US474966A

US474966A - Vestibule for cars

Info

Publication number: US474966A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1892-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 1909-05-17

Description

(No Model.)

J. P. McE-LRO Y.

VESTIBULE FOR CARS- Y 474,96'6- Patented May 17, 1892,

H 2- 3. r-J H A 6/ p "10- e W M ATTO NEY. 1

ms mums PE1ER9 cm, Moro-mum, wAsumman, u. c.

UNITE STATES ATENT OFFICE.-

JAMES F. MOELROY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

VESTIBU LE FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,966, dated May 17, 1892.

Application filed December 9, 1891. Serial No. 414,505. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. MOELROY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Albany, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vestibules for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of vestibules located between the cars of a railway-train; and the object of my invention is to provide a vestibule for railway-cars so arranged that when one car is coupled to another the face-plates of the adjacent ends of the cars will intermesh, form ing a covered passage-way between the adjoining cars in such a manner that the faceplates are prevented from sidewise motion, which motion is taken up between the cars instead of between the face-plates of the two cars. I attain this object by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the end of a car .withportions cut away for the purpose of showing the operation of my mechanism. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a car provided with my invention. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section along the lines I I on Fig. 2, showing the sectionthrough two. cars, however, the face-plates being brought together. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section similar to Fig.3, with the exception that the face-plates and cars are separated. Fig. 5 is a plan of the operating mechanism placed at the upper end of the face-plate. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the operating mechanism of my vestibule placed at the upper portion of the face-plate, and Fig. 7 is a vertical section along the lines 2 2 on Fig. 2.

Similarletters refer to similar parts through.

out theseveral views.

Usually the face-plate ofa vestibule connected to a railway-car is provided with a flat smooth surface which comes into contact with the corresponding flat smooth surface of the face-plate on the end of the adjoining car. These plates are forced tightly together by means of powerful springs and there is no provision made for taking up the motion between the cars occasioned by the passage of the train around a curve, except a movement of the face-plates against each other, which movement is retarded by the friction ocplates.

casioned by the severe pressure of the one plate against the other and is accompanied by extremely disagreeable grinding noises, also by constant wearingof the surfaces of the face- There is danger of persons being injured when passing between the cars through the vestibule at the time of the passage of a train about a sharp curve.

The cars are subjected to a severe torsional strain by reason of this construction of the vestibule, and after the train has passed the curve and is upon a smooth straight track the face-plates are often for a considerable time held in the same position that they occupied during the passage of the train around the curve entirely out of alignment, still subjecting the car to severe torsional strain until some sudden jolt brings the face-plates again in their normal position, or a curve in an opposite direction forces them back, or they gradually work back by the constant motion of the car. By my invention these objectionable features of the vestibule are obviated. My connecting-plates are not friction-plates in any sense. On the contrary, they are arranged to intermesh, making it impossible for them to move sidewise upon each other. The plates are held firmly and rigidly together.

In order to provide for the necessary sidewise motion of the cars in rounding curves, I place my face-plates between the cars and arrange springs, suitably connected. and supported, in such a manner that this motion is taken up between the cars against the tension of the springs, so that in rounding curves the tendency of my vestibule is to hold the cars in proper alignment, and should a side strain act to throw it out of alignment such motion will take place against the tension of the springs, and these springs will restore the car to its proper alignment-the moment the side strain is removed.

I will now proceed to describe my vestibule and the means by which I accomplish the objects herein set forth, it being understood that in order to complete the vestibule it is necessary that two cars, each provided with my invention, should be coupled together, and that the description which I shall .proceed to give applies to each car.

To the end of a car I attach the usual vestibule-covering A in the manner and by the means usually employed and constructed of the materialcommonly used for that purpose. The face-plates b I) extend beyond the platform, thus are located between the cars, and are secured to the canopy material of the vesbule in any suitable manner. One portion 19 of the face-plate, which is 011 one side of the end of the vestibule and extends over the top, is provided with a convex surface or tongue. The other half I) is provided with a concave surfaceor groove (see Figs. 2 and 4) in such a manner that when two cars provided with my invention join the convex surfaces of the face-plates on each side of the car will fit into thecorrespondingconcavcsurfaces. (SeeFig. 3.) Those portions of the face-plates extending below the platforms of the cars do not come into contact and are usually provided with flat surfaces L.

To the lower portion L of the face-plate beneath the platform I attach a block 0, in which is formed a bearing for the rounded head of the plunger 0, making a ball-andsocket joint for the articulation of the plunger O. The plunger 0 is provided about midway between its ends with a collar 0' and with a slot (1, extending through the plunger 0 and from the collar a short distance toward its rounded head 0. The plunger 0 is capable of reciprocatory movement upon the piston D, which is provided at or near one end with a pin d, which extends through the slot d in the plunger 0 and limits the movement of the plunger C upon the piston D by coming into contact with the collar 0. The piston D is secured at its end opposite that near which the pin 01 is placed to the disk E. The disk E is provided with a bearing e, opening on its side opposite to that to which the'piston D is attached. The bearing 6 is con structed for the rounded head of the rod F, making a ball-and-socket joint for the articulation of the rod F.

About the piston D and the portion of the plunger (3 between the collar and the end of the plunger farthest from the bearing 6 I place aspiral spring G, one end of said spring resting upon the disk E, the other end resting upon the collar 0.

In contact with the side of the disk E toward the rod F,I place the plate H, provided with a suitable opening for the passage of the rod F into its bearing e, located in the disk E. The plate H is secured to a beam I, attached to the car beneath the platform, and which beam is provided with an opening, through which the rod F passes. The rod F is provided near its end with a cap J, held securely in position by means of the nutj upon the end of the rod F, which end is suitably threaded. In contact with the plate II and the cap J, I place about the rod F a spiral spring K, the opening through the beam I being large enough to admit of the passage of the spring K, as well as the rod F, the function of the spring K being to hold the disk E in contact with the plate H. The spring G forces the faceplates into contact with each other.

It is understood that the face-plate on each side of the car at the top and at the bottom is provided with the mechanism already described. Fig. 1 shows in dotted lines the construction of the plunger, piston, disk, plate, and springs in contact with the face-plate and proper support attached to the car, similar in every respect to that already described. It is understood that the other side of the car is provided with similar mechanism.

To the face-plate L, on or about upon a level with the platform of the car, I secure by hinges Z a movable plate M, which falls upon the platform of the cars and serves as abridge between the cars and which is shown in sectional detail in Fig. 7. The movable plates M are provided with ends properly beveled to allow for the sidewise movement of the cars when rounding curves, at which time the plates M will move on the platform between the sides of the vestibule.

The leather, cloth, or other material used for a canopy is preferably folded in layers having rounded edges extending from side to side, one over the other, in order that the movement of the cars about a curve, which will cause the folds of the canopy on one side to be separated and on the other side to be contracted, shall nottear or in any other way injure the material of which it is composed.

The operation of my mechanism is extremely simple. It is to be understood that the face-plates are to act in no wise as a butfer between the cars and it is also tobe borne in mind that there is a space between the face-plate and the rear end of the platform of the car. When a train provided with my vestibule moves around a curve, the face-plates on one side of the train will be forced together, the plungers O on that side of thetrain will act against the springs G, contractingsaid springs, the ball-and-socket joints on the ends of the plungers O and the rods F allowing for the movement of the plunger and the rod in their respective bearings. On the opposite side of the car the face-plates acting upon the plungers tend to forcethe plungers away from the piston, and thus the disk E from itsnormal position against the plate H, contracting the spring K about the rod F, and when the train reaches a straight track these springs resume their normal position, the mechanism on each side of the train assisting to bring about that result.

I do not limit myself to theexact construc tion of my face-plates. Any arrangement which will prevent lateral movement in connection with each other when the train is rounding a curve will answer the purpose.

I do not limit, myself to the exact arrangement of my device for taking up the sidewise motion of the train between the cars; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railway-car vestibule composed of two like halves or portions, each part located at the end of a car, the combination of the body of a car, a flexible vestibule-covering attached thereto, intermeshing face-plates attached to, said vestibule-covering at the end thereof, a plunger connected with ball-andsocket joint at top and bottom of each faceplate on each side of the car, said plunger reciprocating upon a piston, a spring operating said plunger placed about said piston, a disk at the end of said piston, and a bearing in said disk forthe head of a rod, forming a ball-andsocket joint with the rod, said disk held by a spring placed on the rod in connection with a supporting-beam attached to the body of the car, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a railway-car vestibule composed of two like halves or portions, each part located at the end of a car, the combination of the body of a car, a flexible vestibule-covering attached thereto, intermeshing face-plates attached to said vestibule-covering at the end thereof, a plunger connected with ball-andsocket joint at top and bottom of each faceplate on each side of the car, said plunger reciprocating upon apiston, a spring operating said plunger placed about said piston, a disk at the end of said piston, a bearing in said disk for the head of a rod, forming aball-and socket joint with the rod, said disk held bya spring placed on the rod in connection with a supporting-beam attached to the'body of the car, with a movable plate hinged to the faceplate nearly on alevel with the'platform, forming a bridge between the cars, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a railway-car vestibule composed of two-like halves or portions, each part located at the end of a car, the combination of the body of a car, a flexible vestibule-covering attached thereto, intermeshing face-plates attached to said vestibule-covering at the end thereof, a plunger, and a ball-and-socket joint connecting said plunger with each of the faceplates top and bottom, said plunger operated by a spring and supported to the body of the car, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a railway-car vestibule composed of two like halves or portions, each part located at the end of a car, the combination of the body of a car, aflexible vestibule-covering attached thereto, intermeshing face-plates attached to said vesibule-covering at the end thereof, a plunger in contact with the top and bottom of each face-plate, said plunger reciprocating upon a piston, and a spring operating said plunger placed about said piston, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES F. IVIOELROY.

Witnesses:

EDWIN A. SMITH, H. J. NoDINE.