US889838A - Cattle-guard. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JUNE 2', 1908.

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M. R. WILHITE.

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MARSHALL RICHARD WILHITE, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1908.

Application filed October 22, 1907. Serial No. 398,613.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSHALL RICHARD WILHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle- Guards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in.

cattle guards, and has for its object the pro vision of a stock guard for railways and the like which shall be of extremely simple construction, light and inexpensive, and which shall be entirely practical and efiicient in every particular.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a stock guard or gate which may readily be applied to the track without .making any changes therein.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists of a rock shaft rotatably supported beneath the track way, a gate carrled by the shaft, a platform supported in advance of the gate and adapted to be depressed, and connections between said platform and the rock shaft for partially rotating the shaft to raise the gate when the platform is depressed.

My invention further consists of a cattle guard embodying certain other novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as disclosed herein and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which t Figure 1, is a side elevation of a portion of a track way showing my improved stock guard applied thereto, the gate or barrier being in the normal lowered position. Fig. 2, is a like view of the same, showing the gate in the elevated position to form a bar- Fig. 3, is a top plan view of the device. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the ournal brackets for supporting the rock shaft which carries the barrier.

In the drawings, the numeral 1, designates a rock shaft which is j ournaled in the depending'brackets 2, the brackets preferably each having an outer inturned clamping lug 3, which overlaps the foot of the rail and an inner upstanding lug i, in which is adjustably mounted the set screw 5, the said set screw making engagement with the inner side of the foot of the rail, to detachably and adjustably secure the journal brackets thereto. In this way the depending journal brackets are adjustably atthe gate. posite end of the weight and is led over to' tached to the rail in the proper position,

but other means may be used as well as the set screw for attaching the journal brackets in place. Secured upon the rock shaft between the rails are the socket members 6, in which are engaged the posts 7, of the gate, these posts being connected by thecross bars or slats 8. The gate supporting or socket members may be secured to the rock shaft in any well known manner, and they each have a depending lug 9, in which are engaged the plain end portions of the arched or bowed spring connecting link 10. To the central portion of the spring link is connected by a short chain 11, or other similar connecting means, a weight 12, which is somewhat less than the weight of A chain 13, is secured to'the opthe far edge of the adjacent tie and there fastened by means of a staple or like fastening. Smaller gate sections 1 1, may be secured upon the outer ends of the rock shaft by means of the socket members previously described. 7

A U-shaped lever 15, has its straight central portion 16, fulcrumed in journal brackets 17, to one of the ties in advance of the gate (usually about the third tie in advance), and the side arms of the lever are somewhat bowed as at 18, to pass up over the ties. These side portions of the lever lie close alongside the rail so as to be protected thereby, and are each provided with a forward downwardly bent or depending portion 19. Chains 20, or other connecting means are engaged in the depending portions of the lever arms and pass up over the guide pulleys or rollers 21, on therock shaft, the chains having their ends fast to the pulleys. Instead of the pulleys on the rock shaft, a segment or arocker arm could be used as well, and if found more convenient,-the side arms of the lever could be made independent of each other instead of being in one continuous piece. Between the ties in advance of the gate, a platform is suspended from the side arms of the lever by means of the links 22, the platform consisting preferably of the supporting bars 23, and the spaced cross slats 23.

In operation, when cattle or other stock attempt to pass along the track way they are' bound to step upon the suspended platform and in so doing, the additlonal weight depresses the platform, and the levers through their connection with the rock shaft cause a partial rotary movement of said shaft, and

the gate carried by the shaft is raised to an upright position thus forming a complete barrier to further progress of the animal. As soon as the additional weight is removed from the operating platform, the weight connected to the gate section causes the gate to fall to its normal unobstructing position. When the gate is vertical, the balance weight is supported by the gate, but as the gate falls, the support of the balance weight is transferred to the tie, so that the gate then falls easily of its own weight. The gate structure is made as light as possible so that if by any accident it should be struck by a passing train, it will simply be torn from its sockets with practically no injury to either the train or the guard. WVhen stock are liable to approach from either side of the gate, levers and supporting platforms suspended therefrom would be placed on each side of the gate, and the ends of the levers would be connected to the operating chains on the rock shaft as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. In this way the gate would be lifted should stock approach from either direction.

It is desirable also to make the supporting platform as light as possible and it could be made of pipe or such material if desired.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, the operation and advantages of my improved stock guard will be readily understood and appreciated and it will be apparent that I have produced a device which fully accomplishes all the objects herein set forth.

I claim:

1. A cattle guard comprising journal brackets removably clamped to the foot of the rails, a rock shaft journaled in such brackets, a looped lever having its central portion pivoted beneath the rails and having side arms extending parallel to the rails, flexible connections between the ends of the lever and the rock shaft, a platform suspended from the side arms of the looped lever, a removable gate carried by the rock shaft, a weight connected at one end to a tie, and a spring detachably connecting the other end of the weight to the gate.

2. A stock guard comprising ournal brackets secured to the foot of the rails, a

rock shaft journaled in said brackets, a

looped lever having its central portion pivoted beneath the rails and its side portions extending parallel to the rails, flexible connections between the ends of the lever and the rock shaft, a platform suspended between the side arms of the lever, a removable gate carried by the rock shaft, a weight yieldingly connected to the gate, and connections anchoring the weight and allowing limited mo tion thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MAR-SHALL RICHARD WILHITE. Witnesses:

W. B. BALLARD, J. H. VAUGHAN.

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