US306449A - Self and geo - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. H. WILLMMS.

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 306,449. Patented Oct. 14, y1884.

INT/ ENTOR iff N. PETins. Phuwumngnpher. wnhingwn. n.6.

. iinrTnn STaTns PATTNT Ormes,

JOHN H. VILLIAMS, OF BRATTLEBOROUGH, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF AND GEO. W'. HOOKER, OF SAME PLAGE.

CAR-COUPLENG.

SPECIFICATQN forming part of Letters Patent Na 306,449, dated October 14.1-, 1884.

Application Illed March 15. l8S4. (No model.)

l'o a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. VILLIAMs, of Brattleborbugh, in the county of NVindom and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved coupling for use upon railroad cars, and particularly for use uponfreightcars, which shall be simple, strong, durable, and inexpensive, and which shall be automatic in its action and dispense entirely with the necessity of going between cars, either for the purpose of coupling or uncoupling, and which, furthermore, shall be so constructed as to automatically uncouple when from any cause the car to which it is attached becomes derailed, andthus prevent unnecessary damage to the car derailed, and at the same time prevent the derailed car from dragging the other cars from the track.

' I will first describe my improvements in detail, and will then point out the particular points of novelty in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a bottom plan view of the ends of two cars provided with couplings constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one of the cars, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of two couplings in engagement.

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

The letter A indicates the drawbar of the coupling. This draw-bar is formed with a hooked outer end or head, B, having, preferably, a rounded or curved surface, b, and a slightly undercut shoulder, c, as shown. Itis further provided with a second shoulder, d, also preferably undercut, and with upper and lower flanges, c e, as shown. The inner end of the draw-bar terminates at b', and to it is connected a strap, f, which incloses suitable crossheads or plates, g g', which are arranged within suitable guides or hangers, h h, secured to the under side of the car, so as to slide freely back and forth therein. A spring, g2, is interposed between the cross-heads f/ and g', b said spring` being preferably of spiral form. Vhen there is a forward draft upon the drawbar, the rear plate, g', is drawn forward and causes a compression of the spring g2; but when there is an inward thrust upon the draw-bar the forward plate, g, is pressed backward and likewise compresses the spring. The drawbar is mounted so as to be capable of swinging laterally backward and forward without causing the strapf to bind upon the cross-heads or plates or the plates to become cramped in their guides. Pins x fr on the front of the rear cross-heads or plates, respectively, serve to limit the lateral motion of the draw-bar. A yoke or hanger, L, is secured to the under side of the car, and serves to support the drawbar in a horizontal position, and while it prevents the draw-bar from vertical movement, it does not prevent its vlateral vibration, but serves as a guide to facilitate such vibration. 7F A spring, S, of any suitable form or construction, is applied to the back of the draw-bar at any suitable point, and serves to keep the latter pressed inward against a suitable stop, n, and in position for engagement with the drawbar of an adjoining car.

Vhen two cars provided with couplings constructed as above described approach each other on the same track, the forward inclined or curved faces of thehooked ends of the drawbars come in contact, and each of the drawbars yields laterally until the shoulders c pass each other, whereupon the draw-bars spring in toward each other, and thus as the cars further approach the hooked end of each dra'w- 9o bar rides over and behind the shoulder c on the opposite draw-bar, as shown in full lines in Figs. I and 4, thus completing the couplingin an automatic manner and without the neeessity of an attendant going between the ears for the purpose, or of giving any attention whatever to the matter.

Vhen two of my draw-heads are coupled as described, it will be seen that there is allowed a play or lost motion between them equal to the distance between the forward faces of the shoulders d of the opposite drawheads. This amount of play corresponds to the play which is found in an ordinary link-andpin coupling, and is necessary in any coupling that is designed particularly for use upon freight-cars, for that class of couplings which tend to make the train solid cannot be practically applied IOO to freight-cars, which arein practice made up I other car, and it may be held at any point by in trains of twenty, thirty, forty, or more heavily-loaded cars, because the amount of weight required to be started at the outset is too great for the capacity of any locomotive that is used. It is because of this that such couplings as the Miller coupling have never been practically applied to freight-cars.

In my coupling, as in the ordinary link-andpin coupling7 the play between the draw-heads enables the locomotive to start each car in suc-y cession, and theinertia of those cars which are rst started assists the locomotive in effecting a starting of the succeeding cars, and in this way long and heavy trains which could not be moved at the start in solido are enabled to be started with facility.

rIhe amount of play allowed in my coupling can of course be regulated at pleasure by varying the distance between theforward shoulder, c, and the vrear shoulder, d, of each drawbar.

Another advantage tobe derived from the use of my couplingr on freight-cars is that the intervals between the cars are enabled to be made uniform, so that a brakeman in running over the tops ofthe cars will not be liable to fall between by reason of a miscalculation of distance. Y v g c To provide for the coupling` of cars o f varying heights, the rear shoulder of each drawbar is made long enough vertically to afforda bearing for the hook of an approaching car, whether such hook be higheror lower. Not much latitude is required in this respect, as I have found from practical observation of the cars of ten different railroads that the variation between the height of the draw-heads was not more than two or three inches.

It will be observed that in my coupling the draft is applied to each draw-bar at two different points-to wit, at the forward shoulder,

'I c, and at the rear shoulder,d. The engagement of the 'draw-barsv at either of these points would be sufficient to answer for a safe and reliable coupling, but the double provision makes the connection doubly strong, and in case of injury to one or the other of the engaging-shoulders the remaining one would suffice.

rIhe construction of the couplings is such that should from any cause one of the ears become derailed it will automatically disengage itself from the train, and thereby be prevented from becoming injured by being dragged along when olf the track, or from tending to derail other cars of the train.

To uncouple my draw-bars it is only necessary that one or both of them should be drawn laterally, so as to disengage the respective shoulders. For the purpose of effecting this I preferably connect to the back of each drawbar a chain that is also connected to a vertical shaft having a suitable windingnvheel and retaining-ratchet, as shown'in the drawings. By

winding up this shaft the draw-bar is moved laterally out of the path of the draw-bar of anmeans of the ratchet.

Where the invention is applied to a box-car, 1

other at the bottom-so that the draw-bar may be shifted and locked either from the top of the car or from the side of the car, and withn,

out the necessity of going for the purpose.

When the two draw-bars are placed in connection,the forward portion of the shoulders d, by cooperating, serve as bumpers to receive the concussion due to the coming together of the cars, the effect of such concussion being modied or taken up by the spring at the inner end of the draw-bar, as will be readily understood.

In order to adapt the coupling for connection to draw-heads of ordinary construction, I provide in the end of its head or hook a suitable slot or recess for receiving an ordinary link; and I also provide a pin-hole: leading into said recess for the reception of an ordinary pin.

between the cars Having thus described my invention, l claim RS 116W- 1. The herein-described draw-bar,having the y inner engaging-shoulder, and with the springs applied to the draw-bars for holding them in engagement, substantially as described. y

4. rIhe combination of the draw-bars having the forward shouldered hook and the inner engaging-shoulder, and supported as described, with the winding-shaft, its wheel or wheels and ratchet or ratchets, and the chain, the whole constructed and arranged substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupling, t-he combination of a spring seated laterally swinging draw bar having a shouldered hook at its outer end and an inner engaging shoulder, whereby when said draw-bar is engaged with a correspondingly-formed draw-bar on another car the forward part of the inner engaging-shoulder of the latter will be adapted to operate as a buffer 'against the inner engaging-shoulder of the opposite draw-bar, and through the latter transfer the shock to the springor springs behind the draw-bar, substantially as described.

i JOHN II. WILLIAMS4 Witnesses:

FRED J1 CHURCH, CRAs. R. BURR.

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