US169624A - Improvement in car-couplings - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 9,1875.

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i by hand or by suitable lever.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

4EENssELAE'E A.l oowELL, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

VIMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 169,624, dated November 9, 1875; application tiled August 10, 1875.

lence being had to the accompanying drawings,

which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an automatic carcoupler; and consists in the combinations and devices as hereinafter more fully set forth and 4 claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section through the draw-bar at the center. Fig. 2 is an upward view of the inside of the draw-head, showing the operation of the hinged guide. i

A is the draw-bar; B, its head; C, the cap covering the head, which cap projects preferably into the mouth or opening at the end of the drawbar. C' is a cushion, of rubber or its equivalent, placed between the draw-head B and the `cap C. D is a tilting or rotating pin, hinged at d, and provided with a hook end, D'.

It will thus be apparent that, should there be any tendency of jarring the pin E so much as to cause the arm D to be released, that tendencywill be overcome by the frequent striking of the link against the hook D', thus forcing the lever D back into its place behind the pin. Of course the weight of thelink assists to do the saine thing 5 but the presence of the hook D', and the relation it bears to the end of the link, render the abovedescribed operation of the link certain.

E is a latch or key, which enters the drawbar from above. Its lower end projects downward suflciently far that when the link is admitted it presses against the hook end of the tilting or rotating pin, and carries the pin D upward, causing it to leave the latch or key E, after which the said latch or key drops down in front of it, and prevents the rotating pin from returning until the latch or key is raised This key E may be raised by hand, in which condition it is suitably adapted to freight-trains, and to such passenger-trains as do not employ platforms that come close against each other. In case the device is placed upon the car wherethe.

the link or dog F will drop down, as shown Y by the dotted lines,l and prevent the pin from returning. This is often desirable when ship-v ping cars, where it is desirable that they shall not couple when they cometogether. For ordinary coupling, however, the latch E will notI be lifted high enough to cause the link or dog F to prevent its return.

G is one of the coupling-links, being' that link which belongs to the car to which the draw-head itself belongs. H is the couplinglink which belongs to the other car.

The operation of the device is as follows: As the car bearing the link El approaches or is approached, the link enters the mouth of the draw-head, strikes the hook end of the rotating pin D, and tilts the portion D up into the link. As the portion D rises it raises the latch E, and passes it 5 then the latch E drops down in front of it and prevents its return. In this condition, it will be seen the pin l) has a square bearing against the latch E and the shoulder d of the draw-bar.

J is a pin, extending down through the draw-head, which serves to retain the lilik G within the draw-head, and receives the strain when the linkG is in use instead of the link H. lt also receives the pressure of the end link H as it presses against the hook end D A of the tilting pin D. K is a guide-block, hinged at 7c, and curved at its other end to` correspond with the pin J, so that when the pin J is in position the guide-block K is held rigidly in position, as shown in the drawings.

The object of the guide-block K is as follows: As the link H enters the draw-head and strikes the hook end D of the pin D, were it not for the guide-block the endrof the link would have a tendency to dart up above the hook end D against the pin J. firmly in position. Moreover, it prevents the other end of the link from dropping too low to enter the other draw-head.'

This guide-block holds it` The object of hinging the guide-block at lc is as follows: Ifit were not so hinged it would be a fixture within the draw-bar, in which case the link Gr could not be removed because of striking against this guide-block. ln case, however, it is desired to remove this link Gr, the pin J is withdrawn 5 this releases the guideblock K, and it is swung out of the way around the pivot lo, when the link can be removed. The cushion C', between the cap C and head B, serves various purposes, as follows: First, when the cars come together it receives and sustains the'shock consequent thereon; second, when the cars have, coupled, the caps C, resting against each other, will, because of the elasticity of the cushion C', rest against cach other with such a friction as to prevent the cars from oscillating. sidewise, thus preserving, in a great measure, the cars, the coupling, the track, and the runninggear; third, when the cars-as, for instance, on a freighttrain--are backed up against the close brakes of the rear car, in order to make a start-as, for instance, on a grade-the starting-power of the engine is augmented by the elasticity of the cushion C. c are pins or any suitable device, whereby the cap C is secured to the draw-head B. The draw-bar and cap may be formed of any suitable metal, either wrought or cast. I have, however, some of the devices of full size in practical use on railway-cars, wherein the device is formed of malleable iron, which appears to answer every purpose, having been subjected to severe tests.

When the link G is in use, its rear end has a bearing against the shoulder L. This shoulder L may be made in the usual forma solid casting, or solid with draw-bar.' There is, however, an objection to this form, as follows: When the cars cometogether with a hard blow, the end linkl Gr would be driven hard against'the shoulder L, and it is liable to break-the link. I therefore prefer to form a tilting shoulder, L. This is made yielding. Alts form is such that, being pivoted as shown in Fig. l, the weight of the link and the weight ofthe draw-bar would hold it in place,

as it will be seen that the draw-bar, resting as it does upon an underneath supportingplate, M, causes its own Weight to react against the tilting shoulder L, to hold it in the position shown in the drawings. The shoulder L in this position willA be held with suflicient firmness to withstand the ordinary shock in all ordinary cases'of coupling; but when the cars e Macau come together with A unusual forcertvhe link G, in pressing against the shoulder L,wonld cause it to tilt around its pivot and bear upon theV plate M. This would lift the draw-bar bodily from the plate M, and the link G would ride back over the yielding shoulder L. It will be noticed that. the shoulder L is quite close to the pin J, so that the front end of thelink would have to be raised so as to drop the other end-down under the shoulder L. This serves to hold the link always level, and to render it not liable to jump out over the shoulder L.

I am aware draw-heads-have been provided with facings, and that cushions have been interposed between them; but my cap C has the side laps c', which serveA as a more secure Vattaching medium of same to the draw-head.

l. The combination, with the draw-barA, of I a cap, C, provided with the lapels c', and inter'- mediate cushion G', substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, withl the draw-bar A, of the tilting or rotating pin D, provided with the hooked end D', and latch or key E, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with tlie draw-bar A l and the tilting pin D, of the guide-block K, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with the draw-bar A, of guide-block K, hinged at k, and the pin J, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination, with the latch or key E, of the link or dog F, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination, with the draw-bar, of the rotating pin D, pivoted at d, latch E, and shoulder d', substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. The tiltingpin D, pivoted-at d, and provided with a hook end, D', substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. The combination in a draw-bar, with the V link G, of yielding pivoted shoulder L, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RENSSELAER A. COWELL. Witnesses:

WELLS W. LEGGETT,

` FRANCIS ToUMEY.

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