US1339030A - Car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

W. KELSO.

CAR COUPLING. PPPPP cA'TIoN FILED MAY 28, 1919.

1,339,030. 7 Patented May 4, 192() @I 2 sssssssss EET 1. %M a I K v I w. KELSO.

CAR COUPLING.

APP L|CATION FILED MAY 28, !9I9.

1 339 030 Patented May 4, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

llhlllTED PATTI. OFFICQ WILLIAM KELSO, O1 PITTSBURGH,

TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, SYL'VANIA.

PENNSYLVANIA, ASS-IGNOR TO THE MecoNwAv & PENNSYLVANIA, a CORPORATION or PENN- GAR-COUPLING.

i ,saaoso.

Application filed May 28, 1919.

others skilled in the art to which it apoer- 0 l tains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in car couplers of special advantage in increasing the reliability and certainty oi operation of the form oi coupler known as the Master Car Builoers standard D coupler. hile the t'eatiinies of improved construction hereinafter described and clain'iod are especially adapted for embodiment in the i3 coupler and accordingly have been illus trated in the drawings a. adapted to that s 'iecilic type of coupler, it will be understood that the details oi constructhm of the cou plcr parts, except as definitely included in the claims. are not essential 'l eatures oi. the invention.

Under normal conditions the lock of the standard coupler when in locked position rests upon and is supported by a horizontally rotatable knuckle opening lever. In the absence of the knuckle opening lever, which may occur from various causes such as breakage, removal or loss, the look assumes a lowered position permitting it to tilt forwardly and project under the portion of the front wall of the coupler head forming the upper border of the mouth or opening through the front face of said head. Vlhen in this position the lock is jammed and cannot be moved to unlocked position either by means oi the top-operating lock litter or by means of the underneath release rigging, if the latter form of lock actuating device he the one with which the coupler is equipped. This defect in the D coupler is overcome in a practical and cfiicient manner by my invention without the necessity of altering the knuckle opening device or decreasing its elliciency in actuating the coupler knuckle, and without impairing the strength of the lock or the coupler head.

in the drawings illustrating my invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims, I

Figure l is view, partly in vertical sec- Specification of Letters Patent.

no r.

Patented May 4, 1920.

Serial No. 300,346.

tion and partly in elevation, of a car coupler embodying the invention, the parts being illustrated in. the locked positions occupied when theknuckle-opener is present.

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1,

int illustrating the locked relation of the 1. parts when the knuckle-opener is removed. Fig. is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, but illustrating the positions assumed by the parts when the knuckle-opener has been actuated by the lock to cause the knuckle to be rotated outwardly to open position.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the coupler lock, showing the rear face and knuckle engaging side thereof.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the lock showing the opposite side from that illustrated in Fig. i.

in the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, the coupler head is indicated by the reference numeral 1, while 2 is the knuckle which is pivotally mounted on the coupler headby means of a knuckle pin (not shown) in the usual man Outward rotation of the knuckle is normally prevented by a lock 3 which, when in locked position, rests upon the shorter arm of the horizontally rotatable knuckleopener lever 4 if the knuckle-opener be presout. The lock, which is adapted to move up wardly to unlock the knuckle and then to swing rearwardly so as to cause the knuckleopener at to rotate and throw the knuckle 2 open, is provided with a head 5 that in locked position stands between the tail oi he knuckle and the inner guard arm wall of the coupler head 1, thereby locking the lmuckle in coupled relation. Upon the forward face oi the head oi": the lock is a lug {3 which upon the lock being raised above thepoint necessary to unlock the knuckle comes into Contact with and rocks upon a fulcrum point or projection 7 formed on the interior of the coupler head in vertical alineinent with the pivot lug 6. This rocking or rotation of the lock causes its downwardly extending leg 8 to press against the adjacent arm oi the knuckle opening lever 4.- and rotate the latter, thereby throwing the knuckle to open position. here the head 5 is oined by the leg member 8 of the lock the head is offset to form a shoulder which rests on the knuckle opener when the head 5 is in looking relation with the tail of the knuckle, but when the knuckle-opener is absent said shoulder rests upon a wall of the coupler and arrests the further downward move ment of the lock.

The head 5 of the lock is provided with an upwardly and rearwardly opening slot 9 having grooves or channels 10 therein for the reception of oppositely disposed. pintles 11 formed on the lower end of the lock lifter 12. The upper end of the lifter, which is shown as of the top operating form, is provided with an eye or aperture to receive a pin, link or other appropriate means 13 for connecting the lifter to the coupler release rigging. At its lower end the lock is provided with slot or opening 1% which is adapted to permit the lock to be connected to a bottom operating release rigging for lifting the coupler lock.

The head of the lock 3 is provided on the forward portion of its upper side with an upwardly extending projection or guardlug 15 which is adapted to have overlapping engagement with the interior face 16 of the coupler head 1 above the mouth of the coupler. To accommodate this projection when the lock 8, upon being actuated by the lifter 12, performs the ext-ended unlocking movement required to rotate tl e knuckle-opening lever A and swing the knuckle 2 open, the upper wall of the coupler head 1, instead of being cut away, is preferably provided adjacent the opening 17 for the lock lifter 12 with a recess or socket 18 into which, as shown in Fig. 3, the said projection 15 is adapted to extend.

T 0 allow the lock 3 having the projection 15 thereon to be readily brought to proper assembled position within the coupler head 1 the upper portion of the head of the lock, between the lock lifter slot 9 therein and the knuckle engaging face thereof, is beveled or inclined rearwardly, as at 19; and for a similar reason the lower portion of the leg 8 of the lock is preferably formed with a beveled face 20 on the side nearer the guard arm of the coupler head. While the clearance afforded by the beveled faces 19 and 20 allows the lock to be easily assembled with the other parts of the mechanism, the positions of these faces are such that the strength of the lock is substantially unimpaired and its customary principal dimensions need not be altered When the knuckle opener 4: is absent from the coupler mechanism the locked positions of the parts will be as illustrated in F 2, the projection or guard-lug 15 of t ie lock 3 being in overlapping engagement with the interior face 16 of the couper head and thereby preventing the head 5 of the look from tilting forwardly through the mouth of the coupler head into a position preventing it from being subsequently moved to unlocked position by means of the lock lifting device.

I claim: 7 v

1. A car coupler having a head, a knuckle, a look, a knuckle opening device, said lock being insertible and removable through the mouth in the head through which the tail of the knuckle enters and said look being provided with a shoulder for alternatively engaging the knuckle opener and a wall of the coupler-head below the knuckle opener to thereby support the lock in knuckle locking position, and upwardly extending means carried by said lock for maintaining the operative relation of said lock and head when said knuckle opening device is absent, said means being adapted to prevent the upper end of said look from tilting forwardly.

2. A car coupler having a head, a knuckle, a look, and a knuckle opening lever, said lock being insertible and removable through the mouth in the head through which the. tail of the knuckle enters, said lock being provided with a shoulder for alternatively engaging the knuckle-opener and the bottom wall of the coupler-head to thereby support the lock in knuckle locking posi-- tion, and being provided at the forward portion of its upper end with a projection adapted to engage said coupler head and prevent the look from tilting forwardly and assuming an inoperative position in said coupler head when said lever is absent.

3. A car coupler having a head, a knuckle, a lock, and a knuckle opening lever, said lock being provided with a head for engaging and locking said knuckle, a leg adapted to engage and actuate said knuckle opening lever and a shoulder for alternatively engaging the knuckle opener and the bottom wall of the coupler-head, and being supported by said lever when said parts are in red position, and also being provided at its upper end with a projection adapted to engage said coupler head and prevent the look from tilting forwardly and assuming an inoperative position in said coupler head when said lever is absent.

4. A car coupler having a head, a knuckle, a look, a knuckle opening device, said lock being insertible and removable through the mouth in the head through which the tail of the knuckle enters and being provided with a shoulder for alternatively engaging the knuckle-opener and the bottom wall of the coupler-head when said parts are in locked position, and means carried by said lock for maintaining the operative relation of said lock and head when said knuckle opening means is absent, said means being adapted to prevent the upper end of said look from tilting forwardly, and the upper portion of said coupler head being provided with a recess adapted to receive said means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

WILLIAM KE SO.

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