Abstract: A wear resisting span lock system for bascule bridges includes a normally-inactive hydraulic lockbar shoe expander operable to minimize sliding engagement of the lockbar with its guiding and receiving shoes only during bridge opening and closing operations.

Abstract: A bearing retainer plate for fall restraint equipment made from a single, continuous piece of sheet metal, where the metal is lasered, cut, and/or butterflied to define a plurality of apertures. A bearing, preferably possessing a self-centering characteristic, is inserted into one of the apertures, while an adapter or bracket for an over-travel stop is inserted into another. A foot lock stud is inserted into another aperture defined by the bearing retainer plate and welded into place. The piece of metal may also define apertures configured to receive fasteners for attaching the plate to the fall restraint equipment, such as to a support structure of a gangway.

Abstract: A span lock system for a double-leaf drawbridge. A guide housing mounted at the tip of one leaf includes an opening with vertically opposed cushioned shoes slidably supporting an elongate lock bar reciprocative lengthwise in a direction along the length of the drawbridge. A receiver housing mounted at the tip of the other leaf is positioned to interlock with the guide housing and includes a like opening slidably receiving the lock bar between vertically opposed cushioned shoes. A pair of vertical guide columns project from both side of the guide housing opening with the upper and lower edges of the distal sides beveled inwardly, and another pair of vertical guide columns project from both side of the receiver housing opening with the upper and lower edges of the proximal sides beveled outwardly.

Abstract: A drawbridge span lock system in which a locking bar longitudinally slides between wear shoes in each of guide and socket assemblies. The wear shoes are pre-loaded to a selected level by springs within the assemblies to maintain continuous contact of the shoes with the locking bar under no-load operating conditions of the bridge. Threaded adjusting carriers externally accessible in each assembly enable the springs to be precisely pre-loaded to any level within a design range.

Abstract: The center locks of a bascule or other type of double leaf movable bridge are fitted on bearings mounted upon the main bridge girders, so that the center lock bars may be moved, when the bridge is in the lowered position, along a horizontal axis parallel to the axes of rotation of the leaves of the bridge, effecting a shear connection at the meeting point of the two leaves of the structure so that, when the bridge is in the lowered position and the center lock bars are engaged rigidly with respective rotating sockets, the tips of the leaves at a vertical lateral plane containing the center locks are forced to deflect equally while the center locks accommodate longitudinal movement and rotational deflection of the protruding ends of the two leaves via components that are permanently engaged, optionally including capacity of independent rotation of the main bridge members on axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bridge.

Abstract: An energy absorbing span lock system for drawbridges, such as a double-leaf bascule leaf span. A retractable and extendible connector mounted on one leaf of the span engages a receiver on the other leaf. Resilient energy absorbing shoes in the receiver accept the connector and allow relative deflection between the leaf ends caused by vehicular traffic.