The Westinghouse Friction Draft Gear

segmental carriers, E, have a central longitudinal rib cast upon them to strengthen and guide them. These ribs fit the grooves, F, in Fig. 9, loosely. The other grooves of the frictional cylinder, Fig. 9, are filled by the hardened wedge bars, G, Ftg. 7. The shape of these wedge bars is seen in Figs. 7 and 8. They rest upon the segmental carriers, E, as shown in the sectional views of Figs. 11 to 14, with the small inwardly projecting portions, marked H in the lower view of Fig 7, engaging cavities in the carriers, E, so that if the carriers, E, are moved longitudinally to the right or left the wedge bars, G, must move with them. The function of the preliminary spring, C, Fig. 1, is to force the wedge against the inclined surfaces, N, of the segmental carriers, and also to absorb the ordinary pressure on the draw-bar clue to the movement of the train. When the apparatus is placed in the yoke this spring is under a slight compression, which insures the parts being held tightly in position, thus preventing foreign substances from lodging between the bearing surfaces. The auxiliary preliminary spring, (9, Fig. i, gives additional pressure on the wedge. The main release spring, is used for re- turning the segmental carriers and wedge bars to their normal position after the force to close them has been removed, and it also gives additional capacity to the device. The function of the auxiliary spring, L, is to release the wedge,/?; and the release pin, M, relieves the pressure of the auxiliary spring, Z, against the wedge during frictional operation. 26