US1926112A - Centering and cushioning device for railway car couplers - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 12, 1933- E. E. SCHLESINGER 1,926,112

ER'S

CENTERING AND CUSHIQNING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CAR COUPL Filed July 18, 1931 11:2 ven t or Eoqar E Sch /e$1'1zger .4 itorn e gr Patented Sept. 12, 1933 Unrrso srarss CENTERING AND CUSHIONKNG DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CAR COUPLERS Edgar E. Schlesinger, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Union Metal Products Company, a corporation of Delaware Chicago, Ill.,

Application July 18, 1931. Serial No. 551,588

2 Claims.

The device relates to railway cars'and more particularly to the means for supporting the outer end of a railway car coupler adjacent its head which permits the coupler to move hori- 5 Zontally and vertically and adjust itself to the curves and unevenness of thetrack, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a yielding means in a swingable carrier for supporting the outer end of 'thecoupler so' that when free to do so the coupler will return to its normal height and to a position adjacent the center of the car, which arrangement has several objects and advantages hereinafter enumerated.

When a coupler is supported by a carrier, which is movable vertically, a great stress is thrown in the shank of the coupler when the car passes over a hump or valley in the track (technically known as vertical curves) which when occurring while the couplers are under severe pulling or bufiing stresses is a serious matter and this condition was a contributing cause of the American Railway Association increasing the size of the standard coupler shank. One of the objects of the invention, therefore, is to reduce the service stresses in the coupler by providing a yielding coupler carrier thereby permitting the outer end of the coupler to move downwardly so that the center line of the coupled couplers will be nearer a straight line, thereby reducing the resultant 39 forces in the coupler shanks. When the force ceases, for instance, when the cars are uncou pled, the yielding carrier forces the coupler to its normal vertical position, which is prescribed by the American Railway Association and which is ecessary so that the couplers will automatically couple when the cars are run together.

Another object of the yielding carrier is to prevent the jar in the coupler caused by the uneven track and the movement of the coupler upon the carrier from being transmitted to the adjacent car parts, which jar and vibration causes the fastening means, such as bolts, to become loose, or perhaps entirely ineiiective. Jars and jolts between the coupler and the carrier are also caused by the engaging parts of the two coupled couplers slipping over each other under pressure. Furthermore, such yielding means, by reducing the vertical force of the coupler upon its carrier, reduces the friction and consequent wear between these parts. The wear upon the coupler shank makes a weak place in the shank causing it to break at that place when the cars are coupled, especially when coupled in a hump or valley in the track.

Another object is to provide a device which cushions and centers the coupler without twisting the coupler when the cars go around curves, which twisting action distorts the coupler shank and moving parts of the coupler causing them to work hard or even bind, making the coupler 69 inoperative. This is accomplished by maintaining the top of the carrier parallel to the bottom of the coupler and in contact therewith. In other words, the carrier adjusts itself to the coupler. Maintaining the width'of the coupler shank in contact with the carrier maintains a large bearing area between these two elements and thereby reduces the'wear upon them;-

One of the objects of the invention is to increase the amount of permissible-lateral movement of a coupler byproviding automatic means for returning the couplers to the longitudinal center of the .car or at least close enough thereto so that the automatic couplers will couple. This is what is termed the coupling range.

It is very often necessary to couple cars on curves and frequently when the radius of the curve is verysmall, as is common around industrial plants, the couplers of the two cars will be so far out of alignment that they will not automatically couple. Another object of theinvention is to automatically bring such couplers within coupling range.

In my device the lateral movement between the coupler and the carrier is eliminated, thus reducing friction and consequent wear on the parts. This is quite an item particularly in sandy countries because couplers are costly and the replacement of a coupler means keeping the car out of service.

Coupler positioniiie devices reduces the number of broken knuckles and guard arms on couplers which members are frequently bent or broken when the couplers are not within coupling range. Such devices also reduce the number of accidents to trainmen as they are not required to go between the cars and position the coupler preparatory to coupling.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to limit the movement of the carrier lengthwise of the car, which means also prevents the carrier from tipping when the coupler slides over it.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a typical application of my device to a railway car when the device is in normal position.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows the device with the yielding means compressed.

Fig. 4 shows the device when the coupler is in its extreme lateral position.

Figs. 5 and 6 show modified constructions.

In the drawing the striking casting, supporting member or other car part 2 is attached to the car and supported thereby by any convenient means, such as the rivets 3-4, which hold it to the draft sills.

The coupler carrier 6 is swingably suspended from the supporting member by the links 7 and is provided with spaced apart lugs 8 to retain the coupler 9 in the middle of the carrier. The carrier 6 is provided with a spring bearing surface 11 and spaced apart vertical walls 12. each having a carriage engaging surface 13. The coupler supporting carrier fits between the end walls 15 of the carrier to prevent it from moving longitudinally of the carrier and has depending flanges 18 positioned between the side walls 12 to restrict sidewise movement of the carriage.

The two coil springs 20 constitute yielding means and are positioned between the carriage 10 and the carrier (Sand between the side flanges 18 of the carriage. Upon a predetermined downward movement of the carriage the outer extending lips 22 of the carriage engage the carrier surface 13 and limit the downward movement of the carriage. It is desirable to stop the downward movement of the carriage before the spring is completely compressed so as to increase the life of the spring because yielding means are usually broken by the impact blow when allowed to go solid.

Fig. 5 shows a modified construction wherein a leaf spring 30 is positioned between the carriage 31 and the carrier 32 and is shown as being riveted to the carriage. However, the leaf spring might be reversed and its central portion secured to the carrier instead of the carriage.

' Fig. 6 shows another modified construction where two semi-elliptic springs 4041 are used between the carriage 42 and the carrier 43 having frictional engagement with each other at their extremities.

' When the suspending links are vertical (or parallel to each other) a parallelogram movement is obtained and the coupler engaging surface remains horizontal so that the coupler is not twisted. However, if the links are positioned obliquely to each other, either as shown in Figs. 5 or 6, a greater centering action is obtained and if such oblique links are used the yielding means prevents any twisting action upon the coupler by allowing the carriage 10 to adjust itself to the coupler 9 independently of the carrier 6.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A cushioning and centering device for a railway car coupler comprising a supporting member secured to the car, a carrier, links swingingly suspending the carrier from the supporting member, said links being non-parallel to each other, a coupler supporting carriage, and a yielding means between said carrier and said carriage whereby when the coupler moves laterally one side of the yielding means is compressed so that the coupler shank remains in a horizontal plane.

2. A cushioning and centering device for a railway car coupler comprising a supporting member secured to the car, a carrier element, links swingingly suspend ng the carrier element from the supporting member, a coupler supporting carriage element, and a yielding means between said carrier and said carriage, said yielding means comprising a semi-elliptical leaf spring having its medial part secured to one of said elements with its free end portions engaging the other of said elements so as to have a frictional sliding engagement therewith and retaining means to retain the ends of the spring in engagement with the adjacent element.

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