Snowplow for railway tracks

Application filed February

This invention relates to snow-plows, and has for one of its objects to provide a. novel device of this character which shall be adapted to be used for the purpose of flanging or ° clearing snow away from the rails of a railway track.

The invention has for a further object to provide a snow-plow of the character stated which shall be adapted to be mounted upon a ¹⁰ section motor car, and which shall be adapted to be arranged on the car in a position to flange or clear the snow away from the outer or inner sides of the rails and then arranged on the car in a position to clear the snow ⁵ away from the other sides of the rails.

The invention has for a further object to provide a snow plow of the character stated which shall embody a blade adapted to extend angularly from the outer or inner sides of ^u the rails, together with means adapted to suspend the blade from the section motor car.

The invention has for a further object to provide a snow-plow of the character stated _2g wherein the blade suspending means shall be • adapted to be easily and quickly secured to the section motor car so as to position the blade opposite either the outer or inner sides of the rails.

The invention has for a further object to ⁰ provide a snow/plow of the character stated wherein the blade shall be connected to its suspending means in Such manner as t o permit it to be adjusted/vertically and thus enable its lower edge to be arranged at the re° quired distance above the ties, so as to permit it: to yield under impact with a large stone, large cinder, high tie or the like, so as to permit it to be arranged in the required angular position with respect to the rails, and so as ⁹ to permit it to be readily raised so as to clear crossings and switches.

The invention has for a further object to provide a snow-plow of the character stated which shall be simple, durable and of light weight, and wherein the blade shall be connected to its suspending means in a manner to permit it to be compactly folded with respect thereto when not in use. With the foregoing and other objects in ^u view, the nature of which will appear as the

10, 1931. Serial No. 514,852.

description proceeds, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein 55

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating the application of the snow-plow to a section motor car, the snow-plow being applied to the car in position to clear or flange away the snow from the outer sides of the rails at one side of the track.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the car and snow-plow.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 3—3 of ®5 Figure 2. ' h //.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 4—4 of Figure 1. ^!

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a frag- 70 mentary portion of the blade carrier frame and fragmentary portions of the shafts through which the blade is suspended from the frame.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the *5 vertical plane indicated by the line 6—-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line 7—7 of Figure 1. 80

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the car and snow-plow with the plow in position to clear or flange away the snow from the inner sides of the rails at one side of the track, and

Figure 9 is a view in side elevation of the 85 car and snow-plow with the plow in: position in which it is shown in Figure 8.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 designates the rails and 2 the ties of a railway track. 3 designates the wheels, 4 the plat- ⁸⁰form or floor, 5 the motor, 6 the wheel guards, 7 the longitudinal side beams, and 7α the end bars of a section motor car of well-known construction. ^-:

The snow-plow comprises a blade 8 which ⁸⁵is of arcuate formation in vertical section, which is considerably greater in height than the rails 1 and which is considerably greater in length than the outer portions of the ties 2. The blade 8 is provided at its rear or ¹⁰⁰

1,833,859 about a vertical axis and thus arrange it at the desired or required angle with respect to the rails 1. When it is desired to alter the angular position of the blade 8 with respect to the rails 1, the clips 27 are loosened, and after ₇₀the blade has been turned to the desired position, the clips are tightened to maintain it in such position. The brace 28 comprises lower bars 28α of angular formation in cross, section and connected at their lower ends to.the 75 inner sides of the frame bars 20 by the pivot 29, and it also comprises upper bars 28& having their lower ends pivotally connected, as at 28c, to the brace bars 28α and connected at their upper ends to the shaft 30 by the pivot 80 29α.

The brace bars 280 are pivoted to the side members or flanges of the brace bars 28α, and the upper members or flanges of the brace bars 28α contact with the upper sides of the' 85 brace bars 285 to hold the brace against downward folding or breaking movement. A sub stantially U-shaped member 31 positioned between the brace bars 285 and having angular ends 31α extending through the; over- SO lapped portions of the brace bars 28α and 287/, holds the brace 28 against accidental upward folding or breaking movement.

When theblade .8 is in inoperative position, the brace bars 28α and 285, and the . 05 shafts 12 and 30, occupy a position between and substantially parallel to the frame bars 20, and the blade 8 occupies a .rearwardly directed position with respect to the frame bars. It will thus be seen, that when . the; 1»° blade 8 is in inoperative position, the shafts 12 and 20, brace bars 28α and 285, and the frame 19 are. compactly arranged, and these parts: are held in this position by the member 31, the angular ends of which now en- 105 wage in openings 32 in the frame bars 20. * A front bar 33 and a rear bar 34 secured to the section motor car and extending laterally from one side thereof, provide means for connecting the blade carrier frame 19 to HO the car when snow is to be cleared or flanged away from the outer sides of the rails 1. The front bar 33 has an upwardly offset angular end 33α which embraces and is secured to one of the wheel guards 6 at a 115 point between the ends of the latter. The front bar 33 is secured to the wheel guard 6 by a bolt 35. and the connection between this bar and wheel guard is reinforced by a brace 36 secured to the bar near the wheel 120 guard and to the floor 4 of the car.

This connection is also reinforced by a brace 37 which is secured to the front end of the wheel guard 6 and to the outer end of the bar 33. The rear bar 34 is secured 12b to: the rear central bracket 38 of the section motor car and to that side beam 7 of the motor car near the wheel guard β to which the front bar 33 is secured, and this connection is established through the medium of clips convex' side with reinforcing ribs 9 which extend from a plane close to the upper edge of the blade to a plane slightly below the horizontal center of the blade, and which are ⁵ arranged at opposite sides of the vertical center of the blade. A bracket 10 is pivotally secured to and between the upper ends of the ribs 9 by a bolt 11, and a tubular shaft 12 is secured, as at 13, to and extends upwardly ¹⁰ from the bracket.

The bolt 11 connects the blade 8 to the shaft 12 for rocking movement with respect thereto about a horizontal axis, and the connection between the blade and handle is lo¹⁵ cated rearwardly of the upper edge of the . blade. . A screw 14 which is engaged with the upper end of the blade 8 and contacts with the front side of the lower end of the shaft 12, . serves to limit, the forward swinging ²⁰ movement of the blade with respect to the shaft. A coil spring 15 which is . located .at the front side of the shaft 12, is secured at its ; lower end to the upper end of the blade and . at its upper end to the lower end of a rod 16, ²⁵ and serves to normally hold the blade in its foremost position, which position thereof is 'determined by the screw 14 and which may be varied by adjusting the screw. The upper . end of the rod 16 is secured to the shaft 12 by . ³⁰ -means through the medium of which the tension of the spring 15 may be varied. This means comprises a bracket 17 which is. secured to the shaft 12 and through which the upper end of the rod 16 freely passes, and a ³⁵ .nut 18 engaged with the rod and bearing upon the bracket. . .

A carrier frame 19 for the blade 8, is 01 elongated rectangular formation in. plan, and is mounted upon and extends longitudinally ⁴⁰ of the section motor car, The frame 19 consists of side bars 20, transverse bars 21,22 and 23, and crossed braces 24, and the front end thereof is bent downwardly. The blade 8 is connected to the rear end of the frame 19 for ⁴⁸ movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the section motor car. This connection is established through the medium of a bracket 25 and a pivot bolt 26, the bracket between the rear ends of the .... .._____d secured by U-clips 27 to the shaft 12 between the ends of the latter, and the bolt passing through the rear ends of these frame bars and through the bracket.

The pivotal connection between the blade ⁵⁵ 8 and the frame 19 permits the blade to be .readily swung into or out of operative position. The blade 8 is normally held in operative position by a folding brace 28 which is pivotally connected, as at 29, to the frame ⁶⁰ bars 20 and which is pivotally connected at its other end, as at 29α, to the upper end of a shaft 30 arranged within the shaft 12. The brace 28 holds the shaft 30 against rotation, „_r and-the shaft 12 is rotatably associated with ' the shaft 30 to permit the blade 8 to be turned being positioned

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1,833^59 . · ,3

39’ and 40.. The rear bar 34 extends beyond that side· of the car beyond which the front bar 33 extends, and the· outer ends of. the bars are connected by a bar 41. The; front ⁵ bar 33 is located in a plane below that of the rear bar 34, the front end of the carrier frame 19 rests upon the front bar, and the rear end of the frame rests upon the rear bar.

The'frame cross bar 21 is. provided with; a ¹⁰ series of openings 42 through one of which passes a bolt 43 carried by the front bar 33 and serving to· secure the. carrier frame 19 to this bar, the openings permitting the carrier frame to be- secured to the bar at different ¹⁵ distances from the side of the car.

The frame 19 is secured to the rear bar 34 by J-bolts 44. which, are: carried by the frame cross bar 22 and embrace the rear bar. Coil springs 45 mounted upon the bolts 20 44 between the frame cross bar 22 and the nuts 46 of the bolts, serve to hold, the frame 19· against the rear bar 34- The frame cross bars; 22 and 23 are of angular formation in cross section, and their· downwardly extend²⁵ ing flanges contact with the opposite, sides of the rear bar 34 and assist the bolts 43 and 44 in holding- the carrier frame 19 against forward or rearward movement on the bars 33 and 34. The springs· 45 permit the rear .30 end of the carrier frame 19’ and consequently the blade 8 to yield upwardly when the latter engages a large stone, large cinder, high tie or the like.

In practice, the snow-plow is mounted 35 upon a section motor car with the blade 8. positioned outwardly of the rails at one side of the track so that the snow outwardly of these rails will be cleared or flanged away as the car moves along the track. To effect 40 this application ©f the plow, the bar 33 is secured in an outwardly extended position to the wheel guard 6 located at that side of the car facing this side of the track, the bar 34 is secured to the car with a portion thereto of projecting beyond the corresponding side of the car, the frame 9 is positioned upon and secured to the bars, the blade 8 is swung downwardly into and secured in active position, and the blade is then turned into and .5.0 secured in the required angular position with respect to these rails.

After the snow has been cleared or flanged away from the rails at this side of the track, the snow-plow is arranged upon the car to po55 sition the blade 8 outwardly of the rails at the other side of the track. To accomplish this the bar 33 is removed from the wheel guard 6 to which it is applied and secured to the wheel guard at the other side of the car in ⁶⁹ an outwardly extended position with respect thereto, the clips 39 and . 40 are loosened, the bar 34 is then moved endwise to position a portion thereof outwardly beyond this side of the car, and the clips are ^Gj then tightened. After this has been done the frame 19 is mounted upon and secured to the bars,, the blade 8: is; swung into and .secured in active;positron;;and the: blade is then turned into, and secured in required angular position with respect to these rails. After 70 the snow has been cleared away from the rails, at this side of the track, the plow may be arranged on. the car in a position to· clear th® snow away from the inner sides of the raUsat one side of the track, and then ar- 75 ranged on the car to clear the snow: away from.the inner· sides' of the rails at; the; opposite sides of the track.. When, the snow-plow is in either of these positions, the. carrier frame. 19 rests, upon and is secured to the SO flow 4. and one of. the end bars 7® of the car, as shown in Figure 8. The mounting of the.blade 8 so as; to· permit it to ;be turned about: a_: substantially vertical axis; permits the blade to be arranged in the required an- 85 gwlar position to effect the clearing or flanging away of. the snow from the inner or outer. sides of the rails·,, the; mounting. of the blade for movement about the horizontal axis: 11 permits -it .to rock upwardly and ;to rearwardly when it. encounters- large stones, large:, cinders, high ties, or the like·,; and the mounting· of the blade 8· for movement, about the horizontal axis 26 permits it to be swung upwardly so- as to· clear crossings and 85 switches. . , _;

The clips 27 secure the plate 8 to the bracket 25, not only for turning movement about a.substantially vertical axis, but-also for vertical adjustment so as to position its TOO lower edge at the required distance above the ties. It will he further understood that ; the snow-plow may be controlled by one man·.. ; . . .· .

. While we have- described, the principle of 105 the- invention, together with The structure which we- now consider the preferred embodiment thereof, it is to-be understood that the structure shown i s- merely illustrative and that such changes may be made, when 110 desired, as fall within the scope of tire invention as; claimed...