US1527110A - Railroad-crossing signal - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 17, 1925.

F. BARNES RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL Filed May 16, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY 1,527,110 F. BARNES RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL Filed May 16, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I ATTORNEY Feb. 17. 1925.

1,527,110 F. BARNES RAILROAD CROS SING S IGNAL Filed May 16, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 4 T TOIf/Yf Y II .II

Feb. 17, 1925.

F. BARNES RAILROAD CROSSING S IGNAL Filed May 16, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WIT-"GE" I/W/f/VTOF Patented Feb. 17, 1925.

FRANK BARNES, 0F HARPERS FERRY, IOWA.

RAILROAD-CROSSING SIGNAL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK BARNEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harpers Ferry, in the county of Allamalree and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroadfirossing Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a signal apparatus, particularly to that type designed for use on railroads, and has for its object the provision of a novel signal mechanism which will operate automatically, upon the approach of a train, for giving a visible signal at a road crossing whereby to warn motorists, pedestrians, and all interested parties of the approach of a train, the device eing a great safeguard against injury and loss of life.

An important object is the provision of a device of this character which is mechanicall v operated upon the approach of a train, the passage of the train along the track being the sole means for effecting movement of the various parts embodied in the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a signal mechanism which will automatically return to its normal or inoperative position after the train has passed by the crossing.

Still another object is the provision of a mechanism of this character embodying various detailed features of construction and arrangement which will insure operation at all times and which will make it unnecessary for the signal to depend to any extent whatsoever upon manual manipulation.

An additional object is the provision of a signal apparatus of this type which'will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture and installation, positive in action, emcient and durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a railroad track and road crossing, showing the application of the invention. v

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken longi tudinally of the track and showing a side a suitable guide 17 on the tie j Application filed May 16, 1924. Serial No. 713,792.

elevation of the various the mechanism.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken longitudinally of the track and showing, on alarger scale, one of the signal members in normal or inoperative position.

Figure 5 is a section taken across the trackway and illustrating an elevation of the signal actuating mechanism.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the double dog holding means for the operating rack.

Figure 7 is a detail section on the line 77 of Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates the railroad track intersected by a road crossing B which it is desired to protect by means of the signal device forming the basis of the present application.

In carrying out the invention, I provide along the trackway, at opposite sides of the crossing B, suitable supporting and bearing brackets 10 which may conveniently be mounted on the undersides of ties and within which are journaled drums 11 about each of which is trained flexible members 12 and 13 secured at one end to the drum. The free end of the flexible member 12 has connected therewith a spring 14 which has its other end connected with a depending bracket 15 mounted on the tie D adjacent the tie G on which the bracket 10 is mounted. One end of the cable 13 is connected with a vertically extending plunger rod 16 slidable through C and having an enlarged head adapted to be engaged operating parts of by some suitable element depending from 9 the locomotive or other portion of the train travelling upon the track. Obviously, the train approaching the crossing from either side will cause depression of the plunger rod 16 and partial rotation of the drum 1.1.

To take the advantage of the above mentioned conditions, I provide signal devices mounted to extend across or partly across the crossing B in elevated position, which signal devices include upright supporting posts 18 upon which are pivoted, as at 19, elongated arms 20 equipped at one end with a weight 21 which will operate normally to hold the arms in elevated or inoperative position; If desired, the freeend of each arm may be equipped with a suitable signal lantern 22 of the oil or electric type, as pre ferred. Detailsof I this feature are not given as they really form no part of the present invention. f desired each arm may have depending therefrom a stoparm 23 adapted to engage the roadway for lim ting downward swinging movement of the signal. While the counter-balancing weight might be used as above described, it is really preferable that they be mountech on the shorter arms of the signal members to partially compensate for the added weight of the long arms so as to make the swinging movement, by the ,means to be described, more-easily accomplished.-

Located beneaththe roadbed at a point near or at the crossing Bis a suitably enclosed or built in recess 2 L within whichare mounted uprights 25 carrying bearings 26 for a shaft 27 which carries a pair ofwind;

ing drums 28 and '29, inwardly 0t theuprights 25 is another-painof uprights 30 ing the signal arms from moving to inoperative position when-,suclris notcdesir-ed In shaft 27i The drums 28*and 29 are fast upon the shaft 27 but it wi'll beobserved thatthe-mounting for thegear 32 is such as to permit a certain amount of lost metionowing to the factthat the; gear is formed with arcuate slots 51 through which pass pins 52 carried by one end of i the drum 28t In the; ope ation of the device, let it be assumed that the signal arms are'in-inopen ative position as shownin Fig-urea? W 'ieir between which is slidably mounted a racle bar 31 which meshes constantly iwith a-gear 32 on the shaft 27. upper end of the rackbar is a cable. or other flexible member 33 which is trained over-a guide pulley 34c and-which carries a weight 35 which operates to hold the rack bar normally in its uppermost position.

Connected with' the a train approaches the crossingifron'r either side thcreof the-foot or shoe element, not

shown, carried by the traixrwillengage one a or the other of the-heads 17 as the case rnay be and depress the plungerlti. lVhen this is done the drum 1.1 will be rotated, against Pivotally connected at 36 with the-lower end of the rack 31 are links 87 which diverge downwardly and which are pivotally con-' "*nected as at 38 withtheinner-ends of a pair of bars 39 slidable through bearings 40 mounted on the lower element &1 of a frame construction including uprights 42 The uprights l2'are mounted at opposite sides of the trackway adjacent the highway crossing B and constitutes supports for the signal, the above described members 18 being either secured to or formed as continuations of the uprights Connected with the outer ends of the bars 39 are-cables or other flexible members 43 trained over guide pulleys 4 and 4:5 and connected withthe signal arms'20 as shown at 46. Obviously,

whenathe rack is moved either up or down, as the case may be, the flEXlblQ- membersil will operate to swing the signal arms.

The fiexibleunembers 18 above described.

as having. one end connected with the plungersl6 have their other ends brought:

to and into the compartment or recess 24;3J1Cl secured to. and wrapped about the drums 28 and'29 respectively. so as to effect lturning movement thereof when" the plungers 16 are depressed upon. passage vof a train.

It;wil1 be noted that the-counterbalancing weight '35 "always:tends to move therack' 31 upwardly for holding the signal arms non mally in inoperative position. On account of ,thisfact, itbecomes necessary to provide a catch deviceor someameansl-for prevent I train.

the resistanceof the springil l, and apull will be exerted upon the cable .13. The

tension on the cable tends to rotate thedrum- 28, or-29as the case may be,- and thefirst result is that one or the other of the springs will pull upon, the double ended pawl- 49 and disengage it from the rack 31. As

the turning movemeut 'continues, thepins 52 will engagelthe ends of the slots 51 and turn thegear 32. The rotation of the gear 32 1S imparted to the rack bar whereupon;

upward movement of the links 37iresults, and these links crt a pull upon the :bars

39and flexible members 1315 0 that the signal arms 20 willbe swung downwardly into horizontal or signalling position clearly lndicatingto motorists tourists, pedestrians:

and all interestedvparties t-hat ca train a is approaching, Aftenthe train has gonelby t is quite apparent thati the. springs '14 will operatezqto return the plunger-devices to normal position so that allcof theiparts' willbe restored to normal.

From the foregoing description andla study of the drawings, it wilt bel -apparent that I have thusprovidedwa. simplyyconstructed and easily installed automatic sig-r.

nal device which willbe positive in its: ac-

tion and which will require no powerother thanv that derivedv from the-passage of a= great life saver.inasmuchasit will prevent norance of the fact that, a train is approac While I 'have shown. and.,describekilT t-heLi 9 The device will be found to: be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construc tion 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, I claim:

1. In a railroad crossing signal device, vertically swingable signals mounted at op posite sides of a trackway adjacent a crossing, a horizontal shaft, drums secured upon said shaft, a gear mounted on said shaft and having a certain degree of lost motion, a vertically movable rack meshing with said gear and operatively connected with the sig nal arms, and trip operated drums mounted along the trackway at opposite sides of the crossing and carrying cables secured to and Wrapped about the first named drums.

2. In a railroad signal device, vertically swingable signals mounted at opposite sides of a trackway adjacent a crossing, a horizontal shaft, drums secured upon said shaft, a gear mounted on said shaft and having a certain degree of lost motion, a vertically movable rack meshing with said gear and operatively connected with the signal arms, trip operated drums mounted along the trackWay at opposite sides of the crossing and carrying cables secured to and wrapped about the firstv named drums, said second named drums being double and carrying other cables secured to and wrapped thereabout and having spring tension applied thereto.

3. In a railroad signal swingable signals mounted of a trackway adjacent a crossing, a horizontal shaft, drums secured upon said shaft, a gear mounted on said shaft and having a certain degree of lost motion, a vertically movable rack meshing with said gear and operatively connected With the signal arms,

device, vertically at opposite sides trip operated drums mounted along the trackway at opposite sides of the crossing and. carrying cables secured to and wrapped about the first named drums, spring means for opposing rotary movement of said second named drums.

4:. In a railroad crossing signal device, vertically swingable signals mounted at opposite sides of a trackway adjacent a crossing, a horizontal shaft, drums secured upon said shaft, a gear mounted on said shaft and having a certain degree of lost motion, a vertically movable rack meshing with said gear and operatively connected with the signal arms, trip operated drums mounted along the trackivay at opposite sides of the crossing and carrying cables secured to and wrapped about the first named drums, spring means normally holding said second named drums in normal position, and a catch device operatively connected with said shaft and engaging said rack bar.

5. In a railroad crossing signal device, vertically swingable signals mounted at op posite sides of a trackway adjacent a crossing, a horizontal shaft, drums secured upon said shaft, a gear mounted 011 said shaft and having a certain degree of lost motion, a vertically movable racl: meshing With said gear and operatively connected with the signal arms and trip operated drums mounted along the trackway at opposite sides of the crossing and carrying cables secured to and Wrapped about the first named drums, spring means opposing rotation of the second named drums, a double ended catch device operatively engaging said rack bar, and a pair of springs connected with said shaft, arranged in crossed relation and connected with the ends of said double ended catch device.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANK BARNES.

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