# US 8,341,889 B2 · Coupling apparatus for barrier assemblies and related methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,341,889 B2 - Document ID: US8341889B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/562,743 - Filed: 2009-09-18 - Published: 2010-03-25 - Granted: 2013-01-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-09-19 - Assignees: Hy-Security Gate, Inc. - Inventors: James Faulkner; Steven A. Carlsen; Keith A. Mullins; Brian G. Denault - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8341889B2 ## CPC - E05F 15/63: operated by swinging arms - E05F 15/603: using rotary electromotors - E05Y 2201/216: Clutches - E05Y 2201/224: Stops - E05Y 2201/236: using force or torque - E05Y 2201/624: Arms - E05Y 2201/644: Flexible elongated pulling elements - E05Y 2400/3016: Overriding existing wing movement - E05Y 2900/40: for gates - E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING - E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF ## Abstract The present disclosure relates generally to barrier assemblies, and more particularly, to the coupling of a barrier operator to the barrier that the operator is to move. In one embodiment, a barrier operator coupling includes a wedge member that is fixedly attached to an output shaft of the barrier operator. A housing is brought to bear against a wedge member, and an adjustment device is used to maintain the force between the wedge member and the housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A barrier system comprising: a barrier operator having an output shaft; a journal coupled to the output shaft, wherein the journal includes a generally frustum-shaped exterior surface; a housing coupled to the journal, wherein the housing includes a bore portion that receives the journal and frictionally engages the exterior surface of the journal; a linkage having a first end portion opposite a second end portion, wherein the first end portion is coupled to the housing; and a barrier coupled to the second end portion of the linkage, wherein the barrier is configured to move between a closed position and an open position; wherein the housing slips along the journal and rotates independent of the journal when a torque above a predetermined value is applied to the housing via the linkage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The barrier system of claim 1 wherein the journal is made from a first material having a first hardness and the housing is made from a second material having a second hardness different from the first hardness. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The barrier system of claim 1 wherein one of the journal and the housing is made of steel and the other is made of aluminum. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The barrier system of claim 1 wherein the journal is configured to rotate the housing and drive the linkage to move the barrier between first and second positions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The barrier system of claim 1 wherein the journal includes an axis extending generally perpendicularly from a lower surface of the journal, and wherein the exterior surface of the journal is at a cone angle of approximately 5-10 degrees from the axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The barrier system of claim 1, further comprising an adjustment assembly coupling the housing to the journal, wherein the adjustment assembly is configured to adjust a frictional force between the journal and the housing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The barrier system of claim 6, wherein the adjustment assembly comprises: a fastener threadably engaged with the journal; and a washer positioned between the fastener and the housing, wherein the washer transfers an axial force from the fastener to the housing to adjust the frictional force between the journal and the housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The barrier system of claim 1 wherein: the linkage includes a crank arm coupled to the barrier operator and a barrier arm coupled to the barrier, and wherein the barrier arm is coupled to the crank arm at a pivot point; and the barrier system further comprises a cover assembly coupled to the linkage at the pivot point, and wherein the cover assembly at least partially covers any overlapping portions of the crank arm and the barrier arm throughout movement of the linkage during operation of the barrier operator. ### Claim 9 A barrier system comprising: a barrier operator having an output shaft; a journal coupled to the output shaft, wherein the journal includes a frustum-shaped exterior surface; a housing coupled to the journal, wherein the housing includes a bore portion that receives the journal and frictionally engages the exterior surface of the journal; a linkage having a first end portion opposite a second end portion, wherein the first end portion is coupled to the housing; a barrier coupled to the second end portion of the linkage, wherein the barrier is configured to move between a closed position and an open position; an adjustment assembly coupling the housing to the journal, wherein the adjustment assembly is configured to adjust a frictional force between the journal and the housing, the adjustment assembly comprising a fastener threadably engaged with the journal, a washer positioned between the fastener and the housing, wherein the washer transfers an axial force from the fastener to the housing to adjust the frictional force between the journal and the housing, and wherein the adjustment assembly further comprises a locking member extending through the washer into the journal, wherein the locking member prevents the washer from moving independently from the journal. ### Claim 10 A barrier system comprising: a barrier operator having an output shaft; a journal coupled to the output shaft, wherein the journal includes a frustum-shaped exterior surface; a housing coupled to the journal, wherein the housing includes a bore portion that receives the journal and frictionally engages the exterior surface of the journal; a linkage having a first end portion opposite a second end portion, wherein the first end portion is coupled to the housing; a barrier coupled to the second end portion of the linkage, wherein the barrier is configured to move between a closed position and an open position; an adjustment assembly coupling the housing to the journal, wherein the adjustment assembly is configured to adjust a frictional force between the journal and the housing, the adjustment assembly comprising a fastener threadably engaged with the journal, a washer positioned between the fastener and the housing, wherein the washer transfers an axial force from the fastener to the housing to adjust the frictional force between the journal and the housing; and a biasing member positioned between the fastener and the washer, and wherein the biasing member urges the washer away from the fastener toward the housing. ### Claim 11 A barrier system comprising: a gate configured to move from a first position to a second position; a linkage coupled to the gate; a gate operator coupled to the linkage to drive the linkage and move the gate between the first and second positions, wherein the gate operator includes a first torque transmitter coupled to an output of the gate operator, wherein the first torque transmitter has a generally cylindrical shape tapering from a lower portion to an upper portion of the first torque transmitter; and a second torque transmitter frictionally engaged with the first torque transmitter, wherein the second torque transmitter is coupled to the linkage, wherein the second torque transmitter is configured to slip against the first torque transmitter and rotate independently from the first torque transmitter when a torque applied to the second torque transmitter is above a predetermined level. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The barrier system of claim 11 wherein the first torque transmitter is a generally frustum-shaped torque transmitter and the second torque transmitter includes a generally frustum-shaped cavity that receives the first torque transmitter and corresponds to the shape of the first torque transmitter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The barrier system of claim 11 wherein the first torque transmitter is configured to rotate the second torque transmitter when the output rotates the first torque transmitter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The barrier system of claim 11, further comprising an adjustment assembly configured to adjust a frictional force between the first and second torque transmitters. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The barrier system of claim 11 wherein: the linkage includes a crank arm coupled to the gate operator and a barrier arm coupled to the barrier, and wherein the barrier arm is coupled to the crank arm at a pivot point; and the barrier system further comprises a cover assembly coupled to the linkage at the pivot point, and wherein the cover assembly at least partially covers any overlapping portions of the crank arm and the barrier arm throughout movement of the linkage during operation of the gate operator. ### Claim 16 A barrier operator for moving a barrier between an open position and a closed position via a barrier linkage, the barrier operator comprising: a torque multiplying device; an output shaft extending from the torque multiplying device; a first torque transmitting device attached to the output shaft, wherein the first torque transmitting device includes a first end portion opposite a second end portion, the first end portion having a first outer diameter and the second end portion having a second outer diameter that is less than the first outer diameter; and a second torque transmitting member operably coupled to the first torque transmitting member, wherein the second torque transmitting member includes a bore portion that at least partially receives the first torque transmitting device, and wherein the second torque member is configured to be coupled to the barrier linkage to move the barrier between the open and closed positions; wherein the first and second torque transmitting devices are configured to slip and rotate relative to each other when a predetermined amount of torque is applied to at least one of the first and second torque transmitting devices. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The barrier operator of claim 16 wherein an exterior surface of the first torque transmitting device frictionally engages the bore portion of the second torque transmitting device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The barrier operator of claim 16 wherein the first torque transmitting device has a generally frustum shape. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The barrier operator of claim 16 wherein the first torque transmitting device is made from a first material having a first hardness, and the second torque transmitting device is made from a second material having a second hardness that is different than the first hardness. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The barrier system of claim 16, further comprising an adjustment assembly coupling the first torque transmitting device to the second torque transmitting device, wherein the adjustment assembly is configured to adjust a normal force between an exterior surface of the first torque transmitting device and an interior surface of the bore portion of the second torque transmitting device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The barrier operator of claim 16 wherein the second torque transmitting device is configured to be separable from the first torque transmitting device to interrupt torque transmission between the first and second torque transmitting devices. ### Claim 22 A barrier operator for moving a barrier between an open position and a closed position via a barrier linkage, the barrier operator comprising: a torque multiplying device; an output shaft extending from the torque multiplying device; a first torque transmitting device attached to the output shaft, wherein the first torque transmitting device includes a first end portion opposite a second end portion, the first end portion having a first outer diameter and the second end portion having a second outer diameter that is less than the first outer diameter; and a second torque transmitting member operably coupled to the first torque transmitting member, wherein the second torque transmitting member includes a bore portion that at least partially receives the first torque transmitting device, and wherein the second torque member is configured to be coupled to the barrier linkage to move the barrier between the open and closed positions, and wherein the second torque transmitting device is separable from the first torque transmitting device; the second torque transmitting device includes a groove extending circumferentially around an exterior surface of the second torque transmitting device; and the barrier operator further comprises a release linkage including a first engagement portion opposite a second engagement portion, wherein the first and second engagement portions are configured to engage the groove at opposite sides of the second torque transmitting device, and wherein the release linkage is configured to separate the second torque transmitting device from the first torque transmitting device when the release linkage is actuated about a pivot axis. ### Claim 23 A barrier operator for moving a barrier between an open position and a closed position via a barrier linkage, the barrier operator comprising: a torque multiplying device; an output shaft extending from the torque multiplying device; a first torque transmitting device attached to the output shaft, wherein the first torque transmitting device includes a first end portion opposite a second end portion, the first end portion having a first outer diameter and the second end portion having a second outer diameter that is less than the first outer diameter; and a second torque transmitting member operably coupled to the first torque transmitting member, wherein the second torque transmitting member includes a bore portion that at least partially receives the first torque transmitting device, and wherein the second torque member is configured to be coupled to the barrier linkage to move the barrier between the open and closed positions; an input device configured to receive one or more operating conditions including at least at least one of a weight of the barrier, a length of the barrier, and a maximum allowable speed of the barrier; and a controller configured to control the barrier operator to move the barrier according to a motion profile based on the one or more operating conditions. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The barrier operator of claim 23 wherein the motion profile includes at least one of acceleration portion and a deceleration portion of movement the barrier.