US561509A

US561509A - John h

Info

Publication number: US561509A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 1913-06-02

Description

(No Model.)

J. H. FRAUMANN.

I AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE. No. 561,509. Patented Jung 2, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.

JOHN H. FRAUMANN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ANDREWV J. ENGLISH, OF SAME PLAOE.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 561,509, dated June 2, 1896.

Application filed Oc ober 14,1895. Serial No. 565,675. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. FRAUMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oincinnati, Ohio, have invented newand useful Improvements in Automatic Railway-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to road-crossing gates for railways, its object being to provide such gates with operating mechanism whereby they will be automatically actuated by the passage of the trains upon the track.

Mechanism embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device as applied to a railway;.Fig. 2, a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 a detail showing construction of the parts immediately actuated by the train.

Referring now to the drawings, A designates a railway with rails a a, and B B bars or gates pivoted on standards I) to close down in the usual manner at the sides of the railway over a road crossing the railway.

The gate-bars are overweighted by weights b, so as to stand normally up and free of the road-crossing, as indicated in Fig. 1, and are provided with counterweights w, suspended therefrom by a cord 10, which, when free to act, draw the gates down to the position indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 1.

The automatic mechanism here to be described acts solely upon the weight w, which by being left free operates the gates so that no sudden action may injure or disarrange the apparatus.

The actuating mechanism is as follows: The standards I) are prolonged downwardly into boxes and furnish journal-bearings for a shaft 3, extended between and into them, upon which are fastened actuating-pulleys D and Windlass-pulleys d. To each of the latter is attached a cord 10 passing upward and over an idler-roller d and attached at its free end to the weight w. It will be apparent that by a partial rotation of the shafts sin one direction the weights w will be lifted, thus allowing the weights 5 to raise the gates 13, and that by a counter rotation of the shaft the weights to will be released and in falling draw down the gates B. This operation is effected by the following connections: Attached at a given point to the periphery of each of the actuating-pulleys D is a cord f, (wire rope preferred,) extending outwardly in both directions parallel with the track (over guide-sheaves 00, if necessary) and at tached at each free end to a bell-crank lever E, constructed and connected as follows:

The lever E is pivoted to a plate or bar O, fastened to suitable supports O outside the trackway. The horizontal arm of the lever extends alongside of the plate, and its vertical arm projects downwardly. The attachment of the cord f to the vertical arm of the lever E is by a short rod f, provided with a turnbuckle f for taking up any slack in the cord, and this rod extends through the le- Ver-arm and is there provided with a tuglink connectionthat is to say, the rod extends loosely through the arm and is provided with a spiral spring 8 at the opposite side of the arm bearing outwardly against a terminal head of the rod. The object of this construc tion will presently be explained. 4

The free end of the horizontal arm of the bell-crank is pivoted to or connected by a link g with the ends of two arms 9 g, which extend thence outwardly in opposite directions adjacent to the bar or plate 0, and are secured thereto by studs g entering horizontally-elongated slots of the arms. The arrangement is such that when in position to be acted upon by the train the inner ends of the arm stand above the level of the plate, as indicated at the right-hand side of Figs. 1 and 3, so as to be depressed byaroller a, suitably attached to the locomotive. It will be seen that by this arrangement when the roller ,2 forces down the arms 9 at one side of the crossing the vertical arm of the lever E is thrown backward, (any sudden shock being eased by its tug-link connection,) and thus actuates the weight w.

A complete set of actuating connections is arranged at each side of the road-crossing at the same side of the railwaytrack, connected in relatively opposite relations with the pulley D, so that a train approaching a crossing closes the gates and on leaving the crossing opens them by means of an actuating device upon the locomotive. In case of a single track, upon which trains run in both directions, the actuating connections at both sides of the roadcrossing are duplicated at opposite sides of the track.

In case of a double trackway, with trains moving upon each in one direction only, one complete set of the devices as above described is arranged at the outer side of each track.

The roller 2 is arranged upon one side of the locomotive-for example, in connection with the pilot-in such position as to operate the bell-crank E in passing. In these cases the attachment of the cord or rope f at opposite sides of the track is at relatively opposite points in the peripheries of the wheel, so that the action is alternating.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In railway-gate apparatus, the combina tion of a pivoted gate overweighted to remain normally open, an independent movable controlling-Weight hung to the gate in opposite relation to its normal overweight, an independent lifting connection from said independent weight to a controlling device adjacent to the track at one side of the roadcrossing adapted to be operated by a train, and a connection thence to a similar controlling device at the same side of the track beyond the road-crossing and acting in reverse, substantially as set forth.

2. In railway-gate apparatus, the combin ation of a pivoted gate, overweighted to stand normally open, an independent movable controlling-weight suspended therefrom in opposite relation to its normal overweight, connections from said controlling-weight in opposite directions to actuating devices adapted to be operated by a passing train, and arranged in pairs, at opposite sides of the track and at opposite sides of the road-crossing; the actuating devices of each pair being interconnected so that the approach of a train actuates the proximate controlling device to depress the gate and elevate the opposite controlling device of its pair into the path of the train for actuation, and the actuation of the last-mentioned controlling device opens the gate and resets the initial controlling device of the pair for a new action, substantially as set forth.

3. In an automatic gate-closing device, in combination with an overweighted gate adapted to stand normally open, a counterweight controlling the gate in opposition to its overweight, a lifting cord independently connected to said counterweight, a winding-drum to which the cord is also connected, an actuating-cord wound upon said winding-drum and attached at opposite sides of the roadcrossiu g to two actuating devices adjacent to the track, moving simultaneously in opposite directionsone by means of the other through the medium of the connecting-cord, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. FRAUMANN.

\Vitnesses:

L. M. I-IosEA, FRANK K. BOWMAN.