US1212687A - Automatic train-pipe connector. - Google Patents

Description

I 1. V. ROBINSON 7 AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3|, m4. RENEWED MAY 1.1916.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

witnesses ameutoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH V. ROBINSON, OF CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PIPE CONNECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed June 10, 1912, Serial No. 702,818. Divided and this application filed March 31, 1914, Serial No. 828,611. Renewed May 1, 1916. Serial No. 94,758.

To all-whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH V. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chevy Chase, county of Montgomery, State'of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic tion has for its object to provide'an automatic train pipe connector head having improved guiding prongs extending forwardly and laterally of the head in the horizontal ment between the facesof coupled heads;

plane and having also auxiliary guiding prongs extending upwardly of the head in the vertical plane, and flaring laterally thereof, whereby a gradual uniform gathering action is presented to the heads throughout the entire range of the prongs, effectively preventing jamming and binding of the heads in connecting under the severest service conditions.

In coupling the usual automatic connector heads of the general type of the present invention, under a combination of extreme vertical and lateral disalinements, great difliculty is found in getting'such heads to aline accurately without fouling. Where, as in the present case, the guidin prongs of the heads extend forwardly o the coupling face of the latter and at a right angle thereto for a short distance, to constitute a socket for closely receiving the sides of companion heads, the heads in coupling invariably am or stick at the entrance to said socket. But where the guiding prongs are shaped so as to aline the heads accurately with the socket mentioned before they enter such socket this troublesome objection is readily overcome.

My invention provides prongs of thls construction and consists in the comblnations, improvements and constru ctions hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in wh1 ch:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of my 1mproved connector head mounted on a yieldable support for permitting universal movement of the head in service. F g. 2 1s a front face view of m improved connector head.

5 Fig. 3, is a rear view thereof, and Fig. 4,

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

is a detail of one of the guides taken on I line 44 of Fig. 1.

' Any satisfactory form of support for carrylng the connector head may be employed. I show' one of such supports at B connected to a lug 5 of the car in any suitable manner, as by bolts 6. My improved connector head A is mounted upon the forward end of-the support, is oblong in outline and pro-.

vided with diagonally spaced guiding prongs 7 having base portions extending perpendicularly to the face of the connector head and forwardly thereof at a right angle thereto for a short distance, to constitute sockets'8 for closely engaging correspondingly shaped surfaces 9 of a cooperating head for preventing relative angular movesaid head being provided with auxiliary guiding prongs 10 extending perpendicularly-or upwardly of the head and thence flaring laterally thereof, each of said prongs being connected with one edge of the guiding prong 7.

When connector heads not having my improved guiding prongs 7 couple under a vertical and lateral variation combined, the prong of the higher connector head is invariably carried up and over the corresponding prong of the lower head. Then as the prongs aline the heads vertically and the I latter-approachthe entrance to the sockets 8, the prong of the lower connector head will am or impinge under the prong of the higher head at about the .point 11, preventing coupling. By providing the head A with the auxiliary guiding prongs shown, the

prong 7 of the lower connector head is-' held fromunder the similar prong of the higher connector head, said auxiliary prong serving to guide the heads laterally as they move in the vertical plane in coupling; thus effectively preventing all jamming. and fouling of the heads.

From the socket 8 the prongs 7 curve and diverge outwardly and are provided with lateral shoulders 12, lying in the same horizontal plane and connected to said sockets 8 b curved portions 13 extending tangentlally from the faces ofsaid sockets and lateral shoulders, as shown especially in Fig. 2, whereby biting or sticking of the edges 14 of the prongs 7 upon the portions 13 of such prongs in coupling under severe disalinement, is avoided. Such biting of plane,

the prong edge 14 is of great disadvantage since it prevents sliding of the connector head A freely along the edge 14 to coupled engagement.

Thus the aforesaid objections existing in previous types of guiding prongs I have effectively overcome by a simple construction which will be inexpensive to ,make and will accurately aline opposing connector heads with the sockets 8 infadvance of meeting of the faces of the heads, whereby the heads may slip into said sockets and come to final interlocked engagement free from all bindingand jamming.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. 'An automatic train pipe connector head having guiding prongs extending forwardly and outwardly of the head in the horizontal head having guiding prongs extending forwardly and outwardly from the head and having also an auxiliary guiding prong, said auxiliary prong being connected with the top of said head andbeing connected also names? with an edge of said first mentioned guiding prong and extending upwardly from the head and flaring laterally therefrom.

4. An automatic train pipe connector head of oblong outline having a pair of diagonally spaced forwardly extending outwardly diverging guiding prongs, and having also 7 a pair of auxiliary guiding prongs integral with the top and bottom of the head and integral also with the edges of the first mentioned prongs that lie at the top and bottom of said head, said auxiliary guiding prongs being extended substantially perpendicularly to the face of the head and flared laterally therefrom to prevent jamming of the heads-in coupling under conditions of severe disalining. g

- 5. An automatic train pipe connector head having guiding prongs provided with base portions 8 which extend forwardly of the head and at substantially a right angle thereto for a short distance to constitute sockets for closely engaging a correspondingly shaped surface 9 of a cooperating head to prevent relative angular movement between the faces of coupled heads, said prongs being provided with lateral shoulders -12,lying in a horizontal plane and connected with said 'base portions by curved portions 13.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

- JOSEPH V. ROBINSON. In presence of- M. H. BRAKHAGEN, ARTHUR L. BRYANT.

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