Bridging mechanism for crossing railroad tracks with vertically moving pivot carriage for bridge plate

A bridging mechanism for crossing railroad tracks, comprising:

• a travel mechanism that is disposed on one side of said tracks, is guided parallel thereto, and includes a vertically upwardly directed support structure on which is displaceably guided a pivot connection means having a horizontal pivot axis;
• a bridge plate having a rear end that is connected to said pivot connection means so as to be pivotable between an approximately vertical rest position and an approximately horizontal operating position in which a front end of said bridge plate rests upon a dock or platform that is disposed on an opposite side of said tracks;
• and
• means for raising and lowering said pivot connection means on said support structure to simultaneously effect pivoting of said bridge plate such that during raising of said bridge plate from said operating position into said rest position thereof said pivot connection means is lowered, and during lowering of said bridge plate from said rest position into said operating position thereof said pivot connection means is raised.