Improvements in Railway Cars.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 17th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Cars.
I, CHARLES ALBERT GOULD, of 120 Broadway New York City in the County
and State of New York, United States of America, President do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates generally to improvements in railway cars, and specifically
to improvements in the mechanism for supporting and carrying the couplings.
This mechanism sometimes called the draw-bar, and sometimes the draw-gear, must,
of necessity, be so constructed and supported in the car frame as to take and receive
the shocks and jars incident to the use of a car coupler, without liability of
breakage in ordinary use. It is admittedly old in the art to carry a coupling hook
at the outer end of a draw-bar or draw-gear, the latter being supported in the car
frame, and this invention does not relate to the broad principles involved in such...
construction. It is essential, however, that the connections of the draw-bar or
draw-gear to the car frame should be so resilient or elastic as to compensate for the
direct strains and shocks which the draw-bar or draw-gear is called upon to with-
stand in use, and this invention resides in the specific construction, whereby these
results may be attained. The invention, therefore, consists in the arrangement of
longitudinal centering springs on the opposite sides of the draw-bar and bearing
against the bar, in combination with transversely movable supports attached to the
free outer portions of said centering springs, whereby the movement of the bar in a
longitudinal direction inwardly, or its movement laterally, is taken up and com-
pensated for by the springs to the extent of providing the bar with a resiliency in
action which enables it to withstand with safety the shocks and jars of ordinary use.
Moreover, by this construction, the shock of coupling two cars together is
distributed more equally throughout the train, and the centering springs bearing on
each side of the draw-bar, serve to keep it in its normal position, whether the train
is moving in a straight line, or rounding a curve.
1004
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Cars.
I, CHARLES ALBERT GOULD, President, of 120 Broadway, in the City, County
and State of New York, United States of America, 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 stateinent :-
This invention relates generally to improvements in railway cars, and specifically
to improvements in the mechanism for supporting and carrying the couplings.
This mechanism, sometimes called the draw-bar and sometimes the draw-gear,
must, of necessity, be so constructed and supported in the car frame as to take and
receive the shocks and jars incident to the use of a car coupler, without liability of
breakage in ordinary use. It is admittedly old in the art to carry a coupling hook
at the outer end of a draw-bar or draw-gear, the latter being supported in the car
frame, and this invention does not relate to the broad principles involved in such
construction. It is essential, however, that the connections of the draw-bar or
.

page_text: draw-gear to the car frame should be so resilient or elastic as to compensate for the
direct strains and shocks which the draw-bar or draw-gear is called upon to with-
stand in use, and this invention resides in the specific construction, whereby these
results may be attained. The invention, therefore, consists in the arrangement of
longitudinal centering springs on the opposite sides of the draw-bar and bearing
against the bar, in combination with transversely movable supports attached to the
free outer portions of said centering, springs, whereby the movement of the bar in a
longitudinal direction inwardly, or its movement laterally, is taken up and com-
pensated for by the springs to the extent of providing the bar with a resiliency in
action which enables it to withstand with safety the shocks and jars of ordinary use.
Moreover, by this construction, the shock of coupling two cars together is
distributed more equally throughout the train, and the centering springs bearing on
each side of the draw-bar, serve to keep it in its normal position, whether the train
is moving in a straight line, or rounding a curve.
In the drawing, I have shown a view of the bottom beams of a car provided with
a draw-bar having my improvement applied thereto, and in which A, designates
the draw-bar having at its outer end the coupler B, and pivoted at its inner end to
the ordinary spring-controlled thrust block C. This thrust block C, is of any
well-known construction, its object being to receive the shocks transmitted by the
draw-bar in a direct line with the car body. The draw-bar is pivoted to this
thrust block C, so as to be capable of a sidewise movement, and the supports or
brackets D, and E, bolted to the horizontal beams of the car body, are constructed
so as to allow this sidewise movement within certain limits. On each side of the
draw-bar are located the longitudinal springs S, the inner ends of which are
secured to the longitudinal beams of the car. These springs pass over the
support E, and their outer ends bear against the sides of the draw-bar near the
front beam of the car body. It will be seen by this construction that the draw-bar
and coupler are normally kept in a position substantially parallel with the car body,
at the same time allowing the draw-bar to have a sidewise play when rounding
curves, etc. This arrangement will greatly reduce the strain upon the frame-work
of the car.
I also attach the outer ends of springs S, to laterally movable guide
bolts or supports I, to prevent undue friction between the ends of the springs and
the sides of the draw-bar, and to hold the springs more positively against any
vertical movement.
In order to regulate the tension of the springs S, I may provide the bolts F, at
the inner ends of said springs; these bolts preferably passing through suitable
projecting arms G, and being provided with nuts H. It is obvious that if the
nuts H, be screwed further upon the bolts F, the tension of the springs S, will be
increased.
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:
-
The combination with the car frame, of a draw-bar or draw-gear capable of a
sidewise movement, and longitudinal springs adapted to normally retain said
draw-bar in a position substantially parallel with the car body, substantially as
described.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.