Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Closing Barriers or Gates on Railways and in Signalling Mechanism for use in combination therewith.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 16th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 28th Jan.,
1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Closing Barriers or
Gates on Railways and in Signalling Mechanism for use in
combination therewith.
We, JOHANN MIKSIEWICZ, Retired Pointsman, and Dr. ISIDOR FALK, Advocate,
both of 10, Sobieskygasse, Stanislaw, Galicie, in the Empire of Austria, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for opening and closing
barriers or gates on railways which operate in combination with the ringing of
bells or the like so that the complete closing of the said barriers or gates ran
only take place after the bells or other indicating devices have ceased working.
The said bells serve as an alarm for passers by and are arranged to occupy a
prescribed time in operating which it is desired should precede the passage of a
train and the closing of the gates.
1
With this arrangement- the operator or the pointsman must wait until the.
bells have ceased working before he is able to close the gates.
The bells or other indicating devices are operated by a weight which is wound
up or raised automatically by the closing of the gates and which works in com-
bination with a pointer which by its position on a graduated scale stationed at
the side of the permanent way clearly indicates the position of the gates.
According to this invention to the lower part of each gate or barrier the ends
of two chains cords or lines are connected I will refer to them as lines one being
The said
used for closing the said barrier and the other for opening the same.
lines are conducted by guide pulleys and at their other ends are secured reversely
on a winding shaft which can be rotated by the pointsman, so that when the
said shaft is caused to revolve one of the lines is unrolled from the said shaft.
while the other is wound up thereon.
The line for closing the gate passes round a pulley which is loose on its axle
and is made fast with a loose wheel mounted on the same axle and capable of
being connected up with a ratchet wheel made in one with a chain wheel which
is also loose on the said axle so that if the loose wheel be connected to the ratchet
wheel the chain wheel will also be put in gear while the latter will revolve
alone with the ratchet wheel as soon as the parts are thrown out of gear or dis-
connected from each other.
A weight is connected to a chain which passes over the chain wheel and a drum
operating the sounding device, which weight when elevated or upon coming into
contact with the bottom of the box containing the sounding mechanism prevents
the barriers being closed while in its descent it rotates the drum and so sets in
operation the sounding device by causing hammers to strike on gongs or bells.
These latter are worked by a clock-work movement of the ordinary kind by
means of the aforesaid weight which is released by operating a disengaging
lacor

page_text: To make and break the connection between the aforesaid loose wheel and the
ratchet wheel a pawl is provided mounted on the loose wheel one end of which
projects beyond the felloe of the said wheel while the other end is provided with
a spring tooth and so kept normally against the ratchet wheel, thus locking them
together, a strap with a spring is..arranged above the aforesaid projecting end
of the pawl; the free end of this strap is connected to two lines one of which
lines is connected to the aforesaid disengaging lever of the sounding mechanism
and the other to the lower end of a vertical lever carried on the arm of an
upright. at the side of the permanent way the upper end of which lever passes
through one of the arms of a horizontal lever mounted on another arm of the
aforesaid upright. The line used for opening the gates or barriers passes through
the other arm of the horizontal lever and is provided with a stop which comes
in contact with the said lever when the gates or barriers are open. If the said
line be wound upon the winding shaft the vertical lever is also operated so that
its lower end is moved. The draw line connected thereto is thus put in tension
and brings the spring strap against the projecting end of the aforesaid pawl so
that the tooth at its other end is released from the ratchet wheel and the latter
consequently ceases to be engaged with the loose wheel. At the same time the
spring strap draws its other line connected to it downwards, and so operates the
lever which releases the weight. The latter falls and in so doing operates the
sounding mechanism, the chain wheel and the loose wheel remain disengaged
and the winding mechanism free.
The weight in its lowest position strikes against an electric contact and closes
a circuit in which is an electric bell preferably situated in the house or cabin
of the pointsman: so that the operator is warned when the weight has com-
pleted its downward movement. When this has taken place the barriers can be
closed.
To effect this the winding shaft is rotated in a direction to wind in the line
which closes the gates: the opening line is moved in a contrary direction and the
stop thereon recedes from the aforesaid levers mounted on the permanent way
which being then returned to their first position by the action of the spring on the
strap at the same time the strap releases the pawl, the tooth of which at once
engages in the ratchet wheel which thus brings the chain wheel into gear, so
permitting the weight to be drawn up by means of its chain.
When the gates or barriers are reopened the ratchet and chain wheels do not
revolve with the pulley as during the rotation of the said pulley in a direction
opposite to that to effect the opening the tooth of the pawl rides over the teeth
of the ratchet wheel without engaging in the same.
The shaft on which the closing and opening lines are wound is set in a frame
which is preferably situated in or near to the pointsman's house or cabin; on
the said shaft is a toothed wheel engaging in a smaller toothed wheel mounted on
a shaft which can be rotated in either direction by a crank handle.
To prevent the winding shaft being rotated at a wrong time a disc provided
with holes on its periphery is fixed on the frame into which holes a pin can be
inserted preventing the crank being rotated, or ratchet wheels may be arranged
on the crank shaft with teeth inclined in opposite directions to each other and in.
which spring pawls can engage, which can be removed from contact with the
wheels by hand levers when it is desired to rotate the shaft.
For indicating the position of the gates or barriers to the pointsman, a
divided upright is employed arranged near the frame supporting the winding
shaft and the opening and closing lines are passed through the two parts forming
the said upright the said lines are provided with stops, which can strike against
the upright for indicating whether the barriers are open or shut. One part of
the divided upright is mounted on a hinge, so that it can turn back a spring,
returning the said part to its normal position in which it is retained by means of
a strap pivoted to the stationary part.
Every movement of the barrier is transmitted in the usual manner. by cords or

page_text: chains passing over pullies to the barrier opposite and the bars as well as the
pullies may be covered in.
.
The descent of the weight can be utilized apart from operating the hammers
of the sounding device or alarm for working visible signals; for example a disc.
or a lantern. Such a signal may be carried by a spring lever which turns on
a shaft, to which a rocking movement is imparted by means of pins on a disc,
worked by the aforesaid clockwork mechanism in coming into contact with the
lever carrying the disc or other visible signal.
Dated the 16th day of February 1898.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Closing Barriers or
Gates on Railways and in Signalling Mechanism for use in
combination therewith.
We, JOHANN MIKSIEWICZ, Retired Pointsman, and Dr. ISIDOR FALK, Advocate,
both of 10, Sobieskygasse, Stanislaw, Galicie, in the Empire of Austria, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for opening and closing
barriers or gates on railways which operate in combination with the ringing of
bells or the like so that the complete closing of the said barriers or gates can
only take place after the bells or other indicating devices have ceased working.
The said bells serve as an alarm for passers by and are arranged to occupy a
prescribed time in operating which it is desired should precede the passage of a
train and the closing of the gates.
With this arrangement the operator or pointsman must wait until the
bells have ceased working before he is able to close the gates.
The bells or other indicating devices are operated by a weight which is wound
up or raised automatically by the closing of the gates and which works in com-
bination with a pointer which by its position on a graduated scale stationed at
the side of the permanent way clearly indicates the position of the gates.
We will describe this invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which Figure 1 shews the apparatus in side view partly in section.
Figure 2 is a part plan and Figure 3 is a rear view of the part of the apparatus
operated by the pointsman. Figure 4 shews diagrammatically the connection
between the sounding device or bells and the mechanism for closing the gates
or barriers. Figure 5 shews a part of the apparatus in end elevation; Figure 6
is a front view partly in section of the sounding device and parts connected
thereto and Figure 7 shews in external view a portion of the box enclosing the
sounding device graduated with a scale and provided with an optical signal
operated similarly to the bell hammers of the sounding device so as to visibly
indicate the approach of a train apart from the sound of the same.
To the rear part of each gate or barrier A, the ends of two chains cords or
lines a and b are connected, we will refer to them as lines, the former for closing
the said barrier and the latter for opening the same. The other ends of the said
lines a and b are secured reversely on a winding shaft B which can be rotated
by the pointsman, so that when the said shaft is caused to revolve one of the
lines is unwound from the said shaft while the other is wound up thereon.

page_text: The line b for opening a gate or barrier A passes down from the rear end
thereof round pulley band over rollers 62 (Fig. 2) to the winding shaft B. The
other line a for closing also starting from the lower end of the said gate or barrier
first round a pulley C and under a second pulley d and thence round
Pullers af and pulleys a² to the shaft B.
The pulley d is loose on its axle g and is made fast with a loose wheel h mounted
on the same axle and capable of being connected up with a ratchet wheel i made
in one with a chain wheel which is also loose on the said axle g so that if the
loose wheel h be connected to the ratchet wheel the chain wheel k will also be
put in gear while the latter will revolve alone with the ratchet wheel as soon as
the parts are thrown out of gear or disconnected from each other.
A weight C is connected to a chain which passes round the chain wheel k
and a drum m operating the sounding device; which weight when elevated comes
into contact with the bottom n of the box containing the sounding mechanism.
When in this position the barriers cannot be closed because the chain locks the
chain wheel and consequently the pulley d thus prevents the line a being
moved. The slipping of the line a over the pulley is prevented by the fact
of the rollers a¹ (Fig. 4) being at right angles to each other. With the descent
of the weight the drum m is moved and so sets in operation the sounding device
These latter are
by causing hammers g g² to strike on gongs or bells G¹ G³.
worked by a clockwork movement of the ordinary kind, by means of the afore-
said weight C which is released by operating a disengaging lever o.
To make and break the connection between the aforesaid loose wheel h and the
ratchet wheel i a pawl p is provided mounted on the wheel h one end of which
projects beyond the felloe of the said wheel while the other end is provided
with a spring tooth p¹ held normally by a spring p² against the ratchet wheel i,
thus locking the two wheels h and i together; a strap q with a spring is arranged
above the aforesaid projecting end of the pawl p, the free end of which is con-
nected to two lines and s (Figures 1 and 4) one of which lines r is connected to
the aforesaid disengaging lever o of the sounding mechanism and the others to
the lower end of a vertical lever D carried on the arm of an upright the upper
end of which lever passes through one of the arms of a horizontal lever D' mounted
on another arm of the aforesaid upright t. The line 6 used for opening the gate
or barrier passes through the other arm of the lever D¹ and is provided with a
stop 63 which comes in contact with the said lever D¹ when the gate or barrier
is open.
If the said line 6 be wound upon the winding shaft B that is to say
if the line be drawn towards the right it operates the levers D and D¹ so that
the lower end of the lever D is moved to the right. The draw line's connected
thereto is thus put in tension and brings the spring strap q against the project-
ing end of the aforesaid pawl p so that the tooth 2 is released from the ratchet
wheel and the latter consequently ceases to be engaged with the wheel h.
the same time the strap q draws its other liner downwards and so operates the
lever o which releases the weight C. The latter falls and in so doing operates the
sounding mechanism the chain wheel k and the loose wheel h remaining dis-
engaged and the winding mechanism free.
At
The weight in its lowest position strikes against an electric contact f (Figure 6)
and closes a circuit in which is an electric bell preferably situated in the house
or cabin of the pointsman; so that the operator is warned when the weight C
has completed its downward movement. When this has taken place the barrier
can be closed. To effect this the winding shaft B is rotated in a direction to
wind in the line a, the line is moved in a contrary direction and the stop 63
thereon recedes from the levers D D¹ which are then returned to their first posi-
tion by the action of the spring on the strap 7, at the same time the strap 7
releases the pawl p the tooth p¹ of which at once engages in the ratchet wheel i
which thus brings the chain wheel into gear so permitting the weight C to be
drawn up by means of its chain l.
When the gate or barrier is reopened the ratchet and chain wheels i and k do

page_text: not revolve with the pulley d as during the rotation of the said pulley d in a
direction opposite to that to effect the opening, the tooth p¹ of the pawl p rides
over the teeth of the ratchet wheel i without engaging in the same.
The shaft B on which the lines a and b are wound is set in a frame u which
is preferably situated in or near to the pointsmans house or cabin; on the
shaft B is a toothed wheel engaging in a smaller toothed wheel v¹ mounted on a
shaft w which can be rotated in either direction by a crank handle K.
To prevent the shaft B being rotated inadvertently a disc w provided with
holes on its periphery is fixed on the frame, into which holes a pin w¹ can be
inserted preventing the crank being rotated, or ratchet wheels w2w3 may be
arranged on the crank shaft w with teeth inclined in opposite directions to each
other and in which spring pawls can engage, which can be removed from
contact with the wheels by hand levers z¹ when it is desired to rotate the shaft.
For indicating the position of the gates or barriers to the pointsman a divided
upright yy is employed, arranged near the frame u and the lines a. and b are
passed through the two parts y and y¹ thereof; the said lines are provided with
stops which can strike against the uprights and so indicate whether the
barriers are open or shut. One part y¹ of the divided upright is mounted on a
hinge so that it can turn back a spring y³ returning the said part y¹ to its
normal position in which it is retained by means of a strap y pivoted to the
stationary part y.
Every movement of the barrier A is transmitted in the usual manner by cords or
chains passing over pulleys to a barrier opposite when a double barrier is used.
The levers D D¹ as well as the pulleys may be covered in or protected by any suit-
able means.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows supposing the barriers or gates to
be open.
The weight C will be close to the underside n of the box and the pointer will
indicate zero. The stop 2 is in contact with the part y¹ of the divided upright the
stop is somewhat displaced and the stop 63 of the line b touches the lever D¹.
As soon as the pointsman receives a signal to close the barriers or after a fixed
interval of time he turns the strap y on the divided upright upwards and after
disengaging the crank handle he turns the crank K slightly so that the loose
party of the upright is caused to rock towards the shaft B by the aforesaid
stop the stop 63 on the line 6 then turns the lever D' the latter moving the
lower end of the lever 1 to the right so that the lines r and s are drawn into
tension while both the wheels h and i and the weight C are thereby released; the
weight in its downward movement starts the sounding device and in order to
close the barriers the operator must wait until the weight has finished its descent
that is until the gear of the sounding device ceases working, in the contrary case
he would not be able to completely close the barriers as the weight C would come
too soon against the bottom n of the box and so stop the movement of the line a.
The ringing of the electric bells indicates when the sounding or alarm device has
stopped working: the pointsman then turns the crank handle in an opposite
direction and so closes the barriers while simultaneously raising the weight C
until the stop on the line a comes in contact with the fixed part y of the divided
upright, he then replaces the strap y over the two parts of the divided upright
which is thus held together.
After the train has passed the operator opens the barriers by turning the crank
handle in the required direction until the stop ¹ on the line b comes against the
moveable part of the upright; the various parts of the apparatus are then in
their normal position.
The descent of the weight can be utilized apart from operating the hammers
of the sounding device or alarm, for working visible signals, for example a disc S
or a lantern. Such a signal may be carried by a spring lever s¹ which turns on
a shaft to which a rocking movement is imparted by means of pins on a disc t¹,

page_text: 'worked by the aforesaid clockwork mechanism coming into contact with the
lever carrying the disc or other visible signal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said 'in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
:
1. An arrangement for opening and closing barriers or gates on railways
characterized by two lines ab fixed at one of their ends to the barrier A and at
their other ends to the opposite sides of the rotatable shaft B, the line a, serving
to close the barrier passing round the pulley d which during its rotation, corre-
sponding to the closing of the barrier, is locked with a chain wheel k over which
passes a chain 7 which runs over a second chain wheel m of a sounding device or
alarm carrying a weight C with a limited upward movement and which operates
the said sounding device or alarm during its descent, whilst the line 6 serving
to open the barrier engages after the said opening a lever D' which then effects
the release of the pulley d and the chain wheel k on the one hand and of the
sounding device on the other hand for the purpose of preventing the complete
closing of the barriers until the sounding device has stopped and the weight has
reached the bottom of its course.
2. In combination with the subject matter of the previous claiming clause the
wheel h fast with the pulley d the pawl p carried by the said wheel h the ratchet
wheel i fast with the chain wheel k with which the said pawl is caused to engage
substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In combination with the subject matter of the previous claims a spring
strap embracing the pawl p the free end of which strap is connected by a
line with the disconnecting lever o of the sounding device with the object of
disengaging the wheels and i and the sounding device substantially as described.
4. In combination with the subject matter of the previous claims a line s
connected at one end to the strap q and at its other end to a lever D which can
be rocked on the arm of an upright t and which is put in rotation by a second
lever D worked by the line b after the opening of the barriers so that when the
line is pulled there is a resulting pressure on the strap q substantially as and for
the purpose described.
5. In combination with the arrangement claimed in Claim 1 a divided up-
right yy through which the lines a and b pass, stops z 23 on the said lines
arranged to come against the upright y y¹ the part y of which can turn after
being released from the part y substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
6. In combination with the subject matter of Claim 1 a pointer carried by
the weight C for indicating on a scale the position of the said it substantially
as hereinbefore described.
7. In combination with the subject matter of Claim 1 a signal S, whether disc
or lantern, arranged so that the arm s¹ carrying the signal can turn on a shaft s²
and pins on a disc t¹ connected with the clockwork can communicate to it vertical
rocking movements during the fall of the weight substantially as described.
8. In combination with the subject matter of Claim 1 an electric contact f
operated by the weight C when in its lowest position so as to close an electric
circuit in which an alarm bell is interposed for giving notice to the pointsman
when the weight C has reached the end of its course substantially as hereinbefore
described.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.