Bridge plate counterbalance device

Claim 1

A RAILWAY CAR HAVING AN END SILL PORTION, A BRIDGE PLATE, HINGE MEANS FIXED ON SAID END SILL AND MOUNTING SAID BRIDGE PLATE FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL TRANSIT POSITION AND A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL LOADING POSITION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID END SILL, A COUNTERBALANCE DEVICE FOR ASSISTING IN MANUAL MOVEMENT OF SAID BRIDGE PLATE FROM SAID HORIZONTAL LOADING POSITION TO SAID VERTICAL TRANSIT POSITION, SAID COUNTERBALANCE DEVICE INCLUDING A GUIDE MEMBER, MEANS PIVOTABLY ATTACHING ONE END OF SAID GUIDE MEMBER TO SAID BRIDGE PLATE LOCATED AT A POINT OUTWARDLY OF AND ECCENTRIC WITH RESPECT TO SAID HINGED MEANS, GUIDE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID END SILL PORTION OUTWARDLY THEREOF AND BELOW AND HINGE MEANS AND SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID GUIDE MEMBER FOR RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL DIRECTION, A HELICAL SPRING SURROUNDING SAID GUIDE MEMBER, SAID SPRING HAVING ONE END THEREOF MOVABLE WITH SAID GUIDE MEMBER AND THE OTHER END THEREOF BOTTOMED ON SAID GUIDE MEANS SO AS TO BE COMPRESSED UPON ANGULAR MOVEMENT FROM SAID VERTICAL TRANSIT POSITION TO SAID HORIZONTAL LOADING POSITION WHEREBY THE TOTAL FORCE GENERATED KBY SAID SPRING WILL INCREASE AS SAID BRIDGE PLATE IS MOVED FROM SAID SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL TRANSIT POSITION TO SAID SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL LOADING POSITION.