US110114A - Improvement in steam-pipe couplings for railroad-cars - Google Patents

Description

am cfm JOSEPH connue, ori-PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;

Letters Patent No. 110,114, dated December 13, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-P4PE coUPlliNes Fon RAlLRoADfcARs.

-The Schedule referred to in these Lettera Patent and parto the lame.

I, 'JOSEPH-CONNER, of the city of Philadelphia and i State of Pennsylvania, have invented. an Improved Coupling for Steam-Pipes in a Train of Cars, of which the tbliowingis a. speciiication.

The object of my inventionis such a coupling of the' pipes at each end ot' the cars, and the front car with the tender, as to admit of a free lateral movement and a vertical movement of each car without straining the coupling; and also a perfect adaptation of the coupling of the cars together, and 4the front car to the tender. A

The nature of the invention consists in making a rigid connection of a short pipe at the ends of each car, with the steam-pipe leading through it for'warnring the same, and connecting with one of these short' pipes a. series of pipes having a universal movement,. bymeans of suitable joints provided with stungboxes, and with the other pipe a coupling-socket adapted to the outer end of the combined pipe of universal movement.

The cars in the train are all brought together with the universal joint-pipes alike, either at the front or rear end, and, as they are coupled, the' steam-couplingsare connected, as'herei'nafter described.

I connect each secfion of the coupling with separate branches ofthe steam-pipe ofthe tender, which leads from the boiler, for the purpose of connecting either section of the coupling which may happen to be on the connecting end oi' the car with its counterpart. Each branch-pipe isprovided with a suitable stop-cock.

'.lo enable others skilled in the art to which my-irnprovement appertains to make and use my invention, I will now give a detailed description thereof.

In the accompanyingY drawing, which makes a part of this specification-.-

Figure lis a top view of the coupling detached from the cars.

Figure 2is a, side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is avertical section at the line x :v of fig. 1.

Figure ,4 is au edge view 'of the gland h.

Figure 5 is a side View of the pipe. G.

Figure 6 is alike view of one of the pipes M, elbows parts.

'- The-coupling is made in two detachable parts, forminga combined coupling, as represented in the draw# ing, in which g. 1 is a top view and fig. 2 a side elevation.

The .'short'pipe A at one end of the couplinghas a rigid connection with the steam-pipe at one end of the car, and the T-pipe A' at the other end of the saine, with the steam-pipe at the contiguous end of the next car in the train.

To give a-tirm connection of the pipe A', the projection a fits into some ixed part of the car.

The pipe A is held securely by means of a jam-nut or otherwise. l

To the inner end of the pipe A one end of the tube D has a screw-connection, as shown in tig. 3. On the other end of the tube there is a'nut, E, seen in detail in figs. 8 and 9, which bears upon the washer ll, that 'is'seated on the end of the tube D,.which surrounds the tube D.

The said tube D' has a left-hand thread, e, on its periphery, which connects with the thread e' on the inner surface of the hollow cylinder F, which has at its ont-er end right-hand inclined slots,'f f, so that as- -the said cylinder is turned in the direction of th ar row, by means ot' its radial arms g g g g, lwhen connecting-pins, with which the other section. of the coupling device is provided, are brought into said s lots ff, as hereinafter described, the slots and the-screwtogether. A pawl then falls into connection with' the ratchet-wheel B on the -hub b of the cylinder F, and

.secures the coupling of the two sections.

The screw-threads e and e of the cylinder F and tube DT heilig of much less pitch than that of the incline slots ff, a combined leverage is obtained, which is the object in forminga screw-connection between the cylinder and tube.

The T-ppe A' of the other section of the coupling is enlarged at its outer end, and is constructed with a studing-box, It, to allow o f the free turning of the lshort pipe G in the gland h', and thus admitting of the free up-and-down movement of the cars. The gland h is seen detached in tig. 4, and the pipe G in ng. 5.

To the said pipe G is attached the elbow H and horizontal pipe G'.

The projection a of thepipe A serves as a connection with a xed part of the car, to prevent a twisting around of the pipe.

The remainder of this section is composed of vthe T-pipes J and. J short pipes K K K K, connected therewith by the parts jjjj, and jam-nuts j'jjj', the elbowsL L L L, and intermediate pipes M M, and the horizontal pipe N and parts attached to the same.

There are stuffing-boxes O O in the nuts jj and the eudsof the T-pipes J JI, which admit of the free horizontal movement of the said T- pipes J J', to provide forany lateral movement of the cars.

Two of the pipes K, connected with corresponding ends of theT- pipes J J', and-theintermediate joint M between said pipes'K, are shown detached in ig.' 6.

The pipe N is provided with a'square part, l, to fit in a fixed part of the car to steadythe end of the seetion. g

The pipe N has a collar, m, between which and the nut P there is a follower, Q, seen in detail in iig. 4, that is provided with pins 'n n, which enter the'in- -clined slots ff of the cylinder F, above described, when the two sections are brought together.

-By turning the cylinder in the direction of the arrow, the said pins are advanced in the inclinedslots and draw the pipe N and parts in connection forward until the socket p in the forward end of the nut P, above described, is brought into connect-ion with the nut E on the end of the tube D, the socket and nut heiligV slightly conical to admit of their free connection.

As the cylinder F is turned around, its left-handed screw-connection with the tube D combines with the inclined slots ff in drawing the two sections of the coupling together. The reverse movement of the cylinder F, in uncoupling the device, uuscrews thc cylinder from thcitube D back to the point from which the coupling operation took it, ready for the next coupling ofthe ears.

rlhe coupling, by its universal joints, is adapted to the coupling ofthe ears by the various devices in use, the straigtcnng up of the middle joints, lengthening the coupling, and bringing them onvan angle, as seen in fig. 2, shortening the same.

The coupling above described may be used for the passage through the cars of either steam, air, or water for the various purposes to Vwhich they may be ap- Dlied.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of' the pipe A, tubes D D', and hollow cylinder F, having inclined grooves ff, the said parts being constructed and arranged in relation to each other, substantially in the manner and for the purpose above described.

2. The connect-ion of the cylinder F with the tube D by means of inale and female screws, which run in an opposite direction to the incline slots f f of the cylinder, whereby a combined leverage is obtained in coupling the cars, substantially as described.

3. rlhe combination of the hollow nut I with the I pipe N, arranged and operating in relation to the conical nut E on the outer end of the tube D, as above specified.

4. The combination of the follower Q, having pins n n, with the pipe M, arranged and operating in relation to the inclines ff of the cylinder F, substantially as and for the purpose above set forth.

5. vIn combination with pipes A and N, tubes .D and D', cylinder F, and follower Q, the pipe A and intermediate hollow links, constructed and'arranged as and for the purpose above described.

In testimony that the A above is my invention, .T have hereunto set my hand and affixed 1 ny seal this 21st day of October, 1870.

JOSEPH GONNER.. [L s] Witnesses:

THoMPsoN GLYDE, STEPHEN UsTICK.

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