US1907944A - Wing brace for railroad spreaders - Google Patents

Description

y 1933- J. c. FORBES ET AL 1,907,944

WING BRACE FOR RAILROAD SPREADERS Filed April 4, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l May 9, 1933. J c FORBES ET AL 1,907,94Vi

.WING BRACE FOR RAILROAD SPREADERS Filed April 4, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 %W. l RWN Qm. N w W/ m 4.////////////////////////// /u ll 1ll,[ I, E 6 0 :JIIJ.1II.\ I at H u M m m M m a M M i! wwfi Ram I w w a 2: i g RN NNQ. I: l I NW a wwmw MK y 9, 1933. J. c. FORBES E AL 1,907,944

WING BRAGE FOR RAILROAD SPREADERS v I I Filed April 4, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Imfcenfis JHMEs CLFORBES WWW,

Patented May 9, 1933 warren STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES C. FORBES AND ALBERT W. BANTON, OF EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS T 0. F. JORDAN COMPANY, OF EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA WING BRAGE FOR RAILROAD SEREADEBS Application filed April 4, 1931. Serial No. 527,836.

This invention relates to improvements in wing braces for railroad spreaders and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

The primary object of the'invention is to provide a simple and eliicient telescopic brace for holding the main spreader wing of a railroad spreader in any one of its material spreading positions under the great strain imposed upon said wing by the material being spread thereby.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide in a brace of this kind, telescopic members, one of which slides in the other and includes a rack along one side adapted for engagement by a short rack-like block can ried by the other, whereby the stress of the main spreader wing which tends to cause relative retraction of the brace parts is resisted by a number of tooth-like members on the block, whereby the holding power of the brace is greatly increased.

The above mentioned objects of the inven- '25- tion as well as others, together with the many advantages thereof, will more fully appear as we proceed with our specification.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a railroad spreader car and associated main 403 view on a further enlarged scale through the locking mechanism of the brace, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal detail sectional view through a part of our improved brace structure as taken on the line 4-& of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional View through a part of the brace as taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a certain locking cylinder employed in our improved brace construction.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a certain locking block employed in our improved brace construction.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings1 indicates as a whole a part of the car of a railroad spreader including side sills 2, center sills 3 and cross members 4, 5, 6 and 7 respectively. Associated with the cross members 4, at one side of the car, is an upright wing-post 8 upon which a wing-p0st carriage 9 is mounted for a vertical, guided movement. This carriage includes laterally extending ears 10 to which a hinge-plate 11 is pivoted for a swinging movement about a vertically disposed pin 12.

13 indicates the main spreader wing of the car having its inner or front end pivoted to v the hinge-plate 11 by a horizontal pin 14. The outer or rear end of the main spreader wing has pivoted thereto an extension or bank shaper wing 15, in the manner well known. By the construction described, the main spreader wing along with the extension or bank shaper wing, may be swung away from or toward the car about the pin 12 as an axis and said wings may be swung into the desired vertical angular position about the hinge-plate pin 14 as an axis.

To swing the wing away from the car into the desired operative position and in toward and substantially parallel with the side of the car when the car is to be transported from one place of use to another, we provide a power cylinder 16 and associated piston rod 17. The inner end of the power cylinder has a universal-like joint connection 18 with the side sill 2 near the cross memher 5, while the outer end of the piston rod has a similar joint connection 19 with the inner or rear side of the main spreader wing. The power cylinder is adapted for opera tion by means of fluid under pressure and therefore there is connected to each end thereof, conduits 20 and 21 leading from a source of fluid under pressure, such as an air tank 22 located on the car. A suitable valve 23 controls the admission and exhaust into the desired operative position. When such fluid is admitted to the outer end of the cylinder, the rod 17 is retracted into the cylinder and the wing is swung inwardly toward the car. In this movement of the wing,the cylinder 16 swings into a position substantially parallel with and above the side sill.

To hold the wing in the desired operative position, many expedients have to be tried but all of them were open to certain objections due to the structure thereof. some instances, folding braceshave been employed but these has not proven satisfactory upon the heavier types of spreaders as they 20 failed to withstand the greater pressures imposed upon them by the wing in operat ing upon the material to be spread. Telescopic braces with a locking pin and hole have also been used but these likewise have failed to stand up. Hydraulic gripping devices have also been used to hold the telescopic brace parts in'extended or projected position but this has proven costly as all elements entering thereinto, hadto be made to withstand the heavy hydraulic pressures requiredto hold the braces.

In bracing such a wing, two telescopic braces 2 and 25 are employed for the main wing itself and one brace 26 is employed for the extension and as all braces embodying our invention are the same, a description of one will suffice forall. Each brace consists of a tube 27 pivoted: at its inner end to the side sill 5 by means of a twoway or universal-like joint 28. By such a twoway oint we mean a joint including at least two pivotal axes disposed at an angle to. each other. ()11 the outer end of sald tube.

27 is a, hollow casting 29 including a collar 30 at its inner or rear end welded or otherwise secured to the end of the tube 27 which it surrounds. Near said collar on the top side of the casting is provided a hollow boss 31 and on the outer or front end of said casting are two laterally spaced upstanding cars 32.

Associated with the tube 27 and telescopic with respect thereto for relative projection and retraction, is a second tube 33 disposed 5 eccentrically in or off center with respect to the tube 2.7. The inner or rear end of said tube 33 is provided with a guide head 34 for sliding movement in thetube 27 and at the front end of the casting is an internal fiange 35 engaged by the tube 33 ,whereby the same has a guided sliding bearing, The outer or front end of the tube 33 has a universal-like joint connection 36 with the inner or rear side of the main wing 13 and -which is similar to the joint connection 28 r before described but provides a three-way instead of a two-way connection between the wing and tube 33.

On the top side and extending the full length of the tube 33 is a toothed bar 37 secured thereto in any suitable manner as by welding. This bar slides through a rectangular channel 38 provided therefor in the casting 29 below the boss 31 whereby it held against a turning movement with respect to the tube 27. In the Years 32 of the casting 29. is atransverse shaft '39 upon which is disposed. a gear 40 meshing with thetoothed bar 37. This gear not only acts in the nature of an upward thrust bearing fort-he tube but also acts to clean the spaces between the teeth of the bar 37 of such material as tends to adhere thereto so that such material is prevented from being carried into the tube 27 when the tube 33 is retracted thereinto.

Above the boss 31 is located a power look-- ing: cylinder 42. Said cylinder which is open at the top has a closed bottom wall 43 that. includes longitudinally spaced feet a l bolted to the ends of the boss 31 of the casting 29. The open top of the cylinder is closed b a cap or'head 45 having a vent 4:6 therem. In the cylinder is a piston 47 mounted on a rod 43 that extends down through a. stufling box 49 in the bottom wall 43 of the cylinder. A spring 50 is arranged in the cylinder between the piston 4-7 and the head 4-5 to normally urge the piston and its rod 48 downwardly. A conduit 51 opens into one side of the cylinder below the piston and the conduit of each of the braces connects with a header 52 which leads from the air tank 22 before mentioned. Associated with this header is a valve 53 whereby the admission of fluid under pres sure is simultaneously controlled for the cylinders of the several braces. When such fluid is admitted to the cylinder, the piston is caused to ascend and compress the spring 50. When such pressure fluid is cut off from the cylinder, the compressed spring forces the piston downwardly in the cylinder.

Operatively connected to the bottom end of the piston rod and disposed in the boss 31 is a locking block 54 formed on its bottom surface with teeth 55 adapted for engagement in the spaces between the teeth of the bar 37 Said block is provided at the top with centrally disposed laterally spaced, inwardly extending flanges 56 for detaclr able engagement with an annular groove 57 in the bottom end. of the piston rod. By this arrangement, the locking block may be detachably connected to the piston rod 48 before the cylinder 42 is bolted to the boss 31.

Before swinging the wing into operative position away from the car, the valve 53 is manipulated to admit fluid under pressure to the cylinders of the various braces and causes an upward movement of the associated pistons therein. This withdraws each toothed locking blocl: from engagement with the associated bar 37. By admitting fluid under pressure to the rear end 01": the cylinder 16, the piston 17 thereoi is projected and this causes the wing to swing outward from the car about the pin 12. In this outward swing of the wing, the tube 33 of each wing brace is withdrawn from its associated tube 27 into extended or projected position as will accommodate the position into which the wing has been strung for operation.

- Thereafterthe valve 54 is again manipulated to cut off the fluid under pressure to the various locking cylinders 12 and the compressed springs 50 therein, expand and force the associated pistons downwardly to en gage the respective locking blocks with the toothed bars of the tubes 33.

By the construction described, each brace is locked in its extended position by a plurality of teeth. Thus when a pressure is imposed upon the brace when in holding the wing in operating upon a mass of ballast or like material, such pressure is equally divided between the several teeth of the blocks so that such pressure is amply resisted. reason of the use of the gear 40, the toothed bar 37 is cleaned each time the associated brace is operated so that no dirt or grit can be carried back into the tube 27. A ain, such a gear takes up the upward thrust that the tube 33 imposes upon in use so that said tube runs true in its movement into and out of the tube 27. Thus a locking brace comprising but a few parts is bad wherein. the brace is positively held in its extended position without slipping.

While in describing our invention, we have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the parts th not, the same is to be considered as illustrative only, so that we do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

W'e claim as our invention 1. In combination with a pair of coacting telescopic elements, a member carried by one element and through which the other element is longitudinally movable, a toothed bar fixed to one side of said other element, a power cylinder carried by said member and including a piston and piston rod, a block carried by said piston rod and including teeth for engagementwith the teeth of the bar on said other element and a gear element journalled in said member and having a rolling thrust bearing engagement with said toothed bar.

2. In combination with a pair of coacting telescopic elements, a member carried by one of said elements and through which the other element is longitudinally movable, said member including a hollow boss therein, a toothed bar fixed to said other element in the planeof said boss, a locking block ar- H ranged in said hollow boss for movement toward and away from said other element and having teeth for engagement with the teeth of said bar, means for imparting movement to said block in said hollow boss toward and away from said other element and a gear element journalled in said member and having a rolling thrust bearing engagement with said toothed bar.

3. Incombination with a pair of coacting telescopic eiements, a member carried by one of said elements and through which the other element is longitudinally movable, said member including a hollow boss therein, a toothed bar fixed to said other element in the plane of said boss, a locking block arranged in said hollow boss for movement toward and away from said other element and having teeth for engagement with the teeth ofsaid bar, a power cylinder carried on said boss and including a piston and a piston rod, the latter being operatively connected to said block for moving it in the boss, into and out of engagement with said toothed bar and a gear element journalled in said member and having a rolling thrust bearing engagement with said toothed bar.

. In combination with a pair of coacting telescopic elements, a member carried by one of said elements and through which the other element is longitudinally movable, a device journalled in said member and providing a rolling bearing for said other element therein, a locking device also movable in said member toward and away from said other element andmeans providing a plu rality of interengaging projections on said other element and said locking device respectively.

5. In combination with a pair of coacting telescopic elements, a member carried by one of said elements and through which the other element is longitudinally movable, a toothed bar secured to said other element, a toothed wheel journalled in said member and engaged with said toothed bar to form a rolling bearing for said other element and a block disposed in said member for movement toward and away from said other ele ment and including a number of teeth for engagement with said toothed bar on said other element.

6. In combination with a tubular brace element, a member on one end thereof, a second tubular element disposed ofi center and capable of a telescopic movement with respect to said first mentioned element, means carried by one end of said second tubular element for guiding engagement in the first mentioned one, and means also carried by said member for a rolling bearing engagement with respect to saidsecond mentioned element. 7 7

7. Iii-combination with a tubular brace element, a member on one end thereof, a second tubularelement disposed off center and capable of atelescopic movement with respect to said first mentioned element, means carried by one end of said second tubular element for guiding engagement in the first mentioned one, means carried by said member for a rolling bearing engagement with said second mentioned element and a locking member also disposed in said member for movement toward and away from said second element, said second element and said locking member having a plurality of interengaging tooth-like projections.

8. In combination with a tubular brace element, a member on one end thereof, a second tubular element disposed ofi' center and capable of a telescopic movement in the first element, means carried by one end of said second element for guiding engagement in the first mentioned one, a tooth bar fixed to one side of said second element, a toothed wheel journalled in said member and having a rolling bearing engagement with said toothed bar and means also in said member and disposed in the plane of said toothed wheel for movement toward and away from said second element and having teeth for engagement with the toothed bar on said second element. I

9. In combination with a tubular brace element, a member on one end thereof, a

second tubular element disposed off center and capable of a telescopic movement in the first element, and having a bearing along one side with a part of said member, means on one end of said second element for hearing engagement in said first mentioned element, a toothed bar fixed to the opposite side of the second element, a toothed wheel journalled in said member and having a rolling bearing engagement with said toothed bar, and means also in said member in the plane of said wheel capable of movement toward and away from said second element and having teeth adapted for engagement with the toothed bar on said second element. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 1st day of April, 1931. JAMES C. FORBES. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 1st day of April, 1931. ALBERT W. BANTON.

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