US1403193A - Car coupling - Google Patents

Description

LJAND F. PIGNANl.

CAR COUPLING- APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1919.

1 4L3 193 Patented Jan w, 1922,

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CAR COUPL|NG-- APPLICATION FILED SEPT 29, 1919.

1 4%, 193 Patented Jan. w, 1922.

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LOREHZQ PIGNANE AND FRANK PIC-1N A211, 05 DILLTGVJIJ, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR COUPLING.

Application filed September 23, 1919.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it lznown that we, Leann-.30 Piomn'i, a subject the King of ltaly, and FRANK PIGNANI, a citizen of the United States, and residents of Dilltown. in the county of lndiana and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and useful improvements n Car Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to car couplings, and particularly to the automatically operated car couplings of the link and pin typo.

The purpose of our invention is to provide a car coupling of the above described character which is particularly, although not necessarily, adapted for use on mine cars, the coupling containing the desirable features of simplicity, durability. efficiency, and constructed to make and maintain the coupling atall times and under most difficult conditions.

We will describe one form of car coupling embodying our invention and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are fragmentary views of the ends of a pair of adjacent mine cars having applied thereto one form of car coupling embodying our invention;

Figures 3 and i are vertical sectional views of the two parts of the coupling shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 5 is a plan view partly in section showing the coupling member shown in Figure 3;

Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged detail views of the coupling member shown in Figure 5.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring specifically to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, M and M designate mine cars of the usual construction having secured to the under sides thereof draw bars B and B, respectively, which project beyond the confronting ends of the cars and have arranged upon these projecting ends the parts C and C, which constitute the subject-matter of our invention. The parts C and C comprise draw heads H and H, respectively, formed with extensions L and L which are secured to the respective draw bars B and B by means of bolts 15. Each draw head H or ll is provided with a compartment 16 or 16, the upper and lower walls of which converge toward the inner ends of a second compartment 17 or 17,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14),

Serial No. 9237,18 2.

which constitutes the mouth of the draw head. As shown in Figure 5, the mouth 1'? or 17 is of substantially rectangular formation and is provided with inwardly inclined walls.

fit the juncture of the compartments l6 and 17, the upper and lower walls of the draw head H are provided with registering openings, the lower one 18 of which is circular to receive a coupling pin P. The upper opening communicates with a housing A comprising front and rear walls 19 and 20, respectively, a bottom wall 21, and a cover A ..e 21.. The inner face of each wall 19 and 20 is provided with narrow grooves 23 between which is formed a relatively wide groove Working a coupli L round portion 25 and a relatively flat portion 26. it the juncture of these portions 25 and 26 a latch block 27 is formed, while directly above the latch block 27 the flattened portion 26 is provided upon its opposite edges with guide blocks 28. The blocks 28 have a sliding within the grooves 24. of the walls l9 and 20 and thereby guide the coupling pin during its vertical movement, as will be understood. Arranged upon opvertically within the housing A in P, said pin comprising a 'posite sides of the coupling pin are apair of gravity tr gers T and T. each of which, as shown. in Figure 7, comprises a body porti on 29 having a substantially dove-tail groove 29 formed on one face thereof, which latter, in turn, provides a hook 30, adjacent the upper end thereof, and a rib 2-30 adjacent the medial portion of the body. it the lower end of the body 29 the trigger is iorn'ied with a beveled surface 31 which is inclined inwardly toward the coupling pin, as shown in Figure 5. As shown to advantage in Figure 5, the lower end of each trig- T or Cl" is curved in the form of an are so that its lower end may be swung outwardly from the pin P without engaging the lower wall 21. of the housing A. The triggers T and T are also capable of vertical movement within the housing A, and to guide the same during this movement and, at the same time, to permit a swinging movement thereof, we provide pivot pins 32 adj acent the upper end thereof which work in the grooves 23.

As shown in Figure 5, the triggers T and T normally occupy substantially vertical positions under the action of gravity, and in Q r V 1,408,193

this position the ribs 30 rest in groovesfl? termed in the under side of the latch block 27, and because the lower ends of the triggers are resting upon the lower wall of the housing A, the ribs 30 engage the latch block 27 and thereby support the pin P in elevated position. I

Should the triggers T and T be swung outwardly about the pivot pins 32 as a center, the ribs 80 would disengage the latch block 2'7 and thereby permit the coupling pin P to gravitate to its lowermost position. In the lowermost position the circular portion 25 of the coupling pin P moves into the opening 18 and thereby spans the interior of the housing at the inner end of the mouth 17.

Referring now to Figures 2 and l, K designates a coupling link which is adapted to be locked within the housing H by the coupling pin P. The link K is provided with a shank which is normally disposed within the draw head H, and is provided with an opening to receive a locking pin 34:. The pin 34: extends through suitable openings formed in the upper and lower walls of the draw head H at the juncture oi the compartments 16 and 17. The inner end of the shank 33 is providedwith a hook 35 which is connected with one end of a coiled contractile spring 36, the opposite end of such spring being connected to a pin 37. From this arrangement it will be seen that the coupling link K is supported for movement in a horizontal plane but is biased to a predetermined position so that it is properly centered with relation to the mouth 17 by means of the spring 36. 7

With the parts of the coupler in the posi- 'tion shown in Figure 5, let it be assumed that the cars are to be coupled. When either of the cars M or ll is moved toward the other, the projecting link K moves into the mouth 17 of the draw-head H and strikes the beveled surface 31 of the triggers T and T with sufiicient impact to force the triggers outwardly thereby causing the lips 80' to disengage the latch block 27. As soon this occurs, the coupling pin P is free to gravitate to its lowermost position wherein the rounded' portion 25 passes through the link K and into the opening 18 thereby securely locking the link within the draw-head and coupling the cars together. lVh'enuncoupling, it is necessary to partly lift the coupling pin until i is withdrawn from the opening 18 and disengages the link-K. The coupling pin is raised until. the latch block engages the hooks 3O whereupon continued elevation causes the triggers to be raised so as to clear the link and to swing inwardly back to the position shown in Figure 5. It will be obvious that with the triggers in this position the lips 30 are again disposed in the path of movementof the latch block so that when the coupling pin is released it descends until checked by" the lips thereby locking the pin withdrawn position with respect to the opening 18 so as to again permit the withdrawal of the link K in effecting an uncoupling of the cars.

Although we have herein shown and described only one form of car coupling embodying our invention, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of the invention and spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Vi e claim:

1. A car coupling comprising a draw head having an interior cavity and a tapered mouth communicating with said cavity, a housing associated with the draw head and communicating with said mouth, grooves formed on the side walls of said housing, a coupling pin, guide blocks carried by said pin and working within certain of said grooves, a latch block fixed to said pin, a pair of triggers, pins adjacent the upper ends of the triggers and working within the re maining grooves, hooks formed on each of said triggers and disposed upon opposite sides of said latch block, said triggers having beveled surfaces disposed within the mouth of said draw head, and a coupling link adapted to be inserted in said mouth and to engage said beveled surfaces.

2.. A car coupling comprising a draw-head,

a pin movable vertically within the drawhead, a latch block fixed to said pm, a pair of triggers mounted for swinging movement about horizontal axes, and a couplinglink adapted to be inserted between sa1dtr1ggers to effect spreading thereof, said triggers be ing capabloof occupying position to mainain said couplingpin in releasingposition with respect'to said coupling link and a releasing position to' allow said coupling pin" to move 1nto locking position with respect to said coupling link.

3. A carcoupling comprising a draw-head, a coupling pin moving vertically through the draw-head, a latch block fixed to'rsaid pin, a pair of triggers pivoted within said drawhead to normally occupy a vertical position, lips formed on said triggers and engageable with said block to support the pin in elevated position, hooks formed on the triggers and adapted tobe engaged by the latch block for returning the" triggers to vertical position, and a coupling link adapted to be in sorted between said triggers for spreading the same to cause said lips to disengage said block.

LORENZO PIGNANI. FRANK Present.

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