US2337081A - Railway car diaphragm construction - Google Patents

Description

1943- M. P. BLOMBERG 2,337,081

RAILWAY CAR DIAPHRAGM CONSTRUCTION I Filed Aug. 2, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet l I o, I: +8 I Dec. 21, 1943. BLQMBERG I 2,337,081

RAILWAY CAR DIAgI-IRAGM CONSTRUCTION I Filed Aug. 2', 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 D 1943- M. P. BLOMBERG 2,337,081

RAILWAY CAR DIAPHRAGM CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet s 109 v g 4 74; 71 2a 5 inventor 1943. M. P. BLOMBERG RAILWAY CAR DIAPHRAGM CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 3lwentor Dec. 21, 1943. P. BLOMBERG 2,337,081

RAILWAY CAR DIAPHRAGM CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2, 1940 5 Sheeis-Sheet 5 I94 gm 92 IQF 205 Qnventor 7/172fi227 FB/ozzzba g (I'ttornegs Patented Dec. 21, 1943 w th RAILWAY CAR DIAPHRAGM CONSTRUCTION Martin P. Blomberg, Hinsdale, Ill., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a

corporation of Delaware Application August 2, 1940, Serial No. 349,714

2 Claims.

This invention relates to railway car iaphragm constructions, and more particularly to the manner of connecting such diaphragm constructions to the car body and supporting them thereon.

In my improved construction, an inner diaphragm is provided to form the passageway leading from one car into the adjacent car, one end of this diaphragm being secured to the car body and the other being connected to an inner face plate, which is supported upon a buffer member located at the bottom of the face plate. Both the bufier member and the upper end 01 the face plate are connected to the car body by structures which permit them to move toward the car body and to assume angular positions with respect thereto, and also permit a limited amount of vertical movement relative to the car body. Means are provided to positively hold the face plate the center of the car body end at all times, s that it will line up properly With the face plate of the adjacent car. Outer lace plates are pivotally connected to each side of the inner face plate, and outer diaphragrns extend from these face plates to the car body end to close the spaces between the cars.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent upon reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which i is a side elevation of the adjacent end portions of railway cars which are coupled together.

Fig. 2 is 2-2 of Fig.

Fig. 3 is 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken 4- 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view 5-%i of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a sectional View 3-5 of Fi 2.

l-ig. 7 is a sectional View taken L l cf Fig. 6.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken 53 of Fig. 6.

9 is a sectional view 5+9 of Fi 2.

Fi iii is a plan view of the adjacent ends of two coupled cars showing the positions the diaphragins assume when the cars are on curved track.

Fig. 11 is a sectional View taken on the line li it of Fig. 9.

12 is a sectional View taken on the line lZ-lii of Fig. 2.

Fig. 13 is a View similar to Fig. 12 but showin the position the parts assume when the cars are on curved track as shown in Fig. 10.

The reference numerals it and 15 indicate sectional View taken on the line sectional View taken on the line on the line taken on the line taken on the line on the line on the line taken on the line adjacent railway cars which are coupled together by conventional couplers l3 and 2c. Diaphragm structures designated generally by the numerals 22 and 25 are secured to the ends of thecars i l and it respectively, and since these diaphragm structures are identical in construction, only onewill be described.

Referring to Fig. 9, the numeral 28 designates 1 the floor of the car body, and 2d is a Vertically extending plate welded or otherwise secured thereto and forming a part of the body end sill structure. Secured to the plate 23 in spacedrelation on each side of the longitudinal center line of the car by bolts 3% are brackets 2'52 which are U-shaped in cross-section, as shown in Fig. and a wear plate 35 is welded or otherwise secured to the upper surface of the web part of the U-shap-ed portion of each of the brackets. Shoes having wear plates 38 secured to their bottom surfaces are slidably mounted in the brackets, and are provided with portions ill wh ch i t between spaced cars 42 welded to a in rer angle it, being pivotally connected to the ea 5 by bolts 43. t will be seen from this "that the buffer angle is supported on the brackets 32 but is free to move toward or away from the end sill or to move angularly with respect to same.

Each of the shoes 36 also have formed on them spaced flanges 53 between which an eye 56 having fiat sides bearing against the flanges is located, and this eye is pivotally connected to the flanges by a bolt 52. The eye has a shank to which is welded a piece of tubing 55, although it will be understood that the tubing and eye may be formed as an integral part if desired. The tubing extends through relatively large openings 5t and Eli formed in the bracket 32 and plate 23 respectively, and through a smaller opening 52 formed in a plate 5t which is a part of the end sill structure. A compression spring 66 surrounds the tubing and bears against a shoulder formed on theeye at one end and against a washer fall which abuts the plate at the other end. A key 7% extending through slots formed in the tubing limits movement of the latter away from the end silLand the spring 66 is so designed that it will be under some compression when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 9. It will be seen that this arrangement permits the buffer angle to move toward the end sill when it is engaged by the buffer angle of an adjacent car keys 'iii preventing movement beyond that posi-' tion.

Pivotally connected to the plate 28 by hinges "i2 is a floor plate 14 which is held down tightly against the upper surface of the buffer angle 44 by a spring member I5, one end of which is secured to the plate 28 and the other end of which is connected to lugs I8 secured to the underside of the floor plate. This construction permits the buffer angle to slide under the floor plate but insures that the latter will be held firmly against the buffer angle at all times.

In order to properly center the buffer angle, the following construction is provided. A bar 80 having a head portion 82 pivotally connected by a bolt 8? between spaced ears 85 secured to the buffer angle dd, extends through a guide 88 secured to the plate 28 by bolts 89 and through openings 9% and 92 formed in that plate and in the plate 64 respectively. Secured to the plate 64 is a member as which serves to hold a sleeve 98, the latter being clamped to the member 94 by a strap 93 which is fastened to the member 94 by bolts IEO. As will be seen in Figs. 6 and 8, the

bar 83 extends through the sleeve, and there are two semi-cylindrical members I92, formed of alternate layers of rubber and fabric or similar material, located between the bar and the sleeve to keep them out of contact with each other and to permit a limited amount of movement of the bar relative to the sleeve, for a purpose to be presently described. The bar is of course free to slide within the members I92, such sliding movement taking place when the buffer angle is moved toward the end sill. A key IElS extending through an opening in the bar is adapted to engage the sleeve when the buffer angle has returned to normal position to prevent further outward movement of the bar within the sleeve.

As shown in Fig. 7, the opening Hit in the guide 38 is elongated in shape, being of greater height than its width, and its surfaces at either side being machined flat as at it. At the point where it passes through the guide, the bar has wear plates Ida welded to its sides, and these wear plates bear against the fiat surfaces M on the guide, thereby preventing any horizontal movement of the bar with respect to the guide but permitting it to move vertically a limited amount for a purpose to be described later.

Secured to the top of the buffer angle 44 by bolts Hit is the lower portion of an inner face plate III of U-shape, the space II2 between the legs of which constitutes a passageway between adjacent cars. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the upper end of this face plate is yieldably connected to and centered with respect to the car body by the following structure. Spaced lugs H4 welded to the face plate have pivotally connected between them by a bolt H6 2. trunnion H8 to which the head IIS of a tubular member I263 is pivotally connected by a bolt I22. This tubular member is slidably supported within a sleeve I25, to one end of which is welded an eye I26 which is pivotally connected by a pin I28 to lugs I29 formed on a support I30 which is secured in any suitable manner to the body end member I32. Mounted on the outside of the sleeve I25, and rigidly connected thereto by a bolt I which extends through slots I36 formed in the tubular member I28, is a wedge member I38 having angularly inclined surfaces [fill formed on it. Correspondingly inclined surfaces M2 are provided on the support I30, and blocks ltd of rubber or other resilient material having metal plates I46 and I48 vulcanized to them, are secured between the inclined surfaces. As shown in Fig. 4, the plates Hi6 abut against shoulders I553 formed on the wedge member I38. and the plates I58 abut against shoulders I 52 provided on the support I30, so that any tendency of the wedge member to move toward the support I353 will be resisted by the compression action of the rubber blocks. The assemblies of the blocks IM and plates I55 and I48 are held between the inclined surfaces on the wedge member I38 and support I38 by means of a member M9 which is secured to the support by bolts I5I, there being spacers I53 interposed between the plates I i-8 and the member I49 to hold the wedge member out of contact with the member M8 since it moves laterally with respect thereto.

A compression spring 55d, one end of which bearsagainst the head MS of the tubular memher and the other end of which bears against the wedge member, surrounds the sleeve IN and tends move the face plate away from the car body, this movement however being limited by the engagement of the bolt I34 with the end of the slots I36 in the tubular member, the spring 554 being so proportioned that it is under some compression even when the bolt engages the end of the slot. It will be seen from the above that when pressure is applied against the face plate, the latter is free to move toward the car body in direction parallel with the longitudinal centerline thereof, the tubular member I20 sliding within the sleeve I2 3 and the spring IE2 being compressed and thereby cushioning such move ment and tending to return the face plate to normal position when the pressure ceases. Any tendency of the upper end of the face plate to move sidewise with respect to the car body is resiliently resisted by the compression action of the rubber blocks I44.

As shown in Fig. 12, a vertically extending I- beam I55 is secured to the body end member I32, and one end of a flexible inner diaphragm 258 formed of rubberized fabric or other suitable material is connected to the I-beam by fastening devices Ice, the other end of the diaphragm being connected by fastening devices I62 to a member Iii- 1 which is secured to the face plate H5.

To improve the appearance and to protect pa"- sengers from being injured by being caught in the crack. between the contacting face plates of adjacent cars, a roller curtain IE6 formed of any suitable flexible material has its ends secured in housings I68, one of the housings being located in one car while the housing to which the opposite end of the curtain is attached is located in the adjacent car. The housings are supported on members I'll) which in turn are secured to the I-bearns I56. One end of the curtain is wound on a spring roller H2 which keeps the curtain taut at all times. It will be understood of course that there is a similar curtain on the other side of the passageway H2.

Since in streamlined trains it is important that the spaces between adjacent cars be closed or covered to maintain smooth unbroken surfaces at the sides and top of the cars, outer diaphragms I'ld, formed of any suitable flexible material, are provided at each side of each car. These outer diaphragms are secured at one end to the car body member I75 by fastening devices I38. The other end of each diaphragm is connected by fastening devices IBG to channels I82 which are secured to outer face plates I84, which as shown in Fig. 2 have portions I86 at their upper ends which are curved to conform to the shape of the top of the car, such portions terminating sub stantially in line with the outer side edges of the inner face plate H0. The lower portions I88 of the outer face plates are in line with the face of the buffer angle The outer face plates are supported from and pivotally connected to the inner face plate l is by hinges E39.

Secured to the inner face plate are brackets 23%, and a block iii-2, provided with trunnions E94 which are received in bearing portions i535 formed in the brackets, is pivotally supported in each of these brackets. A threaded bolt iilii having an eye i8 formed at one end, which eye is secured by a bolt are between spaced lugs 2%2 welded to the portions ilit and sea of the outer face plate, extends through a hole formed in the block and is slidable therein. A compression spring bears against the block at end and at e other end engages washers backed up by nuts threaded on the bolt, the nuts providing an adjustment whereby the compresslon oi spring may be varied. At the other end of the bolt, nuts 2 l 9 are threaded thereon to limit sliding movement of the bolt in the block in the one direction. The nuts 2 I ll may be adjusted to vary the length of travel of the bolt ltd in the block i92. As shown in Fig. 12, the nuts Eli] are adjusted to such position that they will engage the block it? when the outer face plate is parallel to the end of the car body, and will prevent any further outward movement of the outer face plate.

When the cars are operating on curved track, the various parts of the structure take the positions shown in Fig. 10, the spring 65 of the buffer angle toward the inner side of the curve being compressed to permit the buffer angle to lie at an angle with respect to the end of the car body,

instead of extending parallel thereto as it normally does. This results in the bufier angles and inner face plates remaining in contact with each other while the cars are rounding the curve. The outer diaphragms PM on each car at the inner side of the curve will be compressed, and the outer face plates at that side will also remain in contact with each other, whereas at the outer side of the curve the outer diaphragms will be expanded to a straight position, and the outer face plates at that side will be separated from each other, as shown in Fig. 10. In Fig. 13, it will be seen that the compression springs 2% will resiliently resist movement of the outer face plates toward the car body, While the engagement of the nuts 2E9 with the blocks 1% will prevent movement of the outer face plates beyond a position where they will be parallel to the end of the car body and in line with the inner face plate.

As shown in Fig. 11, since the shoes 3% which support the buffer angle merely rest in the U-shaped brackets 32, they are free to move upwardly a limited amount, as indicated by the reference character X, to permit the buffer angle and the parts supported thereon to tilt slightly. As shown in Fig. 9, the openings 66] and 58 in the plate 23 and bracket 32 respectively, are made sufiiciently larger than the diameter of the spring so that the latter will not contact these members during this tilting movement. Provision for this tilting movement is necessitated because of the fact that during certain operating conditions, the platform of one car may extend at a slight angle with respect to that of the adjacent car. As described above, the opening Hi l in the guide 88 is elongated in shape to permit vertical movement of the bar 86 in the guide, the wear plates I08 bearing against the fiat surfaces I86 of the opening I04 to center the buffer angle and associated parts and to prevent sidewise movement of them. At the top of the structure, there is a sufiicient amount of clearance provided at the points where the eye lit fits between the lugs E29 and where the pin i128 passes through the opening in the eye to permit the opposite er: of the tube I20 and sleeve E26 to move upwardiy during such tilting movement of the i'ace plate and buffer angle.

It will be seen from the above that I have provided a construction in which the various parts are supported in such manner that they will normally be held in position where they will line up properly with and be in contact with the corresponding parts of an adjacent car, but will be free to move to diiferent positions when necessitated by changes in the relationship of the two coupled cars during operation, the parts however being held in proper centered position at all times to insure that the passageways in the ends of adjacent cars will always line up with each other.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and have described in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a rail car body, aface plate, members located at the bottom thereof to support said plate, said members allowing movement of the face plate toward the car body, a tube connected to the upper end of the face plate, a sleeve in which said tube is slidably received, a wedge-shaped member mounted on and rigidly connected to the sleeve, said wedgeshaped member having angularly inclined surfaces formed thereon, a support secured to the car body and having angularly inclined surfaces formed on it, blocks of resilient material secured between the angularly inclined surfaces on the wedge-shaped member and the support, and a spring mounted on the tube between a shoulder formed thereon and said wedge-shaped member, said spring being compressed when said face plate moves toward the car body, and said blocks of resilient material serving to resist lateral movement of said face plate relative to the car body.

2. In combination with a rail car body, a face plate spaced from the car body, means located at the bottom thereof to support said plate, said means allowing movement of said face plate toward the car body, a member connected to the upper end of the face plate and extending toward the car body, a support secured to the car body, a sleeve pivotally connected to the support, said member being slidably mounted in said sleeve, a compression spring located on the outside of said sleeve and serving to resist movement of the upper end of the face plate toward the car body, a wedge-shaped member having inclined surfaces formed on it secured to said sleeve, said sleeve having correspondingly shaped inclined surfaces formed on it, and pieces of resilient material interposed between the inclined surfaces on the wedge-shaped member and on the support, said resilient material serving to yieldingly resist 1ateral movement of the upper end of the face plate relative to the support.

MARTIN P. BLOMBERG.

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