IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING GATES FOR COMMON ROADS AND RAILROADS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Walton, of Denton, in the County of Lancaster,
Card Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING
GATES FOR COMMON ROADS AND RAILROADS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Walton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th December 1876.
WILLIAM WALTON, of Denton, in the County of Lancaster, Card Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING GATES FOR COMMON ROADS AND RAILROADS."
My improved self-acting gate is connected to a column supported above and below
in fixed bearings; the gate is counterbalanced by a weighted arm fixed to the
column, to which column is also fixed a lever; to the end of this lever is attached a
cord or chain passing over guide pulleys, and to one end of the cord or chain is attached
a dead weight, while to the other end is attached a vessel containing a valve opening
inwards. Above this vessel is a cistern containing water or a water pipe, and below
is another cistern or a drain.
In the gate post is a spring catch, and at the outer edge of the gate is a plate
with the slot in which the catch enters. The spring catch is connected by wires or
other equivalents with the releasing levers placed at a certain distance from the
gate under the road or rails.
When a carriage in passing over, depresses one of the levers, the catch is released
from its retaining slot, and the weighted lever fixed to the column of the gate is
then acted upon by the dead weight suspended to one end of the chain, and opens
the gate. The descent of the dead weight raises the vessel at the other end of the
chain, and this vessel when up opens a tap to admit water into the vessel; while
this vessel is filling, the carriage has time to clear the gate, which is then closed by
the descent of the vessel full of water, and as soon as the gate swings to, the
retaining slot is connected to the spring catch, thereby holding the gate closed.
When the vessel is down the spindle of the valve strikes against a stop to open the
valve, thereby allowing the water to run out of the vessel. The parts then
regain their original positions ready to be acted upon by the next carriage passing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Walton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th June
1877.
WILLIAM WALTON, of Denton, in the County of Lancaster, Card Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING GATES FOR COMMON ROADS AND RAILROADS."
My Invention consists in an improved arrangement of balance weights, one of
which is increased and reduced in power by the inlet and outlet of water, which
weights, combined with other mechanism, render the gates self acting on the
approach of a carriage in either direction.
And in order that the Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried
into operation, I will proceed to described the accompanying Sheet Drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front view, Fig. 2 an edge view, and Fig. 3 a plan of a common
gate to which my improved self-acting mechanism for opening and closing it is
applied.
a is the gate post to which one hinge of the gate b is attached; the heel bar or
back bar of the gate swivels below in a foot step or bearing, and above in a hinge
projecting from the gate post a; and c is the outer gate post. To the heel bar of
the gate b, and by preference below the level of the road, is fixed the disc d, or a
double lever would answer the same purpose; to this disc is fixed the middle of the
cord or chain e, to one end of which is suspended the dead weight f, and to the other
end is attached the vessel g, at the lower end of which is the discharge valve g¹.
In the vessel g is a float g, the object of which will be explained hereafter. Above
the vessel g is the water pipe h, with the tap h¹, and movable spout h³; all these
parts may be contained in a cast-iron or other chamber which is provided with a lid
to give access to the mechanism. Above the float g is the hook i, by which the
gate is held when open. To the outer gate post c is hinged the catch j, the project-
ing end of which passes into the catch plate, see Fig. 4, and to the gate bis jointed
the latch k, which also fits in the catch plate. The catch j is connected by wires A
or other equivalents with the releasing levers 7, which are placed at each side of
the gate, and at a certain distance from it. The releasing levers 7 are supported on
trunnions, and their upper surfaces are about level with the road.
The modo of operation is as follows, and the Drawing shews the parts in the
positions they occupy when the gate is closed:-The dead weight f is now up, and
the vessel g is down and empty. As soon as a carriage, approaching the gate,
passes over one of the releasing levers 1, the lever swivels on its trunnions and
deflects the corresponding wire ; this deflection of the wire releases the latch k
from the catch plate j', and the gate being now at liberty will be gradually opened
by the descent of the dead weight f. As this weight descends, the vessel g being
empty and light, rises, and in rising it lifts the spout 2 to open the tap h¹. When
the vessel g is up, the gate will be full open, and will be caught by the hook i to
allow the carriage to pass; the water being turned on by the lifting of the vessel g,
continues to flow into the vessel g until the vessel is nearly full, the float g³ then
rises, and the rod connected to it lifts one end of the book to release the gate; at
this time the vessel g, with the water in it overcomes the dead weight f, and in
descending closes the gate; as soon as the gate is closed, the latch drops into the
retaining notch in the catch plate j', and when the vessel g is down, the spindle of
the valve g¹ comes against the bottom of the chamber to open the valve and allow
the water to run off, this leaves all the parts in the proper positions for acting again
on the approach of another carriage from either direction.
Fig. 5 represents a modification of my Invention; in this case I have shewn an
ordinary double gate with my improved self-acting apparatus; the heel bars or back
bars of the gates b are connected by an endless chain or band m passing round
pulleys n, and to one of the said bars is fixed a disc d with chain e and parts con-
nected thereto, as before described. By this means, when one side of the gato is
opened, the other side is also opened to the same extent, but in the opposite

page_text: direction, consequently in windy weather the pressure of the wind in one direction
on one side of the gate is counterbalanced by an equal pressure in the opposite
direction on the other side of the gate.
In this arrangement the retaining catch j' must be made to act on the under sido
of the two parts of the gate, and it is connected to an upper catch, as shown in the
Drawing.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First. The improved combination of self-acting machinery for opening and
closing gates, shewn and described in reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4.
And, Secondly. The improved self-acting double gate, as shewn and described in
reference to Fig. 5.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Walton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-seven.
WILLIAM WALTON. (L.S.)