US1391502A - Support for contact-shoes - Google Patents

Description

0.!1. QUARLES.

SUPPORT FOR CONTACT SHOES,

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1919.

Patented Sept. 20,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

v UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

CHAIRLE$ n. :QUARLES, or e ema-swam, vn INrA, ASSIGNOR, BY Mnsm: ASSIGNMENTS, T0. AmmIcAw,;AuroMArIc TRAIN CONTROL CORPORATION, \A

V coRroRA'rro br MARYLAND.

SUPPORT FOR CON CT-SHOES.

'To allwhom it may'cimcm:

Be i known that CHARLES QUA LEs, a citizen of the United States, residing "at Cha-rlottesville, in the county -of Albemarle a'nclState of Virginia, has invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in*'Supports for Contact-Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention'relates to an improved support for contact shoes oftrain-stop 'and'control"n1echanism V The object of'the invention is to provide an improved construction or -'shoe-s'upport whereby in case the same or any =mater1al part thereof becomes loose or brokento an extent as to cause 'a fallureln its 'ope-ratlon, an automatic operation of other mechanisms will r'esult that will disclose the defective condition. h V v *Inthe operation-of train "control mechanisms of theramp rail type, a 'contact'shoe is carried on the vehicle in such position as to successively engage" and be operated by the-ramp rails located along the trackway and it quite frequently happensuthatfthe supports orbrackets which carry the shoe plunger become loose or b roken and allow the shoe to-a'ssume'a positionwhere it will fail to en'gage'the' ramp rails. This failure to'mak'e contact will cause the shoe to give a false clear signal or indication whiehobviously is dangerousand the present invention is designed tomeetand overcome this serious I defect.

Theinve'ntion is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where1n,-+ 7

Figure '1. illustrates a vertical sectional view through the 'ba'se, the "cylinder {and j the lower *end "of the plunger.

"Fig. 2. shows a plan view of thebase'and the end supporting-brackets,

Fig. 3. illustrates the head-part of the support in' bottom-view, and 1 F ig.- 4. sh'ows a 'top view ofthe cylinder. Referring to"theydrawing,-' the numerals'5, designate two acedapart brackets which are bolted tothef'frame' 'ofth'e vehicle and eachh'as-a horizontal ledge-'6, which extends outwardly from the vehicle.

A baseplate 7, has-'ahorizontal flange1'8, at 'its' opposite'edges which are seated on the bracket f ledges and each of said] base+plate flanges is provided with vertical threaded perforations 9, for" the passage "of adjusting Specification of-Letterslatent. Patented Sept. 20, 1921. a plication*meduwovember 1 7,-1919. *serial'no. 338,645.

screws 10, which latter project throughthe flanges and seat'ontop of the bracket-ledges 6, and are utilized'n'ierely 'for 'slight adjusting purposes.

The-flanges 8,Tare also provided with vertical perforations 11, which register with similar perforations 12, in the bracketled'ges so that lockingbolts 13, may be passed vertically through the two registering perforations to rigidly lock the base down'on theledges.

The base plate also has a central-circular "opening 14, and is further provided :with

a pl-uralit'y o'f'perforations 15, adjacent to said central opening which perforations extend through downwardly-proj eeting 1 bosses "I6,'onfthe bottomside of the base.

-ablyilocated one (18) nearer the front and th'eot'her (17) nearer the rear. The rela-' tive jlocation: of these passage portions, and

th e number of the same, is not essential to "the invention, and -may differ from that shown,"but the outer eI-idsiof the passages "terminate in enlarged recesses 21, which latter are internally screw-threaded.

7 Confronting 'each 'of the recesses 21, and

the ends of the ' passages 17 and 18,- are vertical flanges 22, which extend upwardly from the bracket-ledges 6. Each'flange 22, has a horizontal perforation 23, therethrough which registers with,but is ofa larger diameter than, the recesses 21, softhat alscrew 'plug 24, Inay'be passedthrough the erforation and-screwed into the "threade' recess. "Eachscrew-plugha's ahead 25, at its outer end and also has 'a central passage 26, therein which communicates with the passageportionslZ or 18, as the case may be. These central passages 2'6,'in the screw plugs howeverdo not extend through the latter but are s' implyfblind passages, and terminate in the heads 25, at-theouterside of the flanges 22.

The inner ends of the passage portions :17 aridiJiS, ih this' in'stance, incline upwardlyat 27, and communicate with a passage 29, that extends horizontally around the base plate and all the way around the central openin 14, so that said passage '29 and both'latera passages 17 and 18 are always in commu-' nication.

It will be noted that the passage 29 ex tends through the base plate in a horizontal plane between the upper and lower surfaces thereof and that it has a stretch along the front, another stretch along the rear and the two stretchesextend from and connect the front and rear stretches.

At one side of the central opening '14, the base plate 30, which extends laterally, from one of the front-to-rear stretches of the passage 29, and

that the inner end of this branch passage H 30, connects with a vertical passage 31, that opens in acircular of the base plate. The purpose of this circular recess will presently be explained. I

The base plate sustains a vertical cylinder 33, which latter is provided with an annular flange 34 around its upper edge that seats on a gasket 35 on the top of the base, and

v aroundthe central opening 14. "The vertical nular flange 34,

cylinder depends through the central open- :ing 14,- and its lower end terminates beneath the bottom of the base.

On the interior, the cylinder 33, has a chamber-36, with an annular flange or shoulder 37, at its lower end and an opening 38. in said lower end adjacent to said shoulder.

A packing ring 39, is seated on the shoulder 37, around theopening 38, in the lower presently'be explained.

, At the upper end, the cylinder 33,- has an annular recess40, and atone side the an- 7 of said cylinder has a vertical opening or slot 41, which ispositioned directly over the circular recess 32, onvthe top of the base-plate, and said flange also has a plurality of vertical openings or perforations 42, which register with the perfor'ations 15, that extend down through thebosses '16, on the base plate, all. for a purpose that will presently be explained.

On top of the cylinder flange there is provided a head-part 43, that hasan interior central chamber 44, which registers with the chamber 36 in the cylinder beneath it, and the bottom of this head has a central annularbead that enters; the top recess 40, of the cylinder flange and seats on a packing ring 45, in said recess.

The head part 43, is provided at one side with a depending bottom lug 46, that projects downthrough the slot or opening 41 in the cylinder flangev and enters the circular recess 32, in the top of thebase plate.

A packing disk 47, is located in the recess 32, and makes a tight joint about'th lower endot the 1 g 4 so th a pas g my 4 7 also has a short branch passage recess 32, on thetop side 1 431011 with the air-supply of the air-brake the head-part; through the lug 46, and an whichextends from the outer side, through may be provided that extends down through V the head-part and opens into the central chamber 44. This air-supply passage 50, is connected to-the main air-supply of an airbrakemechanism on the vehicle so that at alltimes said passage 50, will be charged with air from the air-brake system and will be subject to variations in the air-pressure just the'same as is the'main air or trainline pip of the air-brake system.

As passage 50, is always in communicamain or train line, and said passage is always in communication with chambers 44,

:and 36, said latter chambers will also be passing through the perforations 15 and bosses "16; perforations 42, andscrewing into. threaded sockets or perforations 52,,in the head-part 43. that will- The perforations 15, that extenddownthrough the bosses 16, of the base are preferably linedwith insulated bushings 53, and insulating'washers 54,;are also provided be;

tom-ends of the bosses.

through the cylinder chamber 36, and chamber 44, of the head-part, and said rod carries a piston 5.6, which snugly fits the cham- I ber 36, but which is electrically insulated from the rod; by means of insulation 57.

' The plunger-rod 55, passes through a stuffing-box 58, at the upper side of the headpart and insulating-material 59, is provided to electrically insulate the rod from the head-part. V l

The lower end of the plunger rod 55, carries a contact head 60, which is designed to make frictional contact with ramp rails along the roadway and pick up current from said rails when the latter are energized. 'Th1s feature n the operation has nothing to do with the presentinvention and is therefore not shown herein. 7 V

I A passage 61, extends vertically in'the plunger rod and terminates at or adjacent to thecontact head 6O. j

This I passage is. entirely closed at the 105 tween the heads of the bolts-51,,and the bot lower end but at its upper end hasa lateral branch 62, that opens at the side of the rod so as to communicatewith the chamber 44, and allow air under pressure to enter said passage from the-chamber.- This passage 61 and branch 62, is not a feature of the present invention and therefore is not herein claimed.

A spring 63, encircles the rod and is confined in the chambers 36 and 44, and serves to press the piston head 56, and rod 55, down, but will yield to allow the rod to move upwardly when the contact head 60, engages a ramp rail.

From the foregoing explanation it will be noted that the air-supply passage ,50, is in communication with the chambers 44 and 36, and constantly supplies air under pressure from the air-brake train line to said chambers and also to the branch passage 62 and central passage 61, in the plunger-rod. It will also be seen that said air-supply passage 50 also communicates through passages 48 and 31, to the branch passage30, and from the latter to the passage 29 around the base; the lateral passages 1718; the recesses 21 and the plug-passages 26, so that all of the passages through the base and the passages 26 in the screw plugs 25, are constantly charged with air under pressure that isin continuous communication with the train line of th air-brake system.

The object of providing these blind passages through the base plate of the. shoe support and into the plug caps 25, is to so distribute those passages through the supporting structures as to provide for the leakage or escape of air in case a crack or break occurs in any of the parts that might cause a failure in the operation of the plunger-rod. If such crack or break should occur, it would extend through some portion of one or more of the blind passages and when it does occur, will permit the air to escape to the atmosphere and producean automatic operation of the air-brakes, by automatically venting the train line pressure, substantially as would occur if the'engineer manually actuated his engineers valve to produce such venting of the train line.

Thus by means of this novel arrangement of blind passages in the shoe-supporting structure, a break of suflicient magnitude as to cause a failure of the shoe to operate, would automatically produce an operation of the air-brakes because of the leakage of air through such ruptured part.

It will also be noted that should the securing bolts 51, become loosevthere would be a leakage of air around the packings 40 or 47, and such leak would reduce the train line pressure and cause an application of the air-brakes.

Having described my invention, I claim,

1. In a contact shoe for railwa vehicles and having a passage toward but is closed adjacent to the contact end thereof said plunger-passage being always in commun1- cation with the cylinder; a base for. supporting said cylinder said base having airpassages extending therein which are closed against atmospheric communication but which communicate with the said cylinder and a connection from the train line of an air-brake system to said base passages which connection is constantly maintained.

2. In a contact shoe for railway vehicles the combination with a cylinder, of a contact plunger extending through the cylinder and having a passage therein which opens into the cylinder; a base for supporting the cylinder said base having air passages that extend therein around the cylinder which passages are closed against atmospheric communication but are in communication with the cylinder and a connection for supplying air from the train line of an airbrake system on the vehicle to said passages and cylinder.

3. In a contact shoe for railway vehicles the combination with a base having airpassages therein which are closed against atmospheric communication, of a cylinder sustained by said base; a contact plunger passing through the cylinder and having a passageextending downwardly therein whose lower end is closed but which passage communicates with the cylinder said cylinder and the base-passages being in communicat1on and a connection for supplying air under pressure to said passages and cylinder.

4. In a contact shoe for railway vehicles the'combination with supporting brackets, of a base sustained by said bracketsfiastening devices engaging the base and brackets,the base having air passages with ends that are closed by the fastening devices; a connection for supplying air from the train line of an air-brake system on' the vehicle to said base passages, and a movable contact element carried by the base.

5. In a contact shoe for railway vehicles the combination with. supporting brackets, of a base sustained by said brackets and having air passages therein; a cylinder sustained by the base and having a chamber that is in communication with the basepassages; a plunger movable in the cylinder and having a passage that communicates with said cylinder-chamber; fastening means engaging the base and sealing the air-passages in the base and a connection for supplying air from thetrain line of an airbrake system on the vehicle to said passages and chamber-cylinder.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES H, QUARLES.

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