US90657A - Improved air-spring for railroad-cars - Google Patents

Description

P. G. GARDINER.

Car Spring.

Patented june 1, 1869.

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Letters Patent N 90,657, dated June 1, 1869.

IMPROVED AIR-SPRIN G- FOR RAILROAD-CARS'.

' The Schedulerefen'ed to in these Lettexs Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom 'it ma/y concern:

Be it known that I, PERRY G. GARDINER, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Air-Sprin g for Oarrages, Railroad-Cars, and various other purposes; and I do hereby declare' that the following is afull and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon.

'Ihe nature of my invention consists- First, in the peculiar construction of a rubber cylinder, and in the combination therewith of top and bottom' plates, a cock for the admission of air, an encircling spring or band, and rods which connect said A upper and lower plates together and serve as guides. `Secondly, my invention consists in combining, with a rubber cylinder of peculiar construction, top aud bottom plates, and an encircling spring or band, as above referred to, an inner cylinder, also of rubber.

And, further, in the combination, with an Indiarubber or elastic chamber or cylinder, vconstructed as above described, and filled with compressed air, a numherof spiral steel springs, or a cylindrical India-rubber spring, arranged in the interior of the chamber, for the purpose of increasing the strength of the spring, all as hereinafter more fully described. v

In the accompanying drawings, different arrangements and combinations of my-improved air-spring are represented in plan and section, which will be referred to more particularly in the general description.

Similar letters represent similar parts in all the figures.

A represents an India-rubber cylindrical chamber,

-closed at the top, and provided with an external anch,

c, around its bottom.

This India-rubber chamber is securely fastened t0 thebottom or sole-plate B by means of suitable bolts, b, passing through the sole-plate B and ilanch a on the chamber, as well as through a metal ring, c, by

which latter ring the India-rubber llanch a is strengthened.

Suitable lips or projections c c are made on the soleplate B, between-which the lauch a lits.

On the top A of the India-rubber chamber A, a metal plate, D, is placed, and fastened in its proper position by means of bolts, b', in such a manner as to allow to said plate D a free motion downward.

In the sole-plate B, a passage, d, is made, provided with a cock, h, through which the atmospheric air is forced into and confined in the interior of the chamber A at any desired pressure.

Around the outside of the India-rubber cylinder A, a `spiral spring, m, is placed, to prevent the internal pressure of the atmospheric air bulging out the sides of the chamber. Y

`This arrangement of' an air-spring, which is represented in Figure I in section and plan, is particularly` well adapted for light wagons and carriages, calculated for a light and fixed load.

The cylinder A being illed with air of the desired pressure, the sole-plate B is fitted upon the wheeltruck, with the projecting passage d and its valve or cock h let into the wood or metal forming the truck,

to prevent the cock h from being interferedl with, and

the body of the carriage is made to rest upon the top gf the chamber, or, if a metal plate, D, is used, which I prefer, it rests upon the top of said metal plate D.

The India-rubber chamber may be made of any desirable shape, and may be made so that the bottom shall form a part of the same, provided with a suitable opening, closd by a metal `or India-rubber valve, and filled with compressed air, but I prefer making the bottom of metal, and arrange the same as above de-A scribed.

For heavier loads, or for railroad-cars, I arrange, in the inside of the cylinder or chamber A, a vcylindrical India-rubber spring, E, (see Figure 11,) fitting between or around suitable projections, n, fast to the sole-plate B, and provided with a metal plate, p, resting on its top, and bearing against the under side of the topA of the chamber A.

This'India-rubber spring E may be made solid, but Iprefer to make the same hollow, as represented in Fig. II, in section and plan, and provided with a number of holes or perforations, s, in its sides, to equalize the pressure of the atmospheric air forced into the chamber around its inner and outer surfaces.

Instead of placing an India-rubber spring in' the iuterior of the chamber A, as here described, two or more -may be arranged in the same, or one, three, or n iore spiral steel springs, J, as represented in Figure` III, in section and plan, may be arranged in the interior of said chamber.

These springs J are placed around projecting pins or bolts zo, fast to the sole-plate B, and carry on their top a metal plate, x, provided with bolts or pins, n,

similar and corresponding with .the bolts or pins w ou the sole-plate B.

This plate a: acts against the under side of the solid top A of the elastic chamber A. y

The pinsor bolts u and w may be `made of such a length as to regulate and determine the amountyof motion to be allowed to the cylinder A, and to touch each other, or allow the spring to bottom, whenever` any excess ot' pressure i`s placed uponthe same.

The length of the India-rubber spring E, or of the Y,

spiral steel springs J, may be made somewhat less than the internal depth of the elastic cylinder A, so as to allow the internal atmospheric pressure,forced into the cylinder, to operate in the beginn-ing alone, until the load'increases, when the combined strength of the India-rubber spring E, or ofthe spiral steel springs J, and of the compressed air, will act and operate to overcome and counteract the external load.

The elastic chamber A maybe made suiiiciently strong to dispense with the metal top plate D and with the external spiral spring en, or either of them, and to act thus only with the compressed air, or in combination with either an internal Indiafrubber spring or spiral steel springs.

Insteadof arranging either an India-rubber spring or springs, or spiral steel springs, in the interior of the chamber, an Indiafrnbber spring, surrounded by spiral steel springs, may be arranged inside the India-rubber or elastic chamber.

A band may be substituted for the spiral spring m,

' as its only use is to confine the India-rubber cylinder,

and prevent it from expanding unequallywhen under pressure, and not to give any strength as a spring. I t has been found in practice that a band is all that is required; therefore, I do, not limit my claim simply to the encircling spring. v

I do not claim broadly a spring encircling a rubber cylinder in which a column of air is confined, as I am aware that this is not new; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secu're by Letters Patent, is4

1. The rubber cylinder A, having a closed end, A, and flange, a, whereby it is secured to the plate B, having a cock, Z h, said'cylinder A being encircled by a spring, m, and covered by a plate, D, connected with the lower plate by rods b', which serve as guides, all substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the outer cylinder A A' a, inner cylinder E, plates B D p, and spring m, all constructed and arranged substantially' as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combinat'on of the cylinder A A' a, plates B, vw, as, u, supporting-springs J, and spring m, all substantially as herein described, for the purpose specified.

PERRY G. GARDINER.

Witnesses:

HENRY E. Rennen, Louis STUMM.

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