US1720977A - Safety device for street cars and the like - Google Patents

Description

July 16, 1929. 5. 526m:

SAFETY DEVICE FOR STREET CARS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 16, 1927 Jn yen for: 57021 21 T203 Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT QE FECE.

STEFAN SZflKE, OF LEVQCA, OZECHCSLGVAKIA, ASS1:fiflll'QTR. F ONE-HALF TO JUZEF KRALICEK, OE LEVOCA, CZECI-IGSLOVAKIA. i

SAFETY DEVICE FOR STREET AND THE LIKE.

Application filed December 16, 1927, Serial No. 40,462, and Czechoslovakia This invention has reference to safety and protecting devices, so-called cow-catchers to be used in connection with street cars and the like and. adapted to be automatically operatcd in the case of persons, animals and other obstacles coming into the path of the car with a view of preventing accidents to the persons and animals and of protecting the vehicle against the liability of getting off the tracks as a result of the impingement of the obstacle suddenly appearing in its path. The invention is intended to devise means of producing a quicker and more reliable operation than it was usually possible to obtain with the devices heretofore in use and to generally improve the facility of op-- eration and the process of manufacture of devices of the kind referred to. The various instrumentalities suggestedyfor these purposes in the previous art as a general rule have not proved. successful, inasmuch as in the majority of cases these devices were intended to be operated by the car driver who at the very moment of danger has the least amount of time to operate such protecting devices. There is the further diliiculty that as a rule most of the previous devices for the protection of persons and animals thrown by accident into the path of the vehicle, produce a more or less serious injury to the persons and sometimes of more dangerous nature than the vehicle is liable to produce without such protecting devices.

Now this invention is intended to obviate these dil'liculties and drawbacks inasmuch as its operation is entirely automatic and in view of the fact that it is adapted to'be mounted in such a manner that the persons, animals or obstacles getting into the path of the vehicle are prevented from coming with in the reach of the wheels so as to obviate the liability of serious injuries to persons and animals. In connection therewith it is one of the further important objects of this in vention that the operation of the safety or protecting device will automatically interrupt the admission of the electric or other motive power for the driving engine of the car or other vehicle.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the specification and from the inspection of the drawing in which an embodiment of the September 30, 1927.

principles of the invention is shown by way of exempliiication, Fig. 1 is a sectional view in the axial direction through the end of the car-frame of an ordinary street car provided with the protecting device in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a fractional plan view corresponding to Fig. l with the omission of some constructional elements for the sake of clcarness of illustration, and Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically the main elements of the safety or protecting device in the arrested position with the brakes in operation.

Upon the frame 1 of the vehicle the shaft 3 is mounted inthe usual manner by means of the supporting frames or hangers 2 arranged near the end portion of the frame. In the direction of movement of the vehicle and forward of the shaft 3 a shaft 5 is provided which is supported in the bearings 6 on both sides of the frame in suitable lateralbrackets or the like. Upon each of the bearings 6 an arm 7 which is freely rotatable on the shaft 5 is adapted to bear with its hub, the free end of the arm 7 being connected by means of a link or pitman bar 8 to the arm 9 of a two-armed lever which is rotatably secured at 11 in the hanger or supporting frame 2. The free end of this second arm of the two-armed lever 9 is pivotally secured to the brake shoe 12. The two brake shoes 12 are adapted to act on the wheels l and are connected to each other by a plate 13 upon which the angular members are provided symmetrically with relation to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle frame. To the angular members l l the links 15 are pivotally connected which at their other ends carry the connecting bolt 16 which passes also through the ends of the arms 17 which latter are rockingly secured. at 18 to the angular members 19. secured to a cross beam 20 of the vehicle frame. The bolt 16 passes moreover through the ends of two symmetrically arranged draw bars or links 21 which are pivotally connected to the free end of the arm 22 which is rotate. -ly mounted upon the shaft 5. This arm 22 is forced outwards in the anti-clockwise direction by a spring 23 surrounding the shaft 5 and secured to the cross bar 25 of the vehicle frame by means of the connecting elements 24. On the bolt 16 and between the ends of the draw bars 21 a pipe 26 is rotatably mounted which is adapted to bear upon a rod By th smeans these ends are 2? provided at its rear end with the recessed portion 28 or with a correspondingly bent section. The rod 27 is guided in the two cross bars 20 and of the vehicle frame in such a manner as to be free for longitudinal displacement. At the front end of this rod 27 and forward of the cross bar 25 a. cross piece 29 is secured, to each end of which a rack bar 30 is secured adapted to engage with the toothed segment 31 keyed to the shaft 32. This shaft 32 is journalled in the supports 33 at the front end of the vehicle frame and with its four-cornered ends the shaft is adapted for the mounting of a handle 3st. Upon the shaft 32 a plate 36 is secured against rotation on the shaft by a hub elementor the like 35, and the edges of the plate are preferably turned inwards.

At the front end of the vehicle frame and on each side thereof a step 37 is arranged, comprising the member 37 which is secured to the pipes 38 which are disposed in the lateral supports of the vehicle frame 1, while the lower stepping member or plate 39 is supported by the rods 40 which are displaceably guided in the pipes 38 on which the upper stepping plate 37 is secured, so as to admit of an upward displacement of the stepping member 39. From this lower stepping member 39 an extension 43 is adapted to project, which at its end carries an angular member ll to which the rod 1-2 is pivotally connected, the other end of which is linked to the arm 7.

The device herein described operates sub stantially as follows: As soon as, during the movement of the vehicle, the plate 36 impinges upon an obstacle in the path of movement this plate is rocked in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) as a result of which the shaft 32 and the segments 31 mounted on this shaft are rotated for a certain amount. By means of this rotation of the segments 31 the rod 27 is forced forward in the direction of movement of the vehicle, so that the bolt or stud 16 is lowered to become engaged with the bent portion 28 of the rod 27 by the action of the spring 23 pressing against the arm 22, and on the other hand, by gravity as a result of the own weight of the parts connected to the bolt or stud 16. As a result thereof the brake shoes 12 are operated and are forced against the wheels 1, so as to produce a very vigorous braking action whlch causes the ve hicle to be rapidly arrested. The ratio of transmission of the gear elements 31, 30 is preferably so arranged that the braking action will take place with a. comparatively small angle of oscillation of the plate 36, thus for instance, after the lower end of the plate 36 has moved through a pass of about 2 inches. In order to obviate the possibility of the brake shoes or braking jaws deviating sideways out of the path of the wheels, particularly when the several link-members have become somewhat worn after prolonged use, the braking instrumentalities at their lower side are provided with guiding projeetions M (Fig. 1) which upon the lowering of the brakes shoes 12 become engaged with the wheels and the groove in the rails, so as to prevent any lateral movement of the braking jaws or the like. As a result of the movement of the braking jaws into engagement with the wheels the two- armed lever 9, 10 is moved clockwise by which means the arm 7 is rocked anti-clockwise and by this means the lower stepping plate 39 is raised out of the reach of the obstacle.

In order to obviate the danger resulting from the fact that persons thrown by the vehicle into the path of movement thereof have their clothes entangled with the wheels or remain caught at any other part, which would result in a very serious accident, a

roller 45 is disposed between the braking surfa res 12 which is in engagement with a smaller roller 46 shown in Fig. 1 but not shown in F 2 of the drawing, the said roller 16 being also supported by the braking aws or the connecting plate 13. These rollers are made of rubber or of a core of any suitable substance with a surrounding rubber en- \elope. On the lowering of the braking jaws for operative braking engagement thereof the roller 15 will rest upon the ground and will be rotated in the clockwise direction, while the roller 46 which does not bear upon he ground will be rotated in the opposite direction with the result that the roller &6 by its anti-clockwise rotation will throw clothes or any other objects engaging therewith in the forward direction, so as to move them out of the reach of the wheels.

The roller 45 may be so arranged in its journals as to be displaceable in the upright direction of the braking shoes or jaws and it may be forced downwards by means of springs not shown in the drawing, so as to conform to the unevenness of the ground. Both rollers 45 and L6 in a modified construction may be connected by means of gear wheels, in order to insure the rotative movement of the roller 46 imparted. to it as above described. Upon. the front side of the braking members a protective sheet metal plate 17 is disposed which is not shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing and which in the lower-ed position of the braking members prevents any contact of foreign bodies with the interior operating members.

After the vehicle has been arrested and the obstacle has been removed out of the path of movement the braking members have to be raised again and the entire device has to be restored to its inoperative position. This object is accomplished by making use of a manually operated crank 34 which is placed onto the end of the shaft 32 and by means of which this shaft 32 and the segments 31 may be rotated anti-clockwise, until the rod 27 is pushed backwards to its" initial position, and in this movement the rod by the inclined portion of the recess 28 raises the stud l6 and the braking jaws 12 to their initial position as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

In order to interrupt the admission of mo tive power incident on the braking of the vehicle by the braking jaws 12, any suitable portion of the system of levers herein described, preferably for instance the arm 22, is connected by a rope 49 or the like with a disengaging device, such as for instance an electric switch 50, a damper, valve or the like, so that upon the rocking of the particular element the disengaging device is operated and the admission of the electric or any other motive power to the engine of the vehicle may be interrupted.

It should also be noted that the spring 28 may be dispensed with and that, particularly in the case of vehicles of larger dimensions, the weight of the several parts of the device will be sufficient to secure the operation of the safety or protecting device.

It is obvious that the invention should not be confined to the particular constructional features herein shown and described but it is susceptible of modifications and changes in accordance with varying conditions of application and convenience, and without thereby deviating from the scope and spirit of the invention as hereinafter particularly set forth in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a device of the kind described in combination, a vehicle frame, an impinging member below said frame, vehicle wheels on the frame, and braking means engageable with the wheels, a link-member and a cam member displaceably engageable with relation to each other, operative connection of the linkmember with the braking means and operative connection of the impinging means with the cam member, adapted to cause relative movement of the link and cam members and operation of the braking means upon the actuation of the impinging means.

2. In a device of the kind described in combination, a vehicle frame, an impinging member, rockingly disposed below said frame, vehicle wheels on the frame, and braking means for the wheels, a cam member operatively connected to the impinging means, a system of levers, respectively linked to the b 'aking means and to the vehicle frame, a guiding member on said lever-system and displaceably engaging the cam-member, and adapted to operate the braking means upon the actuation of the impinging member.

3. In a device of the kind described in combination, a vehicle frame, an impinging member, rockingly disposed and associatedwith said frame, vehicle wheels on said frame, and

raking means for the wheels, an axially dis placeable cam member on said frame and operatively connected to the impinging memher, a spring-actuated system of levers, respectively linked to the braking means and to the frame, a guiding member on the leversystem, displaceably engaging the cam member and causing the operation of the braking means upon the actuation of the impinging member.

4-. In a device of the character described in combination, a vehicle frame, an impinging member, rockingly conected to said frame, vehicle wheels on the frame, braking means for said wheels, and link-connection between the braking means and the frame, a cam member, operatively connected to the impinging member, and additional link connection, secured to the braking means at a distance from the other link connection and secured to the frame, and guiding means on said additional link connection, displaceably engaging the cam member and operated thereby.

5. In a device of the kind described in combination, a vehicle frame, an impinging member, movably connected to said frame, vehicle wheels on the frame, braking, means for said wheels, bracing and loading means connecting the opposite braking means transversely of the frame, a pair of transversely and superimposedely disposed inter-engaging rollers connected to the braking means, a cam member, operatively connected to the impinging member, link-connection between the braking means and the frame, a guiding member on the link connection engaging the cam member and adapted to operate the bralring means and the rollers on the actuation of the impinging means.

6. In a device of the kind described in combination, a vehicle frame, an impinging member, movably connected to said frame, vehicle wheels on the frame, braking and brakedirecting means engageable with the wheels, a cam member, operatively connected to the impinging member, link-connection between the frame and the braking means and guided along the cam member, ascending and stepping means displaceably and laterally disposed on the frame, and operatively connected to the link connection.

7, In a device of the kind described in com-I bination, a vehicle frame, an impinging mem-i ber, movably connected to said frame, veiicle wheels on the frame, a pair of interengaging transversely and superimposedly disposed, substantially vertically displaceable and rota-table rollers below said frame, and braking means for the wheels and means on the braking means for mounting the rollers, guiding means for the braking means, a cam member, operatively connected to the impinging means, and a system of levers connecting the braking means to the frame and engaging the cam member.

8. In a device of the kind described, in combination, a vehicle frame, an impinging member, movably connected to said frame, vehicle wheels on the frame, and driving means for the vehicle wheels, braking means, engeable With the Wheels, a cam member operatively connected to the impinging member, link-and-lever connection between the frame and the braking means and guided along the cam member and operable thereby and adapted for engagement with the driving means, and adapted to operate the braking means and the driving means upon the actuation of the impinging member, and protecting means connected to the braking means.

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