US1385013A - For shipping vehicles - Google Patents

Description

A. H. LEVENE.

BRACE FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2, 1920.

1,385,013, Patented July 19, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W J 2: INVENTOR AnoRNETs A. H. LEVENE.

BRACE FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1920.

1,385,01 3, Patented July 19, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS A. H. LEVENE.

BRACE FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES.

APPLICATlON FILED m. 12, 1920.

1,385,013, Patented July 19,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ATTORNEYS LEVENE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENLTSYLV ANIA.

BLLOE FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July-19, 1921.

Application ma Rabi-nary 12, 1920. Serial No. 368,286.

To all whom z'tmcy concern Be itknown that I, ALBERT H. LnvENE, a citizen of the United States, residin in the city and county of Philadelphia, ate of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Brace for" Shipping Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention comprehends a novel construction of a brace for Shipping vehicles whichis constructed in such a manner that it can be employed with vehicle axles of different dimensions and which will prevent any improper movement on the platform, truck or railroad car on which it is shipped.

It further comprehends a novel brace which is especially adapted for use in'the shipment of automobiles and which will retain them in position when the tires are inflated or deflated.

It further comprehends a novel brace for shipping vehicles wherein the brace is formed preferably of a structural metal bar having one end provided with means to engage the vehicle axle 'to prevent upward, lon tudinal or lateral movement of the vehic e, the o positev end of the brace being adapted to be fastened to the floor of the carv on which it. is shipped.

Itfurther consists 0 other novel features of construction and advanta e all as will be hereinafter fully describe in detail.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompany ing drawings ,typical embodiments thereof whichare at present preferred by me since said embodiments will be found in practice to ive satisfactory and reliable results. It is, owever, to beunderstood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement of these instrumentalities as herein set forth.

Figure 1 represents, in side elevation, a vehicle and my novel construction of brace for securing it in place on a car.

7 Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of a portion of the construction seen in Fig. 1.

Flg. 3 represents, in perspective, one of the braces seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

F lgs. 4 to 8, inclusive, represent in side elevation other embodiments of my invention, the wheel axle and the car platform being shown in section.

F g. 9 represents a plan view of the embodiment seen in Fig. 8 showing more partlcularly the manner in which two braces can be secured together.

F g. 10 represents, in perspective, an embodlment of my invention in which a strut is used.

Fig. 11 represents, in plan, the end of a strut seen in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 represents, in side elevation, another embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 13 represents, in perspective, one of the brace membersseen in Fig. 11.

Flg. 14 represents, in perspective, a brace member Seen in Fig. 12.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings.

In the methods heretoforeemployed for securing vehicles on the platformof railroad cars for shipment, it hasbeen customary to either build up a staging on which the car 1s supported or to block the front and rear wheels by means of plates or wedges secured to the platform of a railroad car. The constructions heretofore employed have not only been expensive but they have been clumsy in construction and if a vehicle such as an automobile was shipped with its tires resting on the platform the automobile is liable to shift its position in case the tires become deflated.

Referringnow more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, 1 designates a brace embodying my invention one or more of which can be employed in conjunction with each axle of the vehicle. The brace is provided with an inclined body portion 2 which merges into a foot piece 4 having the apertures 5 to receive the fastening devices 6 such as for example the spikes seen in Fig. 1 which are driven into the platform 7 of the railroad car by which thevehicles are to be shipped. The lower free end of the brace is upwardly deflected as at 8. The inclined body portion 2 merges into an upwardly extending portion 9 which latter merges into a laterally extending portion 10. 11 designates the plate or bar which is fixed to the upwardly extending portion 9 and extends laterally therefrom and is provided with an aperture 12 which passes through the portion 9 and with an aperture 13.

If two braces are to be used in conjunc-- tion with an axle 14 they may be placed so as to extend in opposite directions so that the aperture 13 of one brace will register with the aperture 12 of the other brace and the aperture 12 of one brace will register with the aperture 13 of the other brace. Bolts 15 are then inserted through the registering apertures and the nuts 16 which are preferably of the wing type are then tightened and th brace members are spiked to the platform of the car as will be understood by reference to Fig. 1. y

' By such construction the lateral or longitudinal movement of the vehicle with respectto the platform is prevented. Any upward movement vof the vehicle is also limited and in case the vehicle is an automobile it will be securely fastened to a platform of a car under both inflation and deflation of the tire, since a pocket 17 is formed which is of sufficient depth to permit the downward movement of the axle 14,

' as will be understood by reference to Fig. 1.

The inclined body portion 2 may be provided with spaced apertures 18 and with a Tor other shaped block 19 in order that a strut member may be connected therewith as will be hereinafter explained in connection with Figs. 10 and 11.

In the embodiment seen in Fig. 4 the brace members are formed in a similar manner to that seen in Fig. 3 except that the plate or bar 11 is omitted and a fastening device such as 15 is not employed. I have therefore deemed it unnecessary to describe in detail the construction, it being clear that the formation is similar to that seen in Fig. 3 except as to the features above noted and one or more stresses are employed for each axlep Between the inclined body portion and the top laterally extending flange a space is provided for the vertical movement of the axle under inflation or deflation of the tires. 7

' In the embodiment seen in Fig. 5, the construction is the same as that seen in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive except that the fastening devices such as the bolts and nuts 15 and 16 respectively and the platell are omitted. I have therefore deemed it unnecessary to describe in detail the specific construction. In the embodiment seen in Fig. 6 the brace consists of a structural metal bar having aninclined body portion 20, which merges into an apertured base portion 21 which is secured to the platform 7 of the railroad or other car by means of fastening devices 22. The lower free end of the brace is upwardly deflected as at 23. The inclined body portion 20 merges into an upwardly extendlng portion 24 which is deflected downwardly as at 25 to form a pocket 26 and the free upper end of the brace is out wardly deflected as at 27 in order to stiffen In the embodiment seen in Figs. 8 and 9' the construction is substantially the same as that seen in Fig. 7 except that instead of having the inner walls of the loop parallel they are brought together near their lower end and a spring arm is formed. In this embodiment, 29 designates the inclined body portion which merges into a foot piece 30 similar in construction to that already de scribed and this foot piece is secured to the platform 7 by means of fastening devices 31. The inclined body portion 29 at its upper end is deflected outwardly and upwardly as at 32 and is then deflected downwardlv as at 33 to form a spring arm which is deflected inwardly as at 34 and then outwardly as at 35. It will be understood that in this construction the spring arm is sprung over the axle and is retained within the loop 36' the inner side walls of which are substantially straight but are rounded at the upper end of the loop and at the lower end the walls forming it are brought together so that the space between them is less than the diameter of the axle 14.

It will be understood that all of the embodiments of my invention are preferably provided with apertures corresponding to the spaced apertures 18 so that if two are employed on the same axle they can be braced together by means of a brace bar 37,

the free ends of which pass into such aper-' tures, and are secured to the braces in any desired manner as by rivets.

In Figs. 10 and 11, I have illustrated the manner in which a strut 38 is employed in connection with a brace. The construction of the brace in Fig. 10 is the same as that already described in connection with Fig. 8 the brace being provided with a slot 39 which is illustrated as T-shaped, the strut mowers being providednearitsupperend with recesses 40 located on the opposite sides of it, thereby forming a heed'41. Thestrut 38 is inserted through the slot 39 and then turned to assume the position seen in Fig. 10 and the lower end of the strut 38 is split as at 42 and rovided with the foot pieces 43 through whic 1 pass the fastening devices 44 and the free ends of the foot pieecs'43 are bent upwardly as indicated at 45.

In the embodiment seen in Figs. 12, 13 and 14, the brace is constructed in the same manner as that already described with reference to Fig. 10 except that the flange 53 is provided with the upwardly and laterally extending flanges 46 having a space 47 between them and forming a slot 48. The strut 49 is provided with recesses 50 on opposite sides of it, is then bent upwardly as at 51 and rearwardly as at In this embodiment, I have'shown the brace as formed with a flat bar instead of a channel bar but it will be understood that it is within the scope of my invention to employ any desired form of structural metal bar or beam.

In the embodiment seen in Figs. 12 and 14 after the brace has been secured in position the strut is assembled with respect to it and drawn downwardly into the position seen in Fig. 12 and the lower end of the strut is then s iked to the floor as will be understood by re erence to Fig. 10 and also Fig. 12. The parts 8, 23 and 45 are deflected so that when it is desired to remove the brace from the platform of a car a bar can be readily inserted so that the proper pressure can be applied to remove the spikes from the floor.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel construction of a brace which can be economically manufactured from a structural metal bar and which when secured in proper position with respect to an axle and fastened to the platform of the car will prevent any longitudinal movement of the vehicle with respect to the platform, will prevent side sway when the car is going around curves and will limit the upward movement of the axles with respect to the platform of the car. At the same time if the tires should become deflated the braces will still securely retain the automobile in position on the car platform. The axles of different makes of automobiles vary 1n diameter and the embodiments disclosed in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive are adapted to be employed in conjunction with automobiles in which the axles are of different diameters.

In accordance with my present invention I employ a plurality of braces for each axle of the vehicle, the braces for the different axles being preferably presented in opposite directions, and each brace has at its upper end what I term a pocket which will restrain longitudinal and lateral movement of the vehicle and if the vehicle is an automobile, the automobile will be held in posit-iton under both inflation and deflation of the vehicle tires.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a new and useful construction of a brace for shipping vehicles which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in-the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described preferred embodiments thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results. it is to be understood that such embodiments are susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

1. A brace for shipping vehicles. comprising a metal bar having an upwardly extending portion which terminates at its upper end in a lateral extension to limit the upward movement of a vehicle axle and having the side wall of said upwardly extending portion adapted to engage the side of an axle, the lower end of said bar being adapted to be secured to the )latform of a car. whereby relative longitu inal movement of a vehicle and the platform on which it is shipped is prevented and limited vertical movement is permitted.

2. A brace for shipping vehicles. comprising a metal bar having an upwardly extending portion which terminates at its upper end in a lateral extension to limit the upward movement of a vehicle axle and having the side wall of said upwardly extending portion adapted to engage the side of an axle. the lower end of said bar being adapted to be secured to the platform of a car. whereby relative longitudinal movement of a vehicle and the platform on which it is shipped is prevented under both inflation and deflation of the vehicle tires and limited vertical movement is permitted.

3. A brace for shipping vehicles comprising a bar having its lower end adapted to be secured to a support and its upper end deflected to engage and restrain longitudinal and upward movements of the axle of a vehicle on such support and permit limited downward movement of the axle.

4. A brace for shipping vehicles comprising a bar having its lower end adapted to be secured to a support and its upper end deflected to form a spring arm to engage and restrain longitudial and upward movements of the axle of a vehicle on such support.

A brace for shipping vehicles comprising a bar having its lower end adapted to be secured to a support and its upper end deflected to engage and restrain longitudinal and upward movements of the axle of a vehicle on such support, said body portion having an aperture, and a strut adapted at one end to enter said aperture and interlock with said brace, the lower end of said strut being adapted to be secured to said support.

6. A brace comprising at bar having a foot flange at its lower end adapted to be secured to a platform and having a ocket'10 at its end adatped to receive a vehic e axle and rest-rain its movement on such platform except limited vertical movement.

ALBERT H. LEVENE. Witnesses: v

H. S. FAIRBANKS, C. D. MCVAY.

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