US2213455A - Mine car buffer - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 3, 1940, H. E. ABKOWITZ MINE CAR BUFFER Original Filed Aug. 19, 1938 INVENTOR. 50mm .Cflbkouorkz A TTORNE Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES OFFICE Application August 19, 1938; Serial'No.'225,703 I Renewed September 29; 1939 v 5Claims. (cl'izis s) I This invention pertains to buffers, particularly those buffers applied to small cars such as mine and other industrial cars for absorbing draft and bufiing shocks imposed upon the car. This invention pertains more particularly to buffers of the foregoing type employing compression springs for absorbing the said shocks and more specifically to buffers in which the bufiing shocks are transmitted to the springs through the buffing block and the draft shocks transmitted to the springs by means of movement in the coupling pin independently of move-' ment of the bufling block. 7

An object of the present invention is to provide a buffer of the class described in which the same springs acting in compression absorb both coupling and draft shocks imposed upon the car. Another object of the invention is to provide a buffer of the class described in which independent mechanisms are provided for transmitting draft and buffing shocks imposed upon the said compression springs. A further object of the invention is to provide means in a buffer of the class described providing limited relative movement between the buffer and the means transmitting draft shocks to the springs, thereby tending to restrain lateral deflection of the said compression springs.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification in which Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a portion of a car to which is attached the buffer embodying the invention; and Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are sections taken on the lines 22, 33, 4-4, and 55 respectively of Fig. 1 and Fig. 6 is-a section on line 66 of Fig. 4 to illustrate details of construction, the reference character I indicates a portion of a car to which is adapted to be secured a buffer base 2 on which is mounted the buffing block 3 for movement longitudinally of the car upon the base 2 when buffing shocks are imposed upon the buffing block and refer-' ence character 4 indicates the longitudinal sills of the car. f The buffer base 2 is constituted as a housing for the hereinafter described compression springs and a support for the bufiing block. This housing may take many forms. In some types of cars and particularly mine cars the base is attached directly to the floor and the longitudinal sills of the car and constitutes the end sill of the car or that portion of the end sill disposed between the longitudinal sills. In other types of cars'and some forms of mine cars an end sill is disposed between the longitudinal sills and the housing 2 is connected directly to the end sill. The particular mode of attaching the buffer base to the carstructure forms no part of the present invention and the details of construction illustrated in the drawing as to this mode of attachment are not to be construed as limitations.

The base 2 shown inthe drawing is of the form which constitutes the end sill of the car and includes a rear wall 5 constituting an abutment for the compression spring which wall is provided'with suitable attachment flanges 6 and I for securing the base to the car structure. Extending outwardly from the rear wall 5 are top wall 8, bottom wall 9 and side walls I 0 to form a hollow enclosure for reception of the compression springs and exclusion of dirt. The top and bottom walls 8 and 9 preferably extend beyond the vertical plane of the side walls intermediate the side walls for connection to and support of the bufling block.

.The buffingblock comprises a bufiing face II having rearwardly extending top wall I2, bottom wall I3 and side walls I4 enclosing corresponding walls of the base 2 and the top wall I2 of the bufiing block rests on the top wall 8 of-the base 'to provide support for the buffing block. .Upon'reference to Fig. l of the drawing it will be noted that the base and buffing block combine to provide a telescoping wholly closed enclosure for the bufiing springs and other hereinafter described mechanism. Mounted on the topwalll2 of the bufling block and intermediate the. side walls is a suitable drawbar I5 disposed-in spaced relation tothe top wall I2 to provide. space for admission of a coupling link between the drawbar and top wall I2 to be engaged by the coupling pin. The drawbar I5 and topand bottom walls I2 and I3 respectively, have suitably aligned apertures therein for reception of a coupling pin I6. These apertures are. located rearwardly of the buffing face. I I and are elongated in a direction longitudinally. of the car for apurpose hereinafter described.

Upon reference to Figs. 1 and 3 of thedrawing it will be' noted that the coupling pin I6 engages only the drawbar and the bufiing block and that theadjacent walls of the base 2 are olTset to provide suitable clearance and avoid interference with the coupling pin as the buffing block moves toward and away from the base under imposed bufiing shocks applied to the face II of the buffing block. Disposed between the .top and bottom walls of the bufiing block and extending rearwardly from the bufling face I I onopposite sides of the coupling pin are spring arm' supports illustrated as vertically spaced brackets l1. Pivotally mounted on the brackets I! by means of pivot pins l8 are spring arms l9 and 20 which have suitable apertures therein intermediate the ends thereof for reception of the pins l8. Each spring arm extends transversely of the buffing block on opposite sides of the pins l8 with their outer ends lying against the buifer face H of the buffer block, to provide a bearing cap for the compression springs and their inner ends suitably apertured for engagement with the coupling pin I6. Upon reference to Fig. 5 of the drawing it will be observed that the inner end of the spring arm 20 is bifurcated and the adjacent end of the spring arm [9 is disposed within the bifurcation and the whole engaged by the coupling pin I8. Disposed between the outer ends of each spring arm and the, rear wall 5 of the base is a compression spring 2| having its opposite ends engaging the said rear wall and spring arm respectively.

Some means must be provided for connecting the buffer block and base to prevent Separation thereof and at the same time provide relative movement therebetweenupon compression of the springs 2i. This may be readily accomplished by the insertion of removable pins through the respective top and bottom walls of both the boning block and base and by elongating the apertures in one of the members to provide the relative movement between the members. To accomplish this purposeI prefer to use the pivot pins [8 of the spring arms and elon gate the apertures in the top andbottom walls 8 and 9 respectively of the base 2. These pins I8, must of course be made removable when accomplishing this dual purpose so as, to permit assembly and dis-assembly of the buffer. Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing it will be observed that the compression Springs 2i which extend between the wall 5 of the base and the b-ufiing face it of the buffing block normally space said buffing face from the said rear wall and that the top and bottom walls of the base, are spaced from the buffing face II a sufiicient distance to permit relative movement of the buffing face toward and away from the said rear wall 5. During this de-v scribed movement of the buffing block the pivot pins 18 move in the elongated apertures in the base 2 to permit the bufling block to move the spring arms 18 and I9 bodily towards the base 2 in compressingthe springs 2|. It will likewise be apparent upon reference to Figs. 1 and 2 that when cars embodying this buffer are coupled together and the coupling link pulls upon the coupling pin lB,.the coupling pin can move within its elongated aperture in the bufiing block independently of movement of the buffing block, thereby causing the spring arms [9 and 2G to rotate upon the pivot pins [8, which rotationis resisted by the springs 2|, thus cushioning draft shocks. imposed upon the coupling pin.

It will be noted upon reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing that the coupling pin is normally disposed adjacent the inner ends of its elongated aperture in the buffing block sothat its midpoint is rearwardly of a line drawn through the centers of the pins i8. One purpose accom plished by so positioning the coupling pin is to obtain a quicker compression of the springs and reduce the amount which the buffing face ll needs be spaced outwardly of the pins I8 to provide sufficient movement in the coupling pin to obtain compression of theisprings ZLthereby reducing the'necessary size of the bufijngblock with the consequential saving in labor and materials.

Another object obtained by so positioning the coupling pin and making said rearward disposal of the coupling pin substantially equal to the amount the outer ends of the arms move in compressing the springs 2| andby elongating the apertures in the arms I9 and 2E! which'are engaged by the pins I8 is to obtain limited lateral bodily movement of the spring arms during movement of the coupling pin so that the force compressing the springs 2! is applied in sub-stantially a straight line, thereby obtaining a direct compressive force upon the springs 21 instead of compression and bending normally resulting from a force applied at the end of a pivoted arm.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mine car buffer in combination, a base member for attachment to the car structure, a bufiing block supported by said base member for movement relative thereto in absorbing buffing shocks, a coupling. pin mounted in, said bufiing block for movement toward and away from said base independently of movement of said buffer block, spring arm pivot pins disposed on opposite sides of said coupling pin and mounted on said buffer block, elongated apertures in said base member through which said pivot pins extend, spring arms pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on said buffing block by means of said pivot pins, one end of each said arm pivotally engaging .said coupling pin, the other end of each arm normally engaging said buffing block, and compression springs disposed between said latter ends of thespring arms and said base member to absorb draft and buffing shocks imparted to said coupling pin and bufhng member.

2. In a mine car buffer, in combination, a base, a buiiin-g block movable relative to said base under bufiing shocks, compression springs disposed adjacent the sides of said buffing block and between said base and buffing block, a coupling pin, elongated apertures in said buffer block through which said coupling pin extends and providing relative horizontal movement between said block and said pin, spring arms mounted on said coupling pin and extending toward the sides of said bufiingblock, the free end of said arms being disposed between said compression springs and the front wall of said buffing block, means on said buffing block providing pivotal support for each spring arm intermediate theends thereof, and pivot pins connecting saidarms to said means and connecting said base and buffing block.

3. In a mine car buffer in combination, a base having top, bottom and side walls forming a hollow enclosure, a buffing block having a buffing face from which extends top, bottom and side walls enclosing the corresponding walls of said base, said bufiing block being supported by said base and movable thereon under buffing shock imposed upon said buffing face, a coupling pin mounted on said buffing block and movable toward and away from said bufling face, compression springs disposed within said base and adjacent the sidewalls for absorbing buffing shocks imposed upon said buffer block, spring arms pivotallyconnected at one, end to said coupling pin and having their free ends disposed between said springs and the buffing face of said buffing block, means on'said bufiing face. extending between said top and bottom walls of said base to support each spring arm intermediate the ends thereof,

spring arm supporting means.

4. A mine car buffer comprising a base having top, bottom and side walls, compression springs on said base disposed adjacent said side walls and extending beyond said top and bottom walls, a bufiing block supported by said base and comprising a buffing face disposed across said springs and a rearwardly extending top wall adapted to overlie the corresponding base wall, a coupling pin extending through said buffing block top wall and independently of said. base, vertically disposed removable members connecting said base and bufiing block on opposite sides of said coupling pin, spring arms pivotally connected to said coupling pin and pivotally mounted on said bufiing block by means of said removable members, each said spring arm extending from said coupling pin to one of said springs and providing a bearing for said spring against the bufiing face of said block.

5. A mine car bufier comprising a base having top, bottom and side walls, compression springs on said base disposed adjacent said side walls and extending beyond said top and bottom walls, a buffing block supported by said base and comprising a bufling face disposed across said springs a and a rearwardly extending top wall adapted to overlie the corresponding base wall, a coupling pin extending through said buffing block top Wall and independently of said base, vertically disposed removable members connecting said base and bufling block on opposite sides of said coupling pin, spring arms pivotally connected with said coupling pin and pivotally mounted on said bufiing block by means of said removable members, each said spring arm extending fromsaid coupling pin to one of said springs and providing a bearing for said spring agaist the bufiing face of said block, each spring arm at said removable member having, the aperture therein elongated longitudinally of the arm providing limited movement of the arm longitudinally of said bufiing face and each wall of the said base at said removable member having the aperture elongated in a direction normal to said buffing face for reception of each said removable member providing relative movement between each said removable member and said base during movement of the buffing block.

HAROLD E. ABKOWITZ.

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