US1550763A

US1550763A - Spring-lifting device

Info

Publication number: US1550763A
Application number: US725760A
Authority: US
Inventors: Uher Michael
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1924-07-14
Filing date: 1924-07-14
Publication date: 1925-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 1942-08-25

Description

Aug. 25, 1925.

M. UHER SPRING LIFTING DEVICE Filed July 14, 1924 5 Sheets-sheaf '1 llf'lfrzess:

Aug. 25, 1925.

M. UHER SPRING LIFTING DEVICE I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 25, 1925. 1,550,763

M; UHER SPRING LIFTING DEVICE Filed July 14. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Z$(fi72 for:

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Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES MICHAEL.UHEB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPRING-LIFTING DEVICE.

Application filed. July 14,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL UHER, a citizen of the Republic of Czechoslovakia, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Lifting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for removing supporting springs from railway cars and refers more particularly to mechanism whereby the supporting leaf springs located on the trucks of railroad passenger cars are removed and replaced in a minimum of time.

On account of the rigidly and weight of the leaf spring structure mounted on the trucks of railway passenger cars, combined with their inaccessibility, it has been a considerable problem to remove a set of springs, for instance, to repair same. Various clamping devices and apparatus have been used, by means of which the springs were removed, but the time and labor cost has been prohibitive.

I have devised an apparatus by which these springs can be removed and replaced with a minimum delay and elimination of most of the labor cost. The salient features of the device include a movable stand for my apparatus, which can be wheeled from place to place very readily; means for simultaneously actuating the gripping members, means for raising or lowering the frame supporting the gripping members, the entire apparatus capable of being readily assembled and disassembled.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device showing the gripping members in position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4c is an elevational view from one end of the device.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation of the gearing for actuating the gripping jaws. Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the lines 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 designates the supporting frame which may be of any rigid metal, having the wheels 2. Midway of its height on one end of the frame may be mounted a stub shaft 3 on 1924. Serial No. 725,760.

which a pinion gear 4 is supported. This pinion 4 meshes in turn with a larger gear 5 mounted on a stub shaft 6 on which stub shaft is also mounted a second pinion gear 7 adapted to mesh with a larger gear 8 mounted on shaft 9. On the opposite end of the shaft 9 is a bevel gear 10 adapted to mesh with similar bevel gears 11 and 12. These bevel gears 11 and 12 are mounted on the shafts 11 and 12, screw threaded to rotate in opposite directions.

The vertical shafts 11 and 12 have mounted thereon brackets 13 and 14:. On these brackets 13 and 14 are loosely mounted the

arms

15, 16, 17 and 18, arranged in sets, two (upper and lower) on both sides of the frame. Each set is pivotally mounted on the spool roller 18 moving on track 18 intermediate their length as shown at 19. On the extremity of each arm are pivotally mounted gripping or clamping elements or jaws 20, these latter in turn being pivotally connected as shown at 21. Removable cross bars 22 may be provided to connect the jaws on opposite sides of the frame.

The operation and actuation of the gripping elements should be immediately apparent. As shown in Fig. 1, the device is in position ready for use. The stub shaft 3 is rotated in a clockwise direction, by any suitable means such as the hand crank 23, or the shaft 3 may be connected with any suitable source of power, such as electric power, steam, air, etc. Through the arrangement of gearing described, the gripping elements will be actuated and will be pressed closer together, acting as a clamp to assist in collapsing the springs designated as 24:, to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The entire frame 1 and structure mounted thereon is wheeled outward, thus removing the spring. It must be understood that the appurtenances for securing the springs to the trucks of the railway car have first been removed. At the various pivotal points, the entire clamping structure is held together with removable bolts, pins or the like, so that in case of breakage to one part, it can be immediately and easily replaced. The

cross bars 22 are also preferably removable.

positioned between the clamping elements and the shafts 11 and 12, and mounted on the frame 1. In this yoke is the vertical screw threaded shaft 27 having on its upper end the hand wheel 28 and on its lower end the nut 29. On two sides of the nut adjacent the yoke are attached the flexible chain, cable or rope 30 communicating with the pulley wheels 31 and 32 mounted respectively on shafts 33 and Set, the opposite end of said flexible element 30 being securely fastened to the stationary frame 1. The arrangement is such that as the hand wheel 28 rotates the shaft 27, the nut 29 will raise or lower, and through the flexible element and pulley arrangement raising or lowering the movable structure of my device. The shafts 3st are mounted on the stationary frame 1, whereas the shafts 33 are mounted on the movable structure. The reason for providing means for raising and lowering the device is to accommodate it to cars now in use of various heights.

The entire construction may be made of a heavy rigid steel or iron, the various parts being accessible at all times, and l have described one specific use for which my apparatus may be utilized. It must be understood, however, that the apparatus is for use wherever it is necessary to exert a uniform clamping pressure on anything under high spring tension.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a vertically movable auxiliary supporting structure, means for raising or lowering the movable supporting structure, spaced gripping elements adapted to be contracted or expanded in a vertical plane connected with arms projecting from the movable structure, independently operated mcans separate from the raising and lowering means for actuating the spaced gripping elements to exert or release pressure on the spring structure of a railway car.

2. In apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination with a supporting frame, of vertically mounted screw threaded shafts positioned thereon, screw threaded brackets on the vertically mounted shafts, projecting arms intermediately pivoted communicating between the brackets, spaced gripping elements also having intermediate pivotal connection pivotally connected to the projecting arms, and means for simultaneously rotating the screw threaded shafts to increase or decrease the space between the spaced gripping elements.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a vertically movable auxiliary supporting structure, means for raising or lowering the movable structure, projecting arms pivotally mounted on the movable structure and intermediately pivotally connected, having spaced gripping jaws adapted to contract and expand in a vertical plane, means for actuating the arms and jaws to contract the space between said jaws to exert a pressure on the spring structure of a railway car to contract and remove same.

In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supporting frame, of vertically mounted screw threaded shafts positioned thereon, brackets threaded on the shafts, projecting arms connected with the brackets having pivotal con ncction intermediate their length, pivotally connected gripping elements communicating with said projecting arms, and means for simultaneously rotating the screw threaded shafts to actuate the gripping elements.

5. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a main supporting frame, of a Vertically movable auxiliary frame having a screw threaded vertical shaft mounted thereon, a screw threaded bracket registering with said vertical shaft and having compensating connection with the main supporting frame, means for rotating the shaft to raise or lower the vertically movable auxiliary frame, projecting arms having pivotal connection intermediate their length, spaced gripping elements functioned by the arms adapted to be contracted or expanded in a vertical plane, means operated independently of the lowering and raising means for actuating the projecting arms.

6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supporting frame, of upper and lower vertically mounted shafts thereon having an intermediate connection to synchronize movement thereof, brackets threaded on each of the vertically mounted shafts, projecting arms intermediate-1y pivoted connected to the brackets, spaced gripping elements also intermediately pivoted connected to the brackets and means for imparting movement to the intermediate connection between the vertically mounted shafts to simultaneously rotate the shafts to increase or decrease the space between the spaced gripping elements.

MIOHAEL UHER.