US529726A - qrieser - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

N0. 529,726. Patented Nov. 27, 1894.

o w w wi (no-Model. v 2 sheets-sheet 2.

STREET GAR FENDER.

Patented Nov. 27', 1894.

UNITED STATES-Q a=- HENRYcR'IEsEa, or sr. Louis, MISSOURI, AssienoR OF. 'rnj o-rnIRDs To CHARLES L. HOOD AND cHARtEs B. TOMLINSON, OF SAME PLACE.

STREET-CAR- FENDER.

SPECIFICATION; forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,726, dated November 27,1894.

Application filed April 4,1894. Serial No. 506,239. (No model.

T aZZ whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, HENRY GRIEsER, of th city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Car Fenders, of'which the'following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

The object of this invention is to provide improved means for preventing a person, or living object, from being caught beneath a moving car.

This invention consists in the combination of a plurality of angle-arms fulcrumed to the car, and an apron hinged to said angle-arms, and supplementally'connected to the car, to gether with yielding pressure devices interposed between the apron and its support, whereby said apron may normally be held in a given position, subject to a depression upon the application thereto of a'sufficien't weight.

My invention consists further in the arrangement, combination and construction of parts hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing my device applied to a car in position for practical use. Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 detached from a car. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, showing my device attached to a car, as required for practical use, the dotted lines indicating two additional positions of the device. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one portion of a buffer-plate. Fig. 5 represents perspective views of the supporting plates. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view, illustrating the manner of supplementally attaching the apron to the car. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of a ratchet-bar.

In the construction of the device as shown, the numeral 10 designates a car platform, to which is attached, and from which depend, twoangle-plates 11, 12 (Fig. 5), identically formed angle-plates being provided at opposite sides of the platform. Located between the angle- plates 11, 12, and pivoted' thereto, and extending forwardly therefrom, are angle-arms 13. The angle-arms 13 also extend rearwardly from the point of fulcruming thereof, and the rear end portions thereof are tact with the car platform. An apron is hinged to the forward end portions of the angle-arms 13, which said apron com prises verbent upwardly,and extended to a plane ofcontically curved side- bars 14,15 connected at their forward ends by a buffer-plate 16, and

at their rear and upper ends by a tie-rod 17, the side-bars 14, being attached to the hinges 18, which form the connection with the angle-arms 13.

Fixed to the lower face of, and extending forwardly from, the buffer-plate 16, is a plate 19, made of rubber, or other yielding, compressible,-elastic material, adapted to be carried in the' plane of thrust of the car, and re- .ceive the impact of the resisting body.

Fixed to the anglearms 13, 13, and interposed between said angle-arms, and the sidebars 14, 15 of the apron, areleaf- springs 20, 20, which said leafsprings compose yielding pressure'devices adapted to retain the apron in a normal inclined plane, preparatory to the application thereto of a moving force. 7

Fixed to the rear edge of the bnEer-plate 16, and to eyes located in the forward end portions of the side- bars 14, 15, is one side of a meshed net 21, the opposite side of said not being secured to the tie-rod 17, the mid-portions of said not being stayed to the side- bars 14,15 by guy ropes, or stay cords 22, 23. Fulcrumed upon the outer surface of the sidebar 15, of the apron, is a ratchet-bar 24, the free end portion of which ratchet-bar extends through a slot 25 in the forward portion of the angle-plate 11.

That portion of the angle-plate 11, forming the lower side of the slot 25, is bent inwardly and attenuated at its extreme edge, the attenuated edge thereof being adapted for engagement with the ratchet teeth on the bar 24.

Fixed to the side-bar 14, at a point approximately horizontally opposite to the point of attachment of the ratchet-bar 24, is a chain 26, the opposite end of which chain is attached to a screw-eye, or staple located in the forward portion of the angle-plate 12 on the side of the car immediately in the rear of the I L44. to.

slot in the angle-plate 11, and the entire device elevated, as shown by dotted lines 27 in Fig. 3; but when it is desired to employ the fender, it normally remains in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, occupying an inclined plane, the buffer-plate being in a plane below the angle-arms 13.

If, during the advance of a car, the rubberplate 19, carried upon the buffer-plate 16, contacts with a resisting body, such as a person, said rubber plate will yield and cushion the .force of the impact with said body. By reason of the force of the impact, the aforesaid body will be precipitated upon the meshed net 21 at a point in the rear of the hinges 18, and, by reason of its weight, will depress the said net, and the side-bars carrying the same, thus compressing the yielding devices interposed between the apron and its support, and longitudinally moving the ratchet-bar 24 within the slot 25, such movement being determined and limited by the relative resistance of the yielding pressure devices to the weight applied upon the apron, thus cushioning the fall of the body upon the apron, and minimizing the possibility of injury thereto.

Reaction of the apron, through the resilience of the yielding pressure devices, is obviated and prevented by the engagement of the teeth on the ratchet-bar 24 with the lip formed on one side of the slot 25, thus providing for the retention of a moving body upon the apron, until such time as the car, on which the apron is carried, may be stopped.

It is obvious that upon the removal of a person, or object, alighting upon the apron, said apron may be repositioned through the ment with one of said angle-plates, and a chain fixed to said apron and adapted for attachment to one of the remaining said angleplates.

2. In a device of the class described, a pinrality of angle-plates arranged in pairs and fixed to, and depending from, a car platform, angle-arms fulcrumed within the respective pairs of angle-plates, an apron hinged upon the forward end portions of the angle-arms, leaf springs interposed between the anglearms and the apron, a ratchet-bar fulerumed on the apron and extended through a-slot in one of said angle-plates and adapted for engagement with said angle-plate, and a chain fixed to one of the remaining angle-plates and adapted for detachable connection with the said apron.

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

HENRY GRIESER.

Witnesses:

M. G. IRION, bro. 0. HIGDON.

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