US279121A - Oar coupling - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. N. BEST.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented June 12,1883.

Jul/6753071 Mw/ Halo Lthugrapher Waxhingio n. u. a

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. N. BEST.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Jline 12,1883.

N1 PETERS, Phom-Limo n hm. WzihingtunJLC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB N. BEST, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BEST CAR COUPLER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,121, dated June 12, 1883.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ACOB N. Bnsr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented new .and useful Improvements to Bests Oar-Couplings, which improvements are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improved attachments applicable to Bests car-couplings.

In order to more fully set forth and describe my invention, reference is to be had to the ac companying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the Best car-coupler attached to the end of a car, showing the guard G, the lifting-arm M, the loose joint J, and the shield A.

Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation on the line :0 a; in Fig. 3, showing the position of the end of the lifting-arm M when at rest in the opening 0 in the cover 0, (see Fig. 6,) the guard G, which is a permanent part of the main casting A, (see Fig. 1,) operating as a stop to the lifting-arm M when withdrawn from the rest 0, also guarding the lifting-arm M against danger from blows from the front, protecting the slot through which the liftingarm passes into the bumper-head from snow, sleet, and rain, and strengthening in general the upper part of the bumper-head castings.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation through the line 3 y in Fig. 2, showing the position of the coupling-pin D and the prop or trippingbar E when the lifting-arm M has been with drawn from the rest 0 and the tripping-bar has been pressed by the entering link 0 from its step S and both have dropped, (being hinged together at b,)the coupling-pin I) grasping the link by the curved shoulder d. The curved shoulder cl is the counterpart in shape of the or either side, and also to strengthen generally point of pin D, thus permitting two coupling pins to be cut or stamped out of a parallelogram of iron of proper dimensions. The shield A operates as a protection to the lower end of the tripping-bar against blows from the front ing motion, as indicated by the dotted lines,

when the coupling-pin and tripping-bar are raised by the lifting-arm in uncoupling, or as they drop when a coupling is made, also showing by the dotted lines the raising and lowering of the link produced through the handle H by pressing down the rear end of the link by the curved shoulder 11 of the coupling-pin to raise the front end of the link, or by raising the coupling-pin by a reverse movement of the handle H, thus allowing the front end of the link to drop.

Fig. 4 is a plan view, showing the semicircu lar opening N on one side of the orifice which admits the coupling-pin when it drops through the link, the purpose of which is to admit a common round coupling -pin in case of the breakage or derangement of any of the machinery inside the bumper-head, also showing the position of the lifting-arm M when withdrawn from the rest 0 and in position to couple automatically when a link is passed into the bumper-head.

Fig. 5 shows the lower half of the casting which forms the loose joint .1. The long arm of the handle H passes through the eye of the wood-screw L, Fig. 1, thence across the end of the car to'the loose joint J, thence through the curved groove j, from which point it constitutes the lifting-arm M, Figs. 1, 2, and 4, passing through the slot into thebumper head, thence through the tripping-bar at a and through the coupling-pin at the oblong hole a, Fig. 3, being one continuous rod through out. The groove or opening j shows the'shape of the opening which admits and holds the turned end of the short handle H, permitting of the swaying motion of the joint. The upper half of the casting J is the exact counterpart of the lower, (shown in Fig. 5,) so that when the long handle H is placed in the groove j the upper casting is laid on and the twofastened together by a bolt through the I center of the castings.

Fig. 6 is the cover 0, showing the opening 0,- in which rests the end of the liftingarln M, and the automatic dog r, the point of which drops automatically into the hole 1", Fig. 3, in the bumper-head, holding the cover securely in place.

Like letters represent like parts in all the figures.

The improvement herein is directed to increasing the durability, efficiency, and safety of the coupling for freight-cars for which Let-- ters Patent were granted to me November 2, 1.880, No. 233,971, wherein a fiat coupling pin is combined with. means for holding it in uncoupled position and adjusting it for coupling without the necessity of going between the ears for the purpose of connecting them...

It will be understood that the provision of the opening N, for using the common round coupling-pin, is in case of damageto the flat pin and its connected tripping-prop E, in which case the cover Q is" removed, and these parts g are slipped off the rightangled end of the lift ing-arm M and removed from the draw-head, and the ordinary round pin is dropped through the link into the opening made for the flat pin, whiehopening is enlarged at N for that purpose.. The right-angled end m of the liftingarm M is moved into and out of the opening 0, which forms a rest, m, (preferably made in a depending part, 0, of the cover 0,) by pulling or pushing the handle H of the operatingrods at either side of the car. When the pin is propped up by the pivoted bar E, the lifting-arm is pushed into the opening 0, as in Fig. 2, and, resting therein, prevents the pin from falling in case its trippingprop E should be pushed off the step s when it is not desired to couple the cars.

It often occurs that cars are moved together in the yards when it is not desired to couple them, and without this provision for holding up the pin when the trip-bar has been pushed from the step 8 by the link the cars would couple only to give the trouble to uncouple them. It is for this purpose that provision is made for an endwise movement of the rods H of the lifting-arm, and it will be understood that the bottom on of the opening 0 forms a rest for the arm on when moved into it as a means of holding the pin. up when the cars are not to be coupled. In this case the withdrawal of the link will, leave the prop-bar free to fall. again into the step .9 and hold up the pin, so that it may be dropped through the link and effect a coupling.

It will be seen from the drawings that the provision for supporting the pin in coupling position is by the pivoted prop-arm E, resting upon the support .9, just below and inside of the mouth K of the draw-head, while the lift ing-arm m can be used for supporting the pin in non-coupl in g position independent of the prop bar E, and when the latter has been pushed off the step. In Fig. L the bent end m of the lifting-arm is shown by dotted lines as having'been drawn out of the opening 0, so that its end is entirely within the slot a in 'the coupling-pin,

leaving the latter free to fall the moment the link is pushed into the draw head against the tripping-bar E. that thelifting-arm M extends into the draw head bya slot, formed in the rear side of the guard G, and that both the coupling-pin and the pivoted trippingbar E are hung upon the right-angled end an of said liftingarm, the tripping-prop B being pivoted at its upper end to the coupling-pin at apoint, I), back of its connection at (t with the lifting-arm m, as shown in Fig. 2). The object of this construction is to cause the lower end of the pivoted prop E to be thrown forward as it is raised to automatically place its lower end upon the step or seat 3 to hold the pin up, and for this purpose the pivot I) is nearly on a line with the bent end m of the liftiiigarin, sothat the prop always tends to fall into the step when raised. As the pin is raised and lowered between vertical guides in the top casting of the draw-head the operating-connections of the lifting-arm are therefore adapted to swing upon the link 71, pivoted to the end of the car and supporting the coupled ends of the mperating-rods, as shown in Fig.

The width of the slot 5 in the guard G determines the extent of the horizontal side movement of the lifting-arm, so that the latter must maintain its proper relation to the coupling-pin, while the construction shown of the lifting-arm gives the advantage ofhanging the coupling-pin and its pivoted trippingprop directly upon the bent end of said arm m, thereby rendering the construction durable.

The casting J serves to couple the separate rods H H, and the link 71 not only serves to support these coupled operating-rods so as to allow of the proper operation of the liftingarm, but to allow of the horizontal movement of the draw-head in the line of draft. The draw-head is attached to the car by springs and followers like those in use, and has ahorizontal movement within its housings limited by the followers, and the rod-coupling J and its supporting-link h is to provide for such movement of the draw-head, and for the movement of the arm for operating the couplingpin. A chain, 9', connected with the liftingarm M, may be used for operating the coup ling-pin from the top of the car, as shown in. Fig. 1..

This automatic freight-car eoupler can be coupled, uncoupled, or be set so as not to couple, then again so it will couple, from either side of the car by a simple movement of either of the handles.

Having thus described the character and parts of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.. The-shield A, the guard G, the liftingarm M as a part of the long arm of the handle H, the opening and rest 0 in the cover 0, the short swinging arm 72, the loose joint. J, with its various grooves and openings, in CODl bination with the short handle H, the automatic dog 1-, in combination with the hole r in the bumpenhead, the semicircular opening In this figure it will be seen N, and the curved shoulder d of the couplingpin. v 2. The draw-head of a car-coupling, constructed with the slotted side guard, G g, in combination with the right-angled lifting-arm m M, the coupling-pin D, the tripping-prop E, a suitable rest, m, for said arm when elevated, and means, substantially such as described, whereby the lifting-arm is operated vertically with said coupling-pin and tripping-prop and horizontally independently of these parts in relation to the rest for saidarm, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, in a car-coupling, of the coupling-pin D and the tripping-prop E, with the right-angled lifting-arm m M, the drawhead provided with a suitable rest, m, for said arm at M when lifted, the operating-rods H H, and means, substantially such' as described, whereby said rods are loosely connected to each other, loosely supported at such connection, and adapted to be moved upon such loose sup port, to conform to the vertical movement of the-coupling-pin and the horizontal movement of the draw-head.

4. The combination, in a car-coupling, of the coupling-pin D, the tripping-prop E, the

right-angled lifting-arm M m, and the drawhead constructed with a suitable rest, m, for said arm when lifted, with the handle-rods H H therefor, the coupling J, and the pivoted support It, loosely connected with the coupled operating-rods, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, in a car-coupling, of 3 5 the pin D and the pivoted prop E, with the lifting-arm M, having a right-angled end, 721, and a handle, H, the sectional grooved coupling J, the separate l1andle-rod H the swinging link 11, and a draw-head provided with an interior rest, m, for the bent end of said lifting-arm, substantially as described. 6. The flat coupling-pin D, provided with the curved shoulder d, in combination with the tripping-prop E, pivoted at b, the right-angled lifting-arm M m, the handle-rods H H, a suit able rest, on, in the draw-head for the said arm m, and the opening for the coupling-pin enlarged at N, all constructed as shown, and

for the purpose described.

i JACOB N, BEST. Witnesses:

T. B. BUCHANAN, J AMES S. HUDSON.

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