US630358A

US630358A - Side bearing for railway-cars.

Info

Publication number: US630358A
Application number: US71887699A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sidney D King
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1899-05-31
Filing date: 1899-05-31
Publication date: 1899-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 1916-08-08

Description

No. 630,358. Patentd Au 8, I899. s. 0. KING.

smE BEARING FOR RAILWAY cAns.

(Application filed may 31, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(Nd Model.)

WITNESSES INVENTOH cfzkzneyfljfm a No. 630,358. Patented Aug. 8,1899. S. D. KING.

SIDE BEARING FORRAILWAY CAB$. (Application filed Kay 31, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES INV/VTO'H UNITED STATES".

PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY 1). KING, or DUNMORE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIDE BEARING FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION formingea of Letters Patent No. 630,358, dated August 8, 1899.

Application filed May 31, 1899. SerlalNo. 718,876. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: ,7

Be it known that I, SIDNEY D. KING, a citizen of the United States, residin gin D unmore, in the county of Lackawanna, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Side Bearings for Railway Cars, of which the following is a full and correct description.

The invention relates to the provision in a railway-car, in connection with the ordinary bearing-springs,which are sustained upon the outer extremities of the axles of the trackwheels and which at their upper extremity receive the bed-frame of the car, of corresponding auxiliaryor supplemental springs which are mounted in housings or casings which are fixed upon the bed-frame and be tween it and the box or body of the car, such inclosure being commonly termed the springcase, the object of this provision being to furnish between the car and the main subjacent body-springs or bearing-springs, which have great rigidity or stiffness and firmness, a means whereby the jar, shock, concussion, and also the twist or torsional strain upon the frame, sides, and roof of the car arising from sudden contact of the wheels with obstructions and also from unevenness or inequalities of surface of road-bed or trackrails, abrupt curves, or from any cause whatever may be modified and alleviated through the distribution or diffusion throughout the superstructure of the car of such disturbing and injurious effects, for it will be understood that the auxiliary springs are of much greater flexibility and compressibility than the main or bearing springs and that by reason of this difierence of quality or function they operate through their interposition between the bearing-springs, which first receive and'take up or transmit any shock which is imparted to the truck-wheels from below, and the body of the car above to relieve and modify, spread out, or cushion, as it were, and thereby minimize the jarring and wearing effects which would otherwise result from such shocks. Cars showing this general construction are found in United States Patent No. 249,370, issued to me on the 8th day of November, 1881, and in United States Patent No. 273,693, issued to me on the 6th day of March, 1883. These cars have been employed for several years with results in most respects, so far as their general mechanical operation is concerned, so satisfactory as to leave little to be desired; but it has been found in numerous instances that upon rough roads and upon tracks which aboundv in short curves the frequent violent pounding contact of the coils of the springs one upon an other, caused by the upand-down movement of the body of the car when heavily loaded, has caused gradual disintegration and ultimate destruction through fracture of the body of the springs themselves, thereby rendering their renewal necessary, and this experience has led me to devise the novel and more effective and durable construction which will now be described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side perspective elevation of a portion of a railway-car which has my improved spring bearing-case applied upon the top of the truck-frame thereof. Fig. 2 is a detail showing the relation of the spring-case to the body of the car above it. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the spring-case and of the spring itself in part.- Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the side bearing and its spring. Fig. 5 is a detail bottom plan of the central portion of the casing and represents the inner shoulder, stop, or seat in the top of the dome or main chamber of the casing, the cap and the springhaving been removed. Fig. 6 represents an end elevation of the casing or main chamber, the slidable cap and the spring proper having been detached. Fig. 7 is a top plan of the vertically-movable cap detached. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan or interior view of the cap detached. Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal section of the cap detached. Fig. 10 is a transverse section of the cap as in the line y y of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a side View of the semi-elliptic spring. Fig. 12 is a top plan of the spring shown in side view in Fig.'11. Fig. 13 is a transverse section as in the line m m of Fig. 12. Fig. 14 represents in a plan view a modified construction of the dome or main chamber which incloses the spring and within which the spring and the cap which surmounts it have upend-down movement.

As will be seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the springcase so of the side bearing S12 is secured by bolts 1) b or other suitable means to the upper surface of the truck-frame if, the projecting unattached extremities of the horizontally-arranged spring 8 resting loosely between the upwardly-projecting guides g 9 upon the baseplate bp of the spring-case; but it will be apparent that the base-plate, and also the side supports or buttresses $8 of the spring-case, might be dispensed with and that the chamber or dome 0 might be provided with heavy flanges cf, suitably perforated, to permit it to be secured directly to the plate of the truck-frame, substantially as in Fig. 14:. Under such modified construction the projecting extremities of the spring would rest directly upon the surface of the truck.- frame, or in suitable shallow grooves or guideways formed in the body of the frame, to prevent possible late-ral deviation of such extremities in their slight movement toward or from the center of the spring-case as the springis alternately compressed and released.

Upon the bottom of the carA and in verticalplane with the cap a ofeach spring-case is applied a rub-iron 'or friction-plate a of'sui table dimensions. It should beunderstood that when the car is at rest the rub-iron and thespring-cap are several inches asunder instead: of being nearly in contact, as seen in Fig. 2'.

To-facilitate the movement of thespri-ngcap toward or away from its seat upon the shoulder sh in the upper extremity of the chamber a, the exterior surface of the cap and theinterior surface or spring way of the chamber are uniformly diminished or tapered from bottom: to top on each of the-four sides of these parts, the chamber having-a rectangular top openingo-to permit the upper por- (ion of the cap-to project through it as the end flangesor shoulders cf of thecap come to rest upon theshoulders-sh of the chamber in the manner described.

The spring 3 is in thisinstance com-posed of four loosely-overlying leaves, which are composedof-steel and are, at their m-idJength, rigidly secured together by an inclosing band or clamp, which is formed from suitable metal and; maybe termed the hub 7m. In the upper extremity of the spring-cap at the center thereof is a shallow rectangular cavity ca, Figs. 8, 9, and 10, which isadapted to receive and engage the upwardly-projectin g portion of the hub, and thereby prevent any displacement of the spring longitudinally.

It will be noted that the outer extremities of: the-longer or bottom leafof the spring are curved first downwardly and then upwardly at the point where the spring rests upon the bottom or baseplate of the side bearing, or, when that construction is adopted, upon the topof the truck-frame. By reason of this curvature of the spring it is enabled in its slight longitudinal to-and-fromovement to pass freely over slight inequalities or obstaclesin or.- upon the surface on which it rests instead of striking them by its extreme end invention is applicable.

. the distance between the inner upper extremity of the spring case or chamber 0 and the bottom thereof is greater than the distance .between the top of such spring-case and the rub-iron or friction-plate, upon the car. As

a consequence of this difference the spring can never be inoperativeand inert, but even whenthe rub-iron and the spring-case are under any violent movement of the car-body brought for an instant into contact will still -exert its relieving upward pressure against Y the face of the rub-iron and. will thereby to theextent of such upwardthru-st relieve the downward pressureupon thebeari'ngsprings upon the axle, whereas if such distanceswere equal contact of the rubiron or friction-plate with the top of the spring case or-chamber would flatten the spring against the floor of the chamber, and-it would thus become wholly ineffective, and, in the parlance of theshops and the yard, dead and incapableof any active mechanical function whatever. This capability of'con-tinuous: exertion of its 'relievingand cushioning powersis of the utmostimportance in the practical operation of all the various classesof' cars to whichthe An additional important advantage in the practical use of this invention results from the facility with which the. described side bearing may be substituted for others which are less effective in their operation or which have become greatly worn. or which for any :other reason it is desired to discard. Furthermore, it will be-seen that in. the use of this invention in cases in. which it is: desired to-renew the side bearingv byt-he substitution of-a new spring only the operation may be accomplished by the removal of the spring alone. A pivoted recessed lifting-ring r or any simple equivalent thereof being provided upon the topof the spring-cap, the-capis, by means-of such ring, lifted to its highest positi'onin contact with theshoulders or seat-sh at the upper extremity of the-spring chamber or way. This effects disengagement. of the hub or band 7m at the midlength of the spring from the cavity cat in the spring-cap, by which the centrality and undetachabi-lity of the spr1n g would otherwise be maintained, whereupon the spring may readily uponslight compression be moved longitudinally along its ways, and being thus withdrawn in-either directionanew: one is as readily substituted. The ability thus to substitute anew spring for an old one in a moment of timei's another important practical advantage arising from this construction, economy of time being. an important factor in all railway operations.

Inthe foregoing description provision. is made in the case or chamber for a rectangular cap and a rectangular opening only; but

it will be apparent that each might be made of circular, elliptical, or other convenient form without at all exceeding the limits of this invention; also, the case or chamber might in some cases be made long enough to wholly inclose the arch-like spring.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed is- 1. A side bearing for railway-cars which is provided with a spring case or chamber which is open at its bottom and at its ends, and which, interiorly, is upwardly-tapered or diminished from its lower extremity; a horizontally-arranged spring which rests by its ends upon the base-plate of the chamber, or upon the truck-frame; and an upwardly-tapered cap; which rests upon the horizontally-arranged spring; the case or chamber being adapted to permit the spring-sustained cap to project upwardly through it; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A side bearing for railway-cars which has a spring case or chamber which in its upper extremity is provided with an opening; a spring, within the case or chamber; and a spring-cap or rub-plate which is sustained upon and actuated by the spring, and is adapted, in the operation of the side bearing, to project through the opening in the case or chamber, and to receive the contact of the friction-plate or rub-iron of the car upon which such side bearing is mounted.

3. A side bearing for railway-cars which is provided with a spring case or chamber which is open atits bottom and at its ends; a springcap which is movable, up or down, within the spring case or chamber which is insertible and withdrawable through the end openings of such case or chamber; and a relievingspring which by its central portion supports the spring-cap, and which by its ends rests upon the base-plate, or other surface, upon which the side bearing is mounted.

4. A side bearing for railway-cars which embraces a base-plate which rests upon, oris formed by, the body of the truck-frame; a spring case or chamber which is open at each end, and is secured upon the base-plate; an arch-like or semi-elliptic horizontally insertible and withdrawable spring, within the case or chamber, and resting by its ends loosely and unattached, upon the base-plate; and a vertically-movable cap, which rests, by its central portion, upon the arch-like spring; and which, in the operation of the side bearing, alternately actuates and is actuated by the spring.

5. In a side bearing for railway-cars, a spring case or chamber which is open at its top, at its bottom, and at its ends; a horizontally-arranged arch-like, or semi-elliptic, detachable spring which is centrally placed within the case or chamber, and which rests by its extremities upon the plate on which the side bearing is mounted; and a springcap which is movable, up or down, within the case or chamber, through a space which is greaterin extent than the distance between the topof the case or chamber, and the bottom of the rub-iron or friction-plate upon the car.

6. In a side bearing for railwaycars, a spring case or chamber which is mounted upon a base-plate, and which is open at each of its two ends, at its bottom and at its top; an arch-shaped spring which is received with in the case or chamber and is horizontally withdrawable therefrom, and which by each extremity of the arch rests upon the base or supporting plate; and a cap which rests upon the crown of the arch-shaped spring, and which is movable, up or down, within the case or chamber, according as it is actuated by the pressure of the spring from below, or by downward movement of the car-body and its friction-plate or rub-iron from above.

7. A side bearing for railway-cars which has a horizontally-arranged spring case or chamber; a slidable spring-cap or rub-plate; and a horizontally-arranged arch-like or semielliptic relieving-spring which is detachably centered in the slidable spring-cap; the case or chamber being open at each end, so that the horizontally-arranged spring may be withdrawn, for repair or renewal, without removal of any other of the parts of such side bearing.

8. A side bearing for railway-cars which embraces a spring case or chamber which is open at its two opposite ends, at its bottom and at its top, and which rests, either indi- 10o rectly by a base-plate, or directly, upon the truck-frame of the car; a vertically-movable cap, within the spring case or chamber; and a horizontally arranged spring which is loosely engaged with the movable cap, and 105 which is readily withdrawable horizontally endwise from the spring case or chamber.

9. A side bearing for railway-cars which is provided with a spring case or chamber, and with an arch-shaped spring which rests loosely 1 10 and unattached, by its opposite extremities, upon a horizontally-arranged bed-plate, or truck-frame and which is insertible into, or withdrawable from its operative position, without removing any of the other parts of 115 the construction; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto, at Duninore, Pennsylvania, on this 17th day of May, 1899, aflixed my signature in presence :20 of two subscribing witnesses.

SIDNEY D. KING.

Witnesses:

O. W. BOGART, O. F. OORRELL.