US781716A - Pneumatic car-buffer. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTBD FEB. 7, 1905.

W. W. DENNIS.

PNEUMATIG CAR BUFFER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 2z. 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented February 7, 1905.

WILLIAM W. DENNIS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

PNEUMATIC CAR-BUFFER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,716, dated February 7, 1905. Application filed April 22, 1904. Serial No. 204,389.

To /tZ/ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM W. DENNIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Norwood, Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Car-Buffers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides a special construction of buffer for use particularly on railwaycars or in similar adaptations for absorbing and reducing the vibration, shock, or jar consequent to the starting and stopping of a train and caused by bu mping of the cars one against the other.

The buffer consists, preferably, of pneumatic cushion means coperating with a piston or the like which carries the coupling devices lto azcolnplish the desired results above outine For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowld edge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawings.

While the essential and characteristic features ofthe invention are susceptible of modiiication, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a buffer embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a broken view showing more clearly the arrangement of the inlet and outlet pipes leading into the cylinder, said view being partially in section. Fig. 3 isa vertical sectional view showing more clearly the construction of the puppet-valve carried by the secondary air-pipe which cornrnunicates with the cylinder. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the somewhat-modified construction of puppet-valve utilized to govern the outlet by which the air in the cylinder is permitted to pass therefrom. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View, partially broken away, taken about on a line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Generally describing my invention, the same consists of an air-cylinder 1, which is suitably mounted upon the under side of a car-body 2, in which is located the piston 3. Air is admitted into the cylinder 1 through a `main supply-pipe 4, which leads from a suitable compnessed-air reservoir, and the amount of air admitted into the cylinder is controlled by suitable valve means adapted to be operated bytheengineerofthetrain. Themainsupplypipe 4 leads into the cylinder at a suitable point between the ends of the latter, and a checkvalve is disposed in the length of the pipe 4 at a point adjacent the cylinder 1 aforesaid. My invention embodies also a peculiar arrangement of air-pipes by which the air is admitted into and conducted from the cylinder l and peculiar valve means for governing the admission and outflow of the air in a manner which will be described more fully hereinafter.

It is designed to utilize any suitable form of coupler in connection with my buffer, and this coupler (designated 5 in the drawings) is preferably carried by the piston-rod 6 of the piston 3, so thatin the bumping of the cars as the train starts and stops the jar received by the coupling means will be directly taken up by means of my pneumatic buffer. The secondary air-pipe 7 is mounted upon the cylinder, being provided with a branch outlet-pipe 7a and a branch inlet-pipe 7b. VThe pipe 7 is merely a conducting-pipe through which the air which has been admitted into the cylinder 1 through the main supply-pipe 4 may pass from one end of the cylinder to the other end thereof, or, in other words, from one side of the piston 3 to the other side thereof. A puppet-valve 8 is disposed in the length of the branch pipe 7", its valve-plug 8*x being mounted in a casing 9 and normally remaining seated against a valve-seat 10, provided in said casing. The valve 8 is normally held closed,so as to prevent the air admitted into the cylinder 1 from escaping therefrom until this is compressed to such an extent as to cause automatic opening of the valve 8, andthe compression of the air in the cylinder, which causes opening Aof the valve 8, is of course due to the butiing movement of the piston 3. Projected from IOO the valve-plug 88L are guide-rods 11, which latter are rigidly mounted upon the said plug, being adapted to carry an adjustable plate 12. A spring is interposed between the plate 12 and the valve-plug 8, and this spring normally tends to hold the valve closed until the tension thereof has been overcome due to increase in pressure of the air within the cylinder 1 as caused by movement of the piston 3. The supporting-plate 12 is held rigidly at an ascertainedI adjustment by means of an adjusting member 13, the latter being a screw member of any suitable type. The supporting-plate 12 is prevented from displacement from the guide-rods 11 by heads 14, provided upon said rods 11. Owing to the adjustability of the tension of the spring 15, it will be noted that the valve 8 may be caused to unseat at different degrees of pressure ofthe air within the cylinder 1, so as to admit of outflow of this air through the secondary air-pipe 7 and back into the cylinder through the branch pipe 7". A check-'valve 16 is carried by the secondary air -pipe 7, so as to prevent backdescribed.

ilow of the air in the cylinder 1 through the said secondary pipe 7. An outlet-pipe 17 leads from the end of the cylinder 1 opposite to that adjacent which the outlet branch pipe 7FL is located, and a puppet-valve 18 governs the egress of the air from the cylinder 1 through the pipe 17. The puppet-valve 18 is of a form similar to the valve 8, before described, also having a valve-plug 8a mounted in a valve-casing 9 and provided with guiderods 11. This valve -is spring-operated and is 'adapted to open at varied heights in the pressure of the air within the cylinder 1 by means of adjustment of the spring 15 adjacent thereto, which spring is operated upon by members 12 and-13, which have been'before The air, however, which passes the puppet-valve 18 escapes from the valvecasing 9 thereof through outlet-openings 19 in the lower end ofsaid casing. The adjustable members 13, /which cooperate with the tension-adjustingplates 12, are mounted in tubular members 20, suitably disposed at the lower portions of thevalve-casings 9, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and ready access may be had .for adjustment of the, member 13, which cooperates with the puppet-'valve 8, by removal of fa' screw-cap 21, which normally houses the said member. The adjusting members 13 are provided with finger-pieces 22l at. their lower ends, by which said members may be properly manipulated. The adjusting member 13 of the puppet-valve 18 has its lower end exposed and not housed by any parts as described with reference to the adjusting member 13 of the puppet-valve` 8.

1n the practical operation of my invention preparatory to stopping the train the engineer or other operatoryas the case may be, by operation of proper mechanism admits air into the cylinder -1 through the main supplypipe 4, this air passing into the' end of the cylinder designated b, as illustrated in the drawings. The air cannot pass back through the supply-pipe 4 owing to the operation ot' a suitable check-valve 23, and it may be here said that it is designed to utilize any suitable form of check-valve in connection with my invention. As the tra-in slackens in speed the bumping movement of the cars causes actuation of the piston toward one end ot' the cylinder-namely, that indicated by the letter band the airin the cylinder forms a cushion for the piston in a'manner which will be readily comprehended. As the piston 3 is gradually. forced toward the end b of the cylinder 1 in the above movement the air in the piston is compressed until the pressure thereof causes the puppet-valve 8 to open, thereby admitting of passage of this air through the secondary air-pipe 7 in the other end of the cylinder, which for purposes of this description is indicated at a. The airwhich passes the puppet-valve v8 into the end a of the cylinder is prevented from passing back from the. secondary air-pipe 7 by the checkvalve 16 adjacent the branch inlet-pipe 7b. When the piston 3 nears the end b ofthe cylinder 1, same closes the outlet-pipe 7 when said piston reaches an ascertained point in its movement, a suiiicient amount of air remaining in the end b of the cylinder, however, to form an eicient cushion therefor to receive the jar of the sudden stopping ofthe train.

As the train starts, the piston 3 begins to move, because of the coupler connections with the piston-rod 6, toward the end a of the cylinder 1, gradually compressing the air in this end of the cylinder. When the pressure of the air in the end a of the cylinder 1 reaches an ascertained height in the starting movement of the train` the puppet-valve 18 opens so as to gradually admit of ,escape of the air from the cylinder through the outlet-pipe 17 and openings 19. When the piston rin its last-described movement reaches a point adjacent the end a of the easing, so as to close the entrance to the outlet-pipe 17 the remaining air is prevented from passing olf through this pipe 17 and constitutes acushion or buffer, as will be readily seen.

In order to limit the movement-of the piston and prevent likelihood olsthe shock of the cars being received by the cylinder-heads of vthe cylinder 1, the pistoni-rod 6 is provided in its length with stop members in the formof anges 24, andthese members cooperate with a 'rigid hanger 25 to limit the longitudinal movement of the piston 3 and prevent contact of this piston with the. heads ofthe cylinder 1, above mentioned. 1n order to prevent turning movement of `the coupler 5, the pistonrod 6 is preferably squared in its length, passing through a squared opening in the hanger IOO IIS

25. The coupler 5 of one car is thus always held in a position ready to engage the coupler carried by the other car. It is designed that a l tion of a cylinder, a piston movable in said single pneumatic buffer be used at one end of each lar, and the buffer, as above set forth, efi'ectually absorbs the motion and deadens the shock arising, thus lengthening the life of the cars, as well as the couplers used thereon. The

cylinder, a piston-rod, a coupler mounted on said piston-rod, a main supply-pipe leading' length of the stroke of the piston would not be much, but will be varied somewhat found best, and the amount of air always coniined in the cylinder will of course be determined by the distance between the ends of the cylinder, and the outlet-pipes 7"l and 17 will lead therefrom.

Having thus -described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a pneumatic. ear-buffer, the combination of a cylinder, a piston operating in said cylinder, a piston-rod adapted to reeeivea buffingl shock, a main supply-pipe leading into the cylinder, a secondary pipe leading from a point adjacent one end of the cylinder into the cylinder at a point adjacent the opposite end thereof, a puppet-valve controlling the passage of a pressure medium through the secondary pipe aforesaid, and a second puppetvalve governing the escape of the pressure medium from the cylinder.

2. ln a pneumatic car-buffer, the combination of a cylinder, a piston movable therein, a piston-rod, a coupling or buliing member carried by said piston-rod, a main pipe for supplying a pressure medium to the cylinder, a secondary pipe or passage-way for conducting the pressure medium from one side of the piston to the other, and valve means governing the outiiow of the pressure medium from the cylinder.

3. In a pneumatic car-buffer, the combination ofa cylinder, a piston, a piston-rod,acoup lingor builingmember disposed upon said rod, a main supply-pipe for conveying a pressure medium into the cylinder, a secondary' pipe for conducting' the pressure medium from one side of the piston to the other, puppet and check valves in the length of the secondary pipe aforesaid, an outlet-pipe leading from the cylin( ler,and valve means governing egress of the pressure medium through the outletpipe.

-L ln a pneumatic car-buffer, the combination of a cylinder, a piston movable therein, a piston-rod extending from the piston and carrying' a car-coupler or similar parts, a main supply-pipe for conductinga pressure medium into the cylinder, a,secondary pipe having outlet and inlet branches communicating with the cylinder, a puppet-valve governing the passage of the pressure medium through the outlet branch of the secondary pipe aforesaid, a check-valve disposed in the length of said secondary pipe, an outlet-pipe leading from the cylinder, and a puppet-valve governing the outliow of the pressure medium through the outlet-pipe aforesaid.

5. In a pneumatic car-buffer, the combinainto the cylinder at a point between the ends thereof, a secondary pipe having outlet and inlet pipes leading' into the cylinder, a puppet-valve governing the outlet of the pressure medium through the outlet-pipe of the secondary pipe aforesaid, a check-valve carried by the secondary pipe, an outlet-pipe to admit of escape of the pressure medium from the cylinder, and valve means governing the egress of the pressure medium through the outlet-pipe aforesaid.

6. In a 'pneumatic car-buffer, the combination of a cylinder, a piston movable therein, a piston-rod, a coupler carried by the pistonrod, a main supply-pipe having a pressure medium leading into the cylinder at a point between the ends thereof, a secondary pipe provided with a branch outlet-pipe leading' into the cylinder adjacent one end thereof and having an inlet-pipe leading into the cylinder valve disposed in the length of the branch outlet-pipe, a check-valve carried by the secondary pipe, and an outlet-pipe leading from the end of the cylinder opposite that adjacent which the branch outlet-pipe aforesaid is disposed.

7. In a pneumatic car-buffer, the combination of a cylinder, a piston disposed in said cylinder, means for supplying'a pressure medium to the cylinder, means for conducting' the pressure medium from one end of the cylinder to the other and from one side of the piston to the other, a piston-rod carried by the piston, and means for limiting' the movement of the piston-rod independently of the cylinder.

8. In a pneumatic car-buffer, the combination of a cylinder, a. piston disposed in said cylinder, means for supplying' a pressure medium to the cylinder, means for conducting' the pressure medium from one end of the cylinder to the other and from one side of the piston to the other. a piston-rod carried by the piston, and stop means carried by the piston-rod and limiting the movement thereof.

9. In a pneumatic car-buffer, the combination of a cylinder, a piston disposed in said cylinder, means for supplying a pressure medium to the cylinder, means for'conducting' the pressure medium from one end of the cylinder to the other and from one side of the piston to the other, a piston-rod carried by the piston, and stop members projected from the piston-rod and adapted to limit the movement yof the said piston-rod.

10. 1n a pneumatic car-buffer, the combination of a support, a cylinder, a piston mounted in said cylinder, a piston-rod, a coupler disposed upon the piston-rod, means for supplying' a pressure medium to the cylinder, means for governing the outow of the pressure rne- IOO ISO

dium from the Cylinder, a rigid hanger carried i medium from the cylinder, spring means for bythe support aforesaid, and stopmembers normally holding the puppet-valves closed, projected from the piston-rod and Cooperating means for adjusting the tension of the spring with said rigid hanger to limit the movement and means aforesaid for the purpose set forth. I5

of the piston-rod and piston. In testimony whereof Iaix mysignature in l1. In apneumatic car-buffer, the oolnbinapresence of two witnesses.

tion of a cylinder, a piston movable therein,i ,ILLIAM W. DENNIS YL SJ a piston-rod, a oouplmg or bung memhel carried by the piston-rod, means for supply- Witnesses:

ing a pressure medium to the cylinder, pup- ORA B. KIBBY,

pet-valves governing the egress of the pressure i HoM ER HENDRIXsoN.

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