US1522275A

US1522275A - Slack adjuster

Info

Publication number: US1522275A
Application number: US555223A
Authority: US
Inventors: William H Sauvage
Original assignee: Symington Gould Co
Current assignee: Symington Gould Co
Priority date: 1922-04-18
Filing date: 1922-04-18
Publication date: 1925-01-06
Anticipated expiration: 1942-01-06

Description

w. H. SAUVAG E SLACK ADJUSTER Original Filed June 27, 1919 wuelwtoz ne r Patented Jan. 1925.

F F 1 CE WILLIAM H. SAUV'AGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MES-NE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, OF YORK, N, Y

SLACK ADJUSTER.

Refiling ofabandoned application Serial No. 307,124, filedlfunc 27, 1919. This application filed April 18.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Slack Adjusters, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to slack adjusters for railway brake systems and more particularly to what is known as automatic slack adjusters especially designed for taking up the excess slack in the brake rigging of railway vehicles.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an automatically operated slack adjuster of a simple and practical design particularly adapted for use in connec tion with the foundation brake rigging of cars although with slight modification, various features are applicable to slack adjusters in other locations as well.

Another object is to provide a slack adjuster of the above general type adapted automatically to take up and hold all of the slack on excess travel of the brake rigging during a single application of the brakes, in contradistinction to devices now in use in which the'slack is only partially taken up on application or is taken up on release of the brakes.

A further object is to provide a slack adjuster having relatively few parts which may be inexpensively manufactured and as sembled yet be reliable and efficient in use and operation.

A further object is to provide an improved slack adjuster of the last above mentioned type adapted to insure uniform piston travel at all times and to take up and hold the entire excess slack of. the brake rigging on or during a single application of the brakes.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and inpart indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of the invention.

'Thisinvention accordingly consists in the features (if construction, combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members and in the relative proportioning and disposition thereof, all as more. completely outlined herein.

Drawings depicting one of several de- Serial No. 555 223 sired forms have been annexedas a part of this disclosure, and my such drawings like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts throughout all of the views,

of which Flgure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic plan vlew of such parts of the foundation brake rigging, with the invention applied thereto,

as may be necessary to fully understand the same; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail. view, partly in section, showing the slack adjuster.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and more particularly to Figure 1. 5 denotes the main cylinder of the foundation brake rigging usually mounted beneath the floorof the car and havlng an air rcservon' b. a triple valve 7 and an inlet or supply pipe 8. This cylinder 5 is provided with a piston 10, piston rod 11 connected to one end of a live lever 12, the opposite end of which lever is provided with. a pull rod 18 leading to the brake riggingmounted on the truck. A chain 14 connected at one end to red 11 is adapted to be connected to he hand brake mechanism at its other end. The central part of the live lever is connected by means of a rod or link 15 with the central part of a dead lever 16. One end of this lever 16 connectswith a pull rod 17 leading to the brake rigging mount ed on the truck at the oppositeend of the car while the opposite end of the dead lever is mounted in a recess portion 18 in a movable rod 20 as shown more clearly in Figure 2.

It will,'of course, be understood that the mechanism above described with the exception of the last connection of the dead lever 16, is of old and well known construction and arrangement in foundation brake rigging, the parts being so connected that as the piston 10 moves outwardly the live and dead levers with the intervening link 15 willv be moved to actuate the brakes on each travel is insured at all times and the proper application of the brakes may be depended p n- 7 a v a The present mechanism embodies a relatively short cylinder 21, "Figure 2, provided with a piston 22 behind which air is adapted to be admitted through pipe 23 communicating with a port 24 in the main cylinder A suitable cook 25 is provided to close the pipe 23, if desired, at anytime. It will thus be seen that when the piston 10 exceeds its predetermined piston travel and uncovers the port 24, air will be admitted through the pipe 23 and move the piston 22 relatively towards the right against the action of a spring'26 coiled within a chamber 27. V

This piston 22 is provided with a sleeve '28 and preferably having formed integrally therewith is a housing 30 carrying a plurality of holding dogs 31. These dogs are generally of rectangular shape having openings therein through which the combined take-up and holding rod 20 is adapted to pass. They are normally held in canted position, as shown, by means of a coiled spring 32 surrounding the rod.

Secured to the under side of the car body is a bracket 33 provided with a housing 34' within which is a second holding dog 35 similar to the dogs 31 and alsoheld in canted position by means of spring 36. 'Both housings are provided with release levers 37 of any desired type whereby when moved towards the right hand position they will straighten out the dogs to aplane normal to the axis of the rod 20 thus permitting the rod 20 to be moved freely in either direction. p L

The operation of the present device is substantially as follows:

WVhen the normal travel of the piston 10 exceeds a p edetermined amount to properly apply the brakes the port 24 is uncovered allowing air to pass through'the pipe 23 to the back of the piston 22. This forces the piston 22 relatively towards the right, compressing the spring 26, and by reason of the dogs 31 which have a biting engagement with the rod22- the fulcrum point of the lever 16 is carried relatively towards the light, the opposite or right hand end of the Y rod 20 passing freely through the dog On release of the brakes the piston 10, of

course, returns to normal position under the usual release spring and the spring 26 will 7 force the pis on 22 back to normal posit-ion,

as shown inFigure2. The rod 20,-however,

, will be held in its new position by the dog 35, the casing 30 returning with the piston 22, thereby sliding the dogs 31 along the rod 20 an amount corresponding to the slack takenup. In this manner, the entire slack will be taken up and held on or during a single application of the brakes and if at any time the brakes should been for a relatively manufactured and assembled. lnshort, the

invention is believed to accomplish, among others, all of the objects and advantages herein set forth.

I claim: I

1. In an automatic slack adjuster, in combination, a source of power including piston, permanent and temporary take up and holding means, and a single rod coacting with both of said means and adapted therewith to take up and "hold allrof the excess slack caused by excess travel of the piston on application of the brakes- 2. In an automatic slack adjuster, in combination, a source of power includinga piston, permanent and temporary'take up and holding dogs, a single rod associated and coacting therewith, and means for moving said rod actuatedby said source of power thereby to take up and hold all of the excess slack caused by excess travel of the piston on application of the brakes.

3. In an automatic slack adjuster, in combination, a source of power including a piston, permanent and temporary take up and holding dogs, a single rod associated therewith, andimeans for moving said rod actuated by said source ofpower and adapted to take up and hold all of the excess slack caused by excess travel of the piston on application of-the brakes, said means being ac tuated only on, excess travel of the piston of said source of power.

4:.111 a brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder and piston having a port adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and a pneumatically actuated slack adjusteradapted to-be operated on excess piston travel to take up all of the excess slack on application of the brakes, said slack adjuster-including apiston rod and a single combined holding, take up and adjusting rod.

5. In a brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder having a port adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and slack adjustermechanism adapted-to be operated on excess piston travel to take up all of the excess slack on application of the brakes, said slack adjuster comprising a piston. rod and a combined take upand adjusting rod telescoping therewith.

6. In a brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder having a port adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and a pneumatically actuated slack adjuster adapted to be operated on excess piston travel to take up all the excess slack on application of the brakes, said slack adjuster comprising a piston and a combined holding, take-up and adjusting rod, and alternately operating means adapted to engage said rod to move the same in one direction and to hold it against movement in the opposite direction.

7. Ina brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder having a port adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and a pneumatically actuated slack adjuster adapted to be operated on excess piston travel to take up and hold all of the excess slack on application of the brakes, said slack adjuster comprising a piston, a combined holding, take up and adjusting rod, and alternately operating means adapted to engage sa-id rod to move the same in one direc tion and hold it against movement in the opposite direction, said means including two sets of dogs normally held in canted relation to said rod.

8. In a brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder having a port adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and a pneumatically actuated slack adjuster adapted to be operated on such excess piston travel to take up and hold all of the excess slack on application of the brakes, said slack adjuster comprising a cylinder having a piston and a two-part telescopic piston rod, one of said parts being provided With a housing having holding means therein adapted to co-act With and engage the other of said parts on movement of the piston in one direction and-to permit relative movement of said parts on opposite movement of the said piston.

9. In a brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder having a port adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and a pneumatically actuated slack adjuster adapted to be operated on excess piston travel to take up and hold all of the excess slack on application of the brakes, said slack ad juster including a cylinder, a piston and a two-part telescopic piston rod, one of said parts being provided With a housing hav ing means adapted to co-act with and engage the other of said parts on one movement of the piston and to permit relative movement of said parts on opposite movement of the piston, and separate and independently operating means adapted to coact With the telescoping part of the piston rod to prevent movement thereof on return of the piston head to normal position.

10. In a brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder having a port adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and a pneumatically actuated slack adjuster adapted to be operated on excess piston travel to take up and hold all of the excess slack on application of the brakes, said slack adjuster comprising a cylinder having a tWo part telescopic piston rod, and a piston, one of said parts being provided With a housing having holding means adapted to coact With and engage the other of said parts on movement of the piston and to permit relative movement of said parts on inward movement of the piston, and separate and independently operating holding means adapted to coact With the telescoping part to prevent inward movement thereof on return of the piston head to normal position, and means for releasing both of said holding means whereby said telescoping part of the piston rod may be freely moved in either direction. I

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of April, 1922.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE.