US57133A - Railroad-car brake - Google Patents

Description

A. HIGLEY.

Car Starter;

Patented Aug. 14. 1866.

N. PETERS, PHOTO LTHOGRA WASHINGTON u C UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

AARON HIGLEY, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

RAILROAD-CAR BRAKE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,133, dated August 14, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. HIGLEY, of South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Oar-Brakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top view. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is an end View. Figs. 4 and 5 are detached sections that will be referred to in the description.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

In describing the device of the braking operation at one end it is substantially the same as the other, being constructed and operated exactly alike. When the car is going in the direction indicated by the arrow the Windlass G is used, operating the braking device at the opposite end B, and when going in the other direction the Windlass G is used, which opcrates the apparatus at the end B.

In the drawings, A represents the frame; A, the pedestals in which the shafts a of the wheels B have their bearings. O is a framework connected to the shaft of the wheels, and to which some of the apparatus for braking the car is connected, this frame being held in place on the shaft by means of the collars a. On the shaft 0, and near the center, is a friction-clutch coupling, D, D being the shell and D the cone. To the side of the shell is fastened the ratchet-wheel b, the shell and ratchet being permanently attached to the shaft a and turning with it, while the cone D and pulleys on each side are loose, the clutchpnlleys E E turning in the opposite direction from the wheels and shell whenin operation.

I is a dog pivoted to. the pulley E, and one end of which catches in the ratchet b.

E is a pulley, close to the ratchet-on the shaft (1, on which the chain c is wound. A pulley, E, next to this, from which the chain d is unwound as the spring (1 takes up the slack, which will be referred to in describing the operation. I

F is a pulley forming part of the cone which takes up the chain c.

F is a lever, pivoted to the frame at z, and is connected to theclutch-leverG by means of the link f, the end of the lever G being pivoted at i to the frame, the end clutching round the groove 1) in the cone, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, Fig. 4 being a side view with the shaft and wheel cut away.

From the end of the lever F extends a rope or chain, g. to the shaft f of the Windlass G, which is turned in braking the car.

H is a bar that rests or has its bearings in the ends of the frame 0. Round this bar is coiled the spring H, at the end of which is a swivel, I, to which the chains 0 e are connected that wind round the pulleys, as stated, being operated as follows: When it is desired to stop the car the Windlass G is turned, winding the chain 9 around the shaft f This pulls the lever F back, thus drawing the end of the clutch-lever to which the link f is connected close to the frame 0. The other end of the lever, being pivoted to the frame, as stated, forces the clutch along, and this, hitting against the pulley F, forces the cone D into the shell D so tightly and creating so much friction that when the wheels are turning the cone and pulley F of said cone turn with them, when, if the cone was not held so firmly in the shell, it would not turn at all; but as itturns with the wheels the chain c, which is attached to said pulley F and the swivel I, will wind round this pulley and the chain 0, connected to the other side of said swivel, and be taken up by the pulley E, thus contracting the spring H.

If the pulleyE did not turn when the spring H is contracted the chain 0 would be very slack. To prevent this a spring, 01, is connected to the side of the frame, and a chain, d, passing round the pulley E, being attached to the end of the spring. As the spring H is contracted, as described, the spring (1 will contract, unwinding the chain (1 from the pulley E, thus tnrnin g the pulleys E E in the oppositedirection from the wheels, and, the slack of the chain 0 will be wound round the pulley E. Thus the spring (1 takes up the slack by contracting, and the end of the dog I will catch in the ratchet b by the action of the spring a under the other end of the dog, the Windlass being held from turning by the ordinary means. Thus the wheels are stopped, not being able to turn in I the least, and a portion of the force expended in braking theitn is held in reserve, so as to be employed in starting the car after it is stopped.

When the Windlass is allowed to turn the spring H expands in the direction that the car is going, and the clutch-leverwill he forced back 5 from the frame by means of a spring, m, in

said frame. This lever beingforced back, the clutch will move the cone out of thesh'ell again, 5 and the spring H expanding, the chains connectecl to the swivel and pulleys will move I back with it, thus turning'the pulleys oh the shaft, and the dog being pivoted to the pulley. E and catching in the ratchet b ofthe shell when the 'p'ulleysjt urn, the log Will aid in turning the wheels. Thus thecars can "be Started very'as'ily.

" In 'wincling'upthe'chaitfs the resistance "of wheels, and in this way the braking of the car is accomplished.

What I claim as my improvement, and (lesi-re to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Witnesses W. H. BURRTDGE, J. Homlm's.

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