US2200219A - Railway vehicle draft gear-coupler structure - Google Patents

Description

May 7, 1940.

C. L. REID I ,RAILWAY VEHICLE DRAFT GEAR-COUPLER STRUCTURE Filed lay 5, 1959- 2 sneeis-sneet 1 FIG-.2..-

INVENTOR Char/es Lfierd 6 A RNEY May 7, 1940. c. L. REID RAILWAY VEHICLE DRAFT GEAR-COUPLER STRUCTURE Filed lly 5, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Char/es L Ti'e/d A TT RNEY Patented-'May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY VEHICLE DRAFT GEAR- OOUPIER STRUCTURE Application May 5, 1939, Serial No. 271,820

4Claiml.

This invention relates to railway vehicle draft gear-coupler structures, and more particularly to such structures adapted for the front end of a. locomotive.

The principal object of the invention is to simplify such structures.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a fragmental diagrammatic side elevation of the front end of a locomotive embodying the present invention, the coupler being shown in inactive position, and indicated in active position in dot and dash lines; Fig. 2 is a fragmental front view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the coupler being shown only in inactive position; Fig. 3 is a vertical section, on the line III-III of Fig. 4, of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the coupler being shown in active position, and indicated in. inactive position in dot and dash lines; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3; and Figs 5, 6 and 7 are views of the yieldingly-restrained member of the draft gear, Fig. 5 being a side elevation, Fig. 6 and end view looking from the right of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 a bottom view.

The draft gear-coupler structure of the present invention is illustrated in the drawings as disposed at the front end of a locomotive. Therefore when employing such terms as front and rear," and similar terms, it is merely on account of the particular disposition of the structure shown for illustrative purposes. In brief, for clarity, the coupler proper is considered the front of the structure.

Structures of the type of the present invention,

I when used at the front end of a locomotive, in

modern practice usually employ couplers that have the capacity for swinging vertically from active to an inactive out-of-the-way position. Such a coupler is employed in the preferred embodiment of the invention, but from a broad aspect the invention is not so limited. Neither is the invention limited to a coupler which drops from an active to an inactive position as shown, but the invention also contemplates a coupler which can be raised from an active position to an inactive out-of-the-way position, both types of couplers being well known. Furthermore, the coupler of this type may be counterbalanced or not, as desired, and it may be counterbalanced by a weight or by a counterbalancing device, as

over adds to simplicity, reduces weight, andadds to the compactness of the structure.

Couplers at the front end of a locomotive are, relatively speaking, seldom used, especially in the case of modern streamline locomotives. Therefore simplicity with low attendant first cost and low maintenance is a highly advantageous feature and it is the main object of this invention to attain these ends to a higher degree than in modern structures of this type.

Only suilicient of the locomotive is shown to enable the invention to be clearly understood when applied to the front end of the locomotive.

The locomotive is indicated generally by the reference numeral l. The locomotive frame 2 is provided, at its forward end, with a central channel 3, open at the bottom and ends. A pilot beam 4 is secured to the front of the frame 2 by any usual means (not shown), and is provided with achamber or opening 5. open at its front and rear ends, and at its bottom, and in line with the opening at the front end of the channel l.

A pilot 6 is secured to the pilot beam by bolts 7 and is provided with a recess or opening I aligned with the opening 5. A cover plate 8 closes the bottom of the channel 3 and the bottom of the opening 5 and is secured to the frame land the pilot beam 4 respectively by bolts i0 and II.

A bracket I! is formed integral with the plate 8 at its front end and is provided with an inclined face It for supporting the coupler when in inactive position, and the opening 5 extends well into the top of the pilot beam for receiving the rear end portion of the shank of the coupler, all as will later more fully appear.

-The draft gear, indicated generally by the reference numeral 14, is housed in the channel I, and in the openings 5 and 8. It comprises shockabsorbing cushioning elements, not shown but disposed within the confines indicated bythe dot and dash lines l5 and between the follower members or plates l6 and ll of the draft gear. The draft gear proper may bev of any suitable well-known construction such for instance as that 43 shown in my co-pen'ding application Serial No. 208,778, filed May 19, 1938 (Patent No. 2,176,721, issued October-17, 1939). Ribs it are. formed on vertical walls of the opening 5 of the pilot beam 4 in advance of and normally abutting the front face of the plate I6. Ribs it are formed on the vertical walls of the channel l-to the rear of and normally abutting the rear face .of the plate".

Draft gears suitable for the presentinventim yoke-like member 28is employed, but of novel construction, which forms a principal part of the present invention. The yoke comprises a rear end wall 2|, a wall 22, a top wall 23 and a bottom wall 24. These walls provide an opening 25, open at both of its sides, inwhich the draft gear proper is disposed extending therebyond at each side, the yoke being centrally disposed relative to the draft gear proper. The wall 22 normally engages the plate 18 and the wall 2| normally engages the plate II,

The yoke rests upon a wear plate 26 supported on the plate 9, and at its top is in sliding engagement with the top wall, or pad formed thereon, of the channel 8. Spaced side walls 27 extend forwardly through the opening 5 from the wall 22 and are connected rigidly therewith, preferably by forming them as integral members, as shown.

Under buffing and pulling forces the plates l6 and I! have relative movement toward each other against the yielding resistance of the draft gear elements, plate l8 and the ribs I8 having relative movement under bufllng forces, and the plates l1 and the ribs I! having relative movement under pulling forces. The plates I6 and I! are returned to normal position by the draft gear elements when the respective applied; force ceases.

The yoke moves correspondingly withthe movements of the plates l6 and I? as afored'escribed. When the bufiing and pulling forces are transmitted by the coupler to the yoke, the yoke moves relative to the frame and thereby respectively moves the plat l6 toward the plate I! and the plate I1 toward the plate E8, the ribs I3 and I8 respectively receiving these forces. In such instance upon return of the plates I 8 and H to normal positiomas aforedescribed, the yoke likewise is returned by the plates to normal position.

When the bufiing and pulling forces originate in the frame '2, the reverse of the above will take place in an obvious manner, but in such instance the yoke remains stationary and the wall 22 and the wall 2| respectively receive these bufilng and pulling forces instead of the ribs l8 and [8.

The aforegoing description of the operation of the draft gear is according to usual practice.

The structure further comprises a coupler 28, the head of which may be of any desired type. A shank 23 extends rearwardly from the coupler head within the space between the side walls 21.

The yoke is provided with a passageway for a pin, preferably by providing orifices 30 in each of the walls 21, and the shank is provided with a passageway or orifice 3|, these passageways or orifices extending transversely of the structure and in alignment.

A headed pin 32 is mounted in these passageways and is provided at its extended end with a hole 33 for a cotter pin or the like (not shown).

The coupler is thus mounted on the yoke and the connection provided by the pin and passageways is adapted for permitting the coupler to swing horizontally. Provision for this is attained in the preferred embodiment by elongating the orifice 3| so that there will be suitable clearance space a between the front face of the orifice 3| and the opposite portion of the pin. The rear face 34 of the orifice 3| is rounded convexly, and engages the pin for'receiving the pulling forces, at the same time permitting the coupler to swinghortzontally. The pin also provides a pivotal connection for the coupler permitting it to swing vertically from and to active position and from and to an out-of-the-way or inactive position, as shown respectively in full, and dot and dash lines in Fig. 3. In the preferred embodiment the coupler drops from active position to inactive position, the head of the coupler moving into the opening 8 in the pilot, the shank then being supported on the face l3 of the bracket I2, and the face 35 of the coupler then serving as part of the front of the pilot. The orifice 3| is formed preferably between the ends of the shank providing a shank rear end portion 38.

The walls 21 extend forwardly through the opening 8 beyond the orifices 30, and are provided at their outer ends with transverse orifices 31 which engage a headed pin 38. The extended free end of the pin is slotted and has pivoted within the slot a keeper 39 which,whenindropped position, holds the pin in place and which, when swung to horizontal position, permits the removal of the pin. The pin is thus rendered detachable for removal when the coupler is to be dropped to inactive position or raised to active position. The pin confines the coupler in either of these positions. It engages the bottom of the shank of the coupler for supporting the coupler when in active position, and engages the top of the shank for holding the coupler ininactive position.

The space between the walls-21 is open at the top to permit the shank rear end portion 38 to move to and from coupler-active and inactive positions, and the opening 5 extends high enough to permit the necessary vertical swinging movement of the coupler.

The walls 21 are connected at their lower ends by a bottom wall 48 for affording additional strength to the yoke. This wall 40 rests upon a wear plate 4| which is supported by the plate 9. The wall 48 extends to the forward end of the side walls 21 but is provided at its central forward portion with an opening 42 for permitting the coupler to swing to and from active and inactive positions.

The inner faces 43 of the side walls 27 are connected at their rear ends by a concavely-rounding face 44 which forms the front face of the wall 22. The face 44 is shaped preferably as a vertical concave partial .cylinder with a vertical axis, indicated at :c, and provides a socket or bearing for the rear end face 45 of the shank rear end portion 38 which engages the wall 44 to transmit the bufflng force. The space 0. serves to relieve the pin 32 from these forces.

Theface 45 is convexly rounded in a manner suitable for engagement with the face 44, and when the coupler swings horizontally the face 45 rotates about the axis x, in bearing relation with the socket-forming face 44. The coupler at the same. time swings about this axis a: and slides along the pin 32. This horizontal swinging movement takes place of course only when the coupler is in service, and when for instance the coupled vehicles are passing to or from or through curved track.

The distance between the faces 45 and 34 is such as to provide a working fit between the face 45 and its engaging face 44, and the face 34 and the engaging portion of the pin 32 and the center of curvature of the face 34 is preferably on the axis 1:. This prevents any appreciable rattling or play between the coupler and the pin and yoke;

permits the coupler to swing laterally with a,v

smooth motion about the axis a; and permits the face 34 to transmit the pulling force, and the face 45 to transmit the buffing force without any appreciable shock or hammering. The face 45 is suitably convexly rounded in a vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 3, to permit the face 45 to pass out of and into contact with the face 44 when the coupler is moved respectively from and to active position.

The face 45 is also permitted to freely oscillate vertically in engagement with and relative to the face 44 during the slight vertical movement of the coupler when in active position in service.

To permit the coupler to swing laterally the inner faces 43 of the walls 21 are suitably spaced from the shank 29, and this is accomplished in the present instance by diverging the walls 21 from their rear ends, where the faces 43 blend into the face 44, outwardly to the end of the yoke, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The walls 21 are provided with laterally projectlng lugs 46, two of these lugs being provided, one above the other, for each wall. The lugs have outer vertical faces 41 which engage the inner faces 48 of the vertical side walls of the opening 5 in sliding engagement therewith so that the yoke will be confined to longitudinal movement only. These lugs are preferably in approximate transverse alignment with the axis :c in order to better transmit to the faces 48 any lateral thrust produced by the coupler when it swings laterally or is in any of its lateral angular positions during buffing and pulling forces.

The portion 36 of the shank 29, being disposed to the rear of the pin 32, acts as a counterweight and in degree according to its length and weight. In the preferred embodiment however, in behalf of lightness and compactness of the structure, a counterbalancing device, where counterbalancing is desired, is employed. This device is indicated generally by the reference numeral 49. The device comprises a bolt 50 which passes through an orifice extending through the portion 36 from top to bottom thereof near its rear end. The bolt has a securing nut at its upper end and at its lower end is provided with an eye which is connected by a pin 5i with an eye at the top of a bolt 52 suspended from the pin 5| and passing downward through aligned orifices 53 in the wall 40, plate 4| and plate 9.

A collared washer 54 is mounted on the lower end of the bolt'52 and a compression helical spring 55 is mounted on the bolt 52 between the washer and the plate 9. A nut 56 is screwed on the lower end of the bolt 52 in supporting relation with the washer 54. The nut may be adjusted to regulate the normal tension of the spring when the coupler is in active position, as shown in Fig. 3. When the pin 33 is withdrawn the coupler is dropped to inactive position thereby compressing and energizing the spring, as shown in Fig. l. The pin 33 is then replaced to hold the coupler in inactive position, and when it is desired to raise the coupler to active position the pin is withdrawn and the compressed spring reacts to assist the raising of the coupler to active position whereupon the pin 38 is again replaced. A spring of suitable strength may be employed, or more than one spring, if necessary, to counterbalance any desired portion of, the weight of the coupler. v

The bolt 50 is preferably disposed at the axis 0:, so that 'the device will be in vertical alignment with the axis, and will therefore be little or nowise affected when the coupler, in active position, swings laterally about this axis. The

orifice 53 in the plate 9 is elongatedin a direction longitudinally of the structure, and the other orifices 53 are of sufiicient size to permit for any slight angular movement of the bolt 52 that takes place when moving to assume its positions, shown in Figs. 1 and 3. and furthermore the orifices 53 in the wear plate'4l and plate 3 permit the upper end of the bolt 52 to move with the yoke when the yoke moves due to buffing and pulling forces.

It is believed that the operation of the structure will be understood from the ai'oregoing description without further amplification.

While there has been hereinbefore described an approved embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that many and various changes and modifications in form, arrangement of parts and details of construction thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and that all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of. the appended claims are contemplated as a part of this invention.

The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A railway vehicle draft gear-coupler structure comprising a coupler having a rearwardly extending transversely orificed one-piece integral shank; a shock-absorbing draft gear having a yieldingly restrained movable yoke-like member movable longitudinally from normal position in opposite directions for receiving and transmitting buffing and pulling forces, and automatically returnable to normal position, said member having a vertical transverse wall in engagement with the rear wall of said shank for receiving and transmitting bufling forces respectively from and to said coupler, said member further having an arm extending forwardly from said transverse wall opposite each side of said shank and spaced therefrom, each of said arms being provided with a transverse orifice circular in cross section, said shank and arm orifices being in alignment and longitudinally spaced forwardly from said transverse wall; and a horizontal pin circular in cross section carried entirely by said member, extending through said orifices, snugly fitting the arm orifices and directly engaging the rear part of the shank orifice face thereby adapting said member for receiving and transmitting pulling forces respectively from and to said coupler through said pin, said shank orifice face at its upper part being in direct engagement with said pin whereby said shank is supported by said pin, the forward part of said orifice face being separated from said pin providing an unobstructed space therebetween and said shank rear wall being convex transversely whereby said coupler may be laterally swung in a horizontal plane between said arms along said pin in sliding engagement therewith, said coupler being swingable vertically downward about the axis of said pin from normal position to an out-of-the-way position, the space between said arms above and below said shank being open to provide a rear upper open space and a forward lower open space and the rear wall of said shank being convex vertically, to permit said vertical swinging of said coupler.

2. A railway vehicle draft gear-coupler structure comprising a coupler having a rearwardly extending transversely orificed one-piece integral shank; a shock-absorbing draft gear having a yeildingly restrained movable yoke-like member movable longitudinally from normal position in opposite direction for receiving and transmitting buf'tlng and pulling forces, and automatically returnable to normal position, said member having a vertical transverse wall in engagement with the rear wall of said shank for receiving and transmitting bufilng forces respectively from and to said coupler, said member further having an arm extending forwardly from said transverse wall opposite each side of said shank and spaced therefrom, each of said arms being provided with a transverse orifice circular in cross section, said shank and arm orifices being in alignment and longitudinally spaced forwardly from said transverse wall; a horizontal pin circular in cross section carried entirely by said member, extending through said orifices, snugly fitting the arm orifices and directly engaging the rear part of the shank orifice face thereby adapting said member for receiving and transmitting pulling forces respectively from and tosaid coupler through said pin, said shank orifice face at its upper part being in direct engagement with said pin whereby said shank is supported by said pin, the forward part of said orifice face being separated from said pin providing an unobstructed space therebetween, and said shank rear wall being convex transversely whereby said coupler may be laterally swung in a horizontal plane between said arms along said pin in sliding engagement therewith, said coupler being swingable vertical- 1y downward about the axis of said pin from normal position to an out-of-the-way position, the space between said arms above and below said shank being open to provide a rear upper open space and a forward lower open space, and the rear wall of said shank being convex vertically, to

permit said vertical swinging of said coupler, each I of said arms being further provided with another orifice, said last mentioned orifices being in alignment and longitudinally spaced from said first mentioned orifices; and a transverse pin secured in said last mentioned orifices in supporting engagement with said coupler when in normal position, said last mentioned pin removable to permit said coupler to be swung vertically.

3. A railway vehicle draft gear-coupler structure comprising a coupler having a rearwardly extending transversely orificed one-piece integral shank; a shock-absorbing draft gear having a yieldingly restrained movable yoke-like member movable longitudinally from normal position in opposite directions for receiving and transmitting bufiing and pulling forces, and automatically returnable to normal position, said member having a vertical transverse wall in engagement with the rear wall of said shank for receiving and transmitting bufling forces respectively from and to said coupler, said shank wall being convex transversely and said member wall being concave transversely, said walls having a common vertical axis whereby said member wall forms a socket for said shank wall, said member further having an arm extending forwardly from its said transverse wall opposite each side of said shank and spaced therefrom, each of said arms being provided with a transverse orifice circular in cross section, said shank and arm orifices being in alignment and longitudinally spaced forwardly from said transverse wall; and a horizontal pin circular in cross section carriedentirely by said member, extending through said orifices, snugly fitting the arm orifices and directly engaging the.

rear part of the shank orifice face thereby adapting said member for receiving and transmitting pulling forces respectively from and to said coupler through said pin, said shank orifice face at its upper part being in direct engagement with said pin whereby said shank is supported by said pin, the forward part of said orifice face being separated from said pin providing an unobstructed space therebetween, and said rear part of said shank orifice face being convex trans-' versely about said common axis whereby said coupler may be laterally swung in a horizontal plane between said arms about said common axis along said pin in sliding engagement therewith, said coupler being swingable vertically downward about the axis of said pin from normal position to-an out-of-the-way position, the space between said arms above and below said shank being open to provide a rear upper open space and a forward lower open space and the rear wall of said shank being convex vertically, to permit said vertical swinging of said coupler.

4. The combination of 'a railway vehicle; and a draft gear-coupler structure comprising a coupler having a rearwardly extending transversely orificed one-piece integral shank, a shock-absorbing draft gear having a yieldingly restrained movable yoke-like member movable longitudinalverse orifice circular in cross section, said shankv and arm orifices being in alignment and longitudinally spaced forwardly from said transverse wall, a horizontal pin circular'in cross section carried entirely by said member, extending through said orifices, snugly fitting the arm orifices and directly engaging the rear part of the shank orifice face thereby adapting said member for receiving and transmitting pulling forces respectively from and to said coupler through said pin, said shank orifice face at its upper part being in direct engagement with said pin whereby said shank is supported by said pin, the forward part of said orifice face being separated from said pin providing an unobstructed space therebetween, and said shank rear wall being convex transversely about a vertical axis through said shank whereby said coupler may be laterally swung in a horizontal plane between said arms along said pin in sliding engagement therewith, said coupler being swingable vertically about the axis of said pin downwardly from normal position to an out-of-the-way position and upwardly therefrom to normal position, the space between said arms above and below said shank being open to provide a rear upper open space and a forward lower open space and the rear wall of said shank being convex vertically, to permit said vertical swinging of said coupler, and a coupler counterbalancing spring-controlled device operably connected to a fixed part of said vehicle, having a rod hingedly connected to said shank at said vertical axis and a coil compression spring mounted on said rod, said spring being energized during said coupler downward swinging movement to resist said movement and deenergized during coupler upward swinging movement to assist said upward movement.

CHARLES L. REID,

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