US249626A - Ville - Google Patents

Description

(MbdeL) M. R. HUBBELL.

AUTOMATIC GAR COUPLING.

,626. Patented Nov. 15,1881,

FIG4

WIT N E s s s i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MYRON R. HUBBELL, OF WOLOOTT, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO E. 1 FAIRMAN, OF SAME VILLE, VERMONT.

PLACE, AND GEO. W. HENDEE, OF MORRIS- AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,626, dated November 15, 1881. Application filed September 10, 1581. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

or pin support.

Be it known that I, MYRoN It. HUBBELL, of Wolcott, in the county of Lamoille and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Automatic OarOoupling; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, showing the parts in position for automatic coupling. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the position of the parts after coupling. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the swinging latch Fig. 4 is a top-plan View, partly in section, with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2, and the cap-piece removed. Fig. 5 is a bottom-plan view of the cap-piece. Fig. 6 is a top-plan view of the guide-socket.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

This invention consists of an improved automatic car-coupling constructed as I will now proceed to describe.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the draw-head; B, a swinging latch or pin support; G, the coupling-pin; D, a cap-piece for holding the latch in its bearings and assisting to guide the pin, and E a rod for lifting the pin in uncoupling.

The latch or pin support is constructed of metal: and preferably with its front face fiat and smooth and its rearfacc angular, as shown. At or near the middle of its upper edge it is concaved, as shown, so as to form a seat or bearing, a, for the coupling-pin, and it is provided with laterally-projecting arms or trunnions b b,which have their bearingsin recesses a a in the top of the draw-head. An opening, I), is made in the top wall of the draw-head to permit the hanging of the latch in its bearings, and also to admit of the latch being readily swung up into horizontal position by the coupling-link L.

The cap-piece D is formed with a recess, d, in its under side for the accommodation of the latch when swung up horizontally, and with avertica-lly-grooved projection, d, which, in

connection with a similarly-grooved projection,

b on the draw-head forms a guide and lateral support for the coupling-pin in its various positions and movements. When in place the cap-piece covers the recesses a a and holds securely therein the arms or trunnionsofthelatch. A screw, S, or other means may be employed to fasten the cap-piece in place.

When the device is set for automatic coupling the weight of the latch causes it to stand in vertical position with the pin resting upon its seat 0 as shown in Fig. 1. The pin-seat, it may be here remarked, is inclined or tapered downward from front to rear, so that the weight of the pin resting on the incline will tend to press the latch forward and thus preserve its vertical position and prevent the accidental dropping of the pin. The coupling-link on entering the draw-head strikes the latch and swings it backward, thereby causing the pin to be released and to descend through the link and into a recess or perforation in the lower wall of the draw-head. The latch thus swung to one side by its tendency to regain its normal position cramps slightly the pin and prevents it from jumping out ofplace and at the same time by bearing upon the end of the entered link operates to hold the same in horizontal position. In order to better direct the link into the draw-head the lower portion of the mouth of the latter, besides being flared as ordinarily,

is given an increased bevel at its middle, as shown at JP, and the entering link is thereby conducted every time directly against the center of the latch.

Any form of means may be employed for lifting the pin to effect the uncoupling, but I pre fer to use the rod E connected to the pin, and by passing up through an arm, F, above the draw-head, as shown. This rod has a collar, h, upon it which limits its vertical movement and prevents the entire withdrawal of the pin from 0 the draw-head, and it has an offset, t, which, when the rod is raised to its highest point and turned partly round is adapted to engage with a shoulder, 7c, of a socket, K, on the arm F,

and lock the rod and pin in raised position. 5

Automatic coupling can thus be prevented when desired. The rod E is intended to be operated from the platform of the cars or from the side of the track or from the top of the car so as to obviate the necessity of going between the cars in either coupling, or uncoupling and thereby prevent accidents.

The swinging latch or pin-holder acts as a weight, and is so designed, and resting upon the end of the link holds it level, or nearly so, so that it will always be in the right position to enter the draw-head when the cars are run together for the purpose of coupling. This avoids the necessity of going between the cars to raise the end of the link so it will enter the draw-head.

I claim as my invention- -1. The combination ofthe draw-head, having the opening in its top wall and the recesses or bearings for the trunnions ot' the latch, with the latch and its trunnions, made in one piece, and the cap-piece covering the opening in the top of the draw-head, and operating to hold the latch-trunnions in their recesses, substantially as described.

2. The hinged latch having the pin-support beveled downward from front to rear, substantially as described;

3. The combination, with the draw-head, of the hinged latch having its support beveled downward from front to rear, and the coupling-pin, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the pin, of the rod E and its offset 17, and the shoulder 70 of the socket K, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the pin, of the rod E, the stop-collar h on the rod, with the arm F, the offset on the rod and the shoulder of the socket F, substantially as described.

MYRON R. HUBBELL.

Witnesses:

E. B. MERR AM, HENRY G. FlSK.

Images