US2465025A - Automatic air and steam coupler - Google Patents

Description

March 22, 1949. R. MALTBIE AUTOMATIC AIR AND STEAM COUPLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 9, 1947 Fig. 2.

Inventor Lloyd R. Malfbie March 22, 1949; L. R. MALTBIE 245,@25

AUTOMATIC AIR AND STEAM COUPLER Filed April'9, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llll IIIH l ll llllll Inventor Lloyd R. Malfbl'e Patented Mar. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic air and steam couplers for trains.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic air and steam coupler construction for automatically connecting the train pipes of adjacent cars when said cars are coupled together.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of coupler heads or plates for automatically connecting air and steam train pipes of adjacent cars when said cars are coupled together, said heads or pipes having means for automatically guiding the same when being connected together.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of coupler head for automatically connecting air and steam train pipes of adjacent cars when said cars are coupled together, said head having means for automatically guiding the same when it is being connected to a similarly formed head, and said heads having cooperating gaskets held in engagement by resilient means when coupled together, and means being provided for permitting relative angular movement between said coupled heads and their supporting means.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic air and steam coupler which will be highly efiicient in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved automatic air and steam coupler construction showing the parts in nearly coupled position;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the improved automatic air and steam coupler construction showing the parts in coupled position;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the improved automatic air and steam coupler construction showing the parts in nearly coupled position;

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken on the line 66 of Figure 2.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided an improved form of automatic air and steam coupler for automatically connecting the air and steam train pipes of adjacent cars when said cars are coupled together, said coupler including a pair of similarly formed coupler heads or units and supporting means therefor.

Each unit or coupler head is provided with a substantially rectangular supporting base plate I formed with a plurality of apertures or openings 2 adapted to receive the attaching bolts 3 for securing the plate I to the end portion of a railroad car (not shown), being preferably disposed either below or adjacent to the usual car couplers (not shown) used for connecting cars together for pulling the same.

A depending supporting guide plate i is secured by the bolts 5 to the edge of the supporting base plate I nearestto the end of the car (not shown) to which it will be attached, and is formed with a tapered square aperture 6 adjacent its lower' end.

A square hollow air shaft 1 is adapted to be slidably mounted in the tapered square aperture 6, being formed with a longitudinal air passage or bore 8 and reduced at its inner end and terminating in a round pipe connection 9 adapted to be connected with the air line train pipe (not shown) permanently attached to the car (not shown).

An end plate It) is fixed about the inner end of the square hollow air shaft 1, and is adapted to engage the inner surface of said depending supporting guide plate 4 when the coupler is being separated.

A substantially rectangular shaped coupler contact plate II is fixed to the outer end'of the square hollow air shaft 1, and said plate is formed with three vertically aligned spaced conical or undercut seats l2, l3 and M respectively, in which the rubber gaskets 40 are secured, extending a slight distance forwardly of the outer surface of said plate II. The seat I3 is formed with an axial passage 15 which is aligned with the passage or bore 8 in the square hollow air shaft 1.

The seats I2 and I4 are formed with axial passages l6 and I1 respectively, which align with the hollow nipples l8 and I9 formed integrally upon the plate H, extending inwardly therefrom and adapted to be connected with the steam pipes (not shown) permanently attached to and supported by the car (not shown).

A heavy coil spring 20 will be disposed about the square hollow air shaft 1 between the depending supporting guide plate 4 and the inner surface of the contact plate I I, being held contracted 3 and under tension when said air and steam coupler is connected, as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

It will be understood that each car (not shown) will be provided with a coupler plate and construction similar to that hereinbefore described, and the coupler plates on the adjacent ends of two cars (not shown) will be automatically connected together when said cars are in coupled position.

To assist in aligning the coupler plates l I when the same are being connected, circular openings 2| are formed through one side of each plate II and an outwardly extending conical guide head 22 having a round body 23 is formed integrally on each side plate at the opposite side from the opening 2!, extending outwardly from the plates ll, whereby the conical head 22 on the plates I I will guide the plates together, entering the oppositely disposed openings 2i, and finally the round portion 23 of said guide heads will be snugly received in said openings, with the gaskets 40 compressed against each other to form air tight and steam tight joints.

Due to the shape of the square hollow air shaft 1 which is slidably received through the square openings in the depending supporting guide plate 1, rotational movement of the coupler will be prevented. However, due to the shape of the tapered square opening 6 and the shape of the square hollow air shaft 1 which is slidably and adjustably supported in said opening 6, lateral and vertical movement between said coupler plates II and their supporting mountings will be rendered possible.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has been-devised and provided a'highly eificient form of automatic air. and steam coupler for cars which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has been illustrated, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto, as many minor changes in: detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination with a car including air and steam train pipes, 2. depending supporting guide plate attached to the end of said car and having a tapered square opening formed through its lower end, a square hollow air shaft slidably supported in said tapered square opening and connected at its inner end with said air train pipe said pipe being movable in a transverse and vertical direction, an enlarged substantially square coupler contact plate centrally supported on the outer end of said square hollow air shaft, vertically aligned hollow nipples extending integrally from said contact plate above and below said air shaft connection and connectible with the steam train pipes, an annular flange on the inner end of said air shaft for limiting the outward movement thereof and of said contact plate, means for limiting the inward movement of said air shaft and contact plate, and a coil spring disposed about said air shaft between said depending guide plate and coupler contact plate for normally holding said contact plate under tension when connected with a similarly formed contact plate.

2. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, rubber gaskets in the outer ends of said air and steam connections in said coupler contact plate, guide means on said coupler contact plate disposed transversely thereof for guiding the same when being coupled toa similarly formed coupler contact plate, said guide means adapted to cooperate with and interlock with. similarly formed guide means on a similarly formed coupler contact plate when coupled together, and saidhollownipples extending rearwardly of the contact plate and having rubber gaskets seated in the contact plate in alignment with their inner ends, said gaskets extending from the contact plate and adapted for engagement with similarly formed gaskets on a similar contact plate.

LLOYD R. MALTBIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images