US439302A - Means for regulating the elasticity of car-springs and means for storing air - Google Patents

Description

Patented Oct. 28,1890.

WI IHIHHIUHIN H. MGM. MINTON. MEANS FOR REGULAIING THE BLASTIGITY 0F GAR SPRINGS AND MEANS FOR STORING AIR.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH MOHILLAN MINTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MEANS FOR REGULATlNG THE ELASTICITY 10F CAR-SPRINGS AND MEANS FOR STORING AIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed June '7, 1890.

Patent No. 439,302, dated October 28, 1890.

Serial No. 354,645- (No model.)

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, HUGH MCMILLA MIN- TON, of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theSystem of Regulating the Elasticity of Car-Springs and of Storing Air by Vibration of Railway-Oars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to fluid apparatus for railway-cars; audit consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a railway-car having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation thereof; and Fig. 3 is a detailed view of an elliptic spring having one of my storing-cylinders applied thereto, the cylinder being shown in the section.

My invention consists of a system wherein an airpump or compressor or a series of them provided with suitable valves and tubing is made use of for storing in a reservoir located on the car, by the vibration, jolting, or rolling of the car, compressed air, which may be used for applying brakes to the car-wheels or for any other purpose desired.

1 is the car body or frame, supported upon the usual truck-frame 2, and this in turn being provided with the usual axle-boxes 3.

4 is the lower portion of the truck-frame, which is modeled upon the axle-boxes, and 5 and 6 are the usual upper and lower transverse beams, respectively, between which the car-springs are usually located.

26 indicates the piston-rods of a series of air-compressing cylinders or pumps 7, the upper ends of which rods are attached to the upper portion of the truck-frame 2 or to some portion of the car-body, while the lower ends carry a piston 9, provided with the usual packing devices. These cylinders are preferably single-acting, provided with an inwardly-opening valve 10 at one side and with an inwardly-closing valve 11 mounted upon the lower ends, and a suitable pipe or tube 12 connects with the discharge-valve. opening and leads the air as it is compressed to a main pipe 13,1ocated below the cylinders or in any suitable position, and a flexible tube or hose 14 connects this main pipe with a storagereservoir 15, mounted beneath the body of the car, and another pipe 18 is connected to this air to the brake-cylinders or to any other suitable locality where it is to be used.

The reservoir 16 is provided with a pressure-gage 17, for obvious purposes, and it is also provided with a safety-valve 16, which is capable of adjustment and whereby the pressure in the reservoir, and consequently the elasticity of the springs, may be varied, as will be referred to farther on. The main feedpipe 13, also the hose let, leading to the reservoir, may be provided with suitable shut-off valves-such as 22-as may also the brakepipe 18. p

I may make use of elliptic, coil, or nest springs in carrying out my invention, the only essential point being that a cylinder having a piston be located in connection with said springs, whereby when the springs are compressed by the vibration of the car in traveling over a railroad-track air will be compressed in the separate reservoir and the elasticity of said springs will be varied and controlled by the pressure in said reservoir, and it in turn will be controlled by a safetyvalve that is capable of adjustment. Thus it will be seen that the strength or elasticity of the springs depends on the pressure of air in the reservoir, which pressure is automatically controlled by a safety-valve, and whereby said springs may be made stronger or lighter, as the occasion of heavy or light loads demands. Further, by the use of my inven tion the vibratory, jolting, or rolling motion of a railway car or vehicle and the force thereof heretofore unused is stored in the form of compressed fluid, which is used for applying brakes or to operate other mechanical appliances that are capable of being so operated by compressed air on a railway-car. It is also obvious that the brake-pipe 18 can be extended forward to the locomotive-en gine when an engine is coupled to the car, whereby the air from the reservoirmay be used on said engine to run a pump or an air engine.

In operation, the valve 22 being opened and the car put in usual motion upon the railwaytrack, the piston 9 will be reciprocated within reservoir for the purpose of leading the stored the cylinder 7 and air will be stored in reservoir 15 until the limit of pressure controlled by safety-valve 16 is reached, and by operating suitable brake-Valves in pipe 18 air will be discharged from said reservoir into the brake-cylinders or other brake apparatus, and the brake-shoes 19 may be applied to the wheels or released therefrom, as occasion may demand. By adjusting 'the safety-valve 16, which may be of the usual construction, the pressure in the reservoir, and consequently the pressure upon the'pistons 9 and the e1asticity of the springs 8, may be regulated for the purpose before mentioned.

It is obvious that other forms of cylinders or pistons can be used in place of the cylinder and piston which I here show, and the same results will be produced.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The herein-described system of storing air and of regulating the elasticity of carsprings by the movement or vibration of railway-cars, which consists in storing air under pressure by a movement or vibration of the railway-car, varying the pressure of the air in the storage-chamber by means of asuitable valve or valves, and making use of said varied pressure to limit the degree of vibration of the car-springs, substantially as herein set go forth.

2. A fluid-pressure apparatus for railwaycars, consisting of a cylinder provided with a piston and suitable valves, in combination with a car-truck and its springs, a reservoir 35 separate from said cylinder, into which air is adapted to be pumped by said cylinder and piston by movement or vibration of the car,

a safety-valve applied to the pipe or tube which connects said cylinder and said reser- 4o voir, and a discharge-pipe leading from said reservoir, all co-operating, substantially as described, to store air and to limit the degree of the vibration of the car-springs.

3. The combination, with a car-truck and 5 its springs, of air-pumps located within said springs, a storage-reservoir, and connections between said pumps and reservoir, whereby air is stored in said reservoir by the vibrations of the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HUGH MCMILLAN MINTON. lVitnesses:

B. H. LoEWENsTEIN, O. R. H. DAVIS.

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