US101311A - Improvement in railway-gates - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet 1. RAMSEY 61. STAFFORD.

Railroad Gate, 110,. 101,311. I Patented March 29, 1870.

. 4 SheetsSheet 2 RAMSEY & STAFFQRD- Railroad Gate.

Patented March 29,- 1870.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 3. RAMSEY 61 STAFFORD.

Railroad Gate.

No. 101.311. Patented March 29.1870. 1

4 Sheets-Sheet 4. RAMSEY & STAFFORD.

Railroad Gate. I No. 101,311." PatentedmMarqhu29, 1870. v

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PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT RAMSEY AND CHARLES STAFFORD, OF NEV \VILMINGTON, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 101,3 l I, dated March 29, 1870.

' form a part of this-specification.

The nature of our invention consists in the construction and general arrangement of a falling railroad-gate; also in the construction and arrangement for operating the same.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our invention appertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed to de scribe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a front view, of the gate with the mechanism for operating the same. Fig. 3 is aside view of the mechanism for raising the gate. Fig. at is a perspective view of the worm that operates todrop the gate; Fig. 5, a vertical 1on gitudinal section; Fig. 6, a cross-section, and Fig. 7 aplan.

We construct our gate as-follows: We make a shaft, A, of wood or iron of suitable thickness and as long as is necessary for the width of railroad-car, said shaft having turned journals where it is hung in the bearings. In the shaftA are drilled or punched holes at proper distances for the'pickets B B, taking care to have one picket pass close to the inside of each rail, and all so arranged as not to interfere with any other part of the work. The pickets B B must be put in after the shaft is hung in its place and fastened with keys or screwnuts. The shaft A may be hung in the rails by drilling and fixing boxes; or it may be hung in boxes placed on the tie under the raihs, as shown in the drawings. WVe then construct two shafts, O O, on which the flanges of the ear-wheels are to operate to put down or open the'gate. These shafts are made of round iron or iron tubing of suitable diameter, and their length depends upon the speed with which From sixteen to twenty feet in length will, however, be

about the proper size. The worm or flange Z) is made from boiler or other iron, and is fastened to the shaft 0 by means of the pins a a. These pins are set in aspiral form around the shaft from the end where the wheels first strike the'flange to a point within or about five feet from the opposite end, and for the remaining distance are in a straight line or on a line parallel to the axis of the shaft. By this means the gate is fully opened before the forward end of the engine reaches it. 76 then construct a metal head-block, D, so as to straddle the shaft-A of the gate, fastening the foot on the tie, and taking care that it does cow-catcher. The width of this block must be to suit the geared wheels that are hung therein. These wheels, which are all'beveled, consist of one drive-wheel, E, of suitable diameter, having twenty cogs, and two smaller wheels, FF, having each twelve cogs. These smaller wheels are put one on each of the worm-shafts on the'end having the straight part of the flange 1). The shaft must be hung so that when the flange of the worm on shaft 0 is in a horizontal position it will be as much below the top of the rail as the depth of the flange on the car-wheel. The extreme ends of the shafts C C will be hung in boxes placed on the tie or blocks put in for this purpose, and the flanges b I) must be so near the rails that the flange of the car-wheel will catch it and put down the gate.

To have the wheels gear properly, set both flanges of the worms at the extreme ends ex actly horizontal, as the car-wheel will catch them; then slip the drive-wheel E into its place, and the arm G that moves the gate must be fastened on the drive-wheel exactly in a vertical position. This arm is fastened or connected to one of the pickets B of the gate by a pin, (1, which moves in a slot, m, as shown. If the shaft A should be hung in the rails,then the drive-wheel E must be put on so as to operate without the armthat is, will be put on the shaft itself. \Ve then construct two stringpieces, H H, about three inches wide and of the same length as the shafts O 0. be iron, or of wood covered with band-iron, and are placed at the opposite side of the track from the shaft 0 O,to hold down the gate.

not extend so high as to interfere with the These may This is effected by the pressure of the carwheels. We would observe that the stringers should be sufficiently sloped at their ends, so

that the pressure upon them will.be gradual when about to be operated by the enginewheels. The string-pieces H H areplaced on springs e 0, so that when there is no weight on them they stand above the rail just enough so that the cow-catcher will not catch on them, and leaving a-space between them and the rail sufficient to allow one of the pickets of the gate to pass between. The springs e 6 may be made in any suitable manner to answer the purpose for which'they are intended; but'we prefer using the elliptic spring. Studs L are placed in the ties close to the inner edges of the string-pieces, to serve as guides to keep them to their place when slipping up and down. An iron eye or loop, M, is fixed to the edge of the string-piece to slipover the stud L, and so carry it straight. A pin, f, is then put through the picket of the gate next to the string-piece, so that the pin will lap, say, about one inchon the string-piece. Now put the gate down, so thatthe pin f will touch the string-piece, then cut a notch, O,through, and let the gate down. on the string-piece it will catch on the said pin, so as to hold the gate down; or there may be a dog fixed under the string-piece con nected with the spring to hold the gate down. NVe then construct a wheel, I, of round iron of suitable diameter, with a bar, J, across the center, with an axle on which the wheel will turn. A washer, is, is put 011 the rim at each side of the bar and at both ends. The rim on each side is then fitted with a spiral spring, z, of sufficient power to lift the gate. We'place two uprights at the end of the gateshaft in which to hang the wheel I with the axle parallel with the gate-shaft, and as low as it can be put to rest on the tie. The uprights where the rim passes should be as small as the strength required will bear. Then, in

By now pressing down placing the wheel between them, place one of the washers on each side of the uprights above and below, so that when the wheel is turned the washer will catch on the upright and hold the spring z. NVhen the wheel stands without strain on the springs, place the arm K on the axle, as shown. When the car moves on the worm O and puts down the gate, it carries the wheel I round and tightens the springs '13, so

that when'the car-wheel leaves the string pieces H the springs t on the wheel I will lift the gate and hold it shut.

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

1. The'gate operated by worm-shafts O O, constructed as described, with flanges b b, and. operated by the pressure of the car-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The string-pieces H H, operated by the pressure of the car wheels on top, and by springs e e underneath, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The wheel I, with the spiral springs it, washers 7c, and arm K, for lifting the-gate, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The arrangement of the worm-shafts C 0, wheels F F and E, arm G, and pin (1, all constructed 'as described, and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination and arrangement of the gate A B, worm-shafts G G, string-pieces H H, arms G and K, and wheel I, all constructed and connected as described, and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

It. RAMSEY. O. STAFFORD.

\Vitnesses:

THOMAS Po'MERoY, J. A. SLoAN.

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