US918237A - Draft-gear for locomotive engines and tenders. - Google Patents

Description

0. T. WESTLAKE & A. R. THOMAS. DRAFT GEAR FOR LOGOMOTIVB ENGINES AND TENDERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1908.

Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.GHARLES T. WESTLAKE AND ALBERT R. THOMAS, or sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS To DAVIS LOGOMOTIVE DELAWARE.

WHEEL COMPANY, OF STJLOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DRAFT- GEAR FOR LOGOMOTIVE ENGINES'AND TENDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application and July 1c, 1908. Serial 1:... 443,861.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES T. Wns'r- LAKE and ALBERT R. THOMAS, citizens ofthe United States, residing at St. l 'ouis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Draft-Gear for'Locomotive Engines and Tenders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of draftgear foralocomotive engine or tenderinwhich is transmitted through the limited engaging surface of its pivot-pin only, to the. pilotbeam thereby rendering the latter-liable to fracture thereat and in such case necessitatits removal and renewal; and our invention has for its object to remove this objection and to enable the coupler to be ad'usted to its normal height from the rails without the use of the shims described in the said application.

The invention consists in features of novelty as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accom anying drawing forming part of this specification, whereon, Y

Figure 1', is a top plan view of our im- "proved draft-gear as applied to a metallic locomotive pilot-beam broken away and shown partly in horizontal section at its middle portion on line 1, 1, m Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a front elevation thereof, omitting the cou ler indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, an Fig. 3, a

- vertical transverse section through the pilotnote like parts in all the fi beam, and carry-iron for the coupler, on line '3, 3, in Fig. 2.

Like letters and numerals ofreference deres.

0 represents the pilotearn or end sill (broken away) of a locomotive engine or .tender, composed in the present case preferably, of cast steel integral throughout, and

configured as shown, or otherwise as desired.

In the beam 0. at its middle portion, is formed a suitably shaped pocket, I) having openings 1 and 2 respectively, through the front side and bottom of the beam 0. Opening at itsfront end into the pocket I) through 1ts rear wall 3 (corres onding, or thereabout, to the rearside of he beam a) is a rearwardly extending horizontally arranged and Patented April 13, 19cc.

preferably, cylindrical housing or chamber 0 which is closed at its inner or rear end and in central alinement with the longitudinalcenter of the underframe.

'Within the housing a is a spiral spring (1 which is adapted to bear at one end against the inner closed end of the housin c and at 1 pocket I) from the corresponding side wall'5 thereof at a suitable distance rearward from the front side of the beam a, and forms a sto 'to the follower-block e.

' the front portion of the follower-block which pro'ects forward between the webs or sto s 4, t rough the front portion of the poo et 6 and the opening 1 through the front side of the beam (1., is formeda horizontally arranged jaw 6 adapted to receive the rear end of the cou ler-shank (or draw-bar) 7 which is pivote to the sides .6 of the jaw 6 by the verticall arranged pin 8, the rear end of the coupler-s ank 7 being curved radiall to the pin 8 and adapted to bear in the honzontal movement of the coupler-shank 7 about the pin 8, against a correspondinglyby the inverted correspondingly shaped end portions of a carry-iron 1 0 wh1ch spans the 0 'ening 1 thereat and is adapted to sup ort tl ie follower-block e, the metal at each si e of the carry-iron 10 projecting beyond the body and forming a shoulder which bears on the edges of the flanges of the brackets 9 and supports the carry-iron 10 in its engaged positlon therewith, the carry-iron 10 being held in place by the follower-block e without the use of bolts or rivets. Between the brackets 9 and the overhanging bottom ends of the lateral portions 11 of the front wall of the beam a at the sides of the o ening 1, sufficient space. or clearance is ormed for enabling the carry-iron 10 to be raised for disengagement and removal from the brackets 9 without obstruction.

It is to be here noted that, the distance from the longitudinal center line of the j aw 6 (or coupler-shank 7) between its sides 6' in the position of the parts shown on the drawing, to the bottom surface a; of the followerblock e which bears thereat on the carry-iron 10, is less than the distance from the said center to the top surface y of the follower-block 6, whereby, when from wear of the engine wheel-tiresor other cause, the distance between the coupler-shank 7 and the rails of the track become correspondingly reduced, the coupler shank 7 can be restored to its normal standard height from the track by reversing the position of the follower-block 'e, or so that its to surface 1; bears upon the carryiron 10 in ieu of the bottom surface as as shown, sufficient space or clearance being left between the follower-block e in either of its said ositions and the top of the pocket I) for enafiling the follower-block 6 with the carry-iron 10 to be raised together for removing the latter from the brackets 9 in dis connecting the arts. It is also here noted that the rear along. its upper and lower edge portions is tapered or beveled, whereby, when the spring 11 is assembled within its housing 0, on inserting the follower-block 0 through the bottom opening 2 of the beam a into the pocket I} the beveled portions of its rear face will compress the sprlng d sufficiently for allowing the follower-block e to be adjusted to its pro er position between the spring (1 and the we s or stops 4 as shown.

In operation, assuming the spring of, the follower-block e, and coupler-shank 7 to be in their normal position with the front side of the follower-block e bearing against the Webs or stops 4 of the pocket I) and engaged by the inner end of the coupler-shank 8, 011 buffing the coupler-shank 7 forces the followerblock 6 rearward so as to compress the spring d against the inner closed end of its ace of the follower-block e maze? ilot-beam a the rearward movement of the ollower-block e being limited by the surrounding front edge of the housing 0 (or rear wall of the pocket b).

In pulling, the spring (1, follower-block e, and coupler-shank 7 are returned to their normal position by the resilience of the spring cl until the follower-block e is stopped by the webs or stops 4 by Which the stress is transmitted through their extended bearing surface to the pilot-beam a, in lieu of through the limited surface of the latter engaged by the pivot-pin of the coupler-shank as in the said application.

What we claim-as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In draft-gear of the character described,-

the combination with the pilot-beam and the coupler-shank, of a ocket in, and having a front opening throug the said beam, a housing having an openin through its front end into the pocket and c osed at its rear end, a spring within the'housing adapted to bear at its rear end against the closed end thereof, a follower-block within the pocket adapted to bear at its rear side a ainst the front end of the spring and movab e therewith to and from the housing, limiting sto s Within the ocket adapted to be engage by the folower-block in its forward movement, a jaw projecting from the follower-block and adapted to receive the rear portion .of the coupler-shank, a pin connecting the couplershank pivotally to the said jaw, and means for assemblin and supporting the followerblock within t e pocket, substantially as described.

2. In draft-gear of the character described, the combination with the pilot-' 1 1 engaged by the follower-block on the recoil of the spring element, a pin connecting the coupler-shank pivotally to the follower:

block, and means for assembling and sup porting the follower-block within the pocket, substantially as described.

3. In draft -,gear of the character (1 scribed, the combination with the pilotbeam and the coupler-shank, of a ocket in, and having a front opening throug the said beam, a housing having an opening through its front end into the pocket and closed at its rear end, a spring within the housin adapted to bear at its rear end a ainst the c osed end thereof, a follower-bloc within the pocket housing 0 which transmits the stress to the adapted to bear at its rear side against the to the bearing of the follower-block on the with to and from t e housing, limiting sto s said carry-iron, substantially as described. Within the pocket adapted to be engaged y In testimony whereof We have signed our the follower-block in its forward movement, I names to this specification in the presence of 5 a jaw projecting from the follower-block and two subscribing Witnesses.

adapted to receive the rear portion of the CHARLES T. VVESTLAKE. coupler-shank, a pin connecting the coupler- ALBERT THOMAS. shank pivotally to the said jaw, a carry-iron Witnesses: for the follower-block, and means for adjust- HAL BELLVILLE,

10 ing the level of the coupler-shank relatively 1 ARTHUR T. MOREY.

front end of the s ring and movable there-

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