US434056A - Railroad-scales - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. W. BALLARD & H. L. FISHER.

. RAILROAD SCALES.

No. 434,056. Patented-Aug. 12, 1890.

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JAMES w. BALLARD AND HARVEY L. FISHER, OE TOLEDO, IOWA.

RAILROAD-SCALES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,056, dated August 12, 1890.

Application filed December 20, 1889. Serial No. 334,348. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that we, JAMES W. BALLARD and HARVEY L. FISHER, citizens of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Tama and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Railroad-Scales, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in railroad-scales, and has special reference to the devices for which Letters Patent No. 398,824 were granted to us March 5, 1889.

The object of our present invention is to provide improved means for operating the rock-shafts, whereby the platform or' trackrails of the scales may be more easily and positively raised and lowered; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafterdescribed Vand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aside view, with apart broken away, of a railroad-scale provided with our improved devices. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on the line a: of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the rack-bars and their connections. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the brake, showing the manner of Operating the same. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view.

In our improved scale the base-beams A A are of the usual construction vand the rockshafts B are supported in suitable bearings E on the said beams in the manner shown in our former Letters Patent above referred to. The lower members C of the hinged levers in our present device are made somewhat heavier and wider than in our former patented device and are provided with the inclined shoulders D, which are adapted to engage the upper edges of the bearings E, in which the rock shafts are journaled, so as to prevent the rock-shafts being carried too far to one side or the other, and also to furnish a firm and strong support for the upper members of the lever. Said upper members, which are designated E2, are mounted at their upper ends in bearings B2 upon the under side of thel platform P2, and they are provided with the curved pins 133, extending through lugs L3 upon the lower members and having springs S3 coiled thereon in the manner and for the purposes set forth in our previous patent, to which reference has been made above. These features, however, are not claimed as a part of the present invention.

The rock-shafts are provided near one end with the crank-arms F, which project upward from the said shafts, as shown, the lower crank-arms employed in our former device being dispensed with. The upper ends of the crank-arms are connected by the pitmen Gr, which have their ends pivoted to the upper ends of the crank-arms, and if the crankarms should be of such a number as to require it intermediate points of the pitmen may be pivoted thereto. 'lheinnermostcrankarms F have the sliding bars II pivoted to their upper ends, and these bars have their inner ends extended past each other and pro- .vided on their opposing faces with rack-teeth I, as clearly shown. f

Below the platform, at the` center of the scales, we erect the pair of standards J, in which a shaft K is journaled, and between which standards the ends of the bars I-I are inserted. A pinion L is secured on the shaft K between the standards J, and this pinion is engaged' by the rack-teethI on the endsof the bars H, so that when the said shaft K is rotated thebars will be simultaneously moved longitudinally and the rock-shafts operated to raiseor lower the platform. Rollers M are arranged between the standards J, above and below the bars II, and bear on thersaid bars so as to hold them to the pinion and at the same time reduce the wear of the parts to a minimum.

Atransverse shaftN is arranged on thebeams A below the weighing-platform and parallel with the shaft K, and is geared to the said shaft K by means of a sprocket-pinion O on the shaft N, asprocket-wheel P on the end of the shaft K, and a sprocket-chain Q, connecting the said wheel and pinion. The end of the shaft N projects beyond the side of the platform and under the casing for the scale-beam,and a pinion R is secured on said shaft. A shaft S is mounted transversely in the casing for the scale-beam, and is connected with the pinion R by a chain T, passing over the said pinion R, and a suitable pinion on the shaft S. The end of the shaft S projects beyond the side of the casing, and the operating-wheel U` is secured on the said end of the shaft. A

IDO

brake-lever V is pivotally mounted below the said operating-wheel, and it is provided lat one end With a shoe W, adapted to bear against the said wheel, and its other end is connected with the sliding bars Il by a chain X, as shown.

Vhen it is desired to weigh a car, the operating-wheel U is rotated so as to impart motion to the transverse shaft N and the wheel P, so that the pinion K, meshing with the rack-teeth I, will be rotated, and thereby draw the bars H outward, consequently rotating the rock-shafts B, so that the hinged levers will be released from their bearings on the under side of the platform, so that the platform will be lowered onto its pivots and the scales operated in the usual manner to weigh the car. As the rackbars are drawn inward, the chain X will be caused to pull the outer end of the lever V downward, thereby throwing the brake-shoe YV up against the wheel U and causing it to bind on the said wheel, so as to prevent movement of the same, and consequently hold the hinged levers in their bent positions and prevent them aceidentally engaging their bearings before the car is weighed, and so as also to prevent turning the wheel too far either way.

Our improved device is very simple and can be easily operated. It will be observed that in our present devices We are enabled to dispense with the lower crank-arms and connecting-rods employed in our former device, and are thereby enabled to bring all the parts of the lifting mechanism above the lower timbers of the scale out of the way of any water or ice that may accumulate in the bottom of the pit of the scale and tend to interfere with the successful operation of the scale.

By using the gearing shown in the annexed drawings and hereinbefore described we are enable to raise and lower the platform more easily and positively than by the use of the hand-lever shown in our former patent, and thereby effect a saving of labor and produce a machine which can be operated with certainty.

The brake, it will be observed, is automatic in its operation, so that there will be no liability of the platform rising before the car has been weighed.

Having thus described our invention; what we claim, and' desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In scales of the character described, the combination, with suitable bearings, of the hinged levers having their lower members provided with the inclined shoulders D to abut against the bearings and limit the movenient of said levers, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of thc standards J, the rollers M between said standards, the sliding bars moving on said rollers and provided with rack-teeth in their opposing sides, the

pinion engaging said teeth, mechanism forv rotating said pinion, the rock-shafts, and con nections between the rock-shafts and the sliding bars, as set forth.

3. The combination of the rock-shafts, the sliding bars connecting therewith, the transverse shaft N, the pinion K, adapted to operate the sliding bars, gearing between said pinion and the shaft N, the driving-,wheel gearing between said wheel and the shaft N, and the brake-lever arranged below the driving-wheel and adapted to bear thereon and connected with the sliding bars, as set forth.

4. The combination of the rock-shafts, the sliding bars connected therewith, the operating-wheel U, gearing between said Wheel and the sliding bars, the brake-lever pivoted below the wheel U and having a shoe at one end adapted to bear against the said Wheel, andthe chain connecting the opposite end of the lever with the sliding bars, as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto afXed our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES W. BALLARD. HARVEY L. FISHER. Vitnesses:

JOHN ScoTT, W. W. SoUsTnn.

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