US1967820A - Coupling pin and attachment therefor - Google Patents

Description

' Jul 24, 1934. L EG 1,967,820

COUPLING PIN AND ATTACHMENT THEREFOR Filed June 4, 1932 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 24, 1934 units!) STATES COUPLING PIN AND ATTACHMENT THEREFOR Louis D. Gregg, Hackensack, N. ,J., assignor .to The Gregg Company, Limited, New York, .N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 4, 1932, Serial No. 615,281

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to car couplers of the link and-pin type in which the draw-headof the coupler is provided above and below the link chamber with pin-retaining holes, circular or arcuate, in which the coupling pin is inserted to secureia link tothe coupler, the pin being usually upset at its upper end to provide a head which serves both to prevent its dropping through the couplerand also as ahandle by which it can be manipulated in the coupling and uncoupling of a In couplers of this type it is highly desirable that thecoupling pin be in some way so secured that it will not be accidentally lost and cannot bestolen. Accordingly, an early practice was to chain the coupling pin by its head either to the car or to the draw-head, but this practice has been largely abandoned since the retaining chains were frequently broken and the coupling pins, if

I not actually lost, might in the case of a cane car for instance get into the load ofcane and damage the rolls of :the mill in which the cane was ground. It is now customary to lock the pin against removal within the upper retaining hole or slot of r the coupler .head by providing asecond or locking headat its lower end; and,-since a pin with two integral locking heads formed in advancecannot be assembled and a second locking head cannot as a practical matter be formed after assembly,

'- it is'the practice either to'provide a separate handle pr lower head and to attach it after assembly more or less securely to the pin, with the result that it sometimes works loose and drops off, or to form the coupler head with pin-retaining holes large enough to permit the passage of one or-both of the heads of the pin and then, after assembly, attach to the coupler head a plate or member which will partially close the upper retaining hole so that neither head of the pin can pass there- 1 through. But however formed and locked in place,-a real and serious objection to the doubleheaded coupling pin is that its lower head has to'be of a size permitting it to pass readily through the links some of which provide a relatively narrow slot and the pin proper, being of smaller diameter, isof necessity materially reduced in section and hence in strength.

My present invention, by which I have obviated the above defects, consists, briefly, in providing a non-separable coupling pin of maximum section and strength and, as ameans forlocking it w'ithin'theupper pin-retaining hole in the-coupler head, a strong yet flexible pivoted link connection, in the nature of an elbow-jointure, com- I pr-ising' a plurality of members pivoted at their outer ends to the upper end of the coupling pin and the upper wall of thecoupler head respectively and pivotally connected at their inner ends behind the coupling pin, which not only permits of the ready manipulationof the pin but reduces 3, to a minimum the possibility of the loss thereof from theft or otherwise.

Gne practical and the'preferred embodimentof the invention is shown, by way of illustrationan'd not of limitation, in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coupler head equipped with my improvements, showing the coupling pin raisedand in inoperative position; Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing thecoupling pin dropped to operative position; Fig. 3 is a detail, showing in plan a part of the upper wall of a coupler head and, partly in section and partly in plan, the coupling pin and the members attaching it to the head in the same position in which they are shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a view showing in longitudinal section a coupler or draw-head of somewhat different form and in side-elevation thecoupling pin and its attaching members.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the coupler head or the draw-head of a coupler, providing the usual link chamber 2 and pin-retaining holes3 and 4 =in'its walls above and'below the link chamber respectively; and 5 indicates the usual coupling link.

The coupling pin 6 has at its upper end a rearwardly projecting lug '7 providing, on its lower face, a shoulder adapted'to engage the upper wall of the coupler head at the rear of theupper-pinretaining hole, and so limit the downward movement of the pin, and its extended upper end is bent rearwardly at an angle, and preferably downwardly at the tip, to provide a convenient handle 8 for its manipulation. Thelower tip-end 95 of the coupling pin is tapered so as to provide a beveled face 9 (see Fig. 4) on its forward or outer side.

' The pivoted link connection between the coupling pin and the coupler head, in the natur'e of an elbow-jointure, comprises a U-shaped member and two link bars. The U-shaped member 10 has its two ends bent outwardly to 'form trunnions 11, 11 which are loosely pivoted within holes in ribs or fins 12, '12 projecting upwardly from the upper face of the coupler head on opposite sides of the upper pin-retaining hole, and the outer tips l3, 13 of these ends are preferably bent back, outside the ribs, to prevent their being sprung-or pried out of their bearings in the ribs. 116

The two link bars 14 are loosely pivoted at one end, behind or to the rear of the coupling pin, upon the transverse connecting section of the U-shaped member, and at the other end to the opposite sides of the coupling pin upon a pin 15 which is set through the coupling pin opposite the lug 7 and is headed at each end.

The pivoted link connection is operative, as seen, to extend and allow the coupling pin to be raised and tilted rearwardly to a position in which it clears the link chamber in the coupler head and the beveled forward face of its tip bears against the forward wall of the upper pin-retaining hole, and when fully extended is of a length to prevent the withdrawal of the tip from this hole and so to hold the coupling pin securely locked therein. When raised and tilted back the coupling pin will there be held, in inoperative position, by frictional engagement of the beveled face of its tip with the wall of the pin-retaining hole, but a jar in a longitudinal direction, as by the impact of the coupler head against the coupler head of another car, will release the coupling pin from such engagement and, the membersof the link connection folding together, the pin will drop down to operative position in the coupler head.

The shouldered lug at the upper end of the coupling pin, while not essential, is highly desirable. Under ordinary conditions the link bars of I the attachment and the pin by which they are pivoted to the upper end of the coupling pin will provide the stop required to limit the downward movement of the coupling pin, but experience has shown that in exceptional cases the downward pull on the coupling pin is great enough to shear off a pivot pin of even five-eighths inch diameter. So, too, a flexible mounting of the members of the link connection is important since otherwise the rotary stress on the coupling pin in rounding curves, and especially where the pin-retaining holes in the coupler head are round instead of arcuate, might be sufiicient to distort if not to actually break the connection; and to provide the desired flexibility the holes of all the pivot joints are preferably made at least one-sixteenth inch larger in diameter than the diameter of the pin or part pivoted therein.

The coupling pin can readily be attached to most of the old coupler heads now in use either by springing the trunnion ends (without their upturned tips) into holes drilled in the oppositely disposed ribs, similar to the ribs 12, which brace the upwardly extending face of many coupler heads or by journaling the ends of this member I in upturned ears at the ends of a suitable plate,

cut away so as not to cover the upper pin-retaining hole, which can be riveted to the upper wall of the coupler head. 1

It is to be understood, of course, that the in- ,vention can be modified in its various details,

Within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the substantial advantages thereof.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the drawhead of a coupler of the type described, of a coupling pin adapted to be raised to inoperative position with its tip within the upper pin hole in the head and tilted rearwardly and supported in such raised and tilted position'by the engagement of its tip with the walls of the hole andwhen returned to upright position to drop to operative position within both the upper and lower pin holes in the head, and as retaining means therefor a flexible elbow link connection between the upper end of, the pin and the head adapted to allow the above described movements of the pin and to prevent the withdrawal of its tip from said upper pin hole.

2. The combination, with the drawhead of a coupler having a link chamber and pin holes in its walls above and below said chamber, of a coupling pin having on the forward side of its tip a beveled face inserted in the upper hole in the head and adapted both to drop downwardly therethrough to operative position within the lower hole in the head and to be raised clear of the link chamber and tilted rearwardly upon the upper rear edge of the upper hole until the beveled face of its tip engages the front wall of said hole and the pin is thus supported in raised inoperative position, and as retaining means therefor a flexible elbow link connection between the upper end of the pin and the head adapted to prevent the withdrawal of the tip of the pin from the upper hole in the head while permitting the pin to be raised and held in inoperative position atilt therein and when the pin is returned to an upri ht position to fold and allow it to drop to operative position within both holes in the head.

SrThe combination, with the drawhead of a coupler having a link chamber and pin holes in its walls above and below said chamber, of a coupling pin having at its upper end a laterally projecting shouldered lug and handle extension inserted in the upper hole in the head and adapted both to drop downwardly therethrough'and into the lower hole in the head to a position deter-' mined by the engagement of its shoulder with an upper surface of the head and to be raised clear of the link chamber and tilted rearwardly with its tip within the upper pin hole and there sup! ported in inoperative position, and as retaining means therefor a plurality of link members loosely pivoted at their outer ends to the upper end of the pin and the upper wall of the head respectively and at their inner ends pivotally con-.

nected together behind the pin and adapted to allow the pin to be so raised and tilted while pre-.

venting the withdrawal of its tip from the upper hole and when the pin is returned to an upright position to fold and allow it to drop to operative position within the head.

4. The combination, with the drawhead of a coupler of the type described, of a coupling pin adapted to be raised to inoperative position with its tip within the upper pin hole in the head and tilted rearwardly andsupported in such raised. and tilted position by the engagement of its tip.

with the walls of the hole and when returned to upright position to drop to operative position within both the upper and lower pin holes in the head, and'as retaining means therefor a flexible elbow link connection between the upper end of the pin and the head adapted to allow the above described movements of the pin and to prevent the withdrawal of its tip from said upper pin hole, said pin having on the forward side of its tip a beveled face adapted to frictionally engage the forward wall of the upper pin hole when the pin is raised and tilted rearwardly therein and at its upper end a shouldered lug adapted by engagement with an upper surface of the head to limit the downward movement of the pin therein and a handle extension bent rearwardly at an angle and serving to direct the tilt of the pin when,

raised.

in its walls above and below said chamber, a coupling pin of a section permitting its insertion in both pin-retaining holes in the coupler head and extended at its upper end to provide a head for its manipulation, and a flexible pivoted link connection between the upper end of the coupling pin and the upper wall of the coupler head permitting the pin to be lowered to operative position in both pin-retaining holes and to be raised and tilted rearwardly only to a position at which its lower end will substantially clear the link chamber and remain within the upper pin-retaining hole in the coupler head, said link connection comprising a U-shaped member with trunnion ends loosely journaled at the sides of and substantially opposite the pin-retaining hole in lugs projecting upwardly from the upper wall of the coupler head and two link-bars loosely pivoted at one end, to the rear of the pin, upon the transverse connecting section of said U-shaped member and at the other end upon opposite sides of the coupling pin.

6. In combination, a coupler with draw head having a link chamber and pin-retaining holes in its walls above and below said chamber, a coupling pin of a section permitting it to pass through the pin-retaining holes in the coupler head and having at its upper end a rearwardly extending lug providing a shoulder adapted to engage the wall of the coupler head behind the upper pin-retaining hole and limit the downward movement of the pin and a handle formed by an upward and then rearward extension of the pin, and a flexible pivoted link connection between the upper end of the coupling pin and the upper wall of the head comprising a U-shaped member with ends bent outwardly and loosely pivoted on the opposite sides of the pin-retaining hole in lugs on the upper wall of the head and then bent back outside said lugs and two link-bars loosely pivoted at one end, to the rear of the coupling pin, upon the transverse connecting section of said U-shaped member and at their other end to the opposite sides of the coupling pin, said link connection being operative when extended and without bringing its pivotal axes into alignment to permit the coupling pin to be raised and tilted back only to a point at which the pin will substantially clear the link chamber and its tip will remain locked within the upper pin-retaining hole in the coupler head.

7. In combination, a coupler with draw head having a link chamber and pin-retaining holes in its walls above and below said chamber, a coupling pin of a section permitting it to pass through said pin-retaining holes and having at its upper end a rearwardly projecting lug providing a shoulder adapted to engage the upper wall of the head at the back of the upper pin-retaining hole and limit the downward movement of the pin and an upward and rearward extension providing a handle for its manipulation and at its lower tip end a beveled forward face, and a flexible pivoted link connection between the upper end of the coupling pin and the upper wall of the coupler head comprising a U-shaped member with ends bent outwardly and loosely pivoted in lugs on the upper wall of the coupler head upon opposite sides of the pin-retaining hole and then bent backwardly outside said lugs and two link-bars loosely pivoted at one end, at the back of the coupling pin, upon the transverse connecting section of said U-shaped member and at the other end upon the opposite ends of a double-headed pin set through the upper end of the coupling pin adjacent the lug thereon, said link connection extending to allow the coupling pin to be raised and tilted rearwardly only to a point at which its tip will substantially clear the link chamber in the coupler head and the beveled forward face of the tip will bear frictionally against the front side of the upper pinretaining hole therein.

LOUIS D. GREGG.

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