GB655183A - Improvements in or relating to couplings for cars - Google Patents

Abstract

655,183. Couplings for vehicles; spring devices. FLOWERS, H. F. June 21, 1948, No. 16569. [Classes 103(v) and 108(iii)] A mine car coupling comprises an outer sleeve 6 and an inner sleeve 8 having telescopic connection therewith, a closure head 7 for said outer sleeve, a coupler plate 4 rigidly secured to the head 7, the sleeves being concentric and enclosing a compression spring 10, and devices disposed between said sleeves whereby relative axial movement of the sleeves will place said spring under compression, the inner sleeve being long enough to contact with the closure head 7 under severe coupling shock so as to prevent overstraining of the compression spring. In the embodiment shown, the spring 10 is mounted between followers 11, 13 which engage respectively with the closure 7 and a stop 14 on the sleeve 6 and stops 12, 15 on the tube 8. A coupler plate 5 is mounted on a plate and carried by the inner tube 8. The plate 4 has a hole 27 which is engaged by a tapered pin 28 which extends through the bottom 22 of a car and a housing formed by plates 24, 26. The plate 4 may contact the inner surface 25 of the plate 24 during buffing. The plate 5 has a hole 46 which is engaged by a vertically movable pin 47 extending through a housing beneath the bottom 42 of an adjacent car. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 (not shown), illustrate a mechanism for operating the pin 47 from the side of a car. An inclined plate 48 serves to guide the coupling plate 5 into position during coupling. The coupling is maintained in a horizontal attitude by means of a spring 20 acting on a tube 16' telescopically mounted in the member 8. A forked member 36 contacts at 37 a block 33 in the coupler plate housing and carries a rod 39 which bears against a closure plate 17 on the member 16. The spring 20 is preloaded just sufficiently to balance the weight of the coupling.