US578590A - Draw-bar attachment for car-couplings - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. O. WILLIAMSON 8v H. FRIES. DRAW BAR ATTACHMENT FOR GAR COUPLINGS.

Patented Mar. 9,1897.

(No Model.) 2 Sh eetsSheet H. C. WILLIAMS ON 82; H. PRIES.

DRAW BAR ATTACHMENT FOR GAR UOUPLINGS. N0. 578,590.

Patent-ed Mar. 9, 1897.

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heavy bolts or rivets 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY O. \VILLIAMSON AND HERMAN PRIES, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA.

DRAW-BAR ATTACHMENT FOR CAR-COUPLINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,590, dated March 9, 1897'.

Application filed September 8, 1896. Serial No. 605,139. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern-- Be it known that we,1-IENRY O. WILLIAMSON and HERMAN PRIES, citizens of the United States, residing at Michigan City, in the county of La Porte and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draw-Bar Attachments for Car- Couplers; and we 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.

Our invention relates to a novel construction in a draw'bar attachment for car-couplers, the object being to provide a device of this description which will not work loose and get out of repair and which will enable the use and simultaneous action of a plurality of springs; and it consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating our invention, Figure 1 is a horizontal longitudinal section of a car-coupler rovided with a draw-bar constructed in accordance with our invent-ion, taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse vertical sections of the same on the line 3 3 and 4 4, respectively, of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontal longitudinal section of a modified form of our invention on the line 5 5 of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail elevation of the guide-castin gs we employ.

Referring now to said drawings, A indicates the draw-bar of a car-coupler which is suitably mounted between the draft-beams B of a car. To the inner end of said draw-bar A the ends of a loop 0 are secured by means of Mounted within said loop 0 and abutting against said inner end of said draw-bar A is what we term a follower 2, which is adapted to be acted upon by the double spiral spring 3. Said follower 2 is provided with a recess 4 in the center of its inner face, in which the end of what we term a plunger 5 is adapted to be received and which prevents said end of said plunger 5 from spreading or fringing. Mounted within the other end of said loop 0 and abutting against the same is a follower 6. A box or casing '7, also mounted within said loop 0, abuts at its inner end against said follower 6 and is provided at its other end with an inwardly-extendin g peripheral flan ge 8, again st which the inner end of said spring3 abuts and serves to hold the same firmly against said follower 6. The enlarged end 9 of said plunger 5 is situated within said'box or casing '7, and between the same and said follower 6 a spring 10 is mounted, said follower 6 and said plunger 5 being provided with center lugs 11 and 12, respectively, by means of which the posit-ion of said spring 10 is determined.

Rigidly secured to the inner faces of said draft-beams B are guide-castings 13, each of which comprises a plate provided with recesses 14 and 1 5, in which the followers 2 and 6, respectively, are adapted to move. The said recessed portions of said plates are sunk into said draft-beams B and. are thus firmly held against displacement from any shock to which they may be subjected. Said castings are secured to said draft-beams B by means of the socketed bolts 16, the heads of which lie in pockets 17 in the middle portion of said castings, and by means of the bolts 18, passing through openings 19 in the ends of said castings. Said plates are provided with outwardly-extending flanges 20 on their lower cesses 22 and 23 adjacent said recesses 14 and 15, through which bolts 24 pass, by means of which supporting-plates 25, upon which said followers 2 and 6 move, are secured. It will be noted that the said recesses 14 and 15 form shoulders in said plates which limit the movement of said followers, so that when shunting the follower 2 will not move farther than until it comes in contact with the rearward end or shoulder of said recess 14, and this distance is so regulated that the springs 3 and 10, which are simultaneously compressed by this operation, are not acted upon or compressed to their fullest extent, but would still be capable of further compression. Thus if the springs are capable of two inches compression before the coils of the same lie upon each other the movement of the followers would be limited to one and three-fourths inches, so as never to entirely exhaust said springs. In this manner the life of each spring is prolonged to the fullest extent. It will also be obvious that any shock to which said casting 13 may be subjected by the driving of said followers against the shoulders at the ends of said recesses will be directly transmitted to said draft-beams and thus relieve the bolts 16 and 25 of any strain. We are aware that there are various constructions patented in which the entire guide-castings are sunk into the draft beams and are provided with a small shoulder at each end, but we obtain a great advantage by our construction in that our shoulders are of greater extent and that any shock is administered simultaneously to two shoulders in either direction, whereas heretofore such shock had to be borne by only one shoulder of less extent. This has always caused such shoulder to wear away very quickly and subjectedthe bolts by means of which said castings were secured to the shock, and these soon sheared or became loose. It is also our object to make the distance between the dead-wood 26 and the inner face 27 of the coupler-head coincide with the stroke of the followers 2 and 6, so that an excessive shock in shunting would be divided equally between the dead-wood and the rearinost shoulders of said recesses 14 and 15. It will be obvious that in pulling the shock cannot be as great as in shunting and can be easily borne by the forward shoulders of said recesses.

It will be obvious that the plates 25, supporting the followers 2 and 6, will also support the loop (J, which rests thereon, but to further support the latter we have provided straps or bars 28, which are secured to the lower faces of the draft-beams B by means of bolts 29, upon the middle portion of which said loop is adapted to rest. Said bars are slightly depressed at their middle portions, and at their ends are provided with upwardlyextending flanges which are adapted to engage the outer faces of the draft-beams.

The operation of our device is very simple and almost obvious so that a brief description will suffice.

In shunting or coupling two cars or two parts of a train the coupler is always subjected to a shock greater or less, according to the speed at which the parts to be coupled move and according to the loads they carry. This obviously moves the couplers inwardly against the action of the springs. Thus the end of the draw-bar transmits its motion to the follower 2 and plunger 5 simultaneously, while the follower 6 retains its posit-ion, being immovable in this direction. The spring 3 would therefore be compressed against the head of the box or casing 7, and therethrough, so to say, against the follower 6, While the spring 10 would be compressed between the enlarged end of the plunger 5 and said follower 6. These parts being movable with relation to the loop 0, the latter will move in unison with the draw-bar, to which it is secured, and not receive any portion of the strain. In pulling, said loop 0 will engage the follower 6 and 'draw the same forward against the action of said springs 3 and 10 as the box or casing 7 moves with said follower 6 and transmits the pressure thereof to said spring 3. Said box or casing 7 is guided in its movement by the said middle portions of said castings 13, which prevent sidewise displacement, while the loop 0, in which it is contained, prevents its Vertical displacement. The spring 10 impinges against the enlarged end of said plunger 5 and through it against said follower 2, so that said entire load is always borne by either of said followers 2 and 6. We desire to call particular attention to the fact that by means of our construction the loop 0 is subjected to strain only in one direction, and that the direction is always the one least subject to sudden jars and shocks. This is a very important feature, as it is apparent that where bolts are subjected to hard strain in two directions they will soon work loose and shear.

In Figs. 5 and 6 we have illustrated our invention as applied when three springs are employed, and it will be noted that this number can be increased with equal advantage. This construction coincides exactly with the construction hereinbefore described, with the exception that a box 30, containing a spring 31, is mounted between the draft-beams behind the guide-castings 13 and abuts at its end against a block 32, mounted between said draft-beams B. The said box is preferably secured at its forward end to the rear ends of the said castings 13 by passing the bolts 18 therethrough, and is further held against vertical displacement by means of the lugs 33, which are sunk into the inner faces of said draft-beams. A plunger 34:, provided with an enlarged end 35, impinges against said spring 31 and passes through openings 36 in the end of said loop 0 and the follower 6, its other end being adapted to enter a recess in the enlarged end of said plunger 5 for reasons heretofore given. In this construction we have illustrated the follower 2 as being provided with a sleeve 37, in which the end of the plunger 5 is adapted to fit and about which a single instead of a double spring 3 is trained. Either construction may, however, be employed, according to the election of the purchaser. The operation of this construction differs slightly from the foregoing in that in shunting all three springs 3, 10, and 31 are brought into action, as will be obvious, while in pulling only the springs 3 and 10 are acted upon. The loop 0, however, is subjected to strain only in one direction, in the same manner as in the construc- IOO IIO

tion shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Ve desire also to call attention to the fact that the loop we employ greatly exceeds in strength the shafts heretofore employed in various draw-bar attachments, and that by subjecting it to strain only in pulling it can never spread, which would obviously be most likely to occur were it subjected to strain in shunting.

We claimas our invention 1. In a device of the kind specified, a drawbar provided with a loop rigidly secured thereto, a follower within said loop and adapted to be engaged by the rear end of the same, a box or casing within said loop and abutting against said follower, an opening in the forward end of said box or casing, a plunger having an enlarged rear end adapted to fit within said casing provided with a shank adapted to pass through said opening therein and abutting at its other end against a follower adapted to be engaged by the rear end of the draw-bar, a cushion interposed between the head of said casing and said foremost follower, and a cushion within said casing interposed between said enlarged end of said plunger and said rea-rmost follower, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the kind specified, the combination with a draw-bar having a loop rigidly secured thereto, followers within said loop at opposite ends thereof, a box or casing within said loop abutting against said rearmost follower, a plunger abutting against said foremost follower and having an enlarged end adapted to fit within said casing, and cushions interposed between said head of said box or casing and said foremost follower and between said enlarged head of said plunger and said rearmost follower, of guide-castings rigidly secured to the draft-beams of the car and provided with shoulders adapted to limit the movements of said followers to hold said rearinost follower rigid upon imparting a buffing impetus and to hold said foremost follower rigid upon imparting a draft impetus, substantially as described.

3. 111a device of the kind specified, the combination with a draw-bar having a loop rigidly secured thereto, followers within said loop, a box or casing abutting against said rearmost follower, a plunger abutting against said foremost follower and having an enlarged end adapted to fit within said casing, and cushionsinterposed between said head of said box or casing and said foremost follower and between said enlarged head of said plunger and said rearmost follower, of draft-beams provided with gains on their inner faces adapted to receive two recessed portions of guidecastings secured to said inner faces of said draft-beams and adapted to receive said followers and limit the movements of the same in either direction to limit the extent of compression of said cushions, and transmit the strain thereon in either direction to said draft-beams at two points, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a device of the kind specified, the combination with the draft-beams gained at two points on their inner faces and adapted to receive guide-castings having recessed portions adapted to enter said gains, of a drawbar attachment comprising a plurality of cushions arranged in tandem between two followers adapted to en t er-said recessed portions of said guide-castings, said recesses being limited in extent to less than the limit of compression of said cushions and adapted to limit the movements of said followers in accordance therewith, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY O. WILLIAMSON. HERMAN FRIES. WVitnesses:

WALTER J. OGDEN, HARRY M. BARNES.

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