Movable thresholds and railway platform barrier doors

Details Movable thresholds and railway platform barrier doors Movable thresholds and railway platform barrier doors

1996-07-15

1998-12-08

Morano, S. Joseph

Railways

Terminals and stations

Platforms

14 711, B61B 102

Patent

active

058455795

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to thresholds for platforms from or to which people or goods move in embarking or disembarking into or from vehicles stationary at the platforms, especially in railway systems.
As prior art, there may be mentioned GB-A-2 223 211; GB-A-2 102 377; GB-2 066 768; GB-A- 1 034 411; WO 93/25763; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,493.
For enhancing the railway travelling public's environment and safety, screens are provided on the edges of platforms to provide a barrier between waiting passengers and moving trains, doors being provided in these screens at appropriate locations to be in line with the access doors of a train at halt in the station.
Where a platform is straight, the rails adjacent thereto can be set to provide a relatively small distance between train and platform edge so the gap between the train door thresholds and the platform edge is small enough to prevent passengers' feet from being trapped. Where a platform is curved, however, a very significant gap is necessary between the train door thresholds and the platform edge to provide sufficient clearance for trains to negotiate the curve, creating a potential danger to passengers who have to cross this gap.
According to the present invention there is provided a threshold arrangement for bridging the gap between a platform edge and a door threshold of a vehicle stationary at the platform, the arrangement comprising a movable threshold supported by the platform and means for moving this threshold to and fro between a withdrawn position in which sufficient clearance is provided for the vehicle to draw up beside the platform edge and an extended position in which this threshold substantially bridges the gap between the platform edge and the vehicle door threshold.
The platform may have a barrier along the edge of the platform with a door in it, which door opens when a vehicle has drawn up beside the platform edge, the movable threshold in its extended position bridging the gap at the door opening.
The movable threshold may be coupled for movement in conjunction with opening and closing movement of said door in the barrier.
The movable threshold may be supported for movement from beneath a fixed threshold of the platform (the withdrawn position of the movable threshold) to form an extension of the fixed threshold (the extended position of the movable threshold).
In a preferred example, the moving means comprises an electric actuator.
For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a platform barrier with sliding doors therein closed and a movable threshold at the base of the doors in withdrawn position,
FIG. 2 shows the barrier of FIG. 1 with its sliding doors open and the movable threshold in extended position,
FIG. 3 shows, on a larger scale, the barrier doors of FIGS. 1 and 2 in open position, a first form of mechanism for moving the movable threshold being illustrated,
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV--IV in FIG. 3,
FIG. 5 shows, on a larger scale, the barrier doors of FIGS. 1 and 2 in open position, a second form of mechanism for moving the movable threshold being illustrated,
FIG. 6 is a side view showing the movable threshold of FIG. 5 in withdrawn position (sliding doors closed),
FIG. 7 is a side view showing the movable threshold of FIG. 5 in extended position (sliding doors open),
FIG. 8 is a detailed view illustrating the second form of mechanism for moving the movable threshold,
FIG. 9 shows, on a larger scale, the barrier doors of FIGS. 1 and 2 in open position, a third form of mechanism for moving the movable threshold being illustrated,
FIG. 10 is a side view showing the movable threshold of FIG. 9 in extended position (sliding doors open),
FIG. 11 is a detail view of the third form of mechanism for moving the movable threshold,
FIG. 12 is a plan view of a movable threshold according to a preferred example of the present invention,
FIG. 13 is a side view of what is show

REFERENCES:
patent: 937375 (1909-10-01), Logan
patent: 1149759 (1915-08-01), Hedley et al.
patent: 1216560 (1917-02-01), Gallinant
patent: 5253589 (1993-10-01), Kawanishi et al.

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