Improvements in Level Crossing Gates for Railways.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Level Crossing Gates for Railways.
I, JAMES PHILIP ANNETT, of "St. Catherines," Winchester Road, Eastleigh, near
Southampton, in the County of Hants, Signal Superintendent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:
―
My invention has reference to improvements in level crossing gates, especially
suitable for light railways and the like, whereby the gates are actuated by the
engine or other vehicle so as to close across the roadway, being then locked in
this position through the action of the wheels of the engine or vehicle depressing
a treadle bar, the gates returning to their normal position across the railway
through the action of a counter-balance weight.
The way in which I carry out my invention is as follows:-
One post of each gate is, as usual, fitted in a pivoted gate heel the head post of
each gate being provided with a roller mounted in suitable bearings attached
thereto on that side of the post facing across the rails when the gates are in posi-
tion across the railway. The rollers on each pair of gates when in position across
the railway do not come in contact but are apart from each other a distance of
from four to six inches, more or less as may be desired. One or all of the gate
heels is or are connected to a counter balance lever which operates to normally
keep the gates in position across the rails, and a connection is made from each gate
heel to the opposite ends of the long arms of two "T" cranks, the short arms of
which are connected one to each end of a blade working across the underside of
another blade in a box or casing the latter blade being connected by suitable crank
connections to a treadle bar placed on the inner side of the rail between the gates,
said bar having a purely vertical movement, which is effected by the flange of the
wheels passing over it; the first mentioned blade is provided with a friction roller
about its middle which is acted upon by a hevel surface formed on the underside
of the cross blade connected to the above mentioned vertically moving treadle
bar for the purpose hereinafter described The connections from the gate heels
to the "T"cranks are so arranged that when a "V" shaped piece carried by the
engine or vehicle comes in contact with the rollers on the posts of the first pair
of gates which it meets, and consequently pushes away from it towards the road-
way, the other pair of gates will also move towards the roadway, both pairs of
gates however only by this action completing a portion of their movement; this
action also moves the blade with friction roller, which as above mentioned is
attached at each end to the short arms of the two "T" cranks, through the box
in which it works, until said friction roller reaches the lower edge of a bevel sur-
face on the cross bar attached to the vertically moving treadle bar so that when
the latter is depressed by the wheels of the engine or vehicle said cross bar is
pulled towards the rail and the bevel surface thereon acting on the friction roller
on the blade so that the latter will be further moved in the same direction, thus
completing the movement to close the gates across the roadway. When in posi-
tion across the roadway of course the rollers on the gate posts will as before men-
Price 8d 1

page_text: tioned be a certain distance apart, say four or six inches. When this movement
is completed the friction roller on the blade will have got beyond the bevel surface
on the blade connected to the treadle bar and will bear on the edge of said bar so
that as long as the wheel is depressing the treadle bar the gates will be held
locked across the roadway. When the train has passed clear of the gates, the
treadle bar will rise and push the blade connected thereto back to its normal posi-
tion so that the friction roller on the other blade will move on the bevel surface
thereby allowing a free movement of said blade to its normal position as the gates
close across the railway again under the action of the before mentioned counter-
balance weight.
The same action as above described will take place for a backward, movement
of the engine or train through the gates, that is to say, from whichever direction
the train is moving the gates will be opened in the manner described.
L'
The "V" shaped piece on the front of the engine or vehicle, which comes in
contact with the rollers on the gate posts as above described, is preferably hinged
so that it may be swung up or down as desired. It is obvious that modifications
may be made in the details of my invention as above set forth without departing
from the main feature thereof. Any of the usual types of treadle bars may be
used in substitution of my vertical bars if it be so desired.
Dated thia Tanth day of January 1898
I
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel.Chart. Inst. P.A.,
Agent for the said Applicant,
70 & 71, Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W..
Improvements in Level Crossing Gates for Railways.
I, JAMES PHILIP ANNETT, of "St. Catherines," Winchester Road, Eastleigh, near
Southampton, in the County of Hants, Signal Superintendent, 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 has reference to improvements in level crossing gates, especially
suitable for light railways and the like, whereby the gates are actuated by the
engine or other vehicle so as to close across the roadway, being then locked in
this position through the action of the wheels of the engine or vehicle depressing
a treadle bar, the gates returning to their normal position across the railway
through the action of a counter-balance weight.
I carry out my invention in the following manner, reference being made to the
accompanying drawings in which
Figure is a plan of my improved crossing gates.
Figure 2 is an enlarged view partly in section showing the head posts of one
pair of gates with rollers &. the treadle bar and its connections to the counter-
balance lever, as hereinafter referred to.
Figure 3 is an enlarged part plan of the treadle bar and its connections to the
counter-balance lever.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of one form of treadle.
The same letters refer to the same parts in the different figures.
One post a of each gate is, as usual, fitted in a pivoted gate heel the head posts
of each pair of gates being provided with a roller d, d', d, d³, mounted in suitable
bearings attached thereto on that side of the post facing across the rails when the
gates are in position across the railway. The roller on each pair of gates when in

page_text: position across the railway do not come in contact but are apart from each other
a distance of from four to six inches, more or less as may be desired. The gate
heels 6 are connected to a counter-balance lever X (which operates to normally
keep the gates in position across the rails) in the following manner:-connec
tions e, e¹, e, e, are made from each gate heel to the opposite ends of the long
arms of two "T" cranks, the short arms g of which are connected one to each
end of a blade h (the connection being by means of rods h¹ h² as shown) working
across the underside of another blade k in a box or casing ¹ this latter blade k
being connected by suitable crank connections such as 7, 1, 73, (see Figure 2) to a
treadle bar m placed on the inner side of the rail between the gates said bar
having preferably a purely vertical movement. which is effected by the flange of
the wheels passing over it; the first mentioned blade is provided with a friction
roller (see Figure 3) about its middle which is acted upon by a bevel surface n
formed on the underside of the cross blade connected to the above mentioned
vertically moving treadle bar m for the purpose hereinafter described. The con-
nections e, e¹, e³, e, from the gate heels to the "T" cranks are so arranged that
when a "V" shaped piece o (Figure 1) carried by the engine or vehicle comes in
contact with the rollers d, d¹, (or d², d³. as the case may he) on the posts of the
first pair of gates which it meets, and consequently pushes them away from it
towards the roadway the other pair of gates will also move towards the roadway,
both pairs of gates however only by this action completing a portion of their move-
ment; this action also moves the blade h with friction roller g¹ which as above
mentioned is attached at each end to the short arms g of the two "T" cranks,
through the box k¹ in which it works, until said friction roller g' reaches the bevel
surface n on the cross bar or blade attached to the vertically moving treadle
bar m so that when the latter is depressed by the wheels of the engine or vehicle
said cross bar or blade is pulled towards the rail and the bevel surface n there-
upon acts on the friction roller g¹ on the blade h so that the latter will be further
moved in the same direction, thus completing the movement to close the gates
across the roadway. When in position across the roadway of course the
rollers d, d, d, 3, on the gate posts will, as before mentioned, be a certain dis-
tance apart, say four or six inches. When this movement is completed the fric-
tion roller on the blade h will have got beyond the bevel surface n on the blade k
connected to the treadle bar m and will bear on the edge of said blade k, so
that as long as the wheel is depressing the treadle bar m the gates will be held
locked across the roadway. When the train has passed clear of the gates, the
treadle bar m will rise under the influence of counter-balance weight y and push
the blade connected thereto back to its normal position so that the friction
roller g¹ on the other blade h will move on the bevel surface n thereby allowing a
free movement of said blade to its normal position as the gates close across the
railway again, under the action of the before mentioned counter-balance weight X.
The same action as above described will take place for a backward movement
of the engine or train through the gates, that is to say, from whichever direction
the train is moving the gates will be opened in the manner described.
The "V" shaped piece o on the front of the engine or vehicle, which comes in
contact with the rollers d, d, 2, 3, on the gate posts as above described, is pre-
It is obvious
ferably hinged so that it may be swung up or down as desired.
that modification may be made in the details of my invention as above set forth
without departing from the main feature thereof. Any of the usual types of
treadle bars may be used in substitution of my vertical bars if it be so desired.
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. Level crossing gates for light railways and the like adapted to be actuated by
an engine or vehicle so as to close across the roadway and be locked in this posi-

page_text: tion through the wheels of said engine or vehicle depressing a treadle, the gates
returning to their normal position across the railway after the passage of the
engine or vehicle through the action of a counter-balance weight, substantially
as herein set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of October 1898.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel.Chart.Inst.P.A.,
Agent for Applicant,
70 & 71, Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W.