US573511A - sweeper - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 4y Sheets- Sheet 1.

W. GRUNOW, Jr.

SNOW PLOW, SWEEPER, SGRAPER, AND SPRINKLER FOR GAR TRACKS.

No. 573,511. Patented Deo. Z2, 1896'.V

a 1 i 1 a 1 m .m am m M I l 11mm e E (No Model.) l 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

^ W. GRUNUW, Jr.

SNOW PLOW, SWBEPBR, SCRAPBR, AND SPRINKLER PoR GAR TRAGKS. No. 573,511. Patented Deo. 22, 1896.

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Patented 1390.22, 1896.

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WITNESSES:

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. GRUNOW, Jr.

SNOW PLOW, SWEEPER, SGRAPER, AND SPRINKLER FOR GAR TRACKS.

Patented Deo. 422, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM GRUNOV, JR., OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ZALMON GOODSELL, OF SAME PLACE.

SNOW-PLOW, SWEEPER, SCRAPER, AND SPRINKLER FOR CAR-TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,511, datedDeeember 22, 1896.

Application led October 31, 1895. Serial No. 567,473. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GEUNow, J r., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snow-Plows, Sweepers, Scrapers, and Sprinklers for Car- Tracks, of which the following is a specification reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

)Iy presentinvention relates to improvements in trucks, comprising a snow-plow, a sweeper, a scraper, and a sprinkler, adapted particularly for car-tracks; and its object is to provide asimple construction and arrangement of parts which can be easily adapted for operation.

My invention consists of the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts and combination of devices hereinafter fully and particularly pointed out and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of a truck embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing a snowplow substituted for the brushes and sprinkling devices. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line a: x of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the water-tank and its connections. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sec'- tional view showing the manner in which the truck may be turned around. Fig. 8 illustrates a side wing adapted to throw the snow away from the tracks. Fig. 9 is a detail view. Fig. lO is a top plan view of a sweeping device whichI employ. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of one brush-wheel and showing in dotted lines how the hood may be adjusted, and Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional view.

In the practice of my invention I employ a truck comprising aplatform A, screwed upon the side pieces a, which are supported upon the axles a of the wheels a2. This truck may be of any suitable size and shape and it is provided with a post B', having a socket b, adapted to receive a coupling-link h', by means of which the truck is connected to a car or other means of locomotion.

On each side of the platform and between the wheels are located the sand-hoppers C, and the valves in the lower parts of the hoppers are operated by the levers c, and this feature, as well as the scrapers D, are supported on arms d, secured to a rock-shaft d', form no part of the present invention, and I will not therefore describe them more particularly.

A water-tank E is supported in the platform by the posts e, which are provided with reduced ends and inserted in holes in the platform; but I may provide sockets c' on the platform to receive the parts, if desired, as shown in Fig. 9, and secure them therein by means of set-screws. A pipe F leads down from the tank, and it extends forward and is branched to supply two hub-sprinklers f or a curved perforated pipe. (Not shown.) The branches f are supported from the truck by the arms f2. A slide-valve G is arranged below the tank in the said pipe, and it is operated by a lever g and connecting-rod g. A guard-rail II may be arranged on the truckplatform, and a similarrail 71, and a platform h may be provided for the tank.

On the forward axle a' I secure loosely two forwardly-extendin g supportin g-bars I,which carry a shaft i in their forward ends. On the end of this shaft i are brush-wheels t', and the brushes are prevented from throwing dirt on the sprinkling devices, dac., by means of hoods 2, adjustably secured on the shaft i by means of set-screws i3. The bars I and the shaft i constitute in themselves a supplemental movable frame which is preferably secured upon the journal-boxes of the forward axle, and this frame secures the brushes and In order to supports the sprinkling devices. raise or lower this supplemental frame, I provide a hand-screw J, operating in a shoulder j on the support j against a rearward and upward projection jz on a supplemental frame. By this means the said frame may be raised by operating the screw to force the said projection downward, and by turning the screw in the opposite direction the frame is lowered. On account of this movement of the supplemental frame the pipe F is preferably of some flexible material.

I secure a pulley-wheel K on the shaft and l a larger pulley-wheel k on the axle a', and connect these wheels by a belt 7c', which is twisted to cause the brushes to revolve in a reverse direction to that of the wheels d2. The pulley wheel 7; is made in two parts and clamps on the axle by means of set-screws. This pulley-wheel also has an enlarged hub L, provided with recesses and projections adapted to engage corresponding recesses and projections on a sleeve Z, [ixed on the axle a' and thrown into and out of contact with said hub by means of a lever Z', operating in a grooved wheel Z2. It will thus be observed that when the hub and sleeve have been brought into contact to form a clutch, the sleeve being fastened to the axle and the hub L loose thereon, the pulley-wheels 7s K are thrown into operation and the brushes caused to revolve in a reverse direction to the revolution of the wheels a2.'

Under the forward end of the truck I arrange a jack-screw M, which is adapted to be operated to raise the truck from the ground and the wheels a2 from contact with the rails, so that the truck may be easily turned around, and to facilitate this turning of the truck I provide in the rear end thereof two wheels m, supported on pivoted arms m. Above these arms are adj Listing-screws N, which operate in sockets nin the truck and bear against the arms. lVhen these screws are screwed down, the rear end of the truck is raised upon the wheels, and it may be then turned around withthe jack-screw for a center. To facilitate this turning of the truck, I may provide the rim of the wheels with holes n' to receive a bar or lever. This operation is clearly indicated in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

It is obvious that the sweeping and sprinkling apparatus, or either of them, maybe removed, and they are constructed and arranged with this end in view. Vhen these parts are removed, as, for instance, in the winter season or during a snow-storm, I Secure in the forward end of the truck a frame comprising a shaft O, arranged at an angle to the axle a', and an arm o, supporting the forward end of the shaft. This shaft is adapted to rock in its bearings, and it supports a snow-plow 0', which is made of curved boileriron, as shown. A lever P is connected to said rock-shaft, and it may be adjusted in position by means of a pin secured in one of the holes in an upright p. By simply operating this lever the snow-plow can be lowered or raised at will.

In order to throw the snow as far away from the truck as convenient, I provide on each side of the truck a side wing Q, which is pivoted to the truck and is connected bya rod g to a lever g', which may be adjusted on a bar q2. These wings may be thrown out to force the snow away from Athe sides of the tracks or folded in close to the truck.

The operation of my improved machine is obvious from the foregoing description, and I will not enter into a further elaboration there- The brush-frame in said Figs. l0, l1, and 12 i comprises two arms A', which are preferably secured at the rear ends thereof on the axle or shaft a', and one or both of these arms may be provided with an extension a3, by means of which the frame can be raised or lowered. These arms are connected by two braces a4.

A shaft B' is supported in the forward ends of these arms, and it carries the brush-wheels i', of some preferred construction, on its ends. This shaft carries a pulley-wheel b2, which is geared with another pulley-wheel (not shown) on the axle, by which means the brush-wheels are driven.

rIhe hoods c4 are preferably made of metal, and they comprise a side C3 and a curved top piece c2, the forward end of the hood being inclined outwardly and away from the truck. Each hood is provided with a short hub D', which fits snugly ona collar d4, carried bythe arm A', so that said hoods will remain stationary while the shaft and wheels revolve. In order to adjust the hoods at the proper angle to accomplish the best results, I provide a setscrew (Z2, by means of which said hoods are secured in place after they are adjusted.

In the practical operation of my improved device the brush-shaft 'L' is driven in the reverse direction to the revolution of the carrying-wheels on the truck. The hoods are properly adjusted so that the dirt will be thrown away from the truck, and then the setscrews are fastened.V By the peculiar construction of these hoods it will be observed that the dirt is directed away from the truck and to one side of the wheels or tracks.

I am aware that many changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of construction of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention, and Itherefore reserve the right to make all such changes as fall within the scope of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Paten-t, is-

l. The combination with a truck, of arms pivotally secured on the rear end thereof and carrying wheels on their free ends, the rim of said wheels being provided with a series of holes, the sockets n of the truck-adjusting screws operating through said sockets and bearing on the pivoted arms to raise the rear end of the truck, and a jack-screw supported under the forward end of the truck and adapted to raise the same, whereby the truck may be turned around with the jack-screw for a center, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with a truck, of a watertank supported thereon, a supplemental frame pivotally secured in the forward end of the truck, sprinkling devices carried by said frame and a iiexible pipe connected between the sprinkling devices and the tank, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination with a truck, of a platform, posts fitted in sockets, in said platform, a water-tank supported on the post, a supplemental frame pivotally secured in the forward end of the truck, sprinkling devices carried by said frame, a flexible pipe connection between the sprinkling devices and the tank, a slide-valve beneath the tank, and a lever secured on the tank and adapted to operate the valve, substantially as shown and described.

The combination with a truck, of a supplemental frame pivotally secured in the forward end of the truck, a transverse shaft in the forward end of the frame, brush-wheels mounted on the ends of said shaft and the hoods secured adjustably on the shaft and over thebrush-wheels, substantiallyas shown and described.

5. The combination with a truck, of a supplemental frame, pivotal] y secured in the forward end thereof, an upward extension on said frame, a hand-screw supported on the truck and operating against said extension to raise or lower the frame, arms carried by the frame and supporting sprinkling devices, a shaft mounted in the frame, brush-wheels on the ends of said shaft, hoods adjustably arranged on the shaft and over the brushwheels a pulley-wheel on the shaft, a larger pulley-wheel on the forward axle, a belt running over said wheels, an enlarged hub on the larger pulley-wheel provided with notches and projections and a lever adapted to throw said sleeve and hub into engagement, substantially as shown and described.

G. The combination with a reversible and vertically-adj ustable truck of the character described, of adjustable attachments secured thereto to clean the tracks, sprinkling devices carried by a supplemental frame mounted on said truck, a water-tank supported thereon and flexible connection between the tank and said sprinkler, all combined and arranged as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of a frame secured to a car-truck and comprising` two parallel arms, a shaft supported by said arms, the braces connecting the arms, brush-wheels on the ends of the shaft, and hoods adjustably secured on the shaft and over the brush-wheels, substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination of a frame adapted to be secured to a car-truck and comprising two parallel arms, the braces connecting said wheels and having hubs to iit on said collars,

WILLIAM GRUNOW, JR. Witnesses:

CHARLES KELsEY, H. F. NoRcRoss.

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