US1747226A - Drawbar and slack control for trains - Google Patents

Description

HJMZEZ@ Feb. 18, 1930. w. coYLE DRAWBAR AND SLACK CONTROL FOR TRAINS Filed July 26, 1928 3mm@ wffma@ @ma @gw @WV/vv Patented Feb. 18, 1930 WALTER coYLE, 0E INDLANAPOLIS, INDIANA PATENT oF FICE DRAWBAR AND SLACK CONTROL FOR TRAINS Application filed July 26,

This invention relates to slack controlling means for trains and one feature of the invention is the provision of air operated meansvfor operating the draw bars of the various Vcars yconstituting a train for taking up or releasing the slack therebetween. i

A primary Vfeature of the invention is the provision of a control lmeans in the cab of the engine whereby the slack control means may 1 0; be operated the entire length of the train by the trainmen in the cab. :A further feature of the invention is the provision ofY means for automatically retaining a quantity of air forproviding a cushion to retardthe impact between the draw bars, as when the cars are accidentally' uncoupled in a moving train. y l

A further feature o the inventionis the provision of anvalve adapted to be closed for temporarily retaining, the air in the slack takeup means, in the event of the uncoupling Y of the cars and settingof the brakes thereon.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter more Jfully set forth and pointed out in the accompanying specification.

i In the accompanying` drawing which is made a part of this application,

Figure 1 is an elevation oaportion of a train, parts being broke out.

Figure 2 is a Vfragmentary sectional and diagrammatic view of the slack controlling mechanism, and,

Figure 3 is a` through a conventional draw barwith which the invention is embodied, as seen on line 3-3,

Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a locomotive and 2, the cars drawn thereby, in this instance freight carrying.or box cars, said locomotive and cars being of the conventional variety. The locomotive and each car are provided with draw bars 3, having coupling heads 4 attheir outer ends, said draw bars being connected to their respective elements in the approved manner, preferably slidable in a frame 5, the shank of the draw bar having an elongated slot 6 therethrough which is intersected by a partition 7 fixed to the frame 5. The usual form of bumpers are 50 placed in the slot 6 on opposite sides of the 192s. serial No. 295,512;

partition 7, preferably coiled -sections of springs 8, which receive and cushion'theimpact of the blows incident to the slack movements of the various cars in relation to each other constituting the train. The longitudinal movement of the draw bars is limited'by means of a cross bar 9 carried by the draw bar 'i and having-its ends entered in elongated slots 10 in the frame 5. i

Heretofore,.considerable ditliculty has been encountered by pulling out one or more draw b'ars of a train, especially when'a long string of cars constitute the train, as the locomotive and forward cars have picked up considerable momen-tum before'the pull is imparted to the rearmost cars, and it the draw bars are in slack position, an extremely hard jerk is imparted to the latter draw bars, with the result that in 'many instances one ormore draw-bars are pulled loose fromthe cars, incident to such sudden hard pull directed thereagainst. g

In some instances this difficulty occurs Iin drawing a train over` a road which is up and down grade, at comparatively close intervals. For example, when the train hasbeentraveling down grade and suddenly starts up grade, the front end of the train will be retarded While .the rear end is, .still `traveling down grade under which conditions the rear end cars crowd forward and takeup the slack sub.- stantially throughout the train. If the' up `the train IWill pass over same and in many instances start downgrade again immediately, and'will gain speed-rapidly over the rear end cars, it being understood that the slack is taken up between therear cars of the train last.- Bythis time the front end of the train gradeis comparatively short, the head end of horizontal sectional View is traveling at a much more' rapid speed than the rearward cars and the-slack between these rear cars will be thus taken up with a quick the train jerk which often results in pulling the draw a fact well known to those familiar with the'u art that the train proper 'drifts along at iai higher speed than the engine. This causes a .slack to be taken. up between the'cars toward the head'end of the train first, and .as the rear ing the draw bar mechani ythereof would be again subjectedtoa severe jerk which results in many instances in pullsm apart from the .cari It will be therefore' understood thatunder -the above vdescribed conditionsand circum-v stances that 'a draw bar' mechanism of one of the'cars of the train will be pulled loose, mak- `jing an expensive repair necessary, and tying 2 0 up'the businessof the railroad temporarily.

lVith thisin mind, I have provided means for de-.slacking the various draw bars throughout the train as desired so that the pull strain will be'impartedto all 0f the carS of the train uniformly and Without Sudden ,the cylinder 11 for cushioning purposes, a

and violent jerks usually 'causedbyithe takin'g up of slack at the draw bars. The means I have for thus eliminating this slackvwhen desired consists of a cylinder 11, whichis attached tothe base of the cars 2 at each end thereof and preferably ata point immediately beneath the 'draw bar 3. A piston 12 is're'- ciprocally mountedin the cylinder 11, the l piston rod 13 thereofextending through the outward endjvall of said cylinder and having its outer end'fixed to a bracket 14 depending from the coupling head 4. A cylinder 11 1s*- -emb'odied with each vdraw bar, there being two to each of the cars 2, or oneat each end thereof andthe pistons therein forced'outwardly .by :means of compressed air, which 1s conveyed into the cylinders through a pipe line 15, extending from the locomotive through- A out the train to the 'last car sothat thepipe line may be made `continuous throughout the length of the train. The main line 15 islcon* nected in each' instance with a cylinder 11 by a branch line 17, and intersecting said branch line is an automatic valve` 18, normally held away from its seat 19 by means' of a spring 20, so that airwill freely pass through the branch line 17. By operating -the throttle 21 in the engine cab, which is apart of the pipe Aline 1 5, the engineer can take up the slack throughoutthe length of the train by merely turning the throttle in one direction or release the air from all the cylinders 11, by turning the throttle to another position as indicated by full and dotted lines in`Fig. 2, the positionof the parts indicated by the full lines placing the port 22 of the throttle in registration with the escape port23 for releasing the air from the cylinders while the turning of the throttle to the position indicated by the dotted lines will register the port 22 with the air storage tank 24 and the' main line 15, for operating the' pistons 12.

The stem of the valve 1,8 vis attached at its outer end to a diaphragm means 25 so that by directing air pressure against sai-d diaphragm, the valve may be forced to closed position for holding such air'as may be within the cylinder against escaping. The housing 26 within which the diaphragm is enclosed is connected to the air cylinder 27 of the regular air braking system, by means of a conduit 28, so that 1n the event the train itself becomes broken and the air pressure in the line 15 being lost when ,'liosev couplings 1 6 Aare consequently pulled apart, the pressure from the air brake system will operate the diaphragm means 25 and close the valve 18 against its seat. 19 in opposition tothe springQO, by whichvthe air 'within the cylinder 11v will be trappedso that when the broken away party of the train again 'and save the abutting parts from severe and makes contact with the restof the train, the draw bar' 3` will be cushioned bythe piston 12- check valve 29 is attached tothe wall of the cylinder 1 1 so that a certain amount of air may escape therethrough incident to such compression and-thus prevent bursting or injury to the cylinder, owing to the sudden eX- cess pressure therein, The valve 29 is normally held closed by means of a spring 30, and the piston 12 isvreturned to its initial' position, when the air pressure thereagainst is re'- leased, by means of a spring 3l surrounding the shaft 13, between the piston and head of I.

pull the first cars and start them in motion before. any great pulling strength is exerted 'on the rear cars, by which arrangement it will be understood that the engine is enabled to move several feet before the full load of -the train isfelt, and it is usually this start whichthe engine gets in advance of the cars of the train which enables the same to be started. 4For these reasons it is therefore necessary to have slack in the train at cer.- p

tain times and'very advantageous to eliminate this slack throughout the train, at other times. For this reason the throttle is provided in the engine cab as above mentioned so that the invention may be used when and as desired by the engineer to eliminate or provide slack throughout the train.

forward ones in many instances acts to co1- lapse the draw bar mechanism andy sometimes to knock the car truck out of place, and in bination with the draw bar means of one or l some instances to'knock the cars entirely 0E the track, and it will therefore .be understood that where the slack of the train is taken up by this apparatus before the brakesfare applied that the destructive impact at the draw bars will 4be eliminated when the slackis re.- moved by operation of the throttle valve. ,n

While the description and drawing illusr trates in a general way, certain instrumentali ties which may be employed in carrying the invention into eifect, it is evident that many modifications may 'be made in the various details, without departing from the scope of the appended claims, it being understood that -the invention is not'frestrict'ed to the particular example herein described. f

What I claim is: e

1. In a slack takeup for trains, the com'- more cars constituti'ng'atrain, of a cylinder for each draw bar, a piston for each cylinder and connected to the draw barmeans, means A for injecting air from a source under pressure into suchwlinder for causing the piston lto move saiddraw bar means and remove slack therefrom, an automatic valve intersecting the aforesaid air source for closing the same when* desired, an enclosed diaphragm'v for means VJfor directingklair to said .piston and cylinderl means; pressure actuated valve means forming a part of said conduit means,

the actuating mechanism of this valve means air. brake system of the train whereby the air brake pressure will being connected to the serve to close said `.valve means `when the air supply to said piston and cylinder-means is below acertain pressure. In' testimony whereof,

s WALTER corta 4 Ihavehereunto set my hand lontbis 171th day of July," 1928,

lto,

closing said valve, and means for conducting air'from a different source to said diaphragm for actuating the same for closing said valve.

2; In a slack take-up for trains, the combination with the draw bars of the cars of a train, and an air brake system associated with the cars, of a cylinder means for each draw bar, piston means associated with each cylinder means and connected to the draw bar, means for directing air in to the cylinder means, means controlled from s'aid air brake -system for confining the air 1n said cylinder,

means when the pressure therein has been depleted to a prescribed degree', means for lautomatically relieving the pressure in the cylinder means, and means in the cab of a locomotive forA progressively charging. all the cylinders with air or releasing the same therefrom.

y 3. In a slack control fors trains with air brake systems, the combination with the draw bar means of the car, of a piston and cylinder means in conjunction therewith; conduit

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