Buffer

Nov. 27, 1934.

G. H. ZOUCK

BUFFER

Filed Oct. 4, 1930

1,981,980

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Patented Nov. 27, 1934

1,981,980

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

1,981,986 BUFFER George H. Zouck, Orange, N. J., assignor to Franklin Railway Supply Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware

Application October 4, 1930, Serial No. 486,298

Claims. (CL 213—221)

This inVention relates to buffers and particularly to buffers for use between railway vehicles, for example between locomotives and their tenders.

One of the primary objects of my invention is the provision of a buffer construction which is simple, compact and effective.

A more specific object resides in the provision of a buffer device for railway vehicles of such 10 construction that it will occupy considerably less space in width than known buffers of the same general type. ·

A further object resides in the provision of a buffer device of the type employing spring urged 15 buffer sustaining wedges in which the buffer element, the sustaining wedges and the spring means are in what may be termed “nested arrangement” whereby a very compact buffer device is provided.

Another object resides in the provision of means, in a buffer device of the character described, adapted to facilitate assembling of the device and coupling of the vehicles.

Still another object is to provide means for 25 taking up wear in the device.

How the foregoing, together with such other objects and advantages, as may hereinafter appear, or are incident to my invention, are realized is illustrated in preferred form in the accom30 panying drawing, wherein—

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the adjacent end portions of two railway vehicles, such as a locomotive and its tender, illustrating my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved buffer construction with a fragment of the frame of the tender shown in section as taken on the line 2—2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the 40 device taken on the line 3—3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a modification of the invention.

In the drawing the adjacent end portions of 45 the tender and locomotive frames are indicated at 5 and 6 respectively. A draw bar 7 of usual form is employed the ends of which are secured in the pockets 8 and 9 by means of coupling pins 10 and 11.

The locomotive frame carries a buffer 12 and the tender frame is provided with a buffer pocket 13 in which the tender buffer 14 is located. A chafing block 15 floatingly mounted on the locomotive buffer 12 is located between the tender and locomotive buffers, which buffers are respectively provided with cylindrical and spherical surfaces 16 and 17. The chafing block 15 is provided with corresponding surfaces 18 and 19 and is free to shift laterally in operation.

Tfie tender buffer 14 Is yieldingly sustained by means of a pair of sustaining wedges 20 and 21 nested in or carried by the buffer, 1. e., the wedges are located in the buffer 14 between the top and bottom plate-like portions 22 and 23 forming an open ended and open sided pocket g5 in the buffer.

The wedges 20 and 21 are automatically movable transversely of the fore and aft line of thrust by yieldable means in this instance shown in the form of compression springs 24 and 25, 70 one located within the other. The buffer 14 is provided with rear faces 27 and 28 which are oppositely inclined inward and frontward (speaking with reference to the acting face 16 of the buffer). The front face of the wedge 20 is 75 inclined to coact with the face 27 of the buffer and the front face of the wedge 21 is inclined to coact with the other face 28 of the buffer. Stated in another way the buffer 14 is provided with a V-shaped cavity, with the. inclined faces 27 and so 28 of which the front inclined faces of the wedges 20 and 21 coact.

The rear faces 29 and 30 of the wedgerengage the end face 31 of the pocket 13 and the wedges are of such width that a space 32 is provided be- s5 tween their adjacent side faces and spaces 33 between their opposed side faces and the side faces or walls of the pocket so that they are free to move lateraUya sufficient distance to act in the manner hereinafter described. 90

The compression springs 24 and 25 are located between the wedges 20 and 21 for which purpose the wedges are provided with pockets facing each other. Thus the springs are nested or confined in the wedges and normally tend to urge the 05 wedges apart which, in turn, causes the wedges to act on the Inclined faces of the buffer 14 to move it outward and automatically^ press it against the chafing block 15, and the chafing block against the buffer 12, thus taking up all looseness in the ₁₀₀draw bar coupling between the locomotive and tender or other adjacent vehicles with which the device is being employed. The device minimizes shocks on the drawbar in starting, and acts as a cushioning device under conditions where the ₁₀₅vehicles are thrown forcibly toward one another.

In Order to prevent the buffer 14 from being displaced from the pocket 13 when the vehicles are 4 uncoupled, I employ a removable pin 34 extending through elongated openings 35 in the buffer and through holes in the top and bottom walls of the pocket 13.

A headed bolt 36 extends through holes in each wedge with the head engaging one of the wedges as at 37. The other end of the bolt carries a nut 115 38, and a collar 39 adapted to be engaged with the other wedge. In applying the buffer the nut 38 is screwed up until the collar 39 engages the wedge 21 and then by continuing to screw up the nut, the springs 24 and 25 are compressed, thus 120

1,981,080 removing the pressure from the buffer block (see Fig. 2). When the vehicles have been coupled together, for example by the draw bar 7 and pins 10 and 11, the nut 38 is screwed back against a 5 cotter pin 40, as indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 2, and the expansion of the springs causes the wedges to separate and force the buffer block into normal position.

As wear takes place the wedges gradually sepa10 rate more and more until finally the collar 39 engages the nut 38 and unless provision is made to the cohtrary, new edges or a new buffer would have to be employed according to where the wear took place. I propose to continue using the same 15 parts even after wear develops to such a point by employing shims 41 between the face 31 of the pocket 13 and the rear faces 29 and 30 of the wedges. To apply these shims the nut 38 is screwed up until the groove 42 in the collar 39 23 comes in line with the outside edge of the buffer pocket 13. When the springs have been thus compressed the shims may be readily inserted in place through elongated openings 43 in the side walls of the buffer pocket. The bottom 44 of 25 these openings is located somewhat above the bottom of the pocket to provide an abutment pre. venting unintentional displacement of the shims. When the springs are again released by moving the nut 38 to its outermost position, the wedges ₃₀ again act as above described, although they have moved forward an amount equal to the thickness of the shims. An elongated opening 45 is provided in the end wall of the pocket 13 to permit such movement.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a very simple, compact, and effective buffer' construction in which the parts are nested together, so to speak, in a manner that the sustaining wedges and springs lie within the width 40 of the buffer, and this without making it necessary to employ a wide buffer.- Furthermore, the novel form and arrangement of the wedges enables me to employ the same spring means for both wedges. Although I have shown two springs, 45 one within the other, I may in some instances employ one spring only. My invention is particularly advantageous where space limitations are such that the buffer device must be of the least possible width. Furthermore, the arrangement 55 is such that the parts are protected from the action of the elements and the entire buffer blotjk with its wedges and spring means may be housed in a buffer pocket of small dimensions: In this connection it is pointed out that the housing of 55 the spring means within the wedges themselves makes it possible to greatly reduce the overall width of devices of this character.

While I have illustrated the buffer 14 as composed of a single member it is to be understood _an. that I also contemplate employing multipart buffers.