Improvements in and relating to Railway Bars, Gates, Barriers, or the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1897-Accepted, 3rd July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Railway Bars, Gates, Barriers, or
the like.
I, MAX TAPPE, of No. 36 Bahnhofstrasse, Guben, in the German Empire,
Manufacturer, 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 railway gates, bars, barriers and the like which can be
automatically opened and closed by the passing train.
In order that my invention may be the better understood I now proceed to describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures
marked thereon.
Figures 1 to 3 show three equivalent alternative methods of carrying out this
invention adapted to be operated by mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic and electric
ineans respectively.
As shown in Figure 1 in elevation and plan (partly in section) an arm a pivotted on
he axle b extends over the rail s and may, if desired, be provided with a signalling
device. A wheel k is keyed to the axle b and connected pivotally with the connecting
rod c¹ of a piston c² sliding in a cylinder c. The piston c² is pressed continuously
outwards into its outermost position by a spiral spring arranged in the interior of
the cylinder; the arm a is therefore continually held over the rail until it. is rotated
around its pivot on the axle b in the direction of the arrow, by the buffer or other
part of the locomotive. As soon as the train has passed, the arm a is gradually
returned by the spiral spring c into its normal position over the rail 8 because the
valve v is closed and the outer atmosphere acts in opposition to the pressure of the
spiral spring and can only pass slowly to behind the piston c2 by a small hole w. The
rotation of the axle effected by the arm a is utilized by connecting the wheel kon
the axle b with the railway gate or barrier c by means of chain k', chain drum k²,
gearing D, chain drum Di and chain D2 so that at the rotation of the axle b the
wheel also partially rotated, and the railway gate or barrier is drawn down and
thus closed by the chain chain drum k² gearing D, chain drum D¹ and chain D².
The railway gate remains in this position until the train has passed and the arm a
has returned to its normal position over the rail.
In the modification shown in Figure 2 the railway gate is operated by air pressure.
The pressure cylinder c is connected by a pipe r with the tubular bearing pin r¹ and
the hollow-bar or body of the railway gate within which is provided a running weight
or piston 2. The inward movement of the piston c² caused by the arm a causes a
sudden compression of air in the cylinder which is transmitted through the pipe r
into the hollow bar of the railway gate and pushes the running weight 72 to the
outerinost end of the railway gate; the gravity of the counterweight r² is now
exceeded and is no longer able to keep the gate open, which therefore closes and
remains closed until the train has passed when the arm a returns into its normal
position, the piston c² being drawn back by the spring. The air contained in the bar
of the gate and in the pipe returns into the cylinder the weight 2 being sucked back
and the bar c of the gate being lifted by the counter weight 3ª and opened.

page_text: Instead of using air pressure the bar of the gate may be operated hydraulically in
a manner analogous to that described in the preceding paragraph.
The modification shown diagrammatically in Figure 3 shows the operation of the
gate electrically. A is a small electro motor arranged below the railway gate, the
circuit of which can be connected by the switch R, by the wheels of the locomotive,
with a main electric circuit running along the railway track, in order to rotate a
small rope drum A' on which the rope or chain A² of the bar of the gate is wound
and thus pull down the latter. After the train has passed and the contact has been
interrupted the dynamo and rope drum are free and the bar of the gate is raised by
the counter weight 1³.
0
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :---
1st. A railway gate operated pneumatically, mechanically, hydraulically, or
electrically by the passing train substantially as described.
2nd. In a railway gate as claimed in Claim 1 the arrangement of an arm a held
normally over the rail by a piston c², sliding in a cylinder and acted upon by a spiral
spring, the axle b of such arm carrying a wheel which is rotated by the arm
moved by the passing train and closing the bar or gate by means of a chain ¹, chain
drum, gearing D chain drum D' and chain D' substantially as described.
C
3rd. In a barrier as claimed in Claim 1 means of operating the said bar consisting
of a cylinder C connected by a pipe with the hollow counterbalanced bar or barrier,
the pneumatic or hydraulic pressure caused and a piston c² in the cylinder adapted to
move a running weight or piston in the hollow counterbalanced bar or barrier by
fluid pressure substantially as described.
4th. In a barrier as claimed in Claim I means for operating the same consisting of
a rope or chain drum A¹ and chain A2 actuated by an electro motor A, which is placed
in circuit with a source of electric current, by the wheels of the locomotive,
substantially as described.