Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Automatically Operating Railway Barriers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 29th Apr., 1899
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Automatically
Operating Railway Barriers.
We, GEORG RAMMENSÉE, of Gräfenberg, Bayern, in the Empire of Germany, and
AUGUST KAESSER, of Schwäbisch Gmünd, Württemberg, in the Empire of Germany,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same i
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:-
This invention has for its object to avoid fatal accidents that frequently happen
owing to the barriers at crossings of railway lines being open on the approach of a
train, and this object is accomplished in such a manner that the train itself at a
certain distance from a crossing actuates the apparatus with the effect of closing the
barriers and opening them again on the train passing a certain distance away from
the crossing. The arrangement is also capable of being operated by hand in case of
need, while a bell is capable of being rung before the closing of the barrier.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the apparatus.
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic ground plan corresponding thereto, and,
Figure 3 is a side elevation upon a larger scale than that of Figures 1 and 2.
In carrying the invention into effect a shaft c is mounted transversely to the rails
and beneath them at a point a distance of two minutes passage of an express train
from the crossing and upon the shaft c adjacent to the rail a triangular arm dis
provided which normally projects out that its face will be pressed downwards by a
roller or projection mounted beneath the engine or other part of the train on the
passage of the train over the adjacent rails. The lever e is fixedly mounted at the
extremity of the shaft cat a suitable distance from the side of the rails so that on
the depression of the arm & the levere has a corresponding radial movement which
is likewise given to the wire or rod which is connected to its upper extremity. The
other extremity of the wire f is connected to a lever g which is mounted on a shaft k
supported upon the standards h of the duplicate barriers and the shaft likewise
carries a lever at each side. The levers are each connected by rods m with arms n
which are mounted on the axes upon which the barrier is supported and the arms n
carry at their extremity a weight o. On the movement of the arm d and lever e the
levers are uplifted, thereby uplifting the arms n and lowering the barriers i into
their closed position.
Upon the shaft a cam disc is fixedly mounted which upon the rotation of the
shaft due to the movement of the arm on the passage of a train engages with
a stop provided upon a lever fitted to the upper part of the standard which
arm is weighted at its free end thereby preventing the return movement of the
whole system so that the barriers remain closed. A shaft 8, however, is similarly
mounted and at a certain distance from the other side of the crossing and carries an
arm similarly mounted adjacent to the rail so that on the train passing over the
rails at that point the arm t is pressed down and draws back a lever u fixedly
mounted at the extremity of the shafts at a suitable distance from the side of the
rail, such a movement of the lever draws back the lever through the wire or
rod connecting its extremity with that of the lever thereby releasing the cau

page_text: disc
and permitting the return movement of the barriers i by means of the
weight o. It is evident from Figures 1 and 2 that two barriers ii are arranged for
cach line with such an apparatus as herein before described so that even in case of
a train passing the shaft 8 on one line and another train passing the shaft c on the
other line one barrier will remain closed.
In order that a bell may be rung before the closure of a barrier a further shaft
with arm and lever may be arranged at a suitable distance from the crossing which
on actuation of the arm causes a spring lever mounted upon a standard to strike a
bell, such arin being actuated by means of the roller or projection upon the engine or
other part of the train which is employed for the depression of the arm as before
described. Any other suitable means for ringing a bell may, however, be
employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is—
1. Means for effecting the automatic closure and opening of the barriers of
railway crossings by a train consisting in the actuation by the train before and after
the crossing is passed of an arm (d and respectively) which is arranged upon the
line at a certain distance from the crossing so that by means of a lever mechanism (e,
fy, t, m and n) a weight (0) is lifted off the barrier and the barrier thereby
closed and by means of a second lever mechanism (u, vand r) a cam projection (p)
of the first mechanism is released so that the weight (o) aforesaid causes the barrier
arm to be uplifted or opened.
2. Means for effecting the automatic closure and opening of the barriers of
railway crossings by trains substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
Dated this 18th day of March 1800
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and 25, Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents.