The Westinghouse Friction Draft Gear

resistances, having a maximum capacity of 140,000 pounds, are entirely effective in the preven- tion of blows and shocks. Sixth.—A spring stores, but does not dissipate, the force applied to it, so that when com- pressed in any train operation ,it is instantly ready to exert its full power in the opposite direction, thereby greatly increasing the strains pending to break or damage the draw-bars or attachments. The frictional apparatus described and illustrated in this pamphlet is the result of fourteen years of study and experiment involving large expenditures. It has been in use for five years in daily service upon passenger cars, steel cars and heavy coke cars, there being at the present time a total of 3090 cars and 115 locomotives equipped. From its construction it will be seen^hat as a whole it occupies the same relation in regard to draw-bars and attachments as does the ordinary draft spring. It, however, permits of a total movement of the draw-bar in either direction of 2% inches, but requires a force of 140,000 pounds to complete its stroke. The resistance through one-fourth of this 2%-inch motion is due to an ordinary spiral spring, which provides the requisite elasticity for ordinary operations; the balance combines a friction resistance with spring pressure ,that dissipates the effect of heavy strains or blows. Although a force of 140,000 pounds is required to fully compress the friction apparatus, yet its reactive effect is less than 6000 pounds.