US295482A - Combined car coupler and buffer - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

OBBOWNING.

COMBINED GAR UOUIPLER AND BUFFER. No. 295,482. Patented Mar. 18, 1884.

7 [$111] IIIIJ -4.

Shousetown, in the county Unrrnn mares Arena rricn.

CLINTON BROWNING, OF SHOUSETOWN, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES H. LINDSAY,

TRUSTEE, OF ALLEGHENY CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBI NED CAR COUPLER AND BUFFER.

P EGIFIGA'II ON forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,482, dated March 18, 1884.

Application filed January 3, 1884. (No model'.)

To aZZ whom, it 777/(I/Z/ concern:

Be it known that I, GLiNroN BROWNING, of

State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Combined Coupler and Buffer; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Myinvention relates to the couplers and buffers employed on railroad-cars to connect the cars and to prevent the jarring and uneven movement of the cars connected, its special object being to provide simple and efficient means for maintaining the pressure between the faces of the buffers when the couplers are drawn forward by draft-strain.

The couplers and buffers generally employed on cars are separate, and when the longitudinal or draft strain is sufficiently heavy to compress the draw-baror draft'springs so that the cars are parted, itis evident that the pressure of, the buffers is decreased, an d they are therefore rendered less efficient. A combined buffer and coupler has also been formed in v which an ordinary Miller draw-bar and a buffer-bar have been supported in the same casting, the buffer and draw bar springs fitting in recesses therein, and a cotter or pin passing through the casting and draw-bar back of the springs, the apparatusso operating that the buffer could act independently when pressed back, but that any draft-strain on the drawbar would draw forward the cotter and maintain the pressure between the buffers. This apparatus, as constructed, was not applicable to the ordinary couplers and buffers employed on passenger-cars, as it necessitated a change in the construction and supporting of the parts. In backing, also, the entire strain came upon the buffer-spring, and, did not and could not assist it in bearing such strain.

The object of my invention is, by the addition of a single part, to so construct the ordinary coupler and buffer now in general use that. they act separately in sustaining backward or rearward strain, though they assist each other in sustaining such strain, while of Allegheny and they act together in sustaining heavy forward or draft strain, and the pressure of the buffers is maintained,- even though the cars are drawnapart.

It, consists, essentia1ly,in combining with the draw-head and buffing apparatus a standard or frame carrying the resistanceplate of the buffing apparatus, and extending down therefrom to and so supported on and connected with the draw-head as to permit the independent movement of the neck of the draw-head in backing, but to be drawn forward by the draw-head upon such draft-strain as causes a movement thereof in its bearings or supports, so that the resistance-plate is moved forward with the draw-head, and thus compresses the spring the same distance as the buffers are permitted to move on the parting of the cars, the buffer-spring thus acting also as draftsprings.

It also consists in certain improvements in the construction of this standard or frame, and

its connection with the draw-head and buffer apparatus.

It also consists in certain improvements in the coupling and its connections with the platform-lever of the car. r a To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side view. of my com bined coupler and buffer, one longitudinal beam being removed to show more clearly the parts thereof. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section thereof, showing the parts in perspective. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the draw-head. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the connecting-standard between the coupler and buffer. Fig. 5 is a side view of another form of my improved apparatus; and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectionthereof on the lineman, Fig. 5.

Like letters of reference indicate like in each.

The apparatus is illustrated in connection with the car-coupling apparatus and buffer apparatus shown in the several patents granted to me March 6, 1883, Nos. 27 3,343, 273, 664, and 273,665, being especially arranged for employpartsment with such apparatus, though the connecting apparatus is applicable to different constructions of coupling and buffers by means well known to the skilled mechanic. The coupling is formed of the bifurcated drawheads, each having the jaws a a, and having the interlockinglever b, journaled at the forward end of the entering jaw a, and operated by the arm b, ex tending back within the coupling andconnecting with the rod or bar I)", by

which it is drawn aside or uncoupled, these parts beingsubstantiall y thesame as shown and described in said Letters Patent No. 273,343. The buffer apparatus is formed of the combined buffer and car platforms, or, as they are termed, buffer-platforms, 0, each pivoted to the buffer-bar (Z, which extends centrally throughout the transverse bearing 6 of the car-platform, and has the shoulder d, around which bar the washer f and buffer-springf are placed, the washer bearing against the shoulder (1, these parts being substantially the same in construction and operation as shown and -described in said Letters Patent No. 273,665. The longitudinal beams e of the car-platform extend back from the transverse beam 6, and secured thereto are the stop-brackets 9, said bracketshaving lips 9, against which the resistanceplateof the buffer apparatus fits, and by which the movement of said plateis limited,and the lips g along the base thereof, on which said resistance-plate rests and travels,as hereinafterdescribed. The resistance-platehis made part of the standard or frame In, and has a hole extending through it, through which the buffer-bar (1 extends, being held therein by a key or nut. The standard or frame is is supported by means of the lips g on the brackets g. As preferably constructed, it is bifurcated or formed with two legs, 70', the bases of .which extend down, so as to rest on the top of the neck of the draw-head, and each leg is preferably provided with rings or eyes Z Z, fitting around the neck of the draw-head. The standard or frame 7c is thus hung in the brackets in such position that these rings or eyes Z Z hang in the exact course of the neck of the drawhead when it is inserted in its supports, so that the apparatus can be rapidly secured in place on the car-body.

The bifurcated draw-head a, above referred to, is provided with the neck a fiwhich is preferably made cylindrical, though it may be of other form, the rings Z Z on the standard cor'respondingthereto. Thedraw-headissupported in the bracket 6 secured to the longitudinal beams e, and extends through the rings Z Z of the standard It, and is provided with the draw-bar m, which extends through the draft-spring m and draft-plates m supported in brackets on the longitudinal beams of the car-body, the said draft-springs being of the usual construction and taking the draftstrainon the car. After the draw-head has been secured in place, the key a is inserted 7 through the neck thereof back of the forward ring, Z, so that when the draw-head is carried forward by the draft-strain by means of this key it draws the standard It and resistanceplate h forward with it. thus compressing the bufferspring f. Theresistance-platehisshown as forming the backpressure plate for the buf; fer-spring f; but it is evident that this plate may be extended out to either side where separate or side buffers with independent buffersprings are employed, or may be the support for an equalizing bar.

In Figs. 6 and 7 another form of the apparatus is shown, the front leg of the standard being provided with the T-head Z, fitting in the corresponding slides on the top of the draw-head, and against a stop at the back of said slides and the rear leg of the standard. having the shoe Z, resting on the top of said neck, this construction operating the same way as the form shown in the other figures, as hereinafter described. The draw head is substantially of the form in the patents above referred to; but, in order to obtain a more efficient spring to project the interlocking lever b, I have provided the Uspring p, which fits in the entering jaw of said drawhead around teats or lugs r, the lugs fitting in the bend of the springs, and one arm of said spring being held against the side wall of the draw-head,while the other presses against the back of the interlocking lever and projects it, holding it out in its locking position. This form of spring is preferred by me over the flat spring secured to the operating-arm b of the ICO interlocking lever, as shown in said Patents Nos. 273,343 and 273,664, for the reason that it occupies but little room, being arranged in the entering jaw out of the way of the operative parts, and the teats or lugs 0" supporting it may be cast in the draw-head and require no finishing, and that it does away with the necessity of dressing or planing the face on which the spring bears, as was required for the spring employed in said patents, the planing of said face being difficult, on account of its posit-ion onthe draw-head. The spring is also less liable to lose its elasticity on account of the jarring or vibration of the cars. The said spring may either be formed of a fiat steel band bent to shape or may be formed of wire rod, and, ifdesired, haveacoil therein. It can be easily inserted and secured in place through the opening in the draw-head, through which the rod or bar 1) works. The operating-arm b of the interlocking lever is operated on passenger-cars by means of the lever s, which is pivoted within the crossibeam e and extends up through the platform-railing t, being connected at the base with the rod b In order to lock the said;lever in position, so that the carsv cannot be coupled or uncoupled except when said lever is moved, when desired, I have formed in the railing t, at either end of the slot IIO loosely pivoted to the lever above the railing i and adapted to fall within the slot 15 and hold the lever within theshouldered space i of the railing. In order to withdraw the lever from said shoulder-space. it is necessary to raise the said block a, when the lever can be drawn into the slot Z and drawn to the opposite end thereof, and as soon as it. fits into said shoulder the pivot-block a will fall by its own weight within said slot t and hold the lever within the shouldered space, so that it' cannot be moved except when it is desired to operate the coupling. As the lever is thus held at either one or the other end of the platform-railing, and the rod 11 is secured to the operating-arm b of the interlocking lever so that it moves with saidlever, it is evident that when the interlocking lever is in its locking position means must be provided to permit the lever to be pressed back wheat-he coupling is made. This I accomplish by forming at the end of the red I) the slot 22, the end of the operating lever s being pivoted in this slot, as fully shown in Figs.

1, 2, and 4, and when pressure is brought against the interlocking lever the said bar Z) moves back and forward with the operatingarm b, the end of the lever s sliding in said slot 12, and thus allowing the bar b to accommodate itself to the movements of the interlocking lever.

The operation of my combined car coupler and bufferis as follows: WVhen the cars come together in forming the coupling, as the faces of the buffers meet, the buffers are pressed back before the draw-heads engage, and the buffer-springs f are thus compressed between the washers f and resistance-plates h, the resistance-plates being held from back-pressure by the stop-brackets g. The interlocking levers b of the draw-heads then engage, the-levers pressing against each other and pressing each other back until their faces pass, and, in case the cars come together with great force, the draw-heads are pressed back, the pressure coming upon the draftsprings m, and the draw-heads sliding back through the rings N of the standards is, so that the draw-heads thus act in taking the buffingpressure independently of the buffers, the standards It hanging 'in the brackets g, and remaining stationary.

At the same time the buffing-pressure also acts on the buffers, pressing them back, so that in taking buffer-strains both the bufier and the draw-heads act to prevent jar to the cars, though they act separately for this purpose. WVhen the faces of the interlocking levers are pressed against each other, the pressure 'is communicated through the arms 11 to the rods b and as the operating-levers s are held stationary in the platformrails the slots 11 at the end of the rods b permit the said rods to slide at the base of the operating-levers and accommodate themselves to the movements of the interlocking levers, so that as soon as the faces of the interlocking levers pass each other the springs pwill press them forward, and cause paratus.

them to engage, forming the coupling. In caseof draft-strain on the coupling, when the strain is sufficient to cause the compression of the draft-spring m, the key a, pressing against the ring Z of the standard is, draws the said standard and its resistance-plate h forward with the draw-head, and this resistance-plate =thus compresses the buffenspring f, and-in thisway increases the pressure of the buffing apparatus to the same extent as the bodies of the ears may be drawn apart on account of the heavy strain, so that instead of the pressure between the buffers being slaekened on account of the forward movement of the drawheads in their supports, the pressure between the buffers is always maintained the same, the resistance-plate being moved forward in p'roportion to the distance the car-bodies are drawn apart. It is therefore seen that the coupling and buffing apparatus act independently in resisting buffing strains or rearward pressure, but they each act in aid of the other, the draft-springs taking the pressure upon the draw-head, and the movement of the resistance-plate being limited by the stop-brackets ,9, so. that the buffing strain on the buffer is sustained by said brackets, but that the buffing and coupling apparatus act together in resisting all draft strains, and in case the forward or draft strain is sufficiently strong to part the cars the pressure between the buffers is maintained by the apparatus, so that all its advantage in sustaining side or other strains are maintained, and at the same time, through the standardk, it aids in sustaining the draft- 'pressure, thus acting as a draft-spring.

The apparatus is simple in construction, and the buffing and coupling apparatus are united, so as to cause joint action, as before described, by a single piece-the standard which carries forward the resistance-plate of the buffing ap- WVhen the cars are to be uncoupled, the operator simply throws the pivot-block u out of the slot 15 in the rail 15, the block being generally thrown entirely over, so as to rest on the end of the rail, and the operating-lever can then be drawn out of the shoulder-space t and carried to the opposite end of the rail, when, by pressing it into the shoulder-space at that end of the pivot-block, it will be drawn above the slot and fall therein, thus locking the lever in place. The interlocking lever is thus, through the rod b and operating-arm b, drawn within the entering jaw a of the drawhead, so that the interlocking lever in the opposite draw-head is free to pass out of the recess between the jaws.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the draw-head and butting apparatus supported independently above the same, and having the resistanceplate h, supported in the stop-brackets g, of the standard or frame It, carrying said resist- I ance-plate, and extending down therefrom, and so connected with the neck of the draw-=head as to .permit the draw-head to slide back independently in buffing, but to be drawn forward with the draw-head on draft-strain, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the draw-head and buffing apparatus supported independently above the same, and having the resistanceplate h, of the standard or frame is, carrying said resistance-plate, and extending down therefrom, and provided with the rings ZZ,

fitting around the neck of the draw-head, the

ing the jaws a a, and the interlocking lever 19, journaled in the entering jaw a, the bent or coiled spring 19, confined in said entering jaw and pressing against said lever, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination of the railing if, having the slot t and shouldered space i with the operating-lever s and pivoted block a, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination of a bifurcated drawhead, interlocking lever journaled therein, having the arms b, operatingdever s, and connecting-bar I)", having the slot 12, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said'GLINTON BROWNING, have hereunto set my hand.

CLINTON BROWNING.

Witnesses:

JAMEs I. KAY, J. N. (300111;.

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