US1883050A - Draft gear - Google Patents

Description

Patented Oct. 18, 1932 DONALD F. SPROUL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORTO CARDWELL WESTINGHOUSE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE DRAFT GEAR Application filed October 30, 1929.

The invention relates to friction draft gears and is herein disclosed in connection with the Cardwell type of gear.

The improvement is in the form of the guide ribs carried by a movable element of the gear and engaging longitudinal channels in the gear casings or chambered followers, the object of the invention being to secure freedom of movement of the parts under all conditions of service.

The invention consists in draft gear having a movable element cooperating with chambered followers and provided with guide ribs slidable within longitudinal channels in the follower walls, the side walls of the portions of the rib being bowed.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a detail plan section of a portion of the framing of a railway car, and of the draft gear embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Portions of a pair of center or draft sills of a railway car are shown at 10, 11 and are equipped as usual with draft and bufiing lugs, one pair of which is shown 12, 13.

The gear adopted for the disclosure of the present invention is ofthe Cardwell type and comprises a pair of chambered followers 14, 15; a set of wedging and friction developing elements housed within the followers, and spring m ans for resisting the compression of the gear. The wedging and friction elements as shown comprise two pairs of triangular weclge blocks 16, 1? and 18, 19 seated respectively against the end walls of the followers 14, 15; a central wedging element 20 having its ends interposed between and cooperating with the triangular blocks of each pair; and a pair of side wedging elements 21, 22 each engageable with the outer faces of one of the triangular blocks of each pair.

The resilient means for resisting the compression of the gear comprises a pair of helical springs 23, 2% mounted upon the ends of a tension bolt 25 extending transversely through the set of wedging elements, and the sills, the springs reacting between the outer seats, as 26, fixed upon the ends of the rod and sliding seats as 27 mounted upon Serial N 0. 403,418.

the rod between the inner ends of the springs and the adjacent side elements 21, 22.

The central wedging element 20 is, as usual, provided with top and bottom guide ribs 28, 29 which slide within longitudinal channels 30, 31 formed respectively in the top and bottom walls of the followers 14, 15.

Heretofore, it has been the practice to make such guide ribs of uniform width, their side walls being parallel. The relative size of the ribs and the channels has been such as to provide for a free sliding movement. In practice, distortion of the gear frequently occurs. Theoretically, the transverse faces of the two followers are normal to the axis of the gear and the longitudinal movement of the various parts of the gear is parallel with such axis. In practice, however, tilting of the followers and oblique longitudinal travel of the various elements of the gear freelement 20 is not perpendicular to the end walls of both of the followers, the straight guide rib binds within the channels, preventing free movement of the gear elements and increasing the distortion of the gear. In the present invention, the side walls of the end portions 32, 33 are longitudinally bowed, as shown at 34;, 35, permitting the tilting of the element 20 relative to the axis of the gear without bringing the sides of the rib into binding engagement with the walls ofthe channels and permitting the gear to function in a normal manner even though it may have suffered some distortion.

I claim as my invention:

1. A draft gear comprising, in combination, a pair of opposed chambered followers each having longitudinal guide grooves in its top and bottom walls, a set of friction elements, a central member thereof extending into both followers and having top and bottom ribs slidable within the guide grooves, the sides of the endportions of the several ribs cooperating withthe grooves of both followers being bowed.

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2. A draft gear comprising, in combina-V tion, a pair of opposed chambered followers each having longitudinal guide grooves in its top and bottom Walls, a set of friction elements, a central member thereof extending into both followers and having top and bottom ribs slidable within the guide grooves, both said ribs and grooves having engaging faces the engaging faces of one of the sev eral interengaging elements being bowed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

DONALD F. SPROUL.

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