US947260A - Car-fender. - Google Patents

Description

J Q RAKOUSKY.

OAR FENDER. 4APPLICATION FILED MAB. 16, V1909.

PattedJan. 25, 1,91.l y

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J. RAKOUSKY. GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED 1413.16, 1909. l 947,260. Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

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JOSEPH RAKOUSKY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-FENDER.

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

Application filed March 16, 1909. Serial No. 483,723.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itA known that I, JOSEPH RAKoUsKY, citizen of Austria, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

and useful improvements in fenders for use on cars or other vehicles, and the invention has for its object animproved device of this character consisting essentially of a tiltin fender frame which is normally maintained in raised position and is susceptible of being released in a peculiar manner by and upon impact with an object upon the track, so as to admit of the frame swinging downwardlyT into closer proximity to the track to preclude possibility of passing over the Object struck, the fender being also arranged for yielding contact with the object, in order to reduce to a minimum the liability of injuring the same.

With this and other objects in view that will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in'l certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and to acquire a knowledge of the details of construct-ion, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is' a perspective view illustrating the application of my improved car fender; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; and, Fig. 3 is a side elevation, the frame being shown in dotted lines in tipped position.

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

My improved fender is illustrated as applied to the front platform 1 of a car of conventional form. Bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the front of the car in transversely spaced relation are two brackets 2 to which are pivotally connected longitudinally and forwardly disposed hanger arms 3, the latter being adapted to support the fender frame interposed therebetween. This fender frame comprises front and rear parallel cross bars 4L which are connected by rearwardly convergent side bars 5, a plurality oflongitudinal strips 6 being preferably applied to the frame and having their forward ends curved downwardly about the y front cross bar 4C, while their rear ends'are This invention comprehends certain new upturned beyond the rear cross bar, as indicated at 7 and constitute an abutment `to hold an object deposited upon lthe frame against rearward movement. In the present instance, this fender frame is designed to be mounted to turn about an intermediate transverse axis, and for this purpose I equip each -of the side bars 5 at corresponding intermediatepoints with bearings 8 in which is journaled a transverse shaft 9 that issupported at its ends in bearings 10 provided at the extremities of the hanger arms 3. Two controlling chains l1 are secured to the opposite ends of this s haft and are arranged for adjustable engagement with hooks l2 or the like disposed, upon the front of the car, thereby admitting of the swinging hanger arms 3 being supportedl in different positions to Vregulate the height of the fender frame above the track. Attention isfalso particularly directed to the fact that the shaft 9 is connected to the fender fra1nenearer -the rear end thereof, so that the frame normally tends to tip bygravity to admit of the forward portion thereof swinging downwardly in closer proximity to the track to preclude possibility of the car passing over the object. The rear portion of the frame, of course, swings upwardly upon this tipping movement thereof, and such movement is preferably limited through the instrumentality of a stop chain 13 connected to the rear cross bar t `and an adjacent portion of the front of the car.

At the rear end of the fender frame the samey is preferably provided with one or more outstanding ears or lugs 14:, that, 1n the present instance, are constituted by the projecting extremities of the side bars 5 and that are designed to be normally engaged by a keeper bar 15 in order to maintain the frame with its forward portionraised and against the aforementioned tipping movement. The keeper bar 15 is disposed transversely rjust at the rear of the frame yand I.has its opposite ends vconnected to two longitudinally extending connecting rods 16,

which are mounted in bearings 17 provided on the hanger arms 3 and which are normally slid forwardly in the bearings under the influence oftension springs 18 in order to maintain the keeper bar in engagement with the lugs. At their forward ends the connecting rods project beyond the hanger arms and extend across the respective forward corners of the frame and terminate beyond the same with a transverse buffer 19 rigidly secured thereto, the buffer being thus supported in front of t-he other parts of the fender in order to impact with an object in event of a collision. The buffer, connecting rods and keeper bar constitute a substantially rectangular trip frame which serves to control the movement of the fender frame.

In the practical use of a fender constructed in accordance with my invention, when the car encounters a person or other obstruction upon the track, the buffer 19 is impacted therewith, it being noted however, that the force of the blow is not likely to be dangerous, inasmuch as the buffer is susceptible of yielding rearwardly. This rearward movement slides the connecting rods 16 through the bearings 17 and against the tension springs 18,so as to edect the disengagement of the keeper bar 15 from the outstanding lugs 14. After the keeper bar has been moved out of such engagement, it is to be observed that the rearward movement of the same together with the connecting rods and the buffer, is limited by the keeper bar abutting against the brackets 2. Upon the release of the fender frame the latter tips by gravity, so as to turn about the shaft 9 to lower the forward portion of the frame into closer proximity to the track to prevent the object from being rolled beneath the wheels, while the rear portion of the frame is swung upwardly as much as is permitted by the stop chain 13. IVhen the continued forward movement of the car causes the person to topple over upon the fender, the majority of the'weight is deposited upon the rear portion of the fender frame, which is thereby swung downwardly, so as to break the force of the fall and also turn the frame about the shaft in a reverse direction to raise the forward portion above the track. This movement of the fender frame in the reverse direction is limited by the connecting rods 16 which extend over the forward corners employed upon street railway cars or other vehicles; which is entirely automatic in action and is adapted to be positively lowered to prevent passing over an object struck; which is arranged for yielding contact with an obstruction, and which possesses certain other advantages that will become at once apparent to-those familiar with devices of this character.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In a fender, the combination of adjustable hanger arms, a swinging frame pivotally connected to the hanger arms, means carried by the hanger arms for engaging the frame to hold the same against swinging movement, and means for releasing said engaging means.

2. In a fender, the combination of brackets, hanger arms pivotally connected to the brackets, a swinging fender frame pivotally connected to the hanger arms, means for sustaining the hanger arms in diiierent adjusted positions, and means carried by the hanger arms for engaging the frame to hold the same against swinging movement.

3. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging frame pivotally connected to the hanger arms, a keeper bar carried by the hanger arms and engaging with the frame to hold the same against swinging movement, and means for releasing the keeper bar.

4. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging fender frame pivotally connected to the hanger arms, and a trip frame carried by the hanger arms and normally engaging the fender frame to hold the same against swinging movement.

5. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging fender frame pivotally connected to the hanger arms, and a trip frame normally engaging one end portion of the fender frame to hold the same against swinging movement in one direction, the trip frame extending over the opposite end portion of the fender frame to limit the swinging movement thereof in the other direction.

6. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging frame pivotally connected to the hanger arms, the frame being provided with a projection, and a keeper bar carried by the hanger arms and adapted to engage the projection to hold the frame l against such swinging movement.

7. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging frame pivotally connected to the hanger arms, and a keeper bar carried by the hanger arms and spring-pressed into engagement with the frame to hold the same against swinging movement.

S. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging frame pivotally connected to the hanger arms, a keeper bar carried by the hanger arms and spring-pressed into engagement with the frame to hold the same against such swinging movement, and means for releasing the keeper bar.

9. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging frame pivotally connected to the hanger arms, a keeper bar carried by l the hanger arms and spring-pressed into engagei'nent with the frame to hold the same against such swinging movement, and `a bumper for moving the keeper bar against the force of the spring and out of engagement with the frame.

10. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a frame pivotally connected to the hanger arms, a keeper bar disposed transversely of the hanger arms at the rear end of the frame and adapted to engage the same, connecting rods slidingly mounted. on the respective hanger arms and secured to the keeper bar, and a bumper secured to the forward ends of the connecting rods and disposed beyond the front end of the frame.

l1. In a fender, the combination of lonl gitudinal hanger arms provided with bearings, longitudinally extending rods slidably mounted in the bearings and spring-pressed forwardly therein, a frame interposed between and pivotally connected to the hanger arms, means disposed at the rear ends of the rods for engaging the frame to yhold the same against turning movement, and means arranged at the forward ends of the rods vfor moving the same against the force of the springs to release said holding means.

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

JOSEPH RAKOUSKY.

Witnesses ARTHUR CoRTnLYoU,

Griso. J. BUSH.

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