US1150458A - Car-coupling-centering device. - Google Patents

Description

T, N. RUSSELL.

CAR COUPLING CENTERING DEVlCE.

APPLlC-ATION FlLED MAR. 19, 1915.

1,1 5Q458, Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Fry

T. N. RUSSELL.

CAR COUPLING CENTERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

unirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS N. RUSSELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING- CENTERING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A ug. 17.1915.

Application tiled March 19, 1915. Serial No. 15,474.

To aZZ wimmit may concern: Be it known that I, THOMAS N. RUssELn,

is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to means for centering a car-coupler laterally relative to the car-body. When a car is uncoupled from the adjacent car while standing upon a curved track, thecoupler is left out of its normal centered position unless some means be provided by the action of which the coupler, when released from the coupler of the adjacent car, is moved into its normal centered position relative to the car-body. When a car not provided with a couplerrcenteringdevice, and having its coupler displaced from its normal centered position toward one side of the car, is to be coupled to another car its coupler in normal position or out of normal position toward the opposite side of the car, it is necessary for the brakeman to force one or both of the couplers laterally so as to cause a proper engagement of the coupling-devices. Inasmuch as a coupler in ordinary use upon a freight-car weighs some three or four hundred pounds, itwill beunderstood that under such circumstances the operation of coupling two cars is accomplished only by the exercise of considerable force on the part of the brakeman, such operation being accomplished very often with some little danger to the brakema-n.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide mechanism through the medium of which when a'car is uncoupled the 0011-.

pler automatically moves to its normal cen-I.

tered position relative to the car, whether the whether or not the car be precisely inits normal upright position or tipped slightly from such normal position by-reason offhe inclination of the track. It is another object of my invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out.

The preferred means by which I have ac- I complished my'objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and are hereinafter specificall described.

That w 'ch I believe to be new and de-' sire to cover in this application is set forth in the claims.

In, the drawings,Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through the shank of a coupler of a car provided with my improved centering-devices, the view being taken substantially on line l--1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a longitudipal vertical section through the parts shown in Fig. 1, beingtaken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, being substantially a section taken on line 3'3 of Fig. 2; Fig. i is an enlarged detail similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts in a changedposition; Fig. 5 is a detail taken substantially on line 5-5 (fif Fig. 3, but slightly reduced in size thererom.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters,l0 indicates the end sill of a car form- 'ing a portion of the framework of the car, and 11 indicates, a striking casting, said end sill and striking casting being secured by.

bolts or rivets in suitable position relatii'e to the remainder of the framework. As is best shown in Fig. 1, the striking casting 11 is formed in the shape of an inverted U, to the lower ends of the arms of which is secured a carrier-ironv 12. In the construction shown the carrier-iron 12 is in the form of a housing, the bottom wall of which pro-- .movably mounted between the arms of the striking casting 11, being adapted to move laterally of the car between said two arms. The coupler-shank 13 and the striking casting 11 are provided with oppositely-dis posed bufi'ers -l ll5, as bestshown in Fig.

I 2, the buife'rs'being adapted to limit inward car be upon a curved or a straight track, and ,1 'mowginent Lna lly" of ,the car body.

a 'l617 indicate two supporting members tween the laterally-extending walls of the carrier iron'12 and adapted tooscillate laterally therebetween'. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4,-the lower end of each of the supporting members 1617 is bifurcated, providing two lugs 18-19 adapted to straddle longitudinally-extending bearings ribs 20 extending upward from the upper face of the bottom wall of the carrier-iron 12.

in thefo'rm'w of cams or arms mounted be ios 23-24, between which flanges the oscillatory arms 16-17 have a working fit. The bearing-plate 22 is provided on its upper face with lugs 25 between which the couplershank 13 is adapted to be seated. The

flanges 23-24 are provided with oppositelydisposed vertically-extending slots 26 in which pins 27 fixed in the cams or arms 17 are adapted to work.

For retaining the arms or cams 16-17 in proper position in the carrier-iron housing,. I have provided pins or rivets 28 secured in the laterally-extending walls of the carrieriron; and working in suitable slots 29 in said arms or cams. As will be readily understoid, the pins 28 also serve. to prevent the supporting lugs 18-19 of the arms or cams from slipping out of proper operative position relative to the ribs '20.

For holding the bearing-plate 22 with its attached arms 16-17 in proper position in the earrier-ir m 12 for shipment or storage, I have provided a pin 30 passing through the laterally extending-walls ol the carrieriron and working in'suitable slots 31 in the flanges 23-24 deptaiding from the said bear -ing-plate By an inspectionof Fig. 3, which shows the eentering-deviee in its normal position, with the coupler-shank l l'in its normal centered position relative to the ear-body it will be seen that the upper face of the bearing-plate 22 is substantially flush with thenpper edge of the laterall v-extending walls ol' the carrier-iron 12. ll, will also be noted that both of the lugs 1 -19 ol' each ol ethe arms or ('alus lb -17 are in operative en-- gagement with the bottom wall of the earrier-irou IL and that the slot .26 and pin 27 oli each arm or eam are direetly over the corresponding longitlnlin.-ill \'-extending bearing-rib 2t).

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 33. the (fflllllltEf-Slltlllli i3 is free to move laterally out ol the. normal central position upon the application ol'- force thereto by reason til the passage of the car over ,a curved track ortbrough any other agency. The shank l i. upon such amovement laterally relative to the car-body, carries with it the bearing-plate 2' by reason of the engagement of the .lugs 25 with the shank, caus log the arms or cams 10-17 to swing laterthat I do not wish ally in the same direction. As the arms 16-17 swing to the right in Fig. 3- from the A normal centered position, the support of each of said arms is shifted immediately in the same direction from the two lugs 18-19 .70 to the single lug 19. At the same time the Y point of engagement between the bearingplate 22 and the curved upperend of each of the said arms 16-17 is also shifted sljghtly" to the left, destroying the balance of the coupler upon the said. arms or cams, whereby upon the release of the coupler from the infiuence of the force by which it was moved laterally the said coupler is caused to move to the left upon thesaid arms 16-l7to re establish its equilibrium at its centered position. The curvature of the arms or cams 16-17 relative to the lugs 18-19 upon which they are rocked is such that the hearing plate 22 is caused to rise very slightly if at all upon the swinging of the arms as above described.- It will be readily understood that the positioning of the lugs 18-19 relative to each other and the curvature of the cams 16-17 are to be coordinated in such a way that the coupler will be returned to its normal position relative to the car-body re'- gardless of any normal inclination of tl1; earbody due to unevenness of. the track or to the inclination or banking of the track v Y upon a curve. Preferably the parts areis'o formed and arranged that the departure from equilibrium upon a lateral movemen of thee-oupler is substantially the minimum possible to use which will insure the return lollof the eouplerto normal position under any normal conditions of use.

By my construction. I have provided a v supporting arm adapted to swing in one direction in etl'ect upon one axis and adapted to swing in the other direction upon another axis. While I prefer to use this form of device. it will be understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the use of a double-axis construction of this type. except as hereinafter s],)eeilicall claimed, the essentialfeature being that. upon the swinging of the arm actuated by the Lateral movement of the eoupling-deviee, the. parts shallbe so disposed by such lateral movement that they coupler back to its 'It accordingly follows to restrict myself to a construction involving the intern'leshingengagement between the arms 16-17, and the 1 carrier-iron for holding the arms in proper position relative. to the carrier-iron during the swinging movement of the arm, except as hereinafter specifically claimed.

shall tend to bring the normal position.

While I have shown a beiu-ing-plate inter 125.

posed between the simpprting arms or cams 16-17 and the couplingdevice so that the coupllng-devu-e. ll'eetlvely supported by such arms throu h the medium of the bearing-plate, ands-have shown two supporting 1. The combination of a car-body, a cow pling-device movable laterally relative to said car-body, and an arm below said coupling-device adapted to swing laterally to-- ward either side of the car-body and adapted to be during its entire swinging movement in effective engagement with said couplingdevice for supporting the coupling-device, said arm having its engaging upper'end so curved relative to the axis about which it swings that the effective bearing point as said arm swingstoward one side of the carbody is shifted slightly toward the opposite side of the car-body relative to the said axis whereby there is a tendency of the coupling:

device to return to its normal position.

2, The combination oi a car-body, a conplingdeviee movable laterally relative to ment therewith, said am being adapted to swing laterally toward either side or the carbody, swinging in one direction from normal position upon one axis and swinging in the en-pesite direction from normal position upon another axis parallel with said firstnamed axis, said am having its engaging upper end so curved relative to the axes about which it swings that the efiective hearing point as said arm swings on one axis towerdone side of the carbody is shifted slightly toward the opposite side of the car body relative to the said axis whereby there is a tendency of the coupling-device to is turn to its normal position.

3. The combination of a car-body, a contiling-device movable laterally relative to said cur-body, a carrier-iron extending laterally beneath said coupling device, and a supporting member having a plurality o'i supgiorting lugs the lower ends of which have intermeshing engagement with said car rier iron, said supporting member having; effective engagement with said couplingdevi'ce for supgiorting the coupling-device,

said supporting member being adapted to swing laterally upon one or another of said inns and having ts engaging upper end so curved relative to the axis upon which it swings toward either side of the car-body "that upon such a stroke ofthe said supporting member the bearing point is shifted slightly toward the opposite side of the carbody relative to the said axis whereby there is a tendency of the coupling-device to return to its normal position.

4. The combination of a carrier-iron; a coupling-device movable laterally relative to the carrier-iron, an arm swingingly mounted on said carrier-iron below said coupling-device in efiective supporting engagement with the coupling-device, said arm being adapted to swing laterally in one direction upon one axis and in the opposite direction upon an; other asis, and a pin mounted in said car rier-iron working in a guide provided by said arm for holding said arm in proper engagement with the carrier-iron.

I 5. The combination or a carrier-iron, a

' coupling-device movable laterally relative to the carrier-iron, an arm swingingly mounted on. said carrier-iron below said coupling-device in effective supporting engagement with the coupling-device, said arm being adapted to swing laterally vin one direction upon one axis and in the opposite direction upon another axis, and a pin mounted in said carrier-iron working in a double arcuate slot provided in the arm for holding said arm in proper engagement with the said carrieriron. 1

-6. The combination of a' carrier-iron, a coupling-device movable laterally relative to said carrier-iron, an arm.mounted on said carrier-iron below said coupling-device in efiective engagement with the coupling-dc vice, said arm being provided with two'sup porting lugs on its lower end adapted to straddle a bearing-rib carried by said carrier-iron and said arm being adapted to swing toward either side upon the supporting lug at that side of the arm, and inter engaging guides carried by said arm and said carrier-iron adapted to permit the swinging of said arm but to prevent the operative supporting lug from slipping out of its engagement with the carrier-iron adja -r cent, to the bearing-rib.

7. lhe combination of a carrier-iron, a coupling-device movable laterally relative to said carrier-iron, an arm mounted on said carrier-iron below said coupling-device in effective engagement with the coupling-device, said arm being provided with two supporting lugs on its lower end adapted to straddle a bearing-rib carried by 'sai carrier-iron and said arm being adaptid to swing toward either side upon the su porting lug at that side of the arm, and a pin mounted in said carrier-iron engaging a doublearcuateslot provided in saidlvai'm about the axis upon which said arm is adapted to swing, said pin being adapted to prevent the operative-engaging lug from slipping out of its engagement with the carrieriron adjacent to the bearing-rib.

8. The combination of a car-body, a carrier-iron mounted thereon, a enabling-device v I movableiateraliy relative to said car-body; two arms below said teaming-device adapted to swing laterally tower either s de at move later-all y the car body, a bearing-plate supported by said arms in contact with said coupling-device, means for causing said bearing-plate to of the car-body with said coupling-device; connections between said bearing-plate and said arms whereby said arms are caused to swing in unison, and means for connecting said bearing-plate with said carrier-iron comprising a pin carried by one of said parts working in a suitable slot in the other part adapted to hold the parts together but to permit free lateral movement of the bearing-plate relative to the carrier-iron.

9. The combination of a car-body, a carrier-iron mounted thereon, a coupling-device THOMAS N. RUSSELL.

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