US1365942A - Combined uncoupling-lever and coupling-positioning device - Google Patents

Description

w. P. MURPHY. COMBINED UNCOUPLING LEV'ER AND COUPL NG 'OSITIONING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 7. l9l6.

'Patentd Jan. 18,1921.

UNITED STATES WALTEB PATTEN MURPHY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED UNCOUI'LING-LEVER AND COUPLING-POSITIONING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

Application filed December 7, 1916. Serial No. 135,626.

T 0 all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, 'WALTER P. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residin at Chica o, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Unconpling-Levers and Coupling-Positioning Devices, of which the following is a specification.

Couplers have from 3 to 3.5 inches lateral motion on carrier irons, normally, but when the draft sills are damaged it is possible for the coupler to have a greater lateral movement.

When cars are left standing in railway yards, and about industrial plants, in which higher than the inside rail, the coupler is thrown, swinlgs, or slides over toward the inside rail. t is also frequently necessary to couple cars on a sharp curve, in which event it is necessary to push both couplers as far as possible to the inside of the curve, so that the couplers will engage each other. In this connection the Interstate Commerce Commission has reported that many accidents have been caused by the trainmen attempting to position the couplers on the carrier iron, to suit requirements, so that it would meet the opposing coupler, this operation making it necessary for a man to place some portion of his body, usually his foot or arm between the cars, generally while they are in motion. A great many employees have had feet or hands crushed in this way. The annual reports show that over 10% of coupler accidents are due to ad'usting the couplers.

The primary object of my invention is to provide means whereby the coupler may be positioned without the operator placing any portion of his body between the cars and to hold it there while thelcars are being coupled.

A further object of my invention is to provide a positioning device which-will not, in its installation, interfere with the air brake or signal couplings, or lock pins, and which requires no alteration of any part of a car or locomotive.

A further object of my invention is to provide a combined uncoupling lever and sitionin device, whereby no additional olts and rackets are necessary; and with these and other objects in view my invention pin 3.. the outside rail of curves s considerably consists of the parts and combination of parts as will be hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a part of a car with my invention attached, the coupler being shown in dotted lines.

F ig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, the coupler being shown in full lines.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail view, parts being in section.

The reference numeral 1 designates the end sill of a car which may be of any approved type. The coupler 2 is of standard construction and is Many cars are equipped with the swing carrier iron shown in the drawing; the carrier 4 being mounted on the swingingly mounted arms 5, the trunnions 6 of the arms bearing on the block 7. The object of this construction of carrier is to permit it to swing with the coupler under service conditions which eliminates relative lateral movement between the coupler and carrier. This particular construction of carrier, however, is not necessary to the successful operation of my invention.

The uncoupling lever S is preferably revolubly mounted in brackets 9 on the end of the car, which are properly positioned to permit of the successful operation of the parts. The inner end of the uncoupling lever 8 terminates in a forwardly extending crank arm 13 provided with an eye 14 in its end, said lever, extending over the coupler as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 A chain 14 or other suitable connection connects the lock pin 3 with the crank arm 13 of the uncoupling lever.

In one embodiment of my invention, I form a connection between the coupler and the crank 13 of the uncoupler rod or lever by means of a yoke 15, the opening through which is designed to permit service movements of the coupler without imposing strains upon the parts. The yoke 15 is provided with an arm 16 extending upwardly therefrom and is provided with an elon' gated slot 17, through which the crank arm 13 of the uncoupling lever 8 freely passes, the slot 17 being of such size as to permit service movements of the parts without imposing strain thereon. It will be noted that the tops of the arm 16 and slot 17 are norprovided with the lock mally on a higher plane than the crank arm 13. The object of this is to permit of free up and down movement of the coupler and yoke under service conditions without atfecting the uncoupler lever.

Normally the handle 18 is in the position shown in Figs. 1 to 8. In case the coupler has moved over toward the right and it is desired to center it, the handle 18 is moved to the left, whereby the uncoupling rod 8 is moved bodily toward the left hand side of the car, the crank arm 13 pulling the coupler by means of the yoke 15 to the center for ready coupling. In the event that the coupler is on the left hand side of the center, the rod 8 is pushed to the right.

To operate the lock pin 3 of the coupler, the handle 18 is pulled upwardly.

lVhat I claim is:

1. The combination of a coupler flexibly supported on a car, and having a lock pin, a one piece operating rod j ournaled wholly on the car structure adapted to be moved end- Wise and having a forwardly projecting crank arm at its inner end, means connecting said crank with the said lock pin whereby the pin is operated when the rod is revolved, means engagin said coupler and adapted to be engaged said crank when the rod is moved endwise whereby an endwise increment of the rod will move the. coupler to position it.

2. The combination of a coupler flexibly supported on a car and having a lock pin, a one piece operating rod revolubly and endwise bodily movably and wholly mounted on the end of a car structure, a crank at the inner end oi said rod having an operable connection with the lock pin of the coupler whereby said pin is operated when the rod is revolved, a yoke engaging the coupler and engaging the said crank, and means whereby said crank may move when the rod is revolved without moving the yoke; whereby the coupler may be positioned by an cmlwise movement of the rod.

3. The combination of a coupler flexibly mounted on a car, and having a lock pin, a one piece operating rod revolubly and bodily endwise shii'tably wholly mounted on the end oi a car structure, a crank at the inner end oi said rod, means extending upwardly from the coupler and movable therewith and having a slidable connection with said crank and means connecting the said crank with said lock pin; whereby the lock pin may be operated by revolving the rod and the roupler positioned by shifting the rod endwise.

In testimony whereof I aili); my signature.

lVALTER PATT El Mllltll IY.

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