US2505946A - Handle lever operated power multiplying hand brake - Google Patents

Description

May 2, 1950 HANDLE LEVER OPERATED POWER MULTIPLYING HAND BRAKE Filed June 19, 1947 G. E. DATH Sheets-Sheet l Even {or G. E. DATH May 2, 1950 HANDLE LEVER OPERATED POWER MULTIPLYING HAND BRAKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 19, 1947 Invenlor. Qg ge Ella m.

i atented May 2, 1950 HANDLE LEVER OPERATED POWER L IP mG HAND BRAKE George E. Bath, Molgena, Ill., assignor.-to -W. H. Miner, Inc Chicago I ll., a corporation ofllelar ware Application June is, 1947 Serial No. 755,641

(Cl. v 505) ,2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements hand brakes of the lever operated type, especially adapted foruse on railway cars.

One object of the invention is to provide .a hand brake mechanism comprising a chain tightening drum, rotated by a swinging operating handle lever to apply the brakes, wherein the .drum is held againstrotation in brake releasing direction through the medium of a looking dog and the actuating lever is automatically disconnected from operative relation with respect to thedrum when dropped to pendant position to :therebyallow rotation of the drum independently of the operating -=handle lever when the dog is disengaged to effect release of the brakes.

A more specific object of :the invention ,is to provide in a hand brake mechanism of the character indicated, a mechanism for rotating the drum, comprising a ratchet wheel rotatable with the drum, a swinging lever for rotating the ratchet wheel, a sliding spring pressed pawl on the lever engageable with the ratchet ,wheel to lock the lever to the ratchet wheel and effect rotation thereof, anda trip element for thepawl, engageable with a fixed stop when the lever droppedto pendantposition to retract the pawl and release the'lever 'from operative engagement with the ratchet wheel, thereby permittingrotation ofthe drum'independently ofithe operating lever.

Other objects of, the invention will more clearly appear from-the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the accompanying drawings forming: apart ofthis speciflcatiomFigure 1 is "a side elevational view'of a lever operatedhand brake mechanism embodying my improvements, showing the nechanismmounted on the end wall member, of

arailway car. Figure 2 is a view,similarto Figure 1, with the operating :handle lever mechanism and the cover plate of the brake'housins removed. Figure 3 is a view,-simi1ar to Figure 2, partly broken away, showing the lockingdog-in released position. Figure 4 isasideelevational view of the improved lever operatedhand brake mechanism shown in Figure 1, lookingat the opposite side of themechanism. :Figurefiis a transverse, vertical sectional view, correspondin Substantially to the line 5- -5 Of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of the lever mechanism of the improved brake, corresponding substantially to the line65 of Figure 5.

In said drawing, 10 indicates a portion of the vertical end wall of a railway car on which my improved hand brake mechanism, contained ,in housing ll,is mounted.

My improved :hand brakemeehanism, as illustrated in ,the drawings, comprises .broadl y a chain winding drum-A, ,a gearwheel or spur gear B rotatable with ,the drum; adrivirig'pinionfC meshing with the, gear wheel 13, a ratchet wheel Drotatable with the pinion, alocking dog E for the ratchet wheel, a second ratchet wheel lF rotatable with .the pinion C and ratchet wheel D, a swinging operating handle lever G, ,a spring actuated sliding pawl H on :the lever G engageablawith the ratchet wheel F, and am element J ,on the operating lever G -I or the pawl H.

The housing ,ll, ,within which the, operating parts of the brake mechanism are contained, comprises avertically diSpOSd rear wall I 2, laterally spaced, vertical side walls ,l3 and -14, top andtbottom walls [5 and l6,,and a curved rmnt wall 11. Theside n I4 s in the formof 'a removable cover plate ,secured by screws -H3 extending into webs formed onl-the housing proper. Thehousin is divided into twochambers HI and 20 by a transverse, vertically disposed partition wall 21. The portionpfthe bottomwall "lfifat the :chamber |-9 of the housing, A is upwardly olfset with respect to the portion thereof l which closes the bottom ,cf the chamber 20, and, said oifset :wall portion ,is provided with, spaced openings 22-,22 therethrough,.adaptedto accommodate the vertically extending portions of the usual brake chain, which chain is indicated 'by 23. The rear wall l2 otthehousing'ihassecuring ears 24-7-24 extendlngtherefrom by which the housing is supported on. the end wall ;-||l\'i.bf the car,the samebeing-fixedto the-end walLby bolts 25-25 extending throughv the ears. The :chain winding drum A is mounted in it the chamber. I 9 and has the gear wheel orrspur gear B cast integral therewith. The casting, comprising the combined drum and spur gearrLis rotatably supportedat one end byan integral axial shaft 25, ,journaled, in a bearing opening 12 providedin the cover plate orwall llofithehousing, and at the other .end by aninwardly projectingbearing boss .28 on the ,wallwl3 en a ed in a suitable axial, bearing opening ,of the ,drum. The drum Ais of the pocketed type,-,actingrint,he manner of asprocket wheel and has the chain 23, which leadsto the brakemechanism proper of thecar, trainedthereover-in the usual-manner. The end 'ofthe chain which leadstotthe brake mechanism propel-is indicatedby-29 and the free weightedend thereof is indicated by E 30. The drum has peripheral annular guide flanges 3 3I--3l at opposite sides thereof, the flange 3| at the spur gear side of the drum being accommodated in an opening 32 in the partition wall 2| of the housing, which opening also serves as hearing means for said flange. The spur gear wheel B of the combined drum and gear casting is located in the chamber 20 of the housing and meshes with the driving pinion C, which is fixed to a shaft 33, supported at opposite ends thereof in a bearing seat 34 and a bearing opening 35 provided respectively in the opposite side walls of the bottom portion of the chamber 20, the shaft extending through the opening 35 which is provided in the side wall or cover'plate l4 of the housing and projecting outwardly of said wall. The shaft 33 carries the ratchet wheel D, which is fixed thereto, this ratchet wheel being arranged on the shaft between the pinion C and the wall 14 of the housing. The projecting end of the shaft is threaded at its extremity to receive a locking nut 36, and is of square cross section inwardly of said threaded end, as indicated at 31. The ratchet wheel F is mounted on the square section 31 of the shaft, this ratchet wheel being provided with an axial opening of square cross section within which the square portion of the shaft tightly fits, the ratchet wheel F being thus locked to the shaft for rotation therewith. The locking dog E, which serves to lock the brake mechanism against release, is pivoted on an inwardly projecting lug 38 on the rear wall I2 of the housing and has a depending arm 39 provided with a tooth 40 at its outer end engaging the ratchet wheel D. At the inner or upper end, that is, at the pivoted portion thereof, the dog has a laterally extending, radially projecting lug or tail 4| thereon, which is engaged by a trip lever 42 by which the dog is operated. The trip lever 42 is rotatably journaled at its lower end on the shaft 25, being located between the spur gear B and the side wall I4 of the housing. The upper end of the lever 42 is laterally offset and extends through an opening or slot 43 provided by cutting out the upper section of the cover-plate or Wall M of the housing, the outer end of said lever being in the formof a" hand grip portion 44. 'The lower or pivoted end of the lever 42] is provided with spaced lugs 45 and 46 adapted to engage opposite sides of thelug 4| of the dog E to swing the same into and out of engagement with the ratchet wheel as the lever is swung to and fro. A coil spring 41, interposed between the lower end portion of the arm 39 of the dog and the wall 12 of the housing, serves to press the dog yieldingly against the ratchet wheel. w 1 The operating handle lever G is swingingly supported on the shaft 33 exteriorly of the housing II, the same comprising a hollow head por- ,tion 48 engaged over the ratchet wheel Fand an operating lever arm 49 extending radially from the head portion. The head portion 48, which-is engaged over the ratchet wheel, is open at its inner side, as indicated at '59, the opening 50 being circular in outline and having the wall thereof grooved to provide an annular bearing seat which is engaged over an outwardly projecting, annular flange 52 on the ratchet wheel F at the inner side thereof, thereby supporting the head for rotation on said ratchet wheel. The closed side of the head 48 is'provided with a bearing opening 53, through which the shaft 33 extends, the head being thus also r'otatably supported at its outer side by. the shaft;

At the headed end thereof, the arm 49 of the the stop lug 63, as seen in Figure l.

4 lever G is provided with a lengthwise extending opening or seat 54 of substantially rectangular cross section, within which the pawl H is slidingly mounted, the latter being of rectangular cross section to fit the opening and prevent turning of the pawl. The pawl H is yieldingly forced toward the ratchet wheel F by a coil spring 55 interposed between the inner end of the pawl and the bottom wall of the seat 54. At the outer end, the pawl has a tooth 58 engaging with the ratchet wheel F, the inclination of the teeth of the ratchet wheel and pawl being such that the teeth look when the lever G is swung to the left, as viewed in Figures 1 and 6, to turn the rachet wheel, and have ratcheting action when the lever swings to the right, thus effecting intermittent rotation of the ratchet wheel F when the lever is oscillated.

'To retract the pawl H from operative engagement with the ratchet wheel F, when the operating lever G-is'dropped to pendant position, the trip element J is provided. This element is in the form of a bell crank lever pivoted on a pin 5! extending through the same, and laterally extending, spaced flanges 58-58 on the lever arm 49, adjacent the head 48. The bell crank lever-' like trip element J has two radially extending arms 59 and 60, which are at right angles to each other, the "arm 60 engaging with a laterally projecting lug Bl at the inner end of the pawl H, which projects through a slot or open-'- ing 62 communicating with the opening between the flanges 58-58, into the path of movement of the arm 60. The arm 59 is engageable with a fixed projection or stop lug 63, provided on the side wall or cover plate H of the housing when the handle lever G is dropped to pendant position.

In the operation of my improved mechanism, in applying the brakes, the operating handle lever G is oscillated, thereby effecting intermittent rotation of the ratchet wheel F and intermittent rotation of the drum A in clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 4, through the medium of the power multiplying pinion and gear connection. During this action, the dog E holds the ratchet wheel D against rotation in chain unwindingdirection, ratcheting over the ratchet wheel D. When the operator releases his hold from the operating lever G, the latter drops to its pendant position through action of gravity and the pawl H is automatically retracted from operative engaged position with the ratchet wheel F by the trip lever G, the arm 59 of which strikes against With the pawl H thus disengaged, the drum is free to .rotate when the brakes are released by retracting the dog E from operative; engagement with the ratchet wheelD' by means of the lever 44, the spur gear B and the pinion ,C, together with the ratchet wheel 1-1 being free" to rotate with the drum without effecting any; movement of the disconnected operating handle lever G. I

Iclaim: q

1. In an operating handle lever mechanism for a hand brake, comprising a chain winding drum rotatable about a horizontal axis, and a ratchet wheel operatively connected to the drum for rotation therewith, the combination with a swinging operating lever, said lever being swingable to and from pendant position about the axis of said ratchet wheel; a spring pressed sliding pawl on said lever engageable with said ratchet wheel; a bell crank pivoted on said lever for swinging movement on an axis parallel to the axisof swinging movement of said lever and having a pair of arms, one of which has shouldered engagement with the pawl; and a fixed stop in the o ii of movement of the other arm of said beli crank to be engaged thereby and rotate the bell vn7: when the operating lever is dropped to pe d? t position, thereby retracting said pawi from oper ative engagement with the ratchet wheel.

2. In an operating lever mechani m for a hand brake including a rotary chain Winding element, a ratchet Wheel operatively connected with said element for rotation therewith, the combination with an oscillatory operating lever swingable about a horizontal axis, said lever being movable to pendant position; a spring pressed. sliding pawl on sai lever engageable with said ratchet wheel to effect intermittent rotation of said wheel when the lever is oscillated in reverse directions; a iaterally projecting lug on said pawl; a bell crank for retracting said pawl, said bell crank being rotatably mounted for swinging movement on said lever on an axis parallel to the axis of swinging movement of said operating lever, said bell crank having radially extending arms at right angles to each other, one of which has shouldered engagement with the lug of the pawl to retract said and a fixed stop in the path of movement of the other of said arms to be engaged thereby when the operating lever is dropped to pendant position, thereby rotating said. bell crank to disengage the pawl from the cooperating ratchet wheel.

GEORGE DATH.

HEFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 704,227 Witte July 8,, 1902 1,120,152 Lindstrorn Dec. 8, 1914 2,153,546 Apr. 11, 1939 2,227,315 Mersereau -r--- Dec. 31, 1940

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