US554113A - Car-brake - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

RERB. l CAR BRAKE.

1\I0.554,113..A I l Patentedeb, 1896.

ANDREW B.GRAHAM.PHOTD-UTMO WASHINGTQPLDC UNITED STATES PATENT firmen.

PARIS ERB, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,113, dated February 4, 1896.

Applieationvled September 4, 1894. Serial No. 521,983. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, PARIS ERB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Brakes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in a car-brake of that class in which the motion of a rotating axle or wheel is utilized to draw the well-known brake mechanism, applying the brake-shoes to the peripheries ofthe revolving car-wheels, being operative from either end of the car.

The object of the invention is to sensitively check or control the speed of a running car, or to suddenly stop it, when so desired, doing this with greater ease, yet more effectively, than could heretofore be done.

The elements of the invention, as well as the functions they perform, will clearly appear in the following description and will be separately set forth in the claims.

The purposes of the invention are attained by the mechanism and devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, similar letters and figures of reference designating like parts throughout the several views, in which Figures 1 and 2 are a plan and side elevation of a brake system applied to the runninggear of a four-wheeled car with the elements of the invention in normal or free position on the right, but the brake-beam hangers are omitted in the drawings; and Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are enlarged views showing details in the construction.

The brake-beams 1, the shoes 2, the rods 3, 3, and 3, the levers 4 and 5, the leverhangers G and 6, the chains '7 and 7', the hand-lever S, and the hand-wheel shaft 9 are all of well-known construction, arranged as shown, and secured in position to the body of the car in any approved manner, but they form no part of the present invention, the elements of which will now be described.

The chief feature of this invention is the use of a friction-clutch A of peculiar construction, consisting of two portions, a fixed 'member A and a movable or loose member A2, a fixed collar B and a shipping bar or beam C, by means of which said loose member is brought into contact with said fixed member, as well as in the novel arrangement of the chains D and D, by means of which said clutch performs its functions.

The fixed member A of the clutch A is a disk or body, circular in plan, Fig. 4, conically hollow, as shown, Fig. 3, and rigidly secured in place to the back of a car-wheel by means of nuts and bolts A3 and screws A4. The loose member A2, Figs. 3 and 5, movable back and forth on the axle, is in the form of the frustum of a right cone fitting the conical hollow of the fixed member into which it is adapted to be pressed, forming a frictional contact therewith, whereby said clutch per forms its functions. This member is provided on its -back with a, hub-like projection A5, having a drum portion a, on which the chains wind to draw the brake, a V-shaped ring portion a to receive the action of the shipper, yet to be described, with a groove 0.2 between said drum and ring, and a cylindrical extension a3, rearward from the latter to support said shipper as it performs its functions. In the sloping faces of both members of the clutch at prescribed intervals apart are placed radial recesses a4, forming openings the whole way through said faces for the free admission of air therethrough and for the ready egress of dirt and wearings that may result from the rubbing contact of the clutch members when their faces are brought together.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, and as indicated by dotted lines a5, the contact-faces of the clutch members may be provided with ring portions fitted thereto and secured in place to said members by screws, (not shown in the drawings,) to be readily removed and replaced by new ones whenever they become worn awayor prove to be otherwise defective. In this construction the fixed member is shown to be secured in place to the car-wheel by bolts and nuts and tapped screws, This construction may be varied without involving any new invention, for this member may be made integral with the wheel at the time of casting, or it may be provided with la hub within the hollow portion thereof and secured in place to the axle by means of set-screws tapped through said hub. Both of these con- IOO structions are so evident that their separate illustration was deemed superfluous.

Two chains D and D have their forward ends secured on opposite sides of, one above and the other below, thewinding-drums, as at I) and b', have their other ends joined and secured to the forward end of the rod 3, conneet the clutch with the brake-rigging, all as shown in Figs. l and 2.

At a prescribed point, rearward from this loose member of the clutch, is placed the col lar B, having on its inner end a V-shaped ring portion b, similar in size and form to the ring portion a before mentioned, also to rcceive the action of said shipper; and at its rearward end is a hub extension b', through which a set-screw 3 serves to rigidly secure said collar to the axle.

The clutch-shipper C is of special construction, comprising an oblong loop portion C', a hood or bonnet portion C2, and an arm or connecting portion C3, all arranged, combined and secured in position as shown in Figs. l, 2, i3, (5, 7 and S. rl`he loop portion C is practically V-shaped in cross-section, inwardly sloping, movable to and fro in the V, Fig. 3, formed between the ring a of the clutch member A2 and the ring i) of the collar B, the extension a3 of the former being within the ob long opening, Fig. 8, of said portion C to prevent its parallel edges c and c from wearing into the axle upon which said clutch member moves, while its rear end is provided with a \\\cdgeshaped lune c to force the clutch members into contact as the shipper is drawn forward between said rings. The hood portion C2, within the hollow thereof, is made in tegral with the forward end of said loop and, extending over the rings, its side edges are provided with inwardly-projecting ribs c2 to engage their outer faces, said hood is adapted to withdraw the clutch members, keeping them from contacting as said shipper is pushed rearward. The arm portion C3 has its rear end integrally secured on the outside to the center of the hood, and its forward end provided with a hook c3, Fig. 4, by means of which it is joined to the end oi the lever 4, to which end is also secured the rear end of the chain 7 connecting the hand-lever S, Figs. l and 2.

To push the shipper rearward any spring, or such as the two-armed bar-spring E, may be secured to the hanger 6 of the lever 4 in such a manner that its downwardly-projected extremities e and e will engage the vertical edges of said lever to move it in the direction indicated by the arrows 10, Figs. 9 and l.

Now, the elements hereinbefore described and occupying the several positions indicated in the drawings, an inspection thereof clearly shows that by reason of the hand-lever and hand wheel the device is operative from either end of the car, which may be running in either direction; that pulling the handlever rearward or turning the hand-wheel either wa-y draws the shipper forward be tween the loose clutch member and the fixed collar; that this forward movement of said shipper brings its lune-shaped wedge into en gagement with the V-shaped rings of said member and said collar; that this engagement of said wedge forces the loose member of the clutch outward into contact with the fixed member thereof that this contact rotates said loose member and winds the chains D or D on its winding-drum according to the direction in which the car is ruiming; that this winding of either chain draws the upper end of the central brake-lever forward, causes the brake-beam to approach the wheels, and applies the brake-shoes to the peripheries oi' said wheels.

It may here be observed that the collar B, being fixed in position on the axle and the wedge c coming in contact with its ring l, presses the loose member into the fixed member of the clutch with great force, that the diameter of the frictional contact of the clutch members being greater than the diameter of the winding-drum there is greatly increased power in applying the brake to the wheels, that the windingchains being secured to the loose member beyond the periphery of its winding-drum takes up the slack on said chains before said drum begins to wind them, and that should either chain break the other will remain to apply the brakes.

The invention having now been described and the manner in which it performs its funetions fully ascertained, what is considered new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

l. In a earbrake of the character described, the friction-clutch comprising: the fixed mem ber secured to a wheel or axle of said car, the loose member contacting with the said fixed member and movable back and forth on the axle of said wheel, the windingwdrum of less diameter than the diameter of the frictional Contact of the clutch members and integral with the back of said loose member, said back adapted at opposite points beyond the diameter of said drum to have secured thereto the rear extremities of the winding-chains connecting said clutch with the brake mechanism, and means provided to ship said loose member, substantially as described and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. In a car-brake of the character described, the friction-clutch comprising a fixed, and a loose, member 5 having contact-faces 5 the radial recesses, at prescribed intervals, in said faces the fixed member secured to a wheel or axle of the car and the loose member movable baek and'forth on said axle, contacting with said fixed member 5 the winding-drum, about said axle, having one end secured to the back of said loose member having chain connections with the brake mechanism of the car 5 the drum diameter shorter than the diametcr of said contact-faces5 and mechanism provided to ship said loose member into contact with said fixed member, to withdraw the IOO IIO

same, and to hold it from contacting, substantially as described and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. In a car-brake of the character described, the shipper C, comprising the oblong loop C', V-shaped in cross-section, inwardly sloping, having the inner parallel edges c, and the rear end wedge-shaped lune c', widened at the center; the hood C2 attached within its hollow to the forward end of saidloop, and having the introverted side edge ribs c2; and the arm C3, having its rear end affixed to the back of said hood and at its forward end the attachinghook c3; all substantially as described and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination in a car-brake of the character described, with the clutch A having the xed member A' secured to a wheel or axle of the car and the loose member A2, provided with chain connections with the brakerigging and having the hub extension A5 with the winding-drum a, the V-shaped ring d', the intermediate groove a2, and the cylindrical end bearing a3, movable back and forth on the axle of said wheel; the fixed collar B having the V-shaped ring b and the rear end hub b",

on the same axle, and set-screws B tapped through said hub into said axle; of the shipper C, comprising the oblongloop C,Vshaped in cross-section and inwardly sloping, having the inner parallel edges c, and the rear end wedge-shaped lune d, with the widened center, the retaining-hood C2 affixed within its hollow to the forward end of said loop and having the introverted side edge retainingribs c2, and the connecting-arm C3, having its rear end attached to the back of said hood, and having at its forward end the hook c3; said shipper, O, by means of said hook, c3, secured to the end of the lever 4; all substantially as described and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

' cured to the shipper-arm and brake-rigging as shown, of the two-armed bar-spring, E, secured to said hanger, and having the extremities, e and e, of its arms in engagement with the vertical edges of said lever, all substantially as described and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

G. In a car-brake of the character described, in combination, the friction-clutch A, comprising the fixed member A' with the securing bolts and nuts A3 and the screws A4, and the loose member A2, with the hub extension A5 having the winding-drum a-the shipperengaging ring the intermediate groove a2-and the shipper-bearing d3, said members having the friction contact-faces with the radial recesses a4, said loose member having the chain connection with the brake mechanism, and said winding-drum having a less diameter than the diameter of said contact-faces; the fixed collar B having the shipper-engaging ring b and the hub b' with the set-screw B; the shipper C, comprising the oblong loop C having the inner parallel edges c and c and the centrally-widened Wedge-shaped lune c', the hood C2 having the introverted side Yedge ribs c2, the arm C3 having the attaching-hook c3; the lever 4 having connection with the hand-lever 8 and the hand-wheel shaft 9; and the spring E having the extremities e and e; all arranged and secured in position as shown and described, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

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

PARIS ERB. Vitnesses PAUL A. HERR,

EDWIN BOOKMYER.

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