US1691018A - Wheel guard - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 6, 1928. 1,691,018

- c. A. scoTT WHEEL GUARD Filed June 30, 1927 W/MMYM Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES y g y i 1,691,018 PATE-Nr OFFICE,

CHARLES A SCOTT, OF ROME, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

GENERALl CABLE CORPORATION, JERSEY. y'

OE NEW YORK, N. Y.,-A CORPORATION `OE NEW WHEEL GUARD.

Appiicatiori filed ,June 3o,-1927.-seriai No. 292,476.

This invention relates to wheel guards, and has as an object to provide a guard which is adapted to remove obstructions from a track upon which the wheels Yare travelling but which shallbefle-Xible and yielding in order that if, due to inequalities in the track, the

gua-rd engages .a substantial object, such as thetrack itself, or if the` car or vehicle to Awhich the guard is attached is derailed, no damage will result'to the guard.

Other objects and' advantages of: the invention will appear hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment `ofthe invention i selected for purposes of illustration is shown l5 in the accompanying drawings, in which,

q Figure l is a side elevation of a mine locomotive showing the guard shoe attached. l

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the guard. y

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the guard. For purposes of illustration, the guard has been shown as applied to an electric mine locomotive, and while the guard is adapted particularly for such use, it will be under-A stood that the invention is not limited to such application. The conditions under which such locomotives operate are very rigorous, the tracks being usually laid unevenly, the

grades being'heavy,y and the curves beingl 3o sharp in many cases. Furthermore the tracks frequently become obstructed with `loose earth, rock, etc. As a result of these conditions, derailments are frequent.v

Such locomotives are frequently driven by V electric current supplied by a cable which is wound up or paid out by a reel mountedV thereon. It frequently happens that in going down gradel the locomotive travels faster i than the cable is wound by the reel, with the 40 result that the locomotive overruns the cable and cuts or damages the same.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a guard which shall clear the track of loose Ob` struct-ions and lwhich shall also pick up or Ai5 push ahead the cable when the reel fails to.

Ywind fast enough. Variousexpedients such as rigid guards have been tried but have been found unsatisfactory because when adjusted sufficiently closely to the track to accomplish .50 the desired purpose, they have been broken off or damaged by contact with the track due to the inequalities therein. On the other hand, when raised Suiiicientlyrto clear such track inequalities, the, rigid guards are inleffective for guarding purposes. In any ywhen occasion arises.l

' member l, preferably event, upon derailment of the locomotive such rigid guards are invariably damaged. According to tliepresent invention it is proposed to provide a guard of yielding, resilient construction which maybe adjusted in close proxiinityto the track, but which may be displaced when broughtfintov contact with the track or witha fixed object without damage.. 4The guard should be suficiently firm on'the other hand to cause displacement. of loose objects and Vto "pick up Ithe cable in itsv preferred comprises a .bod substantially cylindri-e4 cal in shape, with which isfint'egially formed a forwardly andv downwardly protruding prong 2 having a substantially scoop-shaped front face 3 terminating in the lip 4.v At either side the prong 2 is provided with the depending flanges 5 and 5. i The guard is preferably Vformed of rubber or vother suitable yielding resilient material, a composition comprising pure rubber, 15% carbon black and 25% reclaimed rubf ber having beenrfound to 'bea suitable com- Referring tothe drawing, embodiment. the guard y position for thepurpose.

' Preferably the body member l is also cored to provide a longitudinally extending passage 6 which may fit over and be clamped tov a fixed cylindrical member 7 in order to secure the guard in proper position. In mine locomotives, the sand pipe extending from the sand box 8 has been found a convenient support for the guard and by clamping the guard to the pipe in the manner shown the passage. l6 through the guard becomes an eX- tension of the'sand pipe and servesfto distribute the sand in close proximity to the rail. i

As illustrated tobest advantage in Figures the head of the rail v9 and the flangesk and 5 which are spaced apart a dist-ance sufficient to clear the shoulders of the rail extend downwardly to a point preferably below the upper surface of the rail. v Y v Due to the flexible resilient construction of the guard, it is permitted to flex to one vside or the other or it may be bent backwardly with-- out damage when fixed Objects are encountered, but it may resume its original position after the inequality is passed or as soon as 2 and, the lip extends transversely across the locomotive is replaced upon the track. On

the other hand, the guard is sufficiently rigid n y face upon Whichthe Wheel rests, and

and'non-yieldingv to throiv aside loose material such as earth and stones which are a frequent cause of derailinfr.

Itis to befunderstood that the invention may be variously modified and embodied Within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A Wheel guard comprisng a member of flexible resilient material having a longitudinally extending Ypassage therethrough, e said passage being adapted to receive a ixed sup# port in'frictiona'l engagement, said member extending'into close proximity with the surto yield upon encountering fixed objects.

2. A Wheel guard comprising ameinbcr of [flexible resilient material having a portion adapted to be secured to a lixed support, said member having a prong extending ioiivardly and downwardly into Vclose proximity with the surface upon Which the wheel rests, and adaptedv to yield" upon encountering fixed objects.V

3. A Wheel guard comprising a member of flexible resilient material having a portion e vadapted to be secured to a fixedy support, said adapted` member extending into close proximity with the surface upon which the Wheel rests, and adapted to yield upon encountering fixed objects, said member havingfspaced side iianges 30 extending belovv the said surface.'

4. A Wheel guard comprising a member of flexible resilient material having a portion adapted to be secured to a iixed support, said member having a prong extending forwardly 35 and dovvnvvardly into close proximity with the'surface upon which the Wheel rests, and

adapted to yield upon encountering fixed obV ]ects, said prong being provided with spaced side `flanges extending'beloiv the said surface. 40

5. A Wheel guard coii'iprising a member oi flexible resilient material comprising a body portionliaving a longitudinally extending passage therethrough and a prong extending forwardly and downwardlytherefrom into 45 erriniiiisii. soor'r.

have signed my this 21st day of

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