US449645A - John m - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. M. BLONDELL. RAILWAY OAR BRAKE.

No. 449,645. Patented Mar. 31,1891.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. BLONDELL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK E. TOBE, OF SAME PLACE.

RAl LWAY-CAR BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,645, dated March 31, 1891. I Application filed August 7,1890. Serial No. 361,379. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. BLoNDELL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Baltito the accompanying drawings, and to the let-' ters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to brakes for railwaycars; and it consists of certain novel parts and combinations of parts, the separate features of which will be separately and specifically pointed out in the claims concluding this specification.

My improvement is particularly directed to a device for coupling the brake-bar to its operating-rod, whereby to obtain a more accurate adjustability of the brake-shoes to'the face of the wheel under varying conditions due to the rising and falling of the body of the car and by the settling of the springs or overloading of the cars, to relieve the wear upon the brake-rod, and to prevent the splitting of the brake-bar, which is liable to occur 0 from the twisting and tortuous action of both bar and rod.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in top View a portion of the brake-bar, which carries the brake-shoes 5 and my improved self-adjusting coupling device connected to a portion of the brake-operating rod. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, showing the adjustable coupling de vice in position when the brakes are applied.

Fig. 3 shows a similar view when the brakes are released, and Fig. at shows the flanged plate for connecting the coupling device to the brake-bar.

In the drawings I have only shown that por- 5 tion of the brake-bar a to which the operating coupling device is secured; but it will be understood that the bar has the usual brakeshoe at each end thereof, and that the brakeoperating coupling device is secured to the middle of the length of said bar, and that the latter is suspended in the usual way from a truck or body of the car.

The device which couples the brake-bar a to the operating-rod b, and which constitutes myimprovement, consists of two short rods 0,

one placed on the. top and the other on the bottom of said bar, a link 01 for connecting them together and to the end of the operatingrod b, and a flanged plate 6 for connecting said rods to the outer side of the brake-bar to form a coupling device in which the link-jointed rods are free to have a reciprocating movement through the flanged plate. This plate has two flanges or sidesfiwhich fit upon the upper and upon the under sides of the brake-bar, and the plate is secured upon the outer side of said bar by screw-bolts g, which pass through the bar and are provided with fastening-nuts. The plate islong enough to form a good bearing on the bar and to strengthen it at the point where the power of the operating-rod is exerted in applying thebrakes. At theftop and at the bottom the side plates are formed with strong bosses h, through openings in which the coupling-rods are passed, and are screw-threaded at their non-connected ends to receive sleeved nuts 2', which secure the rods to the said plate and serve to inclose the screw-threaded portions of said bolts to protect them against dust and rust.

The brake-operating rod is connected to the link centrally between the coupliugrods, so that in pulling the operating-rod the couplingrods are drawn in with their sleeved nuts against the flanged plate to apply the brakeshoes, and in releasing the brakes both or either of the rods are free to slide back through the flanged plate to allow the brakes to fall away from the wheels. This freedom of the coupling-rods for independent movement results from their link-connection and the manner of connecting the operating-rod to the link, so that the latter is free to have a rocking movement upon its central pivotconnection. bar-coupling device are that it causes the brake-shoes to be presented fairly to the faces of the Wheels more in a line with the axle without tendency to fall below their proper relation to the wheels, relieves the brake-bar from all splitting strain from the action of the operating-rod, and saves the rod itself from being twisted and distorted and broken by the strain. It adjusts itself to the movement of the brake-bar in such a manner as to cause the brake-bar with its shoes to be brought up to their work with greater directness and effeet, and insuring thereby prompt control of the car and safety to the brake and to the car and to the passengers.

A matter of special importance isthat the rocking link-motion andits two coupling-rods by their action remove all liability to undue straining, twisting, and breaking of the brake-operating rod or coupling device.

.Referring to the action of the device which connects the middle of the suspended brakebar a with the brake-operating rod, it will be understood that if the brake-operating rod were rigidly connected to the brake-bar such rigid connection would be liable to split the bar or to twist the rod by the strain andforce applied to the brake bar in bringing the brakes into action. The self-adjusting pivotal and sliding connection of the bar with the rod prevents this injury to bar or rod by allowing the bar and its attached shoes tobe brought equally against the wheels, so that there can be no splitting strain upon either end of the bar. The pivotal sliding connection for the brake-bar and the brake-rod allows the connection of the latter with the carbody to rise and fall with the latter without ailecting the relation of the brake-bar and its shoes with the wheels, because the rod, being pivoted at its brake-bar sliding connection, gives freedom for the rod to turn upon such pivot connection under the rising and falling of the car upon its springs Without disturbing the brake-bar, as it would do if the rod were rigidly connected to said bar.

I claim as my improvement- 1. In a railway-car brake, the combination, with the brake-bar and the brake-operating rod, of a device connecting these parts pivotally connected to the brake-operatin g rod and secured to the brake-bar by a connection freely sliding thereon longitudinally within certain limits, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. In a railway-car brake, the combination of the brake-bar and the brake-operating rod combination with rods passing through said openings, having screw-sleeves on their outer ends, a link connecting their inner ends, and the brake-operating rod connected to said link between its end connections, for the purpose stated.

4. The combination, in a railway-car brake, the brake-bar having a flanged strengtheningplate secured to its outer side, the brake-opcrating rod, and independent coupling-rods above and below said bar suitably jointed to said brake-operating rod, having a free sliding connection within said bar-plate, and provided with nuts.

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

JOHN M. .BLONDELL.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH J. \VELLER, ALONZA. STIDHAM.

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