US1443226A - Railroad-crossing signal gate - Google Patents

Description

Mn, 23, W23,

L. L. LAWLESS, RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL GATE.

FILED SEPT. 3. 1921.

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L L LAWLESS RAI LROAD CROSS-INC; SIGNAL GATE.

FILED SEPT. 3. 1921 4 Patented darn Eli, ilhiiv'zifl LOU L. LAWLESS, OF TOMAHAWK, WISCONSIN.

. EAILBOAJWCROSSING SIGNAL GATE.

Application filed September 3; 1921. Serial no. 498,205.

To all whom it may concern: i y

Be it known that I, LOU L; LAivLnss, a citizen of the United States residing at Tomahawk in the county at Lincoln and State orwisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad- Crossing Sig'nal Gates, of which the fol lowing is specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

It is the purpose o f the present invention or semaphore arm may be operated, so as to lowera gate signal on one side of the road Where it can be seen by a chauii'eur of an a'ut'omobll'e Still another purpose is the proyision of a trip for actuating the gate signai when the trai'nkis going in one direction, and when the train is travellingiu the opposite direction th ment with the Wheels.

as m n i Vhile the design and construct'imi at prescnt illustrated and set forth are deemed preferable, it isobvious that as a result of a reduction ofthe invention to a more practiear form for commercial purposes, the invention may be susceptible of changes, and the night to these changes is claii'ued provided they are comprehended Within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination ofparts as sin behereina ter set for-tin shown in the drawings and 11 1 the drawings? y Figure 1 is a plan View of the improved signal an? rossing gate constructed in accordance nth the invention and showing the same applied to a railroad track; Figure 2 is a View in side elevation of the saihe, showingthe pneumatic cylinders in a -matin wheels;

section the signal gate lowered;

F1gure 8 is an enlarged plan VlCW of the trlpito be operated by the car of Figure 3; y

will move from one side by engage Figure 4; is a View in side elevation of the trip shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 isa sectional View online 5-5 Figure Gisa section-a vieiiv of the release Valve 47 and p Figure 7 is a diagrammatic plan View of the crossing signal gate as applied to the Side of a track, Where a single track may be used, showing an actuating devlce for the signal gate in a position on either side of the crossing, approaching the same from either direction. Referring to the drawings; 1 designatesa track, and 2 the ties thereof, and 3 and 4 are uprights, which are mounted upon certain of the ties of the track. y

Secured to the upright 3 by means of suitable supports 5 is a pneumaticcylinder or pump 6, which includes a suitable piston 7 therein provided with a leather Washer 8, for Wiping against the Walls of the cylinder. The piston 7 is carried by a piston rod 9 which operates through oneend of the cylinder 6. It is obvious that the cylinder 6 may be disposed so that it may operate in an upright or horizontal position.

Mounted in suitable bearings 10 01. one of the ties is a crank shaft 11, one arm 12 of \vi aich is plVUtttllV connected by means of a pin 13, which engages throilgzh a slotin the end. o'l the bolt, and disposed between the plate 17 and. the trip is heavy ooilspring l9. flfheseplatesl? and 18 have interengag ing arcuate facesEOQ there being a nut 5T1 threaded upon the belt, for increasing or decreasing the tension of the spring. One end of thetrip has an elongated.- openin or slot 22, through which a bolt 23 engages, 'llhis bolt also engages through one of the rail and tlueaded to one end of the bolt is a nut seat n -(1 t a shoulder 25, wheretl'ie reduced end of the bolt connects with the body of the bolt. By means otthis bolt the trip is limited in its movement. The trip at one end. beveled of? at 26, and has its upper face lined downwardly toward the hall of the rail, so that'a trainalpproaching ni the direction at the airrotir a, will cause the the arrow Z), the tread of the wheels will .rivesat the crossing.

ride against the inclined surface 27 and move the trip late ally thereby not affecting the crank shaft- However when the train is moving in the direction of the arrow at, the tread. of the wheels will ride upon the trip and thereby rock the crank shaft 11, causing the piston 7 to move in its cylinder against the action of the spring 29,.there .fore forcing air througl'i. the pipe iO into the pneumatic cylinder Mounted in the cylinder 31 is. a piston 32 which comprises a body 33, a follower plate 3 and the usual leather 35, there being an expanding spring 36 for the leather, to prevent the escape of air under pressure into the space above the piston. The cylinder -31 is mounted upon the support l, which rises from one of the ties of the track, and carried by the piston is a piston rod 38. A linkilt) is connected to the rod 38, and in turn to a rocking gate or semaphore arm 40 as at 41. The arm or lever 4:0 is pivotally mounted at 12 on the support l. The shorter end of the gate arm carries a weight 43, while a suitable signal M is pivotally mounted at 4-5 on the longer end of the gate arm. This signal when lowered is designto be in a position so as to be readily seen or observed by the driver or chauffeur of a vehicle, when approaching the railroad crossing, when the apparatus has been 0perated by a tram for lowering the signal. The pipe 30 18 provided with a conventional form of check valve tb, to prevent. the presole from reaching and attempting to cross the traclrbefore or at thetime the train ar- The pipe 30 is provided with. a suitahlerelease. valve 47. there being an actuating arm 47 connected-to the stem of the release valve.

so as to be engagedby the car wheels. for the purpose of releasing the air and allowing the piston 32 torestore to its normal position, and raise the signal to its initial position, just immediately before or at the time The semaphore arm has a contact 48 to engage a contact 49. The contacts 48 and t9 are in circuit with a suitable bell 50, a lamp 5]. and battery 52, by virtue of the wires 53, so that when the semaphore arm is tilted to lower the signal the bell will be actuated,

and the lamp lighted so as to notify the chauil'eur or driver of an approaching vehicle when a train is approaching the crossing. The lamp 51 may be located any suitable place. preferably on the gate arm 40. While the signal 4 f is of the form shown in the drawings, it is obvious that any form of signal may be employed. Vi hile compressed air is used for actuating the pistons in the cylinder 31., it is obvious that vacuum may be. employed for perforn'iing the same function. In this case, the arrangement of parts may be changed.

The signal 44- is provided with a suitable mirror a l, upon which the light rays from the headlight of an automobile may be refiected from either side of the crossing.

It will be noted that Figure 7 discloses a diagrammatic arrangement of the pneumatic actuating means, so that the crossing signal gate may be actuated when a train is approaching the crossing from either direction. For this reason it is necessary that the trip be constructed in order that it may be deflected. from the side of the rail, after a train has passed the crossing going in either direction. For instance when a train is approaching the crossin in the lire .-ti u'i of the arrow 0 in l igure t. the trip is actuated thereby causing the piston in the pneumatic vlinder 6 to force air through the pipe 330. so as to actuate the piston in the cylinder 31. and when the train reaches the arm or lever 47. the flanges of the car wheel will engage with the arm 4-7 and open the release valve 4-7. lVhen the train reaches the trip '15 on the other side of the crossing, the trip will be deflected from the side of the rail, thareby preventing the piston of the cylinder on the opposite side of the crossing from being actuated. in view of the track in. Figure 7 being -zingle, a train passing in the opposite direction \x'ill likewise operate the si 'nal gate.

The ention havin been set birth. What.

laimed being 11. .iul is:

l. The conibin 'on with a railroad C1.(l inc". of a signal arm prnridci'l with a signal to assume afposition at the crossing. wlurohy it may be observed by the driver of the vohicle when the arm is tilted, a crank shal't. arranged adjacent the side of the railroad track, :1 car wheel actuated trip for engaging with one arm of the crank shaft [or rocking the same. said trip having a raised portion at a point between its ends protruding above the surface of the rail, the upper surface of the trip being beveled in opposite directions from the raised portion toward Ell) the opposite ends of the trip, whereby the car wheels may depress one end of the trip, yieldable means for holding the trip adjacent the side of the ad, the inner portion of the trip adjacent the rail. having an elongated cut away portion ofright angle in cross section, one wall of said cut away portion being inclinedtoward the rail, whereby the car wheels may engage therewith and cause movement of the trip away from the side of the rail without depressing the same, and means operatively connecting the crank shaft and the arm for tilting the same to lower the signal.

2. The combination with a railroad cross ing, of a signal arm provided with a signal toassume a lowered position at the crossing when the arm is tilted, a pivot projecting lat'erally from the side of the rail, a triploosely mounted on the pivot adjacent the side of the rail, means on the pivot to bear against the trip and hold it flat against the side of the rail, a guide on the side of the rail upon which the trip is loosely guided, a member to be actuated by the trip when actuated by the car wheels, and being operatively connected with the arm for tilting it and lowering the signal at the crossinggthe inner side portion of the trip having a bevel inclined toward the side of the rail against which the car wheels cam, to force the trip outwardly against the action of the means on the pivot when the car wheels are travelling;- in one direction.

3. The combination with a railroad crossing, of a signal arm provided with a signal to assume a lowered position at the crossing when the arm is tilted, a lateral pivot carried by the side of the rail, a trip loosely mounted upon the pivot and lying; adjacent the side of the rail, yieldable means on the pivot bearing against and holding the trip in position, means at one end of the trip for loosely guiding the trip when depressed, said trip being raised above the surface of the rail whereby the car wheels may depress the same when moving in one direction, .lneans actuated by the trip when depressed and being}? operatively connected with the arm for tilting the same and lowering" the signal at the crossing,

41, The combination with railroad crossto assume lowered position at the area when the arm tilted, a lateral pivot car ried by the side of the a trip loosely mounted u 30;] the iiivot and lvin adfacent the signal arm provided with a si all,

said trip being raised above the surface of the rail whereby the car wheels may depress the same when moving in one direction, means actuated by the trip when depressed and being operatively connected with the arm for tilting the same and lowering the signal at the crossing, said trip having means to be engaged by the car wheels when moving in the opposite direction to force the trip laterally against its holding means. i i

5. lhe combination with a railroad crossing, of a signal arm provided with a signal to assume a lowered position at the crossing when the arm is tilted, a lateral pivot carried by the side of the rail, a trip loosely mounted upon the pivot and lying adjacent theside of the rail, yieldable means on the pivot bearing against andholding the trip in position. means at one end of the trip for loosely guiding the trip when depressed, said trip being raised above the surface of the rail whereby the car wheels may depress the same when moving in one direction, means actuated by the trip when depressed and being pneumatically connected with the arm. for tilting the same and lowering the signal at the crossing, said trip having means to be engaged by the car wheels when moving; in the opposite direction to force trip laterally against its holding means, and means actuated. by the car wheels for releasing the pressure of the pneumatic means, to permit the arm to restore to, its initial position and raise the signal.

(3. As an article of manufacture, a track trip for actuating a signal arm, comprising; a crank shaft arranged adjacent the side of a railroad track and )rovide :l with a crank arm, a car wheel actuated trip for engaging said arm for rocking; the shaft, raid trip having a recessed portion at a pointbetween its ends protruding above the surface of the rail, the upper surface of the trip being beveled in the opposite directions from the raised portion toward the opposite ends of the trip, whereby the car wheels may depress one end of the trip, yieldable means for holding the trip adjacent the side of the rail, the innerportion of the trip adjacent the .rail having rabbet, the perpendicular wall of the abbet being inclined toward the side of the ball of the rail, whereby the car wheels ma engage therewith and cause movement of the trip away from the side o l therail withoiuv depressinn the same, and means connecting; the crault shaft and the sin'nal arm,

in testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my si gmaturc.

LOU L. LAW LESS.

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