US1557932A - Railroad draft appliance - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 20,1925. v I 1.5 7.932

R. F. H ALL RAILROAD DRAFT APPLIANCE Filed June. 14. 1923' I7 vl uesszs 6' 5 surfaces. One of said last state buffers is Patented'Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITEDSTA'IVLES ,551,932 PATENT; orrlcn.

none-arr. run, or scnnnncranmnnw Yoax.

nmaoan Dam summon 9 Application filed June 14, 1922. Serial no. 845,288.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT F. HALL, of

Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady required relative positions on curved track,

of the pins of the without interference or binding of the buffer members, and to accomplish thisend by the application of a minimum number of parts. A further object of the invention is to provide means for the compress1on of the buffer springs, in coupling a locomotive and tender together, which will obviate the necessity of compressing said springs by impact as in prior practice. I

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth. j

In a prior and commonly used construction of draft appliances of the general class to which my invention relates, buffers having convex surfaces are provided on both the locomotive and tender, the radii of their adjacent surfaces bein struck from thecentres raw bar which connects the two vehicles. A floating block, the front and rear surfaces of which are concave, in accordance with the convexity of the surfaces of the locomotive and tender bufi'ers, is

interposed between, and fits a ainst said adapted to be capable of adjustment, in the direction of the longitudinal central lane of the vehicle on which it is located, an such adjustment, is ordinarily effected by a wedge at the back of the buffer.

A device of the above character institutes a theoretically correct relation between its members for any angular relation of the 10- comotive and tender, .and will allow free movement, if properly adjusted, but it'lias' been found subject to the objection, in practice, that in making adjustment of the wedge, to take up slack 1n theparts, the workmen frequently carry the adjustment so far that all slack is taken up and the surfaces are brought closely in contact, so that 'justment results in lockin to,-spri-ngs are applied at t freedom of movement is lost. This maladthe two vehicles together, preventing their relative movement, and causing undue wear of the flanges of tender truck wheels, as well as other objectionable results. I

In a later design of the appliance referred erear of one of the convex faced chafing members, and act to automatically take u slack, without producing undue binding. etween the adjacent; members. This application of springs to the Q chafing member, imparts to it a capacity for? angular movement about a vertical axis, and L7 permits the elimination of the floating lock In the accompanying drawings: Figure'l I is a.plan or top view of the adjoining port ons of a locomotive and tender, illustrating an application of my invention; Fig. 2, a

vertical longitudinal central section, and

Fig 3, a horizontal section through the bu er of the tender and its case, illustrating a modification of structural detail.

In the practice of my invention, referring descriptlvely to the specific embodiment thereof which is herein exemplified, and first to Fi s. 1 and 2 of the drawings, two

a draw bar, 1, the ends of which are fitted in, 3, on the centrall%, to the front end of the tender,

contact ng maintained, in the various relathe afing block and the buffer, throughout the entire extent of the curved face of tive positions of the two vehicles, between" the latter. .The buffer, 5, is held in the case, with the capacity of a limited degree of movement towards and from the rear wall thereof, by a pin,6', passingthrough longitudinal slots m the top and bottom of the case, and bears thereon through helical springs, 7,- interposed between it and the rear wall of-the case.

In prior constructions of the class to-which my invention relates, a convexl curved chafingmember has been applie on one railroad ve icles (in the instance illustrated, I a locomotive and tender) are connected by vehicle, bearing on a flat or plane surface F or obvious reasons, this method appli- 1 bufi'eron the other. A construction of such 1 character, while admitting, of the necessary relative movement of the contacting members on curved track, is subject to the objectio'n' that. the abutting surfaces of said members have a line contact .only, mstead I of the extended bearing of a surface conrelative movement of the locomotive and tender on tangent track, correspondingly reducing the effect of lateral, vibration, and thereby increasing the steadiness of the running of the two vehicles. As said ve- 'hicles assume various relative angular positions on curved track, the buffer moves laterally, relatively to the chafing block, and, at the same time, has an angular movement, relatively to its support, permitted by the interposition of the springs'between it and the supporting case.

In the standing, on curved track, adjacent one to the other, of two similar vehicles, having equal bases, their longitudinal central planes intersect in a plane midway between their wheel bases. Inasmuchas the wheel bases of a locomotive and a tender are.

not of equal length, and are also at unequal distances from their adjacent ends, their central planes, whenboth vehicles are on a curved track, usually intersect in a plane forward of the connection between them. For a given combination of relative proportions, the position of the plane of intersection ,will not materially chan e, within the limits of the radii of curves 0 the track that are usually met with in railroad service. In the practice of my invention, the

' radius of the are of curvature of the abuttin surfaces of thechafin' block, 4, and bu er, 5, is preferably strucl r from an axial line, located, as nearly as may be, to the plane. of intersection of the central planes of the locomotive and tender. The result of such location is to render the change in compression of the two springs, 7, 7, approximatel "eqiual, when the locomotive and tender are hot on curved track. 7

A difliculty is encountered, in practice, in

' the application of the spring type of buffer,

due to the necessit of compressing the springs to their war ing position, in orderv to permit of the application 'of the draw bar .pins, 2 and 3, to the draw bar, 1,v which couples the locomotive and tender together. This application is sometimes effected by bumpin the locomotive and tender-together,

' by anot er locomotive, thereby compressing thebu-fier springs by impact. One of the draw bar ms is then. dropped into place, the other aving been previously inserted,

the springs.

cation is objectionable.

the buffer case, 6, is cut away, so as to allow the springs, 7, 7, to bear directly on the front of the frame, I), of the tender. The parts are assembled, asshown in Fig. 3, and the connecting pin, .6, is passed throu 11 holes in the top and bottom plates of't e' case, 6, and through the buffer, 5, thereby connecting the buffer and bufier case,'and transferring any; load due to compression'of the .springs', through the bufier to the case. 'With the springs in their free condition, the side flanges, 6", 6 of the buffer case will bespaced from the front face of the tender, fora distance'equal to the allowance for the desired working ornormal compression of Nuts, 8, are then drawn tight on bolts, 8, which. pass through the front plate of the tender frame, I), and through I After the insertion: of the thereby transferring the spring load from the buffer case to the locomotive chafing block, through the buii'er.- The connecting pin, 6, is then withdrawn, and the nuts, 8*,

are drawn up, so as to bring the buffer case side flanges, 6, into their normal. position of contact with the front of the -tender frame. The bolts, 8, and nuts, 8, thus serve both to initially com ressthe springs, 7, and to connnect the bu er case to the tender frame.-' p

It is to be understood that the form of construction which is shown in Fig. 3, and

hereinbefore described, is applicable, not merely in connection with the specific formv of spring buffer. which is herein set forth, but also with any other spring buffer. con struction of the same general ty e.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

"1. Ina draft gear for railroad'vehicles, thecombmatlon of a buffer case, open at its front and rear faces and having laterally extending flanges on its rear. face; a buffer. slidabl mountedm said case and extending throug the opening in the front face thereof;,springs within the case and extending through the opening in the rear face so vas removable pin fixedly connecting the buffer and buffer case; adjusting bolts, fixed to the frame of the vehicle on which the buffer-case 'to exert outward pressure on the-buffer; a

is supported and passing through said lateral flanges and nuts engaging said adjusting bolts. v

2. In a draft gear for railroed vehicles,

have a fore and aft movement relatively 10 thereto, and a pinto rigidly secure said buffer and case together, and meansrto draw said case against its vehicle to hold said the combination of a-convex block rigidly \springs under compression to permit the secured to one vehicle, a concave bufi'er slidably supported on the other vehicle, springs between the latter and said buffer, abufier case carried by said latter vehicle so as to draw-bar connection between the vehicles to 15 be made, said pin being removable.

ROBERT F. HALL.

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