US1243085A - Draft-gear. - Google Patents

Description

R. i.. VICINTOSH L R. G. TAYLOR.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLfcATloN FILED JULY 10. 191s,

Patent-ed Oct. 16, 1917.

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ROBERT L. Meiivrosi-i, or wiLi/inrrn, AND kRALPH GEO. TAYLOR, or CHICAGO, l

' ILLINOIS. l, y

.i DRAFT-GEAR.

Laiaoss.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

ratenteaoct. 1e, 1917.

` Application led J'uly 10, 1916. Serial No. 108,310.

plicity of the Vstructurezand Vits effectiveness in operation. d

In its preferred embodiment the invention comprises a hollowV casing orhousing bearing against one set of the draft-sill stops or abutments and coacting with the Yinner surfaces of the opposite side-walls of such member are a pairv of beveled pressure-blocks which, during their sliding vtravel on the housing, are pressed thereagainst by the ac-h tion Aof a pair of wedges cooperating through a follower'withy the other set of draft-sill stops and'fo'rce'd outwardly as they move relatively to the housing by an `interposed beveled post or spreader, desirably, but not necessarily, integral with the housing. The

inner ends of the pressure-blocks are main-.

tained in adequate frictional engagement with the housing walls'during their travel and their inward movement is resisted by one or more springs arranged longitudinally of the casing, bearing at one end .against the latter and pressing at the other-end against a cap-member whose beveled faces engage the correspondingly-shaped surfaces of the pressure-blocks.

It-will be appreciated, therefore, that one of the salient objects of the invention is the provision of a simple device which will force the vblocks outwardly in opposite directions against the housing, at the same time permitting them to slide thereon. A further feature of the invention is the production of a variable or dierential travel of the various elements to Aproduce the required friction'. Y

In order that those skilled in theV art may have a Yclear understandingof the structural and functional advantages of a draft-gear appliance embodying this invention, a desirable construction.incorporating the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part-of this specification and throughout the 4various views of which like, reference characters refer tothe saine parts.

'In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section through the draft-gear; y

Fig. 2 is a similar view,par.ts being shown in plan and with the gear partlylcompressed; anc

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, with the coupler-shank Vand'its yoke omitted.

-'Ihe .appliance includes the usual draftsills 10,`1'0, and the opposedy stops 11, 11, and 12,12. A follower 13 co-acts with stops or abutments'12, 12, and the shanlrlfl of the coupler, the .yoke 15 of the latter being looped around a housing or casing characterized as a. whole as 16but composed of two parts, or sections 17 and 18, of which thel rearmost one, 18,` cooperates withy the stops 11, 11, and with the yoke. This part or section 18is cylindrical in form, its interior accommodating theL rear portions' of the nested compression springs 19 and' 20' which bear at their ends against the terminal wall 21 of the part 18 with which wall the yoke also co-acts. end .has oppositely extended` transverse wings 22 and 23, .the former functioning with the stopsll and 11,.the latter affording convenient. means f forxattachinent to the front .shell` or housing 17. In order to strengthen this rear, hollow casting, it is Externally, the.shell 1S at each equipped .with-longitudinal ribs 24.- connect"' ing and'bracing the wings 22 and 23.

The forward part of shellk 17 is rectangularin vertical cross-section and has a iiat bottom-wall or floor25, lvertical side- walls 26 and 27, and a top-wall 28. Its rear portion 29, however, is cylindrical in cross-section matching the element "18, and its outwardly-extendedwings 30 bearagainst andy are secured rigidly to the 'wings 23 by bolts 31.` Outstanding stiening and strengthening ribs33 connect wings 30 with offsets or shoulders 32 of the casting.

-Cast' integral with the housing'17atthe` middle or center of its front end, and eX-"' tending vbetween and connecting itsvtop and bottom walls, is a vertical-wedgeoi' beveledspreaderv34 having diverging walls 35 and 86 co-acting with the inner diverging faces 37 and 38V of Atwo hollow wedge-blocks 39 and 40, preferably equilateral in horizontal cross-section, substantially equal in height` to the corresponding dimension of the space'in the housing, and supported and sliding on the floor 25. The' front fiat faces 41 and 42 0f the wedge-blocks bear. against andare adapted to travel laterally on the rear surface of follower. 13.

The remaining faces 43"and 44 of these blocks coperatey withbeveled Ysurfaces 45 of a pair of hollow pressure-blocks or members 46 and 47 each having a planeface 48 pressing against and-adapted to slide on. the inner surface of the corresponding housing side- wall 26 or 27, as the case may be. The floor ory bottom-wallof the housing or casing also supports these pressure-blocks, as will be seen from the drawings. It will be clear, therefore, that the wedges 39 and 40 are interposed between the central separator or.

wedge -34 and thetwo oppositely-disposed pressure-members 46 and 47.

rll`hese sliding`b1ocks46' and 47 are desir-l ably symmetrical in shape, among other reasons, toV prevent possibility Voffimproper. assembly with the companion elements, that is to say,`each block has an inner beveled surface 49, thetwoof which are` actedupon by the, opposite, similarly-beveled ends 5() and 51 of av spring-cap 52 of theY form inl crosssection indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 and against 'whichthe outer ends of the springs press. l

The operation Vof the appliance occurs practically ias follows:

Under buifing strains the coupler-shank 14 carries the follower 13 inwardly away from the front stops 12, 12, the yoke also traveling rearwardly leaving the duplex or compound housing 16 in engagement with the back-stops 11,v 11. As follower 13 moves inwardly thel pair of wedge blocks 39 and 40 are forced in the same direction, and, by

reason y'of the presence of the stationary wedge or beveled spreader 34, they are, at the same time spready apart or separated, that is, they :travel outwardly laterally of the appliance in opposite directions, sliding on lthe, follower. Such compound motion of 'sure-blocks out against the housing walls.

It :should benoted that' shock-absorbing friction is. present Vbetween the wedges 39 and 4O and1the-follower. 13, between such `wereglges and thefixed beveled separator or lwedge 34, i

between t-he wedges and the pressure-blocks 46 and 47 and between the latter andthe housing side-walls. The springs obviously loppose the inward travel of these parts and maintain the inner ends of the pressureblocks against moving inwardly away from the housing walls. It should be. observed,

furthermore, that the pressure-blocks and the spring-cap travel twice as rapidly and twice as far longitudinally of the structure as the wedges do becauseV of the 60o relation y between the surfaces of the. coperating elements or, stated differently.,there is a differential movement between'some of the fr-iction parts ofthe appliance, thus securing the Y required shock-dissipating friction.

Vsy those Skilled mais are it WinI be appreciated that by employing a centralwedge fixed relatively to the housing or casing and by using the associated wedges, a. suit-able lateral. pressure is obtained on. both of the pressure-blocks, thus securing the neededV Y friction during their sliding' action on the housing-walls. Y Y

lhen a pull instead of a Vbulfzis imposed on-'the coupler the follower 13-remains `in move longitudinally of the appliance, but' merely separate, travelingv laterally. outwardly, sliding, las will be clear, on the face of the follower. -Tliis movement kis occasionedbythe enteringfactionof the wedge Y 34. between these two equilateral wedgesjv The outward movement of the latter causes an inward axial movement of the pressureblocks, so that we have the housing traveling in Yone direction and the pressure-blocks moving in the opposite direction, thusl obtaining the desired differential travel of the friction elements ofthe .appliance and securing the needed friction at the points :indif l cated. VThe .movement of theblocks 4.6 and 47 carries ,spring-cap 52 inthe same direction Aso that under these circumstances the spring .19 and 20'are compressed from both Vends. In the. twoinstanoescited the relative. movements of the 'friction elements` are substantially the same, theparts functioning in practically the same manner under.' :both conditions,

The housing or 4inclosing casing is made in .twoparts or sections as described to permit .the 'introduction of the springs, after which Vinsertion the parts are bolted together.l

While we haveI herein presented p-ictorially and by description a preferred' and desirable embodiment of the invention, it ist@ be understood that the latter is not limited* and restricted .to the V:precise and exact details 4of structure, ybecausexthese may bemodified and changed in many -respects .without departure from the substance of the invention and without sacrificing any of its substantial benefits and advantages.

Ve claim:

l. In a cushioning appliance of the char- Y acter described adapted for railway-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housing, a member rigid with said housing, a pressure-block adapted to slide on a wall of said housing, a spring in said housing opposing the travel of said block relatively to said housing, and a wedge interposed between and in sliding contact with said member and pressure-block, substantially as described.

2. In a cushioning appliance of the character described adapted for railway-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housing adapted to coperate with a stop or stops, a follower to co-act with the opposed stop or stops, a member rigid with said housing, a pressure-block adapted to slide on a wall of said housing, a spring in said housing opposing the travel of said block relatively to said housing, and a wedge interposed between and in sliding contact with said member and pressure-block, and adapted to ycooperate with and travel transversely of the appliance on said follower, substantially as described.

3. In a cushioning appliance of the character described adapted for railway-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housing, a beveled member rigid with said housing, a beveled pressure-block adapted to slide on a wall of said housing, a spring in said housing opposing the travel of said block relatively to said housing, and a wedge interposed between and in sliding contact with the beveled faces of said member and pressure-block, substantially as described.

4. In a cushioning appliance of the character described adapted for railway-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housing, adapted to coperate with a stop or stops, a follower to co-act with the opposed stop or stops, a beveled member rigid with said housing, a beveled pressureblock adapted to slide on the wall of said housing, a spring in and disposed longitudinally of said housing opposing the travel of said block relatively to said housing, and a wedge interposed between and in sliding Copies of this patent may be contact with the beveled faces of said mem*- ber and pressure-block, and adapted to cooperate with and travel transversely of the appliance on said follower, substantially as described.y

5. In a cushioning appliance of the character described adapted for railroad-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housing, a member rigid with said housing, a pair of pressure-blocks adapted to slide on opposite interior walls of said housing, a spring in said housing opposing the travel of the pressure-blocks relatively to the housing, and a pair of wedges interposed between and in sliding contact with said member and said pressure-blocks, substantially as described. v

6. In a cushioning appliance of the char acter described adapted for railway-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housing to cooperate with a stop or stops, a follower to co-act with the opposed stop or stops, a member rigid with said housing, a pair of pressure-blocks adapted to slide on opposite walls of said housing, a spring in said housing opposing the travel of said pressure-blocks relatively to said housing, and a pair of wedges interposed between and in sliding contact with said member and said pressure-blocks and adapted to travel transversely of the appliance on said follower, substantially as described.

7 In a cushioning appliance of the character described adapted for railway-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housing adapted to cooperate with a stop or stops, a follower adapted to co-act with the opposed stop or stops, an oppositely beveled member rigid with said housing, a pair of beveled pressure-blocks adapted to slide on opposite walls of said housing, a spring in and disposed longitudinally of said housing opposing .the travel of said pressurelblocks relatively to said housing, and a pair of wedges interposed between and in sliding contact with the beveled faces of said member and pressure-blocks and adapted to coperate with and travel transversely of the appliance on said follower, substantially as described.

ROBERT L. MoINTOSI-I. RALPH GEO. TAYLOR.

obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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