US1612944A - Wheel guard for railway cars - Google Patents

Description

Jim'. 4, 1927.

- j 1,612,944 R. B. RlcHARDsoN` v WHEEL GUARD FOR RAILWAY `CARS Filed June l1, 1926 Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

NETE STATES RAYMOND B. RICHARDSON, 0F' CAPE CHARLES, VIRGINIA.

WHEEL GUARD FOR RAILW'AY- CARS. v

Application led June 11, 1926. vSerial No. 115,251.

This invention relates to an improvement in wheel guards for railway cars and has for its primary object to provide a guard construction that may be readily associated with railway cars now in use, for protecting the railway workmen from being caught beneath the wheels of the cars, which is a danger always present when the wheels are not provided with guarding devices.

The invention iurther aims to provide a guard that will positively prevent the accidental insertion of the hands or feet between the car wheels and track rails for thus overcoming any liability ot a workman becoming injured.

Other objects will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same comprising the novel form, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinatter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a railway car equipped with my novel wheel guard.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken substantially upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking'downwardly in the direction of the arrows, and

igure 3 is an end elevation of the wheel guard when associated with the railway car.

Now having particular reference to the drawing the car is indicated tragmentarily by the reference character A, while the wheels of the usual truck at one side of the car are designated B-B In carrying out my invention7 I provide a pair of relatively elongated hinge knuckles 5 5 that are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the under side of the car .in predetermined longitudinal relation and outwardly of the truck wheels BB as disclosed in Figure 1. Hingedly secured to these knuckles 5-5 is an outer side guard plate 6 of metal or other suitable rigid material, said plate being formed at its upper edge with spaced knuckles 7 tor registry with the knuckles 55 upon the car to all ot which is arranged apivot bar 8. rIhis guard plate 6 is of such a length as to extend somewhat beyond the wheels B-B ot the truck and at its lower edge slightly beneath the tread of the rail C.

At the opposite'V ends of the outer side `guard plate 6 I provide end guards 9*-9 at direct right angles to the guard plate 6 as clearly disclosed in Figure 2. These end guard plates are constructed of three sections as shown in Figure 3, the upper ends of which are constructed for complementary association with hinge knuckles 10 arranged upon the under side ot the car A outwardly oi the truck wheels B#B so as to permit the pivotal mounting of the end plates upon the under side of the car.

The center sections ot the end guards terminate slightly above the tread of the rail C while the outer sections extend slightly therebeneath to a point flush with the lower edge of the side guard plate 6.

The outer sections of the end guards are connected at their inner sides by one or more cross bars 10 that also serve as a means for limiting the inner swinging movement of the center sections,v and the consequent engageentB of the same with the truck wheels The opposite vertical edges of the outer guard plate 6 are flanged inwardly as at 6--6 in order thatthe end guards may be rigidly bolted thereto for preventing the swinging of the same upon their pivots. However, access may be had to the wheels so as to permit a skate to be positioned thereunder and also to permit of the proper gaging of the wheels without necessitating the entire raising of the end panel.

A suitable latching means 13 is provided between the center section of the end guards and one of the stationary sections to prevent the accidental outward swinging of the central sections when the car is traveling over the track way.

The outer guard plate 6 is formed at pre- I determined points thereon with openings 14e-14 to permit the usual truck journal boxes to extend therethrough while preferably, though not necessarily, said side guard plate is formed throughout its length with openings 15 for purpose of lightness.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a highly novel, simple, and etiicient wheel guard construction for railway cars that'is well adapted for all the purposes heretofore designated, and even though I have herein shown and described the same as consisting yoi certain detail structural elements, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be rnade without affecting the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In a wheel guard for railway cai-stra plate hingedly secured at its upper edge to the under side of the car outwardly ot the truck wheels and extending below said wheels, said plate 'being forined with openings to permit the truck journal bones to project through the plates, and guard plates ingedly secured to the under side ot the ear body at the opposite ends of said side plates and at right angles thereto.

2. In a wheel guard for railway cars, a plate hingedly secured at its upper edge to the-under ,side of the ear outwardly of the truck wheels, and extending below said wheels, said plate' being iorn'ied with openings to permit the truck journal boites to project through the plates. guard plates hingedly secured to the under side oie the car body at t-he opposite ends of said side plates and at right angles thereto, the opposite vertical edges of said side plate being flanged inwardly to permit of the attachment of the end guard plates thereto.

8. In a wheel guard for railway cars, a plate hingedly secured at its upper edge to the under side of the car outwardly 'of the truck wheels, and extending below said wheels. said plate being formed with openings to permit the truck journal boxes to project through the plates, guard plates hingedly secured to the under side ot the car body at the opposite ends of said side plates and at right angles thereto7 said end guard plates Consisting Ot' a central and a pair ot' .sine sections, said 'side sections being interconnected in back of the central section, and a latch arrangement between one of the side sections and the central section.

li. In a wheel guard for railway cars, a plate hingedly secured at its upper edge to the under side of the car outwardly of the truck wheels and extending below said wheels, and end guard plates hiiigedly secured at their upper ends to the underside of the oar body at opposite ends of said 'side guard plates, said end guard plates being rigidly connected to the 'opposite ends of said side guard plates.

In testimony whereof I atliX iny signature.

e RAYMOND B. Riorraitn'son. Y

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