US2953260A

US2953260A - Friction shock absorbing mechanisms

Info

Publication number: US2953260A
Application number: US769458A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vernon S Danielson
Original assignee: W H MINER Inc
Current assignee: W H MINER Inc
Priority date: 1958-10-24
Filing date: 1958-10-24
Publication date: 1960-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 1977-09-20

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 24, 1958 a Mm v m QM vb Inventor l/ernon $.Dam'e/s0n Sept. 20, 1960 v. s. DANIELSON 2,953,260

anon SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISMS Filed on. 24, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Wm H W W \W i In ven t or Vernon $.Danielsan Un ted S ates Pa ent/07.1w .4

absorbing mechanisms and particularly to mechanisms of this character adaptedfor use as-draft gears forrailway cars.

Unitary-draft gears-comprising a casing having a restricted front opening necessitating, assembly of components from the rear thereofand employing a removable rear wall for closing the open rear end of such casing areknownintheart, I a

The draft gear construction of the-presentinvention overcomes disadvantages inherent in prior art constructions by attaining a high-strength rear closure construction while permitting ease of R assembly and disassembly of the rear walLav p] a It is an object of the invention to provide a two-piece rear wall 'which','-whenassembled witha casing, will be rigid and virtually ofone-piece construction.

, It is a furtherobject of this invention to provide a flanged casing with a'ringfittinginteriorly of thecasing and having; lugs in abutting engagement with thei casing flanges, and toprovide" a filler block having tapered Isur+ faces fitting against complementary tapered surfaces on the interior of the ring whereby outward movement of the ring and filler block will be prevented while permitting inward movement of the filler block when it is desired to disassemble the rear wall closure from the cas- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a complete draft gear with the rear portion broken away along section line 1-1 of Figure 2 to more clearly illustrate a filler member and rectangular locking ring;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the draft gear of Figure 1 and showing the filler member, locking ring and rear edge of the casing; and

Figure 3 is an exploded isometric view of the filler member and locking ring according to the invention.

As illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, the shock absorbing mechanism of this invention generally comprises an outer cylinder or shell C, a friction clutch 'D, consisting of a wedge and three shoes retained by interengaging lugs (not shown) in the open end of the 1 cylinder C, a forward spring follower E, resilient means F, and a two-piece rear wall G.

Referring now in detail .to Figure 1, the front end of the mechanism includes a wedge in frictional engagement with a plurality of friction shoes 12 which are in sliding friction-producing engagement with the interior surfaces 14 of the cylinder C which in this vicinity is of hexagonal configuration. The surfaces 14 are inwardly tapered to promote increased frictional resistance to inward movement of the shoes 12 and wedge 10.

At, or slightly to the rear of, the termination of the tapered surfaces 14, the hexagon configuration of the cylinder C merges into a rectangular structure comprising integral top and

bottom walls

16 and 18, and

side walls

20, 22. The rectangular casing thus formed by the

walls

16, 18, 20 and 22 houses a front spring follower 2,953,260 Patented Sept. 20,1960

24 and a resilient means 26, preferably a stack of metal faced rubber. pads, in abutment with such follower 24, and engaging the rear wall G. The top and

bottom walls

16 and 18 terminate in short, inwardly turned, centrally 5 interrupted flanges30 which have inner surfaces 32. formprovided with a pair of stop lugs ing shoulders limiting rearward movement of ring 34.

The ring 34 comprises integral top and

bottom sections

36 and 38, and side sections 40 and 42., arranged rectangularly as most clearly shown in Figure 3; --Each of the top and

bottom sections

36 and 38 are preferably 44 spaced from each other and adjacent to the

side sections

40 and 42, respectively. In this fashion the space between each pair; of lugs 44 will accommodate an inwardly extending rib 46'centrally located in the top and

bottom walls

16 and 18 in proximityto the rear edge of the casing when the lugs 44 are in shouldered engagement with the flanges 30. The ribs 46 thus reinforce and impart additional structural strength to the rear end of the casing. I The ring 34 is provided with a shoulder 48 extending continuously around the entire interior thereof and engageable with a complementary continuous shoulder 50 provided along the periphery of filler block '52. In addition to the abutment attained by engagement of the shoulders 48 and 50, one with the other, the ring 34 and filler block 52 have complementary tapered

surfaces

54 and 56 engageable with each other. I 7

From Figure 1 it will be appreciated that when the. resilient means 26 is constituted by a stack of pre-stressed metal-faced rubber pads, the rearmost pad will be in direct bearingengagemem against both the ring 34and thefiller blockSZ and the lugs 44 will be maintained in tight engagement with the flanges 30. Likewise, the,

tapered seats'of surfaces5-6; and the shoulders 50, ,of-jthe: block 52 will be in tightengagement withthe'compl'e mentary portions of the ring 34. Although not shown in the drawings, it may be preferred to have the flanges, lugs, shoulders and tapers so proportioned that the pressure exerted by the resilient means 26 is applied primarily to the filler member 52, and thus ensure a tight and rigid construction. This is readily accomplished when a stack of rubber pads is used as the resilient means by increasing the thickness of the block 52 to project inwardly slightly beyond the inner surface of the ring 34.

To assemble the mechanism, the cylinder or housing C is placed in an upended position with the rectangular end uppermost, the wedge 10 is then inserted within the cylinder to partially extend through the open mouth of the hexagonal end. Shoes 12, three in number, are next inserted and placed in position engaging the wedging surfaces of the wedge 10 and contacting the tapered friction surfaces 14 of the cylinder. The front follower E is placed in the same manner to contact the rear surfaces of the shoes 12. The resilient means F is then placed within the housing C. At this point in the assembly the resilient means F will project beyond the open rear end of the housing C due to its extra length which provides initial compression when the device is completely assembled. The filler plug 52 is then placed on top of the resilient means F. A suitable tool, or plunger (not shown) is placed through the rectangular ring 34 and positioned against the outer face filler block 52. The necessary pressure is then applied to the tool to compress the resilient means a suflicient distance to allow the rectangular ring 34 to be canted for passage through the rear opening of the casing and into the interior thereof. Pressure is then gradually relieved until the plug 52 seats itself within the ring 34 which will then be permitted to engage the flanges 30 by means of its lugs 44.

From the foregoing description, it will be observed that this invention provides a readily assembled or disassembled rear wall with a large unobstructed opening for assembly of the internal parts, and thus permits utilization of maximum interior space for thetprovision of the maximum size of resilient means whether it be a spring or rubber pads of well-known design ,Since certain changes can be made in the foregoing construction and diflerent embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter shown in the accompanying drawings described hereinbeforepshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

I claim:

1. A shock absorbing mechanism comprising the combination of a casing having one end of rectangular configuration, force transmitting means Within and projecting from the other end of the casing, resilient means within said casing, flanges on the rectangular end of the casing extending inwardly from opposed walls thereof, a rectangular ring member nested within the casing, outwardly extending flanges on two opposed sections of said ring and in abutting engagement with said casing flanges, a continuous shoulder on the interior, of said ring facing inwardly of the casing, two continuous tapered surfaces interiorly of said ring, each of said tapered surfaces merging into said shoulder, a filler block nested within said ring, a continuous shoulder on said block facing outwardly and engageable with the ring shoulder, and tapered surfaces along either side of said block shoulder complementary to and engageable with the tapered surfaces on said ring, the tapered surfaces extending convergently toward the longitudinal center line outwardly of the casing.

2. A shock absorbing mechanism comprising a casing having a rectangular configuration at one end thereof, a pair of laterally spaced flanges extending inwardly at said end from each of two opposed walls of the casing, an inwardly projecting centrally located rib on each of 4 a r said two opposed walls of the casing, force transmitting means within and operable at the other end of the casing, resilient means within the casing and engageable by said force transmitting means, a rectangular ring within said casing, a pair of outwardly extending spaced flanges on two opposed sections of said ring and in abutting engagement with said casing flanges, a continuous shoulder on the interior of said ring facing inwardly of the casing, two continuous tapered surfaces interiorly of said ring, each of said tapered surfaces merging into said shoulder, a filler block nested within said ring, a continuous. shoulder on said block facing outwardly and engageable with the ring shoulder, and tapered surfaces along either side of said block shoulder complementary to and engageable with the tapered surfaces on said ring, the tapered surfaces extending convergently toward the longitudinal center line outwardly of the casing. i i

3. An end closure for an open-ended casing having flanges extending laterally inwardly thereof, comprising a ring member having outwardly extending flanges engageable in abutting relation with said casing flanges, a continuous shoulder on the interior of said ring facing inwardly of the casing, also on the interior of said ring and flanking said shoulder, a filled block nested within said ring, a continuous shoulder on said block facing outwardly and engageable with the ring shoulder, and tapered surfaces, along either side of said block shoulder complementary to and engageable with the tapered surfaces on said ring, the tapered surfaces extending convergently toward the longitudinal center line outwardly of the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS Dentler Oct. 16, 1951 two continuous tapered surfaces