outside the casting m to carry a rocker-arm N, which should be secured thereon at right angles with the arm N. From this rocker N wires L L extend in opposite directions. The former, which is attached to the bottom end of the rocker-arm, extends to the right, and the latter, which is attached to its upper end, extends to the left, of a road-crossing, each being connected with and operated by a suitable rocker-arm located at a distance of a quarter of a mile (more or less) either way from said crossing and preferably between the rails, where the cow-catcher or some other convenient part of a locomotive shall come in contact with it and tip or rock it.

The wires L L may pass along and be conveniently supported upon telegraph-poles, the former being connected with the wire L by means of the arms N N both of which are secured at right angles upon a pivot-pin a, mounted in a casting m, (which incloses the arm N carried at the top of a hollow support M. This support M extends downward below the surface of the ground and connects with a suitable conduit 0, extending thence crosswise of the track, underneath the same, and to a point between the rails, as clearly indicated in Fig. 8. In this conduit bearings may be provided for supporting a horizontal shaft 0 upon which is loosely mounted an arm P, whose normal position is horizontal, and to the free end of which the wire L is attached, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7. Adjacent to the arm P a short arm 1) is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 0 and provided near its free end with a stop-pin p, or its equivalent, which may bear upon the upper edge of the said arm 19 and cause the latter to swing downward, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. (5. A slot is formed in the conduit 0 in its top at a point near the opposite end thereof and between the rails, through which the upper part of a rocker-arm P may rise the required height to be rotated or rocked in either direction by contact with the cow-catcher or pilot of a passing locomotive. This rockerarm P is also rigidly mounted upon the shaft 0 and when moved by'a train approaching a road crossing from the right, as in Figs. 4: and 6, the pawl K is released from the slot j WVhen said lever or rocker P shall .be moved by a train passing in the opposite direction, it will simply rock the shaft 0 and raise the arm 1), as shown in Fig. 7, leaving the loose arm P and wire L as well as all their connections, including the pawl K, in their normal position.

The lever or arm P may be provided with a pendent or counter weight 19 as seen in Figs. 8 and 9, in order that it, as well as the arm 1), may instantly return to the positions shown in Fig. 6 after an engine shall have passed over it.

The withdrawal of pawl K by the passing train is but momentary, and in order to avoid the possibility of its sudden return to either slot 3' or f, from which it may have previously been released, suitable spring-levers j may be pivoted to one side of the wheel J, the free ends of which will partially cover these slots and form an obstruction in front of said pawl, which may be slightly widened horizontally at its engaging end for this purpose, and that side of each of said slots which will first reach the said pawl in the course of the rotation of said wheel J may be inclined, as shown in Fig. 15, so that said pawl may readily enter the same at the proper time, stop-pins 7' being provided on said wheel for limiting the movement in one direction of said levers j WVhen a train is moving in the opposite direct-ion to that above describedi. 8., approaching a road-crossing from the left-the pilot of the engine comes in contact with rocker Pimounted upon the shaft 0 carried in bearings secured within the conduit 0, upon which is also mounted the loose arm 1 and rigid arm 13 provided with a stop-pin p. The wire L is thus operated and with it the arms N N and the wire L which connects the latter with the top end of the rocker-arm N, by which means the gates are lowered for a train approaching from the left. The wire L may rise within the hollow support M carrying at its top the casting m provided with the pivot-pin n upon which the arms N and N are secured at right angles to each other, as seen in Fig. 12, the former within the casting m and the latter without. The rocker P may also be rocked by a train moving from right to left or approaching from a direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 5 without operating the gates. A shaft 0', carried in bearings secured within a suitable conduit 0 extends from the interior of one of the the pawl K and setting the gates open.

terior walls of the hollow standard A.

standards A (where it is provided with a crank or short arm Q, connected by a chain q with one end of the arm toa point between the rails where a rocker-arm P is mounted thereon, rising normally in a vertical position, as do the rockers P P Trains passing over this lever or rocker l? in either direction release the pawl K from the slot j thus permitting the wheel J to rotate half a revolution, bringing the slot 7' into engagement with The rocker P should also be provided with a counter-weight, such as mentioned in the previous description of the rockers P P in order to hold it normally in a vertical position.

The drum F may be provided with various means bywhich the cord f may be wound upon it and the Weight f elevated to a proper height by hand-power; but the mechanism I show herein enables the wheels of a passing train to perform this service. Attached to one side of or formed integral with the winding-drum F is a ratchet-wheel f, having its serrations cut opposite to those upon the ratchet G, and upon the shaft F, adjacent to the'said ratchet J, an arm R is loosely mounted, the free end of which rests normally upon a suitable stop a, formed upon one of the in- To this arm R is pivoted a pawl B, one end adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchetwheel f and the opposite end pivotally connected to a rod or bar 8, which may be weighted, as at .9, Figs. 1 and 2. Bar 3 at its lower end is pivotally connected to an arm S, mounted upon one end of a shaft S, extending thence in a direction crosswise of the railwaytrack to a point near one rail where an arm S is mounted upon said shaft, as shown in Figs. 1, 10, and 11. The free end of arm S is pivotally connected to the jointed levers T, which may be provided on their under side, near their outer end,with projections t, loosely fitting slots formed in iron or metal plates T, upon which the ends of said jointed levers bear. If desired, these projections t may be perforated at a point just below the under side of the plates T. in a direction crosswise of the slots in said plates, and pins may be inserted in said perforations having their ends long enough to prevent said parts tfrom rising out of the plates T. A spring if, placed under the jointed levers T, will enable them to rise readily after having been pressed down byawheel. (See Fig. 1.) Each wheel passing over the jointed levers causes the bar 5 to rise and fall. As these levers T are inclined their movement is a gradual one, and when a wheel has passed far enough upon the inclined jointed levers T (as indicated by the wheel shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1) to cause the pawl R to engage the teeth of the ratchetwheel f the further movement of the bar 3 raises the arm R and rotates the drum F in the direction of the arrow shown thereon, thus winding the cord f upon the same automatically, one or more teeth of the ratchet f 4 to the passage of each wheel over the inclined jointed levers T, the pawl g holding the drum F where it is left by each upward movement of the pawl R while the latter is taking a fresh tooth. If at any time the drum should have been wound up as far as it should be before an unusually long train has entirely passed over.

the jointed levers T, it is desirable that means should be provided for preventing any damage to the mechanism thereby. To this end I provide the loose arm R with a lateral projection 7 (clearly shown in Fig. 2,) with which a projection f formed for this purpose upon the weight f will engage with the upward movement of the latter, thereby raising the said arm R to such height that the vertical reciprocal movement of the bar 8 (which is necessarily limited by the movement of the jointed levers T) will only cause the pawl R to rock upon its pivot without causing it to engage with the teeth of its ratchet-wheel f, this movement continuing until the entire train shall have passed, when the gate-closing mechanism is again in readiness for action by the movement of either rocker P P Studs U may be inserted at regular intervals a short distance from the periphery of the wheel J upon the side opposite to that to which the rod j is attached,and these coming in contact with the projection '0 upon the lower end of a bell-hammer V below its pivotal point will cause said hammer to vibrate against a gong-bell W, which is conveniently mounted upon one of the interior walls of the hollow standard A, as seen in Figs. 1 and2. By omitting the studsU from one-half of said wheel, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 15, the bell maybe caused to ring only when the gates D are in the act of closing. A spring may be attached to said hammer V, or it may be counterweighted, as at 'v,Fig. 18, in order to return it after it shall have been moved by the studs U.

The hollow supports lWl M M with their respective castings m on WP, afford protection from snow and ice for the arms N N N and their respective wires L L L The pawl B may be provided with a shoulder, which, when said pawl is in contact with the ratchet f, will rest upon a projection r of the arm R.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In automatic gate-operating mechanism comprising gravity-actuated gearing, the combination of the geared shaft carrying the gate and a crank mounted thereon, a wheel mounted upon one of the geared shafts, havin g slots in its periphery diametrically opposite to each other, a rod connecting said crank with said slotted wheel, a suitable pawl for engaging the slots in said wheel, and means whereby said pawl shall be released therefrom by an engine moving in either direction while at some distance at either side of a road-crossing.

2. The combination, with the gate, and slotted wheel j, connected therewith, the dog carried by the rocker-arm 7c, and means for retaining them in their normal position, with a pivoted arm, and means whereby the upward movement of the latter shall operate said pawl.

3. In an automatic gate-operating mechanism, the combination, with a wheel having its periphery slotted at points diametrically opposite to each other, and means for rotating said wheel, of spring-actuated stop-arms connected therewith adapted partially to cover said slots and prevent a pawl which has been released from either of said slots from re-engaging therewith before said wheel shall have had time to rotate.

4:. In a gate-operating mechanism, the combination, with the gate, of a shaft, connections between said shaft and gate for operating the latter, a gravity-actuated drum loosely mounted upon said shaft, a ratchet-and-pawl connection between the drum and shaft whereby the latter is actuated when the drum is turned by its gravitating attachment, a

rocking, bar R, a pawl pivoted on and carried by said bar, a reciprocating bar connected with the outer end of the latter pawl, and mechanical connections extending from said reciprocating bar to the track and adapted to be actuated by a passing train to operate the reciprocating bar for winding said drum in the opposite direction without disturbing the shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a geared shaft and ratchet-wheel thereon, of a gravity-actuated drum having a spring-pawl thereon for engaging said ratchet-wheel, and an oppositely-cut ratchet formed integral or secured rigidly thereto, an arm mounted loosely upon said shaft, a pawl pivoted thereto at the outer end of the latter, and a movable part inde pendent of the rail and connected with the drum-pawl whereby said pawl is caused to engage with and disengage from the teeth of the ratchet connected with said drum by the wheels of a passing train for the purpose of winding said drum.

6. I11 a railway-gate, the combination of a gate proper, an actuating mechanism therefor, means for automatically winding up said mechanism, a rock-shaft having a loosearm connected with and adapted to release the actuating mechanism, a rigid arm on said shaft adapted to be operated by a passing train, and a stop carried by the shaft and adapted to engage said loose arm when the shaft is turned in one direction, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a shaft mounted below the surface and in a direction crosswise of a railway-track at some distance either side of a road-crossing,snooker-arm mounted upon the same at a point between the rails and capable of rocking said shaft in either direction by contact with a passing locomotive, and a crank and loose rocker-arm also mounted upon said shaft at a, point one side of the track with the pawl K, itsarrn k, the loose arm K, and the several Wires and arms connecting the same, substantially for the purpose set forth. IO

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVALLAOE BURLEIGH.

Witnesses:

J. B. THURSTON, NATHL. E. MARTIN.

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