US236762A - Car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOOKHABT BIBB, OF MADISON STATION, ALABAMA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,762, dated January 18, 1881.

Application filed November 10, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOCKHART 131313, of Madison Station, in the county of Madison and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This improvement in car-couplings relates to that class known as automatic couplings and the invention consists, essentially, in the combination, in a car-coupling, of a springheld drop-catch, a coupling-link provided with dogs or hooks at its ends, and a safety-pin, the functionof which will be hereinafter described. I

In'this myinvention Ihave provided the draw-head with a drop-catch or door which islet into a recess made for its reception, the said drop-catch being hinged to the drawhead by means of a pin entered through an elongated slot made in it, this elongation of the slot greatly reducing strain upon the said pm. At the rear of the pivot upon which the drop-catch swingsl have provided a spring to actupon and keep the said drop-catch normally pressed down sufficiently to engage and hold the coupling-link after it has been inserted. r I

A novel and highly important feature of my invention is the provision of a safety-pin, which is herein shown as a common couplingpin, inserted between the nose of the automatic catch and the draw-bar through the coupling-link. This pin, besides efl'ectually acting as a wedge to prevent accidental raising of the drop-catch, either from strain of the link upon its hook or by jar, also serves as a safety-pin to hold the link in case the hook of the automatic catch should become broken. A chain or similar device will be attached to the top of the automatic catch, and be extended to a convenient place to be operated to lift the'link-catch.

Figure 1 represents, in top view, a set of carcouplings provided with my improvements, the right-hand draw-bar showing a modified form of catch,-the safety-pin being omitted. Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1 on the dotted line a; so, the said figure showing'a chain-connection for the drop-catch; and Fig. 3 is a top view of the coupling-link.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The draw-bar A, of suitable size and shape, is provided with an opening, a, at its top, in which is placed a drop-catch, B, of a shape to fit the said opening, said catch being hinged or pivoted to the draw-bar at I), by means of a pin entered through an elongated slot, 0, in an ear, 0!, and provided with a bevel-faced dog, e, to engage a correspondingly bevel-faced dog, f, of the coupling-link g.

In a chamber at the rear of the pivotal point of catch B is placed a spring, h, (herein shown as a spiral spring,) which acts upon the rear end, i, of the said catch, and presses its forward end down far enough to engage and hold the link after it has passed the dog 6. It is obvious that other than spiral springs might be used with equally good results.

Between the forward end or nose of the catch B and. the draw-bar, and through the link g, is entered a pin, j, (herein denominated the safety-pin,) which acts as a wedge to prevent upward motion of the catch, said pin also serving as an auxiliary holding device to prevent uncoupling in case dog e should break. In the operation of coupling (the pinj being drawn out) the bevel-faced dog of link 9, as it enters the bumper, will strike the bevelface of dog 6 and lift the catch high enough to pass under, when the catch B, by its weight and the stress of spring h, immediately falls and engages the link, after which the safetypinj is put into place.

The catch B is herein shown as lifted by a chain, It.

The elongated slot 0 reduces binding strain upon the pin upon which the catch B swings.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent In a car-coupling, the combination of the pivoted drop-catch B, the hooked couplinglink g, and the'safety pin j in front of said drop-catch and extending through the coupling-link, all substantially as described.

LOOKHART BIBB.

Witnesses T. B. HoPKINs, J. R. MARTIN.

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