Improvements in Movable Barriers for Level-crossings on Railways.
Year: 1897

page_text: "
Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 15th May, -1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Movable Barriers for Level-crossings on
Railways.
I, HANS FRANZ PASSAVANT-ISELIN, Manufacturer, Bâle, Switzerland, 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 improvements in movable barriers for level-crossings on
railways, these improvements having for their objects the automatic locking of the
barriers, at the time of their being shut, and preventing the said barriers from
being opened by the public, allowing them only to be opened, by the officials
entrusted with their working.
In the drawings annexed, by way of example, the Figures I, II and III,
represent respectively a longitudinal section, a transverse section and a horizontal
section of a sliding or swinging barrier for level-crossings, furnished with my
improvements, whilst Figure IV represents an oscillating barrier or bascule
employed for the same purpose and also furnished with my improvements.
Figure 5 represents two oscillating barriers or bascules in conjunction, similar to
that shown in Figure IV and arranged for being operated by one and the same
winch.
Referring at the outset to Figures I, II and III, R represents the rolling or
swinging barrier furnished at a convenient spot in its lower part with a catch or
click S, oscillating on a bolt B, the hooked end H of which is constantly pressed
downwards by a spring F. The stop W on which this catch S is capable of being
hooked, is firmly fixed between the two rails which form the roller path for the
wheels or rollers supporting the gate of the barrier, in such a manner that, if the
barrier be pushed into the position in which it closes the passage, the catch or
click S falls, under the action of the spring F, behind the stop W and remains held
in this position, until the gate-keeper removes it from the said stop by giving a
vertical pressure with his foot to the pedal T, which forms one piece with the
catch S, and projects from the barrier on the side of the way to be barred, and
consequently not accessible outside, that is to say, to the public, it being thus
possible for him to push back the barrier and so set the passage free. A pin or
peg 7 prevents the spring F from pressing the hooked end H of the catch S down
farther than is necessary, and consequently keeps the said hooked end H from
rubbing against the ground. The catch S, its connection pin B, the spring F and
the peg are contained in a box A formed of sheet-iron, the whole being fitted to
the barrier by means of screws or bolts.
In the oscillating counter-weighted barrier, represented, by Figure IV the
shorter hind part A of the upper girder of the barrier X is provided with a lower
projection Wi which, when the barrier is lowered is held by a hook S¹ effecting
the locking of the barrier. The hook S¹ forms the upper end of a lever B' which
is pivotted near its lower end to a pin C¹ and provided with a lateral arm D¹
perpendicular to its longitudinal axis. Near to its free end the arm D' is attached
to a spring F¹ fixed in a suitable manner to the base or foundation and having a
tendency to draw the said arm D' downwards and consequently to maintain the
book S₁ of the lever B' constantly engaged with the projection W₁ of the barrier
when this latter is lowered. The armi D' is also.furnished with a roller G¹ which
.

page_text: the spring F¹ supports against the periphery of a cam or snail formed by a disc H'
having a projection V. This cam or snail as well as the sprocket wheel I' is
attached to a common shaft O'. Over the wheel I¹ passes a chain I which is
connected at one end to the transmission line or wire K'and at the other to a spiral
spring L. This last is connected at another part to one end of the working
lever M¹ secured to the trunnion z and rotating therewith and to the other arm of
the said lever is attached a similar spiral spring L' to which the transmission line
or wire K² which passes over the guide-block 12 and runs on to the working
or controlling winch of the barrier where it joins the transmission line K¹, is
joined.
The working of this oscillating barrier is as follows:-
If, the barrier being raised, it is lowered into the horizontal position for closing
the passage, by putting tension on the transmission line K by the aid of the
working or controlling winch, so as to lower the barrier X, that is to say, to raise
its bind part A', the end of the upper girder of the barrier will describe an arc of
a circle around the centre z, will come into contact with the lever B', and slide
along the length of this latter, causing it to diverge in the direction of the
arrow and consequently further stretching the spring F' attached at E¹ to the
end of the arm D¹ of the said lever B. As soon as the barrier reaches a
horizontal position, the catch-hook S¹ will under the action of the stretched
spring F1, engage with the projection W' and thus effect the locking of the barrier.
The spring L placed between the transmission line K2 and the lever M¹ will be
still further slightly stretched when the barrier begins to descend, whilst the
transmission line K¹ being capable of following the movement of the corresponding
arm of the lever M', the said arm of the lever M¹ will necessarily pull or draw,
the chain and the spring L' upwards during the descent of the barrier, and this
will cause the cam Hi to rotate on its axis and thus compel the projection V' of
the said cam H' to pass beneath the roller G¹ of the cam D'.
If it be desired to raise the barrier, tension is put on the transmission line K' by
means of the working or controlling winch, operated in reverse direction; the
spring L' will thus at first be still further stretched, the barrier remaining locked
in its horizontal position by the hook S', whilst the chain i placed between K
and M will be displaced with K¹ and cause the sprocket wheel I to rotate and
therewith the cam H. As soon as, in consequence of this movement of K', which
simply increases the tension of the spring L and effects the rotation of 1 and H',
the projection V₁ of the cam or snail H₁ comes under the roller G¹ of the arm D'
this latter will be raised and the lever B¹ caused to move in the direction of the
arrow which will disengage the catch or hook S' from the projection W₁ of the
upper girder of the barrier which will immediately begin to rise, whilst its hind
part A will descend seeing that the spring L' previously tightly or strongly
stretched resumes its initial tension and the rising of the barrier
effected in the
usual manner by the continuation of the traction on the transmission line K¹.
In order that the public may not un-hook the hook S¹ from the projection W¹,
the part of the lever B¹ which is above the ground, is enclosed in a sheet-iron box
in which a lateral opening n is formed for the passage of the projection W¹ and of
the hind part or extremity of the upper girder of the barrier.
When the invention is applied to oscillating barriers with two bascules as
indicated in Figure V, it is sufficient to apply the herein before described locking
arrangement to each of the bascules of the barrier and to work the two con-
trivances or locking arrangements by transmission lines K' K' operated by a
common (mutual) working winch, in order to be able to open and shut the two
wings or gates of the barrier simultaneously.
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. The improvements in movable barriers for level-crossings on railways, as

page_text: described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, and which enable
such barriers to be locked automatically as soon as they are shut and prevent them
from being opened by unauthorised persons.
2. In sliding or swinging barriers, a catch S jointed to the barrier, subjected to
the action of a spring F and enclosed with this latter in a box A, the hooked
end H of this catch engaging automatically behind a stop W firmly fixed between
the rails of the roller path or at any other convenient part of the barrier, whilst a
pedal T attached to the said catch projects outside the box A or the barrier, on
the side of the way to be barred, and the movement of the catch S being limited
by a pin r fitted to the barrier or to the box A for the purpose of preventing the
hock H from coming in contact with the ground as set forth.
3. In oscillating barriers a lever B¹ jointed near its lower end and provided at
its upper end with a hook S¹ capable of engaging automatically with a stop W₁
formed on the weighted arm of the upper girder of the barrier at the time of the
latter descending, the part of the lever which is above the ground, being enclosed
by a box N furnished with a lateral orifice, and the said lever moreover being
provided with an arm D¹ carrying a roller G¹ and on which a spring Facts in
such a manner that its roller G₁ is constantly pressed against the periphery of a
cam or snail H¹ having a projection V₁ thereon which can be operated by the
transmission lines K' K serving to work the barrier and which are connected by
springs L' L' to the ends of the working or controlling lever of the barrier one of
such lines K' passing round a sprocket wheel I connected with the cam H', whilst
the other K' passes over a guide-pulley, in such a manner that when the barrier
is being raised, the un-hooking of the hook S₁ from the stop W₁ of the barrier
can be effected by the assistance of springs L' L' and of the cam H' which acts
through its projection on the roller G¹ of the arm D' of the lever B' as set
forth.
th
Dated this 15th day of April 1897.
For the Applicant,
J. G. LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London, W.C., Associate Agent.