US1447178A - Draft mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Ban 5,3923. H. L. INGERSOLL F110@ may 22,

' view taken in the pla-ne of Aplane of line 2 2 of Patented HOWARD "L. INGERSLL, F WHITE; PLAINS, NEW YORK.

DRAFT MECHANISM.

Application filed May 22, '1922. Serial No. 562,832.

To all vwhom 1in/mag concern.'

Be itknown that I, HOWARD L. INGnRsoLL, a citizen'of the United States, residing at White Plains, in the county ofVVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft echanism, of which the following is a specification` This invention relates to draft mechanism for railway cars.

One object of the invention is to provide simple, durable and efficient draft Incolla-V nism in which various parts thereof are per-` mitted proper cooperative' movements and meet the various requirements under service conditions.

Another object is torprovide a. front fol; lower constructed to cooperate in an improved manner with the butt of the associated coupler whereby a swinging movement of the coupler is facilitated and at the sametime to provide ini'the combination aselfcentering carrier iron for moving the coupler back into a central position when it has been moved therefrom.

VAnother .object is-ftoV simplify the various parts and reduce the number of same.

These and other objects are accomplished by means of the arrangement disclosed on the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which'- Figure 1 is a longitudinal Ysectional view through the' center sills of the car and showing some of the draft mechanism in plan; y

igure 2 is asectional view taken in the Figure 1;

Figure 3 Vis a longitudinal sec-tional view through the coupler yoke and showing the coupler in elevation; v

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the arrange-` ment shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional line :l-5 of F1 ure 3;

igure 6 is 'a cross sectional view of the coup er butt;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic View showing how the coupler is applied to the yoke;

Figure 8-is a longitudinal vert-ical sectional view through the coupler yoke and showing the coupler keyed to the yoke by a vertical key instead of lugs, formed on the coupler butt;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of that shown in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is al longitudinal vertical sec'- tional view through the coupler yoke showing the coupler keyed to movable vertical key;

Figure 1l is a detail plan view rangement shown in Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a sectional View taken in the plane of line 12-12 of F igure ,1'1;

-Figure 13 is a side follower;

Figure l/l is follower; and Y Figure isa horizontal tra-nsverse"s ec tional coupler butt.

The various novel features .of the invention will be apparent from the'following dea front elevation of the same vscriptionVanddrawings, vand willV beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 7 inclusi-ve,I of the drawings, it will be noted that the invention is disclosed in connection with a railway car having center draft sills 16 spaced apart and rigidly'held in .suc-h spaced relationship at a pointadjacent the bolster of the car by a center or back-stop casting 17 which may be secured to the sills 16 in any suitable'manief"This'ljackstop iS p1`0- vided with a recessed portion 18 for the reception of the rear`of the draft yoke 19, the upper and lower arms 20 of which eX- tend forwardly and between their front ends receive the butt end 21 ofthe shank 22 of a coupler 23. A rear follower 24 engages the shoulders 25 of the backstop 17 forlimiting rearward movement of such follower.

The butt of the coupler is provided with upper and lower key lugs 26 b v means of which of the arelevation of the front .615

the coupler is secured to the yoke. These Q5 key lugs are provided with laterally extend ing projections 27 which, when in normal position overlap the yoke arms and preventthe spread of the latter.' In order to apply the coupler to the yoke itis necessary that the yoke arms be provided with elongated openings 2S and that the yoke and coupler be turned ninety (90) degrees from their normal relative positions. so that the lateral extensions 27 of the key lugs 26 may pass through the elongated openings 28 in the yoke arms. Furthermore, to apply a coupler. to the yoke it is necessary that the yoke arms -be spread sufficiently to permit the passage of the key lugs 26 and sions 27 between the yoke arms.

Referring particularly to Figure 7, it will their lateral eXtenthe base of thekey lugs 26.

be appreciated that as soon as the key lug projections 2T are in register with the elongated openings Q8 the yoke arms will spring inwardly or may be sprung inwardly to the point where the coupler and yoke may be moved into alignment. in which position the projections 2T overlap the upper and lower associated yoke arms 2O and hold them against spreading. To add strength to the coupler shank and butt, the same may be reinforced.. F or example, as shown in Figures It, 5 -and (i, the shank and butt are reinforced by a central web 29 which extends along the central line of the butt and forward to the shank, such parts lthereby being generally strengthened and particularly at In Figure i5 the coupler butt is shown reinforced in auother manner in which websfl.y 3l and '32 radiate from the central portion of the butt toward thefsides and rear, respectively. of the` coupler butt.

In Figures 8 and 9, a modification of the arrangement shown in Figures l to 7 iuclusive, is illustrated, in which. instead of providing a coupler butt with integrally formed lugs 26 a vertical key 33 is provided'. In applying the coupler butt is placed between the yoke arms so that the opening 34 in the couplei butt registers with the openings 35 in the yoke arms 36. whereupon the key 33 is passed through the lower opening driven through the opening 3a inthefcoupler butt and passed through the opening 35 in the upper yoke arm 36. whereupon the ends of the vertical key are upset. pretei'ably to form lateral extensions 3T which overlap the upper and lower yoke arms for preventing spread thereof. Assuming that there is freedom of movement between the coupler butt and the key 33. the upper yoke arm 36 is provided with a plurality of ribs 38 between which the lug projections 37 extend for preventing rotation of the key 33. If the key were permitted to rotate it is conceivable that 1t might move into a posivtion such that its lugs 8T would be in alignment with the elongated slots whereupon the yoke arms would be free to spread under draft conditions. Of course other means, such as lock washers and the like. may be applied for preventing the key lil from angling from'its normal position.

In Figures 107 11 and 12 still a further modification is provided in which a reinovable key is used for forming the connection between the coupler and yoke. This vertical key 39 prefer-abty is provided at its uper and lower ends with lateral extensions 40 also which cooperate with ribs 4l on the upper yoke arm 42 for locking the key in its operative position. These extensions i0. as in the other case, prevent the spread of the yoke arms.

the coupler to the yoke In applying this key 39 are near the rear ends thereof or at least to" the reai of .the ribs il. After the key is completely passed through these openings A it may be turned through an angle of ninety degrees and moved forwardly into the position shown in Figures l() and il.

It will be noted that the rear end ot the coupler butt is provided with a convex siii'- facel5 (Figures l and 3,). which tits into a correspondingly concave portion siti ot' the front follower et?. It may be said that the front follower is cupped at i6 for the reception of the spherical portion i5 at the shaping the coupler butt and the front follower, the 'radial or lateral movement of the coupler in ahorizontal plane is greatly facilitated, therebeing the minimum resistance consistent with all other requirements.

In thisreoniiection, to 'facilitate the coupler f moving back4 into a central position when it has been moved therefrom, the shank of the coupler rests upon a pivotally mounted or swinging 'carrier iron 48 which, Ias shown, is hung from or connected to the striker plate casting Shy links 50. By thus having the coupler resting upon the swinging carrier iron for automatically self-centering thg coupler. Yanthbyheffing the/rear portions" -of the coupler butt convexly shaped and 'cooperating with the cupped front follower, the swinging movement 'ot the coupler is greatly facilitated.

,i If desired, the coupler butt may also bev provided with a horizontal key-way 5l for use in connection with a draft gear requiring such a key.

It is my intention to cover all modifica tions of the invention falling within the spiritand scope of the following claims.

I claim l( In draft mechanism. the combination of a yoke. a coupler, means for connecting said yoke-and coupler for a relative swinging movement. the butt of said coupler having a rear spherically convex face. and a follower having a spherically concave face for receiving the convex face of said coupler butt for facilitating relative swinging movements between said yoke and coupler.

Q. In draft mechanism. the combination of a yoke` a coupler. means comprising only a key and elongated slot for connecting said yoke and coupler for relative longitudinal i ing the convex face of said coupler butt for tending projections which may pass through acilitatlng relative swinging movement bethe elongated opening in one of said yokev tween said yoke and-coupler, and means for arms when the key 1s in a given position, 25 automatically centering said coupler. a and means on one of said yoke arms for pre- 3. In draft mechanism, the combination venting said key from accidentally moving of a yoke having arms with elongated openfrom a given operative position when placed ings therein, a`c0upler, the-buttof which is in such' position.

provided with an opening, and a key ex-' 5. In draft mechanism, the combination 30 tending through said openings having of a, yoke having arms with openings therein, meansv integrally formed. therewith at both a coupler having a rear convex face, rreans endsthereo' for preventing the spread of the comprising only a key and said openings for4 yoke arms, the means at one end of said key connecting `the coupler and yoke arms, a

cooperating with portions of the yoke for front follower having a concave face for 35 normally preventingsuch key from turning receiving the convex face of the coupler butt when in normal operative position. for facilitating-angling of said coupler, and

4. In draft mechanism, the combination' means whereby said coupler butt is rein of yoke arms having elongated openings, vforced adjacent its points of connection with a coupler sha-nk having an opening, a key said yoke arms.

40 extending through said openings and hav- Signed at New York, New York, this 12th ing means 'at both ends for preventing day of May, 1922. spread of the yokel arms, said meansat one and of the yoke comprising laterally exi HOWARD L. INGERSOLL.

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