US537211A - Alfred herman koeller - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

A. H. KOE'LLER.

GAR FENDER.

No. 537,211. -PatentedApn 9, 1895.

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"Nrrno STATES' PATENT FFICE.

ALFRED HERMAN KOELLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAR-FENDER.

SPEoIFIcATIoN forming part QfLetters'Patent No. 537,211, dated April 9, 1895.

Application filed 'september 11,1894. strain. 522,702. (rommel.) i

To all whom it may comerm- Be it known that I, ALFRED HERMAN KOEL- han, a citizen of the United States, residing 1n the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

The improvement is intended for cars which run slngly or in small trains on the streets of cities, and in analogous situations, impelled by cable or by other means as by electricity. It belongs to that class in which an extended net or other receptacle is provided in front of the end of the carto receive any person or object which shall be struck and preserve it from serious injury. There have been many efforts in this line.

The necessity for traversing curves requires that the ordinary supporting wheels of the car shall be near the mid-length. The unavoidable irregularities in the track impart motions to the car which are liable to be increased by the action of the springs, and such cars are especially liable vto a pitching motion which will raise and lower the ends several inches.

My invention provides for mounting the fender on the car end and yet allowing it to travel with practical uniformity at a little height above the track.

The fender is formed with an arm at each side which is connected to the car by a universal joint so that it can allow the front end to rise and sink as far as is ever required in practice, and also to be deflected to the right and left to the considerable extent required in traversing ordinary moderate curves on the road. A cross-bar loosely connects the front ends of these arms Vand carries small wheels specially adapted to endure the conditions, and having each a flange corresponding to the iianges of the large wheels, which traverse on the rail and control the position of the front of the device. The car may pitch forward and backward, and roll and turn partially from side to side, Without materially disturbing the front edge of the fender.

I makethe fender light, and adapted to be easily transferred from one car to another, or

5o from one end to another of the same car, when such change becomes necessary.

I provide forholding down the small wheels reliably `u pon the track by springs peculiarly mounted.

I provide means for lifting the front edge and holding the small wheels clear of the track whenever required. f

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification 'and represent what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention applied to a car. Fig. 2 is an end view seen from the left in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view with the roof of the car removed. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same part seen from below. In all these Iigures the ,universal joint is shown as formed by a rounded hook on the lever dropped in to a rounded eye Von the car platform. Fig. 5 is on alarger scale. It is a horizontal section through one of the small bearin g wheels with a plan view of the adjacent portion of the cross-bar on which the wheel is allowed to turn loosely by the aid of anti-friction balls. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion on a larger scale; and Fig. 7 is a vertical cross section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they appear.

A is the main body of the car; A', the platform; A2, the dash-board or front AS, one of the cross timbers or bolsters of the car, and

A4 arms extending rigidly downward near the end of the car.

B, B, are the ordinary supporting wheels of the car.V They are, as usual, fast on their axles, B', and carried in boxes C supplied with lubricating material, with liberty to move up and down in jaws A5, and support the car-body by means of springs D, constructed and arranged in anyrordinary or suitable manner.

M, M, are levers provided each with a short rounded hook or arm M', by which it maybe engaged in a pocket or` socket a in the front end of the car, one on each side. P is across-bar connecting the front ends of the levers M by the aid of bolts and nuts P', P2, and provided with bearings P3 and nuts P4 adapted to form by the aid of the rolling balls Q reliable anti-friction bearings for small ICOl wheels R, having relatively large tianges R', and adapted to traverse lightly but reliably on the track, one wheel on each rail.

T, T, are contractile springs of steel or other suitable material, each connecting an eye M2 on the under side of a lever M with an arm A4. The arran gem entlmak es these springs act ver)T efficiently to hold the wheels R down upon the track while running, but when the fender is lifted the angle at which the springs act being changed they relax the force so that a slight force will hold the fender elevated.

The netor screen E extends across with a little slack between the lever M and the front cross-bar P and the dashboard or front A2 of the car. Any person or object struck bythe car in rapid motion is tripped by my device and caught ou the net E and retained until the car can be stopped. lVhen the car tilts or pitches forward and backward, the levers M yield vertically. When the car twists to the ordinary small amount experienced in practice, or traverses a curved portion of the road, the levers M turn laterally to accommodate such motion.

It is important to provide means for elevating the fender so that the wheels R and their flanges R shall be entirely clear of the track, when necessary, as in passingcertain switches and abrupt curves. The driver or motor-man effects this when required by a vigorous action of his foot.

lV is a treadle playing through the platform A', and havingan extended top, whichnnder ordinary conditions stands several inches or a foot above the platform. It connects to a V-shaped lever Y, pivoted at two widely separated points on the bolster Aand bearing on a cross-bar N which is loosely connected at each end to a rearward extension M3 of a lever M. Under ordinary conditions the superior gravity of the forward portion of the device, aided by the considerable force of the springs T, while the fender is depressed holds the wheels R down upon their respective rails and insures that the front edge ofthe net E is supported at the small distance above the track required for successful workin g. Under these conditions the bar N is carried high, and the lever Y and treadle W are held in a correspondingly high position, the smooth upper surface of the bar N playing to the right and left under the two bearing points ot' the V- shaped lever, in the obvious manner, to accommodate the lateral movements of the levers llldue to the irregularities of the motions or the curves of the track. When an occasion arises for elevating the fender, the attendant throws his weight upon the treadle W, depressing the lever Y and consequently the cross-bar N, and raising the front of the fender so that the wheels are clear of the track. The bearings of the lever Y on the bar N insure that the depression of the two ends ofthe bar shall be substantially equal, and consequently that the two wheels R and the whole front of the device shall be raised with practical uniformity from one side across to the other. Thechangedangleatwhichthesprings T exert their tension greatly reduces the et'- fect at these periods. Thus conditioned, the car may travel over obstacles or over a switch, or the greatly curved portions ofthe track which occur at the entrance to the car-house.

The pockets a may be iron. They form with the rounded ends of the arms M universal joints for allowing the levers M to be deflected to a suliicient degree in all directons,up, down and sidewise. The gravity of the levers M and their attachments aided by the tension of the springs T holds each projection M' always reliably engaged in its pocket or socket a.

Whenever it shall be necessary to disconnect the principal parts ot' my invention and put them out of use, or transfer them to another car, or to the other end of the same car, l detach the fastenings which hold the net E to the dashboard A2, and detach the rear ends 9o of the springs T from the rigid arms A4. Now on lifting the levers M sufficiently to detach the arms M from the pockets a, all the removable parts are clear of the car.

I allow the V-shaped lever Y to remain, and provide a pin A6 shown in strong lines in Fig. 4, and in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3,-to support it. These pins reach inward toward the center line of the track from each arm A2. They are of no effect except when the main 10o portion of my mechanism is removed and it is required to simply hold up the V-shaped lever Yand keep it clear of the ground, until the apparatus shall be again restored to a working condition. i

The treadle W may be allowed to remain. When not required it may be lifted out of its socket and stored in any convenient place until wanted.

Modifications may he made in the details. 11o The rear end of the net E may be wider so as to reach considerably outside of the lever M.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a car-fender, a net supported at the sides by levers turning on universal joints 115 carried on the car,in combination with flanged wheels running on the rails at the front of the fender, and with springs extending 1ongitudinally and connecting to arms A4 extending downward from the car body, arranged to 12o depress the levers to hold the wheels upon the track with a force which is diminished with the elevation of the fender, and with provisions for lifting the front edge at will, all substantially as herein specified.

2. In a car-fender, a net supported at the sides by levers turning on universal joints, carried on the car,in combination with flanged wheels running on the rails at the front ot the fender, and with springs at the rear ar- 13o ranged to depress the levers to hold the wheels In testimony that I claim the invention upon the track, and with the treadle W, arabove set forth I afx my signature in pres- 15 ranged to be'depressed by the attendant, the ence of Ytwo witnesses. lever Y operated thereby and the cross-bar N 5 loosely connected to rearwardly extending ALFRED HERMAN KOELLER arms of the levers, adapted to allow the fender Witnesses: to be raised both sides alike, all substantially ALBERT M. ROGERS,

as herein specified. FRANK M. WEST.

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