US1832215A - Draft gear for railway cars - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 17, 1931. E. c.- JOHNSON DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Oct. 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR Sci-win. C. Jhnsan.

Nov. 17, 1931. E. c. JOHNSON DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Oct. 18. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 17, 1931 .UNITEDMSTAQTES mam Mme;

EDWIN 0. V JorfnsoN, 011' DENVER, COLOR-ADO 1 DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILWAY CARS Application filed October is, 1927. Seria1No.226,931.

vide a hydraulic draft gear which is COIIlplete in itself for eachindividual car and requires no outside connections for its operation throughout the length of the train of which the car is a part.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of elements and parts hereinafter to be described in detail and shown in their preferred forms in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings in the several views of which like parts have been similarly designated,

Figure 1 represents a fragmentaryplan' view of the draft system in its operative position on a railway car,

Figure 2, a section along the line 2-2, Figure 1,

Figure 3, an enlarged sectional elevation of one of the reservoirs comprised in the system, 7

Figure 4, a cross section taken on the line 44, Figure 3,

Figure 5, a sectional plan view, showing in elevation, one of the pressure cylinders employed in the system,

Figure 6, a longitudinal section of the cylinder taken in the planes indicated by the line 66 in Figure 5, s

Figure 7, an end view of the cylinder, looking in the direction of the arrow across the line 77, Figure 6,

Figure 8, a cross section of the cylinder on the line 88, Figure 6, and

Figure 9, a plan view similar to Figure 1, showing a modification in the arrangement of the parts comprised in the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 5 designates the cover plate below the floor of a railway car, 6

thecentersills of the car, and 7 the drawbars at the ends of the same. All of these parts are of conventional arrangement and construction.

Fastened between the sills through the me dium of suitable draft lugs 8 and carrier irons 9, and located adjacent the ends of the car and inaxial' alinement with the drawheads, arepressure cylinders 10. Pistons 12 fitted for reciprocation in the cylinders are fas tened at the ends of the rods '13 which pass through stufling boxes 14 at the outer ends of the cylinders; 7 The rods are provided with grooved heads 15 for their connection with the ends of the drawbars by the usual pivot joints 16. Coiled springs- 17 placed at opposite sides of the piston in each cylinder yieldingly resist its movement in both directions. Fastened between the sills of the car, bymeans of straps 18 approximately intermediate of'the two N cylinders are two reservoirs 19 and 20ieach provided with a filler opening normally closed by means of a screw plug 21and providing equalizing means. j Y

The reservoir 20 isconnected at its end with the spaces of the two cylinders at the sides of the pistons, outermost with relation to the ends of-the car, by means of pipes 22 and 23, and similar conduits 24 and 25 connect the ends of the other reservoir 19, with the spaces of the cylinders at the opposite sides of their pistons. 1

The cylinders, the pipes and the lower portions of the reservoirs are filled with a liquid such as glycerineor oil, indicated at 26, leaving in the upper portions of the reservoirs, air spaces designated in Figure 3 by the numeral 27 In the operation of the system, a pull exerted at one of the drawbars will result in a corresponding outward movement of the other draw bar owing to its connection with the drawbar of the next following car. The

result that the liquid in the cylinders is partially expelled and forced through the pipes 22 and 23 into the reservoir 20.

The liquid entering the reservoir 20 at opposite ends compresses the air in the upper portion thereof and the stresses and strains due to the movement of the drawbars are in consequence absorbed by the fluid and evenly distributed and equalized at both ends of the car and throughout the length of a train -w1th the cylinders at one side of their of which the car is a part.

A similar result is obtained when a draw bar is subjected to an impact which causes it to move inwardly. The impact on one of the draw bars will result in a corresponding motion of the other draw bar owing to its connection with the next following car, the pistons in the two cylinders are in consequence moved inwardly toward the center of the car, and the liquid in the cylinders is forced through the pipes 24 and 25 into the reservoir 19 where it compresses the air in the upper portion thereof and thereby absorbs and equalizes the shocks due to the impacts on the draw bars.

"In the modified construction illustrated in Figure 9, butione reservoir 28 is used, in connect-ion with the four pipes leading to the two cylinders, it being evident that this one reservoir may perform thefunctions of the two separate reservoirs of the first described form of the invention provided that the openings connecting with the pipes are suflicient- 1y small to restrict the outflow of liquid through one setof pipes upon the admission of liquid to the reservoir through the pipes of the other set.

()ther modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement of the various elements comprised in the system may be resorted to within the scope of the invention as defined in the hereunto appended claims.

It will be seen that by the use of the invention, my draft gear may be applied to railway cars irrespective of their lengths, and that in this respect the invention is of advantage over draft gears at present in use, in which the draw bars at opposite ends of the car, are connected by mechanical equalizing contrivances.

The springs in the cylinders aid in returning the pistons to their normal neutral position in their respective cylinders. The springs also permit of using the draw gears without the fluid resistance in case by leakage or other causes, the hydraulic system is incapacitated. The springs have, otherwise, no important function in the operation of the system and may be dispensed with if desired.

While it is preferred to use a liquid such as glycerine or oil in the system, in addition to the bodies of air in the reservoirs, air alqne may be employed with satisfactory resu ts.

The cylinders are each provided with drain-openings normally closed by plugs.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A draft gear for railway cars comprising in combination with draw bars at opposite ends of a car, cylinders on the car, pistons in the cylinders, connected with the draw bars, a reservoir in communication 1stons, a reservoir in communication with the cylinders at theopposite side of their pistons and fluid bodies in the cylinders.

2. A draft gear for railway cars comprising in combination with draw bars at opposite ends of a car cylinders on the car, pistons in the cylinders connected with the draw bars, means connecting respective ends of the cylinders with each other, and oleic liquid in said means.

In testimony whereof I have affixecl my signature.

' EDWIN C. JOHNSON.

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