US100173A - Improved car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

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. Car ,I Copling.. y A NQ. 100,173. Patented Feb. 22, j17o.

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EDWARD T. MCKEAN, or HAMMoivroN, NEW JERSEY.

Letters Patent No. 100,173, dated February 22, 1870.

IMPROVED CAR-COUPLING.

The Schedule referred t in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

attached to a railway-car.,

Figure 2 is a verticalcross-section of the car-coupy lingon the line x x of tig. 1. v

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same on the line y y of fig. l.

lFigure 4 is a side View of the draw-bar with a broken vertical section of the jaw, showing its interior with the draw-rod in position. Figure 5 is the device for disconnectingr the drawrod from the draw-bar.

Like letters of like kind represent like parts in each figure.

i:The object of this invention is the construction of Aa car-coupling by which railway-cars will be self-coupling, not only on a straight track, but upon a curve, withoutany dangerous exposure to the brakeman', and may be instantly uncoupled by a pressure of the foot.

And the nature of the invention consists in a drawbar madein two parts pivoted together, the front end of which has a jaw for the reception of the draw-rod, while the rear ends are provided with springs which serve to keep the jaw closed; in the peculiar form of the interior'of the jaw; in the devices by which the jaw is opened and the draw-rod released; in the-novel construction of the bumper and its longitudinal adjustability; in the vertical adjustability of the bumper; and inthe general arrangement of its several parts.

In the drawings- A represents the platform or end of the bottom frame cfa railway-car, the under side of which is shown in tig. l, to which under side the coupling is attached.

B is a bumper-head, of an elliptical form on its front presentation, with its shortest axis in vertical position, and of suitable thickness from front to rear. rlhis bumper-head has in its center an opening, funnelshaped both in front and in therear, with the large part outward, but much' more flaring in front than in the rear, and projects when in position a suitable distance in front ofthe end of the frame A.

Guide-rods C, the forward ends of which, provided with screw-threads, pass through the bumper-head, which is provided with corresponding screw-threads, extend back in parallel lines under the platform A. These rods pass throughslotted boxes, D, rigidly secured to the under side of the li'ont sill of the frame A, and through the boxes E rigidly secured to-the under side ofl a cross-sill of said platform A, and terminate in heads outside of said boxes E.

'lhe slotted boxes D have their openings in a verticaldirection, allowing a vertical play or the guide.- rods within them.

Directly behind the slotted boxes .D is a yoke, F, with the `arms downward, through each of which the guide-rods C pass, the center of which yoke is provided with a hook, which passes under the center of the elliptic spring G and operates it.

This elliptic spring G extends across the bottom 'o'f the frame A, close to its end, and the ends of saidspring are secured to the side sills of said frame.

The draw-bar H, having its front end nearly coincident with the front of the frame A, is placed directly between the guide-rods C and equidistaut from them, with its center longitudinally in a line with the center longitudinally of said guide-rods. This draw-bar is made of two parts, halved into and crossing each other, arranged vertically one above the other and pivoted together at their intersection, so as to allow of a simultaneous vertical separation or closing `of the ends. The front of -this'draw-bar forms a jaw, a, which is provided in its central front end with a mouth, b, ilaring outwardly, which mouth connects with a throat, c,

, also in the longitudinal center of said jaw, which throat is of the shape `of the frustum of a cone longitudinally, with the larger end forward and the smaller end to the rear. The diameter of this throat being larger than the opening from the mouth into the throat, a shoulder, d, is left in the throat all around said opening.V Upon 'the upper 'and lower sides of the draw-bar are elliptic springs, e, rigidly secured at one end to the draw-bar near its front end, and pressing upon the rear ends of said draw-bar, so as to keep the jaw a closed.

' The rear ends 'b' of the draw-bar are somewhat separated, and the extremity of each is pivoted to allink, J, which is in turupivoted upon the connecting-bar g of the rear cross-head K, on either side of a hook, h, to which .in turn is attached one end of a chain, lr,

'which-passes along by the side ofthe draw-bar t'orward, Aand is attached at its other end to a lever, L.

This lever rises vertically from a roller, M, which is suitably pivoted in boxes rigidly secured to the under side of the platform A.

At right angles with said lover L, a lever, N, is secured. to said roller, auth-passing toward the rearris `Apivoted to another lever, O,- which passes up through the platform, and is there provided with a head, P.

The cross-head K, before mentioned, consists of two sleeves, m, which play freely upon4 the guide-rods C', and are joined together by the connecting-bar y. A similar cross-head, K', plays freely upon the guide-rods (l nearer their front, and its connecting-bar g passes with this device.

in uncoupling.

baid slotted boxes D and the bumper-head B, also'protected atV the rear end by suitable washers.

A draw-rod, S, of suitable length, provided at each end with a head, n, of the form of the frustum of a cone, with the smaller part of said head outward, and4 l so much larger than the body of the rod that a shoulder, o, is left behind each head. This head and shoulder will be of such shape and size as to be readily inclosed and held in the throat c of the draw-bar H.

The method of operating my device is as follows:

The coupling,r being attached to two cars, in one of them the draw-rod will be in position, one end of it being held in the jaw of one of the draw-bars, and the whole rod pointing forward and alittle downward. As the other car approaches almost to the point of contact, the free end of the draw-rod will enter through the bumper-head of the other car and into the jaw behind the bumper-head, open said jaw by its peculiar shaped head, and be immediately secured therein by the action ofthe springs upon the rear end of the draw-bar. The brakeman, by pressure upon the leverhead P within convenient reach of his foot, releases the end of the draw-rod attaehedto the draw-bar of his car.

Among the advantages of this device are the fol# lowing, viz:

Security of life and limb to the brakeman, who need not get between the cars for any purpose connect-ed Self-adjustability, which will take place even ou a curve, if the cars are brought suiciently near, by reason of the Haring mouths of the bumper-head and of the draw-bars. Comfort to passengers and avoidanceof shocks by the use of springs, and the support of the draw-bars upon cross-head moving in guide-rods.- Great convenience and speed Security of draught while the cars are in motion, the jaw holding the head of the draw-rod tightly, and yet admitting, by its exibility of position, considerable play vertically, and a little laterally.

In addition, it is believed that this coupling gives security to the lives of passengers, by reasonof the inclination of the draw-rod to disengage itself upon any violent and large lateral motion, as of a car quitting the track.

,Having thus fully described my device and set forth its merits, What Ielaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In railway-car couplings, attaching the bumper-head to parallel guide-rods `which extend longitudinally under the car bottom' and play in boxes at either end of said guide-rods, the boxes at the front ends of v-said rods being deeply slotted, so as `to allow a vertical movement of the front ends of said rods. Also, the combination of the bumper-head B, the guide-rods O playing vertically in the slotted boxesD, and the spring G for regulating the vertical movement of the bumper-head, as set forth. i.

Also, the combination of the bumper-head B, the guide-rods C playing vertically in the slotted boxes D, the -draw-bar H, the connecting-bar g', and cross-head K', for the purpose of a vertical, simultaneous, and coincidentmovement of the said draw-bar and bumperhead, as set forth.

Also, the combination of the draw-bar H,Athe crossheads K and K', theconnecting-bars g and g', and the guide-rods O, for the purpose of ahorizontal independent movement of said draw-bar, asset forth.

Also, the combination of '-the bumper-head B, the guide-rods C, the boxes D and E, for the purpose of a horizontal independent movement of said bumperhead, as set forth.

Also, pivoting the draw-bar upon the connecting-bar of a cross-head, substantially as set forth.

Also, the draw-bar H, substantially constructed, ar-

ranged, aud operating as above set forth. Also, the devices by which the draw-rod S is released, consisting of the links J, the hook 71thc chain k, the levers L and N, and roller M, when constructed and operating as set forth.

Also, the bumper-head B, provided with the guiderods C, in combination with the draw-har H, when constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as s et forth. y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of October, 41869.

EDWD. T. MCKEAN.

Witnesses:

W. SAMSON, GEORGE F. SAXTON.

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