US1244420A - Railroad-gate. - Google Patents

Description

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www@ 0325522@ mmm ATTORNEY iran srarns Para@ m HOWARD CARLISLE, 0E LEESBURG, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, TO CHARLES E. SIMPSON, OFHAMMONTON, JERSEY.

RAILROAD-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent. i fatentd Ot, 23, 1917,

Application led March 10, 1916, Serial No. 83,421. Renewed September 6, 1917. i Serial No. 190,058.

To all 'Lo/tom. t may con-cem.: Y

Be 1t known that I, Hownno CARLISLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leesburg, in the coimty of Cumberland and State of N ew Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gates and has particular referencefto mechanism for operating gates which guard railway crossings or other dangerous thoroughfares.

An object of this invention is to provide an automatically regulated gate capable yof operation without the ald of manual assisty ance and moreover, designed tofbe automatically lowered, to obstruct a railway crossing, when a train is within the proximity of the crossing, and to be voluntarily raised after said train has passed thereby.

A further object of the invention resides in a gate of the above character wherein iiuid operated mechanism is provided for controlling the movement of the gate, the latter being provided with an electrically operated valve for regulating the flow of a fluid into said mechanism, the valve being also connected with a solenoid which is energized when a vehicle is adjacent the gate, in order that the latter will be loweredor closed by the action of the solenoid upon the valve.

With the abovek and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts to be yhereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claim and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a gate crossing, illustrating the gate operating mechanism, comprising the present invention therein, I

Fig. 2 is a similar `view taken through the gate operating mechanism,

Fig. 3 is a detail transverse sectional view, and

Fig. et is a diagrammatic view of the electrical features of the invention.

Similar characters of reference denote like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 1 designates the usual form of railway gate, the latter consisting of the ordinary blocking arm 2, pivotal point 3,

, unison therewith.

and a relatively short overbalancing arm l n which is suiiiciently heavy to raise the arm 2 illustratedl in the drawings a single gatef but in instances where it is necessary to useV a plurality of gates, a second gate may be gearedl to the gate `1 so asjto operate Vin As this connection between railway gates, locatedin spaced relations. is 'old and well known, the same has not been illustrated and has, therefore, been c referred to only in a general way.

In order to operate the gate 1 m a purely automatic manner, without manual aid, the

casing 5 has preferably journaled therein'a `shaft 7, to which is vkeyed or otherwise secured the gate 1, so that upon the rotation of the shaft said gate will be oscillated. The shaft 7 is generally provided with crank portion S having loosely secured thereto a link 9, the lower extremity of the latter being pivotally connected with the outer end of a piston rod 10. The piston rod extends within a cylinder 11 mounted interiorly of or upon the casing 5 and is secured to a piston 12, which is designed for reciprocatory movement within the cylinder. It will thus be seen that upon the movement of the piston in an upward direction, the shaft 7 will be caused to rotate, thereby lowering the gate 1.

The piston 12 is operated by means ofja suitable fluid, ,preferably compressed air,

y which transmitted from a storage tank or reservoir 18, tothe cylinder 11 by way of an inlet pipe 14, the tank, in this instance, being situated underground and remote from the casing. The pipe lileads to an inlet opening 17 near one end of the casing 16, and `from an outlet opening 17 directly opposite another pipe 14 leads the cylinder.

. Slidably disposed within the casing is a valve conductors 25 are joined to the solenoid 2O and are electrically connected with the rail of the track opposite to that to which the conductors 23 are united, thus placing said solenoid in a normally open circuit. Hence, when a vehicle enters the insulated section of the traclrway, the wheels 26 thereof Ybridge the gap between the rails and therethe circuit to said solenoid, as willv by close be obvious. Upon energizing the solenoid 20, the rod 19 will be drawn laterally, pulling the valve 18 therewith until a vertical inlet port 2G therein registers with the openings 17 and 17', this action permitting flow of fluid from the reservoir 13 into the cylinder 11. The huid, upon entering the cylinder, acts upon piston 12 to close the gate 1 in an apparent manner.

Secured to the rod 19 is a iiXed collar 27 provided with radially extending arms 2S having yconnected with theii` outer ends the outer extremities of a plurality of coiled springsQQ, the inner ends of said springs being secured to permanent ears 30 located upon the valve casing 16. vAfter the vehicle has passed out of the section the solenoid 20 is denergized, thereby permitting the contractile springs 29 to move the valve block to a position preventing the entrance of air into the cylinder. i

In order to permit the raising or opening of the gate 1 after the iiuid pressure has been shut off, the valve 1S is provided with a curved outlet port 30, which, when the valve is in a closed position, will provide an escape for the fluid confined in thel cylinder 11 to Waste opening 31 as seen in Fig. 2. After the cylinder is relieved of the fluid pressure contained therein the gate 1, due to the counter-balanced weighted end t, will immediately gravitate to an open position. It is, of course, understood that the tendency of the springs 29 is readily overcome by the strength of the solenoid 20 when the latter is energized. Attention is directed to the fact, however, that a momentary energization of solenoid such as results from temporarily bridging the circuit across the rails of the track when a wagon passes over them, will not close the gate. rlhe impulse which would then be imparted to the rod 19 would either move the bloclr 18 only a slight distance or would open theinlet only temporarily-the former admitting `no air to the gate actuating mechanism and the latter admitting only a little air which immediately thereafter escapes when the parts Copies of this patent may be obtained for intenso are restored to the position shown in Fig. 2 by the contractile tendency of the springs Q9. ln other words, it requires a positive and sustained closure of the circuit to close the gate, and this can be accomplished only by bridging the insulated section 24e for some little time, as when an engine or train passes along their length. The bridging is maintained and t-he circuit is kept closed as long as any pair of wheels on the train stands 7ithin the length of the section 24:, and therefore, the gate remainsV closed whatever the length of the train, throughout all the time it is passing or throughout allv the time that any truck thereof may stand on he section 24:, in case the train should stop opposite the highway.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the objects of this invention are achieved, and all the advantageous features above mentioned are, among others, present. rlhe device is of simple construc- -ticn and of few parts, the latter being of a character to operate efficiently without readilyY getting out of order.

The combination with a ynormally open railway gate, and pneumatic means for closing it; of a valve casing having in one side an outlet opening connected with said means, in its other sideran inlet opening opposite the out-let and connected with a source of compressed air and a waste opening out of alinement with the other openings, a valve block slidably mounted in the casing and having near one end a straight inlet port adapted to register simultaneously with said alined openings in its body, a defiected outlet port adapted to register simultaneously with the outlet and waste Openings when the straight port is out of register with both, a solenoid alined with the casing, its core being extended into a rod connected with said block, a collar on said rod, arms on the collar, earson the casing, contractile springs connecting the arms and ears, an insulated section of track, a source of electric energy, and a circuit leading from one rail of said section through such source of energy'and solenoid tothe other rail.

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

HGVARD CARLSLE.

Witnesses i i CLAnnNc/n llnss, Janes EDWARDS.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

"Washington, D. C.

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