US1401990A - Coupling support - Google Patents

Description

E. LARSSON. v COUPLING SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I9, I920.

1,401,990, Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

SI LARSSON, 0F MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE @HIO BS COMPANY, OF

MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW KEY.

COUPLING SUPPORT.

menses.

Application filed February To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ERNST LARSSON, a citizen of Sweden, residing at 29 Wood Street, Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coupling Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to those classes of devices known as spring draw bar carriers for flexibly supporting the coupling device and for centering the coupling device prior to the coupling of cars, and combines these functions by proper relation of the parts and cooperation, into" one structure.

One of the objects of my invention is for the structure, as a whole, to permit a side or lateral movement of the coupler which is advisable when two cars are coupled and move around curves.

Another object of my device is to maintain the coupling head in a normal or centered position with respect to the car body to which it is attached in order that two coupler heads may be automatically coupled on ,a straight track or curve of moderate radius.

Another object of my device is to permit the coupling heads to move up and down relatively to the car body when in a coupled position as is advisable when the coupled cars are passing over a break in the grade, under which condition the couplers will be moved downward relatively to the car body if the cars are passing upward or downward at the upper end of the grade and move upwardly relatively to the car body if the car is passing over a break of grade at the lower end of the grade, all of which is a common condition met with, especially in the operation of electric cars operating in cities and towns.

Other objects of my invention will appear hereinafter.

For the attainment of these ends, and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as will ap .ear herein, this invention consists in the eatures of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts generally shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification, but more particularly pointed out in the appended cl ims,

In the drawing- I Fig. 1 shows an end elevation view of my Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.. 19, 1920. Serial in. 359,894.

invention partly in section and the normal position of the device is represented in full lines, the arrangement of the parts when two coupled cars are passing overthe top of a hill is represented by the dotted lines and shows the action of the device as a spring carrier.

Fig. 2 shows an end elevation view of my invention in art section and shows the arrangement of the parts when the coupled cars are rounding a curve', and the couplers swing together laterally with respect to the car body. 7

Fig. 3 'is a side elevation view of my device as represented by the end elevation view in Fig. 1 and shows th coupler head and my supportin device in normal position by the full lines and in a depressed condition when the coupled cars are passing over the top of a hill, by the dotted lines.

I will first describe the construction by which my invention is carried out and as shown in the drawing and will later describe the operation of the various elements as necessary to meet "the requirements of my invention.

In Fig. '1, 0 represents the sill of a car body usually located adjacent the end of the car.

Numeral 1 represents a supporting casting secured to the sill by means of the bolt and nut 2; 3 is a housing comprising the tubular portion 4 and the projecting extension 5 which is provided with an opening through which passes the pin 6 for supporting the housing from the supporting memher 1 and permitting lateral relative movement of the housing 4 and the support 1.

The support member 1 is provlded w1th depending skirt 7 which limits lateral movement of the housing 4 in either direction. Secured to the lower end of the housing is a closing member 8 and which I have shown as having a threaded engagement with the housing 4 although other means of connection can be used and which will be quite obvious. Within the housing is a washer member 9 and secured thereto is a rod 10 having an eye attachment at the lower end. Interposed between the washer 9 and the member 8 is a spring 11 under compression and the amount of compression upon the spring may be varied by ad'usting the relative location or position 0 the member 8.

Secured to the lower end of the member 'and supported thereby is a yoke member 12 provided with upright members 13. The

yoke member 12 is provided with means 14 for receiving "the lower end of the member 10 and the ,members' 10 and '12 are secured together by the pin 15 which permits lateral movement of the parts; in; Figs. 1 and 2 the coupler draw bar 16 is shown in section in its normal position when supported by my invention.

It is usual to support the rear end of the coupler draw bar and to secure it to the of freedom of movement of the one end of the draw bar not only vertically but horizontally also as sufficient clearance is allowed between the arts for horizontal movement. Sills C and 1 are secured to the car body D.

It is well known that when two cars are coupled together by means of couplers which V the dotted lines in Fig. 1 and also in Fig. 3.

are practically rigid at their point of coupling and such cars are run over a break as in the case of the cars mounting a bill, that when the front car passes over the hill that the couplers will be depressed relatively to the bodies of both cars. This will bring a severe strain upon the equipment if the device supporting the couplers from the car body is of a rigid character, but in my device the interposing of the spring between the point of support to the car body and the point of support of'the draw bar or coupler {head will permit of the coupler head being depressed without injury to the equipment. The supporting mechanism is usually mounted in such a way as to maintain the couplers at a uniform height above the rail under normal conditions and this is indicated in Fig. 1 by the heavy lines and when the coupled cars are passing over a break in grade as described, the coupler will depress the supporting yoke 12 and conse quently the supporting spring 11 and the spring will then return the coupler head to its normal position after the cars have reached a normal stretch of track. The depressed position of the coupler head at time of making the break in grade is indicated by Another object of my invention is to permitt lateral movement of the coupler head relatively to the car body as is required when the cars are rounding a curve and this is brought about by pivoting the supporting housin 4 and member 10 to the car body and yo e 12 respectively, and such condition is shown by the relation of the parts in Fig. 2. Here we find the center of the coupler head swung over to the right the distance between the lines A--A and A -A and likewise the lower end of the member 10 and its pivotal point of attachment to the yoke 12 as swung to the right the distance between the lines BB and 13 -13 ThlS lateral'movement can be arrested if desired by the engagement of the member 5 with the'member 7 and the amount of lateral movement is dependent upon the relation of these two parts 5 and 7.

It is' also desirable to have the couplers maintain a normal position respecting the center of the car body wheniit is not coupled to another car in order that it will be in a position to automatically couple with another car similarly equipped, thus avoiding the necessity of manually alining the couplers before they can be coupled. This condition is best brought about by having the couplers when not in a coupled position maintained on the center line of the car as indicated by the line AA.

lVith the device shown where it is pivoted to swing laterally, gravity of course would tend to bring the coupler back to normal position but it would not prevent side swinging of the device and very often it is desirable to couple the cars while moving and the rocking of the cars would tend to cause the couplers to swing sideways and hence out of alinement, and to avoid this condition I utilize the spring 11 for maintaining the device together with the coupler head in a normal central position.

This result is brought about by having the face of the yoke 12 which is adjacent the housing 4 to bear against the lower edge of the housing 4 and maintained in such contact by the pressure of the spring 11. If now the yoke 12 is moved to the right, the inner edge of the housing 4 contacting with the yoke 12 as indicated by the numeral 20 in Fig. 2 will act as a pivotal point about which the yoke 12 and the housing 1 will pivot and the tension on the "spring 11 will be increased with the result that if the yoke 12 is not maintained in the position just'referred to bv some external force, that the spring will cause the yoke 12 to move back to normal position with the line A --A coinciding with the true center line A-A.

, My invention will also permit of the draw head or couplerswinging laterally and moving downwardly simultaneously as would be the case if two coupled cars were passing What I claim is 1. A draw-bar carrier adapted for attachment to a car body and to allow vertical and horizontal movement of the draw-bar relative to the car body, comprising a pair of securing means attached to the car body, a yoke member to receive the bar and provided with means to maintain the draw-bar in a predetermined position on the yoke, a hollow member pivotally secured to each securing means and, depending therefrom, a supporting member pivotally secured to each end of the yoke member and each extending into one of the hollow members, and a spring positioned within each hollow'member and interposed betweenv the hollow member and the supporting member.

2. A draw-bar carrier for suspension from a car body comprising a yoke member, a pair of securing means attached to the car body, a hollow member pivotally secured to each securing means, a supporting member pivotally secured to each end of the yoke member and extending into the corresponding hollow member, and a spring positioned within each hollow member and interposed between the hollow member and the supporting member to allow the yoke member to yield relatively to the car body.

3 A draw-bar carrier adapted for attachment to a car body and to allow a vertical and a horizontal movement of the draw-bar relative to the car body comprising apair of securing means attached to the car body, a yoke member to receive the draw-bar, a

hollow member pivotally secured to each securing means to swing in a lateral direction only relative to the car body, a supporting member pivotally secured to each end of the yoke member to swing in a lateral direction only relative to the yoke member and extending each into one of the hollow members, and a spring positioned within each hollow member and interposed between the hollow member and the supporting member.

4. A draw-bar carrier comprising 1n combination securing means suspended from the car body, a yokemem'ber to support the draw-bar, and a centering device provided with a surface engaging the surface of the yoke member, said .co-acting surfaces resting in the same common plane, and also pivotally attached to the securing means to permit the yoke member to move laterally of the car body, the centering device also having a yielding member connected to the yoke whereby the yoke member is returned to normal osition when moved therefrom.

5. A raw-bar carrier comprising in combination, securing means suspended from the car body, a yoke member to, support the draw-bar, a centering device provided with a fiat surface at one end engaging a like surface on the yoke member and having a pivotal connection at the other end for suspending the centering device from the securing means, and a connecting member for securing the yoke and centering device together and a spring interposed between the centering device and the connecting member.

6. A draw-bar carrier for suspension from a car body comprising supporting means attached to the car body, supporting means for a draw-bar mounted to swing laterally and move vertically under stress, a yielding

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