Improvement in Car Movers.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 23rd May, 1896
Improvement in Car Movers.
PETER HENRY JACOBUS, Millstadt, St. Clair County, State of Illinois, U.S.A.
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
.
My invention has relation to improvements in car movers and consists in the
novel arrangement and combination of parts more fully set forth in the Specification
and pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a rail with my car mover mounted thereon;
Fig. 2 is a middle transverse section on the line - of Fig. 3;
Fig. 3 is a middle longitudinal section on the line y-y of Fig. 2; and
Fig. 4 is a perspective detached view of the rail-gripping block carried by the
movable block of the device.
The object of my invention is to construct a car mover which will be simple,
compact, contain a minimum number of parts, and one which will develope a
maximum amount of efficiency, the parts being so arranged that slipping on
the rail under all conditions is avoided. In detail, the device may be described as
follows:
Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the saddle of the mover adapted to rest
upon and partially embrace the top of the rail 2. The saddle is hollow and' of a
form substantially as that shown in the drawings, having triangular terminal walls
rounded at the top, and each provided along its inner surface with a U-shaped
depression or socket 3 for guiding and receiving the bifurcated block 4 inserted
into the chamber of the saddle. The forks or bifurcations 5 of the block 4 are
provided with suitable aligning openings for the reception of the pin 6 which serves.
as a fulcrum for the moving lever 7, whose short arm is suitably curved to bear
well against the flange of the wheel 8 of the car to be moved. The terminal walls
of the saddle are provided with openings 9, 10, the larger opening 9 serving to
receive the pin 6. In assembling.the parts, the bifurcated block 4 is inserted into
the chamber of the saddle from the bottom of the saddle, and shoved up until the
openings of the bifurcations. thereof come into alignment with the opening 9 of the,
saddle; then the lever 7 is inserted from the top until the opening 11 thereof also.
comes into alignment, when the pin is pushed through the openings of the several
parts. The opening 10 of the saddle serves to permit the operator to knock out
the pin should occasion arise to take the device apart. The base or lower surface
of the bifurcated block 4 is provided with a groove 12 for the reception of the
prismatic gripping block 13. The latter is substantially a triangular prism, with
one of its faces (viz., that facing the rear of the saddle) concave, the object of this
construction being, to provide a cutting edge as it were, along that edge of the
prismatic block which comes in contact with the rail. The prismatic block is first
slipped or inserted into the groove made for its reception, when it is secured by
a screw 14 countersunk into the base of the bifurcated block. When the parts are
assembled and the car mover placed on the rail, the relative position of the several
parts is that indicated best in Fig. 2, the bifurcated block being forced to the base
of the U-shaped depressions of the saddle within which it is guided, the pin 6 thus
occupying a position whence it cannot possibly drop out through the opening 9,
and where the parts cannot possibly be displaced.

page_text: As power is applied, and the long lever arm 7 of the lever is depressed, it is
apparent that the resistance which the car offers to the short arm, causes the
cutting edge of the prismatic block to cut into and grip the surface of the rail and
thus prevent any slipping of the device along the rail, and away from the car
wheel. It is also obvious that the cutting edge of the prismatic block, being
formed by the concavity of one of the faces thereof, is such that it will prevent
slipping of the device along the rail away from the car, but readily permits the
device to be moved toward the car and in close proximity to the wheel, the
gripping or biting of the rail taking place only when the device is moved toward
the cutting edge of the prismatic block. It is on the same principle as passing a
plane over a wood surface on which the plane moves freely in one direction, but
cuts or shaves the wood if passed in the opposite direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. In a car mover, a suitable saddle adapted to rest on the rail, a movable
block mounted within the saddle, à lever pivoted to said movable block, and a
second block carried at the base of the movable block and adapted to grip the
rail upon the forcing of the lever against the wheel of the car to be moved,
substantially as set forth."
2. In a car mover, a suitable saddle, a bifurcated block mounted in and guided
within the saddle, a lever adapted to be mounted between the bifurcations of the
movable block, aligning openings formed in the saddle, and the bifurcated block
and the lever for the reception of a suitable pin or fulcrum for the lever, and a
prismatic block having a concave face and thus forming an inclined cutting edge
adapted to grip or bite the rail upon the forcing of the lever against the wheel of
the car to be moved, substantially as set forth.
3. In a car mover, a suitable saddle, a bifurcated block located and guided
within the same, a lever pivotally mounted between the bifurcations, a groove at
the base of the bifurcated block, a triangular prismatic block having a concave
face and forming a rearwardly inclined cutting edge adapted to grip or bite the
rail upon the forcing of the lever against the wheel. of the car to be moved, but
sliding freely along the rail when moved toward the car or away from the cutting
edge thus formed, substantially as set forth.
4. In a car mover, a suitable saddle adapted to rest on the rail, a movable block
mounted within the saddle, a lever pivoted to said movable block, and a second
block carried at the base of the movable block, said second block having a concave
face whereby an inclined cutting edge is formed for gripping or biting the rail
upon the forcing of the lever against the wheel of the car to be moved, substantially
as set forth.
Dated this 14th day of April 1896
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant..