654 



PATENTS. 



to prosecution for infringement of the patent 

 which has been secured for the invention. 



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Gate for Railway-Crossings. Numerous acci- 

 dents at grade-crossings have recently led to 

 the passage of laws in several of the States 

 framed with a view to prevent such casual- 

 ties in future, and the device shown herewith 

 is intended to simplify the problem. The in- 

 vention includes a shaft journaled transverss- 

 ly to the track at some distance from the 

 crossing. A crank-arm is connected with this 

 shaft and joined to an elbow operating a gear- 



wheel in the post at the crossing. The wheels 

 of an approaching engine engage trip-arms, 

 sound a gong, lower the barriers, and the 

 wheels of the train, passing over tread-bars, 

 keep the barriers depressed until the last car 

 has passed. The operation is the same in 

 whichever direction the train is moving, and 

 it would seem that the invention should pre- 

 vent many accidents if generally introduced. 



An Improved Car-Starter. The problem of 

 utilizing the momentum of a moving car to 

 accumulate power for starting it aguin after 

 it has been stopped has received much atten- 

 tion from inventors. The illustration (Fig. 8) 

 shows one of the latest attempts in this direc- 

 tion: 1 is a perspective, partly in section, of 

 the car with its mechanical attachments ; 2 

 shows the parts in detail ; and 3, the connec- 

 tion of the spring tension band with the barrel 

 on one of the friction-wheel shafts; 4 is a 

 vertical section, in elevation of the starter- 

 spring, with its barrel and ratchet-wheel. A 

 friction drum, A, is attached to the car-axle, 

 and friction-wheels B and C bear against this, 

 being fixed in a frame so pivoted that either 

 of the wheels may be brought in contact with 

 the drum. On the shaft of there is fixed a 

 barrel, D, to which is attached a band whose 

 other end extends to a spring-case, G, within 

 which is a powerful, coiled spring. This case 

 is supported by a hanger fixed to the bottom 

 of the car. One end of the spring is fixed to 

 the hanger-shaft, and the other to the cnse. 

 Ratchets are fitted to prevent the release of the 

 spring when wound, until it is properly dis- 

 engaged, and the connection is such that, the 



