US717602A - Draw-bar spring for railway-cars. - Google Patents

Description

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DRAW BAR SPRING FOR RAILWAY CARS. APPLIOATIOE FILED NOV. 9, 1901.

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No. 717,602. PATENTEB JAN. 6, 1903.

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' DRAW BAR SPRING FOB/RAILWAY CARS.

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UNITED- STATES" PATENT ()FFIGE.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK "W. COOLBAUGH, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRAW-BAR SPRING FOR RAILWAY-CARS.-

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N0. 717,602, dated January 6, 1903.

Application filed November 9, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. OOoN'NoR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Easton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draw-Bar Springs for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lo draw-bar springs for railway-cars of all kinds.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved draw-bar spring which is simple in construction, not expensive, can easily be applied and easily varied in strength I5 of resistance according to the different requirements,and which also permits of increasing the resistance of the spring much beyond the capacity of the springs in use heretofore without increasing the spring-space in the draft-rigging or unduly enhancing ,the cost.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures, Figure 1 is a plan view of a draft-rigging provided with my improved '2 5 spring. Figs. 2, 3, audet show the different arrangements of the spring-plates between the followers.

The cheek-plates A are secured in the usual manner to the draft-sills B, to which are also attached the stops C for the rear follower D and the carry-irons E, upon which the follower travels. The follower is embraced by a yoke F, which at its front end is attached to a draw-bar G. The front follower Drests 5 against the front stops 0, attached to the draft-sills, as shown in Fig. 1.

My improved draw-bar spring consists of a series of segmentally-bent plates G, which are placed on edge between the cheek-plates B 0 and rest upon the carry-irons E, the springplates being so placed that the concave sides face the end of the car, and these springs are interposed between the frontand rear followers D and D. The tension or pull on the draw-bar and yoke moves the rear follower D toward the front follower D and tends to flatten out the steel spring-plates G, and as this tension or pull increases the spring-plates G are flattened more and more, and as soon as this pull on the draw-bar ceases the spring tension of these plates tends to bring them Serial No. 81,6 76. (No model.)

back into their normal positionsthat is, to curve them as theywere originally before beiug flattened by the pull. The plates behave in a like manner when subjected to a compression strain. In flattening out these spring-plates under the action of the pull or pressure strain of the draw-bar the friction between the plates is utilized in absorbing shock, and as this friction is very great it is evident that the springs have a much greater capacity than they would have if the friction could not be utilized for the purpose stated. Theplates G all have a slight initial compression when in the yoke. As shown in Fig. 1, all the spring-plates G have their concave faces in the same direction, and the springs nearest the connection between the draw-bar and yoke have a greater radius than the rear springs. For example, the first four plates in:Fig. 1 would have a radius of, say, fifteen and one-half inches, the next four plates a radius of eight and one-half inches, the next four a radius of six and one-half inches, and the last four a radius of five and one-half inches. In place of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 the springs may be arranged in groups, as shown in Fig. 2, and each group divided into two sections, each section composed of two or more plates G, the concave faces of the two sections being opposite each other-that is to say, the concave faces of one section facing in one direction and the concave faces of the other section facing in an opposite direction, as also shown in Fig. 2. There may be more plates G in one section than in the opposite section of the same group, and likewise there may be more or less plates in the corresponding sections of different groups. As shown in Fig. 3, there may be three groups of two sections each such as described above, and in like manner the capacity can readily be increased to avery great extent. As shown in Fig. 4,-the plates are also divided into groups, each group divided into two sections. In Fig. 4 the plates are substantially segmental in shape, the same as shown in Fig. 1, whereas in Figs. 2 and 3 the plates are flattened or straightened at the ends and between such flattened ends are curved segmentally or in a like manner. The spring-plates are in no way connected with each other, and the entire spring is composed of a greater or less number of independent spring-plates. These may be grouped in different ways and may have the same or a different number of plates in each group or in each section of a group, as stated, thus permitting of graduating this spring according to the uses to which it is to be put. Likewise they can also be grouped difierently in order to provide for a greater or less movement of the draw-bar.

When a spiral springsuch as, for example, the Master Car-Builders standard-is used and the spring is compressed to its full extentthat is, metal to metalthe cheek castings and draft-sills must absorb the shock, and this usually causes the breaking of some part. With my spring such coutactthat is, metal to metal-throughout the entire surfaces of the spring-plates is impossible, because even when the greatest requirement is reached or when the greatest pulling or compression strain is on the draw-bar the springplates will not be compressed to their full extent, but will still have curvature enough to resist and take up any shock Without transmitting any of this shock to the cheek-plates or draft-sills. As the plates G rest loosely upon each other and the edge part of each plate must slide on the face of the plate with which it is in contact while the plates are being flattened under the action of the pull or compression on the draw-bar, the friction between such plates at the contacting points is necessarily exceedingly great, and this friction usually absorbs the entire shock without calling to any great extent on the spring tension of the plates themselves, which thus nearly all is available to absorb and take up the pull or compression strain in the drawbar. It is evident that these plates may be of various dimensions; but I prefer to make them of such sizes that they will fit the present draft-rigging.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A spring for railway-car draft-rigging composed of a group of curved steel plates of the same size and of uniform thickness resting loosely on each other face to face, the plates having different radii of curvature from one end of the group to the other, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with cheek-plates and carry-irons, of a group of curved steel plates placed vertically on edge between the cheekplates and resting on the carry-irons, said plates being entirely disconnected and loosely in contact with each other, of a follower at each end of the group of plates, which followers rest loosely upon and are movable upon the carry-irons, a stop at each end of each cheek-plate outside of the followers, a yoke embracing the followers and spring-plates, and a draw-bar attached to one end of said yoke, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Easton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, this 29th day of October, A. D. 1901.

JOHN F. OOONNOR.

Witnesses:

H. T. BULKLEY, J OHN S. NOBLE.

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