US444159A - Brake-beam - Google Patents

Description

' (No Model.)

J. PEARCE. BRAKE BEAM. No. 444,159. Patented Jan.6, 1891.

WITNESSES UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES PEARCE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BRAKE-BEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,159, dated January 6, 1891.

Application filed November 25, 1890- Serial No. 372,583. (No model.)

. To whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES PEARCE, of Pittsburg, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have inv nted or discovered a new and useful Improvement in Brake-Beams; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-like letters indicating like parts- Figure l is a plan view of my improved brake-beam. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same as viewed on a line parallel with the direction of the car. Fig. 3 is a partial section, taken in the lines: acof Fig. 1, across the center piece, and showing the angle at which the center piece stands to receive the lever which imparts motion to the beam. Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line'y y of Fig. 1.

My present invention relates to certain improvements in brake-beams for the equipment of both passenger-cars and freight-cars; and it consists in a brake-beam composed of a double back piece-that is to say, a back piece made not of a single solid piece, but of two pieces of metal combined, as hereinafter more fully described, and shown in connection with the drawings.

In the construction of my improved brakebeam I employ, in connection with the double back piece, a detachable center piece, which center piece receives the lever which actuates the brake-beam in the ordinary way, and by means of which the brake is applied to the wheels, and this center piece extends from the double back piece to the front brace, which strengthens and supports the back piece and also holds the center piece in place.

Heretofore in the manufacture of brakebeams the beam has been constructed of a solid piece, either of wood or metal, which, as a rule, stood on its edge, and the center piece, which has been in use in connection therewith, was made stationary, being rigidly attached to the brake-beam in such a way that it could not be removed without cutting the beam, so that in case of an accident to the beam it involved the cutting of the beam in at least two places, in order to take out the center piece, while in my improved form of construction it is not necessary in case of accident to cut the beam, as the center piece is detachable and may be readily removed, thus saving the use of either a new centerpiece or a new beam, as the case may be.

In order to more fully explain my invention I will refer to the drawings, in which A is the brake-beam as a whole, and a and a are the two pieces composing the double back piece. The ends of these pieces a and a are brought together and solidly welded with the ends of the brace O, which passes between the two pieces a and a, the whole being adapted to receive the holder for the brakeshoe and the brake-shoe itself, which is applied in the ordinary manner. The center piece is shown as B, and this is composed of the two pieces I) and b, which are welded together at the outer end, which passes through the brace G, being rounded for that purpose. The other ends of the pieces Z) and b are turned with an eye to receivethe bolt 1), which passes through the double back pieces and the center piece. The two pieces I) and b are spread apart sufficiently to receive the end of a lever, which must stand at an angle on account of its being under the floor of the car.

The brace O is made substantially in the ordinary way, except that the ends are fiat and are welded between the two parts a and a of the back piece, and after leaving the point of junction, as at d, a twist is given the brace, which makes it then stand upon its edge, so as to bring the flat surface to bear against the shoulder of the outer end of the center piece.

I prefer that the brake-beam and center piece should be made of wrought-iron, although malleable iron may be used in the center piece, if desired. By this form of construction I produce a brake-beam which is much stronger than a beam made in the old style and much more economical, both in material and in the time required to construct it. It is also much less liable to get out of order, and the fact of the center piece being removable eifects a great saving oftentimes where in case of an accident the beam is broken.

Having described my improvement, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

The combination, in a brake-beam, of a back piece composed of two separate pieces and :1

In testimony whereof. I have hereunto set l'ront brace and a removable centerpiece, the

my hand.

ends of the pieces composing the back piece 5 and the ends of the front brace being: solidly 1 JAMES PEARCE. 5 welded together and the removable center piece extending from the center of the back \Vitnesses:

piece to the center of the front brace, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

SAML. \Ylcrrr, WM. F. CRAIG.

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