US1245778A - Automatic train-pipe coupling. - Google Patents

Description

J. V. ROBINSON.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED DEc.19.l9l2. RENEwED SEPT. 13, 19u.

15,245,778., Patented NV. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

atto/(maid- I. V. ROBINSON.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED DEc..19.,1.9,12. RENEwEDsEPT. 13, |917. 1,245,778.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

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JOSEPH v. RoBINsoN, or BRANFORD, coNNEcTIcuT.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING'.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patnted NV, 6, 19717,

Application led. December 19, 1.912, Serial No. 737,728. Renewed September 13, 1917.. Serial No. 191,305.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known'that 1,'JosiiPH V. RoBnvsoN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Branford, inthe county of New Haven, State of Conn., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train-Pipe Couplings, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to improvements in automatic train pipe couplersfor railway cars and has for its `objectt'oprodi1ce an improved train pipe coupler of the pin and Vfunnel construction provided with an improved support Vfor the couplinghead which permits free universal movement thereof, whereby in coupling the heads are accurately alined'with socket vportions ofV their guiding membersV in advance of seating therein, whereby the last inch or so of Inovement of the heads in coupling is strictly parallel. With this construction an air tight joint between matingconnector facesobtains -under all conditions of service, withoutthe use of auxiliary locks or Vcomplex parts. y

The invention consists in the novel 4combinations improvements and constructions hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and `illustrated Vin the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a side elevation of 'a fpart'of aca-r coupler with one of my improvedV connectors attached.

- Fig. 2, is a front face view of theconnector shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, Yis a detail view of the connection between the base of my improved connector and the bracket of the car, andf Fig. 4, is ahorizontal section oftwo of the improved couplings connected,'showing the construction of their gathering means and socket portion.

. Referring tothe drawings: The car coupler 10 is provided with a lug 11 to which a bracket 12 is .suitably connected, the bracket being offset at 12a to pass around the lug 11 and .form a seat therefor. An abutment 12b, integral with the bracket, engages the base A between the two halves thereof, and sup'- ports the same against longitudinal shifting, serving also to free the bolts l'tofthe shearing strains of service; see Figs. 1 and 3. This produces a construction in which `a standard form of base A can be eiiiciently connected with a lug 11 and centrally supported therefrom relative to the car coupler, regardless of the position ofthelug on the coupler; that is the depth, or width, of the seat portion of the offset 12a which extends beneath the lug 1 1 ywill be such that when the bracket is securedin position the base carrled thereby will Ybe properly located with reference-to the coupler.

The said base A'comprises two halves 13, each of which is provided with an overhanging portion 16 that conforms to the contour of thebase coil of the lbu'fi'er spring 17, around which they are securelyv clamped by thefbolts 14 and 15,. i Thel said springl? consists of a `series of coils of gradually decreasing diameter, coiled preferably of a flat bar having a common thickness and a taperingwidth, 'whereby the metal of the several coils is thinner radially Vthan axially.

The small end of 'the spring supports, extended away from the base'A, a coupling head B of the pin and funnel type, in which a funnel 18 is provided with acylindrical portion 19 adaptedto snugly 'receivea correspondingly shaped portion 20fof a forwardly extending guiding pin or prong' 21 of al1-opposing coupling.` l.

This arrangement comprehends a highly advantageous construction in which a pin and funnel coupling head is supported for free universalmovement from the normal position by a spring which imparts toA the head avarying resistance increasingV 'in greater progression than the extent of such movement; Vthe resistance to longitudinal ately, than that offered by aspringof differ- -ent construction. In this manner the minimum resistance'is presented to lateral shifting of coupled heads, greatlyreducing the strains thereupon thattend strongly, to` separate the heads, causedvby the sharp whipping movements of running. cars. This free universal vsupport of the head allowsy the latter to yield readily to the guidingaction of the pin and funnel throughout their entire range of movement in coupling, insuring that the relativemovement between the cylindrical portions 19Y and-20 of engaging couplers will be strictly" parallel under all conditions of service, thereby obtaining 'a close t between these members, constituting a positive interlocked connection, whichwill prevent leaks and"openingup 7'of the coupling headsin running; see especially Fig. t.

In those constructions where thecoupling head B is held against downward movement at moment of initial engagement, this interlock cannot be obtained, for in such designs when one car is higher than another, the extremity of the guiding pin 21 enters the apex of the funnel 18 at an angle to the longitudinal laxis thereof, necessitating that the opening in the apex be larger than the said extremity, thus destroying all possibility of a firm interlock therebetween, and rendering parallel movement of the guiding prongs 21 relative to the apex of the funnels 18 impossible, in coupling on uneven tracks. The present construction is free from these objections, allowing free universal movement of the coupling head from the normal position, as stated, and permitting of such movement without axial compression of the spring 17.

` Any suitable conduit for directing a fluid to the coupling head B may be used with myimproved support. For this purpose I show a conduit or pipe 22 having an en.- larged end 23 extending through the cou.- pling head and carrying an oscillating gasket 24 of suitable material, preferably nonyielding. In coupling the gasket mates with a correspondingly shaped gasket in a coun.- terpart head, and to insure against possible leakage, I provide the gasket with an auxiliary gasket or sealing member 25 and mount it in an undercut seat 2G in the first mentioned gasket. A retaining ring 2i' of suitable construction retains the gasket in the pipe 22.

To prevent undue rotary movement ofthe coupling head B, I provide the pipe with a flattened or oblong portion L8 which extends through an oblong opening 29 in the base A and fits closely therein. T o prevent undue movement of the coupling head forwardly of the base, I mount on the rear end of the pipe 22 a suitable elbow 30 for receiving the train pipe hose 31, and provided with a shoulder 32 for abutting the rear face of the base A to prevent, as aforesaid, undue forward movement of the coupling head B.

Thus I provide a simple and' efficient support for a pin and funnel coupling head which will permit universal movement and automatic interlocking thereof without jamming or binding strains and maintain an efficient air tight connection under all conditions of service.

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

1. The combination with a railway car draft coupler having a depending lug, of a supporting bracket comprising two substantially vertical sections connected by an intermediate offset adapted to receive said lug, the upper section being secured against a side face ofthe lug, and a train pipe connector base having a bifurcated upper end which receives the lower end of said bracket, and is secured thereto, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination with a railway car draft coupler having a depending bracket, .of a train pipe connector base bolted to the bracket, and means on the bracket, below the connection thereof with thel base,iengag ing said base and acting to relieve the connecting bolts from shearing strain when the connector is in use.

3, The combination with a railway car ldraft coupler having a depending bracket, of a two part train pipe connector base having its members extending on opposite sides of and bolted tothe bracket, and an abutment 12b on the bracket bearing against the rear faces 'of both members of said base, i l

for the purpose described;

4:. In an automatic train pipe coupling, the combination of a coupling head provided with a gasket,'and` a spring'for extending said head and for resisting longitudinal movement thereof with a greater'force than it imparts to lateralk movement of said head, said spring consisting of a series off' coils of metal thinner radially thanV axially and having one end seated substantially in the plane of' the coupling face of said head'.

5. In an automatic train pipe coupling, the combination of a coupling head, and a spring for extending saidi headand for resisting movementv thereof with a' varying force increasing in greater progressionvr than the extent of such movement, said spring consisting, ofA a series of coilsof metal thinner radially than axially and varying in axial thickness.. i'

6. In an automatic train pipe coupling, the combination of a coupling head, and 'a spring for extending said head and for placing the head -under pressure, said spring consisting of. a series of coils of metalV thinner radially than axially and varying in axial thickness.

7. In an automatic train pipe coupling, the combination of a supportingbase, a coupling head, and a spiral springffor extending the head interposed between said head and base andhaving its rearendseated on the base, the metal ofthe coils of said spring being thinner radially than axially and tapering in axial` thickness from the rear to the front endl of the spring.v

8. In an automatic train pipe coupling, the combination ofa coupling head, a'spring consisting of a series of coils rectangular in cross section maintained in supporting relationV to said head, a two-piece base provided with a socket for closely receiving the base coils of said spring, and means for. clamping the two pieces of said base together to rlock said spring in said socket.

9. In an automatic train pipe coupling, the combination with a base having a central opening for a fluid pipe and a seat surroundguiding means mounted on the outer end ing said opening and having Walls adapted of said pipe. v lo to embrace the end of a spring, of :L taper- In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature ing coiled spring having its larger end seatin presence of tWo Witnesses.

. ed in `said seat, a fluid pipe engaging the JOSEPH V. ROBINSON.

small end only of said spring whereby the Witnesses: pipe is sustained yieldingly in a horizontal i J. A. WATSON, position by the spring, and pin and funnel ARTHUR L. BRYANT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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