US2452720A - Railway car retarder - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 2, 1948. J. A. BODKIN 2,452,720

' v RAILWAY CAR RETARDER Filed Dec. 10, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l 6. Zhwentor:

JOHN A. BODKIN 8g M attorney Nov. 2, 1948. J. A. BODKlN RAILWAY CAR RETARDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 10, l947 I Zhwentor:

JOHN A. BODKFN (Ittomeg Patented Nov. 2, 1948 U NITED STAT ES; FAT ENT OFF! CE RAILWAY CAR RETARDER J ohn'A. Bodkin, New York, N. Y.

Application December 10, 1947,. Serial No. 790,828-

2 Claims. 1

My invention relates to railroads and, more particularly, to auxiliary devices applied to the rails of railroads.

Objects of my invention are to stop completely or to retard the movement of a car or of an engine. rolling along a railroad, and to prevent a car fromhitting a terminal bumper or to reduce the impact of such a hit.

Other objects are to provide a stationary device that serves as a retarder or stop for railroad cars, and thatserves as a bumper or shock absorber for railroad cars.

Further objects are to achieve these results with a device that can be easily and conveniently applied-to any desired part of a railroad track, with a device that can be quickly and securely ailixed' to the rails of a railroad, and with a device that operates automatically.

Still further objects are to obtain all these results with simple and inexpensive means, and with a device that can be easily made, assembled and maintained in good working condition.

Still other objects and advantages will'appear from the following description of an exemplifying embodimentsofmy invention, from the appended claims and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a top view of a broken off part of a railroad trackand of' anillustrative embodiment of my invention applied to this track part;

Fig. 2 shows a cross-section of a broken ofi part of Fig. 1, this cross-section being taken along the line 22 in Fig. 1 and being represented on a larger scale. 1

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section taken along the broken line 3-3 in Fig. 2, parts of the track and of the embodiment of the invention being broken off.

Referring to the drawings, numeral I indicates the ties and 4 indicates the rails of railroad which may have standard dimensions. The rails 4 cross the tops of the ties I and are affixed to the ties in well known manner which is not shown in the drawings.

A plurality of jaw-like members 5 are applied to the rails 4 and are arranged in pairs. One member 5 of each pair engages one rail 4 while the other member of the same pair engages the other rail 4. Both members 5 of each pair are positioned in a line crossing the rails 4 parallel to and between two ties I. Each member 5 has an elongated portion 6 extending under and contacting a rail 4. The outer ends of the members 5 form hooks or claw-s I fitting and gripping the outer lower rims 8 of the rails 4.

' from the washers I4 to the two auxiliary rails A bolt or rod 9 passes through each pair of members 5 and is threaded throughout its length. Nuts I I engage bothends of the rods 9 and secure the positions of the rods. Washers I2 are tightly positioned between the nuts II and the members i5 have openings or bores passed by the rods 9 whereby the auxiliary rails are supported by these rod-s and are slidable in the direction of' these rods. This sliding direction crosses the longitudinal directions of the rails 4 and I5 whereby each rail I'5 can be spaced from the adjacent rail 4. In the shown position, the rails i5are intheir most outward positions and contactthe lower-inner rims I6 of the rails 4.

The auxiliary rails I5 are urgedto this most outward position bycompressed coiled springs ii. The springs I l are wound around the rods 9 each rod 9 carrying two springs I I which reach I5. Preferably, the auxiliary rails are provided with:pockets I8 receiving the outer ends of the springs l1.

Each auxiliary rail I5 comprises as many cupshaped projections Id as-there are rods 9. The bottom of each cup I9 contains the opening for the passage of the respective rod. The inner space of the cup form-s the pocket I8. Further, each rail I5 comprises a top ledge 2| extending at about the same level as the tops 22 of the rails 4, a bottom ledge 23 connecting the cups I9 and forming bridges over the ties I, and a wall 24 extending vertically in an oblique direction and connecting the top ledge 2| with the bottom ledge 23 and with the cups [9. Each rail I5 may be reinforced by ribs 25 and 26. Each rib 25 runs from the top ledge 2| to one of the cups I 9. The ribs 26 connect the top and the bottom ledge at the two ends of the rail I5.

The longitudinal extension of the auxiliary rails I5 is substantially parallel to the rails 4, except that the auxiliary rails have converging end portions 21 which are so bent with respect to the main parts of these rails that they form small angles 28 with the rails 4. Preferably, both ends of the rails I5 are provided with converging portions 27.

The springs II exert a strong outwardly directed pres-sure on the rails 4. In order to counteract this ressure, strong braces 29 may be used. Each brace 29 comprises a broad bracket 31 contacting the outer side of the rail 4 under the top 22 of the rail, a reinforcing rib 32 and a base plate 33. This plate is provided with slots or recesses 3d and 35 whereby the brace 29 can be affixed to the respective tie I in well known manner by fasteners passing through the slots 34 and 35. These fasteners are well known and are not shown in the drawings.

The described device may be positioned before a terminal bumper or at any other spot of a railroad track where cars should be stopped or retarded. The device operates as follows:

Vshen a car rolls on the rails 43 in the direction to the auxiliary rails 65, the lateral flanges of the cars wheels move along the sides, preferably along the inner sides, of the rail tops 22. These flanges enter the angles 28 whereupon the inner sides of the flanges come into contact with the top ledges H of the auxiliary rails 55 and urge the auxiliary rails against the pressure of the Springs i'l inwardly as far as necessary to allow the flanges to move ahead between the rails and [5.

While the wheels of the car r011 along the rails 15, the springs i! press the rails t5 against the flanges of the wheels, thereby causing considerable friction between the flanges and the rails l5 on one side and between the flanges and the rails 4 on the other side. This friction brakes or retards the car, consuming all or most of the cars impact or kinetic energy.

The braking power of the device depends on the tension of the springs ll. This tension can be adjusted according to requirement by turning the nuts 13 around the screw rods 9 in the one or the other direction.

I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to the particular embodiment shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that my invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from from the spirit of my invention as it is obvious that the particular embodiment shown and described is only one of 1 the many that may be employed to attain the objects of my invention.

Having described the nature of my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A car-retardin railroad appliance comprising a plurality of parallel rods provided with screw threads, a pair of substantially parallel auxiliary rails extending across said rods, being supported by the same and being slidable in the longitudinal direction of said rods, a plurality of pairs of jaw members, the jaw members of each pair being positioned at opposite ends of one of said rods and outside of said pair of auxiliary rails, said rod passing through said jaw members, a plurality of pairs of nuts, the nuts of each pair engaging one of said rods outside of said jaw members whereby said nuts are adapted to press said jaw members against the outer sides of the rails of a railroad while said auxiliary rails are positioned between said railroad rails, and resilient means urging said auxiliary rails outwardly.

2. A car-retarding railroad appliance comprising a plurality of parallel rods provided with screw threads, a pair of substantially parallel auxiliary rails extending across said rods, being supported by the same and being slida-ble in the longitudinal direction of said rods, a plurality of pairs of jaw members, the jaw members of each pair being positioned at opposite ends of one of said rods and outside of said pair of auxiliary rails, said rod passing through said jaw members, a plurality of pairs of nuts, the nuts of each pair engaging one of said rods outside of said jaw members whereby said nuts are adapted to press said jaw members against the outer sides of the rails of a railroad while saidauxiliary rails are positioned between said railroad rails, a plurality of pairs of other nuts, each pair engaging one of said rods at spots located between said auxiliary rails, and a plurality of compressed springs, each positioned between one of said latter nuts and one of said auxiliary rails.

JOHN A. BODKTN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 265,754 Chandler Oct. 10, 1882 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 29,904 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1912

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