US153042A - Improvement in car-couplings - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLILT J. B. BOWMAN, OF HAVVLEY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF AND ELIJAH WINFIELD, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 153,042, dated July 14, 1874; application tiled March 7, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN J. B. Bow- MAN, of Hawley, in thecounty of Tayne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Gouplings, which are simple in operation and construction, and convenient in use, and not liableto get out of order, having for its object to improve the operation of car-couplings by furnishing a device which will couple itself as the cars come together, and can be readily uncoupled by a person without going inside or between the cars, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying dra-wil'lg with letters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a longitudinal section of a device embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.

A represents the draw-head, having a slot on the under side to form a shoulder, a, and having a slot, a', in the top part extending nearly to the mouth of the coupling, and beveled from the top to the inside. B represents a toggle hinged in the slot a', so that the forward part is on a line with the lower edge of the slot a. rIhis extends verticallydownward, and the front part rests against the shoulder a. In the rear part of the slot a is secured a spring, D, having a segmental or curved face, df, which bears against the toggle B, when the same is thrown back, and by its elastic force returns the toggle to the position shown in Fig. l. The pivot upon which the toggle B swings, extends outward from each side, and is supposed to extend far enough to be even with the side of the car, and provided with a wheel-or lever, c, and as the pivot or bar (l is secured firmly to the toggle B, and turns with it, a person can stand on the outside of the car and operate or turn back the toggle B to uncouple the cars. E represents the link, which may be of any desirable form.

The operation of my invention is as follows The link E being in place in the draw-head of a car, the same is then brought in contact with another car, when the link enters the draw-head, presses back the toggle until the link passes the same, when the spring returns the toggle in position, as shown in Fig. l.

'Io uncouple the cars, a person has only to turn back the wheel or lever c', which throws back the toggle, and the link is released.

I am aware that toggles hinged at the top, and held in position by various devices have been used; and I do not, therefore, broadly claim such devices, my improvements consisting in using the spring to return the toggle, and having' the lower end of the toggle held rmly by the draw-head itself, and in extending the pivot of the toggle to uncouple the cars.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The toggle B, fixed upon the bar C, which is provided with wheels or levers c', extending to the side of the car, in combination with the spring D, having head d', and the drawhead A, with slot af, and slotted lower portion, having shoulder a, all constructed as and for the purpose set forth.

FRANKLIN J. B. BOWMAN.

Witnesses:

C. H. RIDewAr, JAMEs M ILLI-IAM.

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