US1580777A - Railway safety crossing - Google Patents

Description

13 mas 1,580,777 C. BENTZ RAILWAY SAFETY CROSSING Filed Sept. 28, 1925 Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES CHARLES BEN'IZ, OF ST. MARYS, OHIO.

RAILWAY SAFETY CROSSING.

Application filed September 28, 1925. Serial No. 59,021.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHAuLns BENTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Marys, in the county of Auglaize and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Safety Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is directed to improvements in railway safety crossings.

The prin'iary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character constructed and arranged in such manner that drivers of automobiles or other vehicles approaching the crossing will be compelled to reduce their speed to a material degree before passing over the crossing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character so constructed that the driver will not only be compelled to diminish his speed upon approaching the crossing, but will be compelled to look to the right and left during the approach to observe whether or not a train is approaching the crossing in either direction, thus giving the driver ample time to stop, in case a train is coming, or to cross safely.

With these and other objects in view, this invention resides in the novel features of construction, formation, combination and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1 Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a main roadway, which is intersected by a railway crossing 2. It will be observed that the roadway is widened to an appreciable extent upon opposite sides of the crossing to accommodate the curved portions of the abutments 3.

These abutments are preferably formed from cement and include comparatively low walls 4:, but of sufficient height to stop a car should the abutments be disregarded.

The abutmcnts include straight sections 5 and curved sections 6, the former being in alinement and occupy the center of the roadway 1, while the curved sections extend'laterally into the widened sections of the roadway and are disposed upon opposite sides of the center line of said roadway and consequently are disposed diagonally with respect to each other.

Owing to the presence of the curved sections 6 in the widened sections, curved roadways 7 are provided upon opposite sides of the crossing and have to be travelled before the crossing is reached. The roadway 1 as well as the roadways 7 may be bound by curbings, 8 and 9, respectively, if deemed desirable.

It will be observed that as soon as a car passes upon the roadways 7 the speed thereof will have to be materially reduced owing to the curvature of the section 6 of the abutment, and as the car reaches the sections A, which are comparatively straight, the driver is in a position to observe if a train is approaching the crossing from the right. Further travel upon the roadway 7 will bring the car to section B, also comparatively straight, and when at this point the driver can observe if a train is approaching from the left. As soon as the car has passed from the roadways 7 the main roadway is gained and may pass over the crossing with safety.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a main roadway, of a railway crossing intersecting the same, abutments disposed upon opposite sides of the crossing and having straight wall sections located centrally of the main roadway and disposed in direct alinement with each other, curved wall sections connected with the straight wall sections and extend ing laterally therefrom and defining diagonally disposed curved roadways: having unobstructed communication with the main roadway upon opposite sides of the crossing said curved wall sections having comparatively straight sections upon opposite sides, whereby drivers travelling the curved roadways will have their lines of vision directed parallel with the crossing upon both sides of the curved wall sections.

In testimony whereof I afi'ix my signature.

CHARLES BENTZ.

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