US313386A - William h - Google Patents

Description

W. H. THURMOND.

' GAR GOUPLING.

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VILLIAM H. THURMOND, OF FORSYTH, GEORGIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'r Patent No. 313,386, dated March 3; 1885. Application filed December 13, i884. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. THUR- MOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Forsyth,in the county of Monroe and State of Georgia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or iigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.l

This invention relates to that class of carcouplers in which the coupling is effected by laterally-movable interlocking jaws; and my invention has for its object to simplify the' construction of the coupling and render its function more efficient and reliable.

The further object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the coupling of carswhen on a curve may be automatically effected without liability of an accidental uncoupling.

The invention consists, essentially, in the peculiar construction of the coupling-jaw and coupling-bolt, whereby the above-recited results are obtained, as hereinafter fully described, and as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of adjacent couplers in the position when coupled. Fig. 2 is a like view, partly in section, of one of the couplers, showing the position the coupling-j aw assumes relatively to the coupling-bolt when the coupling is effected when the cars are on a curve. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of one of the couplers, showing the relative position of the coupling bar and jaw when two cars are coupled while on a straight portion of the track. Fig. 4 is a like view, showing the relative position of the coupling bar and jaw when the coupling of two cars is effccted while said cars stand on a curve. Fig. 5 is a like view, showing the coupler with the parts in position for coupling. Figs. 6 and 6n are perspective views of the coupling-jaw, and Figs. 7 and 7 are like views ofthe coupling-bar. p

Like letters of reference indicate like parts 5o in the several figures of the drawings.

A indicates the draw-bar, and B the drawhead, which in practice are preferably formed of one piece. The draw-head B is of appropriate form to support a pivoted couplingjaw, C, receive a like jaw of the coupler on the car to be coupled thereto,and to auto matically lock said jaws into position as they engage each other.

On the draw-head B are formed twolugs or ears, b, and a vertical shoulder, b', extending from one lug to the other. The said lugs are perforated and serve as bearings for a pivotpin, P, upon which the coupling-jaw Gis pivoted, and the shoulder serves to limit theoutward movement of the jaw. The draw-head B is cored or hollowed out, so as to allow the coupling-jaw C to assume proper position in coupling or uncoupling, and in said cored portion is formed a vertical recess, b2, on a line at right angles to the horizontal axis of the draw-bar and draw-head, in which recess b2 operates the coupling bolt or pin D. .The coupling-jaw C has the general form illustrated in Fig. 6. rPhe sharp edge of the shank c of the jaw, formed at its rear end by the intersection of the curved portion of its outer vertical face with the rectilinear inner vertical face, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6,) is cut away to form a rearwardlyinclined vertical surface, c', at the upper end of which is formed a recess, whereby a seat, c2, is provided for the coupling-bolt, for purposes presently explained.

In the upper and lower portion of the drawhead B are formed rectangular openings b3, the rear faces of which are on a line with the face of the recess b2, in which latter and said opening operates the coupling bolt or pin D. The `coupling-bolt D acts by gravity, and has in its upper end a transverse slot, d, through which passes a pin, E, securedv to a flange, b4, that projects from the upper face of the drawhead and surrounds the opening b3 in said upper face. A like flange projects from the under side of said draw-head and surrounds the corresponding opening therein. The pin E serves to limit the vertical movements of. the coupling-bolt. At its lower end the bolt Dis cut away to form a shoulder, cl, on its front face, and the lower rear edge of said bolt is roo beveled to form an inclined face, d2, at that point.

At a suitable distance above the shoulder d is formed a shoulder, d3, the face of which inclines in the direction of .inward rotation of the shank c of the coupling-jaw C. The front vertical edge of the coupling-bolt is beveled off from the lowest point of the incline d3 to the notch d', to form aforwardly-inclined vertical face, dt, as plainly shown in Fig. 7.

The operation of this coupling is as follows: Assumingtwo cars to be coupled, as shown by the couplers in Fig. 1, the uncoupling is effected by turning the crank-shaftf of the gravity-lever F, pivoted to the under side of the draw-bar A, so as to lift the said lever, the shaft of which is or may be extended from opposite sides of the lever to a point within easy reach without going between the cars for manipulating the same. As shown in the drawings, the lever is a bent lever, the bent portion j' having its nose beveled olf, as at f2, and the position of the lever relativelyfto the opening b3 in the lower portion of the drawhead is such that the front beveled edge, f2, of said bent portion f of lever F will penetrate into said opening b3, as shown in dotted lines, Figs. 4 and 5, and inipinge upon the rearbeveled edge, d2, at the lower end of the couplingbolt D. The action of the inclined or beveled faces f2 d2 upon each other being in a direction the reverse of that in which they exert their power, and inasmuch as the resistance of the bolt D is least, the power exerted by the lever F will lift said bolt. The bent arm f of lever F is of such a length as to lift the bolt sufficiently to bring the shoulder d', formed across its face at its lower extremity, slightly above the surface of the lower horizontal face of the cavity in the draw-head, or above the face of a recess, b5, formed in said lowerhorizontal face of the cavity; or, in other words, the length of the lever-arm f is such as to lift the shoulder d* clear of the opening b3 in the lower portion of the draw-head. When so lifted, the beveled edge of the lever-arm will throw the lower end of the bolt D forward, so that its shoulder d will be seated upon the upper forward edge of the opening b3 and be held in that position. The lever F, being then released, will fall back into its normal position by gravity. Vhen the coupling-bolt is in the described position, the lower corner of the inclined shoulder d3 is clear of the rear end ofthe shank c of the coupling-j aw C, which latter is then free to rotate on its pivot, and as the coupling-j aw of the adjacent car moves out of the draw-head the uncoupled jaw is rotated on its pivot, the inclined face c3, sliding over the corresponding inclined face d* ofthe couplingbolt D, forces the latter olf its seat, and said bolt will fall down into its normal position. The parts are now in the position shown in Fig. 5 and ready for coupling, which is effected automatically. Vhen the coupling-jaw of one car enters the draw-head of another car the coupling-jaw of which is in the position shown in Fig. 5, tbe'entering jaw will bear upon the shank of the set-jaw and cause it to rotate on its pivot and engage said entering j jaw.- At the Ysame time the rotating shank engages the inclined face of the shoulder cl3 of the. coupling-bolt D and lifts the same until the said shank has passed clear of the bolt,

when the latter will drop down, its side face above the inclined shoulder da lying in front of the inner vertical face of the shank c of the jaw C, thus locking said jaw securely in position.

It will be observed that no strain is exerted observed that the power exerted by the shank' of the jaw upon the bolt is in a lateral direction, and as said bolt lies within a recess formed in the rear portion of the draw-head there is a solid bearing-surface provided along its entire length, consequently a comparatively light bolt may be employed, since it has no strain whatever to bear, all the strain being supported by the draw-head itself.

When two cars to be coupled stand on a curve, the axial lines of their couplers will be at a greater or less angle to each other, according to the radius of the curve, and when the coupling-jaw of one coupler enters the drawhead of another there is danger that the shank of the coupling-jaw of the latter draw-head will not be acted on suificiently by the entering jaw to carry said shank clear of the couplingbolt, so as to enable the latter to drop down and lock the jaw. To avoid this I form the recess above referred to in the rear end of the jaw-shank, and said recess is of such a depth that its upper face or seat, c", will be at such an elevation that the least partial rotation that can be imparted to the shank by the entering jaw will lift the bolt clear of the seat c, into which said bolt D will drop, thus locking the jaw securely in position. As soon as the cars again enter upon a straight portion of the ,track-that is to say, as soon as the axes of the couplers again come to lie in or approximately in the same plane*the shank of the jaw moves fully back out of the way of the coupling-bolt, which latter is then free to drop down into the position above described. Inasrnuch as the coupling-bolt is lifted high enough by the lever F so that its inclined shoulder will clear lthe upper face of the shank of the jaw, it will be evident that when the cars are coupled While on a curve they may also be uncoupled while on said curve.

If desired, the notch that forms the seat c' in the upper portion of the rear end of the shank c of the coupling-jaw C may be dispensed with, as shown in Fig. 6, and the coupling-bolt D provided with a shoulder or seat, d5, Fig. 7 on `the edge that faces the said jaw-shank, whereby the coupling may be effectedon a curve in a manner similar to that above described. v f A In order to adapt the coupling for use with an ordinary link-and-piu coupling, the coupling-jaw C has a recess, C', for the passage of the link, and suitable holes, cx, in proper register with said recess, for the reception of the coupling-pin.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a car-coupler of the class described, the combination, with a vertically-movable coupling-bolt provided with a projecting shoulder at a point intermediate of its extremities, of a horizontally-movable coupling-jaw provided with a seat, 0*, in its shank, for the purpose specied.

2. In a car-coupler of the class described, the combination, with the draw-head having openings b3, and a vertically-movable couplingbolt extendinginto said openings and provided with a shoulder, d', at its lower end, of an actuating-lever adapted to lift the bolt clear of one ofthe openings and move it forward,with its shoulder resting on the edge thereof, and a horizontally-oscillating locking-jaw adapted to move clear of the coupling-bolt when it is in the position specified, simultaneously therewith move said bolt rearwardly, and cause it to drop back into the position from which it has been moved by the lever, as described.

3. The combination, substantially as herein described, with the draw-head,the horizontally-oscillating coupling-j aw provided with the inclined surface o', and the vertically-movable gravity-bolt provided with the beveled surface d2 and shoulder d', of the gravity-lever F, the arm fof which has a correspondingly-beveled face, f2, for the purpose specied.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. THURMON D.

Witnesses:

EMMA lVI. GILLETT, W. E. BoULrER.

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