US341601A - Geoegb h - Google Patents

Description

11 I wazig@ (No Model.)

G. H. POOR.

DRAW BAR P011 GARS.

No. 341,601. Patented May 11, 1886.

UNITED STATESv y PATENT OEEIcE.

GEORGE H. POOR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAINT BRAKE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

DRAW-BAR Fos CARS.

SPECEFICATIOjfoi-ming part of Letters Patent No. 341,601, dated May 11,1886.

Application filed January 20, 1886. Serial No. 189,159. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: long as cars of low capacity-say twenty thou- Be it known that I, GEORGE H. POOR, a sand pounds ortwenty-five thousand poundscitizen of' the United States, residing at St. met the demands of traffic the present form Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented oi' draw-bar has sufiiciently well met the recertain new and usefullmprovementsinDrawquirements, because with great care it has 55 Bars for Cars; and I hereby declare the folbeen possible wit-hin practical limits to regulowing to be a full, clear, and exact descriplate the force or power of the springs, by tion of the same, reference being had to the using a number of' springs to obtain the necaceompanying drawings, illustrating the apessary ultimate resistance with a practicable io plication of said invention, whereinamount of resiliency or elasticity, so as to 6o Figure l is a plan View of a strap draw-bar keep the loss of springs, strain, breakage of embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertilinks, and wear and tear within due bounds; cal longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 .but this rigidity or slow initial yield of the is a plan, and Fig. 4 a Vertical longitudinal springs has had its disadvantages in many section, of a stem draw-bar having my invenrespects: First,in starting and stoppingloaded 65 tion applied thereto. Figsand 6 are moditrains the engine and brakes have had to fied forms of single and double springs, Wheremeet and overcome the dead weight or inertia by the same results may be obtained. Fig. 7 of the whole train, and not the individual shows another modification. weight of the several cars and gradual accu- 2@ Like letters refer to like parts wherever mulation, as would be measurably the case if 7o they occur. the draw-bar spring yielded under low pressl In order that the objects and advantages of ure first, instead of rapidly setting or closing the present invention may hereinafter more toits ultimate point of resistance, as it now fully appear, as well as its characteristic feadoes, so as to make what may be termed a tures, it' will be nccessary,-first, to briefiy redead77 or rigid7 pull or push from the start; 75 cite the present state of the art and its atsecondly, this rigid pull or dead weight reteudant disadvantages and objectionable feasuits iu the frequent breaking of links and tures. pins, destruction of springs and draw-bars The present prevailing draw-bars throughgenerally, racking of draw-bar timbers and 3o out the United States are the movable strapcar-beds, and many other objectionable fea- 8o and-stem drawbars, wherein the movement tures, which will be readily apparent to the of the bar is resisted by two or more drawrailroad manager and need not be enumerated springs of equal length and power, confined here; thirdly, this' rigidity, dead weight, or between two followerplates, having limited inertia of the train has compelled the use of movement in draw-bar guides secured to the more powerful locomotives and prevented the 8 5 draw-bar timbers of the bed; and these draweconomical use of what is termed close coupbars must also have the functions of buffers, ling,77 such as the Janney and like coupas independent buffers are not desirable or lings; finally, now that the demand for cars generally admissible. The power or resistof forty thousand pounds to sixty thousand 4o ance of these draw-springs has heretofore been pounds capacity is increasing, the problem 9o .adapted and graded to the capacity of the car can no longer be solved by multiplying the and has been uniform throughout. As a renumber of draw-springs, as will be apparent sult of this construction springs which were to all railroad men. sufiiciently powerful lo give the required ulti- The object ofthe present invention is, theremate resistance to the push or pull on a fore, to overcome the several objections and 95 loaded car lacked the elasticity and quick disadvantages hereinbefore referred to, and action necessary to meet sudden strains or provide amovabledraw-l' ar and buffeuwhieh, jars, while springs having the elasticity to while possessingall thepower which can possi` meet sudden jars or strains lacked the ultibly be demanded,will also possess quick initial 5o mate resistance required for heavy loads. Se elasticity or resilience, so as to meet all sud- 1o den jars, strains, or shocks without breakage or derangement, and yet shall be as simple, durable, efficient, and compact as the present construction.

I will now proceed to described more specically the best means now known to-me of carrying out my invention.

In the drawings, A indicates the draw-ti-m bers; I, the draw-bar guides secured thereto; O, the stops for arresting and limiting the movement of the follower-plates; D D', the followenplatcs; E, the drawbar, with which may be used the strap F or the stem or bolt G, as preferred, and all of which may be as shown or of any equivalent or well-k now n construction.

H H indicate the drawsprings, which may occupy their usual posit-ion in the combination; but in lieu of being the usual form I employ a graduated spring, which may be of any desired construction. For purposes of illustration three methods of securing this end havebeen shown. Two helical springs of unequal length may be employed, nested one within the other, preferably the shorter within the longer.

I have obtained good results from a spring of the following dimensions, viz: an outer spring, H, coiled from one (l) inch material, diameter of coil six (6) inches, length of spring eight and one-quarter (Si) inches; an inner spring, Il', coiled from three-quarter (il) inch material, diameter of coil four (4) inches, length of spring seven and one-quarter 7l) inches, the outer spring graduated to set to the length of the shorter spring under four thousand pounds pressure, the united springs adapted to afford an ultimate resistance of eight (8) tons. The above proportions are given simply as a matter of illustration, and not for purposes of limitation, as the springs will necessarily vary as to ultimate power of resistance, according to capacity of the car.

Another manner of accomplishing the same result is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wherein one or more helical springs are employed, said springs coiled from a bar or rod whose greatest portionsay middle half or tWdthirds-is of a diameter adapted to produce aspring whose power shall equal the greatest ultimate resistance desired, while its ends are reduced {preferably tapered) to a diameter which will produce va coiled spring of the least resistance, by which means a graduated draw-spring can be obtained of great initial elasticity combined with great ultimate power, substantially as hereinbefore set. forth.

A third manner of accomplishing the same result, and one naturally suggested by Figs. l and 2, is that shown in Fig. 7-viz., the duplication of the follower-plates and the interposition of light quick-acting springs c between the follower-plates at each end.

If desired, three or more helical springs of different lengths may be nested as easily as two, and without further invention; but as no result other than a graduated spring of the character shown in Figs. 1 and 2 would be `lobtained, it has not beendecmed necessary to illustrate it. It is also evident that in the modified spring, Figs. 5 and 6, the central quarter or third of the bar may be of least diameter, so aste grade the spring at Vthecenter rather than at the ends.

The advantages are, as hereinbefore specified: A quick initial action of the draw-bar is obtained which will almost, if not entirely, avoid the breaking of links, pins, Ste., permit the economical use of close couplers, facilitate the starting and stopping of trains, and the draw-bar can be adapted as to power to cars of any capacity with as great ease and as cheaply and simply as draw'bars of the present form.

I am aware that heretofore a rod having a piston or single follower at the rear end of the rod and two or more springs of different lengths have been combined to form a pullrod for cars, and that in conjunction with cars having such a pull-rod buffers having a piston, a cylinder, and a confined nest of springs of unequal lengths have also been employed, and do not herein claim such devices, as the pull-rod cannot perform the function of a buffer nor the buffer perform the function of a pull-rod, and the two cannot be used advantageously on cars as constructed in this country. Therefore,

Having thus set forth the nature, operation, and advantages of my invention, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

In a combined draw-bar and buffer, the combination, with the movable draw-head and its two follower-plates, of a graduated spring or springs interposed between the followerplates, so as to be compressed when 4the drawhead moves in either direction, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I. affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 2d day of January, 1886.

GEORGE H. POOR.

Vitxiesses:

HENRY A. XVAH nur, E. B. LEIGH.

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