US537752A - Snow-plow - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) s'sneens--sheen 1. P. H. CRADDOCK.

SNOW PLOW- A 7TOHNE YS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

P. H. CRADDOGK.

SNOW PLOW.

No. 537,752. Patented Apr. 16, 1895.

Vme cams paens co.. moramn WASHINGTON. o c,

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

P. H. CRADDOCK.

sNovvPLoW. No. 637,752. Patented Apr. 16, 1895.

fnl-7:5156( ,9,9 5,7 gg 37 .$9 J2 i Nrrnp STATES .ATRNT WEGE SNOW-PLOW. A

SPECIFICATION forming pari'. of Letters Patent No. 537,752, dated April 16, 1895.

" Application filed December 13,1894.4 Serial No. 531,690. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern; i

Be it known that I, PATRICK HENRY CRAD- DOCK, of Leadville, in the county of Lake and State of Colorado, haveinvented a new and Improved Snow-Plow, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in snow plows, and especially to an improvement upon the snow plow for which Letters Patent were granted to me November 22, 1892, No. 486,694, and the object of this present invention is to simplify the construction of the snow plow, and provide a means whereby the tread and flange face of the rails will be cleaned from ice adhering thereto simultaneously with the removal of the snow, and whereby also the weight of the plow will be held from olf the track, thus permitting the engine to readily propel the plow forward or backward.

rlhe invention consists in the novel construct-ion and combination of the several parte, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar iigures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parte in all the views.

l Figure l is a side elevation of the engine, the cab being in section, illustrating the application of the engine to the improved plow. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the plow, and a diagrammatic view of the valves and levers by means of which the plow is raised or permitted to drop. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the plow. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, taken practically on the line4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. is a rear elevation of the plow. Fig. (l is a section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a strengthening strip adapted to be attached to the plow, and

likewise illustrates the Scrapers carried by the said strip; and Fig. 8 is a section taken Substantially on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a portion of the strengthening strip with its anges or ribs for supporting the cutter.

Before describing the plow proper I will describe the supports and guides therefor.

The support of theA plow consists of a base plate lO, best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which `the said clearing board.

plate is skeleton in form and of triangular shape, the apex being adapted vas the forward or outer side. The base plate is supported in a horizontal position by two series of brackets a. and a. These brackets are substantially of triangular shape, and the brackets a, which are the two outer ones, are shorter,

especially at their base, than the inner set of brackets ct. The upper portions of the vertical members of these brackets are bolted or l otherwise secured to the outerkor top side face the apex, while the smaller brackets o, are l0- cated one near each rear side portion of the base plate.

A check plate 17 is secured preferably to the vertical members ofthe inner brackets a', and the said check plate extends forwardly at an inclination, being secured at its forward and lower edge upon the base members 15 of said brackets, and the check plates are provided with a recess 18 of angular shape, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The plow consists of a fender or clearing board A, the said clearing board or fender being adapted to represent two sides of a triangle, and at the Vjunction of its sides a cutter 19 is formed. The cutter partakes of the cross sectional shape of the clearing board or fender, the latter being concaved upon its outer face and convexed upon its inner face. At the rear of the clearing board or fender, preferably at or near the bottom thereof, a transverse bar 2O is secured, the said bar being made to connect the rear side portions of The brace bar 2O carries two brushes 2l, which extend downward therefrom, and these brushes are so placed that when the plow is in position upon the engine they will engage with the tread of the rail and likewise with the inner surface of the head to be engaged by the flange ofthe engine wheels; and in order that both of these IOO ' back.

surfaces may be perfectly cleaned, the brush is made of greater length at its inner than at its outer side, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5. Each brush is provided with a shank 22, which extends upward through the brace bar 20, and through a bracket 23located upon the top of the said bar, a spring 24 being coiled around the shank of each brush between the bar and bracket, thereby serving to hold the brush down against the rail; and if in practice it is found desirable guides 25 may be located upon the rear of the base '10, to receive the lower portions of the brush shanks, as shown in Fig. 5, the said guides being omitted in Fig. 4.

The plow proper is held to slide on the supports or guides above described in the following manner: Upon the inclined member 16 of each outer bracket a, a block 26 is held to slide, and these blocks, asshown best in Fig. 4, each consist of a body portion b and a cap or front plate b', the body portion being provided with a longitudinal slot which receives the said member 16 of the bracket; and a transverse slot, the latter slot being made to receive a brace bar 27, the said brace bar being carried from one side of the clearing board or fender to the other at or near the Preferably, however, the blocks 26 comprise a body and a front and a back cap plate, in order that they may be the more readily placed uponthe brackets a, the recesses for the brackets and the brace bar 27 being both produced in the body. Two blocks 28 of the same construction as the blocks 26 are mounted to slide upon the inclined upper member 16 of the inner or larger brackets a', and through each set of the blocks 28 a brace bar is passed, the upper brace bar being desigvided with a lug 3l, projected from its back or under surface, and these lugs are provided with threaded apertures to receive adjusting screws 32, said screws having bearing against the base members of the larger brackets d', as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, in order that the weight of the fender may be taken oi from the track, enabling the fender to be operated readily by the engine. By means of these adjusting screws 32 the fender may be made to approach more or less closely to the track, as occasion may demand. Upon the back of each block 28 of the upper set a lug 33 is formed, and upon each lug the lower end of a connecting bar 34 is pivoted, the said ybars being carried upward and outward through openings 35 made in the top portion of the central brackets a', as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Each connecting bar is surrounded by a spring 36, having bearing against the bracket and against ashoulder formed at the pivoted end of the bar. These springs are com pressed when the fender is raised, and serve to re store the fender to its lower 'or normal position when relieved from' control by the elevating mechanism.

The upper end of each connecting bar 34 is pivotally attached to a crank arm 37, secured upon a rock shaft 38, mounted to turn in suitable bearings upon the pilot board 13 of the engine. The rock shaft is provided also with two crank arms 39. These crank arms extend rearwardly from the shaft, and each is pivotally connected with-the piston rod 40 of a cylinder 41, adapted to receive steam or compressed air; and by raising or lowering the piston heads in lthe said cylinders the plow is raised or lowered upon its bracket supports or guides.

The lower outside surface of the fender or clearing board A has attached thereto a metal strengthening strip or band 42,and each metal strip or baud has secured upon its outer face a shoe 43, so placed that the said shoe will engage with the surface ofthe rail to be engaged by the flange of the engine wheel, serving as guides for the plow; and the said shoes fur ther serve as supports for Scrapers 44, the said Scrapers consisting of blades thatare adjusb ably secured upon the shoes, each blade being provided with a longitudinal slot 45, as shown in Fig. 8, and bolts 46 are passed through the slots into the shoes, while at the upper portion of each blade a rearwardly inclined head 47 is formed, which is made to enter a slot 48 in the shoe, and an adjusting screw 49 engages with the head of the blade, as is best shown in Fig. 7. By this means the blades may be raised or lowered in a convenient manner, and these blades are intended to clear the flange faces of the rails from ice or frozen snow, as shown in Fig. 8.

The strengthening strips or bands 42 at both sides of the shoes 43 are provided with downwardly and forwardly extending ribs 50, having overhanging or flanged ripper ends provided with adjusting screws 49, a's clearly seen in Fig. 9, and upon each of these ribs a cutter or blade 51 is adjustably secured, the adjustment being accomplished in substantially the same manner as the blades carried by the slices. The auxiliary blades 51 serve to break up any crust or banks of frozen snow that the plow may be called upon to pass through. The cutters are first attached to the bands or strips 42, and then these strips are bolted or otherwise secured upon the fenders.

An arm 52, which may be called atrip arm, is pivotally attached to each end of the pilot board 13, and these arms are of such length that they extend outward beyond the rear ends of the fender, and their outer extremities are rearwardly curved. These arms are `of angular formation, being pivoted at the junction of their members, and the inner member is short as compared to the outer or curved member. These arms are adapted to strike posts 53 located at a switch, out of the path of the train, in order that the post may trip one of the arms 52` and in a manner to be ICO IIO

arm 52 is connected by a link 54 with a` key y 55 located on the valve stem of a stop cock 56, and each stop cock 56'is connected at what may be termed its inner face by a' tube 57 with a pipe 58 that is to supply steam or compressed air to the cylinders 4l heretofore described, the valves being locatedpreferably near the said cylinders, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The pipes 58 lead into the cab of the engine and each of them is provided with a valve 59 conveniently reached by the operalor. These valves, whenthe plow isin working position, are kept closed. It will be understood that the pipes 58, which may be termed feed pipes, are connectedwith the air reservoirs of the train, or with the boiler of the engine.

A supply pipe 60 is connected with each stop cock 56 at the rear face thereof, and these supply pipes are carried likewise withinthe cab and are connected with the feed pipes 5S between their source of supply and 'their valves 59. Each supply pipe is provided with a valve 6l, also located within the engine cab, and these valves are normally left open. Each trip arm 52 is pivotally connected between its pivot and outer end to the forward extremity of arod 62. These rods are carried to the cab of the engine and are connected bya cross bar 63, upon which a hand lever 64 is secured, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and one, or both, of the rods 62 is provided with a pin 65, adapted to act upon the striking mechanism 66 of a gong 67.

In the operation of lthe plow, in the event it shouldreach a switch without the engineer or operator having observed the fact, the plow will be automatically raised, since one of the trip arms will have engaged with a post 53, and both arms will then be thrown inward to the dotted position shown in Fig. 3, byreason of the rods 62 connecting them,and the lever 64 connected with the connecting rods, will be thrown to an outer position. As the shifting arms move inward the links 54 willopen the three-way cocks 56, and the steam or conlpressed air will then enter the supply pipe 60y mechanism 66 of the gong 67 and gave an` alarm. After the switch is passed the engineer by closing the valves 6l in the supply pipes will take off the pressure from the piston heads of the cylinders, and the springs 36 in the plow will act, together with the weight of the plow itself, to cause the plow to drop to its working position. The trip arms are then `in-its lower and working position.

placed in their normalposition and the three- -way cocks 56 closed by shifting the lever 64 inward. When the plow is raised by the ening the valves 59 in the feed pipes, and the supply of steam or air will be directed to the cylinders.

The plow is prevented from rising to too great an extent by means of an arm 68, which 'is projected rearwardly from the rearward brace bar 27, the said arm extending within therecess 18 of the check plate 17; and when the plow has been raised to such a height that the-arm 68 strikes the top wall of the said recess the plow can be raised no farther.

u gineer from the cab, it is done by simply openlaterally and vertically, vertically upon the brackets a and a and laterally upon the connecting or brace bars 27, 29 and 30. Therefore, the plow can of itself clear smallobstructions which may be in its track, and will adjust itself to the contour of curves whereever they may occur in the road.

In further explanation of the operation of the plow, let it be supposed that the plow is The three three-way cocks inthe cab are placed on the lap; that is to say, all their ports are closed;

also thestop cocks 56 to which the trip .arms are connected are closed. The pipes are charged with air or steam up to the'stop cocks l56. When the arm is tripped bystriking the close the stop cock 56 and take the three-way cocks off from the lap and let the air or steam exhaust through them, and when exhausted these three-way cocks are then set again as before. 1f the engineer desires to raise the plow from the cab, he will open the three-way cock.

This `will let air or steam into the cylinders and raise the plow. Now in this event the three-way cocks only are opened, the stop cock not being opened as the trip arm did not come in contact with the post. In the event the engineer desires to lower the plow, the parts being in this position, he will close the threeway cocks, and when the air is exhausted from the cylinders he will set it again on the lap. It willV be observed, under this construction, all that is necessary in the way of valves is two valves or cocks and one three-way cock in the cab, and a stop cock connected to the trip arm. Only one set of pipes on each side -`of the engine is needed, and only one arm on the side that the pipes would be. The pipes will be connected over the pilot platform with the cylinder on the opposite side, and by so doing we would only need one set of pipes and one trip arm, but there must be a post 53 on each side of the track at the switches `and crossings.

The arm 68 in addition to limiting the up- IOO Iro

by the fender or clearing board may be main-v tained off the track, and a guide provided with a cutter located at each side of the clearing board, adapted as a guide therefor and for removing ice from the rail, as and for Vthe purpose specified.

2. In a snow or like plow, the combination,

with a frame adapted for attachment to anengine or a car, of a fender or clearing` board having sliding movement upon the said frame, trip levers pivoted upon the frame and extending outward beyond the sides of the clearing board or fender, and steam or pneumatically controlled lifting mechanism connected with the clearing board or fender, valves controlling the admission of air or steam to the feed pipes of the said lifting mechanism, and a connect-ion between the said levers and valves, whereby when the levers are moved in one direction the valves will be opened and the lifting mechanism automatically set in operation, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a snow or like plow, the combination,

with a frame and a clearing board or fender having sliding movement upon the said frame, of a rock shaft connected with the frame, cylinders connected with the rock shaft whereby the said shaft is operated, valved feed pipes for air or steam connected with the said cylinders, levers fulcrumed upon the frame and extending beyond the clearing board or fender, adapted for engagement with a fixed object upon the track, a link connection between the said levers and the valves in the feed pipes controlling the feed to the cylinders, whereby the said Vvalves are opened when the levers are moved in one direction, as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a snow or like plow, the combination, with a frame and aclearing board or fender having sliding movement upon the said frame, of a rock shaft connected with the frame, cylinders connected with the rock shaft whereby the said shaft is operated, valved feed pipes for air or steam connected with the said cylincontrolling the feed to the cylinders, whereby the said valves are opened when the levers are moved in one direction, rods connecting the levers and operated from the cab of the engine, and guides carried by the clearing board or fender, adapted for engagement with the inner faces of the rails of the track, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with a snow plow consisting of a frame and a clearing board or fender adjustable upon the frame, of arms projected from the frame'beyond the fender and adapted to be engaged by a fixed object independent of the plow, a lifting mechanism for the fender, and an operative connection between the levers and lifting mechanism, as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a snow plow or the like, the combination of a frame adapted for attachment to an engine, or the like, a brace extending downward and forward from the frame, a block movable along said brace, and a fender having an integral brace bar extending transversely across it and secured at its opposite ends to opposite sides of the fender, said brace bar being adapted to slide in said block, said block being independent of both the fender and the frame and being adaptedto be secured to either the brace on the frame or the brace bar on the fender, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a snow-plow or the like, the combination of a frame adapted for attachment to an engine or the like, a fender or clearing-board mounted on the frame, and a trip mechanism adapted to be actuated by contact with an obstruction located beside the track, said mechanism being connected to the fender and adapted to lift the same above the track, sub` stantially as set forth.

8. In a snow-plow or the like, the combination of a frame adapted for attachment to an engine or the like, a fender or clearing boardmounted on the track and provided with cutters adapted to engage the track-rails, and a trip-device adapted to be actuated by contact with an obstruction located beside the track, said trip-device being connected to the fender and adapted to lift the sanne above the track, substantially as set forth.

9. In a snow-plow or the like, the combination of a fender or clearing-board, a perforated cutter holder thereon, having a perforated flanged upper end, a slotted cutter located on the holder, a bolt extending through the slot in the cutter and the perforation in the cutter-holder, and a screw extending through the perforation in the flange of the holder and bearing on the end of the cutter, substantially as set' forth.

l0. In a snow plow or the like, the combination of a fender or clearing-board having inclined cutter holders, and cutters mounted in said holders and extending at an angle to the sides of the rails, substantially as set forth.

ll. In a snow-plow, or the like, the combination, of a frame having a brace-bar, a fender having a brace-bar extending at right angles to the brace-bar on the frame, and a block comprising two sections adapted to be bolted together and provided with guideways ex- IOO IIO

tending at right angles to each other and from its outer side, and cutters adjustably adapted to receive the respective brace-bars held on said ribs, substantially as set forth.

on the fender and frame, substantially as set 14. In a snow-pl0w or the like, the comlbina- I5 forth.` tion of a fender or clearing board, a strength- 5 l2. In a snow-plow or the like, the combina.- ening strip secured along the outer face there-` tion of a fender or clearing-board, a strengthof and provided with integral projecting ribs ening strip thereon,havingcutter-holders, and and cutters, adjustably mounted on said ribs, detachable cutters on said cutter holders,sub l substantially as set forth. stantially as set forth. PATRICK HENRY CRADDOGK.

to 13. In a snow-plow orthe like, the combina- Witnesses:

tion of a fender or clearing-board, astrength- SILAS G. CANFIELD, ening strip thereon having ribs projecting T. P` CAMPBELL.

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