US1617054A - Railroad-crossing gate - Google Patents

Description

Feb; S s 19,27. I A 1,617,054

L. HIRSCH RAILROAD cnossme ens med June' 1926 :s Sharia-Sheet 1 L. HIRSCH Feb. 8,-1927. v 1,617,054

RAILROAD cnossma GATE Filed June 14, 1926 l 3 Shets-Sheetz gmmatoz Patented Feb. 8, 1927. i I r LoUIs Russell, on

STATES" a r CZITNCINNATI, OHIO. I

RAILROAD-CROSSING- GATE.

Application filed June 14,

This invention relates to railroad crossing gates and has special reference to a train operated' railroad crossing gate.

One important object ofthe invention is to provide an'improved general construction tion isto provide novel means for releasing the pawl and ratchet mechanism after the train has passed the crossing. p 7

. With the above and other objects in view 1 as will be hereinafter apparent, the inventionconsists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in'the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.

' In the 'accompanyingdrawings like char acters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and: r i

1 Figurel is a plan view of a portion of a railroad track showing the general arrange- V ment, of the gateft-he actuating mechanism,

the pawl' nd ratchet device and the releas therefor; v

' Figure2 is a side elevation of such a portion of the track and disclosing the same .40 i -Figure 1 but showing the gate expanded.

parts as shown in Figure 1.

, Figure 31s a section on the line of Figure2.

Figure 1 is a section on the line 4.-4 of Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 4 with the gate open. 7 Figure 61s a diagram showing the general arrangement of the, mam parts ofthe device at-a crossing, details being omitted.

In. the present illustrat-ion'of the inven tion there is disclosed a sectlon of a railroad track-havlng the usual palr of track railsflO supported on ties 11. But one track is here shown but it will be obvious that the device may be used for a, double track as well. I r

' .The roadway for vehicles is shown 'at- 12 and is indicated as crossing the railroad at right angles although-this invei'ition can be road at any 1926. Seria1i1\To;'115,911.

used with the vehicle road crossing the railangle. 7 It is to be noted that the vehicle road is omitted from all figures but Figure 6 in 0r-v der' to more closely assemble the. workingparts in Figures 1 to 5 as well as to show the device to a large scale. Reference is therefore to be had to Figure' 6 for the proper general positions of the various elements. J y; 1,

We will first consider the train controlled gate actuating means, pass to the gate itself 7' a-nd'then explain the release mechanism by which the parts arep'ermitted to reassume their original positions.

Firmly fixedadjacent the railroad track at one side of the road is a post 13 whereon is pivotally mounted an arm 14 which ex tends towards the track normally at right angles thereto. 'This arm supports a: rec: tangular casing 15 which is also braced to the'post 13 by a brace arm 16 pivoted on said post. This casing is open at the bot-' tom and slidable vertically in the casing is a gravity operated pawlmember 17 which has its downward movement'limited to clear a pair of arcuate ratchet bars 18 whiclinormally are supported in horizontal position on a horizontal frame 19 fixed to the postf13.

These ratchet bars are concentric to the post 13 and' their adjacent'ends are connected byinclined springs 20 to posts 21 fixed to the. frame 19 so that with little eifort these f 90 ratchet bars may be lifted abovetheir normal positions so that they nay be engaged by the pawl 17 upon movement'of the cas-fing 15 about the p0st-13. As will be seen 1 from Figure 3 this casing proiectsover the track in such position as to be engaged by a bumper on a train running on said track.

In order'to lift the ratchet bars there is provided on the inside ofeachrail a cam rail 22 with ends curved away from the adjacent rails. These cam rails are held against the. track rails by coiled springs 23 but yield to move inwardly when the flanges ;of the train wheels move between them and, These cam rails are sup- 'portedon a frame consisting of cross bars the-track rails.

24 and a longitudinal connecting bar 25.

Fixedto the cam rail adjacent the post-13 are tie rods 26 whichhave their free ends 1 each connected to one-[end of a lever v27 which is pivoted intermediate its ends tofthe frame 19, the other-endsof said leversbex ing connected'to the respective ratchet bars oted to the cam rails so that inward movement of the cam rails rotates this ratchet wheel; Mounted on the bar 25 is a pawl 31 which engages the ratchet to hold it from backward rotation and thus hold the cam rails in their inwardly moved position so that the ratchet bars will be kept raised.

Thus when the cam rails are moved inwardly andethe casing swung around by the action of the train the parts will be held in such positions until the pawl 31 is released.

by the action of spring 3 'Extending from the post 13 and in the opposite direction to the arm 14 is an arm 32 to which is connected one end of a wire or cable 33 which normally extends vertically downward to the frame 19 and passes under a guide pulley 34 carried by said frame. Thus whenever the casing is swung the cable will be drawn under the pulley 34 and stress on the cable will tend to restore the casing to its normal position.

Adjacent the side of the roadway 12 is a hollow post 35 wherein is a pair of plates 36 forced apart by a compression spring 37. The upper or" these plates slides ona rod 38 extendin centrally of the post and the upper plate is provided with lugs 39 which project through vertical slots 40 formed on opposite sides of the post. To one of these lugs is attached the cable 33 which passes over suitable guide'pulleys 41 to the foot of the hollow post and then ex tends vertically of the post. The lower plate is fixed and upon the cable being pulled by movement of the swinging arm 32 the upper plate will be drawn downwardly and will be there held so long as the arm '32 is prevented from swinging back to normal posi tion as previously described. When the pawl 17 is released the arm 32 is permitted to swing to normal and is caused to do this 3 7. The plates also have lugs 42, the lug of the upper plate moving in a slot 43 and the lug of the lower plate resting on the bottom of said slot. To

these lugs 42 is connected a lazy'tongs gate 44 of sul'ficient length to extend across the roadway when expanded. The outer or free end of this gate is supported on a roller 4!.

N ow it can be seen that when the'c'asing 15 is swung the gate 44 will be projected across and close the roadway.

The release mechanism comprises a cam rail 46 which is mounted on a frame4'i to normally bear against a track'rail 10, being there heldby springs 48. This cam rail is located across the roadway from the previously described mechanism so that it is only actuated by the train after the latter that the spring 37 assists in restoring the drum 51 and cam rail 46 to normal positions.

If it be desired to operate a second gate across the track from the first gate, a cable 54 may be connected to the cable 34 and extend under the track to such gate. A spr'infg 55 normally holds the pawl 31 engaged with the ratchet wheel 29. V

The operation having been described in detail it is merely necessary to state that a train in its passage strikes the casing 15 and swings it to close the gate. The gate is held closed until the train engages cam rail 46 which causes release of the gate closing mechanism and permits the parts thereof to move to their normal positions.

There has thus been provided a simple and etlicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

' It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, theretore,desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein ShOWnaDtl described, but it"is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed. 3 c

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is; i

1.,A crossing gate operating device including a swinging member normally ex tending into the path of a moving. train, a pawl carried by the swinging member, a ratchet bar over which said pawl'traverses, said ratchet bar being supported "for movement into and out of engagement by the pawl and being normally out or" engagement therewith, train operated means for moving the ratchet bar into engaged position, a

release for the latch mechanism, and anoperativeconnection between the swinging member and a gate. I l

2. A crossing gate operating device including a swinging member normally extending into the path of a moving train, a pawl carried by the swinging member,a ratchet bar .over which said pawl traverses, said ratchet bar being supported for movement into and out of engagement by the pawl and being normally out of ei'igagement therewith, a spring pressed cam bar in the path of the wheels of a train and movable by said wheels against the spring influence, an operative connection between the cam bar and ratchet bar to movethe latter to operative position upon movement of the cam bar by a train, a latch mechanism connected to the cam bar to hold the latter in train moved position, a train operated release for the latch mechanism, and an operative connection between the swinging member and a gate.

3. A crossing gate operating device including a swinging member normally -extending into the path of a moving train, a pawl carried by the swinging member, a ratchet bar over which said pawl traverses, saidratchet bar being supported for movement into and out of engagement by the pawl and being normally out of engagement therewith, a spring pressed cam bar in the path of the wheels of a train and movable by said wheels against the spring influence, an operative connection between the cam bar and ratchet bar to move the latter to operative position upon movement of the cam bar by a train, a ratchet wheel revolubly mounted adjacent the cam bar, a link connected to the cam bar and eccentrically connected to said wheel, a pawl normally engaging the ratchet wheel, a train operated mechanism to move said last pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, and means connected to the swinging member foroperatinga gate.

4. A crossing gate operating device includin g a swinging member normally extending into the path of a moving train, a pawl carried by the swinging member, a ratchet bar over which said pawl traverses, said ratchet bar being supported for movement into and out of engagement by the pawl and being normally out of engagement therewith, a spring pressed cam bar in the path of the wheels of a train and movable by said wheels against the spring influence, an operative connection between the cam bar and ratchet bar to move the latter to operative position upon movement of the cam bar by a train, a ratchet wheel revolubly mounted adjacent the cam bar, a link connected to the cam bar and eccentrically connected to said wheel, a pawl normally engaging the ratchet wheel, a second cam bar remote from the first bar but in the path of said train wheels for movementthereby, spring means yieldingly holding the second cam bar against movement,

ried by the swinging member, a ratchet bar over which said pawl traverses, said ratchet move'the latter to operative position upon movement of the cam bar by a train, a

ratchet wheel revolubly mounted adjacent the cam bar, a link connected to the cam bar and eccentrically connected to said wheel, a pawl normally engaging the ratchet wheel, a second cam bar remote from the first bar but in the path of said train wheels for movement thereby, spring means yieldingly holding the second cam bar against movement, a winding drum operatively connected to the second cam bar, a cable connecting the winding drum and second pawl, and means connected to the swinging member for operating 7 a gate. V

6. A1 crossing gate operating device including a swinging member normally extending into the path of a moving train, a pawl carried by the swinging member, a ratchet bar over which said pawl traverses, said ratchet bar being supported for movement into and out of engagement by the pawl and being normally out of engagement therewith, a spring pressed cam bar in the path of the wheels of a train and movable by said wheels against the spring influence, an operative connection between the cam bar and ratchet a second cam bar remote fromthe first bar but in the path of said train wheels for move ment thereby, spring means yieldingly holding the second cam bar against movement, a winding drum operatively connected to'the second cam bar,a cable connecting the wind ing drum, and second pawl, an arm projecting from the swinging member, a gate post, a stationary plate carried by said gate post, a sliding plate carried by the gate post, a spring urging said plates apart, a lazytongs gatehaving the levers at one end connected to said plates, an arm projecting from the swinging member, and a cable connecting the arm a'nd'the movable plate and arranged to draw the movable plate toward the fixed plate upon movement of the swinging memher from normal position; V

lntestimony whereof I afi'ix' my slgnature LOUIS meson,

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