US889862A - Car-fender. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

J. M. SMITH.

GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1907.

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No. 889,862. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908. J. M. SMITH.

CAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1907.

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JOSEPH M. SMITH, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO WORCESTER RAILWAY SUPPLY COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PORATION.

CAR-FENDER.

Application filed June 10, 1907.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrn M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at l/Vorcester, in the county of WVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful OarFender, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a car fender, the principal objects being to provide means where by when the fender is properly set for operation it may be swung very easily to effect ively accomplish the desired result to provide means whereby the frame which operates to pick up objects in front of the car will be resiliently held in position, preferably by the receiving net itself; to provide an improved form of releasing device for this frame; to provide improved means for supporting the frame and net; and in general to improve the construction of fenders in such a manner that they will occupy very little space when folded up and will be absolutely sure in operation, and to provide a construction whereby the fender will operate as such even after it has acted to throw a person or object into the net.

Reference is to,be had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the invention and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car showing a fender on the front and rear, one being set for operation and the other folded up. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fender on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the catch for holding the frame in set position, and Fig. 5 is a similar view of a catch for holding it in folded position.

In its preferred form the invention comprises a support on which the fending frame is pivotally mounted. This fending frame when set for operation extends down substantially to the ground so as to be automatically operated to swing upwardly when it comes in contact with an object and in this position it extends upwardly beyond its pivot and is held by a spring catch or the like.

The receiving net is made resilient and engages the fending frame in such a manner that when the catch is released the net itself will operate as a spring to force the frame upwardly about its pivot and throw the object into the net.

The catch is of such a nature that when slightly and then it automatically releases it so that the spring not can operate to turn the fending frame upwardly. This part of the device can be constructed in this manner even when some other kind of a spring than the net is used to turn the frame. In fact the device is preferably constructed with an additional spring for assisting in turning the fending frame.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the drawings. It will be seen that upon the end of the car is mounted a bracket 10 or the like on which is pivotally mounted a support 11 preferably comprising a pair of side bars connected by the tie rods 12 'or the like. This frame is adapted to support the rest of the apparatus at any desired height from the ground and is held up in any convenient manner as by means of a pair of chains 13 which pass throughlinks 14 on the support and are held in adjusted positions by means of lid-links 15. It will be seen that by the application of the id-links to any desired one of the links of the chain the height of the end of the support can be regulated at will, but obviously any other desired adjustable connection can be used at this point.

Near the outer ends the support is provided with a shaft 16 or the like which extends from one side of the same to the other. Secured to this shaft and turning therewith as on a pivot is a fending frame 20. 'This frame extends below the shaft when set in the position shown in Fig. 1 at the front of the car and also has a rearwardly' extending projection 21. In the position mentioned this projection 21 extends upwardly and a receiving net 22 with which the device is provided, is connected with this frame so as to extend over the top of the projection 21.

the device is set it holds it until it is sprung This receiving net is preferably resilient and when the fending frame is set in the position shown, the net is stretched so that the net itself exerts a force on the projection 21 to swing the frame up into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. It will be observed that the resiliency of the net operates on the fending frame only during the first part of its swinging motion, as shown in Fig. 2, for subsequently the resiliency of the net will no longer be exerted on the frame.

In order to provide means for constantly exerting tension on the frame to assist the A shown in full lines in Fig. 2.

0 eration of the net and even to take the p ace of it when the resilient net is not used,

have provided the shaft 16 with a pair of coiled springs 23, one on each end. Each of these springs is preferably contained in a box 24 secured on the support; one end of the spring being connected with the shaft and the other with a bolt 25. They operate in a well-known manner.

It is necessary to provide means whereby the fending frame 20 can be kept in position In order to accomplish this the shaft is provided with a wheel 26 thereon having a pair of notches 27 and 28. On the support is mounted a pawl 29 and a spring 30 is employed to normally force the pawl out of position for engagement in the notches 27 and 28. Now, it will be observed that when the frame 20 is turned down to such position that the pawl engages any one of these notches, the springs 22 and 23 will normally tend to turn the shaft in the other direction so as to bring the edge of the notch against the edge of the pawl and this will hold the parts in position. But if the fending frame meets any obstruction it will tend to turn the shaftslightly in the opposite direction and at the slightest turn the friction between the ed e of the notch and the end of the pawl wil disappear so that the spring 30 will be free to force the pawl outwardly. This action will take place immediately and then the recoil of the springs 23 and net 22 will operate the fender. By having two notches 27 and 28, the fender can be set in' two different positions so as to avoid adjusting the height of the support 11. I The relative resiliency of the springs is such that when the device is tripped in this way all of the springs are active and the object with which the fender comes in contact with will be thrown into the net, the fending frame taking the upper position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

When it is desired to fold up the fender as is indicated at the rear of the car shown in Fig. 1, the pawl 29 is disengaged and the fender turned upwardly as is indicated, a hook 31 on the car engaging the shaft 16. If after the fender is folded up in this way, it is desired to turn it down to operative position, the frame 20 is fixed to the support in such a manner that it will not move down into operative position until that may be desired. In

order to accomplish this, the shaft 16 is pro-' vided with another wheel 32, having two notches 33 for receiving a lug 34 on a spring 35 which is carried by the support. This spring projects to the front of the support so t at it may easily be tripped to allow the frame to be moved down to operative position.

It is to be observed that when the fender frame has been operated to throw an object into the net, it assumes the vertical position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and the end 21 extends downwardly acting as a fender, so

that the car cannot pass over another object on the track. It is held in this position by the lug 34 engaging the second notch '33 in the wheel 32. on an axis intermediate of its ends an important additional safety device is provided whereby, if for any reason the person or object on the track is not thrown into the net, or if there are others in the way, they will not be run over. The lower end of the fender frame preferably is provided with a cushion 40.

It will be understood that although the combination of the spring net 22 with the end springs 23 is an important part of this invention, either one may be used without the other and certain advantages of the invention will still be secured. Furthermore, they may be used singly or with other forms of trip mechanism shown in Fig. 4 and this trip mechanism may be used with other forms of springs. The manner of supporting and adjusting the height of the fender frame is also capable of many variations.

Although I have illustrated and described a particular form of the invention, I am aware that many modifications may be made by a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular form shown, but

What I do claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. In a car fender, the combination of a swinging frame, resilient means for swinging the frame about a pivot in one direction, movable means for preventing the frame from so swinging, and resilient means for disengaging the movable means when the frame is to be swung in the reverse direction.

2. In a car fender, the combination of a shaft, a fending frame mounted thereon, resilient means for swinging the frame and shaft about the axis of the shaft, a wheel mounted on the shaft having a notch therein, a pawl for engaging said notch, and a spring normally tending to force the pawl out of the notch.

3. In a car fender, the combination of a support, a shaft journaled thereon, a fending frame carried by the shaft, a spring secured to said shaft and wound around it, the opposite end of the spring being connected with the support, said spring tending to rotate the shaft, a wheel on the shaft having a plurality of notches therein, a pawl pivoted on the support for engaging said notches, and a spring mounted on the support and adapted to force said pawl out of the notches to enable the first named spring to rotate the shaft.

4. In a car fender, the combination of a swinging frame, a resilient net connected with said frame and tending to swing the Thus by mounting the frame frame about its pivot in one direction, a wheel havin a notch in its periphery and movable wit the frame, a pawl engaging said notch, and a spring for forcing the pawl out of the notch.

5. In a fender, the combination of a swing ing frame, a resilient net connected with the frame and tending to swing the frame about its pivot in one direction, movable means for preventing the frame from so swinging, and resilient means for disengaging the movable means when the frame is to be swung in the reverse direction.

6. In a car fender, the combination of a shaft, a fending frame mounted thereon at a point intermediate of its ends, means for normally holding the shaft in a certain position, and a resilient net connected with the front of said frame and extending over the part projecting upwardly from the shaft so as normally to tend to swing the lower part of said frame upwardly about its pivot.

7. In a car fender, the combination of a swinging fender frame, and a net having one end secured and the other end passing over said fender frame and tending to swing the same upwardly.

8. In a car fender, the combination ofa movable fender frame, and a resilient receiving net connected with the frame to move it upwardly by its recoil.

9. Ina car fender, the combination of a support, a shaft ournaled thereon, a fender frame secured to said shaft and extending up wardly therefrom when in operative position, and a resilient net having one end secured in stationary position and the other end passing over the upwardly extending end of said fender frame and secured to the same at a point only with which it is pivoted, whereby said net will tend to swing the frame upwardly about its axis.

10. In a car fender, the combination of a support, a shaft j ournaled thereon, a fender frame secured to the shaft and extending in both directions therefrom, resilient net passing over the top of said fender frame and secured thereto at a point near the shaft, and aspring coiled about the end. of said shaft, said spring and net both tending to swing the fender frame upwardly.

11. In a car fender, the combination of a support, a shaft ournaled thereon, a fender frame secured to the shaft and extending in both directions therefrom, a resilient net passing over the top of said fender frame and secured thereto at a point near the shaft, a spring coiled about the end of said shaft, said spring and net both tending to swing the fender frame upwardly, and readily adj ustable means for holding the fender frame against the resiliency of said springs.

12. In a car fender, the combination of a support, a shaft journaled thereon, a fender frame secured to the shaft and extending in both directions therefrom, a resilient net passing over the top of said fender frame and secured thereto at a point near the shaft, a

spring coiled about the end of said shaft, said spring and net both tending to swing the fender frame upwardly, said fender frame being foldable into position nearly parallel with said support, a wheel mounted on said shaft, and a spring having means for holding said wheel and shaft in folded position.

13. In a car fender, the combination of a bracket adapted to be fixed to a car, a support pivoted to said bracket, adjustable means for holding said support, a shaft journaled on said support, a fender frame secured to said shaft, resilient means for swinging said fender frame upwardly, a pair of wheels on said shaft each having notches, a spring having a lug for engaging one of said notches to hold the fender frame in folded position, and a pawl for engaging a notch in the other wheel to hold the frame in set position.

14. In a car fender, the combination of a support, a swinging fender frame mounted thereon and projecting above its point of support, and a net engaging the upwardly projecting part for assisting in swinging said frame to cast an object into the net and to turn the frame so as to project said upwardly projecting portion of the frame into substantially vertical position below the support, whereby it will act as a fender after the frame is operated. Y

15. A car fender comprising a pivoted frame projecting to different distances in opposite directions from its point of pivotal support and adapted to swing when operated into such position that the upper and shorter part of the frame will project substantially vertically below the pivotal support.

16. A car fender comprising a swinging frame projecting in opposite directions from its point of pivotal support and adapted to swing, when operated, into such position that the upper part of the frame will project substantially vertically below the point of pivotal support and act as a fender and having means for looking it in inverted position.

17. A car fender having a fending frame adapted to be set to pick up objects in front of the same and having means fixed with respect to said fending frame and extending toward the ground to act as a fender after said frame has been operated.

18. A car fender comprising a frame mounted to swing through an arc of substantially 180 degrees on an axis located between its ends and having means for looking it in inverted position.

19. A car fender comprising a swinging frame projecting beyond its point of pivotal support a distance less than the distance of the end of the frame from said support, said projecting part constituting a lever by which the swinging of the frame may be assisted and being adapted to occupy a position below the point of pivotal support when the fender is operated.

20 A car fender comprising a frame mounted to swing on an axis located between its ends but nearer one end than the other, and means for stopping the swinging motion of said frame in such position that 10 the shorter end of the frame will assume a vertical position when the fender has been operated.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH M. SMITH.

Witnesses:

ALBERT E. FAY, C. FoRREsT WESSON.

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