US1921382A - Coupler on pilot beams - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 8, 1933. COUCH 1,921,382

COUPLER ON PILOT BEAMS Filed July 13, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l gmentoi Aug. 8, 1933.

GIF. COUCH COUPLER ON PILOT BEAMS Filed July 13, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I, Hi I F l We 0 0 o o 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m W Wk 1 k I I Z G Aug. 8, 1933. G. F. COUCH COUPLER ON PILOT BEAMS Filed July 13, 192

wg a r. hr 1 .uflmllmii III - pilot when not in use, means being also prov Patented Aug. 8, 1933 UNITED STATES COUPLER 0N PILOT BEAMS Glenn F. Couch, Rochester, N. 8., assignor to The Symington Company, New York, N. Y., a Corporation of Maryland Application July 13, 1927. Serial No. 205,430 '1 Claims. (01. 213-41 This invention relates to couplers and, more particularly, to such adapted for application to front ends of locomotives and so mounted that they may be swung from operative to inoperative positions at will.

The principal object of my invention, generally considered, is to provide a coupler adapted for application to the front end of a locomotive and so mounted that it may be swung downward to a pocket formed in the front of an associated vided for permitting transverse angling of the coupler which is counterweighted to facilitate adjustment to the desired position.

An object of my invention is the provision of a coupler mounted for vertical swinging with respect to an associated pilot beam which is preferably of cast construction and formed with an extension for connection with the framing of the locomotive, an associated pilot being attached to said beam with a frame also preferably of cast construction and formed with a pocket in the front face thereof for receiving said coupler, said coupler, when it is not desired to use the same for coupling with associated rolling stock, being swung downwardly into said pocket and held in such position by an associated keeper.

Another object of myinvention is the provision of a drop-down pilot coupler for the front end of a locomotive so counterweighted that it is readily moved from operative to inoperative positions-with means for holding the same securely in the desired position.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a coupler for the front end of a locomotive adapted to be swung into a corresponding pocket in the front of the locomotive pilot, the stem of said coupler being formed with shims associated with the pivotal mounting means therefor, whereby transverse angling of said coupler to a limited degree is permitted.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a drop-down pilot coupler for the front end 'of'a locomotive in which the supporting pilot beam is formed to provide pockets for receiving a carry iron or keeper which, when mounted below the stem of the coupler, supports the same in operative position and, when mounted above the stem thereof, holds the same in depressed or inoperative position. 7

An additional objectof my invention is the provision of a pilot beam, pilot and drop-down coupler assembly in which the beam is provided with extensions forming stops for limiting angling of the coupler with respect thereto, the pilot being formed for receiving the head of the coupler and also serving as a downward limit stop for swinging movement thereof.

Other objects and. advantages of the invention relating to the particular arrangement and con- 'struction of the various parts will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings illustrating my in- I vention, the scope whereof is defined by the appended claims:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through a locomotive pilot beam with an associated pilot depending therefrom and a coupler supported thereby, the head of said coupler being illustrated in side elevation and being shown in full lines in horizontal or operative position and diagrammatically indicated by dot and dash lines in depressed or inoperative position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the pilot beam, pilot and associated coupler shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of 30 the pilot beam and pilot, the stem of the associated coupler being illustrated in section.

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 55 of Figure flocking in the 8 direction of the arrows. v

Referring to the drawings in detail, like parts being designated by like reference characters,

the number 1 designates the pilot beam of a locomotive or other railway vehicle, the front The pilot beam casting 1 may be either pro- 100 vided with a rearward extension? or be connected to such a casting which adapts it for secure connection with the associated framing of the locomotive. Extending downwardly from said pilot beam 1 is a pilot 8, said pilot, in the 105 present embodiment, being illustrated as a cast frame 9 with the front face of the pilot completed by a plurality of bars or tubes 10 extending between upper and lower elements of said frame and riveted thereto at opposite ends. The 119 upper portion of said frame is provided with lugs 11 by which the pilot is securely connected to the pilot beam by means of a plurality of bolts 12. In order to rigidly brace the pilot with respect to the beam, brackets 13 are provided extending from the lower face of the beam and engaging the rear face of the pilot and connected thereto by a plurality of bolts 14.

Adjacent the central portion of the pilot, a pocket 15 is provided, said pocket being of a size corresponding with the head of the coupler 6, whereby, when said coupler 6 is swung downwardly, the same is received in said pocket and completes the front surface of the pilot. The rear wall 16 defining said pocket 15 serves as a stop for limiting downward movement of the coupler head.

The stem of the coupler is extended and provided with or formed as a counterweight 17, said counterweight being received in a pocket 18 in the casting '7. When the coupler is swung downwardly into the pocket 15, the counterweight 1'7 naturally swings upwardly and upward movement thereof is limited by a web or flange 19 extended from the upper portion of the pilot, beam and forming a stop for the counterweight 1'7 of the coupler. For limiting downward movement of the counterweight and thereby corresponding upward movement of the coupler head, a horizontal portion 20 of the beam, underlying said coupler, serves as a stop for this purpose. Inasmuch as the counterweight is preferably not quite heavy enough to overbalance the coupler, said coupler will tend to swing downwardly into normal or inoperative position where it closes the pocket 15 in the pilot. For holding said coupler in operative or horizontal position, ledges or pockets 21 are provided on the front of the pilot beam 1 for receiving a carry iron 22, said carry iron being preferably held in position by means of bolts or the like 23. When said carry iron is positioned beneath the coupler, it serves to support the same in horizontal position and,

when said coupler is swung downwardly and the carry iron positioned thereabove, it serves as a keeper to hold said coupler in normal or de pressed position. The carry iron in the same position is, therefore, adapted to hold the coupler in either an operative or an inoperative position.

In order to permit transverse or horizontal angling of the coupler with respect to the locomotive as well as vertical angling, a pair of shims 24 is provided positioned between the pivot pin 5 and the coupler 6 and received in corresponding pockets 25 in said coupler. The outer surfaces of said shims preferably have, as their axis, a vertical line passing through the intersection between the center line of the pivot pin 5 and the center line of the stem of the coupler 6, and the walls of the pockets 25 are correspondingly formed, whereby said coupler may be swung transversely or horizontally about said shims, such motion being permitted between said shims and said coupler. It

will be apparent that, by virtue of permitting both vertical and transverse swinging of said cou-' pler, a universal connection between said coupler and pilot beam is provided. In order to permit transverse or horizontal swinging of the coupler, the pocket 18 is formed flaring toward its rear end so as to permit the necessary movement of the counterweight and the pocket 3 in the pilot beam is correspondingly formed, whereby the desired amount of angling is permitted, yet said angling is limited by. the side walls of said pockets.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that I have devised a pilot beam, pilot, and coupler assembly of such character that the coupler is adapted to drop down into and complete the pilot when said coupler is not needed for connecting the associated locomotive with other rolling stock, the stem of said coupler being so counterweighted that it is readily moved to the desired position, means being provided between the mounting means for the coupler and the stem thereof so that transverse as well as vertical pivotal motion, and therefore universal angling, of said coupler is permitted, a carry iron being provided for supporting said coupler in horizontal position or holding it in depressed position, and means on said pilot beam and pilot being provided for limiting swinging. movement of said coupler. Although I have illustrated my coupler as applied to the front end of a locomotive, it is obvious that I do not wish to be' restricted to this showing as the same may be used in other positions, for example, at the rear end of the tender.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a pilot beam formed as a hollow casting, a pilot depending therefrom, a coupler mounted in said pilot beam for vertical swinging from substantially horizontal operative position to inclined position, said pilot being provided with a pocket in the front face thereof for said coupler when swung to inclined position, a portion of said pilot forming an inner wall of said pocket serving as a stop to limit downward movement of said coupler, the stem of said coupler being extended beyond said connection with the pilot beam and counterweighted, a stop for said counterweighted portion being provided by an extension of the upper wall of said pilot beam, whereby upward movement of said counterweight is limited, downward movement thereof being limited by a portion of said beam underlying said extension and counterweighted portion, and means provided for holding said coupler in substantially horizontal position, said means being supported in pockets formed on the pilot beam.

2. In combination with a pilot beam, a pilot depending therefrom, a coupler mounted in said pilot beam for limited universal motion with respect to said beam, said mounting means involving a substantially horizontal generally cylindrical pivot pin with the ends thereof supported in said beam, a pair of shims positioned between said pin and the stem of said coupler and adapted to rotate on the former with said coupler, the outer surfaces of said shims being convexly curved about a normally upright axis and engaging correspondingly curved surfaces in said stem, whereby vertical angling of said coupler on said. pivot pin and transverse angling of said coupler on said shims is permitted.

3. In combination with a pilot beam, a pilot depending therefrom, a coupler with a stem rearwardly extending and mounted on said beam for vertical swinging from substantially horizontal to inclined positions, said pilot being formed with a cavity adapted to receive the coupler head when swung downwardly, and means for holding said coupler in either of a plurality of positions comprising a carry iron adapted for connection to the pilot beam, below the coupler when in horizontal position, said beam, carry iron and coupler 4. In combination with a pilot beam, a pilot depending therefrom, a coupler with a rearwardly extending stem, a pivot pin intersecting said stem for permitting vertical angling of said coupler, means positioned between said pin and stem for permittingtransverse angling of said coupler with respect thereto, said coupler stem being extended beyond said pivot pin and counterweighted to facilitate adjustment of said coupler, stop means being provided on said pilot for limiting downward movement of the coupler head and on said beam to limit upward and downward movement of said counterweight, said beam being formed with a pocket receiving said stem and a rearward extension provided with a continuation of said pocket, the rearwardly extending walls of said pocket and the extension thereof being diverging to permit limited transverse angling of said coupler.

5. In a railway vehicle, in combination, a hollow serving as a stop for the extended stem of said coupler when swung to inoperative position.

6. In a railway vehicle, in combination, a cast pilot beam formed with a longitudinally extending aperture, a coupler with the stem thereof extending in said aperture, means pivotally connecting said coupler stem and beam, a pilot connected to the front face of said beam, said pilot comprising a cast frame with a coupler receiving pocket formed in the front face thereof whereby said coupler maybe swung to inoperative position and complete the pilot by filling said pocket, abutment portions extending outwardly from and integral with the beam on either side of said coupler, and a carrier iron supported on said abutment portions and underlying the stem of a coupler for holding said coupler in operative position.

'7. In combination with a pilot beam, a pilot depending therefrom, a coupler with a stem mounted in said beam for vertical swinging from substantially horizontal position to inclined positions, the connection between said stein and beam comprising a normally horizontal pin generally circular in' section, shims movable with said stem in the above stated movement and having rotative bearing relation with said pin, said shims having convexly curved outer surfaces engaging correspondingly curved surfaces on said stem for permitting transverse angling of said coupler.

GLENN F. COUCH.

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