Railway rolling stock – Safety bridges
Utility Patent
1998-06-05
2001-01-02
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railway rolling stock
Safety bridges
Utility Patent
active
06167816
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates, in general, to door systems for mass transit vehicles, and, more particularly, relates to bridge plates for facilitating ingress into and egress from mass transit vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to providing improved passenger access to mass transit vehicles, and more particularly concerns devices which extend outward from the side wall of a mass transit vehicle generally at floor level in order to bridge or cover any existing gap and level difference between the transit vehicle floor and an adjacent platform or other exit area.
Known devices which attempt to accomplish the above described “bridging” action include European Patent Application 94400475.3 (Publication No. 0618125A1), and European Paten Application 86113060.7 (Publication No. 08.04.87). However, these devices either do not provide smooth transition between the car floor and platform or require extensive modification to the vehicle structure in order to accommodate the operative portions of the bridge plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,869, entitled DEVICE FOR FACILITATING ACCESS TO A RAIL VEHICLE HAVING EXTENDABLE RAMP ASSEMBLY is difficult to install because principal portions of it are mounted within the floor of the transit vehicle, and require cutting away portions of the floor support structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a cartridge bridge plate assembly for mounting under a floor structure of a transit vehicle adjacent a passenger door opening, the floor structure having a generally planar floor surface. The cartridge bridge plate assembly has a frame assembly and a frame assembly attachment means engageable with the floor structure for attaching the frame assembly underneath the floor structure of the transit vehicle.
It has a bridge plate connected for movement relative to the frame assembly for covering a gap between the generally planar floor surface of the transit vehicle and an adjacent stationary surface such as a platform to facilitate passenger ingress and egress between the transit vehicle and the stationary surface when the transit vehicle is stopped.
It also has a bridge plate positioning means connected to the bridge plate for positioning the bridge plate and accommodating motion of the bridge plate relative to the frame assembly from a stowed position within the frame assembly beneath the floor structure of the transit vehicle to an extended position for covering the gap. A motor is connected to the bridge plate positioning means for moving the bridge plate from the stowed position to the extended position and from the extended position to the stowed position.
The system includes a power connection to the motor, and a drive screw connected to and rotated by the motor. It has a drive nut engaging the drive screw to be translated thereby, the drive nut having mechanical connection to the bridge plate positioning means to move the bridge plate from the stowed position to the extended position and from the extended position to the stowed position. The system also has an elevating means connected to the bridge plate positioning means for elevating an inner edge of the bridge plate to match an elevation of the floor surface of the transit vehicle.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a bridge plate for a transit vehicle for covering a gap between the transit vehicle and a platform surface adjacent the transit vehicle when it is stopped at a station.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bridge plate which serves as a ramp for accommodating a slight difference in elevation between the floor of a transit vehicle and an adjacent platform to facilitate egress and ingress of passengers.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bridge plate assembly which can easily be mounted on a transit vehicle without extensive modification of the transit vehicle.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bridge plate assembly which may be attached directly under the floor structure of a transit vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a bridge plate which provides a continuous surface between the floor surface of the transit vehicle on which it is installed, and the inner edge of the bridge plate.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a bridge plate for a transit vehicle which can be locked in a stowed position.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bridge plate for a transit vehicle which can be locked in an extended position.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a bridge plate for a transit vehicle which may be manually unlocked when it is in the extended position and manually moved to a stowed position.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a bridge plate which may be extended or retracted, locked or unlocked by electrical signals.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a bridge plate which is extended and retracted by a screw drive having a single screw.
In addition to the various objects and advantages of the present invention which have been generally described above, there will be various other objects and advantages of the invention that will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the relevant art from the following more detailed description of the invention, particularly, when the detailed description is taken in conjunction with the attached drawing Figures and with the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5357869 (1994-10-01), Barjolle et al.
patent: 5775232 (1998-07-01), Golemis et al.
Golemis Fotios
Lavery Evin
James Ray & Associates
McCarry, Jr. Robert J.
Morano S. Joseph
Westinghouse Air Brake Company
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