US341684A

US341684A - Car-coupling

Info

Publication number: US341684A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1886-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 1903-05-11

Description

(No Model.)

B. F. PENDEXTER.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 341,684. Patented May 11 1886. Fijyi. .1

I i iiiIII I//[ Witness as, Invem/ o r,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

EDWARD F. PENDEXTER, OF MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SIEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,684, dated IvIay 11, 1886,

Application filel August 21, 1885. Serial No. 174,933. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, EDWARD F. PENDEXTER, of Milford, county of \Vorcester, and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement in Gar-Couplings, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention is embodied in a car-coupling device in which the co-operating draw-heads are provided with books, which automatically interlock when the cars come together. The outer or strikingfaces of the hooks,which come in engagement in the act of coupling, besides being inclined to the axis of the draw-head or line ofstrain, as is usual in couplings having hooks, are also inclined to the vertical direction, the hook being wider at the upper portion of the engaging shoulder than at the lower portion thereof, so that when the hooks come together in the operation of coupling each tends to throw the upper portion of the other aside, thus giving the draw-head a rotary movement about its longitudinal axis, and as soon as the hooks have passed one another they come into engagement by a rotary movement in the opposite direction.

The drawheads are provided with handles or arms, to enable a person to impart a rotary movement to them for the purpose of disengaging them, and thus are coupled and uncoupled with a rotary movement instead of being moved bodily aside, as in couplings heretofore made. Each draw-head and hook is provided with a guard having its inner face opposite the open side of the hook inclined, so as to be substantially parallel with the striking face of the hook or portion engaged by the opposite hook in the operation of coupling, while the outer side of each hook, at the back of the engaging shoulder, is substantially vertical, and is thus confined by the guard of the opposite coupling and prevented from moving laterally out of the engagement with the cooperating hook, although the inclination of the inner faces of the guards permits the hooks to be engaged and disengaged by a rotary movement. The drawheads are adapted to transmit a thrusting or pushing force as well as a pulling force.

Figurel is a side elevation and longitudinal section of a portion of two cars provided with coupling devices embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of the coupling devices as seen when engaged with one another; Fig. 3, an end elevation of one of the coupling devices; and Figs. 4 and 5, transverse sections on the plane of engagement of the shoulders of the hooks, showing the operation when the parts are in different positions, to be referred to.

The cooperating coupling devices on the two cars A Aare precisely similar to one another, and the corresponding parts will be indicated by the same letters, those of the one car being distinguished by the accent-mark, (C) The draw-bars a a may be connected with the car-bodies in the usual way, so as to transmit either a pulling or pushing force to the car. The shank portions of the draw-bars are circular in crosssection and adapted to turn about their longitudinal axes or the line of strain of the pulling or pushing force transmitted to the car, their rotary movement in one direction beinglimitcd by a suitable stopping device, I), when the hooked ends of the said draw-bars are substantially horizontal. Each draw-bar is provided at its end with a hook, c 0, having an engaging shoulder, d d, which interlock with one another, as shown in Fig. 2, when the cars are coupled, and striking face 0 c. inclined with relation to the longitudinal axis of the draw-bar, as best shown in Fig. 2, and also inclined with relation to the vertical plane, as shown in Fig. 3, the up per part of the engaging shoulder d (2 being wider than the lower part, so that when the two striking faces come in contact in the pro cess of coupling they engage only at the top of the drawbar, instead of through the entire height of the hook, as usually takes place. The neck or shank ff, just inside of the engaging shoulder, has its sides substantially vertical and parallel, as best shown in Fig. 4,

and the entire outer face, 9 g, at the back of 5 the hook is also substantially vertical. Each draw-head is also provided with a guard, it h, having its inner face opposite the hook inclined in the same direction as the striking face of the hook, there being sufficient distance between the upper portion of the inner surface of the guard at the point 2 (see Fig. 3)

and the extremity of the hook-shoulder at the point 3 to receive the widest part of the hook of the opposite coupling, while the lower portion of the inner surface of the guard at the point 4 will just engage the back of the opposite coupling. Thus when the two couplings come together in the act of coupling the part of the guard at the point 4 of each coupling prevents the lower portion of the opposite coupling from moving laterally, as will be readily understood from Fig. 5, which shows the parts in the position assumed just before the shoulders d (1 come in engagement, although there is suficient distance at the upper part of the guard to permit the upper part of the other coupling to turn aside with a rotary movement in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, it being thus forced aside by the striking face of the opposite hook, and as soon as it has passed the end of the shoulder of the opposite hook it will drop with a rotary movement in the direction opposite to the arrow, Fig. 5, bringing the shoulders of the two hooksinto engagement with one another, as shown iuFig. 2.

If in the running of the train one coupling rises above the level of the other, as shownin Fig. 4, the point of the guard of the higher coupling engaging the back side, g of the hook of the other coupling will hold the engaging shoulders of the two hooks in contact, and the guard h at all times prevents the bodily lateral movement of one draw-head or hook with relation to the other, as shown in Fig. 4.

The drawheads are weighted, so as to cause them to turn by the action of gravity in the direction opposite the arrow, Fig. 5, or so as to cause the upper portions of the engaging shoulders to turn toward one another. The guard It being at one side of the axis of rotation of the draw-head, will tend to turn it in this direction, and the draw-head is still further weighted by the handle or arm n, which extends to the side of the car, and is used by the operator to turn the coupling in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, for the purpose of disengaging the hooks or uncoupling the car. The downward movement of the said arm is limited by the stop I) when the couplings are in their normal or horizontal position.

The recess 1' at the junction of the shank of the hook with the guard h receives the end of the opposite hook, which is thus capable of transmitting a thrust from one car to the other, as well as a pulling force, thus preventing the necessity of independent yielding bunters.

The hooks may be provided with a slot, t,

and opening, a, to receive the usual coupling link and pin when the opposite car is not provided with a corresponding automatic coupling.

If desired to push a car without engaging it with another, one of the draw-heads may be supported in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 5, by raising the handle 12 and engaging it with a proper support at the end of the car.

It will be understood that when the couplings come into engagement the rotary movement will not be limited to one draw-head, as shown in Fig. 5, but will generally be divided between the two, although it is sufficient for the purpose of disengaging the draw-heads that one only should be turned, as shown in Fig. 5.

I claim- 1.. In an automatic car-coupling device, a draw-head capable of rotary movement about its axis, having a hook the engaging shoulder of which is wider at one end than at the other, combined with a guard which engages the back of the hook of the co-operating or opposite coupling, theinner face of the said guard being inclined and preventing bodily lateral movement of the opposite hook, but permitting a rotary movement thereof, and a stop limiting the rotary movement of the drawhead, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic car-coupling device, a hook having an inclined striking face, com- 'bined with a guard which engages the back of the hook of the co-operating or opposite coupling, the inner face of the said guard being inclined and preventing a bodily lateral movement of the opposite hook, but permitting a rotary movement thereof, substantially as described.

3. An automatic carcoupling device comprising a drawhead capable of rotary movement about its axis, and having a hook, the striking face of which is inclined with relation to the axis of the draw-head, and also to the vertical plane, combined with a handle for turning the draw-head, thev weight of which handle tends to turn the draw-head in one direction, and a stop engaging the said handle andlimiting the rotary movement of the drawhead, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD F. PENDEXTER.

\Vitnesses:

J 0s. 1?. LIVERMORE, JAS. J. MALONEY.

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