Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Closing Gates at Level Crossings on Railways.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1895-4ccepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Closing Gates at Level
Crossings on Railways.
I, JOSEPH WALWYN WHITE, of the Old Public Hall, Widnes. Lancashire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
--
This invention relates to means for opening and closing gates at level crossings
on railways, and is more particularly applicable to be employed in connection with
light railways and tramways.
According to this invention the opening and closing of gates at level crossings
on railways is effected by the passing train and without the assistance of an
attendant or gate keeper.
Preferably two gates are provided, one upon each side of the crossing and
normally closed against the railway, or four gates may be employed in some cases.
The opening and closing of these gates is effected by means of a system of levers
connected with the gates by chains or iods. Preferably two levers are employed,
one upon each side of the crossing and pivotted at the side of the line. These
levers are aanged to be operated by striking plates carried upon the engine and
rem part of the train Thus the lever on one side of the crossing would bo
arianged to be operated by a striking plate carried by the engine, and would cause
the gates to open for the passage of the train, by means of the chain o rod
connections above referred to. The levo on the other side of the crossing would
be aanged to be operated by the striking plate carried by the rear part of the
train, and would cause the gates to close after the train and so leave the highway
open, by means of sundar chain or rod connections
The levers are arranged so as to be available for trains passing in either
direction.
The striking arrangements on the engine and train are so urianged that they
will operate the levels without shock, and may consist of a stinking plate carried
by a spring working within a casing, or a brush, or the like.
Suitable lights on the gates would serve to indicate their position.
Dated this 24th day of December 1894
Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Closing Gates at Level
Crossings on Railways
1, JOSEPH WALWYN WHITE, of the Old Public Hall, Widnes, Lancashire,
Engiueci, 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
following statement
This invention relates to means for opening and closing gates at level crossings
on railways and is more particularly applicable to be employed in connection with
light railways and tramwaVS.

page_text: According to this invention the opening and closing of gates at level crossings
on railways is effected by the passing train and without the assistance of an
attendant or gate keeper.
Preferably two gates are provided, one upon each side of the highway and
normally closed against the railway; oi fou gates may be employed in some cases.
The opening and closing of these gates is effected by means of a system of levers,
connected with the gates by chaine, wires, or lods Preferably two levers te
emploved, one being upon each side of the highway and pivotted at the side of the
line. These levers are arranged to be operated by a striking device carried by the
engine. Thus the lever upon one side of the highway will, upon being actuated by
the striking device on the engine, cause the gates to open for the passage of the
train, by means of the chain, wire, o 1od connections before referred to, whilst the
lever upon the other side of the highway will, upon being actuated by the same or
a similar striking device, on the engine or guardsyan, effect the closing of the gates
through similar chain or rod connections
Suitable apparatus for carrying out my invention is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, and I will now proceed to describe the invention with reference to the
said drawings.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 shews the general arrangement of my invention as applied at
level crossing on a single line of Lailway
Figure 2 is a side elevation and Figure 3 an end view of the lever device for
actuating the gates
Figmes 4 and 5 illustrate the striking device canied by the locomotive, and
Figure 6 shews a modified form of same
Figures 7 and 8 shew alternative arrangements provided at each gate post
Figure 9 llustrates a bell arrangement, for whining persons on the highway that
the gates are about to be closed.
Figme 10 is a device which may be used as a tension regulator upon
operating we used in this invention.
the
Figures 11 and 12 shew means for stopping and holding the gates in their open
and closed positions
Upon reference to the drawing it will be seen that A denotes a single line of
railway, and B a highway which crosses same. C C. are a pair of gates
DD denote the gate post tuning mechanisin, and E. E are the lever nctuating
devices. is an endless band made up of wite, racks, on chains, connecting the
two lever devices E E. and the gate posts
The actuating device E shewn in Figmes 2 and 3 consists of a locking lever 1
The short
keyed to an axle 2 upon which is loosely mounted a sprocket wheel 3
end of the lever 118 connected with the wheel 3 by spings 34 whose tension may be
adjusted by altering the positions of the studs 3º in the slot 3° formed in the
wheel 3 The level travels between guides 4
Round the wheel 3 passes the
chain 5, which forms a portion of the endless band F.
The striking device illustrated in Fignes 4 and 5 is adapted to be cared by the
locomotive, and consists of an aim 7 pisotted in a frame 8. The frame 8 is provided
with trunnions 9 which are carried in any suitable bracket attached to the locomotive.
The trame is evolved on its tunnions by the lever 9 which is operated by suitable
rod and lever or rack and pinion mechanisin, from the engine cabin By this means
the aim 7 is lowered and raised m and out of action. Springs 10 extend between the
aim and its fiame so as to allow an amount of play to the aim and so minimise
the blow given to the lever.
A modified form of stuhing bar is shown in Figure 6, in which the springs 10
are arranged within a box frame 8, the atm 7 being fice to slide in the slots 11
formed in the flame
In order that the aim 7 may be carried over the end of the lever 1, the guide
rods 4 may be inclined as shewn in dotted lines This arrangement is applicable
where double lines of railway exist, and trams proceed in one direction only. On a

page_text: single line of railway, the guide rods are level as shewn in full lines in the diawing,
and the passage of the striking bar 7 over the end of the lever 1 may be provided
for by the spings 3ª which will allow the end of the lever to dip and then cause it
to use again sufficiently to enable it to catch the stinking bar on the return
Journes.
The gate post mechanism shown in Figure 7 consists of a pinion wheel 12 which
engages with toothed lacks 13 forming part of the endless band F. Thus when the
band F is pulled by the lever devices E. E. the racks 13 cause the gate to evolve
upon its pivots. In order to lessen the stiain put upon the gate post the wheel 12
is loosely mounted thereon, and is coupled to au niin 14, which is keyed to the gate
post, by springs 15 A modified arrangement of apparatus for turning the gates is
shewn in Figme 8 In this figure a disc 12 18 keyed to the gate post d and is
coupled by springs 15 to a lever 14 which is loosely mounted on the gate post and
to which is attached the endless band F
In most cases the sprocket wheel 3 of the lever device E will be arinnged to
evolve through one quarter of a circle, therefore when the wheels 3 and 12 are of
equal dameto, the gates will consequently be swung one quarter of a cncle
When four gates are employed, .e. to upon each side of the line, opposite gates
may be arranged to work simultaneously by means of an endless chain passing round
a sprocket wheel upon each gate post Or opposite gates may be connected by iods
and levels
In order to wain persons on the highway that the gates are about to be closed, I
erect the apparatus shewn in Figure 9 on both sides of the highway. This consists
of a bell 16 mounted on a post 17 at the side of the highway and operated by a
tigger 18, which is disposed at the side of the railway at such a distance from the
lever device E that the staking bai on the engine will engage with it and ring the
bell 16 a minute or so before it engages with the lever 1.
Suitable tension regulating devices may be disposed on the endless band F, aud
may consist of two fixed pulleys 19 (Figure 10), the line F being carried over these
pulleys and under a weighted pulley 20, the weight being in excess of the strain
upon the ine F
In Figures 11 and 12 is illustrated a device for stopping and retaining the gates C
in then open and closed positions. This consists of a stop 21 and a spring pawl 22,
atranged in one casting, which is adapted to be raised above and lowered to the
ground level, G L by the cam 23 The cam 23 18 operated by a wne 24 which is
so connected with the band F that upon movement being first given to the latter
the cam will allow the combined stop and pawl to fall to the ground level before the
inertia of the gate C has been overcome by the springs 15. A pawl and stop
adapted to receive the gate in its other position is similarly and simultaneously
raised, the pawl being depressed by the shoe 25 carried on the foot of the gate C,
Two of
which shoe covers the pawl and prevents it from being interfered with
these stop devices are provided for each gate, one being in the highway and the
other on the railway.
In place of the devices shewn in Figures 7 and 8, the base of the gate post d may
be provided with an ordinary sprocket or chain wheel which engages with the
endless band F.
The actuating lever I may be in two or more pieces and adapted to be lengthened
or shortened in order to regulate the amount of its travel. The guide rods 4 may
also be adapted to be raised or lowered to the same purpose
Coloured lamps can be placed on the gate posts to indicate the position of the
gates by night.
It will be understood that the effect of coupling the two level actuating
devices EE and the gate post tuning mechanisms by an endless baud is that upon
one lever being moved the corresponding level on the other side of the highway is
moved in the opposite ducction into a suitable position for the approaching engine
to actuate it, and on this being done the hist mentioned lever is returned to its
original position.
111

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim 18:
1. The employment for the purpose of opening and closing gates at level crossings
on always, of a system of levers, racks, and sprocket wheels, or their equivalent,
with we, chain or rod connections, said system being actuated by a striking device
carmed on a passing tram, substantially in the manner described.
2. Apparatus for opening and closing gates at level crossings on railways
comprising a pisotted lever working between guides and adjustably connected by
springs with a toothed disc or sprocket wheel gearing with toothed racks or a chain
connected by means of wire, chain, o rods with levers or toothed wheels on such
gates and adapted to be actuated by a stinking device carried on a passing train,
substantially as described.
3 The employment for the purpose of actuating apparatus for opening and closing
gates at level crossings on railways, of a stinking device, adapted to be carried on a
focomotive engine or carriage and consisting of an aim supported in springs by
a framework working on trunnions and arranged so as to be lowered and raised in
and out of action, substantially as described.
4. The employment in apparatus such as described, of an endless band consisting
of chains and racks connected by wire or rods, arranged and adapted to operate
substantially as described.
5 The employinent in apparatus such as described, of variably inclined guide rods
for the purpose of carrying the stuking bar clear of the actuating lever at the end
of its sti oke.
6. The employment in apparatus such as described, of an actuating lever whose
length may be varied in order to lengthen or shorten the extent of its stroke.
7. The employment in apparatus such as described, of a combined pawl and stop
for the purpose of holding the gates in their stationary positions, arranged,
constructed, and operating as set forth with reference to Figures 11 and 12 of
the drawings.
8. Apparatus for opening and closing gates at level crossings on railways,
constructed, arranged and operating substantially as described with reference to
the drawings.
Dated this 96th day of September 1805
J. A COUBROUGHI,
Registered Patent Agent, 10 St. George's Crescent, Liverpool,
Agent for the Applicant.