The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1905-09-21
SAFETY N COLLISIONS.
Experlmsnts with New Friction Draft
Gears Show Interesting
Results.

men be killed. crippled. manned and
barned "a Sinders. Says the New 1oFh
Herald. Ia recent experiment At
East Pittabnrs before 500 people .
train travelling 20 Wllea an hour ran
into a train standing stu The col
llslon resulted only in coupling ap
the train. making whole train u
the two sections. which. according %
experience should have heen twisted
into All sorts of fantastic shapes. the
rail twisted into curves aud the train
crew compelled 20 either jump for
their lives or BE- buried amid the
wnecsaFe.
h Was a trying monient fof the aQQ
people. ahnat 500 e Nhosn were prac
tiesl railroad men from abroad. here
attending the International railway
congress Most e them had expel
cncsd wrecks "a some shape and they
we're dablons about tals Westinehouso
exhibition Most of them Kept a sase
distance away from the tracks AZ the
Inlerworks railroad. which y stretch
% between east plitshurg and VII
meralna train cf S0 ears had been
coupled IS a locomotifo This train
Was divided into three equal parts
The locomotive took oue teifd q the
ears np The track about TWO miles
then backed down On the motiouiess
section Al speed u ie miies sn hour
II Is doabual Il any bat GCofgs
westnehonse and hlu employees saw
what happened Everybody else shut
bis eyes lnyolantarIly a. the engineer
opened the steam whistle. which gave
an unearthig shFlok Some noticed
thar he also brought iho lever back
giving the engine iis FUN head =
steam evidently lnicnding Is brush
the ohsuaetion ahcad aside Jest AS
tae old engineers dia when q ra@ goi
an the track The maNla n Yos
have 10 hit t hlt q hards
Tfe moving train abhea at the
one standing quietly on tha track 0iih
terrible momentum Spectators con
tinaea backing away Crash tAe NOV
FMS train bore down on iht mutienlesa
ears. anal the ahoie train. both ere
t.ons. shivcrsd ana sureea and tue
sed Cor an Instant thep bounded doWb
with al lts force on The third section
standing co the track e ieN handecl
feet away faf the tvo trains had uau
become oue. and IN sp.te q the loss
- shock ln the first collision there
vas enough momentum left "a demoi
tan bofh trains ~ the second shock
Tho spectators rushed % see the r.
saH af the second collision. having
been cmboldaned hx the arsf shock
and is result. bat the train was toe
quick and the whole fa ears wers
coupled together In q twlnklinR with
ont the spiinteFing q piece II steel
of he chipping q piece of cast Iron
Nj WESTINGHOUSE had been sindl
eated. The engineer and train Grew
remained il their places uurafHed
Hidden under each car hack d The
coupling were teo friction draft gears
The collision had apeat is force on
these ard the cars remained On the
track. thty did not crowd one an.
other bet kept The train moving in
the original direction without urging
backward ana ~ fhs couplings. Sc
valves cir bose and mechanism ~.
malAea intact aad at the command ~
the engineer
The friction draft gear a a hollaw
malifable iron cylinder q fe Inches
"a diameter and so Inches lanF. Il
contains namereus pleees of springs
steel strips wedges and pins whIeh
hold iageitsr rany parts and cause
the whole 8 N0fa automatically with.
oar further attention ffom TIE co.
sineef after fhe tfaia ID made Wp.
The e steel stfins shaped uae a Y.
q he work n taklne up TIE shock
Il collision They are tightly atisd
into grooves and { requires TIE irn.
meudous force uf h'ae from 5 steam
hammer or mof5ns tfaIn conaiae
aealnHt q similar obstacle e force tas
strips hack into the grooves The -
strips work independently 81 each
other each ftted - q seFmeat Inside
the main cylinder nuf tha force ST 1
collision sets ne - stflpa IA motion
af the same time and forces them
back Into the Ereovoa
Back % each strip la q spring and a
Ter tae pressure On the strip is relieved
this spring ahayes the strip hack into
is original position ready for anoth.
e shock. ~ even recoll from the
original shock Inside u the aee.
meuts holding the strips is = larger
spring fitted On E maadrel. which
takes ~ The ordinary pressure from
ths chalu. The coupler q the ear
rubs against this steel spring while
The train Il moving or being made Up.
and does not come into eontact with
the friction strips unless . GREATER
pressure Is exerted than the steel
spring ear withstand n such = eaae
the steel spring IL forced back tnfo
the dfaueht gear and the friction
strips come into play
Experiments brought tha preaunt