US675175A - Reach-stiffener. - Google Patents

Description

No. 675,l75. Patented May 28, I90l.

' W. B. STOVER.

REACH STIFFENER.

(Application filed Dec. 20, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 675,175. Patented May 28, l90|.. W. B. STOVER.

REACH STIFFENER.

(Application filqsd-Dec. 20, 1900.)

(N0 Mod el.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAMB. STOVER, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

REACH-STIFFENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,175, dated May 28, 1901.

Application filed December 20, 1900. $erial No. 40,602. (No model.)

To coll whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. STovER, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county ofSt. Joseph and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reach-Stiffeners; and I do 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, referenoe being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The invention herein described relates to improvements in vehicle construction,and refers particularly to means for stiffening the reach and hound construction of the front portion of the wagon.

In the usual wagon construction the reach is connected pi'v'otally to the front axle and the front bolster by means of the king-bolt, the latter passing directly through these parts, and in order to stiffen this portion of the wagon two sway-bars are provided, one above and the other below the reach, each being carried by the axle. Sufficient play must be allowed between the reach and the swaybars to prevent friction. In this construction, however, there is a pregnant disadvantage present, which results in the extremely rapid wearing of these parts, due to the rubbing. When the loaded wagon is driven on a downgrade, the weight of the load is thrown forward. There is an immediate tendency of the front axle to be rotated in the wheels forwardly, with the result that the lower bar is thrown tightly against the reach, and the rubbing ensues. When the wagon is driven on an upgrade, the same effect is produced, only that the rotatory movement is backward and the upper bar is thrown into contact with the reach. This result is due, primarily, to the fact that the kingbolt connection of the wagon-body and the axle forms substantially a lever connection, the king-bolt serving under the movement of the weight of the wagonbody to act as a lever to impart the rotary movement to the axle. The passing of the king-bolt through the bolster, reach, and axle has a slight tendency to prevent this movement, but avails but little, as evidenced by the continual movement of the bars against the reach. I have found that the tendency to rotate can be practically eliminated by forming a positive connection between the kingbolt and a fixed and immovable portion of the runninggear additional to the reach, the connection with the kin g-bolt being at a point on the latter intermediateits headed connection with the body and its connection with the reach and the axle, thus forming a positive stop against this rotatory movement in either direction and necessarily holding the axle at all times in the same position relative to the reach. This connection serves to act to stiffen the reach connection with the axle to cause them to maintain their relative positions, and the invention may therefore be said to reside in a reach-stiffener the primary object of which is to maintain the relative positions of the reach and axle regardless of the load-weight direction.

Other objects are to provide a stifiener which will also serve to maintain the bolster against a pivotal movement on the kin g-bolt, resulting in maintaining the front and rear bolsters parallel with each other and at direct right angles with the reach.

The invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, in which similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts in all of the views, Figure 1 is a top plan View of the running-gear, showing my preferred form of stiffener in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the front bolster, the front end of the stifiener being shown as removed therefrom. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the bolster, axle, &c., showing the connection between the king-bolt and the stiffener. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a run ning-gear with a modified form of stifiener connection. Fig. 6 is a top plan view showing another modification.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the front axle, 2 the wagon-reach, and 3 the bolster. These may be formed in the usual or any preferred form of construction, and each is the same in the various forms.

4 designates the rear hounds, to the front end of which the reach is connected by the usual bolt 5, the rear portion of'the runninggear being of any preferred construction, it forming no part of the present invention.

6 and 7 designate the upper and lower swaybars, respecti\ *ely,while 8 designates the kingbolt passing through the bolster, reach, and axle.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4: the bolster, which is provided with the usual bottom plate 9, has an opening 10 extending across the bolster adjacent to the plate 9 and crossing the usual king-bolt opening. This opening is to receive the front flattened end 11 of the stiffener 12, said end having an opening 13 for the passage of the king-bolt. The rear end of the stiffener is connected to the bolt 5 in suitable manner. As shown, the end 11 substantially fits the opening 10, and being elongated and resting between the plate 9 and the upper wall of the opening 10 forms independently of the connection of the stiffener and king-bolt a positive stop against a rocking movement of the bolster on the kingbolt. By this construction there is formed a stiffener which serves as an auxiliary reach, in that the stiffener connects the king-bolt and rear portion of the running-gear; but in function it serves to stiffen the reach by forming a fixed connection between the bolt 5 to the king-bolt at a point above the reach, thus forming a double connection, both fixed as to distance, between the bolt 5 and the kingbolt, each serving a check on the other and forming an extended bearing for the kingbolt. l urthcrmore, as the front end of the stiffener 12 is flattened and enlarged laterally, as shown, and substantially fits within the opening 10 the bolster will be prevented from having a pivotal movement relatively to the stiffener, this movement being prevented by the shape of the front end of the stiffener and the cooperating opening 11. As the stiffener retains at all times a relative position to the reach, it will be understood that the bolster will be held by the stiffener at substantially right angles to the reach, thereby causing the wagon-body to remain in parallelism with the reach regardless of the movement of the front axle.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the front end of the stiffener is located on the upper side of the bolster, thus practically extending the bearing for the king-bolt formed by the stiffener and the reach.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 two rods let and 15 are shown extending forward from the bolt 5 in a direction oblique to the reach and having their front ends secured directly to the bolster by suitable means, such as bolts or nuts secured on the front ends of the rods. As this construction firmly holds the bolster both from a pivotal movement on the king-bolt and a rocking movement, it provides a construction equivalent to the other form shown, in that the bolster serves with the reach to form the extended bearing of the remaining structures, and for this reason the reach-stiffener in this form comprises the two bars and the bolster, combining to form the positive connection or auxiliary reach of the remaining forms, and it is to be understood that the term auxiliary reach includes each combined structure.

The advantages have been pointed out, and

are not therefore repeated at this point, excepting that by forming the extended bearing described and the means for preventing the pivotal movement the bolster is maintained in fixed relation to the reach, and thus prevents the load from having an effect on the king-bolt.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is In a vehicle running-gear, the combination with the front axle, reach, and bolster, )ivotally connected by the king-bolt, the bolster having an opening crossing the king-bolt openings, and sway-bars located on opposite sides of the reach, of a reach-stiffener, having a flattened front endfitting said opening and carried by the king-bolt, the rear end being secured to a fixed part of the running-gear, forming a rigid connection between the rear portion of the gear and the bolt, the upper sway-bar being located between said reach and reach-stiffener.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM B. STOVER.

Witnesses:

JAMEs DUSHANE, FRED Ross.

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