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Coupling rod

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266: 215: 43: 140: 324:. This is destructive to both the locomotive and the roadbed. In some locomotives, this hammering can be so intense that at speed, the drivers alternately jump from the rail head, then slam down hard on the rails as the wheels complete their rotation. Unfortunately, hammering is inherent to conventional two-cylinder piston-driven steam locomotives and that is one of the several reasons they have been retired from service. 226:; without springs, irregularities in the track could lift wheels off the rail and cause impact damage to both rails and vehicles. Driving wheels are typically mounted so that they have around 1 inch (2.5 cm) of vertical motion. When there are only 2 coupled axles, this range of motion places only slight stress on the 317:, the counterweight needed to balance the horizontal motion of the piston and connecting rod would be heavier than the counterweight needed to balance the vertical weight of the rods. As a result, a counterweight chosen to minimize the total vibration will not minimize the vertical component of the vibration. 308:
or geared transmission to one driver, counterweights can balance essentially all of the motion of the side rods. Where part of the motion is non-circular, for example, the horizontal motion of a piston rod, counterweights on the wheels or drive axles cannot be made to balance the entire assembly
230:. With more axles, however, provision must be made to allow each axle to move vertically independently of the others without bending the rods. This may be done by hinging the side rod at each intermediate crank pin, either using the pin itself as a 293:
of the driving wheel inevitably creates an eccentric movement and vibration when in motion. To compensate for this, the driving wheels of an inside-frame locomotive always had built-in
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locomotives, the counterweight could be on the driving wheel itself, or it could be on the crank outside the frame, as shown in the adjacent figure.
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The vertical component of the vibration that could not be eliminated because of the weight needed to balance the pistons is called
336:. As technology progressed and better materials became available, the connecting rods were manufactured of lighter and stronger 468: 107: 79: 126: 86: 64: 93: 60: 265: 448: 75: 463: 274: 17: 241:
used at each intermediate axle. This approach was quite common when side rods were used to link a
53: 305: 254: 242: 417: 223: 100: 8: 420:, No. 74, 1913; pages 7-9. The reason for the scotch yoke is given explicitly on page 8. 250: 184: 180: 297:
to offset the angular momentum of the coupling rods, as shown in the figures above. On
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Where the motion of the side-rods is purely circular, as on locomotives driven by
310: 203: 187:, also have them. The coupling rods transfer the power of drive to all wheels. 28: 388: 358: 457: 431: 403: 373: 340:, which in turn permitted smaller counterweights and also reduced hammering. 298: 294: 270: 246: 234:, or adding a hinge joint adjacent to the pin, as shown in the illustration. 218:
Connecting rod and coupling rods attached to a small locomotive driving wheel
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An alternative is to use a side rod that spans multiple axles with a
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perfectly. On a driving wheel supporting both side-rods and the
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General Construction, Baldwin Gasoline Industrial Locomotives
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was the first locomotive to employ coupling rods rather than
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and some early internal combustion locomotives. The Swiss
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William G. Knight, Locomotive Driving Rod Connection,
401:Archibald H. Ehle, Internal-Combustion Locomotive, 67:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 455: 289:The coupling rod's off-center attachment to the 209: 257:is a prominent example, but there were others. 34:Rod connecting driving wheels of a locomotive 175:in particular usually have them, but some 127:Learn how and when to remove this message 264: 213: 138: 429:Norman W. Storer, Electric Locomotive, 356:Tracy V. Buckwalter, Locomotive Drive, 222:In general, all railroad vehicles have 183:locomotives, especially older ones and 14: 456: 332:Initially, coupling rods were made of 65:adding citations to reliable sources 36: 24: 25: 480: 143:Hinged side rods connecting the 41: 418:Baldwin Locomotive Works Record 371:Robert Humble, Connecting-Rod, 52:needs additional citations for 423: 410: 395: 380: 365: 350: 206:coupling rods were developed. 190: 13: 1: 469:Steam locomotive technologies 343: 210:Allowance for vertical motion 327: 260: 7: 449:Steam locomotive components 442: 255:Ce 6/8 Crocodile locomotive 10: 485: 26: 275:electro-diesel locomotive 269:Counterweight on a small 377:, granted Oct. 16, 1888. 362:, granted Mar. 13, 1934. 202:. In the 1930s reliable 27:Not to be confused with 392:, granted May 18, 1931. 435:, granted May 2, 1911. 407:, granted Mar. 1, 1910 286: 219: 152: 389:U.S. patent 1,807,217 359:U.S. patent 1,951,126 268: 217: 142: 251:electric locomotives 61:improve this article 432:U.S. patent 991,038 404:U.S. patent 951,062 374:U.S. patent 391,148 185:shunter locomotives 287: 283:shunter locomotive 220: 153: 149:Milwaukee Road 261 224:spring suspension 173:Steam locomotives 137: 136: 129: 111: 16:(Redirected from 476: 464:Locomotive parts 436: 434: 427: 421: 414: 408: 406: 399: 393: 391: 384: 378: 376: 369: 363: 361: 354: 196:Locomotion No. 1 132: 125: 121: 118: 112: 110: 69: 45: 37: 21: 484: 483: 479: 478: 477: 475: 474: 473: 454: 453: 445: 440: 439: 430: 428: 424: 415: 411: 402: 400: 396: 387: 385: 381: 372: 370: 366: 357: 355: 351: 346: 330: 263: 212: 193: 133: 122: 116: 113: 70: 68: 58: 46: 35: 32: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 482: 472: 471: 466: 452: 451: 444: 441: 438: 437: 422: 409: 394: 379: 364: 348: 347: 345: 342: 329: 326: 311:connecting rod 295:counterweights 262: 259: 247:driving wheels 211: 208: 204:roller bearing 192: 189: 165:driving wheels 145:driving wheels 135: 134: 76:"Coupling rod" 49: 47: 40: 33: 29:Connecting rod 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 481: 470: 467: 465: 462: 461: 459: 450: 447: 446: 433: 426: 419: 413: 405: 398: 390: 383: 375: 368: 360: 353: 349: 341: 339: 335: 325: 323: 318: 316: 312: 307: 302: 300: 299:outside-frame 296: 292: 284: 280: 276: 272: 271:outside-frame 267: 258: 256: 252: 248: 245:to 2 or more 244: 240: 235: 233: 229: 225: 216: 207: 205: 201: 197: 188: 186: 182: 178: 174: 170: 166: 163:connects the 162: 158: 150: 146: 141: 131: 128: 120: 109: 106: 102: 99: 95: 92: 88: 85: 81: 78: –  77: 73: 72:Find sources: 66: 62: 56: 55: 50:This article 48: 44: 39: 38: 30: 19: 425: 412: 397: 382: 367: 352: 331: 319: 303: 288: 236: 221: 194: 160: 157:coupling rod 156: 154: 123: 117:January 2013 114: 104: 97: 90: 83: 71: 59:Please help 54:verification 51: 239:scotch yoke 191:Development 458:Categories 344:References 306:jackshafts 273:dual-mode 228:crank pins 169:locomotive 87:newspapers 328:Materials 322:hammering 291:crank pin 261:Balancing 243:jackshaft 232:hinge pin 443:See also 181:electric 161:side rod 18:Side rod 281:Tem II 101:scholar 338:alloys 315:piston 200:chains 177:diesel 103:  96:  89:  82:  74:  334:steel 313:to a 279:Swiss 167:of a 108:JSTOR 94:books 277:, a 179:and 80:news 249:on 159:or 147:of 63:by 460:: 171:. 155:A 285:. 151:. 130:) 124:( 119:) 115:( 105:· 98:· 91:· 84:· 57:. 31:. 20:)

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Side rod
Connecting rod

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driving wheels
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Locomotion No. 1
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