Crossing gate counterweight adjustment
OwnerThomas R. Zaro, Scott D. Jones +1inventors
InventorsThomas R. Zaro, Scott D. Jones, Glen F. Seng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A screw-threaded counterweight adjustment apparatus is journaled in end journals provided with brackets for attachment to the interior of a railroad crossing gate arm casing preferably by jam-type threaded fittings. A traveler is threaded over an elongated helically threaded rod rotatably mounted in the journals. A guide on one side of the traveler fits in an adjustment slot in the casing and a counterweight supporting rod or pin extends from the guide for attachment and support of the counterweights. The helically threaded rod is manually rotated by a wrench or by a motor to move the traveler and guide longitudinally on the counterweight section of the gate when it is desired to adjust the position of the counterweights.
Claims23
A counterweight adjustment apparatus for adjusting the longitudinal position of counterweights upon a railroad gate crossing structure comprising:
- (a) a pair of journals provided with means for attachment of said journals to a railroad crossing gate arm casing,
- (b) an elongated rotatable threaded member mounted within the journals for rotational movement about its longitudinal axis,
- (c) an internally threaded counterweight support assembly movably mounted upon the rotatable threaded member,
- (d) said counterweight support assembly including a traveler internally threaded to receive the elongated rotatable threaded member, a guide member adapted for sliding movement within a longitudinal counterweight adjustment slot also associated with the railroad crossing gate arm casing and a counterweight support means extending outwardly from said guide member and incorporating means thereupon for retaining counterweights, and
- (e) means provided upon the rotatable threaded member for interengagement with wrench means for rotating said threaded member.
An adjustment arrangement for a counterweight used upon a railroad crossing gate structure comprising:
- (a) a counterweight support means adapted for longitudinal movement along a counterweight support portion of a railroad crossing gate apparatus guided by a slot guide associated with the railroad gate apparatus,
- (b) at least one elongated helically threaded member adapted by rotational movement about its longitudinal axis to bias the counterweight support means along the slot-type guide,
- (c) the counterweight support means having associated with it a means for attachment of gate counterweights to it, and
- (d) a means for rotating the elongated helically threaded member.
A method of improving the adjustment of counterweights on a railroad crossing gate comprising:
- (a) mounting within a counterbalance portion of a gate casing by means of threaded fastenings a helically threaded rod such that such rod extends longitudinally parallel to an adjustment slot already in the gate casing;
- (b) the helically threaded rod having an internally threaded traveler thereupon which is adapted to be adjusted to be located upon the threaded rod at a location allowing a guide means attached to said traveler to be inserted into the adjustment slot for free movement along said slot,
- (c) mounting at least one counterweight upon a counterweight support means extending from said guide means to the opposite side of said slot from said helically threaded rod, and
- (d) securing said counterweight upon the counterweight support means whereby the counterweight can be moved along the casing adjacent the slot in the casing by rotating the helical threaded rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.