IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING DOORS AND GATEWAYS.
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Heaton, of Blackburn, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING
DOORS AND GATEWAYS.
"
Sealed the 19th September 1856, and dated the 24th March 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Heaton, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th March 1856.
I, THOMAS HEATON, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-
ACTING DOORS AND GATEWAYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a mode or method of causing doors or gates to open.
or close in any direction, by the weight of the wagon or carriage or other
substance acting upon levers, rails, or platforms, in conjunction with certain
mechanical contrivances, and thus dispense with the necessity of a person or
persons to attend them. This Invention is peculiarly applicable to mines,.
where it is indispensably necessary to keep certain doors in the air passages
always closed to prevent accidents; it is also applicable to gates leading to-
railways, parks, pleasure grounds, and similar purposes. I fix a line or cross.
shaft under the road where the gate or door is fixed, with two eccentrics fixed
thereon, and two bevil wheels working into two other bevil wheels on the

page_text: bottom ends of the gate backs. The said wheels are put in motion by the
pressure of the weight coming on the levers, rails, or platforms on each side
of the gates or doors, which are attached to permanent rails at about 15 or 16
feet from the gates or doors, rising towards them about 4 or 5 inches above
the level of the road, connected with the eccentrics by two pairs of jaws. I
place a cross lever on the line shaft, which is acted upon by two springs, to
raise the levers or, platforms when they are relieved from the weight that has
passed over them. I obtain the same results by connecting the platform with
a cross lever in the centre; made on the principle-of-a-steel yard, to which
motion is given by the weight passing over, thus causing the doors or gates
either to rise up, fall down, open sideways, or parallel to the levers or plat-
forms. It is evident that the gates or doors will open whichever way the
weight approaches, and close as soon as the levers or platforms are relieved
from the weight.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent; filed
by the said Thomas Heaton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th September 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HEATON, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Thomas. Heaton, Her special licence that I; the said Thomas
Heaton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as-I, the
said Thomas Heaton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times. thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,, use;
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and, Ireland,
the. Channel Islands; and, Isle of Man, an Invention for: "IMPROVEMENTS; IN:
SELF-ACTING DOORS AND GATEWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that, I,
the said Thomas Heaton, by an instrument in. writing under my hand and, seal,
should particularly: describe and ascertain the nature. of the said Invention,
and-in what manner the same was..to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal, Patent Office.within six calendar, months next and
iminediately after the date of the said Royal Letters Patent....

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Heaton, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to various modes or methods of causing doors or gates
to open or close in any direction, by the weight of the waggon, carriage, or
other substance acting upon levers, rails, or platforms, in conjunction with
certain mechanical contrivances, thereby dispensing with the necessity of a
person or persons to attend to them, and thus prevent to a great extent the
probability of accidents arising from neglect or inadvertence. This Invention
is peculiarly applicable to horse or drawing roads in mines, where it is
indispensably necessary to close certain doors immediately after passing through
them. These doors are opened by the weight or pressure of the horse, person,
or material passing over the platform or apparatus, and closed immediately by
self-acting counter levers, springs, weights, or other suitable means, thus
effectually preventing the current of air being diverted from its proper course.
In mines I particularly recommend two sets of the said doors and apparatus
to be used, placed at such a distance from each other that the first will be
closed before the second is opened, and thus secure a passage of pure air to
the workings. And to prevent any slack, coal, or other thing or material that'
may be conveyed in the tubs, waggons, or carriages that may fall on the rails,
and stop the free-action of the apparatus, I fix a piece of sailcloth or other
suitable material longitudinally under the rails, and over the openings between
the platform and outside frame, so that it will throw off or convey away in an
oblique direction the dirt or obstruction from the joints. The said material
to be fixed by thumbscrews or other contrivance, so as to be easily taken off
or replaced.
My Invention is also applicable to gates leading to private railways of
collieries, and other, works, parks, pleasure grounds, or similar purposes where
it is desirable that the gates or doors should never be left open. I accomplish
the said objects by various methods, in one of which I place a line or cross shaft
below the road where the gate or door is required. On the said shaft are two
eccentrics or slotted cams, acted upon by rods connected to the rails or levers.
On the shaft two bevil wheels are fixed, working into two other bevil wheels
on the lower part of the gate backs. The said wheels are put in motion, and
the doors or gates opened by the pressure of the weight acting on the levers,
rails, or platforms, which are attached to the permanent rails at any convenient
distance from the gates or doors, and rising towards them from about three to
five inches above the level of the road or passage. After the weight has

page_text: passed over the platform or apparatus, the doors or gates are closed by means
of springs or weights acting upon levers attached to the line or cross shaft.
I also obtain the same result by connecting the rails, levers, or platforms to
levers made on the principle of a steelyard, to which motion is given by the
weight passing over, thus causing the doors or gates either to rise up, fall down,
open sideways, or parallel to the levers or platforms; the counter or return
movement being caused as before either by weights or springs, which exert
their influence as soon as the pressure upon the rails or platforms ceases to act?
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying three Sheets of Drawings, with the figures and letters of reference
thereon, the said letters referring to each Figure separately, in which Fig. 1
is a transverse section of a railway, shewing the application of a self-acting
gate. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal
elevation of an arrangement for raising and lowering a screen to be employed
in the passages of mines. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal elevation of a mode of
acting upon doors or gates at a considerable distance from them. Fig. 5 is a
transverse view of an arrangement of levers and weights for opening and
closing the doors of mines. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal elevation of the same.
Fig. 7 is a transverse view of another arrangement of levers and weights for
acting upon the doors or gates of halls, mansions, mills, warehouses, bleach,
print, or other works, where goods or heavy weights have to be transferred
from one room to another by trucks, wheelbarrows, or other contrivances, and
where the weight of the person or goods passing over the platform being
sufficient to cause the opening of the door or doors, which will close as soon
as the platform is. relieved from the weight. In Figs. 1 and 2 a represents
the line of rails, having two portions b and c of any convenient length inclined
above the level, and working upon pivots or fulcrums d. A cross shaft is
shewn at e, to which is fixed the slotted cams f and g, in the slots of which
rollers are placed, which turn in the rods or links i and k, connected to the
inclined rails by the pins 7. To the cross shaft e are fixed the bevil wheels m,
working into other bevil wheels n made fast to the lower part of the gate-
posts o, to which the gates p are attached. When pressure is exerted upon
one of the inclined rails, as at b, its corresponding connecting rod or link i
presses the slotted cam f in the direction of the arrow, the other cam fol-
lowing of course in the same direction; both being fast to the shaft e, the
cam g causes the connecting rod k and rail c to fall down, and the shaft e
moves upon its axis, thereby acting upon the bevil wheels m and n, and
opening the gates from the opposite side to the pressure or weight passing
Connected to the cross shaft e are levers 7 attached to rods r, over
over.

page_text: which are the springs s, which press against the standards t when the gates
are opened. After the weight has passed over the shifting rails the action of
the springs is sufficient to close the gates. It is evident that other arrange-
ments of springs can be applied, or weights adapted so as to exert their force
to produce the same effect. This arrangement of slotted cams has the
admirable property of producing the same effect whichever side of the door or
gate is acted upon by the weight passing over. Instead of two pairs of bevil
wheels, one pair only may be employed in conjunction with a crossed chain
working on chain drums fixed to the gate posts. Fig. 3 represents a line of
rails in a mine, the passage of which is closed by a screen u, which is raised
by motion being given to the cross shaft v by means of slotted cams and
connecting rods. To the cross shaft vis fixed the lever w, having one end
of a cord or chain x connected to it; the other end being fast to a small
circumference y of the drum z, to which the screen is attached. Whichever
way the lever w may move the cord or chain is pulled downwards by its
passing between two rollers or pulleys a¹. The return or counter movement
is obtained by means of the springs acting upon a double lever c¹ on the
shaft v, or weights may be applied if desired. In Fig. 4 I shew an arrange-
ment in which the weight passing over the rails may be made to act upon the
gates or doors at any reasonable distance from them. The slotted cams or
eccentrics a and b are placed on separate shaft c at any suitable distance from
the centre shaft d to which the large bevil wheels f are fixed. The cams_a
and transmit their action to the centre shaft d and lever g by means of the
levers h and i and connecting rods k and 7. It is evident that when pressure
is exerted on one of the rails, as at m, the slotted eccentric a moves in the
direction of the arrow, giving a reverse motion to the levers g, h, and i, and
also to the connecting rods, the slot in the cam 6 allowing the rail n to fall
down at the same time. If the weight acts on the rail n the reverse of the
operation takes place. For the return or counter movements, springs or
weights acting on levers are applied, as before described. In Figs. 5 and 6
I shew a mode of opening and closing doors by means of levers acting on the
principle of the steelyard, which arrangement is peculiarly adapted for mines.
The doors are shewn at a, supported by the pulleys or rollers 6 on the beam or
rail c, the permanent line of rails at d, and the inclined or shifting portions on
either side of the doors at e. To the under side of the frame to which the
shifting rails are attached I place hooks f, which are connected by the links g
to the balance levers h moving on the centres or shafts i; the levers h are
connected by pins k. to other levers 7 moving. on their centres or shafts m. The
upper parts of the levers are connected by pins o to the upper parts of the

page_text: doors. When weight acts upon the shifting rails and frame the levers change
their positions, as shewn by the dotted lines, thereby opening the doors. The
closing of the doors is effected by the weights p. acting upon the levers / by
.means of the connecting rods . The springs are for the purpose, of pre-
venting violent concussion.
.
In Fig. 7 I shew another modification of levers for opening and closing
'doors. .
.. a represents the doors, also supported by pulleys or rollers on a beam
,or rail; the moveable platform is shewn at b, having projections c resting
upon the levers d, which move in. the bearings,e; the levers d operate by
¡means of pins fon other levers g moving in bearings h, the upper parts of the
said levers g being connected by the pins i to the doors ȧ. When weight acts
upon the platform the pins fare raised, causing the long arms of the levers
g to move outwards; thus opening the doors, the weights. effectually closing
them after the weight, has passed.
•
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I desire it to be
distinctly understood that I do.not confine myself to the exact details herein
set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the
principle thereof; but I claim as of my Invention, and which to the best of
my knowledge and belief has not been hitherto used within this realm, the
arrangement and construction of apparatus to cause doors or gates to open by
the weight or pressure of persons, goods, or things passing over them, and to
close by a self-acting apparatus, as herein described, and illustrated in the
accompanying three Sheets of Drawings. The said Invention being peculiarly
applicable for preserving a current of pure air in mines, and for keeping all
gates or doors closed when it is desirable they should not be left open.
In witness whereof, I, .the said Thomas Heaton, have; hereunto set my
>hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of September, One thousand-eight
hundred and fifty civ
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
-named. Thomas Heaton, in the presence of
THOMAS HEATON (L.S.)
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.