US158541A

US158541A - Improvement in car-couplings

Info

Publication number: US158541A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1875-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 1892-01-05

Description

ZSheets--SheetL F.,STREEYT. W Car-Couplings.

WITNESSES. l INVENTQR oc. M djvu-V,

A ttorneys.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

FRANK STREET, OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,541, dated January 5, 1875; application filed May 28, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK STREET, of Council Bluffs, in the county of Pottawatta mie and in the State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar- Gouplings; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a car-coupling that is not only self-coupling, but also self-uncoupling when either car runs off the track, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

ln order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation,referriug to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my car-coupling, showing it extending straight from tlie car. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the drawhead turned to one side. Fig. 3 is a front View ot' my car-coupling when the draw-head stands straight out from the car. Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing the draw-head turned to one side. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal Vertical section of the car-coupling, showing the coupling-pin raised and held by the drop-valve. Fig. 6 is a similarr view of a part thereof, showing the drop-valve turned back and the coupling-pin dropped down.

A represents the draw-head, constructed substantially in the same manner as is now usual, with flaring mouth, to facilitate the entrance of the coupling-link. This drawhead is pivoted at its rear end to the car- Tralne by a bolt, a, and it is held straight out from the car by means of side springs b b. B represents the ordinary coupling-pin, passing vertically down through holes in the drawhead, Within the draw-head, directly under the pin-hole in the top thereof, is preferably hung a drop-valve, U. This valve is hung upon pins b b in the sides of the draw-head, and is provided in the center of its upper edge with a semicircular notch or cut-out, d, as shown particularly in Fig. 3. When the couplingpin B is raised the valve G drops down perpendioularly, and the pin may then rest in the notch d, so that when, in the act of coupling, the link D enters the draw-head it will turn the valve G backward on its pivots or trunnions and remove it from under the pin, allowing the same to fall down inside of the link and couple the cars. On each side of the draw-head B is a standard, E, which is forked at its upper end, and has a roller, G, pivoted therein, said roller running parallel with the side of the drawhead. From each roller G project two arms, H and I, at right angles with each other. The arms H H extend inward across the top of the draw-head, and their inner ends are notched for the passage 'of the coupling-pin B, the head of said pin resting on the ends of the arms. On the front of the car is a projection, J, which extends in between the arms I I, leaving a small space between each arm andsaid projection.

In case that either car should run off the track, 'it will pull the draw-head of the other car to one side, and the projection J on said car will then strike one of the arms, I, and turn that roller Gr on its journals, so that its arm H will lift the coupling-pin out of the couplinglink, thus disengaging or uncoupling the cars automatically, and preventing one car from dragging the other oft' from the track.

The roller G and its arms can also be used advantageously in uncoupling at will. l

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

The combination, with the drawhead A and headed coupling-pin B, of the standards E,

rollers G with arms H I, and the projection J V on the front of the car, all constructed substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In `testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 28th dayot April, 1874. Y

FRANK STREET. Witnesses:

C. L. EvERT,

F. H. WARREN.