US321470A - Edwabd w - Google Patents

Description

' (No Model.)

B. W. 8: SJG. WOOLLEY.

GAR COUPLING.

m WW UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.

EDNVARD WV. XVOOLLEY AND STARE C. WOOLLEY, OE JERSEY CITY, N. J.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,470, dated July 7, 3.885.

Application filed January 6, 1855. 1X0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD W. Woon 'LEY, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, and STARR G. Noon- LEY, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Our invention relates to certain improvements upon the car-coupling described in our Patent No. 256,186, dated April 11, 18S2;and it consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the bell-crank lever, the couplingpin, the means for uncoupling the cars from either the top or sides, andalocking device for holding the coupling-pin elevated, 1 all as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

For the better understanding of our inven t-ion in detail, attention is invited to the ac companying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a vertical central section showing the end of the car to which it is attached; Fig. 2, a top view of one of the brackets used as a guide for the vertical uncoupling-rod; Fig. 3, a view in detail of the rod used for uncoupling at the sides of the car, combined with the locking device; Fig. 4, a plan view of the draw-head, bell-crank lever, and coupling-pin; Fig. 5, a view in detail of the coupling-pin; Fig. 6, a side view of the coupling-pin and bell-crank lever; Fig. 7, a front view of the coupling-pin in elevation; Fig. 8, a transverse section of the same on line mo: of Fig. 7; Fig. 9, a side elevation of the bell-crank lever constructed in accordance with our present invention, and Fig. 10 a plan view of the same.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts.

Before proceeding with the description of the construction of our improvements in detail, and with reference to the drawings, it may be of some importance to state that we find that in using the bell-crank lever, by means of which the coupling-pin is elevated when the link enters the draw-head, it is necessary to pivot the bcll'orank lever in the draw-head as near the front as possible, so that alink of the ordinary length can be used; and we also find that it is important to have the lower end of the bell-crank lever pass under the couplingpin in such a way (when it is elevated)thatit will be impossible for the link to force itself between the engaging ends of the lever and coupling-pin. In order to accomplish these results with success, it is essential to have the top of the draw-head provided in front of the coupling-pin with a slot communicating with the opening for the pin, which opening should be made square on each side of this slot, at its point of connection with said opening, and this arrangement makes it important to have the front side of the coupling-pin made flat,in order that it cannot be drawn into this slot in the draw'head, but that it may have a square bearing in the drawhead on each side of this slot, which is made to receive the hell'orank lever. It is next deemed essential to provide the lower end of the coupling-pin with a slot to receive the hookshaped end of the bellcrank lever, so that said end shall be protected, to thereby make it impossible for the link to force itself between the engaging ends of the lever and coupling-pin. In these particular features lie the novelty of our invention, together with other details of construction, and with the means which enable the brakeman to uncouple the cars from either side or from the top and at the same timelocl; the coupling, so that they will not couple unless it is otherwise desired.

In the drawings, A denotes the end of an ordinary freight-car; B, the draw'head, and G the bell-crank lever, which is pivoted to the drawhead at D and passes down through a slot, a, made in the top of the draw-head. This slot a communicates at its rear end with the vertical opening or socket b for the couplingpin E, which opening or socket is madesquare upon each side of the point of connection with the slot a; and the coupling-pin, which has vertical movement in this opening or socket b, is made flat upon its front side to conform with the square portion of its socket I), while its back is preferably made round to conform to the shape of that portion of the link F which bears against it when the cars are in motion.

The coupling-pin E has preferably a flange or head, P, which, when the pin is down,

rests upon the top of the draw-head to'support the pin, instead of the pin depending upon the bell-crank lever, as in our patent hereinbefore referred to.

The bell-crank lever O, which has vibratory movement in the slot a, consists of a long curved upper arm and a short lower arm, which is provided on its end with a hook, c, which (when the link enters the draw-head and forces back the lower arm of the bellcrank lever) passes under and into a curved slot, d, cut in the lower end of the couplingpin, and raises the latter. These features of construction in the lever and coupling-pin not only prevent the link from forcing itself between their engaging ends, but prevent any pressure or tension upon the lower arm of the lever in case of accidental failure of the coupling to work or carelessness of the op erator. v

For convenience we have illustrated the lever as passing through a slot in the upper end of the coupling-pin, as in our former patent hereinbefore mentioned; but while this mode of connection is simple and effective, we find it better and more advantageous to connect these elements by the means illustrated in Figs. 9 and 1.0. As shown in these figures, the bell-crank lever is cut out at R, and is provided with a removable side piece, S,which is attached by means of keys T or other equivalent devices. The head of the coupling-pin passes up and is pivoted between the side piece, S, and the lever proper. This connec tion adapts the coupling-pin to be detached from the bell-crank lever without removing the latter from its pivot.

The rear end, G, of the bell-crank lever has free play in a slot, 0, made in the top of the draw-head, behind the coupling-pin, and to this end of the lever is attached a chain or rope, H, which is again attached at its upper end to a vertical rod, J, and below this attachment the said chain or rope connects with an arm, K, of the uncoupling-rod I, which is mounted in journals ff, secured to the end of the car. This rod I also passes through a convex locking-plate, M, provided with a slot, L, having a rightangle branch, L, and secured to the end of the car intermediate the journals 7 f, as shown in Fig. 3. The rod I, thus mounted,

- projects beyond the sides of the car, and has at each end a convenient handle for operating the same. hen said rod is turned. so as to elevate the arm K, the rear end of the bellcrank lever O is raised and its inner end is brought under the coupling-pin, which is The. rod J is held in a vertical position, and is guided by brackets Q, secured to the end of the car, as in Fig. 1.

Instead of the locking-plate M the journals f f may be recessed, and the rod I locked by a protuberance on its outside or instead of this means the rod I may have a recessed collar, whereby the rod could be locked by a protuberance (on the journals f f) engaging with the recessed collar.

The cars are coupled automatically by the link, which, in entering the draw-head, forces back the lower arm of the bell-crank lever, which elevates. the pin and allows the link to pass beyond where it cannot be withdrawn, as it is caught by the pin, which falls down to place as soon as the link passes beyond its vertical path.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Lettcrs Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupler, the combination of a coupling-pin having a slotted lower end, and a bell-crank lever, operating in the manner substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination of a coupling-pin and a bell-crank lever having a removable side piece, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination of the coupling-pin having a curved slot in its lower end and the bell-crank lever having a hook shaped inner end and pivoted, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination of the bell-crank lever O and the coupling-pin E, provided with flange or head 1? below the lever-slot, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a carcoupler, the combination of the couplingpin, the bell-crank lever, the chain or rope H, the rod I, provided with a projection, and a recessed or slotted locking-plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a car-coupler, the combination of the slotted draw-head B, provided with socket I), made square on one side, the coupling-pin E, having a flat front, and the bell-crank lever O, substantially as described.

7. In a car-coupler, the combination of the coupling-pin E, and the bell-crank lever 0, provided with cut-out R, and the removable side piece, S, substantially as described.

8. In a car-coupler, the combination of the bell-crank lever G, the coupling-pin E, the chain 'or rope H, red I, with its arm K, hooked rod J, and the slotted locking-plate lVI, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

IIO

EDXVARD WV. WOOLLEY. STARR O. XVOOLLEY.

Witnesses:

r \V. G. MoTAvrsH, O. \V. K. PHIPrs.

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