US1588291A - Safety device for grade crossings - Google Patents

Description

' June a, 1926. 1,588,291

A. AUSTIN El AL SAFETY DEVICE FOR GRADE CR$$INGS Filed Oct. 23,

3 Sheets-Sheet 1,.

June 8 1926. 1,588,291

A. AUSTIN Er AL I SAFETY DEVICE FOR GRADE CROSSINGS Filed Oct. 23, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WINS:

June 8 1926.

A. AUSTIN El AL SAFETY DEVICE FOR GRADE CROSSINGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 25, 1925 WITNES:

Patented June 8, 1926.

/ UNITED STATES PATENT orFIoE.

ATWELL AUSTIN AND HOWARD WILSON, OI. LANSING, KANSAS.

sunny DEVICE 'FOR onannonossmes.

Application filed October 23, i925. Serial No. 64,423.:-

g This invention relates to safety devices foruse in connection with grade crossings and has for its object the provision of novel means operated automatically upon the ap- I! preach of a train and acting to prevent passage of a vehicle across the track, thereby greatly reducing danger of accident.

An important and more specific" objectis the provision of a safety device for crossings embodying pits which a are normally covered but which are automatically opened upon the approach of a. train from either direction so that any attempt to drive a,

vehicle onto the track will be frustrated 1 owing to the movement of the front wheels into the pit. v 7

Still another object is to provide a device of this character having zig-zag pathways or trench ways approaching the pit andne cessitating slowing down of the speed of the vehicle prior to its reaching the safety pit.

Still another object of the invention is :to

provide a device of this character in which the pit covers, when raised to open and elevated position upon the approach of a train will act as barriers and provide adequate I obstructions upon which the headlights of the car will shine so that the operator or 0perators will be apprised oithe approach of a a train. y I f Afurther :obj ec t of the invention is to-provide a device ofthis "character having autob 46 general improvement inthe art.

With the. abovev and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in y the details of construction and the arrange,

ment and combination or parts to be "hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Figure 1 is a plan view of the complete device.

Figurefa is a vertical.se t

of the safetypitsshowin'g a vehicle engaged therein. I

Figure '3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating the pit cover as being in closed and locked position.

Figure '4: is a detail sectionfta'kenon the "linef l l of Figure 3, v

F gure 5' 1s a perspective view showing themounting of the operatlngmechanism 'moved by the train approaching thegrade crossing".

Figure 6is a detail perspective view showing the other end of the movable train operatedbar. I

Figure 7 is'a detail perspective view.

Figure 8 is a section taken on the line '88 of Figureo, and

Figure 9 is a detail elevation. I Referring more particularlyto thedrawing, the letter A designates a railroad track crossing a highway B. In protecting the highway, we make use of an apparatuswhich includes (pits 1 built into the road or highway at opposite sides of the crossing, these pits beingconstructed-of concrete or the like which may form part of the highway or road itself. In JFigures Q and 3, we have illustrated one of these pits in section and referring to these figures it will be observed that the bottom 2' of the 'pit slopes downwardly toward the track, a vertical wall 3 eing provided at the end or side of the pit nearest the track. Owing to the inclination of the bottom of each pit i't'is quite "evident that the front wheels offa car may easily roll down the inclined bottom, as shown in igure .2 and come "to rest against {the vertical wall 3 so that the vehicle could not "be driven onto the 'tra'cln suitablymounted longitudinally of each pit or atright angles to the track is a'beam or bar 4 which serves gas a support for means to be described, this "beam orbarbeing anchoredto thezpit any.

desired means whatsoever.

"Each ,pitjis normally closed by a cover 5 hingedyas shown at Gfbymeans of a spring hinge which acts normally to swing the cover upwardly into open position so that the pit willbee'xposed andreadylfor actime. At the undersidelo'f the free edge portion of each cover is an 'angula-r -keeper 7 being slida'ble through "suita'lile bearing "de- 'apertured'ior engagement therein of a latch member' 8 'formed as a ;plunger or rod urged 'in'to locking pos tion "bya" spring 9,.the rod vices 10 anchored upon the beam or bar 4. Normally, this latch device operates to hold the covers or doors closed against the action of the springs 6.

The control or operating means for eflecting release of the cover members upon approach of the train and for reclosing them after a train has gone by, comprises long1- tudinally movable bars 11 and 12 located at opposite sides of the crossing and pivotally carried by crank arms 13 and-1 1 on shafts 15 and 16, the former of which are mounted in suitable bearings .17 and the latter of which are mounted in bearings 18 secured upon the ties. Springs 19 engage the arms 18 and 14: for normally holding the bars 11 not only against the outer edges of the rails but also in elevated position with respect thereto so that these rails 11 and 12 will be disposed in the path of travel of the wheels of the train approaching or passing by the crossings.

The shafts 15 carry crank arms or levers 19' with which are connected flexible members, such as cables or the like 20, trained about guide pulleys 21 mounted on the ties and connected with bridle cables 22 trained about suitable guide pulleys 23 and24 and connected with the doors or covers 5. Each bridle cable 22 of course includes two parts, one leading to the door at one side of the track and the other leading to the door or cover at the opposite side thereof, the construction being identical at both sides. The other ends of the cables or flexible members 20 are connected with bridle members 25 which are trained about suitable guide pulleys 26 and 27, also 28, and connected with the slidable latch rods 8. Each bridle mem ber 25 of course includes two parts or sections, one of which being connected with the latch device of the door at one side of the track while the other is similarly connected with the latch device of the door at the opposite side of the'track. The cables at opposite sides of the roadway are connectedas shown so that it will make no difference which way or from which direction a train approaches a crossing, the action being identically the same in either case.

In the operation of the device it will be seen that under normal circumstances the rails or bars 11 and 12 are in elevated position while the doors 01' covers 5 for the pit are in closed position, the springs in the hinge members 6 being held under tension and the doors being held shut by means of the spring pressed latch devices 8. There is nothing then whatsoever to interfere with the free passage of vehicles of all kinds over the crossing. However, whenever a train approaches the road from either side thereof it is obvious that the engagement of the wheels of the train with either the bar 11 or the bar 12, as the case may be depending upon direction, the bar will be depressed and moved lengthwise, resulting in rocking of the shaft 15 connected therewith. When the shaft is thus moved, the lever 19 is correspondingly moved and the flexible member 20 connected therewith will be pulled resulting in pulling the bridle member 25 which is connected with the latch devices 8 of both pit covers. This will result in withdrawing the latch devices 8 from the keepers 7 so that the springs 6 will act to swing the pit covers upwardly as shown in Figure 2. These p t covers may bear warning signs on their undersurfaces and even in the absence of such signs it is apparent that they will extend'upwardly to asutficient extent to attract attention either by day or by night, in the latter instance the headlights of the ve-. hicle shining upon them. Obviously, when tl e covers are thus swung upwardly the pits are exposed. and the front wheels of the vehicle endeavoring to cross the track will drop into the pit, gently on account of the inclined bottoms, and will come into engagement with the upright walls 3. Obviously, it will be impossible to drive the vehicle out of the pit in a forward direction and in this way danger of accident at the crossing will be prevented. It is intended that zig-zag or serpentine guide paths, grooves, channels or the like indicated at 30 be provided at opposite sides of the crossing and in advance of the pit so as to necessitate slowing down of the vehicles before they approach the pit. After the train has passed by the crossing, it will be observed that the other bar member 11 or 12, as the case may be, will be moved longi tudinally and depressed so that the flexible member connected with the other lever arm 19 will be pulled,tension being applied to the bridle member 23 which will result in swinging the doors or covers downwardly into their normal or closed position, the

catch members 7 then cooperating with the latch members 8 for maintaining the closed position. Of course, if a vehicle has been so driven that its front wheels are engaged within a pit it is necessary that the vehicle be backed out before the. coversfor the pit can be closed, but this is something which is very readily done by the driver of'the ve hicle when occasion demands.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that we have thus provided a very simply constructed and easily installed safety device which will greatly lessen likelihood of accident at crossings, inasmuch as it will be a physical impossibility to drive a car or other vehicle up onto the track while a train is approaching. It is really believed that the construction, operation and advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art without further explanation.

While We have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that We reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having'thus described the invention, we claim 1. In a protective device of the character described, pits located in aroadway at 01pposite sides of a track, covers normal y covering said pits, spring means tending to swing said covers to open position exposing the pits,rspring pressed latch means normally holding said covers in closed position, rail members located alongside the track and engageable by the wheels or" a passing train, lever devices connected with and operated by movement of the rail members, and flexible members connected with said levers and with the latch devices and covers, movement of a rail member in one direction applying tension to the flexible members for releasing said catch means, and movement of the flexible members in the opposite direction acting to reclose the cover members.

2. In a protective device of the character described, pits located in a roadway at opposite sides of a track, covers normally covering said pits, spring means tending to swing said covers to open position exposing the pits, spring pressed latch means normally holding said covers in closed position, rail members located alongside the track and engageable by the wheels of a passing train, lever devices connected with and operated by movement of the rail members,

covering said pits, spring means tending to swing said covers to open position exposing the pits, spring pressed latch means normally holding said covers in closed position, rail members located alongside the track and engageable by the wheels of a passing 7 train, lever devices connected with and operated by movement of the-rail members, and

flexible members connected with said levers and with the latch device and covers, movement of a rail member in one direction applying tension to the flexiblemembers for releasing said catch means, and movement of the flexible members in the opposite direction acting to reclose the cover members,

said pits having their bottoms inclining downwardly toward the track and having upright abutment walls at the side nearest the track constituting positive stop means.

In testimony whereof we atflx our signatures.

-ATWELL AUSTIN. HOWARD WILSON.

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