Friction-rubber draft gear

Claim 1

A DRAFT GEAR COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING AN OPEN END, CONNECTED INNER AND OUTER POCKETS IN SAID HOUSING AND OPENING TOWARD SAID OPEN END, SIDES OF SAID HOUSING BOUNDING OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID INNER POCKET HAVING APERTURES NARROWER THAN AND SUBSTANTIALLY COTERMINOUS LONGITUDINALLY WITH SAID POCKET, A RUBBER CUSHIONING UNIT IN SAID REAR POCKET AND INCLUDING ALTERNAING RUBBER PADS AND METAL PLATES, AN INTERMEDIATE FOLLOWER IN SAID REAR POCKET AT AN OUTER END OF SAID RUBBER UNIT, SAID PLATES AND FOLLOWER PROJECTING AND SAID RUBBER PADS UNDER COMPRESSION FLOWING ALONG SAID FOLLOWER AND PLATES INTO SAID APERATURES, INCLINED FRICTION FACES ON SIDES OF SAID HOUSING AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID OUTER POCKET AND FLARING TOWARD AND EXTENDING TO SAID OPEN END, A PAIR OF COUNTERPART FRICTION SHOES IN SAID OUTER POCKET AND HAVING FRICTION SURFACES EACH INCLINED IN CORRESPONDENCE AND FRICTIONALLY ENGAGEABLE WITH ONE OF SAID FRICTION FACES, SPRING MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN AND ACTING TRANSVERSELY ON SAID SHOES FOR URGING SAID FRICTION SURFACES AND FACES INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT, SAID SHOES BEARING REARWARDLY AGAINST SAID INTERMEDIATE FOLLOWER AND IN EXTENDED POSITION PROJECTING THEREFROM THROUGH SAID OPEN END BEYOND SAID HOUSING, AND SAID SHOES UNDER LONGITUDINAL FORCES AND WITHIN LIMITS OF COMPRESSION OF SAID SPRING MEAN BEING FORCEABLE INWARDLY ALONG SAID FRICTION FACES INSIDE SAID OPEN END, PLUNGER MEANS BEARING AGAINST OUTER ENDS OF SAID SHOES AND HAVING A BODY NORMALLY DISPOSED BEYOND SAID HOUSING FOR TRANSMITTING LONGITUDINAL FORCES TO SAID SHOES, AND MEANS RELEASABLY INTERLOCKING SAID PLUNGER MEANS TO SAID SHOES AND THERETHROUGH TO SAID HOUSING.