US1689549A - Draft gear - Google Patents

Description

ct. 3o, 192s. f

w. H. coTToN DRAFT GEAR "Filed May 51, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 W. H. COTTON DRAFT GEAR Filed May 31, 1924 2 Sheets-SheetA 2 Ik montar:

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Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER H.v COTTON, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION DRAFT GEAR COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DRAFT GEAR.

Application filed 'May 31,

rlhe invention relates to draft gears of the friction type used in connection with railway cars, and particularly adapted for freight service. The purposes of the invention are to secure simplicity of construction, ease of assembly, smoothness of action, and high efficiency.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a. central plan section through the gear, associated parts of the car being shown in detail;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the gear on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a plan section of the gear taken above the friction wedge and spring elements, associated parts of the car being shown in detail;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of one of the wedging elements; f

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of one of a pair of wedging elements; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are views in perspective of friction plates embodied in the gear.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are drawn to a scale about one-half of Vthat followed in the other figures.

The drawings represent the gear as applied to a car, Fig. 1 showing it in release position and Fig. 3 under compression in buff.

A pair of center or draft sills is represented at 10; the draft lugs associated with the sills at 11, 11; the builing lugs at 12, 12; the coupler butt at 13; and a yoke or coupler extension for encircling the gear .at 14. These elements form no part of the invention, and may be of any desired form of construction.

The gear comprises a chambered follower 15, which, as shown, is associated with the buffing lugs, and a-plate follower 16 shown as associated with the draft lugs. The gear,

"il however, will operate in precisely the same manner if reversed. The side, top and bottom walls of the chambered follower' are of Such length that they will make contact with the plate follower when the gear is compressed to the desired limit. The side walls 17 flare slightly. The top and bottom walls 18, 19, may be parallel, as shown.

Within the chambered follower are anchored two sets of friction plates 20, 21, preferably held in place by a pin 22 extend- 1924. Serial No. 716,875.

ing through the side walls 17 and held in place by any suitable means, cotter pins being shown for thispurpose. The plates 20, 21, are all of uniform thickness throughout and are preferably of such length that they abut normally against the end wall of the follower 15 and terminate at the' outer ends of its side walls. The width ofthe plates is such that they fit loosely between the top and bottom walls of the follower.

Two sets of similar friction plates 23, 24, interit or intercalate with the two sets of plates 20, 21, and are approximately of the same dimensions as the latter except that they are preferably slightly shorter. lVhen the gear. is in release position the plates 23, 24, project beyond the open end of the chambered follower, as shown in Fig. 1, and when under full compression these plates extend approximately to the end wallfof the follower, their outer ends being in the plane of the outer ends of the side walls. By designing these plates as of slightly less length than the chambered follower the danger that any of them will exceed that length, due to inaccuracies in manufacture, is avoided.

The cooperating sets of plates 20, 23, and 21, 24, constitute two groups located, respectively, on opposite sides of the axis of the gear, the outer plate of each group being in contact with the side walls of the chamber of the follower. In arranging` the groups one of the sliding plates 23, 24, is in engagement with the follower' walls, the inner plate of each group being one of the anchored plates 20, 21.

Inter-posed between the two groups of frictionv plates are a pair of wedging` shoes 25, 26, of the formshown in Fig. 5. Each of these shoes comprises body portions 27, 28, having outer flat surfaces for bearing against the friction plate, these body portions being united by the webs 29, 30. The web 29, located approximately midway between the ends of the shoes, is formed with a wedging face 31. The inner faces of the body portions 27, 28, of the shoes are concave to provide space for the spring1 elements, and at the outer ends of these body portions are provided walls 32, 33 which serve as spring seats.

A central wedging element 34 is interposed between the outer end portions of the shoes 25, 26, and interfits between the body portions 27, 28, of each, and cooperates with the wedging faces 31 and with the plate follower 16.

Four helical springs 35, 36, 37, 38, ii-t one within the cavity of each of the body pors tions of the two shoes 25, 267 and neat against the end walls, as 32, 33, and the end wall of the chambered follower. A pin 39 extends transveraely through the two groups of friction plates and is located between the shoe webs 2l?, 30. The perforations 40Y in the anchored plates, as 20, which accommodate the retaining pin 22, take the form of slots, to provide clearance and permit the movement of the pin 39. The movable or floating plates 23, 24, are slotted from their inner ends, as shown at 41, to. receive the pin 39, which is engaged by the inner ends of the slots, and to permit these plates to be moved inwardly without interference by the pin 22. Channels 42 are formed in the side walls ofthe chambered follower to permit the free inward movement of the pin 39 as it is urged forward by the platesl 23, 24.

In assembling the gear the two sets of plates 20, 21, are arranged in approximately the relation they are finally to assume, the shoes are placed between the two sets, the pin 39 inserted, and the several springs are placed within the shoe cavities. The parts thus grouped may be introduced into the chambered follower and the. pin 22 inserted. The movable plates 23, 24, may now be individually placed and moved inwardly until they make contact with the pin 39, and the wedge element 34 may be inserted in proper relation with the shoes.

When t-he gear is in release the several parts occupy the position as shown in Fig. 1, the outer ends of the floating plates projecting a little beyond the outer ends of the shoes but terminating a little short of the plate follower, the inner ends of their slots 41 engaging the pin 39'.

In buff, the follower 16 is forced inwardly by the coupler 13, carrying with it the wedge element 34 which tends to spread and advance the shoes 25,y 26, coinpressing the two groups of friction plates. The follower 16 presently comes into engagement with the floating plates 23, 2.4, and carries them along with it, their advance, however, being resisted by the gradually augmenting friction. The pin 39 is carried forwardly by the floating plates. Ther shoes 25, 26, are advanced not only by the inward movement of' the wedging element 34, but also by the wedging action of the tapering side walls of the chambered follower which moves them toward thc axis of the gear and causes their wedging faces to slide` inwardly on the cooperating faces of the element 34. rlihe advance of the shoes is resisted by the several springs which are put under a high degree of compression.

Whenthe compressive force is relieved the various parts of the gear are restored to their normal relation. The shoes are first moved backwardly, carrying with them the wedgging element 34 and reduc-ing the lateral pressure uponA the friction plates. When the pin 39 is encountered by the web 30, it is moved baclwardly and with it the floating friction plates.

The relative movement of the parts of the gear is the same in draft as inbufling.

I claim as my invention Y y 1. In a draft gear, in combination, a chambered follower having flaring side walls, two sets of friction plates anchored within the casing and parallel, respectively, with its'side walls and of approximately the same length as said follower, twoV sets of fioating` friction plates intercalat'ed with the plates of the first-named setsV and approximately of the same length as said first-named plates, wedge lelements located between the two groups of intercalated plates, springs opposing the movement. of the wedge elements into the chambered follower, and an opposed follower engageable with the floating friction plates and wedge elements. y

2. In a. draft gear, in combination, a chambered follower having flaring side walls, two sets of friction plates anchored within the casing and parallel, respectively, with its side walls,y two sets of floating friction plates intercalated with the plates of the first-named sets, said plates being approximately the length of said first named plates, wedge elements. located between the two groups of intercalated plates, springs'op-posing the movement of the wedge` elements into. the chambered follower' for creating friction between said plates throughout their length during compression of the gear, an opposed follower engageable with the floating friction plates and wedge elements, and means associated with the wedging elements for urging the floating friction plates to normal position.

3. In a draft `gear, in combination, a chambered follower having flaring side walls, an opposed follower, two sets of friction plates anchored within the chambered follower and on opposite sides ofv its axis,

-two sets. of floating friction plates inter calated with the anchored plates, co-operating wedge elements interposed. between the two groups of plates and engageable by the opposed follower, means for interlocking` the wedge elements with certain of the friction plates on the. release of the gear, said means having a lost motion connection with said wedging elements and plates,l and spring means opposing the longitudinal advance of the wedge elements.

4. In a draft gear, in combination, a chambered follower having flaring side walls, two

groups of intercalating friction plates, one set of plates of each group being anchored within the chambered follower and extending` approximately the'length of the casing, the other set of each group being longitudinally movable with reference to such follower, a plate of each of the last-named sets bearing against a side wall of the follower, and a plate of each of the anchored sets being the inner plate of the group, shoes slidably engaging the inner plates of the two groups, such shoes having wedgingl faces, a central wedge interposed between the two shoes, a follower for advancingvsuch wedge and engageable with the ends of the unanchored plates for advancing them, and spring means reacting between the end wall of the chambered follower and the shoes, said means comprising a plurality of individual spring elements at each side of the longitudinal center line of the gear.

5. In a draft gear, in combination, a chambered follower having flaring side walls, two sets of friction plates within the follower and parallel, respectively, with its fiaring walls, a retaining pin extending through such plates and the follower walls, two sets of fioating friction plates intercalated with the first-named sets of plates, a pair of friction shoes interposed between the two groups of plates and having wedging faces, a central wedge interposed between the shoes, a follower for advancing such wedge, spring means resisting the advance of the shoes into the chambered follower, and a pin passing loosely through slots in all of the plates and the shoes and engageable by forwardly facing shoulders on the floating. plates and backwardly facing shoulders on the shoes.

6. In a draft gear, in combination, a charnbered follower' having a pair of opposite side walls flaring substantially the full length thereof, a plurality of elements acting together as a compressible wedge engageable with such walls, an opposed follower for urging such wedge into the chambered follower, and spring means opposing the action of the last named follower, said means comprising independent resilient units at each side of the longitudinal center line of said gear.

7. In a draft gear, in combination, a chambered follower, a pair of friction shoes movable into such follower and having spring seats at their outer ends, springs interposed between such seats and the transverse wall of the follower at each side of the longitudinal center line of the gear, wedge means for spreading and advancing the shoes, a second follower engageable with such means, and means including elements in frictional engagement with said chainbered follower for frictionally engaging the shoes and causing their relative approach as they advance.

8. In a draft gear, in combination, al chambered follower having flaring walls, two sets of friction plates anchored to such follower, two sets of iioating friction plates intercalated with the anchored plates and the side walls of the follower and normally projecting beyond the latter, a pair of wedging friction shoes interposed between the firstnamed sets of plates, means for connecting said floating plates to said shoes, said means having a lost motion connection with said shoes, spring means reacting between the end wall of the followerI and one of said shoes, spring means reacting between the end wall of said follower and the other of said shoes independently of said first-named means, a central wedge cooperating with the wedge faces of the shoes, and a sill-engaging follower engaging the central wedge and the exposed ends of the floating plates.

9. In a draft gear, a chamber-ed follower having a flaring wall, a group of intercalated friction plates frictionally engaging lsaid wall, a group of intercalated friction plates engaging' the wall of said follower opposite said fiaring wall, means including separate resilient members located at opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of' the gear and between said groups of plates for forcing said plates into frictional engagement with said walls and with one another during compression of said gear.

WALTER H. COTTON.

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