US690006A - Road-gate. - Google Patents

Description

No. 000,000. Patented Dec. 3|, mm. A. 0. ANTHONY 0 0.. 0. GEER.

RUM) GATE.

(Application filed Oct. 8, 1900.)

(No Model.)

ma NORMS PETYRS ca. momumo WASHINDYUN. u. c.

No. 690,006. Patented Dec. 3:, l90l. A. 0. ANTHONY & 0. 0. GEEB.

ROAD GATE.

(Application filed Oct. 8, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Shoet 2.

(No Model.)

STATES OFFICE.

ALONZO D. ANTHONY, OF GROTON, AND GEORGE D. GEER, OF OWEGO, NEW YORK.

ROAD-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 6 dated December 31, 1901- Application filed October 8, 1900.

T0 (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALONZO D. ANTHONY, of Groton, in the county of Tompkins, and GEORGE D. GEER, of Owego, in the county of Tioga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Road- Gates, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in road-gates, and is particularly applicable for use at railwaycrossings and other places where it is desirable to intermittently open and close a passage-way.

The object of this invention is to produce a device of the class mentioned which is controlled by a moving vehicle, is entirely automatic in action, and efiectively opens or closes a passage-way at any predetermined distance of the vehicle from the gate.

The further objects of this invention are to provide means for signaling the approach of a vehicle, as a locomotive or other portion of a railway-train, and to render the moving parts of the device substantially noiseless and steady in action.

To these ends the invention consists in the combination, construction, and arrangement of a road'gate, as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of our invention as used in connection with a railway-crossing, the rock-arm being shown in its elevated position by full lines and in its operative position by dotted lines. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged elevations, partly broken away and partly in section, of the supporting-standard and the adjacent portions of the rock-arm and the operating mechanism, the arm being shown at Fig. 2 in its elevated position and at Fig. 3 as lowered to its operative position. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are sectional views taken, respectively, on lines 4 4, Fig. 3, and 5 5, 6 6, and 7 7, Fig. at.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

It is well known that railway grade-crossings of public or private highways are a constant menace to the safety of traffic and the traveling public and that owing to the great expense Serial No. 32,421. (No model.)

and impracticability of maintaining attendants at such crossings to guard against accidents many oi the rural and suburban crossings are unprovided with any means for guarding or protecting the traveling public against collisions and serious accidents at these points and that even where such attendants are stationed accidents are of frequent occurrence on accountof the negligence or carelessness of the attendant. Our device is designed to obviate these serious results.

A represents a roadway equipped with our improved road-gate as used at arailwaycrossing, the railway not being illustrated, it being understood that the same extends trans versely of the roadway.

B represents a suitable support arranged at one side of the roadway A and preferably consisting of an upright standard for supporting the gate and the adjacent portions of the operating mechanism. At the opposite side of the roadway is provided a suitable support B for receiving the free end of the gate and supporting the same in its operative position.

This gate may be of any desired form,size,or construction, is movable transversely of the roadway A, and preferably consists of a rockbar 1, having an enlarged intermediate portion 2, pivotally mounted on the standard B and provided with oppositely-extending arms 3 and 4, the arm 3 being adapted to extend across the roadway when moved to its operative position and the arm eibeing arranged on the opposite side of the axis of the gate and provided with a suitable counterweight 5, which is preferably adjustable toward and away from said axis and is clamped in position by a suitable clamping-bolt 6. The gate 1 may be pivotally supported in any desired manner, but is preferably loosely mounted on a rock-shaft 9, journaled on the standard B. The counterweight 5 is adjusted to normallyhold the arm 3 in its elevated position, and the enlarged intermediate portion 2 is preferably formed hollow for receiving the means, presently described, for controlling the position of the gate 1, said intermediate portion being provided with a shoulder or buffer '7, arranged on the side of the axis of the gate 1 opposite to the counterweight 5 and preferably at the lower side of the arm 3.

The means for controlling the position of the gate preferably consists of a weight 10, arranged within the intermediate portion 2 of the gate 1 and having one end rigidly secured to the rock-shaft9 and its opposite end movable on opposite sides of a vertical line drawnthrough the axis of said gate into and out of engagement with the shoulder 7, said weight being arranged on the side of the axis of the gate opposite to the counterweight 5 and formed of suflicient gravity to elevate the counterweight 5 when moved into engagement with the shoulder 7, and thereby lower the arm 3 to its operative position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and by full lines in Figs. 3 and 6.

It is thus apparent from the foregoing description that when the gate is in its normal elevated position and the weight 10 is rocked into engagement with the shoulder 7, as seen in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 6, said gate will be rocked on its axis to its operative position, as seen inFigs. 3, 4, and 6. Asseen in the drawings,

and particularly at Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, this shifting mechanism consists of vehicle-operated members 12 and 13, arranged at opposite sides of the roadway A, a cranloarm 14, rigidly secured to the shaft 9, and independent connections actuated by the members 12 and 13 for shifting the position of the arm 14 and the Weight 10, connected thereto. As seen inFig. 1, the members 12 and 13 consist of verticallymovable bars arranged in proximity to the rails of atrack (not illustrated) and adapted to be depressed by the wheels or other portion of a vehicle moving along the track. The bar 12 serves the purpose of forcing the weight 10 into engagement with the shoulder 7 of the gate 1 for moving said gate to its operative position and is normally held in position by a bell-crank 17, having one arm engaged with the lower face of the arm 12 and its other arm provided with a suitable weight for holding the bell-crank 17 and bar 12 from falling back of their normal positions. The bar 13 serves the purpose of forcing the weight 10 out of engagement with the shoulder 7 to its inoperative position at the opposite side of the axis of the gate 1 and is held in its elevated position by a bellcrank 18, having one arm engaged with the lower face of the bar 13 and its other arm provided with a weight for holding the bar 13 and bell-crank 18 in their normal positions. The connections between the bar 12 and the crank-arm 14 are here shown as consistingof the bell-crank 17, a rocking lever 20, loosely securedto the shaft 9, and an additional rocking lever 21, pivotally connected to a second supporting-standard O, which is arranged in proximity to the bar 12. The rocking lever 20 is secured at its intermediate portion to the shaft 9 and is provided with a projecting finger 22, adapted to engage a shoulder 28, provided on the crank-arm 14, for rocking said crank-arm and the weight connected thereto from their normal or inoperative positions (seen by dotted lines in Fig. 6) into engagement with the shoulder 7,whereby said weight and crank-arm continue to move independently of the finger 22 for the purpose of forcing the gate 1 into its operative position. The rocking lever 21 is pivoted at its intermediate portion to the standard 0 and is provided with a projecting finger 23, connected by a rod or cable 24 to one of the arms of the bellcrank 17, as seen in Fig. 1. The rocking levers 20 and 21 are connected by rods or ca bles 25 and 26, which are secured at their opposite ends to the opposite arms of said rocking levers for the purpose of simultaneously moving them in the same direction.

It will be evident from the foregoing description and the drawings, as seen in Fig. 1, that as the car or other vehicle is moved along the track (not illustrated) toward the roadway A the engaging member provided on the car or other vehicle will engage the upper face of the bar 12, thereby depressing said bar and rocking the bell-crank 17 against the action of the counterbalance provided on said bell-crank,whereby motion is transmitted from said bell-crank 17 to the rockinglevers 21 and 20. The finger 22 engages the shoulder provided on the crank-arm 14 and rocks the weight 10 into engagementwith the shoulder 7 of the gate 1. The weight 10 being adapted to overbalance the counterweight 5, it is apparent that when the same is in contact with the shoulder 7 the gate will move downwardly independently of the projecting finger 22, which finger assumes its normal position as soon as the engaging member provided on the vehicle has passed beyond the bar 12.

As previously stated, the weight 10 is normally disposed at one side of a vertical line drawn through the axis of movement of the gate 1. It is held in this position by a suitable stop-shoulder 30, secured to the standard B in the path of movement of the crankarm 14. v

In order that the gate may be automatically returned to its normal inoperative position when the car or other vehicle has reached or passed beyond the roadway A, I provide the vertically-movable bar 13 and the bellcrank 18. The connections between the bellcrank 18 and the crank-arm 14 consist of a lever 31 and a rod or cable 32. The lever 31 is preferably pivoted beneath the standard B and is provided with a counterbalance 33 for holding the lever in its normal inoperative position. The free end of the lever 31 extends upwardlyintothepath of the shoulder 28 of the crank-arm 14 for engaging said shoulder and returning the weight 10 to its normal inoperative position. The rod or cable 32 is secured at its opposite ends to the bell-crank 18 and to the lever,31 and serves to transmit motion from said bell-crank to the lever 31 when the bell-crank 18 is depressed by the bar 13. It is thus apparent that after the car or other vehicle has passed the roadway A the engaging piece provided thereon engages and depresses the bar 13, thereby rocking the bellcrank 18 and lever 31, connected thereto, which lever engages the shoulder of the crank-arm 14 and forces the same to its position seen in Fig. 2 for rocking the weight 10 to its position seen by dotted lines in Fig. 6. The counterbalances provided on the crankarm 18 and lever 31 serve to automatically return the said crank-arm and lever to their normal positions, the bell-crank 18 serving also to elevate the bar 13 and to hold the same in its normal position.

The signaling mechanism previously referred to may be of any desired form or construction which can be operated by one of the moving parts when the gate is descend-- ing to its operative position and preferably consists of a gong 35 and operating member 36. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the gong 35 is mounted upon an arm 37, provided on the standard B, and the operating member 36 usually consists of a disk secured to the shaft Qand provided with a series of pins 38, adapted to engage and operate the hammer of the gong as said shaft is rotated by the weight 10. The hammer of the gong may be actuated when the shaft 9 is rotated in either direction; but it is only necessary to operate the signal when the gate is beinglowered. Therefore I usually provide the hammer of said gong with a pawl which is adapted to operate said hammer only when the weight 10 and gate 1 are moved to their operative positions.

The means for regulating the speed of movement of the gate to its operative position preferably consists of a cylinder 40 and a piston 41, movable in said cylinder. The cylinder 40 is preferably hinged at one end to a suitable support 42, arranged beneath the intermediate portion of the gate 1, and the piston 41 is pivotally connected by a rod 43 to the intermediate portion 2 of the gatel at one side of its axis, as seen at Figs. 2 and 5.

The operation of our invention is as follows: The gate 1 being in its normal elevated position, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and the weight 10 being in its normal position at the right of a vertical line drawn through the axis of the gate 1, a vehicle approaching from the right of Fig. l depresses the bar 12 and moves the rocking levers 21 and 20, and the finger-22 engages the shoulder of the crank-arm 14 and rocks the weight 10 independently of the gate 1 into engagement with the shoulder 7 ,which in turn lowers the arm to its operative position, as seen in Fig. 6. During this movement of the gate and arm the gong is operated by the pins 38, and the speed of movement of said arm is regulated by the piston 41 moving within the cylinder 40. The car or other vehicle then passes to the opposite side of the roadway A and depresses the bar 13, which in turn operates the bell-crank 18 and lever 31. Said lever 31 engages the shoulder of the crank-arm 14,

which is then in the position seen at Fig. 3, and forces the same to its inoperative position until said crank arm normally rests against the stop 30. When the weight 10 has thus been moved to its inoperative position, the counterweight 5 elevates the arm 3 and normally holds the gate in this position until the weight is again shifted by the engagement of the vehicle with the bar 12.

The operation of our invention will now be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and it will be noted that considerable change may be made in the detail construction and arrangement of the movable means for controlling the operation of the gate.

It will be further noted that although the device shown in the drawings is particularly applicable for use in connection with railwaycrossings similar means may be employed for effecting the operation of a gate to be used in connection with farm or factory inclosures.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a support, a rockshaft journaled in said support, a mast loosely mounted on said rock-shaft and having its end carried past the same and carrying a weight,the said mast having an internal transverse shoulder adjacent to the rock-shaft, a weighted arm on the rock-shaft, and means for oscillating the rock-shaft to throw said weighted arm into and out of engagement with the shoulder on the mast.

2. The combination of a rock-shaft, a mast loosely mounted thereon, a weight rigidly mounted on the rock-shaft controlling the movement of the mast, a crank on the rockshaft, a finger adapted to strike said crank and drive it in one direction, a lever adapted to propel the crank in the other direction, and means for operating the said finger and the said lever.

3. The combination of a rock-shaft, a mast loosely mounted on said shaft, a weight rigidly mounted on said shaft controlling the movement of the mast, a crank on one end of said shaft, a vibratory finger adapted to drive the crank in one direction, a lever adapted to drive the crank in the opposite direction, means for operating the finger and the lever, and a stop between the lever and the finger to limit the upward movement of the said crank.

In witness whereof .we have hereunto set our hands this 23d day of August, 1900.

ALONZO D. ANTHONY. GEO. D. GEER. Witnesses as to Anthony:

HqE. CHASE, H. P. DENISON. Witnesses as to G661:

ALBERT S. ANDREWS, SUSIE O. ANDREWS.

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