   
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 

96 THE AMERICAN ENGINEER

[February, 1395.

as the throw or extent of movement of the levers is normal,
will remain inactive, but which, when the movement of the
levers, or either of them, increases by reason of slack in the
rigging, operates to shift the fulcrum of the lever which has
a stationary fulcrum.

Speciﬁcally the invention consists in connecting the live
lever 2 and the dead lever 1 together by means of a rod, 5,
having a connection with one of the levers which allows it to
move independently of the lever in one direction, and causes
it to carry the lever with it when moved in the opposite direc-
tion, and which rod is automatically extensible so that any in-
crease in the movement of the live lever due to slack will
cause the dead lever to shift its fulcrum.

 

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THE HINCKLEY BRAKE SLACK ADJUSTER.

Fig. 3 is a side view, in which 1 indicates what is common-
ly known as the dead lever ; 2 the usual live lever ; 3 a por-
tion of the brake operating rod ; 4 a connectingrod securing
the two levers together for operation in the ordinary manner.

15 denotes a guide-rod and support for the adjustable ful-
crum of the dead lever 1. It is ﬁrmly bolted at its inner end
to any convenient part of ihe truck or framing, as indicated
in the drawings at a, and is preferably made hollow or tubular
for lightness and strength. A sleeve, 16, encircles this guide-
rod and slides freely to and fro thereon, and the outer end of
the rod is preferably provided with a ﬂange, f, to prevent the
sleeve from going oﬁ the end of the rod. Cast or formed in-
tegrally with this sleeve is a fulcrum block, b, having a recess
or opening, 7', therein to form a keeper for the upper end of
the dead lever. This block carries an automatic gripping cle-
vice which permits it to move along the supporting rod freely
in one direction, but which grips and binds the block to the
rod and prevents it from moving in the opposite direction.
The gripping device consists of a loop or shackle, 1'7, pivoted
upon the block and encircling the guide-rod, stops 3 being
formed on the block to prevent the shackles from swinging
past aline perpendicular with the face of the block in one
direction. When the loop rests against these stops the ful-
crum block is free to move outwardly on the supporting red,
but any movement of the block in the opposite direction will
cause the shackle, which, as will be understood, ﬁts the sur-
face of the rod rather snugly, to grip and bind upon the rod,
thereby forming a positive lock or stop against reverse move-

_ ment of the block.

5 indicates a connecting-rod between the live and dead levers,
which, in connection with the said levers and the automatic
gripping devices hereinafter described, constitutes the adjuster
proper. This rod is pivotally connected to the live lever in any
suitable manner so as to move longitudinally as the lever
swings backward and forward. It is preferable to connect
the lever with the rod, so that it (the lever) may have a certain
movement independently of the rod, and this connection is
shown in the drawings as formed by means of a pin, 50, in the
lever which passes through a slot, 6, in the clip or stirrup a
secured to the end of the rod and forming the immediate con-
nection between it and the lever.

Pivoted to the dead lever is a stirrup or clip, 8, preferably
similar in general structure to the clip 0 on the live lever.
The stirrup 8 has formed upon one side of it a sleeve, '7, into
which ﬁts the free end of the connecting-rod 5, so that the rod
may have a sliding connection with the stirrup and the dead
lever. The stirrup carries an automatic gripping device simi-
lar to that carried by the fulcrum block for the dead lever,
except that it is arranged to permit therod to slide freely
through the stirrup in the opposite direction to that of the
movement of the fulcrum block.

The operation of the apparatus is briefly as follows : When
the brakes are applied, the rod 3_ and the live lever move in
the direction of the arrow. It is not intended that the ad.
juster-rod 5 should be moved by the l1ve lever except when
slack exists in the rigging. The loose connection between
the lever and the rod heretofore descr1bed—v1z., the pin and
slot connection between‘ the stirrup c and the lever———is therefore
provided. When the shoes are new and thereis no slack in
the rigging, the lever will move to and fro without movin
the rod, the slot 6 being of sufficient length to permit this in
the normal throw of the lever. When, however, slack occurs,
the increased movement of the lever carries the rod 5 with it,
the gripping device on the stirrup 8 permitting the free end of
the rod to slide through the sleeve 7. When the brakes are
released the reverse movement of the lever 2 pushes back the
rod 5, but at this time the shackle 9 binds upon the surface of
the rod and grips it ﬁrmly to the stirrup, causing the dead
lever 1 to move back with it. As heretofore described, the
fulcrum carrying block for the dead lever is free to move out.
ward along its supporting bar, and the thrust of the adjuster.
rod 5 on the return stroke of the live lever 2 causes the (lead
lever to push the fulcrum in the direction of the arrow inﬁg,
1. These movements are repeated at every application of the
brakes, but the adjuster rod and the dead lever are operated
only when there is slack in the rigging.

Howard Hinckley, of Trenton, N. J., is the inventor. His
patent is No. 531,034, and dated December 18, 1894.

BEe'rItU1=’s ENGINE cnoss-rrn.m.

Figs. 5 and 6 represent a method for adjusting the shoes or
slides lgf cross-heads designed by Mr. Julius Begtrup, of Ridg-
way, a.

A represents a cross-head of any approved construction,
B is a piston-rod, and 0' the connecting-rod.

D are the shoes or bearings adapted to work in suitable ways
or guides (not shown). . '

E represents oppositely projecting ears attached to the cross-
head, having suitable bearings for an eccentric bolt,’ G,
which passes through the ears and through an opening, G,
formed in the shoe. The shoes are adjustably set in and out
from the cross-head by means of the eccentric bolt Gbeing

ta

FIG 5

    

 

BEGTRUP‘S EN GINE CROSS-HEAD.

rotated to more or less extent, and then looked in that position
by the lock-nuts upon said bolt, leaving the shoe free to oscil-
late upon the bolt.

In the cross-head shown in the present drawings each shoe
is adj ustably set by means of a single eccentric bolt, and the
shoe has a rocking bearing adjustment in addition upon said
bolt ; but if desired, the shoe may not have a rocking bearing,

and it may also be adjustably set by means of more than one

bolt G for each shoe.
_The patent is December 4, 1894, and is Iulnibercd 530,320,