Remote controlled parking barrier apparatus
AssigneeDesignated Parking Corp.
InventorsJames M. Rittenhouse, Rudor M. Teich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A barrier for the control of access of vehicles through a roadway, which uses stored mechanical energy to place the barrier in one of three states, one a blocking position and two non-blocking positions. The mechanical energy is derived from the weight of the vehicle as it passes over the apparatus. The activation of the barrier can be controlled by remote control at will, time-independent from the passing of the vehicle over the apparatus.
Claims33
A parking barrier apparatus for controlling the access of a vehicle past a barrier comprising:
- a barrier movable between a first barrier position allowing transit of the vehicle past said barrier, a second barrier position to which said barrier is moved by the passage of the vehicle over said barrier, and a third barrier position impeding movement of the vehicle past said barrier, said first barrier position being intermediate said second and third barrier positions;
- a locking mechanism selectively locking said barrier in said second barrier position and said third barrier position;
- and
- a motive assembly having an energy storage device which stores mechanical energy to eventually move said barrier from said second barrier position to said third barrier position when said barrier is unlocked from said second barrier position, said energy storage device including a spring having a first spring end and a second spring end, said spring being energized by the weight of the vehicle moving over said barrier causing said barrier to move from said first barrier position to said second barrier position;
- a housing for said motive assembly having a base;
- a rotatable shaft operatively connected to said first spring end, rotation of said shaft moving said barrier;
- a support movable with respect to said base, said second spring end operatively connected to said support, said support moving toward said shaft as said barrier is moved from said first barrier position to said second barrier position thereby enabling said spring to be energized sufficiently to eventually move said barrier from said second barrier position to said third barrier position.
A parking barrier apparatus for controlling the access of a vehicle past a barrier comprising:
- a barrier movable between a horizontal position allowing transit of the vehicle thereover, a lower ramp position also allowing transit of the vehicle thereover, and a vertical position preventing transit of the vehicle thereover, said barrier being adapted to move from said horizontal position to said ramp position by the weight of the vehicle passing thereover;
- a housing having a base;
- a shaft operatively connected to and moving said barrier;
- a locking mechanism for selectively locking said shaft with said barrier in said ramp position or with said barrier in said vertical position;
- and
- a motive assembly for moving said shaft including a spring having a first end and a second end, said first spring end operably connected to said shaft and said second spring end fixedly connected to a support movable with respect to said base, said spring as said barrier is moved from said horizontal position to said ramp position under the weight of the vehicle moving thereover storing sufficient mechanical energy subsequently to move said barrier from said ramp position to said vertical position, by having said second spring end and support move with respect to said base, neither of said ends of said spring being permanently anchored to said base.
A method for sequencing movement of a parking barrier, the barrier movable with respect to a base and having a vertical vehicle impede position, a non-impede horizontal position and a lower non-impede ramp position, comprising the steps of:
- locking said barrier in said vertical position against a bias force which would otherwise move said barrier;
- unlocking said barrier so that said barrier moves under the influence of said barrier force to said horizontal position;
- maintaining said barrier in said horizontal position until sufficient force is applied to said barrier to move it to said ramp position;
- energizing a spring having a first spring end and a second spring end as said barrier is moved from said horizontal position to said ramp position;
- providing sufficient energy in said spring by having said second spring end move relative to said first spring end and move relative to the base to eventually enable said spring to move said barrier from said ramp position to said vertical position against the action of said bias force;
- locking said barrier in said ramp position with said spring energized until it is desired to move said barrier from said ramp position to said vertical position;
- and
- unlocking said barrier from said ramp position to allow it to move to said vertical position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.