US1435261A - Slack adjuster - Google Patents

Description

W. H. SAUV'AGE.

SLACK ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB 6, I920.

Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

Patented 'l lov. 14, 19221.

" are WILLIAM H. smavaen or ripening, new YORK, es'srsnon, BY MESNE assren MENTS, To GoU nooUPLEn COMPANY, or NEW YO K, n. Y.

SLACK ADJUSTER.

a licatio filed" February 6, 1920; Serial No. ea- ,7545 I V To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,- WILLLQL H. SAIDAGIG;

a citizen of the-United States, residing at Flushing, Long Island, in the county of Queens and State of New. York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slack Ad usters, of whichthe following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in slack adjusters and more particularly to that type of slack adjusters adapted to be applied to the trucks: of railway vehicles,

although it isof course tobe understood that without material mocli lic ationcertain features thereof are applicable -to other types of brake rigging.

()ne of the objects 01"". the present invention is to provide a simple and practical slack adjuster which may be inexpensively manufacturedandassembled.

'A further object .is to: provide an i-m proved slack adjuster which willdoe reliable and efficient in use: and operation and not- Figure 1 shows inelevation such parts 0?]? .35 the brake rigging and truck as are nec essary to understand the present invention, and Y Figure 2 is an end elevational View. Referring. now to the drawings in detail: 5 denotes the frame work oi a car truck of standard construction provided with wheels 6, brake beams 7 and hrake"'shoe's 8 adapted to coact with the periphery of the wheelsGz. v 1 f i 5 Atone side of bolster 10 is alive lever 11 the upper end ofwhichis o inectediby pull rod-1 2 to any convenient source of ower. At the opposite side of the" bolster 10 is a bracket 13 pivotally connected at with the truck frame and provided with a series of openings 15 to one of which is nivotally connectedithe upper" end of dead lever 16. Both; the live and jdeadlevers arepivotally mounted near their lower cenmi'part m struts 17 carried by the bralr'e beams' 7. To thelowerend of. the live lever 11- is pivotally connected at the point 18 a tubular member 20' with which is adapted totelescope a solid rod2l pivotally connecting at 22 to the lower end of dead lever 16.- .The tubular member, 20 carries a housing 23' in which; are mounted a plurality of dfo'gs'Qd coacting with the rod .21 and normally held in biting. engagement there withby means of a coil spring 25 urging the dogs into canted relation whereby relative inward movement of the rod 21 is prevented during application of the brakes: This structure, however, permits .a relative outward movement of the rod 21 on release of the brakes when the'parts are being restored-to normal position by reasonof the return spring. 26" after-excess travel has taken place, duelto wear of the'par'ts. In: terposedbetween the live and dead levers is an adjusting rod 27 one end of whichQS .hasa lostmotion or slotted pivotal connection with the live lever 11. The opposite end passes through a housing 30 supported in any convenient mannerljtrom tlieiystrut 17' or brake beam within wh-ich'i's a I dog 31 normally held in canted position by means of coil spring 32 surrounding the rod 27, whereby movement of this rod toward the right is prevented during application of the brakes. r

These dogs it' will b'enun'derstood are merely rectangular or other'su-it ably shaped pieces of metalhaving openings withcasehardened edges throughwhich the rodsare adapted to pass, whereby a movement of the rods in one direction is positively lprevented' due to the biting engagement with the: edges of the opening, which nevertheless will permit therods to nove relatively in the opposite direction when necessary to take up the. slack. j j f The operation of this device is substantially as f lioves;

" (3n appl cation of the brakes; the upper cndlof the live" lever moves relatively towards the left and travels freely to the j..

limit of the slot 28. If; however, due to wear of the. brake -sho' e s, excess travel occurs exceeding that provided f rty the slot 28, then tlie adji-1Sting rod 2T, is'moved. relatively outwardly or towards the. left with respect to thehous'in g O, the rod bein free to slip through uiedag 31 in that direction,

At uie sameeme; the of We s 11 moves towards the right and push rod 20 and 2 1, reacting with this movement, carries the lower end of the dead lever 16 towards the right. Thus the brake shoes 8 are brought into engagement with the periphery of the wheels 6.

On release of the brakes the return spring 26 tends to bring the live lever back to full release position against the bolster 10, as shown in Figure 1. Thebrake shoes first drop back to clearance position, as permitted by reason of the slot 28 after which. this point acts as a fulcrum, being held against further movement by the dog 31, and causes a relative separation of the points 18 and 22, by causing an extension of the rods 20 and 21, an action that is made possible by the position and relation of the holding dog. 2st which permit movement of rod 21 relatively outward or toward the right with respect to housing 23, but prevent movement of the rod in the opposite direction. In this manner the push rod 21 is extended an amount exactly corresponding to the ex cess travel of the brake rigging.

The parts are all of practical mechanical construction and there is little or no danger of any slipping of the telescopic parts or freezing or amming of the parts into fixed relation whereby a proper operation of the brakes is prevented;

It is thus seen that the invention provides a reliable and eflicient slack adjuster mechanism particularly adapted for use on railway vehicle trucks and accomplishes among others all of the objects and advantages herein set forth. I

Considerable variation of the details as described herein may be resorted to without departure from the spirit f the invention which is to be construed in the light of the follo Wing claims:

1. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, live and dead levers, a source of power connected with the live lever, a telescopic push rod connecting the live and dead levers, an adjusting rod connecting the live and dead levers, said telescopic rod comprising two parts capable of telescopic movement, a housing means connecting said parts in sliding relation, holding means within said housing whereby said parts are held positively against movement to ashorter $ffective length, said adjusting rod slidably mounted. at both ends and provided with a housing and holding means at one end whereby the rod is positively held against movement in one direction.

2. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, live and dead levers, a source of power connected with the live lever, a -tele scopic push rod connecting the live and dead levers, an adjusting rod connecting the live and dead levers, positively connecting holding means associated with both rods, said means comprising housings, dogs in the housings and means normally holding the dogs in canted relation, whereby the rods are free to move to a greater effective length but are, positively held against movement in the opposite direction.

3. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, live and dead levers, a two part tele scopic push rod connecting the lower ends of said levers, an adjusting rod connecting said levers and lying substantially parallel to the push rod, said rods each extending through a housing, dogs within the housings engaging the rods, and "means holding said dogs in biting relation therewith whereby one rod is free to move relatively in one direction and the other rod free to move relatively in the same effective direction only, and whereby, upon application of the brakes, one rod is held positively against sliding movement and, upon release of the brakes, the other rod is held positively against a sliding movement.

4-. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, live and dead levers at opposite sides thereof carrying brake shoes adapted to coact with the wheels, a two part telescopio push rod connecting the lower ends of the live and dead levers, positive take up and holding means connecting said parts and holding them against relative sliding movement in one direction only, an adjusting rod connecting the live and dead levers slidably engaged at both ends, the engaging means at one end, including a housing with a holding dog therein associated with urging means whereby the adjusting rod free to slide to a greaterefi'ective length only, upon application of the brakes, and is positively held against sliding movement at that end upon release of the brakes.

5. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, live and dead levers at opposite sides thereof carrying brake shoes adapted to coact with the wheels, a two part telescopio push rod connecting the lower ends of the live and dead levers, positive take up and holding means connecting said parts permitting free movement in one direction only, upon release of the brakes an adjusting rod connecting the live and dead levers, be-

ing loosely connected to one lever and slidably connected-to the other lever by a hous ing with a holding dog therein adapted to permit free movement of the adjusting rod inthe one direction on and means for restoring said parts to normal position after application of the brakes to take up the slack. a a

6. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in. combination, a truck frame, live and dead levers at opposite sides thereof having brake shoes adapted to coact with the wheels, a two part telescopic push rod having positively connecting dogs co-acting with the et fective ends of said two parts-whereby rela tive free movement is permitted in one direction and prevented in the opposite direction, an adjusting rod having a lost motion, pivotal connection with one lever and a housing carried by the other lever supporting the opposite end of said adjusting rod, a dog within said housing urged into biting engagement with the rod and adapted topermit a free movement thereof in a like effective direction to the free movement of the push rod, and to prevent movement in the other direction.

7. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, a truck frame, live and dead levers at the opposite sides thereof, brake beams and shoes 'pivotally connected with the levers near their central parts, a two part telesoopic push rod connecting the lower ends of said levers, positive holding means con-- necting the effective ends of said two parts, an adjusting rod having a lost motion pivotal connection with one lever, a housing carried by the other lever in which said adjusting rod is adapted to slide, a holding dog in said housing and means urging said dog in to biting relation with said rod whereby it is free to move in one direction and held against movement inthe opposite direction.

8. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in com bination, live and dead levers, a source of power connected With the live lever, an ad;

justing rod between said levers capable, of sliding movement at both ends upon application of the brakes and of locking action at one end upon release of the brakes, aitele scopic rod of two parts, means positively holding said. parts in fixed relation upon application of the brakes and permitting a sliding movement of the parts upon release of the brakes, a housing on each of said rods and locking dogs therein adapted to lock and release said rods in relatively alternate relation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE.

Witnesses:

DONALD C. Dunes, ALFRED E. OTT.

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