US256186A - Car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

E. W. & S. 0. WOOLLEY.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 256,186. Patented Apr. 11,1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FJDWARD W. WOOLLEY AND STARR O. WOOLLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,186, dated April 11, 1882.

- Application filed December 19, 1881. (No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD WNVooLLEY and STARR O. WooLLEY, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car- Oouplers; and we do hereby declare that the followingisa full and exact description of the same, reference'being had to the accompanya ing drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Our invention relates to that class of inventions known as car-couplers, its object being to secure a simple, cheap,and effective coupler and uncoupler by means of which all possibility of failure in its operation is avoided, and all danger of injury to operators or of loss of life is done away with.

It consists of certain combinations of the several parts, the construction, arrangement, and operation of which parts will be hereinafter fully explained.

Throughout the following description reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view, showing all the features of our improvements; Fig. 2, a view in detail, showing a lever by means of which the pin is raised to effect the coupling of cars; Fig. 3, a view in detail, showing the couplingpin used; Fig. 4, a perspective view, showing a modification of the couplingpin used; and

I Fig. 5, a perspective View of the uncoupling device.

Like letters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The draw-head A is made of wrought-iron or malleable cast-iron. It is intended to be suspended from the car in such a manner that it may be moved to either side about threebe raised one or two inches by the opposite draw-head, thus allowing for the dilference in the height of cars, and rendering our device applicable to any car.

To the outerend of the draw-head is secured, in the usual or any desired manner, the hoppershaped mouth-piece B, by means of which the linkor shackle C is guided into the opening in the draw-head.

At the point a, Fig. 1, a shaped recess is formed, as shown, by means of which the link 0, the end of which presses against the upper face of the recess, is always held in a proper position. buffer, 1), against which thelink G strikes after passing the coupling-pin. By the use of this buffer we avoid the danger of the link being fractured or broken by constant use, as would naturally be the case were the link allowed to lever D hasits bearing. This leverD is made of any suitable material or size, and is of the shape shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It is formed of one solid piece of metal, forming two arms, at

d; the straight one, d, being designed to pass down through a slot made in the draw-head B, and to occupy such a position as will bring the linlg 0 in contact with it when said link is forcedintothedraw-head. The otheroreurved arm, d, passes through a hole made in the coupling-pin E for that purpose, the object of which arrangement will lie hereinafter more fully explained. This lever D swings on a pin which has a bolt-head on one end, and in the other end a slot through which passes a spring-key, thus enabling the operator to remove it and the lever quickly and resort to the ordinary pin in case of breakage, or to replace the broken parts with little delay. This spring key avoids the liability of the pin being misplaced or gradually jarred out of place by the motion of the cars, which would be the case were an ordinary nut and thread used.

To the extreme end of the curved arm (1 is secured a small ring, 0, through which is passed a link of the chain f, the other end of said chain being secured to the armf of the uncoupler F. This uncoupler, which is secured in any desirable manner to the end of the car, is made of any suitable material, and consists of a bar about the width of an ordinary car, so that its extreme ends will not project beyond the sides of the car, thus enabling any.

In this recess we insert a rubber one standing on the ground to uncouple the cars without endangering his life by stepping between said cars. This bar is provided at its center and at each end with arms or projectionsfff, the two latter,f f,- forming handles, by means of which the entire bar, together with the center arm,f, is revolved, thus by means of the chainfraising the couplingpin E and uncoupling the cars.

The coupling-pin used by us is an ordinary coupling-pin with a hole or slot, 9, cut through it near its upper end, as shown in Fig. 3. As in the couplers now in use, it passes down through an opening made in the draw-head for that purpose, and engages with the link or shackle.

In Fig. 4 we have shown a coupling-pin which we will describe and claim as being a modification of our invention. With this pin we use a metal cap, 9, secured in any desirable manner to the top of the pin, instead of the slot g. Through this cap the arm of the lever passes, thus accomplishing the same result, and at the same time securing a pin stronger than the one first described.

The operation of the coupler is as follows: The link or shackle is first secured by hand in one of the draw-heads, and is held in a proper position by its end which has entered the draw-head being pressed against the upper face of the -shaped recess a. The cars then coming together, the other or protruding end of the link is brought in contact with the inclined face of the mouth-piece B, by means of which it is guided into the opening of the drawhead. Upon entering the draw-head the link is brought in contact with the &I111 CZ,'Wl1lGll it forces back. This action causes the arm d to rise, carrying with it the coupling-pin E, thus raising the pin perpendicularly. This continues until the link has passed the arm d and coupling-pin, when, the pressure which had been brought to bear against them being removed, they, by gravity return to their normal'position, thus effecting the coupling of the f f of the bar F is turned. This causes the bar, together with the arm f, to revolve, and through the medium of the chain f, attached to that arm and to the ring on the lever D, raise the coupling-pin, and thus eifect the uncoupling of the cars. To the end of the car is attached a spring-catch, h, so arranged that when the handles ff are revolved for the purpose of uncoupling the cars it will maintain an elevated position until released by the person in charge. The object of this will be readily conceived by those versed in railroad switching.

It will be seen that by the use of the device herein described certain old means are utilized, which, when taken in connection with new parts described, form a cai coupler perfect in its operation and cheap in its construction. By its use the coupling or uncoupling of cars is rendered certain, and all danger of loss of life heretofore encountered is avoided.

Having thus described our invention, what we. claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupler, the draw-head A, provided with the shaped recess a, rubber bufi'er b, and mouth-piece B, in combination with the link G, lever D, having its bearing in the up rights 0 c, and coupling-pin E, provided with slot 9, all the parts constructed and operating substantially as described.

2. In a device for uncoupling cars, a spring catch, h, and bar F, said bar provided with handlesff and armf, in combination with chain f, lever D, and pin E, the parts constructed and operating substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 12th day of December, 1881.

E. W. WOOLLEY. STARR (J. WOOLLEY. Witnesses:

OHAs. VoGEL, Tnos. W. RYAN.

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