US231782A - Car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

W. R; FIREBAUGH. Gar Coupling.

WITNESSES: IBQIVENTOR:

I I BY I I f ATTORNEYS.

N.PE\'ER$, FHOYOUTHOGRAPMER. WASHINGTON. D c

' TATES WILLIAM It. FIREBAUGH, OF DANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,782, dated August 31, 1880.

Application filed February 4, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,WILL1AM Ross-FIRE- BAUGH, of Danville, in the county of Vermillion and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved OarOoupling, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved car-coupling, whichis simple in construction and effective in use.

The invention consists in a coupling formed of a link fastened to a shaft passing through and loosely mounted in a draw-head provided with a hook and a buffer, upon which shaft a cam provided with a weighted latch and acted upon by a locking-sprin g is rigidly mounted. The shaft of the said cam can be rotated by means of a crank-shaft and chains, or by a crank directly, whereby the pivoted link is engaged with or disengaged from the hook on the opposite draw-head.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved car-coupling. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same on the line as m, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A draw-head, A, is arranged to slide forward and backward on the under side of the car-floor P, and is provided with some suitable spring B to diminish the shock when the said draw-head is struck. The sliding arrangement and the spring may be provided in some well-known manner.

The draw-head is provided with a large slot, 0, which is partially covered by a hook, D, the rear end of which is pivoted on the top of the rear of the draw-head, and the forward end of which rests on the forward end of the draw-head. A shaft, E, passes transversely through the draw-head in the forward half of the same, and upon this shaft a cam, F, provided with a shoulder, f, a sector-recess, K, and a weighted latch, Gr, resting in said recess, is mounted between the sides of the drawhead; and a link, H, is also mounted on this shaft E, but to the outside of the draw-head, as shown. This link H may be curved or angular at the forward end, as may be desired. A spring, I, provided with a flange, J, at the forward end, is fastened between the sides of the draw-head in such a manner that the said flange J rests against the cam F. The shaft E, and with it the cam F and link H, can be rotated either by applying power directly to said shaft E or by means of the shaft L, provided with a crank, O, and mounted on the standards N N, and acting upon the shaft E by means of the ropes or chains M M, coiled around the shafts E and L in opposite directions.

The operation is as follows Assuming that the link H is engaged with the link of the opposite draw-head, as indicated in dotted lines, the cars are uncoupled by rotating the shaft E in the direction of the arrow to until the flange J of the spring I, which flange rests on the surface of the cam F, catches on the shoulder f of said cam, as shown. The link H, having-been raised by the above operation, is locked in the position shown in Fig. 2... If two cars are to be coupled, the link H of one draw-head is locked in this position, and the buffers of the cars are brought in contact. The cam F is again rotated in the direction of the arrow a, so that the weighted latch G will pass under the-flange J of the spring I, and raise the said spring slightly, so that the same glides on the outer surface of the cam. If the shaft E is now rotated in the inverse direction of the arrow a, the flange J of the spring I cannot catch on the shoulder f, for the weighted latch rests against it and supports the flange J, so that the same glides over the said shoulder. The link H will descend in the direction of the arrow I and can take on the hook of the opposite draw-head, or can hang down vertically, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. One of the links must always rest in this position, so as not to interfere with the action of the link of the other coupling.

The ropes or chains M M are coiled around the shafts L and E in such a manner that when one is wound upon either shaft the other rope is unwound on the same shaft, or, in other terms, the two ends of the chains are coiled around the shafts in opposite directions, so that by turning the crank O in one direction the link H is raised, and by rotating in the opposite direction the same is dropped.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 3. In a car-coupling, the construction of the as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcam F with a recess, K, in which a weighted entlatch, G, is pivoted, substantially as herein I 5 1. A car-coupling made substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set 5 herein shown and described, and consisting of forth.-

the combination, with a link, H, of the hook D, the shaft E, cam F, weighted latch G, and WILLIAM ROSS FIREBAUGH.

spring I, as set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with Witnesses:

' 10 the cam F, of the spring I and the weighted E. WINTER,

latch G, substantially as herein shown and GEO. W; FLYNN. described, and for the purpose set forth.

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