US1143190A - Automatic crossing-gate. - Google Patents

Description

C. l. HALL.

AUTOMATIC CROSSING GATE.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 24. 1913.

l l 43, l 90, Patented June 15, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHHvfJroI!4 c. r

C.- I. HALL.

AUTOMATIC CROSSING GATE. APPLICATION FILED MAY24. |913.

1143,190. Patented June 15, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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J I f I 1 I ze I I I- $0 I- W L THE NORRIS PETERS Co., PHOTO-LITHO., WASHINGYON. D. C.

i mais s CHARLES I. HALL,

OF ,MOUNT VERNON, WASHINGTON.

AUTOMATIC CROSSING-GATE.

mum- Speeicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Application filed May 24, 1913. Serial N o. 769,678.

To all whom t may concern Be it knownthat I, CHARLES I. HALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Skagit and State of vVashingtom have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Crossing-Gates, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates tonew and novel gates, and more particularly, to improvements in automatic gates which are. used at thecrossings of highwaysand railways for the prevention of accidents.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of gates of this nature which are automatically operated, through the medium of electrical means, by a train or car upon the railway, approaching the highway, thus forming a closure for the crossing of the two ways and preventing any vehicle, or the like, from entering upon the railway. u

A still further object of this invention is to simplify and improve the construction of devices of this nature as is consistent with the performing of its fundamental functions, and a device with which the gates may be held closed for any length of time during the passing of a car or train .upon the track. j

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention consists in such novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying'drawings and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like charactersof refer ence designatelike or correspondingA parts throughout theseveral views, and in which,

l Figure 1 is a side elevationA of theV im- Y, proved gate and operating mechanism thereof the improved gates Y cured in any manner to Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 designates a railway which is constructed 1n the usual manner of T-rails 2 and cross ties 3, and which has arranged along side thereof the platform 4. l

The platform 4 forms a covering for a cavity or pit 5, which is cut or formed within the ground directly under the highway (not shown), and adjacent to the railway as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Mounted upon the platform 4 are crossing gates 5 which are composed, each gate, of bars 6 and 7, which are pivotally mounted upon standards 8 and 9. The standards 8 and 9 are mounted upon the platform 4 by any suitable means such as bolts 10, so that they will not interfere with the traveling of a vehicle, or the like, upon the highway. The bars 6 and 7 are of the construction which is usually employed in gateways of this type, and are pivoted in the usual manner on the standards 8 and 9. The bars 6 and 7, which form the gate have a rope 10 connected thereto, one end of the rope connected by each of the bars as is shown at 11. The rope 10 after passing for a short distance along the upper edge of the bars 6 and 7 is curved about the ends thereof, eX- tends downwardly through openings 12 in the platform 4, and about a pulley 13 which is mounted in a pulley-guard 14.

The pulley-guard 14 has rings 15 and 16 connected to its upper and lower ends respectively, and the weight 17 is connected to the ring 16 in any suitable manner. The weight 17 is of a size so that when the gate bars Gand 7 are not forcibly held under tension, the weight will counterbalance and cause them to stand upright, or opened, as is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

A rope 20 issecured to the ring 15 in any suitable manner, passes about a pulley 21, and is connected to a drum 22. `The pulley 21 is mounted in a bracket 23, which is sethe inner surface of the platform 4. The drum 22 is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 24 of motor 25, which motor `25 is mounted upon aV platform 26 placed in one side of the pit 5, as is clearly shown in both Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The motor 25 is connected to the series of batteries 27 toY railway,

or other electrical energy generating system by an electrical conducting wire 28. The batteries 27 are also mounted in any convenient position within the pit 5, and have an electrical conducting wire 29 connected to one of the series of the batteries one of the T-rails 2 of the railway 1. Another electrical conducting wire 30 is'connected to the motor 25, and to the other of theV Trails of 'the railway 1. This connecting of the wires is clearly set forth in the diagrammatical view shown in the drawings.. The electrical conducting wires are connected to the various parts as heretofore described, so that when the circuit is closed betweenthe two rails of the railway 1, electrical energy will be imparted to themotor` 25. The wire 30 is protected from engage ment with foreign articles, and also atmosphericeffects by a metallic or other suitable y tubing 31.

-From the foregoing description and the drawings, motive, or similar device, approaches the gates which are mounted, as has been heretofore described,thev wheel axles of the locomotive will close the circuit between the two rails of the track 1, and circuit between the two poles of the batteries 27. `This closing of the circuit between the oppositepo-les of the batteries 27 will cause the motor 25 to rotate, owing to the imparting of electrical energy thereto. The rotating ofthe motor 25 will also rotate the shaft 24, and the drum 22 which is rigidly mounted thereupon. As the rope 2O is securely connected to the drum 22, it will, upon the rotation of the drum, be wound to the drum, andthis winding ofthe rope 2O to the drum'will forcibly raise the weight 17 to a position as is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thus allowing the `bars 6 and 7 of the gate 5 to lower and form a closure for the crossing of the highway and the as isy shown in Fig. 2. The weight will be held in a raisedposition until it is desired to have the gates returned to their raised position' since the pull by the motor upon the line 20 continues until the train or car has passed the crossing and the circuit through the motor is again A after the train leaves the portion of the track l, which is connected to the wires 29 and 30, the circuit between theropposite poles of the series of batteries 27 will be broken and the rotation of the motor, due to electrical energy', will cease, thus relieving the weight 17 of the tension thereupon. This latterfeature will allow the weight 17 to drop downwardly and assumeposition as is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, forcing -barsfG- and 7 in an uprightposition.

The time when the gates are lowered, duringl the passing of the locomotive or the like, over the tracks, depends entirely upon the and to adapted t0 normally it will be seen thatwhena locof broken. Immelength of track, or T-rails, which are connected in conductiveV relation to the batteries 27.

In Vpractical fields, certain minor features of construction, combination, and arrange-v ment of parts maynecessitate alterations to which the pa-tentee is entitled, provided such alterations. are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

Wha-t is claimed is: y .Y

,1. In a railway crossing gate the combistandards, a. rope connected to said gatebars, said rope passing `about a pulley, a pulley guard about said pulley, a weight secured to said pulley-guard, said weight hold said gate-bars in an .upright position, and train controlled nation, of gate-bars pivotally mounted upon v means connected to the upper portion of- Y saidpulleyguard for raising said weight to permit said gate-bars to lower, and assume a horizontal position when a train or the like is passing. l

2. In a railway crossing gate the combination of a platform, standards Ycarriedby said platform, gate-bars pivotally connected with said standards, a cable having its end portions secured to said gate-bars and passing beneath said platform, aV pulley guard i straddling said cable beneath said platform and provided with a pulley wheel resting upon said cable, a weight carried by said pulley guard, a guide Acarried by said plat,- form above said pulley guard, a drum, a line wound ,upon said drum and passing through said guideand connectedwith said pulley guard, and train controlled electrically op`- erated means for rotating said drum to wind the line' thereon and raise said weightto permit said gate-bars tomove toalowe'red position.

3. In a railway crossing gate the'combination, of gate-bars pivotally mounted' upon' standards, a rope connected to said gatebars, said rope passing about apulle'y,"a pulley-guard about said pulley, a weight secured to said pulley-guard, said weight' adapted to normally hold said. gate-barsin an upright position, and trainY controlled electrically operated means connected to the upper portion of said pulley-guard for'raising said weight and permitting saidrgate- Y bars, a'pl'urality of electrical batteries withsaid ,rope passing about a pulley, a

in said pit, electrical conductors connecting is closed between the two poles of the series one of the poles of said batteries to the rails of batteries. 10 of the railways, electrical conductors con- In testimony whereof I affix my signature :meeting the other pole of said batteries to an in presence of two witnesses.

electrical motor, means carried by said elec- CHARLES I. HALL. Vtrical motor and connected to said pulley- Witnesses:

guard for causing the said gate-bars to as- CARL SCHIRMAN,

sume a horizontal position when the circuit J. H. MoALIs'rER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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