Railway crossing gate assembly, components therefor and methods of making the same

• US 6,776,377 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2002
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Craig A. Watkins
• Original Assignee: Craig A. Watkins
• Inventors: Watkins, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCarry, Jr., Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US10/299,122
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 246/111, 246/112, 246/113, 246/114.R, 246/257, 246/259, 246/261
• US Class Current: 246/111
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/02 Guards or obstacles for preventing access to the route cattle guards connected to the permanent way E01B17/00

Abstract

A crossing gate arm comprises at least two generally tubular members having one end engagable with a portion of a crossing gate assembly wherein the opposite free end of the crossing gate arm has a part of one tubular member removed to impart flexibility to the free end.

Claims

1. In a crossing gate arm assembly rotatably mounted on a crossing gate operating mechanism, said crossing gate operating mechanism moving said crossing gate arm assembly in a plane of movement from a raised, substantially vertical storage position to a lowered substantially horizontal guarding position, the improvement wherein said crossing gate arm assembly comprises a plurality of generally tubular members, wherein the generally tubular end member has one end telescopically engagable within and affixed to at least a portion of at least one other generally tubular member, said end tubular member having both narrow side edges of a free end removed inwardly a minor distance thus leaving only a remaining segment of face plates to impart flexibility to said free end transverse to said plane of movement to prevent damage to said crossing gate arm.

2. A crossing gate arm as in claim 1 comprising three generally tubular members wherein said tubular members are substantially equal in length.

3. A crossing gate arm as in claim 2 wherein said length permits storage of said crossing gate arm in a minimum size wayside control house.

4. A crossing gate arm as in claim 2 wherein said length permits cartage of said crossing gate arm in the bed of a pickup.

5. A crossing gate arm as in claim 3 wherein said length is approximately eight feet six inches.

6. A crossing gate arm as in claim 1 wherein said part removed from both narrow side edges of said free end greatly reduces the weight of said end tubular member, thus greatly reducing the entire weight of said crossing gate arm assembly therefore reducing the rotational mass of said crossing gate arm assembly providing for reduced wear upon said crossing gate operating mechanism.

7. A crossing gate arm as in claim 1 wherein said end tubular member is rectangular in cross sections.

8. A crossing gate arm as in claim 1 wherein said end tubular member is a closed box beam.

9. A crossing gate arm as in claim 8 wherein said part comprises the narrow side edges of said box beam.

10. A crossing gate arm as in claim 1 wherein said end tubular member comprises two U-shaped channels wherein the legs of a smaller of the U-shaped channels are confined within the legs of a larger of the U-shaped channels.

11. A crossing gate arm as in claim 10 wherein said legs are frictionally affixed together.

12. A crossing gate arm as in claim 1 wherein at least one warning light assembly is removably affixed to said end tubular member and at least one warning light assembly is removably affixed to said one other tubular member.

13. A crossing gate arm as in claim 12, wherein said one warning light affixed to said end tubular member is mounted within the remaining segment of said free end.

14. A crossing gate arm as in claim 12 wherein said warning light assembly has reversible connectors on opposed sides thereof for establishing one of a plurality of light flashing sequences.

15. A crossing gate arm comprises at least one generally tubular member, wherein a generally tubular end member thereof has one end engagable within and affixed to a portion of at least one other generally tubular member and an opposite end of said generally tubular end member having a minor part of both narrow side edges of said tubular end member removed inwardly from the free end thereof leaving remaining segments without support thus imparting flexibility to said opposite end.

16. A crossing gate arm as in claim 15 wherein said end tubular member comprises two U-shaped channels wherein the legs of a smaller of said U-shaped channels are confined within the legs of a larger of said U-shaped channels wherein said smaller of said U-shaped channels may move longitudinally with respect to said larger of said U-shaped channels.

17. A crossing gate arm as in claim 16 wherein one of said U-shaped channels has a slot disposed through a remaining segment of said opposite end and the other of said U-shaped channels has a hole disposed through a remaining segment of said opposite end, said hole aligned with said slot.

18. A crossing gate arm as in claim 17 wherein a fastener is loosely placed in said slot and said hole to bring said remaining segments of said U-shaped channels into close proximity.

19. In a crossing gate arm assembly rotatably mounted on a crossing gate operating mechanism, said crossing gate operating mechanism moving said crossing gate arm assembly in a plane of movement from a raised storage position to a substantially horizontal guarding position, said crossing gate arm comprising at least three generally tubular members of substantially equal length but progressively smaller cross section wherein an end tubular member has one end telescopically engaged within and affixed to at least a portion of a generally tubular insulating member, said tubular insulating member having an end telescopically engaged within at least a portion of a generally tubular alternate mounting member, the improvement wherein said end tubular member has a flexible free end created by removing a minor part of narrow sidewalls thereof inwardly from said free end thus rendering remaining vertical walls independently flexible and wherein said end, insulating and alternate mounting tubular members are longitudinally extendable and affixable together in any length from the length of one of said members plus said free end to a fully extended length equal to the sum of the lengths of said end, insulating and alternate mounting tubular members.