US323034A - Eosswell w - Google Patents

Description

UN TED STATES PATENT Curios ROSSVELL \V. HALE, OF \VESI BAY CITY, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TC ALLSCN TRUDO AND JOHN K. SAUNDERS, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC BRIDGE-GATE.

ZJPEGIPICATEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,034, dated July 28, 1885.

Application filed April E5, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROSSWELL W. HALE, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Bay City, in Bay county, and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Automatic Bridge-Gate, of which the following is a specification.

Bridges which span navigable streams are usually provided with a portion which may be [0 drawnor swung around, in order that Vessels and boats may pass th rough,and while this portion or draw remains open or away from the stationary parts of the bridge accidents are liable to occur, as the roadway of the bridge is open to the stream where it would be closed by the draw were it in its usual position; and the object of my invention is to provide a means of closing the open end of the roadway at such times as the draw may be opened; and it consists, chiefly, of a gate placed in aposition across the stationary part of the bridge and near the end of the draw, and arranged to be raised or lowered out of the way of passing teams, 850., while the draw remains closed, and lowered or raised automatically to the roadway when the draw is being opened, the said operations being performed by means of the mechanism hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a bridge to which myinventionis attached. Fig.

2 is a transverse elevation of the same, showing position of the machinery when the draw is closed. Fig. 3 is a detached view showing the same when the draw is open. Fig. 4 is a 3 5 side elevation of Fig. 2.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents a portion of the stationary part of the bridge, and B is the end of the 0 draw which joins on the part A when closed, and may be swung to the left or right to open the way for the passage of a craft in the stream.

Across the stationary portion A, and near the edge of the draw B, is placed the gate C,

5 the ends of which slide in grooves provided in the upright standards D and D,which are attached to the sides of the part A of the bridge for the purpose of carrying and guiding the gate.

At the top or upper end of the upright pieces D, and firmly secured thereto, are the brackets g and g, to which are secured in a suitable manner the sprocket-wheels f and f Over these sprocket -wheels are passed the drive-chains e and e, which also pass below the floor of thebridge and around the sprocket wheels h and h, located in a line with and below the sprocket-wheels f and f. The wheels h and h are attached to the ends of the shafts m and m, which extend to the edge of the sta- 6o tionary part A of the bridge, and are provided at their opposite or outer ends with sprocketwheels a and a. The outer ends of the gate C are provided with the lugs 19 and p, which are also attached to the drive-chains e and e.

In a line with and midway between the wheels at and a, and attached to the outer ends of the shafting 0 and 0, are placed the sprocket-wheels a and a, the wheel a being connected by the drive-chain b to the wheel a, and the wheel a connected to the wheel a by the drive -'chain 1). The inner ends of the shafts 0 and 0 are provided with the gearwheels 0 and c, which are arranged to engage with each other, so that power applied to either of the drive-chains b or b will move all the parts at the same time.

Attached to the middle part of the draw B, and having one end extending over and between the drive-chains b and b, is located the bar d, and to the drive-chains b and b are se cured the lugs i and i and n and n in such a position that when the gate C is raised to its highest position and the draw B is closed the lugs i and i will be on opposite sides of and near to the bar (1, as shown in Fig. 2, and as the draw B is swung around for opening the draw the bar (I engages with the lug iand moves it, with the upper portion of the chain 1), to the side of the bridge, and the lug i, pass- 0 ing over the sprocket-wheel a, is carried be low the bar (I, which leaves it and passes on, leaving the lug a above the sprocket a, as shown in Fig. 4., to be caught by the bar 62 on its return, when the draw is again closed and carried back to its former position.

By the motion imparted to the chain 1) the chains b and e and c are actuated,and the gate C is lowered across the roadway when the draw is swung open, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and raised above the roadway when the draw is again closed, as shown'in Fig. 2.

The bar (1 is provided with the slots 25, through which pass the fastening-bolts which secure it to the draw B, in order that it may be moved back beneath and allowed to pass without engaging with the lugs 2, should it be desirable so to do.

Beneath the upper portion of the drivechains 1) and b, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is placed a slide, S, for guiding and holding the chain in atrue and level position while being acted upon by the bar (1. The gate 0 may also be located below the roadway, a suitable passage being left in the roadway for the same, and the hereinbefbredescribed mechanism will raise the gate Oabove the roadway by attaching the lug p to the opposite side of the chain 6, and it will again be lowered to its former position when the draw is closed. It will also produce the same result should the draw B be swung in either direction or swung entirely around, the opposite end being provided with a second bar, (I, which will actuate either chain 1) or b, as when the draw is open the lugs n and a stand at either side ready to engage with the bar (I when the draw is swung into position.

Having fully described my improvement,

what I claim as my invention, and desire tov secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic bridgegate, the stationary part A and the draw B, provided with the bar d, in combination with the drivechains b and I), provided with the lugs 45 and i and n and n, as described, the sprocketwheels a, a, a, and a, shafts 0 and 0, gearwheels 0 and c, shafts m and m, sprocketwheels 7i and h, drive-chains e and e, lugs 12 and p, and gate 0, located and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbeforc set forth and described.

2. In mechanism for operating a bridgegate, the combination of the horizontal drivechains b b, provided with the lugs i and n, and the slides S, located beneath the upper partof the said chains,with the bar d, attached to the draw B, and adapted to engage with the said lugs i and n, or to be withdrawn from contact with the said lugs, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

ROSSVELL \V. HALE.

WVitnesses:

G. H. FRANCIS, J. E. THOMAS.

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