US574541A - Fender for street-cars - Google Patents

Description

(N0 Mode l.) 1 3 SheetsSheet I1 L. J. HUNTER. FENDER FOR STREET CARS.

No. 574,541. Patented Jan. 5,1897.

THE wnms PETERS cov sum-ammo" WASHINGTON n. r

(No Model.) I SSheets-Sheet 2.

' L. J. HUNTER.

FENDER FOR STREET CARS. V No. 574,541. Patented Jan. 5, 1.897.

A f/wwey (No Model.) 3 SheetsSh et 8. L. J. HUNTER.

FENDER FOR STREET CARS.

No. 574,541. Patented Jan. 5,1897.

ivrrnn STATES T1vv FFICE.

LYTLE J. HUNTER, OF COVINGTON, KEN UOK Y, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FORTIETH TO O. C. PHILLIPS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

FENDER FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 574,541, dated January 5, 1897.

Application filed March 18, 189.5.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYTLE J. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fenders for Street-Cars, of which the followingis a specification.

The several features of my invention and the various advantages resulting from their use, conjointly or otherwise, will be apparent from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, making a part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the end portion of a car, showing the dash, platform, a portion of the cab, and mechanism embodying my invention applied thereto. This View also shows in dotted lines a certain change in the position of the fender and indicates the track below. Fig. 2 isaside elevation of the principal portion of the m echanism for enabling the bumper to actuate the fender. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the fender. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the mechanism for retracting or moving out the bumper and of certain other devices hereinafter fully specified. Fig. 5 is a view of the under side of the mechanism, illustrating my invention, with the exception of the fender, whichis removed. Fig. 6 is a view of the underside of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5, with the exception that a modification of a portion of the means for enabling the bumper to actuate the fenderis here shown. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the end portion of a car and of the mechanism illustrating my invention as modified in Fig. 6 and of the rail below.

For a further description of my invention I submit the following:

At the end of the carand preferablyin front thereof I provide a bumper A. This bumper or trigger A is arranged, in combination with mechanism, so that when the bumper is operated by striking an obstacle it, the bumper, will withdraw the devices whereby the fender is upheld and allow the fender to fall, substantially as hereinafter described. In the preferred form of such mechanism (of my in vention) the bumper is connected at A to a pivot Serial No. 542,231. (No model.)

A, fixed to a stud A, connected to a suitable portion of the car, as the supporting-beams P of the platform P thereof. Again, below this point the bumper is pivotally connected at A to one end of a link A The other end of this link is pivotally connected at A" to the free end of the lever 13, whose other end is pivoted on shaft B The sh aft B is supported at each end in a bearing 13 B", connected to the car, as beams P P. Apart of the boss of this lever is cut away, forming a recess B, and in this recess plays a stud 13. Hence oscillation of the lever B beyonda certain point operates to turn the shaft B This latter shaft carries a lever B fixed thereto, and the free end of this lever is pivotally connected at B to one end of a connecting or draw red 0, whose other end is pivotally attached by pivot (J to the lower or free endof an oscillating hanger C The upper end of this hanger is pivotally connected by pivot C to the bearing attached to the car, preferably to the beams P P.

Upon the supporting-rod or bottom 0 of the hanger rests (when the fender O is elevated) the forward end of the arm or hook D, the rear end of the latter being fixed to and on the shaft D by suitable means, as the setbolt D his shaft D is supported in bearings O pivotally set in bearings, as G, connected to the carviz., to the beams P P. To this shaft D is fixed the fender G, preferably by means of the set-screw G passing through those bosses G of the fender which surround said shaft. Thus the fender Gand the arm D can be mutually set, so as to regulate the dip (elevation) of the fender above the track and the location of the movement of the fender in relation to the track and to the car. The fender G curves down at G0 and extends forward in the vicinity of the front of the car. The details of its construction (also of my invention) are as follows:

The side edges G of the fender consist of strong rods or bars. Between these for the greater part of the length of these arms is the scoop G of the fender, preferably made, as shown, of wire-netting.

In front of the netting is a broad sheet G,

of metal or wood, which is curved downward at G below the level of the bars G The fender is preferably wider than the track, and the rails come under the sheet, and when the fender falls the curved portion G rests upon the track and supports the forward end of the fender and aids the latter in sliding easily along and prevents its forward end from catching on the track or on some small stone or bolt projecting up from the track-bed.

In order to make the impact of the fender against the body which it meets and is to shovel to speak) onto itself lighter, the front end of the fender at a short distance in front of the edge of plate G is provided with an elastic piece, preferably consisting of a spring G", as shown, strained across from the front end of one bar G to the front end of the other bar G". For the better accomplishing of this purpose the ends of the bars G are bent horizontally toward the center of the road-bed, and these ends G reduced, enter the adjacent end of the hollow spiral spring G" and are connected thereto.

The operation of the devices thus described is simple and practicable, to wit: the fender is elevated and the mechanism in the position shown in Fig. 1. The car proceeds and on its way runs into a man, the bumper or trigger striking him. This impact drives back the bumper, and through the agency of the lever B rotates shaft B drawing rod C forward and withdrawing the hanger C from under the arm D. Unsupported, the latter drops and allows the tender to drop till it reaches the rails. In this position it receives the prostrate form of the man or other human being, the latter rolling onto the upper side of the scoop G Thus the person who has been knocked down by the car or who has slipped and fallen in front of the car is saved from the violent death which ordinarily results when the wheels or the low portions of the center of the car run onto him.

The fender picks up any object that is small enough to come under the ear-platform and its accessories, and thereby prevents the wheels from rolling onto the said object. In this way the car will be prevented from being derailed. Consequently injury to the car and especially to its inmates will be avoided.

It is very desirable that the fender when allowed to descend shall descend very rapidly to enable it to be on the track in time to catch the person who has come into contact with the bumper A. suitable mechanism. ()ne description of the same (of my invention) isas follows: A lever E is made fast at one end to the shaft I) and at its front end encircles a guide-rod E the latter at its upper end is fixed by a foot E to the car, as beams P l. A spiral spring E compressed between the arm E and the foot E, embraces the guide-rod E This spring E" thus continually and forcefully tends to depress the arm E and the fender G, and when To accomplish this, I employ to the latter by a set'screw SB.

the arm I) is unsupported will very quickly force the fender down onto the track, the force of the spring being added to the force of gravity.

In order thatthe fender may not rebound from the track into the air, and thus be out of its proper place to receive the person in front of the car 011 the track as the rapidlymoving car comes over that person, I provide a suitable detent mechanism, of which the fol lowing (of my invention) is a preferred description:

To the shaft D usually by means of a set-screw F.

is fixed a ratchet-wheel F, On the arm E, I pivot at F a pawl F for engaging said ratchet-wheel, and I provide a spring F, pivoted at F to said arm E". The free end of this spring elastically presses against the free end of said pawl, or, more accurately, against a pin F of the pawl, and pushes the pawl continually against the ratchet-whcel. Owing to the direction in which the pawl engages the ratchet-wheel as the fender falls the pawl slipping over the teeth of the ratchetwheel offers no resistance to the descent of the fender, but the pawl engages the adjacent tooth of the wheel, so as to prevent the fender rising after it has reached the track. The pawl and ratchet will hold the f nder there until it being desired to raise the fender the pawl is moved and held back by human agency, 6. g., the driver or con doctor of the car, until the fender has been lifted and the arm I) brought onto the hanger C. This latter operation is readily accomplished automatically, because the upper portion of the free end of the arm D is beveled, as shown, like the latch of a doorlock. Elevation of the fender raises this arm I), and the latter pushes forward the lower en d of the hanger C and rises above the pivot or bottom thereof. The hanger then having an opportunity to return to its vertical position will do so and pass under the arm and support it and the fender in this firstnamed elevated position.

Preferred means for automatically advancing the bumper or trigger A and drawing forward the hanger C after having been pushed back by collision of the bumper A with the human being, &c., aforementioned are as follows: On the shaft 15* is a spiral spring B, at one end connected to the boss or journal B fixed to the car, and at the other end to the shaft, preferably through the medium of the ring B on shaft B and fixed This setting device allows of the spring being elastically strain ed more or less as desired. The shaft 13 is journaled at each end in suitable journals, such as the boss B The tendency of the spring is to rotate the shaft from the left over to the right, (see Fig. L) and thus to move the bumper A forward and the hanger backward. The movement of the bumper forward is limited by suitable means,

as a chain B of proper length, hooked to the bumper at a suitable point at B and conneoted to the car, as at B It is desirable that means for enabling the driver of the car to lower the fender be provided. The reason for this is quite obvious. \Vhen the car is running fast and the conductor sees an object on the track, he can drop the fender and thus be sure that the car-wheels shall not pass over it, even though he may not be able to bring his car to a full stop before reaching the object. To this end I employ the following means: To the pivotal connection B one end of an arm B is attached. The other end of this arm has a hook B which hooks over the lower end of the pin B of the lever B, pivotallyfulcrumed at B to the car or a support thereof. The upper end of the lever is within easy reach of the driver. (See Fig. 1.) When the driver desires to drop the fender, he pulls back on the upper end of the lever B and thus forces forward the'lower end thereof, thereby drawing the hooked armor link B forward and with it the lower end of lever B The advancement of the lower end of this lever drops the fender in the manner already described.

The preferred description of the bumper A is as follows: Outer rigid side bars A and top and bottom bars A firmly united to their said respective side bars, constitute the frame. Vithin this frame and connected thereto I locate a wire-netting A of considerable firmness, yet somewhat elastic, so that when the bumper strikes an object it will not bruise or otherwise materially injure it.

In the drawings, K indicates the cab of the car, and R indicates the dash or front railing at the end of the car in front of the driver, and T indicates the track.

I will now describe a modification of certain features of my invention for enabling the bumper A to withdraw the hanger G from the arm D. This modification is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 and consists in substituting for the vertical lever B the lever or levers MB each fulcrumed on pivot M15 fixed to the frame at M8 One end of each of these levers at MA" is pivotally connected to one end of the connecting rod or link MA The other end of the latter rod is pivotally connected at MA to the lower stiff margin A of the bumper A. Theupper end of the bumper is pivoted, substantially as heretofore de' scribed. to the car by a pivotal connection A To stiffen this bumper, the side bars A are moved inwardly a very little and still constitute braces of the bumper and extend from the pivot A down to the pivotal connection MA The inner end of each lever M13 is pivotally connected with the draw rod 0 (heretofore described) by a pivot, as MB, and at such connection the ends of these levers are slotted to allow them to work, as they there do, in the arc of a circle. The

operation of this modification does not differ Substantially from that of the mechanism of which this is a modification, to wit: when the bumper A is pushed back by collision, as aforementioned, the rods MA are moved back, operating the levers and drawing forward rod 0, with similar result as aforementionedviz., causing the fender to drop.

Means for automatically retracting the fender and levers M13 and rod 0 to first position consist of the spring M13 stretched between fixed projection MB of the car and point M13 on one of the levers MB? Means for enabling the driver to drop the fender consist of the lever B fulcrumed at B as aforementioned, the lower end of the lever connecting directly with the forward end of the rod (1 by a projection B, working in a slot of rod 0.

The shape of the bumper may be varied. Thus two conformations of the bumper are illustrated in the drawings, one in Figs. 1 and 5 and another in Figs. 6 and 7.

My movable bumper, yielding as it does upon the impingement of a body which it meets, is obviously valuable for use by itself. Itis my purpose, therefore, to employ it at times alone, i. 6., without using a dropable fender with it. On other occasions I purpose to use it conjointly with the dropable fender.

My invention is simple in operation and effective. That it is useful needs no comment, as any device that contributes to the saving of human life and to the prevention of injury to human beings and other animals and to the car is eminently useful.

What I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a car, the movable bumper or trigger guard, and the dropable fender, and mechanism between the bumper and the fender for enabling the moving of the bumper ina given direction to drop the fender, and the support to Wit hook D, fixed to shaft D of the fender, and mechanism for automatically retracting the bumper and for returning the swinging support C under the hook D, as soon as pressure upon the bumper A is removed, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination of the car, a dropable fender, and the oscillatory pivoted support 0 swung from a pivot C of the platform, and the arm D fixed to the fender-shaft D and the movablebumper and mechanism for moving the bar 0 connected ultimately with the bumper, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination of the car, and the slidable bar C and a pivoted oscillating support for the arm D, and shaft D and fender G fixed thereto, and mechanism substantially as set forth for moving the bar (1 and dropping the fender, and the bumper A, and mechanism substantially as described for enabling the latter when moved to actuate the IOU bar G, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination of the car, and a dropable fender, having axial shaft D and leverarm D thereon, and a pivoted oscillating support 0, C, U, and a rcciprocatory bar C and connected to the latter, and mechanism substantially as set forth for moving the said bar 0 and dropping the fender, and for en abling the bumper when moved to actuate the bar 0, and the drivers lever, and mech anism substantially as set forth for enabling this lever to actuate the bar 0, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a car-fender mechanism, the combination of means for withdrawing the support for the fender, the fender G, shaft D thereof, arm E' of said shaft, spring E to depress said arm, ratchet-wheel F on said shaft, spring F, and pawl F substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. In a car-fender mechanism, the combination of means for withdrawing the support for the fender, the fender G, shaft D thereof, arm E" of said shaft, spring E to depress said arm, ratchet-wheel F on said shaft, spring F fixed to arm E and pawl F also fixed thereto and engaging the ratchet-wheel, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. The fender having in its front portion a broad curved depressed sheet extending over the rails and across the road-bed between the rails, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

S. The fender having at front an elastic coiled wire, and behind the latter a curved depressed sheet extending across the track and over the rails, substantially as and for the pn rposes specified.

f). The fender, havin g at and across its front an elastic coiled wire, and behind the latter a curved depressed portion extending across the track and over the rails, and a netting fabric, at rear of the latter, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

10. In a fender, the combination of the rigid side arms or bars G and the yielding portion G",connected to the bars,and the downwardlycurved part Gr held between and by the bars, and the coiled spring G at each end embracing the end of the adjacent side bars, this forward end of each side bar being at right angles to the rest of the bar, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

11. The bumper A pivoted at A", and pivotally connected by links A to the lever B, shaft 13*, lever I3 and lever B fixed thereto, and rod C, carrying mechanism for directly supporting the fender, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

12. The bumper A pivoted at A, and pivotally connected by link A to the lever B, shaft 13 lever B and lever 15 fixed thereto, and rod C, hanger (3 connected to said rod, shaft D and arm D supported thereon, and fender fixed to said shaft, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

13. The bumper A pivoted at A, and pivotally connected by link A to the lever B, shaft B lever B and lever B fixed thereto,

and rod 0, hanger 0" connected to said rod, shaft D and arm D supported thereon, and fender fixed to said shaft, and ratchet F, and pawl for engaging the latter, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

it. The bumper A pivoted at A", and piv- 1 otally connected by link A to the lever 13,

shaft 13 lever I3 and lever B fixed thereto, and rod C, hanger 0 connected to said rod, shaft D and arm I) supported thereon and fender fixed to said shaft, and arm E" of shaft D-, and spring E for depressing said arm, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

15. The bumper A, pivoted at A", and piw otally connected by link A to the lever B, shaft 13*, lever 13 and lever B fixed thereto, and rod 0, hanger 0 connected to said rod, shaft D and arm D supported thereon and fender fixed to said shaft, and arm E of shaft D and spring E for depressing said arm, and ratchet F on shaft D and pawl F and spring F, both supported by arm E", substantially as and for the purposes specified.

16. In combination with the fender and means for supporting the same, shaft B and means for enabling the transverse reciprocatory rotatable shaft to withdraw the support of the fender including arm B" and pull-rod C connected to the free end of said arm, the spring B embracing the shaft and at one end connected to a stationary portion of the mechanism and at the other to the shaft B substantially as and for the purposes specified.

17. In combination with the fender and means for supporting the same, shaft B and means for enabling the transverse reciprocatory rotatable shaft to withdraw the support of the fender including arm B and pull-rod 0 connected to the free end of said arm, the spring B embracing the shaft and at one end connected to a stationary portion of the mechanism and at the other to the shaft 13 and the bumper A and interconnecting mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

18. In combination with the fender and means for supporting the same, shaft 13 and means for enabling the transverse reciproca-' tory rotatable shaft to withdraw the support of the fender, the spring B embracing the shaft and at one end connected to a stationary portion of the mechanism and at the other to the shaft B and the bumper A, pivotally fulcrumed, and lever B mounted on said shaft 13 and a connection between the bum per and said lever, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

19. In combination with the fender and means for supporting the same, shaft B and means for enabling the shaft to withdraw the support of the fender, the spring B embracing the shaft and at one end connected to a stationary portion of the mechanism and at the other to the shaft B and vertical lever B pivotally fulcrumed, and hook-piece en gaging same and connected to said means for enabling the shaft B to withdraw the support of the fender, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

20. In mechanism for dropping the car-fender, the combination of the lever B, pivotally fulcrumed, shaft B levers B and 13 thereof, hook-piece B B connected to the latter lever, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

21. I11 mechanism for dropping the car-fender, the combination of the lever 13 pivotally fulcrumed, shaft B levers B and B thereof, hook-piece B B connected to the latter lever, and bumper A connected to lever B, all substantially as and for the purposes specified.

22. In mechanism for dropping the ear-fender, the combination of the lever 13", pivotally fulcrumed, shaft B levers B and B thereof, hook-piece B B connected to the latter lever, and bumper A connected to lever B, and spring for retracting the bumper and hook-piece, and the mechanism for supporting the fender, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

23. The combination of bumper A, and 1ever B lever B for bumper, shaft B lever B fixed thereto, hanger O rod 0 connected to lever B and hangerO shaft D arm D, and fender thereon, arm D for connection with hanger, ratchet, and pawl, arm E of shaft D and spring for depressing same, all substantially as and for the purposes specified.

Bl. The combination of a bumper pivotally hung and a shaft 13 and alever connected with the said shaft and opera-ted by the bumper, and the dropable fender, and mechanism for enabling the operation of said lever to drop the said fender, and a spiral spring as B for retracting the bumper and adding to the resiliency of its movement, and fixed at one end to the car, and a ring and a set-screw, whereby the tension of this spring can be adjusted, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

LYTLE J. HUNTER.

Attest: 1

C. J. MODIARMID, K. SMITH.

Images