An Improved Method of Bolting and Locking Gates for Railway Crossings and other places.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1893-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1893
An Improved Method of Bolting and Locking Gates for Railway
Crossings and other places.
I, JOHN MENEELY FISHER, of Melcomb, Newport, in the County of Mayo,
Ireland, Civil Engineer, 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 my invention relates to an improved method of bolting and locking gates
for railway crossings and other places; and my invention consists in the details and
combination of parts hereinafter described.
My invention is designed for the purpose of preventing accidents occurring at
crossings owing to the gate being left open. It also dispenses with the employment
of a gate-keeper with an adjacent cottage and consequent expense. It may be
worked automatically with the signals thereby preventing the line or lines being
signalled as clear before the gate or gates are closed. Provision inay also be made
for bolting the gates from a cabin in the distance. Any authorised person having
a right of way and omitting to shut and lock the gate when closed may be
detected.
My invention consists essentially of two bolts called respectively the front and
rear bolt. These bolts are connected together in the same plane by a crank or
lever pivotted in such a way in the middle of its length that the oscillation of the
lever causes both bolts to travel forward and backward simultaneously.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood, reference is made
to the accompanying drawing which shows in-
Figure 1, an elevation of the device,
Figure 2, being a detail hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts in both of the figures.
In the said drawings A is the front bolt of the gate, B is the back or rear bolt,
the said bolts are connected together in the same plane by a lever C fulcrummed
at c, and hinged to both of the said bolts at a and b respectively. Thus it will be
seen that the movement of the lever C as indicated in a dotted line in Figure 1,
will cause both of the said bolts to be forced out or drawn in at will.
When the apparatus is fixed on a door or gate, the forward post D of the gate
has a hole d into which the front bolt shoots when the gate is shut. The hanging
post of the gate also has a hole or recess into which the back bolt shoots simul-
taneously with the shooting of the front bolt. Upon the said hanging post E is a
plate F affixed thereto, said plate F hereinafter called the guard, is curved radially
to a centre which is the vertical axis of the hinges, the said guard having a hole e
therethrough registering with a hole in the hanging post E which receives the rear
bolt B. It will thus be seen that the said bolt B cannot be shot unless the end of
the bolt comes fairly opposite to the hole in the said guard. The guard is so fixed
upon the said post that as the gate is turned round the back bolt cannot be shot
until the gate is completely shut. When the gate is in this position the front
bolt A shoots simultaneously into the hole in the forward post D of the gate,
thus, when the bolts are withdrawn and the gate swung open it will be seen that
the bolts cannot be shot out again until the gate is shut.
The detector apparatus consists of a lock G shewn in detail in Fig. 2 through
which one or other of the aforesaid bolts passes in its travel. A recess or notch
is cut in the said bolt. This recess is placed so as to come opposite to the
plunger H of the lock when the bolt is shot forward. When the bolt is thus shot
and the gate is shut, then, and then only the plunger of the lock can be actuated.
The plunger is actuated by a key I. The key-hole is so placed that the key can

page_text: only be withdrawn from the lock when the plunger is engaged in the bolt, and this
only when the gate is shut. When the gate is not shut and locked the key 1 is of
necessity left in the lock. The key can have a name or mark impressed upon it so
that its user can be detected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for locking gates for railway crossings and other places con-
sisting essentially of two bolts connected together by a pivotted lever in such a way
that the operation of such lever will cause both of the said bolts to be shot simul-
taneously, a guard plate to prevent the bolts being shot except when the gate is
closed and a locking device, the whole arranged, constructed and operating
substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 19th dow of July 1802
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.