Patent Application
20160280237
The disclosure relates to gate devices and more particularly pertains to a new gate device for preventing persons from falling off a train platform.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a platform that has an upper surface. A well extends downwardly into the platform. The well is positioned adjacent to an edge of the platform positioned nearest to a train track. A housing is positioned within the well and has an open apex. The apex is approximately flush with the upper surface of the platform. A pair of cylinders is positioned within the housing and each of the cylinders is vertically oriented. A conduit is in fluid communication with each of the cylinders. Each of the cylinders has one of a pair of pistons positioned therein. Each of the pistons has a bottom end and a top end.
Each of the top ends has one of a pair of posts attached thereto such that the posts extend upwardly from the pistons. A railing is attached to and extends between the posts. The railing is positioned on an upper end of the posts and is horizontally oriented. The pistons are movable from a stored position with the railing being approximately flush with the upper surface or in a deployed position positioned greater than 30.0 inches above the upper surface. A pump is in fluid communication with the cylinders to force fluid into the cylinders and urge the pistons upwardly into the deployed position.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The housing 20 is positioned within the well 16 and has an apex 22 which is open. The apex 22 is approximately flush with the upper surface 14 of the platform 12. A pair of cylinders 24 is positioned within the housing 20 and each of the cylinders 24 is vertically oriented. A conduit 26 is in fluid communication with each of the cylinders 24. A pair of pistons 30 is provided and each of the cylinders 24 has one of the pistons 30 positioned therein. A pump 28 is in fluid communication with the cylinders 24, and more particularly in fluid communication with the conduit 26, to force fluid into the cylinders 24 and urge the pistons 30 upwardly into the deployed position. The fluid may be a liquid or a gas, i.e. hydraulic or pneumatic. The conduit 26 may include an inlet valve 32 and an outlet valve 34, which are one-way valves, for allowing fluid flow into the conduit by way of the inlet valve 32 and outwardly of the conduit 26 through the outlet valve 34. However the fluid may instead be drawn outwardly through the conduit 26 from the same direction it was delivered into the conduit by reversal of the pump 28 or by utilization of two pumps working in opposite fluid flow direction. The outlet 34 and inlet 32 valves may each be fluidly coupled to a reservoir 33 such that a total pressure of a contained system is defined. It should be understood that the assembly 10 may comprise a plurality of housings 20 each having a conduit 26 with the conduits 26 fluidly coupled together wherein a single pump 28 therewith in an interconnected system. Thus, the number of housing 20 and conduit 26 combinations used within the apparatus 10 may be altered as needed. The total pressure may therefore include pressure within a single conduit 26 or multiple ones thereof. Further, an interconnected system may include a plurality of conduits 26 fluidly coupled together but only a single inlet valve 32 and a single outlet valve 34.
The pistons 30 each have a bottom end 36 and a top end 38. A pair of posts 40 is provided. Each of the top ends 38 has one of the posts 40 attached thereto such that the posts 40 extend upwardly from and outwardly of the pistons 24. A railing 42 is attached to and extending between the posts 40. The railing 42 is positioned on an upper end 44 of the posts 40 and the railing 42 is horizontally oriented. The pistons 30 are movable from a stored position with the railing 42 being approximately flush with the upper surface 14 or in a deployed position positioned greater than 30.0 inches above the upper surface 14. Thus, in the deployed position the railing 42 provides a barrier to stop persons from falling onto the train track 18. A brace 46 may be attached to and extends between the posts 40. The brace 46 is positioned between the pistons 30 and the railing 42. The brace 46 adds strength to the assembly 10 as well as prevents children from stepping easily under the railing 42.
Each of the cylinders 24 includes a cylinder gasket 48 mounted on the cylinder 24 and extending around a corresponding one of the posts 40. The cylinder gaskets 48 are airtight and each of the cylinder gaskets 48 includes a plurality of cleaning bristles 50 for cleaning the posts 40 before the posts 40 move inwardly of the cylinders 24. This will prevent dust and debris, which falls into the housing 12 when the railing 42 is raised and lowered from the housing 20, from moving into the cylinders 24. Additional cleaning bristles 51 may be positioned outside of the cylinders 24 and extended around the posts 40.
In a version shown in
The apparatus 10 may include a pressure sensor 70 in fluid communication with the conduits. The pressure sensor 70 is operationally coupled to a control system 73, which would include a conventional processor, to selectively control the pump 28, inlet valve 32 and/or outlet valve 34 to decrease or stop the increasing of pressure within the conduit 26 should the pressure sensor 70 detect pressure greater than a preselected threshold. Generally an increase in the pressure beyond that needed to lift the railing 42 would indicate that a person is standing on the railing 42. The pressure sensor 70 thus prevents the lifting of the railing 42 when a person is standing on the railing 42. Should a plurality of conduits 26 be fluidly coupled together, the pressure sensor 70 may stop the raising of all associated railings 42 or a plurality of pressure sensors 70 may be used such that only the railings 42 having weight thereon will not lift.
A sound emitter 72 may be operationally coupled to the control system 73 such that the control system 73 causes the sound emitter 72 to emitter audible warnings that the railing 42 is being raised. The audible warnings may include conventional type siren or chiming sounds and/or recorded messages indicating that the railings 42 are going to be raised.
A train indicator 74 may be operationally coupled to the control system 73 such that the pump 28 is only actuated to lift the railing 42 when a train is positioned adjacent the platform 14. The train indicator 74 may be one of multiple indicators 74 to detect the train being stopped along a selected portion of the platform 14.
In use, the posts 40 are lifted and raised as needed to provide protection for persons on the platform 12. In particular, when there is no train stopped adjacent to the platform 12, the posts 40 will be retained in their upright position preventing easy access to the train track 18. When a train stops adjacent to the platform 12, the posts 40 are lowered to allow travelers to pass the assembly and enter the train. The posts 40 will be actuated using inlet and exhaust valves coupled to the conduit 26 and which may be active by the control system coordinated with the arrival and departure of the train.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
