US304562A - Car and freight transfer apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

' 2Sheets-Shet 1. R. H. RAMSEY. I

CAR AND PREIGHT'TRANSFBR APPARATUS. No. 304,562.

WITNESSES:

Patentdd Sept. 2; 1884.

(No Model.) 2 Shets-8heet 2.

V R. H. RAMSEY. CAR AND FREIGHT TRANSFER APPARATUS.

No. 4,562. Patented Sept. 2, 1884.

EEEEEEEE S' UNITED STATES ATENT' rica.

ROBERT H. RAMSEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR'AND FRElGHT TRANSFER APPARATUS.

'DPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,562, dated September 2, 1884.

Application filed February 13, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. RAMSEY, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatusfor Transferring (Jars, Freight, &c., which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1, 3, and 4 are side elevations of apparatus for transferring cars, freight, &c., embodying myi11vent-ion,the cars being shown indifferent positions. Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top or plan view.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the apparatus when the car is in the position I shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is an end View of a modification on a reduced scale. I I

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists of a method of and means for transferring cars to rails of either broad or narrow gage railroads, or furnishing car-bodies with different trucks-for 'suchrailroads,by the employment of rails of different levels or steps with vertically-movable supports for the car-body, and trucks between said steps, so that the cars may descend from one step to the other and store or furnish power to restore the supports to their normal position.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a vertically-moving table, 'on which are laid rails a b for broad and narrow gage railroads, said table beingrmounted 011 pistons 13 of hydraulic cylinders G, which latter are sustained in a pit between rails D D,whi,ch,arranged at different'levels, are adapted for broad and narrow gage railroads, and properly laid on a road-bed, it being seen that when the table is in its highest position its rails are cont-inuous of the rails D, and when in the lowest position its rails are continuous of the rails D. E represents vc rticallymoving beams which are arranged parallel with the sides of the tablc A, and mounted on the pistons F of hydraulic cylinders G, which are sustained in the pit in which the cylinders C are'contained.

lonnected with the cylinders (,l G are pipes accumulator, J, which is sustained in the aforementioned pit-,or adjacent thereto.v The stem of the piston of said accumulator projects through the upper head thereof, and hasv placed on itaweight, K. v

On the table A, at the center thereof. is mounted a turn-table, L, which is provided with rails c d,of broad and narrow gage,which may be placed in communication with the rails a b, or rails a I), mounted on the roadbed at a righta-ngle to said rails a b.

. The operation is as follows: When a carbody' is to be transferred to trucks of different gage, the car is run on the table A from the rails or step D, as seen in Fig. 1. Gross-bars M are then placed transversely under the carbody and rested on the beams E. The valves of the cylinders O are now opened, whereby the'weight of the trucks on the table A causes the latter to descend, forcing the water from said cylinders in the accumulator and raising the weight K, it"being noticed that as the valves of the cylinders G are closed the carbody remains supported by the bars M onthe beams E. The table A reaches thelowe'r rails or step, D, and the trucks are removed to the turn-table, whereby they may be run off to the siding. The valves of the cylinders C are meanwhile closed to prevent the water from returning to said cylinders, and the weight consequently from raising the empty table.

Trucks of the different gage are then run on thetable A, with their center plates placed directly under the king-bolts of the ear-body.

(See Fig. 3.) The valves of the cylinders G are now opened and the weight of the car-body depresses the beams E, forcing the water from said cylinders into the accumulator and raising the weight K to a greater extent the carbody now resting on the trucks, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The valves of the cylinders G are now closed to prevent the water from reentering the said cylinders, and thebars M are withdrawn, so that the car may be run from the table A to the rails or step D, which connects with snitablesidings leading to the main track, it being evident that the upper rails or step, 1), also connects with suitable sidings leading to the main track. The table A and -50 H H, which are in communication with an i beams E are now empty and depressed to the lowest point. This-is an important feature, for the. descent of the trucks and car-body has raised the weight K on the piston of the accumulator, and thus created a power which is availed of for subsequent service. The valves of all of the cylinders are now opened and the weight K is uncontrolled, and so descends, forcing the water from the accumulator into the several cylinders, thereby raising the table and beams until the table is again on alevel with the upper rails or step D, so that another car may be placed on the table, the other operations being repeated, it being seen that each car that is transferred furnisheshpower to return the table and beam to their normal position, ready for the next car.

The cylinders G may be advantageously placed in a frame above the car, as shown in Fig. 7 and their piston-rods project downwardly therefrom and have connected with them the beams E. Depending from the beams are hooks M, which may be placed under the carbody to sustain the sa1ne,similar to the bars M. \Vhen the bars M are used, they may be held somewhat tightly on the beams E, when the car-body is lowered on the substitute trucks. To prevent this set-screws or eccentrics may be arranged on the beams and have the bars rest thereon,whereby by operating the screws or eccentrics the bars may be relieved. Another method of relieving the bars is by the employment of an auxiliary cylinder located aside of the accumulator, when by opening the valves of the pipes leading from the cylinders G to said auxiliary cylinder the weight of the beams E will force water into said auxiliary cylinder and raise the plungers thereof sufficient] y to relieve the bars, said plungers being afterward depressed by the action of the weight K.

\Vhile I have described thecylinders ashydraulic, I do not limit myself to-the use of wa' ter therein, as glycerine, oil, air, or other fluid may be employed in lieu thereof.

In lieu of cross-bars M,Imay use arms which are pivoted, hinged, or otherwise attached to the beams E, or frames aside thereof,so as to be i moved in and out of position and remain connected with the beams or frames, as desired.

.Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A step in atrack,vertically-movable supports for cars between the" same, and devices whereby said supports may be automatically operated, and the transfer of trucks of broad and narrow gages may be accomplished by gravity, substantially as and' for the purpose set forth. 1

2. Atransfer apparatus consisting of steps, vertically-movable supports for cars between the same, and a weight connected with said supports, substantially described, whereby ears may descend from one step to the other and furnish power to restore the support-s to their normal position.

3. Astep in a track,vertically-movable supports for cars between the same, fluid-cylinders with pistons on which said supports are rested, an accumulator, and a weight superimposed on the piston of the accumulator, substantially as and for the'purpose set forth.

ROBERT H. RAMSEY. Witnesses:

JOHN A. Wnmnnsnnm, A. P. GRANT.

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