US1488853A - Pneumatic draft gear - Google Patents

Description

Patented Apr. l, 1924.

rra srares .inail r. WEBB, sa.,

fel

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PNEUMATIC DRAFT GEAR.

Application filed December 9, 1922. Serial No. 605,883.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JEAN F. VEBB, Sr., a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and Improved Pneumatic Draft Gear, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a draft gear for railway cars andthe like whereby the jolts and jars of a train may be cushioned and reduced, if not entirely eliminated, and whereby the draft stresses and strains may be distributed throughout the draft rigging of the entire train.

The present invention in its general nature provides an air spring arrangement located between the draft gear at the ends of the car and coupled with the same, the present structure being especially designed and adapted to cooperate with and augment the pneumatic draft gea-r at the ends of the cars (at the couplers) of the kind shown in my original application filed August 26, 1920, Serial No. 406,085.

In its more specific nature the invention provides one or more cylinders through which pass connecting rods on which pistons are secured, the pistons Abeing suitably packed and movable within the cylinders and the cylinders `having glands or stuffing boxes where the rod passes yout of the same so as to maintain a substantially air-tight chamber within the cylinder into which air from the train line is passed and held against backward escapement; supplementing the air spring thus formed are coil springs within the cylinder, operating in conjunction with the air spring, the rod having its ends connected up with the draft yokes of the coup-ler draft gear at the ends of the car, thus connecting all of thel draft yokes of a train in series with the intermediate cushioning devices to form a continuous cushioned draft gear for the entire train.

In its more detailed nature, the invention includes those novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described, then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a train equipped with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the auxiliary cushioning cylinder and its part-s.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section on the line 3-3 showing the manner of fastening the cylinder to the frame of the car.

e Figure 4 is an elevation of a car sho-wing a modification of the invention wherein a plurality of cylinders are employed.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of` a modification of the cylinder arrangement.

Figure 6 is a detail vertical section of one type of back check valve which may be used and showing the small leakage port.

In the drawings, in whichlike numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, l represents the longitudinal sills of the car between which the auxiliary cylinder or cylinders 2 are mounted. e

The cylinder 2 has heads 3 which are bolted to cross irons 4 that are connected to the sills 1 in any suitable way (see Figure 3), the heads i3 being provided with stung boxes 5 throughwhich the draft rod 6 passes. The draft rod 6 is fastened to a piston 7i (see Figure 3) which is provided with suitable packing rings 8 and is movable in the cylinder 2, springs 9 and 10 being provided to tend to keep the piston 7 normally in the intermediate position in the cylinder sof that compressed air may `pass through vthe ports 12 to either side of the piston. Air is delivered to the ports 12 from the train line 15 of the air brake system, through a back check valve 13 and a connection 14, thus the train line air pressure will at all times be maintained within the cylinder 2 for the purpose of resisting the movements of the piston 7 and forming an air spring. The back check valves are provided with small bleeding or leakage ports 13X which prevent the action of the piston 7 from building up pressures in the cylinder above train line pressure.

A suitable pet cock 16 is provided to drain water of condensation from the cylinder 2.

In Figures 4 and 5 is shown a modification of my invention in which a plurality of cylinders may be provided fo-r each car, the draft rods 6 of the cylinders 2 are coupled together by turn buckles 17, the ends of the rods 6 are hooked or otherwise secured to the yoke of the coupler draft gear.

The draft gear of coupler may be of any construction but preferably that described in my original application. In that application the coupler draft gear, in addition to the mechanical cushioning springs, is provided with air springs so as to make the entire draft gear system of the train of the pneumatic or air spring kind.

In Figure 5 is shown a modificationrof the invention in Which the cylinders and piston are of the duplex type. The cylinders being divided centrally by a partition 21 into tivo chambers or compartments Which contain the respective sets of cushion springs 9-10 and pistons 7. It should be observed that the several springs 9 and l() are placed in position in the casing'in their fully extended condition so that they do not exert any pressure on the piston further than that necessary'to push the piston to its exac-t'center. They are so powerful that they Will overcome a resistance of thousands of pounds, more than any possible temporary accumulation of compressed air pressure on one side While the other side is under compression, and they Will force the piston back to its place in the center, so the air compressed on one side can be equalized through the ports 13X.

The independent feed pipe and check valve to each compartment Will render it impossible for any excess pressure to pile up on either side ofthe piston. This form will not prevent the fullcompression of the air in a compartment `for the sudden impact from buiiing will move the piston so quickly past its individual feed pipe that no air of consequence can escape through the tiny hole in the check Vvalve and only Vnormal train pressure will ever be behind it on its return. Of course, there Will be a slight compression on the other side of the piston as it returns to its normal position, but this excess pressure on that side Will be quickly equalized by the escape of air back to the train line through the tiny hole in the check valve.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the complete construction, operation and advantages of my invention Will he clear to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

Y l. In a draftV gear mechanism7 the combination with the couplers at the ends of the car, of a combined pneumatic and spring mechanism connecting the couplers at each end of a car and including a cylinder, a piston Within the cylinder, a piston rod carrying the piston, fully extended springs maintained Within the cylinder at each side of the piston when the piston is centered in the cylinder, and means for leading train line air into the cylinder centrally thereof and including ports delivering to each side of the piston.

2. In a draft gear mechanism, the combination with the couplers at the ends of the car, of a combined pneumatic and spring mechanism connecting the couplers at each end of the car-and including a cylinder, a piston within the cylinder, a piston rod carrying the piston7 fully 'extended ysprings mounted Within the cylinder at each side of the piston When the piston is centered in the cylinder, means for leading train line air into the cylinder centrally thereof and including ports delivering to each side of the piston, said means including a back check valve having a leakage port for the purposes described.

JEAN r. WEBB, sR.

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