US524841A - Car-fender - Google Patents

Description

(No Modelli n J. .RUMRBLL GAR FENDER@ No. 524,841. Patented Aug. 21, 1894.

' UNITED STATES [PATENT OFFICE.

.lAMES RUMRELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 524,841, dated August 21, 1894.

` Application tied April 16,1394. semina. 507.755. (No moda.)

To all whom, it may concern.: 1

Be if known that LJAMEs RUMRELL,a citizen `of the United States, residing at Boston,

in the county of Suolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful `Improvements inOar-Fenders, of which the followingis a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in` car fenders, and `it has for its objects among others to provide a simple fender applicable `to any car and by which the liability of injury `to a person struck thereby is reduced to a minimum.

` It has for a further object to provide such aconstruction that the person struck will be picked up and landed ona seat provided for the purpose and at the same time means will be actuated to embrace his body and` hold .him within their grasp and prevent the person from being thrown off the seat or from the embrace of the saidmeans. A pivoted platform or rest is supported from the end of the carto travel upon the rails and above this platform is affixed to the end of the car a seat, while upon ahigher plane are springactuated hinged arms normally held open by a rod or analogous means in position to be struck by the object on the track and as the said rod `is struck the arms are closed land automatically locked. Thus the obj ect is thrown upon the seat and the arms closed around it and thearms being locked the `ob-` ject cannot get away therefrom until they are unlocked. Y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated vin the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the end portion of a car equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the samewith the hinged arms shown in their open postion. Fig. 3 is a detail in top plan showing one of the hinged arms and a portion of the spreading rod. Fig.V 4 shows in detail, in elevation and perspective, a portion of one of the hinged arms, and the spreading rod. Fig.

' 5 Ais a perspective view ofl thelinterlocking ends of the hinged arms. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the said arms interlocked.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of `the drawi ings by letter, A designates the end cf a car to which is affixed a seatB which may be held thereto Iin any suitable manner and arranged at any desired height, but preferably in about the position shown.

C is a platform or foot-rest; it may be of any desired size and material, being shown as of a `recticulated medium so as to allow the dirt to readily drop therefrom; it is shown y as provided with rollers C adapted to trafvel upon the rails A', see Fig. 2, and it is supported by the arms Dwhich are pivotally connected at their upper ends on the front end of the platform of the car as shown at d and by the longer divergent arms E the upper ends of which are pivotally connected as at e with the front A of the car as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.` The lowerends of these two sets of supporting arms are pivotally held on the pins or projections G2 of the foot-rest as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, these pins or journals being by preference located at a point to the rear of the transwrse center line of the foot-rest so that normally the foot-rest will incline forward and downward as seen in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. l, being thus held by its own weight; it may be prevented from going too far in the opposite direction (that shown by dotted lines in Fig. l) when weight is placed thereon,'by a chain C3 or any other suitable device. By thus keeping the front end of the foot-rest down there is no liability of its riding over any object on the track.

F are curved arms hinged as at f to some suitable portion of the car, the hinges be ing any preferred form of spring hinges, the

spring F of which is seen in Figs. l and 3. These `arms are provided with the slots f extending horizontally lengthwise of the arms as seen best in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, and at their front ends terminating in the contracted portions F2 as seen bestin Figs. 4, 5 and 6. In

l order to hold these "arms in their open position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 I provide the rod G which is of a length sufficient to hold the arms in their outermost position; this rod is provided near each end with a portion cut away upon opposite sides to form the thin portion g as seen best in Fig. 4, which is of a` cally locked in their closed position as they.

are forced together by their springs when the spreading rod is disengaged I provide the free end of one of the said arms with an arrowhead portion II,and upon the free end of the other arm is carried the spring lingers I the free ends of which are bent upon themselves to form the hooks I as seen best in Fig. as

the arms come together the arrow-head forces itself in between the arms I till its broadest portion has passed, when thearms or fingers spring together and in the recesses h of the arrow-head end of the arm as seen in Fig. 6

and thus the arms are automatically locked against separation from ordinary circumstances. They can be separated when desired bymspringing the fingers I apart till the head may be removed. f

With the parts constructed and arranged substantially as above set forth the operation is as follows:-As shown in Figs. l and 2 the device is in condition for operatiornthe arms being in their outermost positionr and the rod engaged with its reduced portions in the contracted portions of the slots of` the arms. Now, if a person be 0n the track the foot-rest will strike him and lift him up and as his weight is placed on the foot-rest it will tilt rearward and the person will be thrown upon the seat; as the body of the person strikes the spreading rod G the latter will be moved inward toward the car and the reduced portions of the rod pushed out of the contracted portions of theslots in the arms, when the springs of the hinges of said arms will cause the arms to close and as they 'come together the arrow-head end of the one arm will engage the spring fingers of the end of the other arm and the ends of the arms will be automatically locked as hereinbefore described. It will thus be seen that not only is the person picked up without injury but he will be held after being picked up so that he cannot fall under the wheels', andin case the car goes aiong for a considerable distance without being stopped he can make himself comfortable on the seat.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacricing any of its advantages.

l. A car fender provided with spring-actuated grasping and retaining devices, the latter being mounted at the ends to slide in the arms of the fender as set forth.

2. A car fender provided with automatically locking grasping` and retaining devices, the latter being mounted at .the ends to slide in the arms of the fender as set'forth.

3. In a car fender, the combination with spring-actuated hinged grasping and retaining arms, of a spreading device for normally holding said arms open, said devices being rigid throughout its length and mounted for sliding movement in the arms as set forth.

4. The'combination with hinged arms having slots with contracted end portions, of a rod adapted to slide in said slots and having reduced portions near its ends, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination with hinged springactuated arms having slots with contracted portions, and with interlocking ends, of a rod mounted to slide in said slots and having reduced portions `near its ends, as set forth.

` 6. The combination of a pivoted foot-rest, and hinged arms with interlocking ends, with means for normally keeping said arms in their open-position, as set forth.

7. The combination of a pivoted foot-rest, a seat, spring-actuated hinged arms, and means for normally keeping said arms in their open position, as set forth.

8. In a car fender, the combination with the pivoted foot-rest provided with rollers, of a seat on the end of a car, curved arms 'hinged on spring hinges and having slots, and a rod for normally holding said arms open, said arms having their free ends provided with automatically-locking devices, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES RUMRLL.

Witnesses:

JOHN MUIR, JOHN V. SYMMoNs.

IOC

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