Year: 1899

page_text: I, NEWTON KIBLER BOWMAN, of North Lawrence, State of Ohio, U.S.A.,
Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in mine gates and in mechanism for
opening and closing them.
The objects of the invention are, first, to provide simple and effective mechanism
which will be capable of operation by the wheels of a car or truck to open the
gate and be retracted by gravity to close the gate after the passage of the car
therethrough; second, to provide a system of gearing by means of which the gate
may be located at the junction of two tracks and operated as effectually by a car
running from one track onto the other as by a car running through on the main
track; third, to provide an improved construction of trip levers and counter
balancing means for the swinging operating bars, whereby the latter are rendered
extremely sensitive and adapted to be quickly thrown into or out of operation
without unduly jarring or straining the gearing; and, finally, to simplify and
improve the construction and render the operation of this class of mechanism
generally, more efficient.
A gate, constructed in accordance with this invention, comprises two oppositely
arranged gate posts, united at their upper ends by a cross-piece. A shaft is hori-.
zontally journalled in bearings near the upper ends of the posts and carries a
roller over which the gate rolls. The gate is made in sections flexibly united,
and having a heavy strip at its lower end to cause it to fall by gravity. The space
between the roller and cross-piece is closed by a curtain.
A sill or beam is secured to the ends of the sleepers near one of the gate posts
and parallel with one of the rails. Two standard bearings are arranged on the
sill on both sides of the gate post, and support rock-shafts. Lever arms depend
from the rock-shafts, and are connected, at their extremities by horizontally
arranged bars. Shorter bars or levers are pivoted to the outer ends of the bars
and have their outer ends pivoted to lever-arms resting normally at an angle pro-
jecting upwards and outwards; their movement in the outer direction being limited
by a stop-bar on the brackets on the sill in which their lower ends are pivoted.
The rock-shafts, aforementioned, also carry weighted balance levers connected
by.a tie-rod. Sprocket wheels are carried by the rock-shafts supported nearest to
the gate posts and are connected, by sprocket-chains to sprocket-wheels carried
by a shaft journalled in a bracket secured to the gate post. The chains are crossed,
and have a long loop in their composition which permits of their being crossed
without their being out of alignment; one end of the chain being passed through
the loop. The sprocket-wheel adjacent to the gate post is connected by a chain
to a similar wheel on the extremity of the roller shaft of the gate.
When a car approaches the gate, one of its wheels comes into contact with the
under edge of one of the shorter bars pivoted to the longer bars afore described,
moving them forward and raising them at the same time against the tendency of
the weighted balance levers. The movement rocks the shafts one quarter of a

page_text: revolution and the motion is imparted by the sprocket wheel on the shafts to
smaller wheels on the shaft in the bracket on the gate post, which wheels are
rotated one complete revolution. The sprocket wheel on this shaft rotates the
wheel on the roller shaft four complete revolutions which causes the gate to be
wound up in its guides and be retained in that position until the car has passed
from under the horizontally arranged bars on the opposite side of the gate, when
it falls by the action of gravity and the levers etc. resume their normal position.
The mechanism on both sides of the gate is the same, and operates simultaneously.
When a siding runs into the main track the mechanism is duplicated on the
other side of the gate and track and parallel with the rails of the siding or branch
track.
In an alternative form of the mechanism the counter balance levers are arranged
so that they retain the horizontally swung bars' elevated; and the shorter bars or
trip levers pivoted to their ends depend slantingly downwards to a point adjacent
to one of the track rails. They are provided with rollers on their ends which are
protected by a channel-iron resting on the sleepers.
In this construction, the wheels of the car depress the ends of the trip rollers,
which impart motion to the rock-shafts and gearing to operate the gate!
This last described form of the mechanism is especially applicable to mines
where cars are used having wheels of different sizes.
Dated this 18th day of January 1899.
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicant.
I, NEWTON KIBLER BOWMAN, of North Lawrence, State of Ohio, U.S.A.,
Inventor, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in mechanism for automatically opening
and closing mine gates, and consists in certain novel features of construction,
combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully
described and claimed.
The objects of the invention, are, first, to provide simple and effective means
of this character which will be positively operated by the wheels of a car to open
the gate and retracted by gravity to close the gate after the passage of the car there-
through; second, to provide a system of gearing by means of which the gate may be
located at the junction of two tracks and operated as effectually by a car running
from one track onto the other as by a car running through on the main track;
third, to provide an improved construction and arrangement of trip levers and
counterbalancing means for the swinging operating bars, whereby the latter are
rendered extremely sensitive and adapted to be quickly thrown into or out of
operation without unduly jarring or straining the gearing; and, finally, to
simplify and improve the construction and render more efficient the operation of
this class of mechanism generally.
I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying draw-
ings, in which,―
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mine gate embodying my invention, shewing
the same arranged at the junction of two tracks and combined with the improved
mechanism adapted to be operated by a car running on either track.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of same looking toward the main line
mechanism.
Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view shewing the swinging operating bar elevated by
a car wheel.
Fig. 4 is an inner side elevational view shewing the position of the bars when
the gate curtain is open.
Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the oscillatory master sprockets, its coacting
counter-shaft pinion, and the crossed chain connecting same.
Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrates a slight modification in the
construction and arrangement of the operating mechanism.
Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of same on line 7-7.
Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the rails the inclined sliding trip-
lever and the guide therefor.
Fig. 9 is a similar view of a portion of said trip-lever.
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wheroin like letters of
reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, A-A¹ repre-
sent the gate posts arranged on opposite sides of the track
and connected at
their upper ends by a cross bar C; D a shaft mounted to revolve in bearings d
fixed to the posts and carrying a roller D', and E a gate curtain secured at its
upper end to said roller and having secured thereto at its lower end a counter-
balancing bar E¹. The side edges of said curtain and the projecting ends of the
counter-balancing bar are fitted to slide in grooves e formed in the inner sides of
the posts, as shewn in Fig. 2, and a flap f depending from the cross-bar is provided
to close the opening between said bar and the roller and exclude air from the
exterior.
To the projecting ends of the ties on either side of the gate frame are secured
sills F which are arranged in line with one of the gate posts, the post A¹ in the
present instance, and mounted on said sills are bearing brackets or standards G-G',
two being disposed on each side of said post, as shewn. The outermost standard G
of each pair of standards, thus arranged, has mounted therein a rock-shaft g to
which is rigidly connected a crank-arm h, a weighted counterbalancing arm i
and a normally pendant link j. The innermost standard G¹ of each pair has like-
wise mounted therein a rock-shaft g', weighted counterbalancing arm and a
link, the said two crank arms h-h being connected to move in unison by a
rod k. The normal positions of these parts is clearly shewn in Fig. 1, from which
it will be seen that the crank-arms project inwardly substantially at right angles
to the standards while the counterbalancing arms project outwardly and upwardly
at an angle of about 20 degrees thereto and the links hang perpendicularly. Con-
nected to the lower ends of the links of each pair of standards is a swinging
operating bar JJ formed of angle iron, said bars being arranged horizontally
with their horizontal webs projecting immediately above the adjoining track-rail
and jointed at their outer ends to inclined trip levers K-K'. These levers are
in turn pivoted to oscillating brackets - whereby they are adapted to swing
with the operating bars toward and from the gate frame, the inward swing move-
ment of said brackets being limited by the extent of throw of the bars and the
outward movement thereof by stop-plates 12. In operation, the front wheel of a
car running on the track toward the gate will first strike one of the trip levers,-
the lever K for example-and swing said lever, and the bar J attached thereto
inwardly, and as it nears the standard G will at the same time gradually raise
the bar until the latter rests thereon, as shewn in broken lines in Fig. 2 and in
full lines in Fig. 3. The bar is thereby swung easily and quickly without strain-
ing or racking the gearing and a quarter turn is given to the rock-shafts g-g', the
crank-arms and the counterbalancing arms, which assume the broken line positions
shewn in Fig. 2. The arms are weighted so that they nearly counterbalance
the swinging bars and attached parts, the latter, however, being made somewhat
heavier to swing easily back to their normal positions by gravity when released
by the car-wheels.

page_text: To the rock-shafts g of the standards G¹ are keyed oscillatory master sprocket-
wheels M-M¹ which are respectively connected by chains N-N¹ with sprocket-
pinions n n mounted on a counter-shaft o having bearing at its inner end in the
post A¹ and at its outer end in a bracket p fixed to said post. Said counter-shaft
also carries a sprocket-wheel P which is connected by a chain Q with a sprocket-
pinion mounted on the adjacent end of the roller shaft D. When the bar J is
swung inwardly and a quarter revolution is imparted to the coacting rock-shaft g
as above described, motion is communicated through the medium of sprocket-
wheel M, chain N and pinion n to the counter-shaft which makes one complete
revolution, and from said shaft through the medium of sprocket P, chain Q and
pinion to the roller shaft D which makes four complete revolutions, whereby the
gate curtain E is wound up on the roller D¹. It will be understood that the parts
of the mechanism on opposite sides of the gate move in reverse directions but
simultaneously toward or from the gate, and that when the mechanism at one side
is positively operated by the wheel of a car, the mechanism at the opposite sides
is moved in unison therewith through the medium of the counter-shaft and
coacting gearing. In order to provide for this reverse movement, the chain N
is crossed and provided in one stretch with a long open link a through which its
opposite stretch may freely move without friction and without throwing said
stretches out of alignment. By this construction it will be seen that the bars
when swung inward to wind up the gate curtain contact with each other, as shewn
in Fig. 4, and practically form a continuous operating bar and that the curtain
is held open until the car has passed completely through the gateway and the bars
are no longer supported by the wheels thereof. The counterbalancing bars E¹
will then cause the curtain to close by gravity and reverse the chain and sprocket
gearing, and at the same time the operating bars will automatically swing back
to their normal positions, the combined weight of said bars and the curtain being
sufficient to overcome the friction of the gearing and weight of the counter-
balancing arms.
When the gate is arranged at or adjacent to the point of junction of two tracks,
suitable operating mechanism is provided in addition to that herein before described
by means of which the gate may be opened automatically by a car running from
a branch track onto the main track, and also held open by a car switched from the
main track onto the branch track. To this end the mechanism arranged on one
side of the gate and alongside the main track is duplicated alongside the branch
track B, as shewn in Fig. 1. In addition a counter-shaft o' is mounted on the
post A and carries a pinion n² and a sprocket-wheel P¹. This pinion is connected
with the master sprocket-wheel through the medium of a chain N2, and the
sprocket-wheel P¹ with a pinion q¹ on the adjoining end of the roller shaft D
through the medium of a chain Q¹, which arrangement of gearing is substantially
the same as that connecting the master-sprocket M with the counter shaft o
and the sprocket P on said shaft with the pinion q¹ on the opposite end of the
roller shaft.
The operation with this construction will be readily understood. When a car
running on the branch track approaches the gate, the mechanism alongside said
branch track will be operated by the wheels of the car to wind up the gate curtain
on the roller. At the same time the swinging bars of the operating mechanism
arranged alongside the main track B will be swung inward, and the wheels on the
adjacent side of the car will engage the same and hold the curtain open until the
car has passed through the gateway, whereupon the gate-curtain will be closed
and the parts of the operating mechanism arranged alongside both tracks restored
to their normal positions, as hereinbefore described.
In the embodiment of my invention disclosed in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, sub-
stantially the same elements are employed as in the other figures, but said elements
are modified in construction and arranged to operate in a slightly different manner.
The swinging operating bars J2 J3 are mounted upon links in the same
manner except that the said links are normally arranged in a horizontal position,

page_text: and said bars, when swung, are depressed by the car wheels, as shewn in Fig. 7,
instead of being elevated. The weighted counterbalancing arms also nor-
mally hang downward at an angle, and are tilted upwardly when the bars are
moved and serve to return said bars, when released, to their normal positions.
The only material change in construction occurs in the case of the trip-
levers KK3 which are inclined outwardly and downwardly from the bars, and
are provided at their free ends with friction rollers which travel in channel-
iron guides arranged alongside the track rail. From the above explanation of
the construction and arrangement of parts, the operation of this modified form of
mechanism will be apparent.
This construction of gate mechanism is deemed preferable in mines where the
wheels differ in size on different cars, while that shewn in Figs. 1-5, inclusive,
is intended to be employed in mines where the cars are equipped with wheels of
uniform size.
It will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and
details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention, without
departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
(1) In a mine gate, the combination with the track, of a gate-frame arranged
transversely thereof, a gravity closing gate, a pair of swinging operating bars
mounted above one of the track rails-one on each side of the gate-an inclined
trip-lever connected to the outer end of each bar, an oscillating bracket supporting
one end (the outer end) of each trip-lever, and normally holding the same inclined,
and mechanism connecting between the gate and the bars, whereby one of said
trip-levers and its co-acting bar is positively swung inward by the wheel of a car
approaching the gate, the other bar will also be swung inward and the gate
opened, substantially as described.
(2) In the mine gate, the combination with the track, of a gate-frame arranged
transversely thereof, a gravity closing gate, a pair of swinging operating bars
mounted above one of the track rails-one on each side of the gate-an inclined
trip-lever connected to the outer end of said bar, and mechanism connecting
between the gate and the hars, whereby when one of said trip levers and its coacting
bar is positively swung inwards by the wheel of a car approaching the gate, the
other bar will also he swung inwards and the gate opened, substantially as
described.
(3) In a mine gate, the combination with the track, of a gate-frame arranged trans-
versely thereof, a gravity closing gate, a pair of swinging operating bars mounted
above one of the track-rails-one on each side of the gate-and chain and sprocket
gearing connecting the bars and gate and adapted to simultaneously open the gate
and swing one of the bars inwardly when the other bar is positively operated by
contact with the wheel of a car approaching the gate, substantially as described.
(4) In a mine gate, the combination with a main track and a branch track, of
a gate-frame arranged at or adjacent to the point of junction of said tracks, a
gravity-closing gate mounted thereon, coacting operating mechanism arranged
alongside the main track on either side of the gate adapted to be operated in
unison by contact with a passing car to open the gate, and duplicate operating
mechanism arranged at one side of the gate and alongside the branch track, the
construction and arrangement being such that a car approaching the gate from
either side and on either track will operate said mechanism to open the gate and
maintain the gate in open position until it has passed through the gateway, sub-
stantially as described.
(5) In a mine gate, the combination with the track, of a gate-frame arranged
transversely thereof, a pair of swinging operating bars mounted above one of the
track-rails one on either side of the gate, counter-balancing weights acting on

page_text: "
the bars, and mechanism for opening the gate and swinging one bar inwardly
when the other bar is positively operated by an approaching car, the parts being
constructed and arranged so that the combined weight of the gate and bars will
cause the former to close and the latter to return to their normal positions against
the tension of said counterbalancing weights and opening mechanism, substantially
as described.
(6) In a mine gate, the combination with a main track and branch track, of a
gate-frame arranged at or adjacent to the point of junction of said tracks, and
a gravity closing gate mounted thereon, a pair of swinging operating bars mounted
above one of the rails of the main track-one on each side of the gate,-means for
operating said bars in unison and opening the gate, a swinging bar mounted above
one of the rails of the branch track at only one side of the gate,, and means, for
simultaneously operating the main line and branch line mechanism and opening
the gate when the said branch track swinging bar is operated, whereby inward
movement of either one of said bars will result in all the bars being swung simul-
taneously and the gate opened or closed substantially as described.
(7) In a mine gate, the combination with a track, of a gate-frame arranged trans-
versely thereof, standards arranged alongside one of said rails on opposite sides of
the gate, a pair of swinging operating bars mounted upon said standards-one on
each side of the gate-trip levers connected to the outer ends of said bars, and
mechanism connecting between the gate and bars; whereby when one of said trip
levers is positively swung inward by the wheel of a car approaching the gate, the
other levers will also be swung inwards and the gate opened, substantially as
described.
(S) In a mine gate, the combination with the track, of a gate-frame, a gravity
closing gate, a pair of standards mounted alongside one of the track rails and at
either side of the gate, said standards having rock-shafts journalled therein, a
crank-arm and a counterbalancing weight connected to each shaft, a rod connecting
the crank-arms of cach pair of shafts to move in unison, a pair of swinging operating
bars pivoted to links pendant from said shafts and arranged above one of the track
rails, one on either side of the gate, and mechanism connecting between the gate
and bars for positively swinging said bars and opening the gate simultaneously,
the construction and arrangement being such that the combined weight of the
bars and gate will cause the former to return to their normal positions and the
latter to close by gravity against the tension of said mechanism and weighted
arms, substantially as described.
(9) In a mine gate, the combination with the track, of a gate-frame arranged
transversely thereof, a gate curtain mounted on a shaft having bearings therein,
said shaft being provided at one end with a sprocket-pinion, a pair of swinging
operating bars mounted above one of the track-rails-one on each side of the
gate-rock-shafts operatively connected with said bars and carrying oscillatory
master sprocket-wheels, a counter-shaft arranged at one end of the gate-frame and
carrying a pair of sprocket-pinions and a sprocket-wheel, a chain connecting said
sprocket-wheel with the sprocket-pinion on the gate curtain shaft and chains con-
necting said master sprocket-wheels with the pinions on the counter-shaft, one of
said chains being crossed, whereby the bars are adapted to be simultaneously
moved in reverse directions, but toward or from the gate substantially as described.
(10) In a mine gate, the combination with a track, of a gate frame arranged
transversely thereof, a gate curtain mounted on a shaft having bearings therein,
said shaft being provided at one end with a sprocket-wheel, standards arranged
alongside of the track rails and on opposite sides of the gate and having rock-
shafts journalled therein, the crank-shafts of the standards at opposite sides of the
gate being connected to move in unison, a counter-weight connected with each
rock-shaft, a master sprocket-wheel mounted on the rock-shaft of each innermost
with the rock-shafts at
standard, a swinging operating bar connected
each side of the gate, a counter-shaft mounted at one end of the gate and
carrying a sprocket-wheel and sprocket-pinions, a chain connecting said sprocket-

page_text: wheel and the sprocket-pinion on the curtain shaft, and chains connecting the
said master sprocket-wheels with the counter-shaft pinions, one of said chains
being crossed to cause the swinging bars to simultaneously move in reverse direc-
tions, but toward or from the gate frame, substantially as described.
(11) In a mine gate, the combination with a track, of a gate-frame arranged
transversely thereof, a gate curtain mounted on a shaft having bearings in said
rame and provided at one end with a sprocket-pinion, standards arranged along-
side one or the track-rails at opposite sides of the gate, and having rock-shatts
journalled therein, each of said shafts carrying a crank-arm and a counter-weight,
a rod connecting the crank-arms of the rock-shaft at each side of the gate to cause
the same to move in unison, a master sprocket-wheel mounted on the rock-shaft
of the innermost standard at each side of the gate, a swinging operating bar at
each side of the gate and mounted on said rock-shaft, an inclined trip-lever con-
nected to the outer end of each swinging bar, a counter-shaft arranged at one end
of the gate and carrying a pair of sprocket-pinions and a sprocket-wheel, a chain
connecting said sprocket-wheel with the sprocket-pinion on the curtain shaft, and
chains connecting said master sprocket-wheels with the counter-shaft pinions, one
of said chains being crossed to cause the swinging bars to simultaneously move
in reverse directions, but toward or from the gate frame, substantially as described.
(12) In a mine gate, the combination, with a main track and a branch track,
of a gate-frame arranged at or adjacent to the point of junction of said tracks, a
roller shaft mounted in bearings on said frame and carrying at each end a sprocket-
pinion, a gate curtain secured to said roller shaft standards arranged alongside one
of the main line rails on opposite sides of the gate and having rock-shafts mounted
therein, similar standards alongside the branch track at one side only of the gate,
a master sprocket-wheel connected with the innermost rock-shaft or each of said
standards on both the main and branch line mechanism, a pair of swinging operat-
ing bars connecting to the rock-shafts of the main line, a similar swinging
operating bar connected to the rock-shaft of the branch line standards, a main
counter-shaft mounted at one end of the frame in line with the main track
mechanism and carrying a pair of sprocket-pinions and a sprocket-wheel, a chain
connecting. said sprocket-wheel with the sprocket-pinion on the adjacent end of
the roller shaft, chains connecting said master sprocket-wheel of the main track
mechanism to the pinions on the counter-shaft, one of said chains being crossed
to cause the main track operating bars to simultaneously move in reverse direction
but toward or from the gate-frame, an auxiliary counter-shaft at the opposite
end of the gate-frame carrying a sprocket-pinion and sprocket-wheel, a chain con-
necting said sprocket-wheel with the sprocket-pinion on the adjacent end of the
roller shaft and a chain connecting the master sprocket-wheel of said branch track
mechanism with the pinion on said auxiliary counter-shaft, substantially as
described.
(13) In a mine gate, the combination with a track, of a gate-frame arranged
transversely thereof, a roller shaft having bearing in said frame and carrying at
one end a sprocket-pinion, a rock-shaft mounted at each side of the gate and carry-
ing a master sprocket-wheel, a swinging operating bar connected with each rock-
shaft a counter-shaft carrying a pair of sprocket-pinions and a sprocket-wheel a
chain connecting said sprocket-wheel with the sprocket-pinion on the roller shaft,
and chains connecting said master sprocket-wheels with the said counter-shaft
pinions, said chains being adapted to move the master sprocket-wheels simul-
taneously in reverse directions substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of October 1899
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicant.