US683236A - Draft-rigging for cars. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Sept. 24, |90I.

` M. wAue-H.

DRAFT BIGGlNG FR GARS.

(Appliceion med Feb. 1e. 1901.1

(No Medel.)

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

JAMES MILTON wAUcI-I, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-Blooms FOR CARS.

SJEJEIGI,FICAT1C!1\lr forming' part of Letters Patent No. 683,236, dated September 24, 190.1. Applicatin filed February 16| 1901. Serial No. 47,663. (No model.)

Be it known that I, JAMES' MILTON WAUGH, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging for Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had `to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to coupling devices for railway-cars, and more especially to the connections between the draft-bar, followerplates, and draft-sills, by means of which a cushioned graduated resistance to the shocks of coupling and usage is obtained.

The invention relates more especially to the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure lis a plan View showing the end portions of the draft-sills and the end cross-sill of a car with the Iioor removed and parts broken away, said car being tted with adraft-rigging embodying the salient features of my invention. Fig. 2is a view in detail, partially in section and partially in elevation, of a draw bar, l yoke, springs, follower-plates, and draft-irons of said rigging. Fig. 3 is a view in detail of a draft-iron plate. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 2, showing the engagement of the springs and follower-plates with the draftiron plates and draw-bar yoke.

Referring to the drawings,A A represent the end portions of the draft-sills of an ordinary car, the car-Iiooring being removed to show the same. Said sills carry at their outer ends a cross-sill B, provided, as usual, with deadwoods C. A draw-bari) is located centrally between the draft-sills A, its outer or draw head D being supported below the end sillB by a stirrup-iron (not shown) in the usual manner. The inner end d of the draw-bar is secured to a yoke F, said yoke, as herein shown, being formed of a piece of strap-steel folded between its ends, which are made to overlap the inner end of the draw-bar D and are secured thereto by bolts j', which pass throughsaid yoke end and draw-bar ends. A coiled spiral spring G is located between the draft-sills and between the arms of the yoke, being held against vertical displacement by said arms. At each end of the spring G is located a set of transversely-arranged springsteel follower-plates, the followerplates constituting the set at the outer or forward end of the spring G being indica-ted by the letters I, I', and t and those of the set at the inner or rear end of the said spring Gbeing indicated by I2, I5, and i. The draft-sills are provided with outer forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders h hl, adapted for engagement therewith of the exterior straight follower-plates I and I2, and also with inner or intermediate forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders h2 h3, located in position for contact with the ends of the straight followerplates I and I3. As herein shown, said shoulders are formed on draft-irons H H, attached to the inner faces of the draft-sills. Said draft-irons may be of any convenient pattern, but are shown in the drawings as having the form of ribbed and flanged plates, which are secured by bolts and mortises to the inner faces of the draft-sills A. Said plates H are each provided with an upper horizontal flange hf and with vertical ribs h5 h6, which form recesses on the inner faces of said plates and the side faces of which constitute the shoulders 71,1%, 71,2, and h3. Horizontal bars h7 are removably secured along the lower margins of said plates by bolts or other suitable means and form horizontal supportingsurfaces at the bottoms of said recesses. Said draft-irons, as herein shown, are similar to those described in Letters Patent No. 439,751, for draw-bar attachments, issued June 27, 1393, to James A. Hinson, and are not claimed as a feature of this invention. The springsteel follower-plate I is straight or flat and extends between the arms of the yoke F, so as to bear at its middle portion against the perpendicular face of the end d of t-he drawbar D. The ends of said follower-plate project beyo'nd the margins of the yoke-arms and are adapted to engage the rearwardlyfacing shoulders h, formed by the outer perpendicular ribs h5 of the draft-irons H. A similar follower-plate I is likewise located in the yoke so as to bear with its middle portion against the outer end of the spiral spring G, with its ends extending into position to engage the forwardly-facing shoulders h2 on IOC the intermediate ribs h6. Between the two.

follower-plates I I are located two or more steel follower-plates t', which are of curvedV scribed, is positioned so as to bear at its cen-- tral portion against the bent or vertical portion of the yoke F andvwith its projecting ends in position to engage the forwardlyfacing shoulders h on the ribs h5 of the draftirons. that its central portion bears against the inner end of the coiled spring G or that nearer the bent portion of the yoke, and its ends project into the recesses of the draft-iron in position to engage the rearwardly-facing shoulder on the innermost rib h6 of the same. The curved follower-plates t" are inserted between the follower-plates I2 13, their crowning faces bearing against the tlat followerplate I2, which abuts against the inner end of the coiled` spring G, and their outer ends abutting against the other follower-plate 13. By this arrangement the inner or yoke end of the draw-bar is held in alinement with the center line of the car, while allowed longitudinal movement through the yielding of the spring G and the spring follower-plates.

The action of the device is as follows: When the draw-bar D is forced toward the center of the car by the shock of coupling, its end thrust is conveyed through the flat followerplate l, the curved plates t', the inner follower-plate 1, the spiral spring G, the plate 13, and the curved plates t" to the flat followerplate l2 and thence to the forwardly-facing shoulders h. If the pressure increases until the spiral spring G is compressed to its limit, then the front plate I will be bent inwardly toward the curved plates i and finally brought into contact with the same, the said curved plates t' being at the same time slightly straightened by reason of the pressure on their ends of said flat plate l. At the same time the rear curved plates t between the follower-plates 12,13; will be more or less iiattened, and if the pressure be suiciently great they will finally bear throughout their entire length against the rear followerplate 12. Moreover, when the spiral spring has been compressed to its limit of compression the flat plate I will be brought into contact at its ends with the forwardly-facing intermediate shoulders h2, and said plate I' will be bent into curved form at the same time that the rear curved plates c" are being straightened, so that the .inward movement of the draw-bar is at this time resisted by the combined action of said curved plates il and the straight plate I. Should the shock be so great as not to be completely absorbed or The follower-plate I3 is also so placed* overcome by the compression of the spring G and flattening f saidcurved plates vl' and curving of the'iiat plate I', the saidiiat plate l will be brought into contact at its ends with the forward curved plates t', and the straight plate 13 willalso be brought into contact at its ends with the ends of the then Vstraightcned curved plates i', so that further inward movement of the draw-bar will be resisted by all of the platesof both sets, which, however, being resilient, will afford a slightly-yielding resistance to prevent undue shock or jar when resisting the greatesty pressure to which they may be subjected. From the above it will be seen that a graduated spring resistance is obtained in o'pposition to the shock of coupling, which increases until the shock is completel y absorbed or else gradually transmitted to the draft-sills. Manifestly, the straight plate I2 and all of said straight plates act to prevent the bending or yielding of the curved plates to such an extent as to reverse their curvature, which would tend to break them, the straight plates acting to give the required slight cushioning effect when the curved plates have been straightened under a maximum pressure. It is obvious that a sudden pull, such as commonly arises in the middle of the train when passing over the top' of a grade, will also be gradually taken up and conveyed to the draft-sills of the car in a similar manner, the follower-plates coming i into action in reverse order to that described above. It will also be understood that any number of curved spring-plates may beinserted between the flat follower-plates, and as the coiled spring G and the spring-plates may i be graduated to receive any pressure it follows that a cushioned resistance may be ob- .tained suitable for any conditions arising in practice. When a single spring is used ora `series of springs which are brought simultaneously into action, the modulus of elasticity thereof is practically constantthat is, j the power of-y the spring or springs to overcome the compressing 'orce does not increase as the spring is compressed. As a consequence a power greater than the resistance of the spring or springs merely brings about full compression, and the excess force is transmitted abruptly to the device which retains the spring or springs, and thence to the draftsills, with a shock which is extremely dangerous to the parts. By the use of the device herein described this excess shock is taken up gradually, more and more springs being brought into action and a cumulative resistance being afforded, which increases under ordinary conditions of use until all excess shocks are either completely absorbed or else gradually transmitted to the rigid connections. For instance, the coiled spring G as commonly adjusted is capable of taking up the thrust of, say, twenty thousand pounds before complete compression takes place. If a shock of fifty or sixty thousand pounds be imparted to it, as by a sudden stop or taking IIO ceases up of slack in a train due to changes of grade, it is plain that an excess of force of thirty or forty thousand pounds is abruptly communicated through the completely compressed spring to its rigid connections, which thereby are frequently fractured or otherwise permanently injured. By the interposition of the dat follower-plates separated by the curved follower-plates between this coiled spring and the draft-sill connections a cushioned resistance is obtained,which gradually increases in proportion to this excess force and which prevents any sudden shock or blow upon the draft-sills and draft-iron fastening, so that a minimum of breakage and wear ensues. In other words, a spring resistance is obtained to all strains which are imparted to the drawbars, which increases gradually until said strains are completely absorbed or else as gradually communicated to the draft-sills. It also follows that the recoil of a combination of spring elements such as is herein shown, where successively-acting members each have a different extent of movement, must be in great part overcome. The flat or straight plates on release from pressure move a very short distance and give only a small forward impetus to the moving parts in the recoil, and as the curved plates, which have a greater movement in the recoil, act with much less force than the combined plates they do not throw the parts forward with such violence in the concluding part of their recoil movement as would all of the plates acting together.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited to the specific features of construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my inventionl. A draft-rigging comprising draft-sills provided with opposite shoulders, a draw-bar, a coiled draw-bar spring, a straight followerplate engaged at its middle with the draw-bar and adapted for contact at its ends with said shoulders, and a curved follower-plate interposed between the said flat plate and the end of the said coiled spring.

2. A draft-rigging comprising draft-sills provided with opposite forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders, a draw-bar, a coiled draw-bar spring, two straight follower-plates which engage the draw-bar and are adapted to bear against the said shoulders, and curved follower-plates interposed between the ends of the coiled spring and the said straight follower-plates.

3. A draft-rigging comprising draft-sills provided with opposite shoulders, a draw-bar, a straight follower-plate, the ends of which are located in position to engage the said shoulders, a second straight follower-plate located in contact with the end of said coiled spring and one or more curved follower-plates interposed between the said straight followerplates. i

4. A draft-rigging comprising draft-sills provided with forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders, a draw-bar, a coiled draw-bar spring, and two sets of spring follower-plates interposed between the draw-bar and the ends of the said coiled spring, each of said sets of plates embracing a dat follower-plate located in contact with the draw-bar,- with its ends in position to engage the shoulders on the draft-sill, a second hat follower-plate located in contact with the end of the coiled spring, and curved followerplates interposed be- 1 tween said straight follower-plates.

5. A draft-rigging comprising draft-sills provided with outer and. intermediate forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders, a draw-bar, a coiled draw-bar spring, and two sets of spring follower-plates, each set comprising two fiat plates and a curved plate or plates interposed between said dat plates, the outer flat plate of each set being adapted for contact with the outer shoulders of the draftsills, and tne inner dat plate of each set be ing adapted for contact at their ends with the intermediate shoulders on the draft-sills.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aiiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 14th day of February, A. D. 1901.

JAMES MILTON WAUGH.

Witnesses:

C. CLARENCE POOLE, WILLIAM L. HALL.

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