US1061245A - Car-fender. - Google Patents

Description

J. R. LILLEY.

GAR FENDER.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 21, 1912,

1,061,245. Patented May 6,.1913.

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COLUMBIA I'LANOORAPH co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

J. R. LILLE Y. GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1912 11,061,245. Patented May 6, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. LILLEY, 0F COATESVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-FENDER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN R. LILLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Coatesville, in the county of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Fenders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of fenders or safety guards for cars in which the front edge of the apron or scoop is normally above and out of contact with the rails and road bed, and is adapted to descend to functional position by the operation of a trip on coming into contact with an obstructing body.

The principal object of theinvention is to provide a car fender having an improved construction and arrangement of gathering or take-up device by means of which any object in the path of the moving car would be gathered up without being injured.

Another object is to provide a car fender having an improved arrangement of trip mechanism whereby the take-up devices are released or brought into operative position on the engagement of an object by the trip.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for permitting the trip mechanism to move a predetermined distance without releasing the gathering mechanism, such for instance, as when the trip comes in contact with a small obstruction such as a stone or the like.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of a car equipped with this improved fender, the fender being shown in normal or inoperative position; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof on line 2-2 of Fig. 4 with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view with parts broken out and with the parts in tripped position and ready to gather up an object on the track; Fig. 4 is a top plan view with the parts in normal position; Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line 77 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only and hence not drawn to any particular scale, a car body is indicated at A Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 21, 1912.

Patented May 6,1913.

Serial No. 679,067.

having the usual floor B to the lower face of which is secured a fender supporting frame 1 but it is obvious that any suitable fender supporting means may be employed.

Depending from the frame 1 at opposite sides thereof are brackets 2 and 3 from which the rear portion of the gathering mechanism is suspended, and brackets 4 and 5 are arranged on said frame in advance of the brackets 2 and 3 and are designed to support side guards to be described. These improved side guards as shown comprises longitudinally extending side plates 6 and 7 spaced laterally and pivotally connected near their ends to the brackets 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 by means of links 8 and 9 and 10 and 11. Connected to these apron side plates 6 and 7 intermediately of their ends are plate springs 12 and 13 which are preferably rigidly secured at one end to the opposite sides of frame 1 and have their free ends inserted through keepers as 1 1 on the side plates 6 and 7. These springs 12 and 13 tend to hold the side plates 6 and 7 yieldingly in position and prevent the swinging or wabbling thereof.

A crank shaft 15 is mounted in hearings in the brackets 2 and 3 and is designed to form a pivotal support for a rectangular frame 16 which is designed to support the gathering apron 17 as will be hereinafter more fully described.

An arm 18 projects rearwardly from the apron frame 16 and a lever 19 is pivotally connected at one end to the free end of said arm and at its other end to a link 19 pivotally connected to a longitudinally slidable bar 20 mounted in keepers 21 and 22 which depend from the lower face of the car floor B and frame 1 respectively. The lever 19 is fulcrumed intermediate of its ends to an ear 23 which extends rearwardly from the cross bar 2 which connects the brackets 2 and 3. A plate spring 24 is secured at one end to the cross bar 2 and is bent over into substantially inverted U-shape with its free end engaged with and bearing on the front face of the lever 19 below its fulcrum and is designed to force the lower end of said lever 19 rearwardly and thereby force the gathering apron 17 into lowered position, when released, as will be hereinafter more fully described and to hold said lever in this position.

A tongue or stop 25 is secured to the cross bar 2 and depends into the path of one of wardly and forwardly from the bar 20 is a V lever 27 which passes up through registering passages in the front bar of the frame 1 and in the floor of the car in position to be operated by the engineeror motorman when 1 it is desired to elevate the gathering mechanism into inoperative position, as will be free end of a substantially Z-shaped bracket The front end of the bar 20 is preferably hereinafter described.

bifurcated and a latch 28 is pivotally mounted between the arms thereof, said latch preferably comprising a bar pivotally connected intermediately of its ends to the arms of said bar 20 and is provlded 1n 1ts upper face with a cut out portion forming an inclined face 29 and a catch member 29 which latter is adapted to engage a wear plate 1 on the rear face of the front cross bar 1 of the frame 1 when the gathering mechanism is in normal or inoperative posi tion and thereby lock said mechanism against accidental actuation, and the spring 24: exerts its tension to hold said catch in engagement with said cross bar. The spring 26 also bears on the inner or rear end of the latch 28 and when the catch 29 thereof passes beyond the rear face of the cross bar it is forced up by said spring into locking engagement with said bar.

The rectangular frame 16 which supports the gathering apron 17 has the free frontends of its side bars curved upwardly and these curved ends are adapted to rest on the track rails when the apron is in lowered position. This frame 16 is covered with any suitable material, preferably wire netting, and a rod 30 extends transversely between the free front ends of said frame and is loosely mounted therein. This rod is preferably made longer than the width between the side bars of the frame 16 to provide for its movement transversely of said frame. A coil spring 31 encircles said rod between the side bars of the frame 16 and the coils thereof are considerably larger than said rod and are adapted to rest on the ground of the track between the rails when the apron is in lowered operative position, as shown in Fig. 3, and thereby yieldably support the free end of said apron and permit it to ride freely over slight obstructions or unevenness in the track.

The gathering mechanism above described is normally held up or supported in raised inoperative position a short distance above the track by means of a suitable trip mechanism now to be described. This improved trip mechanism preferably comprises a substant-ially rectangular frame 32 covered with screen, wire, netting or other suitable material and is pivotally connected to arms 33 which project forwardly from the front end of the frame 1 or from any other suitable support and in a plane above the plane occupied by the longitudinally sliding bar 20. This frame 32 has a cross bar 34: connecting the upper ends of its vertical side bars above their pivotal connect-ion with the arms 33. The latch 28 has its front end projecting through the frame 32 below its pivotal connect-ion with the arms 33 and the upper face of said latch is engaged by the 35 secured at one end to the cross bar 3 1 of the frame 32 and which bears normally on said latch 28 and holds it with the catch 29" thereof in operative engagement with the front crossbar of the frame 1, whereby the gathering mechanism is held in inoperative position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the frame 32 is swung inwardly beyond a predetermined point by engagement with an object on the track or otherwise the lateral arm of the Z-shaped bracket 35 engages the incline 29 of the latch member 28 and causes the catch 29 to be disengaged from the front cross bar of the frame 1, whereby the gathering mechanism is released and the apron 17 drops downwardly by the force of gravity and the tension of v spring 26 into position shown in Fig. 3, the fulcrum of said gathering mechanism or apron being arranged so far in the rear that the front portion thereof overbalances the rear portion and forces the bar 20 forward in the keepers which form the guides therefor and thus carry the catch 29 of the latch 28 beyond the cross bar of the frame 1. When this bar 20 is thus moved forwardly, the upper end of the lever 19 is moved forward, thereby causing its lower end to be moved backwardly and upwardly and thus to exert an upward pull on the arm 18 of the frame 16 and force the front end of said frame downwardly, the free end of the spring 2 1 assuming the position shown in Fig. 3. When the apron drops into this position, the free ends of the side bars of the frame of said apron engage the rails of the track and the wire net-ting of the apron is dropped into scooping position for gathering up any obstruction on the track.

hen the parts are in tripped position, the

Should such an accident occur, the depend ing tongue 25 would be forced into engagement with the rear cross bar of the frame 16 and thereby lock said frame against upward movement.

When the gathering mechanism has been thrown into operation by the engagement of the trip member 32 by an obstructing object and it is desired to raise said gathering mechanism into normal inoperative position, the motor-man or engineer depresses the lever 27, which, being curved downwardly and rearwardly, forces the bar 20 backwardly and thus moves the upper end of the lever 19 rearwardly and its lower end forwardly, thereby causing the apron frame to move forwardly and carry the crank shaft 15 from off the dead center and permitting the apron to swing upwardly. WVhen the bar 20 is so moved rearwardly the catch 29 is also moved into position to engage it with the front cross bar of the frame 1, thereby locking the gathering mechanism in raised inoperative position ready for actuation again by the trip member 32.

The latch 28 is so pivotedthat there is a preponderance of itsweight forward of its pivot. and when said latch is forced down by a bracket 35 on the trip member 32, the bar 20 is released and moves forward, and the nose of the catch 29 engages the lower face of the front cross bar of the car body, being held in this position by the spring 26 which bears on its rear end, (see Fig. When the bar 20 is moved rearwardly the spring 26 forces the rear end of the latch 28 down when the catch 29 passes beyond the rear edge of the cross bar of the car, thereby forcing said catch upwardly into engagement with the rear edge of said cross bar and holds it in this position.

I claim as my invention:

1. A supporting structure, a gathering mechanism mounted on said structure, a depending pivotally mounted trip element mounted in advance of said gathering mechanism, a latch for locking said gathering mechanism to said supporting structure to hold said mechanism in inoperative position, said trip element having an opening therein through which said latch projects and means on said trip to hold said latch in locked position when the trip is in normal position to release it on the swinging rearward of said trip element beyond a predetermined point.

2. In a car fender, a supporting structure, a frame pivotally supported at one end on said structure, a downwardly and forwardly curved gathering apron secured to said frame, means to limit the movement of said frame when swung to operative and inoperative positions, a slidably mounted member connected with said frame, a catch secured to said member, a catch engaging element on said supporting structure and adapted to be engaged by said catch when the frame is raised whereby said gathering mechanism is supported in an inoperative position, a trip secured to said supporting structure and normally projecting down in position to engage an object lying in the path of movement of the car and whereby when said trip engages said object the catch will be released to permit the gathering mechanism to swing down to an operative position, and means for locking said frame stationary while an object is being engaged and lifted bv said gathering mechanism.

3. A car fender comprising a supporting structure, a frame pivoted at its rear end in said structure, a gathering apron mounted in said frame, a member mounted to slide longitudinally in a plane above said apron, a lever fulcrumed intermediately of its ends and pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said frame and said sliding member respectively, an inverted U-shaped spring secured at one end to said supporting structure and with its free end engaging said lever below its fulcrum, a catch bar pivoted intermediate of its ends to said sliding member, a spring bearing angularly on the rear end of said catch bar, means for engagement by said catch bar for locking said slidable member in retracted position, whereby said apron is held in inoperative position, and a trip for releasing said catch bar operable by an object on the track.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand 1n presence of two subscribing w1tnesses.

JOHN R. LILLEY. iVitnesses i L. M. L. SKnL'roN, Jos. C. SKELTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

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