US1864315A - Buffer for railway cars - Google Patents

Description

June 21, 1932. c. J. NASH ET AL BUFFER FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet @W MW 1231 277157 3: C/ZCZF/LQSJM/S/L lieu/L6 T @2410 'Illlll June 21, 1932.

c. J. NASH ET AL BUFFER FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m 5 E Q T A g 29 6 1 3 Jnm Y 5 V. .1.\ fi flw l h 4% \F J E 3 w 2 o 2 Jam 1 Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE cameras 3'. NASH nn LnwIs r. cAnrInLn, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Assrenons ro UNIVERSAL DRAFT GEAR ATTACHMENT co., or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA- TION OF ILLINOIS BUFFER FOR RAILWAY CARS Application filed August 8, 1927. Serial no. 211,304.

The invention relates to buffer devices for railway cars and the like.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a shock-absorbing mechanism that is applicable to freight as well as passenger cars, and that is so constructed and arranged that it is operated by the coupler mechanism.

Another object of the invention is the prom vision of yielding buffer mechanism that of fers a great frictional resistance to its com.- pression, and that is so mounted on the car that it is adapted to be operated by the coupler horn.

A further object of the invention is the provision of yielding bufier mechanism that offers a great frictional resistance to its compression, and that is so mounted on the car as to cooperate with the frictional draft gear =26 usually employed thereon for elliciently ab:

sorbing the buffs incident to the operation of the car.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of buffer mechanism for railway '28 cars that is cheap to manufacture, easily assembled, that has a maximum capacity, and that is not likely to become broken or get out of order. j

Other and further objects and advantages so of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a portion of one end of a railwaycar, showing the as coupler striker plate casting and the invention in position thereon; Fig. 2 is a horizontal of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of 49 Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the wedging mechanism.

It is the common practice to provide buffer devices on railway cars for relieving the sudden jolting when the draft gears go solid. These devices are associated with the platform of the car and are, therefore, not adapt- 69 ed for freight cars. in freight cars a shoulsection on line 22 der or coupler horn is provided on the coupler head for engaging a striker plate or striker casting mounted on the end of the car, but there is no resiliency or shock-absorbing function in this latter construction.

The present invention seeks to provide a buffer that is not only resilient, but that is provided with means for frictionally absorbing the bufing shocks while the draft gear is going solid. It is so constructed and so mounted on the car that it cooperates with the draft gear in absorbing the shocks incident to the buffing of the cars. Furthermore, it is associated with the coupler mechanism, and consequently is applicable to both freight and passenger service.

Referring now to the drawings, in which similar reference characters are used to designate the same parts throughout the specification, the reference numeral designates the draft sills of a railway car 11 the end sill, and

12 the car floor. Since the details of the car may be of any approved construction and constitute no part of the present invention, it is not thought necessary to illustrate or describe the same more in detail.

The striker casting is shown at 14 and comprises-a front vertical portion 15, having an opening 16 therein through which the coupler or coupler butt 17 extends. The lower marginal edge of the opening 16may be, and preferably is, provided with a wear plate 18 for supporting said coupler in the usual manner. The casting 14 is preferably provided with rearwardly extending side members or plates 19, which are riveted or bolted to the sills, as by the attaching means 22. These side members or plates 19 are provided with flanges 21, which constitute draft lugs against which the follower 23 of the conventional draft gear M is adapted to engage.

The draft gear 24 may be ofthe usual or any approved construction. It is preferably of the friction plate type, the same being pro-- vided with the friction plates 20, as is common in such constructions. Since any conventional type of draft gear may be employed, it is not thought necessary to illustrate the details of the gear 24. The usual yoke 25 surrounds the gear, and the yoke is connected to the coupler or coupler butt 17 by means of the draft key 27, which extends through the coupler butt and through the slots 28 in the yoke and slots 29 in the side members or plates 19 and sills 10, in the usual manner.

The coupler is provided with the usual coupler horn 31, which is adapted to contact with the buffer device, as will presently appear. Suitable buffer mechanism is provided for cooperating with said coupler horn 31 for assisting in absorbing the shocks due to the buffing action of the car. In the form of device selected to illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the striker casting is provided with a casing 32, which may be cast integral therewith. The casing 32 opens forwardly. For convenience of description the term forwardly is used to designate toward the left in Fig. 1.

Mounted within this housing are suitable friction elements which are adapted to absorb more or less of the buffing shocks. As shown, the mechanism is similar to a frictional draft gear, and comprises a group of two sets of intercalated friction plates 33 and-34, respectively, extending longitudinally of the car and mounted in said casing. The plates 33 areprovided with lugs 30, 35, at each side thereof, for interlocking with ribs 36 on the inner surface of said casing. The plates 34 of the other set are adapted to slide forwardly and backwardly between the plates 33, as will presently appear. The rear ends of the plates 34 are adapted to be engaged by a rear follower 37, which may have its ends forwardly offset, as at 38 (as shown in Fig. 2). Springs 40 are interposed between the bottom or rear wall of the casing and the offset ends 38 of the follower. The striker plate 39 is so shaped as to constitute the front follower for said plates.

The front follower 39 is adapted to telescope within the forward portion of the easing 32, and is supported at its ends on the ledges of the casting 14. It is provided with spaced lugs having vertically aligned openings 41 therein which are aligned with slots 42. Pins 43, engaging said openings and slots, are adapted to hold the parts in assembled relation and permit the front follower to move inwardly to a limited extent.

Suitable means are provided for creating lateral pressure on the plateswhen the buffer mechanism is compressed. As shown, a

* wedge shoe 44 is provided at each side of the group of plates. The inner ends of the shoes may be slightly beveled, as at 45, for engaging a correspondingly beveled surface on the follower 37 Each wedge shoe is provided with a flat face 46, for engaging the friction plates, and-an inclined face 47 which is adapted to be engaged by the acute wedge face 48 of the wedge block 49. Wear compensating wedge blocks 51 are interposed between the flanges and side walls 52 of the striker plate or front follower 39 and the inclined faces 53 of the wedge blocks 49.

The blocks or wedge members 44, 49 and 51 are supported in recesses formed by the walls 52, which are extended about the bottom and top of said members. The top and bottom portions of said walls are offset inwardly, as indicated at 55, 56, in Fig. 1, so that they will telescope within that portion of the casing 32 containing the'springs, the outer end of the opening in said casing being enlarged for receiving said striker plate, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In order to increase the frictional resistance of the plates upon compression of the buffer, one or more of the plates 33, two being shown, may be wedge-shaped, that is, thicker at theirrear ends, as indicated at 54. By means of this arrangement there is a wedging action between the plates themselves asthe buffer is compressed, which will add materially to the capacity of the gear. Furthermore, such an arrangement facilitates release after compression, as the slightest forward movement of the plates 34 by the springpressed follower 37 will loosen the wedging action of the wedge mechanism.

The parts are so constructed that when the striker plate 39 is at its outward limit of travel the forward ends of the friction plates 34 will be spaced slightly therefrom, Whereby,upon compression of said buffer, there will be an initial wedging action or lateral compression of the plates by the wedging mechanism before the striker plate comes in contact-with the ends of said plates. It is also desirable that the plates be under more or less lateral compression at all times In order that these conditions shall obtain it is necessary to provide some means for compensating for the wear of the plates and wedges. In the present instance this is accomplished by the use of the wear compensating wedge blocks 51, each of which is provided with an inclined face 58 for engaging the corresponding inclined face 53 on the wedge block 49. The face 53 of the block 49 is but slightly greater than the angle of repose, and, for the purpose of this description. will be termed a flat angle, while the angle of the face 48 of said block will be termed an acute angle, inasmuch as it is arranged at an acute angle to thelongitudinal axis of the buffer.

As a result of this arrangement any wear of the plates will be taken up by a lateral movement of the wedging block 49, with but a very slight forward movement of the wear compensating block 51. In other words. due to the flatness of the angular face 58 of the block 51, a slight forward movement of said block will result in a considerable lateral movement of the wedge block 49, which in turnwill press the plates together.

ill

Furthermore, by using the wear compenface 48 may be made very acute to the axis of the buffer, :therebygreatly increasing the capacity of said buffer. This is possible for the reason that uponrelease of the gear the blocki51, which is in contact with rear follower 37, will, upon the release of the pressure on the follower 39, be forced forwardly by the springs, and since the face 58 is at an angle but slightly greater than the angle of repose the pressure will move the wedge block 49 forwardly, thus releasing the wedging mechanism. The release of the wedging mechanism is also facilitated by the fact that certain of the plates are wedge-shaped, and a slight movement forwardly of the same will tend to release the lateral pressure thereon.

In the operation of the device, upon a buffing movement of the car the coupler butt will engage the draft gear 24 for compressing the same. Upon further movement the coupler horn 31 will come in contact with the striker plate or forward follower 39, thus forcing the same rearwardly, and through the wedging action of the wedge blocks 49 lateral pressure is set up on the shoes 44. The inward movement of the shoes 44 is resisted by the springs 40. As a result considerable lateral pressure is exerted on the friction plates during the initial movement of the striker plate 39, and on continued rearward move ment of said striker plate the same will come in contact with the plates 34 and move them rearwardly against the frictional resistance set up by the wedging mechanism.

The inward movement of the striker plate 39 is limited by its ends coming in contact with the shoulders 61 on the casing 32, and

also by the transversely extending shoulders.

62 and 63 on the inner surface of the casing 32, which are adapted to be engaged by the intermediate portion of said plate, as will be evident from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2.

The buffer mechanism is so arranged that when the gear is new it will go solid slightly before the buffer. It is well known that the coupler, imder continued use, tends to upset slightly, that is, it tends to shorten a little, and by means of this arrangement the buffer will not go solid before the gear, even after the same have been used a considerable length of time. By means of this arrangement the buffer and gear will cooperate to absorb the shocks incident to the buffing action of the cars.

It is thought from the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that the construction and operation of our device will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that various changes in size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention .1. In combination, a striker casting for railway cars, a coupler having its shank extending through said casting and having a coupler horn adjacent to said casting, and a yielding buffer device mounted on said casting and adapted to be engaged by said horn, said device comprising a group of relatively movable intercalated friction plates, a pair of followers for engaging one set of said plates for moving the same relatively to the other set of said plates, and means for resisting the inward movement of said followers.

2. In combination with the coupler and striker casting of a railway car, a shoulder on said coupler, a buffer device rigidly mountedon said casting and adapted to be engaged by said shoulder, means including a group of two sets of relatively movable intercalated friction plates for creating friction within said device when said shoulder compresses the same, and resilient means for restoring the parts of said device to normal position after compression.

3. A buffer device for railway cars comprising a casing, a group of two sets of intercalated plates, one set of said plates being interlocked to said casing, a follower within said casing for engaging the inner ends of the plates of the other set, said follower having its ends offset forwardly, springs between :said offsets and the inner end of said casing,

said intercalated plates being located between said offsets, a follower casing, means forming a loose motion connectlon between said casings for limiting the separation of the same beyond a predetermined extent; and means for creating lateral pressure on said plates uponthe compression of said follower casing.

4:. In a railway car, a coupler, a coupler horn on said coupler, a striker plate adapted to be engaged by said coupler horn, yielding means for resisting inward movement of said plate when the same is engaged by said coupler horn, said means comprising a group of two sets of relatively movable intercalated friction'plates, a pair of followers having oppositely arranged offset portions adapted to engage the ends of one set of said plates for moving the same relatively to the other set of said plates, a plurality of wedge members between the ends of said followers, means for resiliently resisting the inward movement of said followers, and means for limiting the outward movement of said followers.

5. In a railway car, a coupler for said car, a buffer for said car, a striker plate constituting a forward follower for said buffer, a rear follower for said buffer, friction elements between said followers, means for creating lateral pressure on said elements upon compression of said gear, and resilient means for restoring the parts to normal position after compression.

6. A buffer for railway cars comprising a friction plates upon the inward movementcasing, a follower within said casing, springs of said striker plate, sald elements comprisbetween said follower and the inner end of 111g an obtuse wedge.

said casing, a striker plate slidably mounted in the forward end of said casing, a group of two sets of intercalated friction plates between said follower and striker plate, and means for creating lateral pressure on said plates upon the inward movement of said striker plate and for causing said plates to move relatively to each other.

7. In combination, a striker plate casting, a casing integral with said casting, a striker plate slidably mounted relative to said casing,and means in said casing for yieldingly resisting the movement of said plate toward said casing, said means comprising a group of two sets of relatively movable intercalated friction plates, one set of said plates being i anchored to said casing, and the other set of said plates being movable relatively thereto, and means for restoring the parts to normal position after compression.

8. In a railway car, a relatively fixed striker plate casting member, a coupler member extending through said casting member, and a buffer device carried by one of said members and adapted to be engaged by the other member, said bufier device comprising a striker plate slidably mounted on said striker plate casting member and having a recess in its inner side, a follower having a recess on its forward side, a system of friction elements extending into said recesses, a plurality of wedging members at each side of said elements between said plate and follower, springs engaging said striker plate casting member and follower for resisting the inward movement of said follower member, and means forming a loose motion connection between said striker plate and said striker plate casting member.

tures.

9. A buffer for railway cars comprising a casing, a follower within said casing, springs between said follower and the inner end of said casing, a striker plate slidably mounted in the forward end of said casing, a group of two sets of intercalated friction plates between said follower and striker plate, means for creating lateral pressure on said plates upon the inward movement of said striker plate, said means including an obtuse wedging block for causing lateral movement of the remaining elements of said means to compensate for wear on the moving parts.

10. A buffer for railway cars comprising a buffer casing, a striker plate slidable in said casing, means for limiting the outward movement of said plate, a follower, a group of relatively movable intercalated friction plates between said plate and follower, springs for resisting the inward movement of said follower, certain of said plates being wedgeshaped, and cooperating wedge-elements for creating lateral pressure on said group of In testimony whereof we affix our signa- CHARLES J. NASH. LEWIS T. CANFIELD.

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