US349679A - Car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

latent-N; GAR COUPLING.

No. 349,679. Patented Sept. 28,- 1886.

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J. G. ASKREN.

GAR COUPLING- No. 349,679. Patented Sept. 28, 1886,.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. ASKREN,YOF MOUNT AYR, IOlVA.

CAR-COUPLING.

PIl-QIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,679, dated September 28, 1886.

Application filed July 14, 1836. Serial No. 208,016. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. ASKREN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Ayr, in the county of Ringgold and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful linprovement in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of car-coup lings in which the coupling action occurs automatically in consequence of the concussion of meeting between two opposing draw-heads; and the object of my invention is to produce a cheap, strong, and durable coupling which shall be capable of use in connection with various other forms of couplings, one which will couple equally well on curved and straight tracks, and which will not become accidentally uncoupled.

A further object of my invention is to produce a coupling which shall permit the necessary up and down and sidewise movements of the moving cars, and which shall operate with draw-heads of different heights.

To the above purposes my invention consists in certain peculiar and novel features of construction and arrangement, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully u11- derstood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of two of my improved couplers connected together as in use. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the couplers with the top of its casing removed. Fig. 3 is a 1011- gitudinal vertical section of the coupler 011 the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, the top of the casing being in position. Fig. 4. is an outer end elevation of the casing with its link removed. Fi 5 is a detached view of one of the coupling-links.

In the said drawings, A designates the easing of the coupling-head, said casing being of oblong rectangular shapewith a removabletop, A, bolted or otherwise removably attached thereto. On the inner sides of the casing and at the outer ends thereof is located a rectangular inwardly-extending portion, a, the front of which is formed oblique, as shown, so as to 0011- stitute a flaring mouth to guide the incoming link, the back of said portion a being straight, for a purpose hereinafter described.

B designates a shaftwhich. extends transverse] y through the upper part of the head A,

at the outer end thereof, just back of the flaring mouth (1. Midway of its length this shaft B carries a gravity-catch, C, which is rigidly supcatch by a straight portion, 0 asshown. At

each end of shaft B are secured rigid crankhandles D, which extend from the said shalt coincidently with the catch 0, so that by moving said handles in one direction or the other the catch 0 may be carried either above or be low the shaft B. The normal position of catch. 0 is below shalt B, and it retains such position by gravity. The top A of the casing is formed near'its outer end with a slot, to, which is covered by a boxing, a and when the catch C is brought above its shaft 13 it enters the boxing a through the slot a, and its shoulder c rests upon the outer side of top piece, A, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The catch 0 is held in this upward position by arms E, which are pivoted upon the sides of easing A and engage beneath the cranks D, as shown in Fig. 1; V

In 'the top and bottom of easing A are formed two holes, a", which are in alignment with each other, and are designed to receive the pin F, which secures the link in the draw or coupling head.

G designates one of the coupling-links, which is used with my improved coupler. The body of this link is formed with a beveled V- shaped outer end, 9, a rounded inner end, 9, a U shaped lug, g, at the inner end of the link and 011 its under side, and also with two slots, g 9*, the former being shorter than the latter and nearer the outer end, 9, of the link.

H designates a movable partition or dia phragm, which is set within the casing A, and from which extends a rod, h, surroundedby a spiral compression-spring, h, the said rod pass play- This partltion is carried ing through the rear end of the casing and ing freely therein.

0, through I through the shoulder 0 back and forth in the casing A, as hereinafter described, and its movements are limited by stops h upon the bottom of easing A.

Now, the operation of the above-describedcoupler is as follows: Vhen the two opposing coupling-heads approach each other, either one or the other of the coupling-links passes above or below the other, and striking against the straight portions 0 of the catches G, throwing the same inward, and finally permitting the catches to drop by gravity into the slots and thus couple the links. Each link is perma-v nently held by its pin F, and said pin passes through the longer slot, so that it' the outer ends of the two links should strike squarely against each other and fail to pass by as they should, the inner ends of said links will force the movable partitions inward and prevent any crushing or bending of the links,while eventually disengaging their outer ends from contact. When the cars are drawn along, each link has three bearing-points'viz.,on the pin, on the catch,and on the top of the draw-head I11 uncoupling, it is only necessary to turn the handles D backward and upward, so as to release the outer ends of the opposite links. It will. thus be seen that the coupler is simple, reliable, and durable, and that it is easily operated.

If desired, a cord or rod may be led from one of the crank-handles D to the top of the ear,

g", and the pivoted depending curved catches 0, adapted to enter the connnunicating slots of the links when the draw-heads come together, for the purpose set 1 forth, substantially as described. r

2. The combination, with a coupling-head, of the pin F, shaft B, and catch 0 upon said shaft, said catch having shoulders c 0 as set forth.

3. The combination, with casing A, having partition H, with its rod h and spring h, the pin F, and arms E, of the shaft B, carrying catch 0 and arms D, the link G, having V shaped end 9, lug g and slots 9 g, and the top A, having slot a. and housing or boxing a, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAS. o. AsKunN,

Witnesses:

.T. M. ELLINGTON, L. O. SHEPHERD.

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