US2219127A - Highway gate - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 22, 1940. I w J. BUFQRD 2,219,127

HIGHWAY GATE Original Filed July 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3mm .IBQFORD (wan aim/56 M Mummy Oct. 22, 1940. w. J. BUFORD HIGHWAY GATE Original Filed July 26. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m: .7. Bill-"0RD Patented Oct. 22, 1940 PATENT OFFICE HIGHWAY GATE William J. Buford, Houston, Tex.

Application July 26, 1937, Serial No. 155,621 Renewed March 22, 1940 Claims.

The invention relates toa highway gate. which is particularly adaptable for use in protecting railroad crossings and other intersections. The

invention comprehends improvements in the invention of my copending application, Serial No. 142,757, filed May 15, 1937. i

A primary object of thev invention is toprovide a device of the character described that is highly efiicient and is economical to construct and install.

It is also an object to provide a device of the class described which will stop vehicles at a point where the stoppage of such vehicles is essential.

A still further object is to provide a device of the character described which will automatically resist the impact of a vehicle therewith and bring the vehicle to a stop, regardless of its weight or speed.

A further object is to provide a device-which is so constructed thatthe rate of absorption of the impact energy will be progressively increased as the. gate is displaced from its normal position.

A more specific object is to provide a gate wherein a plurality of weights are sequentially lifted when the gate has moved laterally from its normal position, the arrangement and relative sizes of the weights being such that the rate of absorption of the energy of the impact is progressively increased.

A further object is to provide a construction whereby the proper alignment of the cable with the cable sheaves will be maintained when the gate is displaced from its normal position.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the general arrangement of the device of the invention as positioned across the highway.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the support frame of the device of the invention.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views showing details of the clamps between the lifting cables -of the gate.

In Fig. 1 the surface of the roadway is shown at I, vertical supports 2 and 3 being fixed in the subgrade 4 at opposite sides of the roadway. Supports 2 and 3 extend upwardly a sufficient distance that the gate 5, which is movably mounted therebetween, may be elevated to a suflicient ;height to permit the passage of vehicles .over

the roadway I. Frame work 6, 6' are secured to the front and rear of the supports 2 and ii and form a housing within which the gate 5 is vlocated when in open or elevated position. This frame work at the same time provides display areas upon which any desired information may be displayed. Each of the supporting posts '2 and 3 is provided with a cap member l, which is afiixed thereto as by set screws 8, as best seen in Fig. 3. These cap members are interconnected '10 through a cable Sand a turn buckle. lil whereby a unitary and rigid frame work is provided. The rigidity of this frame Work is enhanced and the .frameworkis fixed in position by guy wires H provided with turn buckles l2 so that .ad--" justment thereof may be effected.

To the right-of the roadway as shown inFigs. l and 2, is provided a driving motor it which is adapted to be energized from any suitable source (not shown) to be rotated in either di-il rection inorderto. drive drums ll and Hi through a worm gear, generally. designated at. 28. These v.cables.2l and.22.1arewrappedabout drums l8 .and H, respectively, and hence may be driven thereby because of frictional contact With=the drums. It is. obvious, however, that, if desired, the cables .2I. and .22 may be centrally anchored to their respective drums whereby the possibility of slippage is avoided. Cable 2! passes from drumll to and beneath the sheaves 23, 30 which aresuitably journaled in bearingsZli. In .proximity'to sheaves 23 are shown three spaced supports-.25, which are respectively provided with .a .pair of cable guiding sheaves 38. It is understood that while three supports are shown, this- '35 number. is arbitrary, as any suitable number .may be used whereby the objects of the inven- ;tion are realized.

The invention also comprehends passing of cable 2! over sheaves 23 and downwardly inten suitable weight receiving wells whereby the construction now to be further described will be below the plane of the roadway t. t is also apparent that the driving motor it andits associated elements may be installed at a level be-' lowthe roadway whereby only the gate and its supports extendabove the surface of the roadway.

Supports 25 are .in such spaced relation that weights 3! and 32 may be freely suspended therebetween on the cable 24 which successively passes over the sheaves 30 and beneath the pulleys 33 of the weights' Attention is here directed'to the fact that the weights3l and 32 areof dif- -ferent masses ;in .order thatthe resistance terms impact of the vehicle against the gate 5 will be progressively increased as the gate is displaced from its normal position. As is clearly shown in the drawings, the weights 3| and 32 are made up of sections so that any desired number of weight sections may be added to attain desired relative sizes. Since the weights 3| and 32 are of different sizes it is obvious that the heavier weight will descend and rest upon the ground-surface 35, the other weight being suspended to maintain the cable 22 taut and to initially resist the impact of a vehicle against the gate 5.

From the sheaves 33 on supports cable 2| passes beneath the sheaves 36 and 31. From sheave the cable passes upwardly within the support member 3 to an upper sheave 38 over which the cable passes and thence downwardly to sheave 31, as above pointed out. The portion of the cable between sheaves 31 and 38 passes in front of guiding sheaves 40 and 4|, mounted upon sheave supporting extensions 42 which may be made integral with the support 3 or may be 22 passes about drum l8 and beneath sheaves I9, thence through a suitable conduit or conduits beneath the roadway It to sheaves 23 on the side of the roadway opposite the driving motor i6. Similar parts of this portion of the device are identified by similarly primed reference characters in order that the construction and operation thereof will be apparent from the above description.

Gate 5 is attached to the cables by clamping means which are best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The top clamp 50 has one end secured to the frame 5| of the gate 5 by means of the clamping bolts 52 (see Fig. 4) while the opposite end of the clamp is fixed to the cable by means of clamping bolts 54 and the wing nuts 55. The lower clamp 56 at the end of the gate is clamped to the gate frame in a manner similar to that described in connection with clamp 50. This clamp, however, carries a roller 56 within a loop 58 wherein the pin 59, upon which the roller 51 is rotatably mounted, is so positioned that the cable 2| may move axially relative to the clamp. In this manner the cable between the clamps 50 and 56 will be taut all times. Each end of the gate is connected to its adjacent cable in the manner just described.

In the operation of the device cables 2| and 22 are driven in the proper direction by means of motor It. If, for example, it is desired to lower the gate 5, motor IE will be driven so as to drive the cables 2| and 22 in the direction indicated by the arrows. It is to be understood that suitable means, either manual or automatic, will be provided to terminate the movement of the gate when it reaches the desired position between sheaves 4|), 40 and 4|, 4|. In a similar manner, upwardmovement will be terminated when the gate has reached the upper limit of travel. The associated mechanism may comprise an element of an electric signal system, which is operated by the approach and recession of a train or it may be operated by the entry and exit of a train from a block in which the installation is made. Such system forms no part of the present invention as systems are well known.

When the gate is in closed position it will be assumed that a vehicle comes into contact therewith and the gate is moved transversely from its normal position. The initial impact will be resisted by virtue of the lighter of the weights on the respective cables. These lighter weights will resist the impact with a force which is dependent upon the mass of the weight and the rate of acceleration of the weight by the impact. When these Weights approach a position between adjacent sheaves 30 the tension on the cables will pick up the successively heavier weight and the resistance to impact and hence the deceleration of the vehicle will therefore be increased. It is obvious that the lengths of the cables 2| and 22 will be such that a vehicle will be stopped before the weights have reached their limit of travel.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the device serves to progressively increase the force which brings the vehicle to a stop and hence destructive force to both the device of the innot limited but that such matter lies within the province of the skilled artisan, the preferred embodiment of the invention as described being merely illustrative.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described com-:;-

prising spaced vertical supports on opposite sides of a roadway, a frame construction connecting the tops of said supports to form a housing having display surfaces, spaced guide rollers on each of said vertical supports, an endless cable passing over said guide rollers and having a portion thereof extending downwardly along each of the supports, a gate member between said supports and having each end connected to one of said cables, drum means about which each of said cables is passed to be driven thereby, motor means for driving said drum means, paired cable supporting sheaves in spaced relation between each of the vertical supports and said drum means, and a plurality of weights of differing masses supported on each of said cables between the cable supporting sheaves, whereby the cables are maintained taut and the resistance to impact transversely of the gate will be progressively increased.

2. A device of the character described comprising spaced vertical supports, spaced guide rollers on each of said supports, an endless cable member passing over. the guide rollers on each of said supports, a gate member between said- V rality of weights supported by each of said cables whereby an impact transversely of the gate will be progressively absorbed by the weights.

3. A device of the character described comprising spaced vertical supports, spaced rollers on each of said supports, an endless cable passing over the rollers on each of said supports, a gate member between said supports and connected to said cables, drum means about which each of said cables passes whereby the cables may be driven thereby, means for driving said drum means to raise and lower said gate, and a plurality of weights of different masses sheaved upon said cables between the supports and drum means whereby resistance to displacement of the gate by impact therewith will be progressively increased.

4. A device of the character described comprising in combination a gate member, an endless cable connected to the gate at each end,

means for driving said cables whereby the gate may be raised or lowered, and means intermediate said support posts and the last mentioned means for applying a progressively increasing force to each flight of the cables as the gate is displaced transversely from its normal position.

5. A device of the character described comprising in combination spaced vertical supports, a gate member between said supports, a cable member connected to said gate at each end, means on said supports for guiding said cables, drum means about which said cables are directed, motor means for driving the drum means to raise and lower said gate, and weight members of different masses upon each of said cables to progressively resist movement of the gate transversely of the plane of the vertical supports. WILLIAM J. BUFORD.

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