US1267247A

US1267247A - Electric coupling.

Info

Publication number: US1267247A
Application number: US84752514A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herbert D Meeker
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1914-06-26
Filing date: 1914-06-26
Publication date: 1918-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1935-05-21

Description

. *r crans kpara risica.

H BERT D. MEEKER, OF NISKAYUNA, NEW YORK, ASSIG1\TOR TO GENEL ELECTRIC Y COMEANY, A. CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC COUPLING.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2li, lgl.

Application led .T une 26, 1914. Serial No. 847,525.

is essential that some means be provided forreadily connecting the wires in one car with those in the next. For this purpose various forms of electric couplers have been devised, some of which are automatically connected upon the coupling together of the cars. ln order to v secure good electrical contact between the coacting members, it is important that the contacts be protected from snow, ice, dirt and moisture.

It is, then, the object of my invention to provide such a protecting means foran electric coupler. Further, I have sought to produce such a protecting cover that it will noty interfere with the automatic action of the `coupler and inpwhich the cover will be removed and replaced automatically.

My invention will be more readily understood from-an inspection of the accompanyingdrawing, in which Figure 1 is a side view partly in section showing the couplers ,separated and the cover in closed position. L

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the couplers in contact and the covers displaced.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental longitudinal vertical section of the arrangement shown in.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an end view of one of the couplers showing the cover in an open position.

Each coupler comprises va body portion 1 provided with a suitable bracket 2 for rigid attachment to the draw bar of'a vehicle. The body portion is hollow and at its outer end carries an insulation member 3, in which are 'suitable electrical contacts 4, Ihere shown as spring-pressedplungers. The wires are brought through the body portion in anysuitable manner, as in the form of a cable 5,

and are then attached to the contacts 4. All this, however, is of the usual construction and vforms no part of my invention.

Surrounding the body portion is a sleeve 10 arranged to slide thereon, and this sleeve is guided by means of a rod v11 passing through a fixed guide 12. A spring 13 surrounds the rod 11 and forces the sleeve outwardly toward the end of the body portion carrying the contacts. Pivotally attached to the sleeve 10 by means of lugs 20 is a cover 21 which Iis held against the body portion preferably by means of a suitable spring 22.

This cover 21 will usually be formed with a central rib 23 which serves as a cam member resting againstl a coperating cam 24 attached to the lower side of the body portion in order to accurately control movements of the cover and prevent injury to the contactsV or body portion. A slot 14 is formed in the sleeve 10 at the lower side, in order to allow it to ass along the piece forming the cam 24. t its rear end, however, a cross-piece 15 on the sleeve 10 serves yto limit the movement of the latter by abutting the stop formed bythe rear end of the piece forming the cam 24.

v"ils will be seen by an inspection of the drawing, the forward end of the sleeve l0 is enlarged at the lower side at 10 and cut away i`n order to allow the admission of the cover 21, and the elements are so shaped that they coact to form-a substantially tight closurey over the contacts 4. The edges of theV cover 21 rest against a ledge18 formed on the inner side ofthe sleeve, a central recess 19 being provided for ,the admission of the end of the cam rib 23.

ln its normal position, the sleeve 10,l carrying the cover 21, will be extended as shown -in Fig. 1 by the action of the'spring 13,

while the cover willk be held 'upwardly l against the sleeve and over the contact members by the action ofthe spring 22. lf two vehicles su plied with similar couplers are now brought together, the outer end 16 of the sleeve, serving as a buer, will force the same backwardly against the action of the spring. The cam 23 upon the hinged cover ico l will then ride along the cam 24 upon the body portion and cause the cover to vbe moved downwardly and away from the oo ntacts, exposing the same so that Similar con-l tacts upon `the two couplers will be pressed` together and close the appropriate circuits.

As long as the vehicles are held in lthis re`. lation by means of their couplings, the buffers 16 will be held in contact by the springs 13 and will. cover the upper side of the coupler.v Frdwm an inspectlon of Fig.vv 3, 'it will be seen that the body portions are provided with overlapping edges 17 which `further servev to protect the contacts from the admission of dirt or moisture. A v

As soon as the vehicles are uncoupled, however, the springs 13 will force the sleeves 10 outwardly, andthe springs 22 will press the covers 21` against 'the bodyA portion, so that as soon as the

cams

23 and 24 permit, the cover will be forced into its closed position,

and, cooperating with the overhanging endA -of the sleeve 10, will form a practically tight closure which will fully protect the contacts l from the admission of dust or moisture. At

the same time, the 'cross-piece 15, abuttingagainst the rearfend of the piece forming the cam 24, will revent'further outward movement of the s eeve 10 and retain the protectin' members upon the coupler. v

t will hus be seen that I have attained the object of my invention, in providinV a .protecting means f for an electric vcoup er, which is, moreover, automatlcally actuated by the bringing together of the couplers lw-ithout the necessityrof manual intervention. ,f n

I conceive that various modifications and changes in the exact construction of the arrangement which I have illustrated could readily be made, and I, accordingly, d o not desire to be limited thereto, but seek to cover in the appended claims all such modications and changes as fall within the truel scope and spirit of lmy invention.

What I claim as new and desire to Isecure by Letters Patent of 'the' United States, is

1. In an automatic electric'coupler, a body portion, contacts carried thereby adjacent one lend thereof, -a member relatively movable with respect to said body portion and adapted to be retracted or extended, and a cover operated by said member to expose said contacts` when said member is retracted andto coact with said m-ember to inclose said contacts when said member is extended.

2'. In an electric coupler, a body portion, contact members carried thereby adjacent one end thereof, a member relatively movable with respect to ,said body portion and adapted to be retracted'or extended, and a cover operated by said member to expose said contacts when said member 'is retracted and to coact with said member to inclose said portion of said sleeve to inclose said contacts contacts when said member is extended and rmeans operatively connected to said member ,tending to maintain the same in its extended position.` f

\ 3. an electric coupler, a body portion contacts carried thereby adjacent one en thereof, a member slidably mounted upon .said body portion and'adapted to be retracted or extended beyond theend thereof, a spring tending to maintainA said member in its extended position, a cover pivotally 'sup- 75 ported on sa1d member and means whereby said cover is moved to coact with said member to inclose said contact members when said 'member is extended and to expose said c contact members when the member is retracted.

4. In an electric coupler, a body portion,

contacts carriedl thereby adjacentl one end thereof, a sleeve slidably Amounted on said body portion and adapted to be retracted or extended, and a cover operated by said sleeve to expose said contacts when the sleeve is retracted and tocovxer said contacts when the sleeve is extended. j

5. In an electric coupler, a body portion, contacts carried thereby adjacent one end thereof, `a sleeve slidably mounted on said body' ortion and adapted to be retracted or exten ed, said sleeve having a portion which 'projects beyond said contacts when the sleeve' 95 1s` extended, and a cover operated by said sleeve to expose said contacts when the sleeve 1s retracted and to coact with the projecting when the sleeve is extended.

6. An electric,coupler comprising a body portion, contacts carried thereby ladjacent one end thereof, a sleeve slidably .arranged gw. upon said body portion and adapted to proy jectbeyond the end thereof, arOd for guid- 105 ing said sleeve, a spring surrounding said rod and arranged to prpject said sleeve,

lmeans for limiting the movement of said u sleeve, a cover pivotally attached to said sleeve and arranged to cover said contacts when said sleeve is projected, a sprin arranged to press said cover toward said ody portion, a cam surface on said body portion, and a coperating'cam surface on said cover whereby said sleeve and cover normally prol Lac-ma? a spring arranged to said cover to- In witness whereof, have vhereunto set ward said body portion, a cam surface on my hand this 25th day of June,1914. said body portion, and a coperating camv .1 RBERT D ER.

surface on said cover whereby said sleeve and cover normally protect said contacts and Witn automatically ex ose the same when tho sleeve is retrac