US397902A

US397902A - Railroad-car

Info

Publication number: US397902A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1889-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 1906-02-19

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. E. ELLIOTT.

RAILROAD GAR. 110397.902. Patented Feb. 19,1889.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2'.

W. E. ELLIOTT.

RAILROAD GAR.

Patented Feb. 19,- 1889.

N, vrmis phm-mhe m vwi. Washinginn. 0,1;

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

'W; E. ELLIOTT.

RAILROAD GAR.

Patented Feb NJETENS, Pmwmho w. Wahingmn u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

VILLIAM E. ELLIOTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAI LROAD-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,902, dated February 19, 1889.

Application filed May 29, 1888- $erial No. 275,479. (No model.)

T0 to whom it may cancer/t:

Be it known that I, \YILLIAM E. ELLIOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Railroad-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for lessening the independent oscillation or lateral movement of the cars of a train, and which have heretofore consisted of opposing spring-seated friction plates or buffers attached to adjacent cars and bearing against each other at all times under strong tension; but it is well known that such devices only partially subserve the intended purpose and reduce the oscillation in a hardlyperceptible degree, because of the necessarily limited power of the springs seating the friction-plates and the fact that the bearing-surfaces of. said plates soon become worn so smooth as to produce little or no friction when in contact, the parts sliding upon each other with every slight impulse whether powerful-or weak springs are employed, and very powerful springs cannot be employed. in 0011- nection with the superstructure of cars as at present constructed.

The prime object of my invention is to have a yielding and continuous or unbroken connection between adjacent cars at such a point above the platform as will substantially lessen the oscillation or vibration of the cars indcpendently of each other.

Another object of my invention is to have a yielding connection between adjacent cars extending obliquely to their length, and, further, to have such. oblique connections continuous or unbroken from car to car.

Other objects are to have such continuous connection between adjacent cars detachably or separably connected therewith, whereby it may be readily detached from either car or entirely disconnected from both cars when said cars are uncoupled, and to provide certain details of construction in the carrying out of my invention, all as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a portion of the ends of adjacent cars, showing the devices applied thereto embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof with a portion of the roofs of the cars broken away; Fig. 3, a perspective view of one of the coupling-plates attached to the car-frame, by which the yielding connection is detachably secured in position; Fig. 4-, a horizontal section there of; Fig. 5, a detail transverse section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 9, and. Fig. (i a similar section on the line ii (i of the same figure; Figs. 7, 8, and 9, detail views of a modified form of the yielding connection.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the car superstructure, and B angular coupling-plates secured to said superstructure on the ends and at the upper corners thereof by means of bolts, screws, or any other suitable devices which will serve to hold the said coupling-plates firmly in position; but I may here state that the form of these coupling-plates is immaterial, and they need not necessarily be located at the side edges of the superstructure so long as they will subserve the intended purpose. Two of these coupling-plates are designed to be attached to each end of a car, and each is provided with a coupling-pin, C, the upper end of which is bent ata right angle thereto, so as to form a horizontal arm, D, against the upper end of which bears a vertical rod, E, pivotally connected therewith and working loosely through perforations in the coupling-plate, the said rod extending downwardly from said plate a sufficient distance to be within easy reach of the operator, and preferably has its end formed into a handle, F, for convenience of manipulation. By means of this red the coupling-pin may be elevated so as to couple or uncouple the connections as hereinafter described, the said rod being also provided with a collar, G, thereon to prevent the complete withdrawal of the coupling-pin from the plate.

Between each pair of couplings, but extending obliquely across the ends of the car, so that one end connects with one of the cars at one side and the other end at the opposite side of the adjacent car, is the yielding connection hereinbefore referred to, consisting of the rods It I, arranged in pairs, each pro vided at their outer ends with eyes J, through which the coupling-pins pass, the inner ends of said rods being preferably rectangular in eross section, as more clearly shown in Figs.

form a square. Sleeved upon these rods, and holding the inner ends of each pair thereot parallel and close together, are disk like plates l(,between which, and. also sleeved upon said rods, are con lined strong coil-springs L, the said disk in turn being confined between lugs 1i N, rigidly secured to said rods H and 1, respectively, one near the extreme end of said rods and one toward the opposite end thereof, both beytmd said disk s, the whole :t'orming a sliding or'telescope connection. between each pair of said rods,whieh are guided and prevented from separating solely by the disk-like plates K, hereinbel'ore referred to. The lugs on the rods are so located that the springs at all times are under a slight tension, and are so arranged that no matter which direction the rods are moved relative Thus it will be seen that withthe two sets i of rods and springs or the double yielding connection shown in the drawings extending obliq uely between the adjacent ears,wheneve'r either car lurches to one side or the other, both ctmnections will. operate, although the rods in one (amnection are extemlcd, while in the other they are telescoped; and it is there fore obvious that either one of these connections might be dispenses] with and the same result be accomplished; but in that case it would be lound advantageous to make the springs stronger than it a pair of such connections were employed.

If found desiralgile, in order to facilitate the coupling of the rods of the yielding connection with the coupling-plates, the said rods mayl'ie provided with a rule or knuckle joint, O,which when broken enables the coupling of the rods to the plates while the springs are not under tension, the. said joint being ai'terward reset by lorcin the rods back into alignment, which at the sametime puts the springs under the desired tension, the joint being at such a character that the tension tends to stitl'en or hold the joint in its normal unbroken position.

In Figs. 7, S, and ti l have shown two modilied forms of a yielding ()Illl(}( 'il-l()ll between the cars, which, although different in form and construction, are fully within the spirit of my invention, the device shown in Figs. 7 and 8 being merely a reversal in the location of the parts shown in the n'eferred construe tion-that to say, instead of one spring in the center of the rods, midway between the coupling-plates, two springs, a, are provided for each rod, one at each end thereof, and con- -fined in suitable boxes or casings, b, which have a pivot-connection with the coupling plates, either by means of the coupling- I pin hereinbetfore described or by means of 5 and 6, so that when placed together they will.

trunnions c, cast upon the box. The rods it I pass loosely through said box, and are provided with lugs or collars (t at: each end oi the box, between which are located disks e, between which latter is confined the coiled spring a, before ment ioned,the said disks aeting alternately tom'nnpress the spring according to the direction in which therod is moved in the box.

,lhe rods ,ll '1 are rigidly connected at the center bymeansol therightandlett threaded coupllug-sleeves ]"an adjustment en bling the fitting ot the device to di lferent cars-and such a connection as this has a neater appearance upon the ears, and not only conceals the springs, but protects them from the lot g ment thereon of dust and cinders, which might tend. to cause olijectionable wear between the parts.

In Fig. .l I have shown still another term of eommctitm embodying my invention, in which the rods H and l upon the same earare coimcctedby transverse horizontal bars, g, one connecting each pair olf rods ll. l and extending a short distance each side of the center of the car, the said bars g/ lying parallel. with each other and connected and guided in their longitudinal movement by disks 71, similar to the disks K of the preferred con SlZl'lKlltlll, between which are con lined a coiled. spring, 1', sleeved upon and encom mssi ng both of said bars r the disks 7t being in turn contined betwecnr lugs or collarsj upon the ends of the bars g,which operate the same as those of the preferred construction. In this connection, as in that of the preferred construction, the strain will be transferred obliquely across between the cars and distributed to both sides thereof, one'set of rods, H, upon one car and I upon the other operating at a time to compress the spring when the car moves to one side, the other set operating when the ear moves in the opposite direction, and all of them o erating to maintain the ear in its central and upright position and to return it to that position whenever the impulse is overcome bythe tension of the spring,

Another obvious tnoditieation is the duplication of the oblique connections shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus: by having two pairs of the ctnmections extending from the center of the car to one edge and t we more pairs extending from the center to the opposite edge, or

two pairs set obliquely and parallel, one extending from the edge of one car to the center of the o posite car and the other from the center of the firstanentioned car to the edge of the o j)posite ear. Then, again, the yielding connection, instead of extending obliquely between the cars, might extend directly across from car to car longitudinally or parallel with the car, and hence it will be 1111" derstood that my invention is not limited to any specific form of yielding connection, but, broadly stated, consists of a continuous or unbroken yielding connection between adja cent cars at such a point above the platform as will substantially diminish the oscillation or vibration of such cars independently of or relatively to each other, and, in a more limited sense, to a yielding connection, whether continuous or otherwise, between adjacent cars extending obliquely to their length.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with the adjacent cars, of a yielding connection between and secured at both extremities to said cars and extending obliquely to their length, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the adjacent cars, of a continuous yielding connection between and attached directly to said cars at both extremities and extending obliquely to their length, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The adjacent cars and the coupling-plates secured to the ends thereof, in combination with a pair of rods extending between said coupling-plates and connecting said cars, a sliding connection between said rods, lugs or collars 011 said rods, and a coiled spring sleeved upon said rods and confined between the collars thereon, substantially as described.

4. The adjacent cars and the coupling-plates secured to the ends thereof at opposite sides of the center, in combination with rods connecting said coupling-plates and extending obliquely between said cars, a sliding connection between said rods, lugs or collars upon said rods, and a coiled spring sleeved upon said rods and confined between said collars, substantially as described.

5. The adjacent cars and the coupling-plates secured to the ends thereof at each side of the center, in combination with rods connecting each pair of coupling-plates on opposite cars and extending obliquely to said cars and to each other, a sliding connection between said rods, lugs or collars on each of said rods, and coiled springs sleeved on each of said rods and confined between the said collars, substantially as described.

6. The adjacent cars, the couyfling-plates secured to the ends thereof, and rods connected to said coupling-plates and extending obliquely between said cars, in combination with a pair of lugs on each of said rods, disks sleeved upon and constituting a sliding connection between said rods, said disks being confined between each pair of lugs, and a coiled spring sleeved upon said rods and confined between the disks, substantially as described.

7. The adjacent cars and the coupling-plates secured to the ends thereof, in combination with a pair of rods extending bet veen said coupling-plates and connecting said cars, a sliding connection between said rods, a detachable connection between said rods and coupling-plates, lugs or collars on said rods, and a coiled spring sleeved upon said rods and confined between the collars thereon, sub stantially as described.

\VILLIAM E. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

WILL R. OMOHUNDRO, ALBERT M, BENNETT.