US1156649A

US1156649A - Buffer for railways.

Info

Publication number: US1156649A
Application number: US87747114A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alexander H Wood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1914-12-16
Filing date: 1914-12-16
Publication date: 1915-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 1932-10-12

Description

i A. H. WOOD. 1 BUFFER FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I6 914.

Patented 001.12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. H. WOOD. BUFFER FOR RAILWAYS.

- Patented 001;. 12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 5&9 5

all

COLUMBIA PLANOFIRAI'H cu WASHINGTON. D c.

k UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER Woon, or rnrnos, TENNESSEE.

BUFFER FOR BAILWAYS.

To all whom it may concern w Be it known that I, ALEXANDER I AMILTO'N Woon, acitizen ofthe United States, residing at Petros, in the county of Morgan and 1 State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Buffers for Ra1lways, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide such a buffer which will permit a large measure of rearward yielding after irnpact by the car and which will return forwardto its normal position after the car has l the car in the return! direction, and prefer ably, bring it to rest in the position it 0c been stopped, and by such movement move cupied at the moment of impact with the bufler. The entire buffer is mounted on wheels resting and adapted to travelon the track. And provision is preferably made to allow the buffer to travel to both sides of its normal position, :as hereinafter described. Thus my improved structure may be termed a buflerlcar, and it will be seen that this car isiianormally stationary.

ln the. accompanying drawings, Figure 1 3 isa side elevationof a structureembodying my improvement; F 1g. 21s an end view lookingtoward the right of the structure as Shown in g- Fig. 3 is a section on the Referring to said r drawings, R, It, are

fixedtrack rails supported on ties, T;

1 G is one end of a rotary tipple structure which is arranged for rotationon an appproximately horizontal axis located above and approximately parallel to the rails, R. c In the formshown in thedrawings, said structure. rises slightly from left' to right.

Said tipple is in the form of a tubular frame,

supported on stationary rollers,B. This form of tipple is well known and need not be described in detail. Thetipple has two track rails, D, the ends of whichregister with therails, R, and rise a little from left 3 to right; and it is to be assumed that at the right of the rotary tipple, thereis a fixed track. inclining toward the tipple and registering withthe track .in the tipple in the Specification of Letters Patent.

gradually bring Patented Oct.

Application filed December 16, 1914. Serial No. 877,471.

usual manner, so that cars mayrun bygravity from any point on said inclined stationary track into the tipple, ashas heretofore beenjdone. i a l a r r The function of the buffer in the 1nechanism illustrated by the drawings is to stop the car when it runs by gravity into the tipple. The normal position of the buffer is such as to cause impact with the car when the latter attains its proper position in the tippl'e. But when such impact occurs, the buffer yields and allows the car to move leftward out of the tipple until the momentum of the car has been entirely overcome, and then the buffer travels 3 rightward, pushing the car in the same direction, until the normalposition of the buffer has been resumed.

In the particular form of the apparatus illustrated by. r the drawings, provision is madeto allow the buffer to pass rightward of its normalposition, on account of mo-j mentum acquiredby the buffer and the car while moving towardtheposition of rest.

The buffer car, E, is supported by. four wheels, 1, 1, restingon the rails, B, R. On the. buffer car, E, are a bearing, 2, and a bearing, 3, and an abutment,4, arranged on a horizontal line which is approximately in alinement with the axis of the rotary tipple, the bearings, 2' and 3,1beingon the right hand or forwardportion of the buffer car. 111 the bearings,2 and 3,is a reciprocatory androjtary shaft, 5 Onthe right hand end of said shaft is a rotary,disk-form buffer head, 6, presenting a flat face toward the tipple.

Said head has a hub, 7, which is closed at the right and receivestheright hand end of the shaft,5. Between; saidmhub and the bearing, 2, a sleeveor hub,8, loosely sur rounds the shaft, 5. Braces, ,9, extend from said sleeveoutward and rightward to the head, ,6, and are joinedto the latter, said.

head, braces, and: sleeve forming a rigid shaft. Leftward movernentof the sleeve, 8,

structure rotatableonthe shaft, 5. An exbracesflQ, and head, 6,;is prevented byena in the hub, .7. a a When pressureis applied against the right gagementof the*& l and of t Shaft hand side of the head, 6, in a direction approximately parallel to the length of the shaft, 5, said head and said shaft are pressed leftward, the shaft sliding in the bearings, 2 and 3, and the spring, 10, being compressed between the bearing, 2, and the'sle'ev e,8,

such movement continuing, if the pressure is sufficient, until the left hand end of the shaft rests against the abutment, 4.

Between the track rails, R, R, are two grooved pulleys, 13 and 1e, mounted in the same upright plane on axles which are horizontal and transverse to the length of the track, and far enough apart to allow arope, cable, or chain, or similar tension member, 15, to extend downward between said pulleys. The upper end of said tension memher is secured to an eye, 16, on the forward portion of the buffer. The lower portion of said tension member is secured to a weight, WV. The structure below the pulleys, 13 and 1%, is open downward far enough to permit the weight, V, to stand at such depth as will allow a tension member, 15, of suflicient length to permit the buffer to move to the left as far as may be desired for conveniently and safely receiving impact from a car in the tipple and bringing such car to a stop. When the buffer is pressed toward the left, it draws the tension member upward over the grooved pulley, 13. The weight, WV, is such as to permit its lifting by the stress put upon the buffer when the buffer is struck by a car moving into the tipple and to move the buffer and the other car toward the right as soon as its momentum has been overcome.

When, after the car running into the tipple has been stopped, the buffer car is moved toward the right by the action of the weight, TV, the tension member, 15, runs over the pulley, 13, until the eye, 16, crosses an upright line extending between the grooved pulleys, 13 and 14. Then the tension member, 15, bears against the grooved pulley, 14, and travels upward and rightward over said pulley, the weight, W, being lifted and yieldingly resisting the movement rightward of the normal position of the buffer carthe position it occupies when'the eye, 16, is in said upright line. That position brings the head, 6, into position to bear against the car when the latter stands in its proper place in the tipple. As above indicated, the weight, VY, is sufficient to make the buffer assume and retain its normal position against the pressure of a car which is stationary, or nearly so, in the tipple.

When the tipple is rotated, the car standing therein bears against the head, 6, and the latter rotates by such engagement with said car. During such rotation, said head may turn on the shaft,'5, or said head and said shaft may turn in unison, the shaft turning in the bearings, 2 and 3, this clepending upon whether the greater resistance to rotation resides in the hub, 7, of the sleeve, 8, or in the bearings, 2 and 3.

The area of the right hand or forward face of the head, 6, is to be sufficient to properly engage the end of a car running into the tipple. Usually such cars have bumpers. In some cases these are set close to the middle line of the car body and in other cases they are at or near the corners of the car body. If cars varying in this respect are run into the same tipple for discharging, the face of the head, 6, should be large enough to engage the bumpers which are et the farthest from the middle line of the car.

The resistance of the coiled spring, 10, and the distance through which it may be compressed are intended to adapt the head, 6, to yield leftward for the gradual overcoming of the inertia of the buffer car and the weight, \V, s0 that the shock from impact against the buffer may be reduced to the minimum.

The tipple is preferably made long enough to receive and turn a group or trip of cars at one time. The momentum of such a trip of cars, is, of course, greater than the momentum of a single car, and hence there is greater need for efhcient means for controlling and overcoming such momentum and then spotting the trip of cars in proper position within the tipple preparatory to turning. In this connection, the provision for movement of the buffer car in both directions from its normal position and then definitely bringing it to rest in its normal position is very important.

It will be observed that the buffer is freely movable on the track in either direction from the normal position of the bufler, and that the distance through which the buffer may move from its normal position is limit ed only by the length of the tension member which supports the counter-weight. This makes possible a range of movement which can not be attained with a buffer. of which some part is stationary. The range of movement from the normal position may be five or ten or twenty-five or one hundred feet, or more. This adapts the buffer to receive and control and bring to rest in a precise position a trip comprising a considerable number of heavy cars running at a relatively high speed. The mechanism is more than a railway buffer in the ordinary sense. 'Vhile it does all that is done by an ordinary buffer, its wide range of movement both ways from the position of rest adapts it to serve the additional purpose of spotting cars used for any purpose.

I claim as my invention,

1. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a rotatable and longitudinally yielding buffer head located at approximately the height of car body,

andmeans for supporting androtatinga car a inengagement with said bufi'er head,the car section, a "body, a buffer head on said body, wheels supportingsaid body for travel of the body on the track, and means acting ,yieldingly at afipoint on the track to move gsai dzjbody onsaid Wheels to a chosen posi tion on thetrack for bringing a runningcar described.

i torest on said traek section,substantiallyas a a a 3: In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a rotary track sectionya body, a rotary bufferhead "on said body, wheels supporting said body for travel i 52111 an apparatus of' the nature de ofthe body onthe track, and means acting yieldingly at a'pointon the track to move a i said body on saidwheels to achosen position a (n i the track for bringing a running car to t on said track section, substantially shaft in the direction (if saidhead, substantially as described.

"12; InWan apparatus of thenature 'de scribe'd, the combination of a body, Wheels a,

ting said body-for travelof the body;

a counterfwerght, a tension member connecting said counter-weight to said body, and relatively fixedrguiding means adapted to actin either direction parallel to the track to permitsaid body to move, under the re straint of -said counter-weighnfto either-side of guiding means, to adapt the appa- Iratus'lto bring a running car to rest at a nfixedj distance from isaid guiding means, subdescribed.

4;. In; an apparatusof the' nathre de y scribed, (th ecombination of a ,rotalytrak section a body, ajjrotatable and endwisej if v 1 3 movable buifenheadfon said body, wheels r 3 onthetrack, andmeansyactingyieldingly at afpointjbn the track lto move said body on saiclwheels to achosenfposition onthetrack w for bringing a rnnniyng car to rest oirsaid supporting said may for travel of the body track section, substantially as described;

scribed, the combination of a buffer body,

wheels supporting said body for travel of the body on the track, and 111eansYengaging the buffer body and acting yieldinglyrela-b tive to a chosen point on the tracli to permit said body to move to eithersideofsaid point forbringing a running car to rest on said trackata fixed distance from"saidfpoint,

substantially as described.

6. The combination of an endwise movable railwaybufler comprisinga shaft para allel to the track, a rotatable head on said shaft, andconstantly acting means tending to: move said head parallel to the track, and yielding means acting to place said 1 buffer at a chosen position on the traclg substantially as described.

a 7. The combinationofa railway buffer movable] lengthwise on a trackand comprising bearings parallel to said track, a shaft in said bearings, a head on said shaft, and a spring tending to move said shaft in the direction of said headgand yielding means actingto place the buffer at a chosen position on said track, substantially as described.

B A railway buffer movable lengthwise. on a track, said buffer comprising bearings parallel to the track, a shaft in said bear-i ings, a head and sleeve and braces on said described.

shaft, and yielding fmeans tending to move said shaft in the direction ofsaid head, subsaidl buffer, and" yielding means acting to place said buffer at a cl1osen position on the traek, substantially asdescribed. '10, The combination of a railway bufier comiorising supporting Wheels, bearings par allelto the track, ashaft insaid bearings, a head on said shaft, and a spring tending to movesaid shaft in the direction of, said a head, and yielding means acting to place the buffer at alchosen position on the track, a substantially as described.

a 11. The combination of aTra ilWay buffer comprising supportingwheels, bearings par: allel tothe trackya shaft in said bearings, ahead and sleeve and braces on said shaft, andi yielding imeans tending to move said trackya buff stantiallyas described. y

13;, The combinatlon of a buffer car com prising Wheels for snpporting the car on a ,tracka movable track section lelCllll J. 7 2::

means? a cting relative toa pointon the track andiconnected with the car for drawing the "latter to said point for bringing another car to rest on said track section, substantially as 14, In an apparatus of the scribed, the combination of a fixed track and a movable tracksection, a buffer body,

wheels supporting said body'on said stationnature dearytrack, a buffer head on said body, and

means on said track near said movable track section acting yieldingly to move said body 011 said wheels to a chosen position on the traclr for brlngmga runnmgcar to rest on said track section, substantially as described.

15.111 an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary tracK and a movable track section, a buifer body, a rotary buffer head on said body,

wheels supporting said body for travel on said traclnand meansfon said track near said movable track section acting yleldingly to move said body and said Wheels to a chosen position on the track for bringing a running car to rest on said track section, substantially as described;

16. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary track, a movable track section, a bufi'er body,

a rotatable and endvvise movable buffer head on said body, Wheels supporting said body 'for travel of the body on the track, and means located on said track near said movable track section acting yieldingly to move said body on said Wheels to a chosen position on the track, substantially as described.

17. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary track, a movable track section, a bufi'er body, a buffer head on said body, Wheels supporting said body on said track, and means located on said stationary track near said movable track section acting yieldingly at either side of a chosen position on the track to move said body on said Wheels into said position, substantially as described.

18. In .an apparatus of the nature de scribed, the combination of a stationary track, a movable track section, a buffer body, Wheels supporting said body for travel of the body on said track, a buffer supported by said body, a counter-Weight, a tension mem ber connecting said counter-Weight to said body, and a relatively fixed guide member located on said stationary track near said movable track section for guiding the ten sion member whereby the apparatus is adapted to bring a-running car to rest on said track section,-substantially as described.

19. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a stationary track, a movable track section, a buffer body, Wheels supporting said body for travel of the body on the stationary track, a buffer head supported by said body, a counter- Weight, a tension member connecting said countereight to said body, and a relatively fixed guide pulley located on said stationary track near said movable track section for guiding the tension member whereby the apparatus is adapted to bring a running car to rest on saidtrack section, substantlally as described. 7

20. In an apparatus of the nature de-.

scribed, the combination of a stationary track, a movable track section, a butter body, Wheels supporting said body for travel of the body on the stationary track, a bufier head supported by said body, a counterweight, a tension member connecting said counter-Weight to said body, and relatively fixed guiding means located on said track near said movable track section-and adapted to act in either direction parallel to the name, in presence of two Witnesses, this fourth day of December, in the year one thousand nine hundred and fourteen.

ALEXANDER H. WVOOD.

\Vitnesses:

RO ERT D. TAYLOR, CYRUs KEHR.

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

Washington, D. G.