US257974A - John h - Google Patents

Description

(Model.)

. J. H. PATTERSON.

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 257,974. Patented May 16, 1882.

mit free movement of link.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. PATTERSON, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

CAR-COUPLING.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,974, dated May 16, 188.2.

Application llcd February 28, 1882. (Model.)

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. PATTERSON, an officer in the army of the United States, stationed at and residing at the military post of Fort Wallace, Kansas, have invented a new and useful Safety Car-Coupler, of which the following is a specification'. y

Figure lis a perspective view ot' the complete device; Fig. 2, a similar view of link to` be used with it.

My invention relates to improvements in carcouplers whereby the present necessity of trainmen remaining between the cars whenmaking couplings is obviated. I attain this object by the mechanical means which a view of accompanying drawings and model willmake plain, claiming for this invention simplicity `of construction, durability, and trilling cost.

I describe my invention as consisting of a link-prop, A, a pinprop, B, a steadier, O, and a closed link, D-i. e., one with pinhole at 011e end. The ofce of thelink-prop is to main tain the link a little above a horizontal line' when extended for entering draw-head other than the one to which it is attached. The purpose ofthe pin-prop is to maintain the pin in a vertical position, the point of pin just entering pinhole. Itremains in this position until forced backby pressure onitsaccompanyinglink-prop. The size of the link-prop is conditional only upon the size of the draw-head to which it is to be attached. The size ofthe pin-prop the sain e, though the distance ofits cross-bar above top ot` draw-head depends upon the length of pin from flangeto point. The purpose ofthe steadieris to hold head ofpin from being drawn over by pin-prop when it is forced back, lthus insuring a vertical dropping of the pin. The link is closed at one endthat is, with simply pin-hole through it, the hole in link large enough to ad- The purpose ot' this form of link is tovprevent link from being forced backwhere the friction in en tering drawhead other than the one where it is already made. fast is sutlcient to overcome the inertiaof the link.

The details of the act of coupling I thus describe: One end of the link being already pinned, the link-prop is drawn up and the link, drawn out to its full extent, placed upon it. The link projects far enough beyond its link-prop to pass pin-hole in draw-head, where it is to enter 4before pin drops, the direction of the link being just above the horizontal line. It often happens that the draw-heads are not upon the same horizontal line. In such case the linkis first inserted and pinned in the higher drawhead. The link resting on bottom of drawhead a, to which it is made fast, will enter opposite draw-head, b, anywhere from bottom to top, according to height of bottom of drawhead a above bottom ot' draw-head b. When the bottom of one draw-head is above the top ot'its opposite, then of course the coupling cannot' be made with the straight link-aI contingency not likely to occur, cars now being made ofa standard height. The pin-prop on the car to which the attachment is to be made is raised until the depression in cross-bar is directly over pin-hole. This throws its accompanying linkprop to thet'ront. The head ofthe pin is placed in the steadier, the flange in the depression, and the pin remains for the time in suspension. The car can be moved without disturbing the perpendicularity ofthe pill. As the ca'rscome together the linkprops meet and, yielding to light pressure, pass underneath their respectp ive draw-heads, the pinprop is thrown back, the pin `falls, and the coupling is complete. To prevent, where draw-heads are ot different heights, one link-prop passing over the other, a piece of metal is attached to cross-bar of each link-prop, extending below it.V This insures the linkprops striking.

The steadier can be utilized to draw pin by passing a cord through its top as a fiulcrum, cord attached to head of pin. This relquiresa lbrace to steadier across draw-head and near its top, attached of course to draw-head. This `invention is applicable to present form of drawheads in general use, being attached by two bolts on each side ot' a draw-head, and can be fabricated and attached at any forge by any Witnesses:

J oHN F. MORRISON, J oHN. W. HEALEY.

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