US2182561A - Bell-crank lever for hand brakes for railway cars - Google Patents

Description

I Dec. 5, .1939. HYLE 2,182,561

BELL-CRANK LEVER FOR HAND BRAKES FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 5, 1939. HYLE 2,182,561

BELL-CRANK LEVER FOR HAND BRAKES FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 5, 1939 PATENT OFFICE BELL-CRANK LEVER FOR HAND BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS Jacob Alvin Hyle, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Champion Brake Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware 4 Application August 9, 1937, Serial No. 158,222

' 4 Claims. (01. 74-513) This invention pertains to a novel and improved type of bell-crank lever adapted for any and all purposes for which it may be employed, but is especially designed and utilized in con- 5 nection with hand brake mechanismfor railway cars.

The main object of the invention is to provide a bell-crank lever possessing an unusual amount of strength and preferably formed from any suitable metal andv so constructed as to impart direct and intense power to the brake when it shall have been properly connected at one end portion to mechanism leading to the hand wheel and at its lower portion to the brake rigging of a railway car for applying the brake shoes.

Another object of the invention is to so construct my improved simple type of bell-crank lever that proper vibration back and forth is imparted thereto when properly secured to the 0 means for causing said vibration; that it tends to prevent the chain or other parts of the mech anism to foul; that it imparts uniform power to the brake-shoe applying means, and that it prevents the brake operating means disposed be- 5 tween the bottom portion of the car and the housing near the top of the car from battering contact with the end portion of the car body,

thus eliminating any and all damaging effects which frequently occur when the rolling stock is passing over rough portions of roadbed.

Further objects of the invention are to so construct my special type of bell-crank lever that it provides the proper flexibility in increasing its power and quickly increasing the travel of the horizontal connections when transferring the pull from vertical to horizontal; that these changes can be readily accomplished by changing the length or starting location of the links;

that the lever secured to one end portion of the 40 link constitutes a movable arm; and that said bell-crank lever may be secured above the floor of ahopper car, where it is above the end sill and in line with the air cylinder.

The foregoing and such other objects as may appear from the ensuing description are attained by the construction formation, and association of the several parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that slight changesin the precise shape, proportions and minor details of the construction may be resorted to without departing-from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification it will be seen that:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved bell-crank lever, showing it connected with car brake operating means, and to the chain con- 5 nected with the brake applying means, and showing the position assumed by said lever and its connections when the brakes are off.

.Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the bell-crank lever, showing it pivotally connected 0 to a bracket secured beneath the body portion of a car at one end thereof, and indicating the position assumed by said lever when the brake shoes have been applied.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the bell-crank lever withall connections thereto removed. Figure 4 is a front elevation of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevation, showing a slightly modified form of lever, and 20 Figure 6 is a section taken in the plane of the dotted lines 6--6, Fig. 5, showing the lever broken away. i In the embodiment of my invention as illustrated it will be seen that the numeral l desig- 5 nates one end portion of a car body broken away. 2 indicates the metal cover plate of the housing for protecting the braking mechanism disposed between the said cover plate and a rear plate 3. Suitably supported within the housing is a main 0 operating shaft, to .the outer end of which is fixedly secured a hand operating wheel 4. Within the housingis suitably supported an operating wheel or chain winding drum (not shown), said drum being connected with and operated by said 5 operating wheel 4. Numberal 5 designates a brake operating chain 'which is secured to the said chain winding drum at one end portion thereof and within the housing. The other end of said chain is secured to the upper endportion 40 of a rod 6. The lower end of said rod 6 is pivotally secured to one end portion of a link member 1, the other end portion of link member 1 being pivotally secured to one end portion of a bellcrank lever 8 for the purpose hereinafter re- 45 ferred to. To the brake rigging, usually disposed beneath the floor of the car (not shown), is connected for proper manual operation thereof one end of a chain 9, the other end of the chain being con- 5 nected by a clevis member ID adjacent to the forward end portion of the bell-cranklever 8, said lever being pivotally secured to a bracket ll fixedly-secured to thelcwer face of the end sill ofa can The bell-crank lever is preferably of 55 member.

a somewhat triangular formation provided with a plurality of strengthening ribs l2. A plurality of openings are formed therethrough, an opening l3 formed through the hub portion l2 for 'the reception of a pin for pivotally securing the lever B to the bracket I I, an opening l3 for connecting a clevis H) or chain link direct to said lever, and an opening l3" for the reception of a pin l4 for securing the link member I to the lever. Each link member I has a laterally and longitudinally extended strengthening rib 1' formed thereon. At one end of the lower portion of the lever is a peripheral trough-like grooved portion l5 formed with a depressed shouldered portion I6, extended laterally beyond each side ofthe lever. Integral with and forming a part of the lever is a stopm'ember H extended beyond each side face of said lever and serving by contact with the movable arm or link I to prevent the swinging movement of the said member I, the tension member 6, and chain 5, under all conditions, from causing damage to the end portion of the car; disagreeable noises, and wear of the parts by heating and frictional contact with the end of the car.

It will be readily perceived that to the lower forward end portion of the-bell-crank .lever is pivotally secured the link member I, which link is pivotally secured at its upper end by a suitable pinor bolt to the lower end of the tension rod When in operative position the plane link 22 is in the plane of the bell of the next adjacent link plane of the bell-crank of the chain crank, while the plane is at right angles to the lever and the upper edge of said link 22 is adapted to engage the inner face of the shouldered portion. When the brake is released the bell crank 8 swings down, the link 1 contacts with the member I] causing the link I to assume the position shown in Fig. 1 to hold the tension rod member and chain away from contact with the end of the car body for the purpose hereinbefore referred to.

It will be obvious that the several parts and members herein recited may be formed of any suitable or desirable dimensions, and of any material possessing the requisite strength and durability for the practical purposes for which they are intended to be employed.

The slightly modified form of bell-crank lever 23, such as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the.

drawings, shows an outwardly extended formation 24'within which a portion of the end link 25 of chain 26 is suitably secured. The other end link of said chain is secured to the brake rigging (not shown). The lower end portion' 21 of lever 23 serving to guide the chain during its take-up into the inverted trough-like portion 28. Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the extended portion 24 of the lever 23.

It will be obvious that since my novel and improved formation of bell-crank lever is pivotally connected beneath the car body I at its upper end portion; pivotally connected at its lower righthand portion to a link or movable arm member 1 which is pivotally connected at its upper end to a flexible connection leading to the hand power mechanism; connected at its lower portion to the chain 22 and the other end of the chain being secured to the brake rigging; when it is desired to apply the brake the turning of the hand wheel 4 immediately impart a vibratory movement to the lever in an arc of a circle. therebyirnparting intense direct power and a quick take-up by take-up that is available, and with less frictional wear on the flexible connector leading to the brake rigging, at the same time materially increasing the requisite power to properly apply thebrake.

While .I have illustrated but a single link or movable arm member I secured at one end to the bell-crank lever and its other end to the lowermost end portion of the tension rod 6, it will be understood that a pair of links] may be utilized, one secured at each side of the lever and the tension rod respectively for the purpose of adding the desired or required strength' and durability to the said connections.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with brake mechanism for railway cars, a bell-crank lever having a movable arm pivotally connected to one lower end portion thereof, an outwardly extended member adjacent said movable arm within which is secured a chain link, means for connecting, the arm to a vertically disposed tension member,

and a member forming an integral part of the lever and extended from each side of the body portion of the lever for limiting the movement of said movable arm by contact therewith.

2. In a hand brake mechanism of the character described having a chain winding mechanism w adapted to be fixed to the upper end .portiorr of a car, means for connecting said chain winding mechanism to the brake rigging comprising a bell crank, means for pivotally mounting said bell crank on the lower rear end corner of the car, a flexible member connecting said bell crank with the brake rigging, means including a chain depending from said winding mechanism, a tension rod carried by said chain, and link means pivoted tosaid bell crank, said bell crank having a stop member thereon engaging said link means between its ends and adapted when the bell crank is in lower position to hold the tensionrod outwardly free of the car end.

3. In a brake mechanism. for railway cars and the like, a bell crank having means whereby it may be pivotally suspended from the end sill of a car, said bell crank having means to secure a brake rigging chain thereto, and having means for securing a tension member thereto for connection to a winding means, said last named means comprising link means pivoted to the bell crank, and a stop member on said bell crank for engaging said link means and holding the end of said link means which is Secured to the tension member laterally beyond the sill of the car, said stop member being closer to the axis of the bell ,crank than the pivotal axis of said link means.

4. In a hand .brake for railway' cars, abbell' using only a portion of the.

point of attachment to the wind'

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